The FastDay Forum

Thanks Mrs H-R. It's difficult to keep motivated though when it's so bloomin' slow. I'm only actually seeing any losses because I'm still weighing daily and then taking a weekly average. Over the last two weeks I've probably lost maybe 0.5 lb if that. If I cut out the wine, I'd probably do better. Unfortunately, these nice evenings make you want to slap a steak on the barbie and open a bottle of red....

I am on the scenic route wondering if I will ever get to the destination. Have been doing this since April. Lost a lot in first few weeks, then plateaued. Stuck to it (throwing a few 4 3 weeks in) and got over the plateau. Went on conference (still managing my 2 fasts, but they were 5 days apart - Sunday and Saturday) whereupon I gained back half of what I had lost in one week (even with the 2 fasts). Pondered about that as I really had not gone crazy and had materially increased my exercise (over an hour cardio a day), as I do when I travel. But stuck to it. Have thrown a few 4 3 weeks in, and have lost a bit of what I gained. But not all. And I am thinking, it's really hard to do this. If I have to go to 4 3 even to lose at all. I will hang in there until my medical later this year where I hope to see some improvement in numbers. If I don't, then I may shift back to 7 days of calorie restriction. Not as much fun, but seems to be more effective for me, at least in short term to lose. And then maybe I will switch back to 5 2 to maintain.

[carorees]

From what I've been reading on the science front of late, I think that a trial of a low carb/high fat diet, especially on fast days, is worthwhile if weight loss is slow.

From what I've been reading on the science front of late, I think that a trial of a low carb/high fat diet, especially on fast days, is worthwhile if weight loss is slow.

Quite agree.

As I was curious, I checked to see if my body was burning fat by the end of one of my fasting days (easy to do if you are an old Atkins person). I was. But 500 cal. of carbs (of whatever kind) will pretty much stop the process (again, Atkins experience). If burning fat is the issue, either don't eat anything, or eat high fat/protein on fasting days (I tend to eat nothing).

I posted somewhere else that if people are in a hurry to lose weight and 5:2 is not fast enough for them, then they should go to their favorite weight loss diet, do it, and come back after they have lost the weight for weight loss maintenance.

However, it is a different question if, over a couple of month time period, they are not losing weight at all. With 5:2, if you have a accurate TDEE and are fasting at 500 cal. (or 25% of TDEE if it is low), you have to lose fat weight absent some kind of medical problem. If you are not losing, you are eating too many calories. Again, speed of loss is a different issue.

Hi guys, scenic route? Even that would be an improvement for me! Sorry this is gonna be a moan so if you are in a really good mood stop reading now!!

I have been doing 5/2 since beginning of February this year,took me 3 months to lose 10 lbs by May and have stalled ever since apart from the odd half pound which goes on/comes off on a weekly basis.
I have a slightly underactive thyroid for which I take 75mg of levothyroxine daily so I expected my loss to be slow but to be quite honest I am at the end of my tether.
Ever since I stalled I have tried zero calories on fast days, 300 calories on fast days, staying around my tdee on feed days, under my tdee on fast days, gently daily excercise etc etc.

Even my daily portions on feed days are around half of what I usually ate before starting this so I am at a complete loss at how this is ever going to work for me.

When I first started out I was hoping to lose 2 stone (even though I do need to lose more) and I am not even half way yet.

Wish I could be like others here that enjoy the actual fast days but unfortunately I like my food and find fast days are still really miserable and tedious even after doing them for almost 5 months.

I am going to try a last ditch attempt on the low carb/high protein approach on my fast days for a couple of weeks to see if that makes any difference but if that doesn't help then I am going to have to admit defeat with 5/2.

I am bitterly disappointed with this, my motivation is almost gone and I am terrified that just to maintain this 10 pound loss I am going to have to basically not eat for 2 days a week for the rest of my life and still be a fat-ass!

I am so sorry to be on such a downer guys and I wish you all the very best on your journey! x

[carorees]

Sorry to hear this cakegroupy. With an underactive thyroid you are really up against it. I'd suggest you get your thyroid function tested again because it can change with 5:2, and ensure you get T3 tested as this is the most active thyroid hormone so if those levels are low your metabolism will be v low too. Obesity can result in a reduced conversion of T4 (thyroxine) to the more active T3 in the tissues, so the levothyroxine might not be working properly because it is not being converted. Have a look at the thyroid threads for more info.

The low carb route may well help you...don't go too high protein though as excess protein is converted to glucose. Also keeping calorie intake really low on feed days may worsen thyroid function so I would suggest having at least one day a week where you eat higher calories. I would also try swapping your current cooking oil for coconut oil...it might just help the thyroid and also keep you fat burning. If you are finding fast days difficult still, it might be because you are not getting your insulin levels low enough resulting in lower blood sugar and feeling rubbish, so again, low carbing may help. As the two-day diet (low carb for two days a week) appears to work, perhaps at least having some days each week that are really low carb and high fat might work...could you do the two fasting days and one/two others? If you use MFP or similar to give you your carb intake, try to get the carbs under 100g and preferably lower...as low as you can go in fact. I'd guess you should keep protein to under 100g. Fats need to provide most of your energy needs during this phase. If you can keep up the gentle daily exercise, aiming for 10,000 steps a day, that will also help.

Wishing you lots of luck...

If you have an hour and a half to listen to a podcast on thyroid issues I recommend http://www.askthelowcarbexperts.com/201 ... yroid-201/

Download it to your phone or mp3 player and enjoy - it's an interview / Q&A with a "Dr House" type thyroid expert. He provides references to studies too.

Thanks for the link, Phil, I will try to find time to watch that, sounds interesting.
Carorees I did go and see my gp and he just assureed me my throid meds levels were 'fine' and that was that.
I am on a fast day today and have been low carbing as suggested, scrambled eggs for lunch and poached fish for dinner. It has been okayish, but I am not really a big protein fan and it seems to give me horrendous constipation but I am willing to do that on my 2 fast days only and see how I get on over the next couple of weeks.
Afraid I won't be doing 2 fast days plus 2 low carb days each week as that does not appeal to me in the slightest and seems just like every other depressing diet regime I have tried in the past.

Thanks again for the tips guys and I will post again to let you know if there has been any progress with the low carb fast days! x

[carorees]

I think you should ask to see your thyroid test results...it's your right to see your own notes after all! See if they tested T3 and what the result was compared with the normal range.

I'm down an inch around the belly button measure of my waist and feeling very thankful that it's working. I'm just 5:2ing, and really enjoying all other foods sensibly on my other days. I really just put off till tomorrow what I can't eat today. I'm just finishing up my 12th week, so 3 months in. I'm soooo slow too, it could be thyroid, but also in menopause and I've been heavy since I was about 6 years old.

Feeling very encouraged today. I've been hanging in there, and I had to measure 3 times this morning to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

Thanks for all the support here on this long and winding scenic road!

In two months my weight has only gone down by about a pound and a half but my waist has gone down and inch. I'm enjoying it and feeling good about 5:2 but I'm hoping the weight loss picks up a bit. It's hard to not get demoralised.

You sound like me phoenix77!

However, I don't own scales, so I'm not really keeping track of how much I weigh that way. For me it's all about how I feel, my clothes feel and inches.

Sometimes I think it's better not to weigh, it's just too disheartening!

Perhaps a tape measurement will cheer you up? It didn't for me two months in, but here I am 3 months in and I'm down an inch.

Hang in there!