The FastDay Forum

Decided to keep a diary to keep me motivated. I am quite impatient and an instant-gratification kind of person so I'm worried that I will give up on 5:2 if I don't lose weight as quickly as I want to! I think keeping a diary will help me keep an eye on things.

Week 1 (so far)
Heard all about 5:2 on Monday so I ordered the book and did a lot of research. Decided to start that day, but of course it was going to be a feed day because I'd already probably broken my 500cals with a big baked potato! Am 5"3' and 9s 11lbs which is not unhealthy/overweight but is definitely not slim. I can feel the weight as I carry it around, mostly on my stomach and my arms, and have a holiday to prepare for. I tend to lose (and gain!) weight quite easily, it's always been the keeping it off that's been difficult. I really want to lose a stone, if I can, and keep it off for my holiday in August. Also attending a festival in September with all my skinny friends!

Tuesday was tougher than I thought it'd be but made it through. Turned on my 'hunger switch' with two scrambled eggs, feta and chives in the morning and suffered until dinner (prawns and roasted veg), and was still very hungry afterwards. Decided to weigh myself on Wednesday as I think a weekly Wednesday weighing will do me good- it will be between my two fast days, after all. Had lost 3lbs but told myself not to get my hopes up. My 'official' weigh-ins will be Wednesday.

Enjoyed eating what I wanted to on Wednesday but felt very guilty! Didn't overeat but wasn't amazingly good. Still felt very slim the next morning. It's amazing, I used to feel bloated 90% of the time and that seems to have disappeared this week!

Thursday I went to the library early and worked all morning and much of the afternoon, didn't feel too hungry (it came and went in waves) and had dinner (salmon with roasted veg). Couldn't help snacking as I was making dinner but luckily it was turkey pieces (low fat and low cal!) Have found that I can't give up tea (milk, 1 sugar) although I did try black tea on Tuesday. Log it on MyFitnessPal as 35cal and only have one cup a day.

Feeling very tired today (Friday). Went to bed hungry last night and couldn't stop myself from getting on the scales this morning (someone give me some willpower, please!) 9st 9lbs so not too bad, but taught me not to sneak onto the scales before my official weigh-ins. Must be strong! Been feeling very tired all week but hoping it's just the sudden early starts instead of the change of diet.
Edit: Went to the gym and found myself full of energy, pushed myself really hard so I was absolutely panting when I left! Treated myself to a large plate of wholemeal pasta, pesto and prawns but couldn't resist a cherry bakewell after. Fresh food tastes amazing at the moment!

The weekend was a bit strange, ate a little too much on Saturday (Maryland cookies are very, very moreish) and ended up going out for 'a drink' which turned into a very late, drunken night. Student life! Spent Sunday with an awful, awful hangover so ended up fasting anyway, made sure my dinner was under 500cal to make up for the empty calories consumed the night before. Inadvertently doing 4:3 it seems! Can't wait to weigh in on Wednesday but it's my TOTM and feeling very bloated at the moment, so not sure how/if the scales will shift...

Okay, it's Tuesday 23rd April and I am starvinggg but absolutely determined to have the scales shift when I weigh in tomorrow, so it's waterwaterwater and then soup this evening. I'll be starting a new post tomorrow with (fingers crossed!) some good news...

I've lost 5 pounds!
I haven't lost that much in a week in... I can't even remember! Was worried last night and didn't sleep very well, probably fearing the scales not moving, so 5lbs is more than I expected
I'm feeling much, much better within myself, less bloated and with more energy, but I still have some way to go before my jeans get too baggy... I look forward to that day.

Well done BethP. Keep at it and remember to watch the alcohol intake (sorry - I am probably old enough to be your mum!) as that could sabotage all your good work.

Well done Beth. Keep going.

Or should it be dark glasses for the hangover?

Ooo yay well done!!! Keep up the good work!

Well done BethP. Keep at it and remember to watch the alcohol intake (sorry - I am probably old enough to be your mum!) as that could sabotage all your good work.

Haha don't be silly, I'm the furthest thing from age-ist, and you make a valid point! My self-control goes out of the window on nights out, but luckily I have deadlines and exams coming up so there will be no more impromptu drinks for a good few weeks

Well done Beth. Keep going.

Or should it be dark glasses for the hangover?

You have no idea, it was the hangover to end all hangovers...

Ooo yay well done!!! Keep up the good work!

Thank you! I will, and you too!

5 lbs is amazing! Well done

Thank you! (:

Well done Bethp, looking forward to your diary updates.

That's fab, well done

Thank you everyone for your support!

Week 2:

Been avoiding this diary for too long, as it's been a bit of a bad week food-wise! I am terrible with routines but it was all thrown off this week by my dad visiting and having dinner/going out for drinks on Thursday (usually my fast day). So Wednesday and Thursday were very much foodie days, I kept finding myself in front of the cupboard on Wednesday and a pub dinner on Thursday means the calories must've clocked up.

After eating way too much sugar on Wednesday I had an awful stomach ache, a real stabbing pain in my belly which kept me awake for ages. This put me off reaching for the chocolate/bakewells/popcorn which I have in my cupboards, which I suppose is a very good thing (haven't had a bakewell since, this is big news, haha). And that was all because I had a McDonald's breakfast (pancakes) in the morning, I think- I got the taste for sugar and couldn't stay away from it all day! (I am not a McDonald's eater, I joke to my friends about how I have an 'annual' McDonald's. I always regret it afterwards as it just tastes of sugar and fat and I find it completely unsatisfying.)

This meant that on Friday, when I was really busy all day at uni and thought I could have my catch-up fast then, I ended up not being able to last I had a sore head and I had a presentation, a horse riding lesson and a seminar. Couldn't help but have lunch, which meant I had dinner as it was probably over 500cal (shop-bought sandwich and crisps).

However, I think overall my portions are getting smaller. I'm not exactly choosing healthy options yet but I am leaving food, which I never usually do. I usually stuff myself until it's all gone!

So here we are, Saturday, and I'm fasting (finally!) again. It's been a bit of an up-and-down day, my mood has been pretty snappy but to be quite honest I'm already loud and opinionated 90% of the time so my housemates are used to it! The most amazing thing which I have to keep harping on about is how much slimmer I feel simply because I am not bloated. I've worked out that I bloat very, very easily- especially as I love my carbs! And my greatest loss has been around my abdomen, which I lost 2in off in the first week because I wasn't bloated.

So it's 5pm on Saturday and I don't yet know what I'm going to make for dinner, probably a bad idea as standing in front of the fridge in an hour or so will kill me! But oh well, I have been working all day on an essay and have not reached for the snacks, so I feel good about that Two more feed days after this, then a fast, then my next weigh in! Very nervous this time.

EDIT: Had a cheese and chive omelette with 1/3 of a can of beans for dinner- split my 20g of cheese up between the eggs and the beans and still feeling full, by some miracle! Will definitely be having something similar on other days. Just under 500 cal, tasty and no-carb

Sunday and Monday were fine, didn't eat too much. Apart from some sweet popcorn which I immediately regretted- so moreish! Oh well, it's all gone now and I skipped dinner to start my fast early to make up for it. It's Tuesday now and I'm hoping to go until dinner time at least. Got work to do so fingers crossed! Excited and worried about weighing in tomorrow

I haven't lost this week
Not sure why. Don't think I did anything different, apart from changing my fast to Saturday because I missed Thursday (and then Friday). Maybe there were too many 'feed' days? I'm not sure, really.

I did do swimming and two hours of Taekwondo on Monday, so I didn't exercise yesterday in case my muscles were still retaining water. Is it possible that could still be happening today?

On the positive side, I have lost 1/2in off my waist and arms so clearly something has happened. Fingers crossed it was just water retention, should I get on the scales tomorrow? Ahh! Trying not to be disappointed is hard

I'm not sure that avoiding exercise for fear of water retention is very helpful, counterintuitive even! Maybe try not to revolve you week around your weigh in. I know the numbers are motivating but they are also demotivating and you should probably just try and focus on how your clothes feel if the numbers on the scales aren't behaving!

That said, you've still lost 5lb in 2 weeks, averaging 2.5lbs a week, and that's a great weight loss in itself.

Hi Bethp, on the first week most of the weight loss is water, after you gain that and lose fat which clearly happened since you lost inches from your waist and arms. 5lbs loss in 2 weeks is brilliant, keep going and you will see a decrease on the scales soon. I would wait another week to weigh again rather than weighing again tomorrow.

@vebnorahs
Haha, I tend to avoid exercise on fast days anyway, as I find it very difficult to do at this stage! Thank you for your kind words/advice, I know overall I've lost 5lbs, just need to stay positive and watch my food a little more this week...

@Malteserr
Thanks for the advice Next week I'll be home using different scales so I'll have to keep that in mind as well! But basically you're saying that I might've gained some water back but lost fat instead? That makes me feel better!