The FastDay Forum

I've a few friends who are having great success on 5:2. I have a couple of stone to lose round my middle. Whilst I sit at a PC most of the day (like many!) I cycle - usually 40-50 miles on a Sunday an maybe a couple of times in the week. My arms and legs are very lean.

So, I gave it a go. Found it so easy it was untrue. And the results looked good. However, as can be seen below, it doesn't seem to be working! I don't each huge amounts on non-fasting days either. any thoughts/advice gratefully received!

Date Weight Fast Day
23-Jul-13 15-06.5 Y
24-Jul-13 15-05.0 N
25-Jul-13 15-05.5 Y
26-Jul-13 15-04.0 N
27-Jul-13 15-04.0 N
28-Jul-13 15-06.5 N
29-Jul-13 15-06.5 Y
30-Jul-13 15-05.5 N
31-Jul-13 Y
01-Aug-13 15-02.5 N
02-Aug-13 15-03.0 N
03-Aug-13 15-05.0 N
04-Aug-13 15-05.5 N
05-Aug-13 15-05.5 N
06-Aug-13 15-04.5 Y
07-Aug-13 15-02.5 N
08-Aug-13 15-03.0 N
09-Aug-13 15-04.5 N
10-Aug-13 15-05.5 N
11-Aug-13 N
12-Aug-13 15-04.5 Y
13-Aug-13 15-03.5 N
14-Aug-13 15-04.5 N
15-Aug-13 15-05.5

Welcome to the forum Pieman! Have you taken measurements, are your clothes a tad bit looser? Sometimes the tape will show more progress than the scale. May I suggest that you put your info in the forum's Progress Tracker, you'll be given a TDEE number. TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the amount of calories needed daily to maintain weight. Log your calories for a week or 2 and see where what you are eating/drinking falls in relation to what you should be having and what you are actually consuming.
Somewhere you are getting too many calories for your needs, if calorie counting for a short time is not possible then read kencc's post on #NEAT, since you are on a computer all day you may find this more helpful. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress.

Thanks Betsy. I didn't take measurements - I'll do that tomorrow am. I've started adding my data to the tracker too! My TDEE was about 2300, and I'm usually way below that on a feast day, so I don't think this is the problem (particularly as it goes back on very quickly). Can't find Ken's post - any pointers?

Thanks!

Hi I would calorie count for a week I know its not what we like but I think you need to have alook at your intake sometimes you are not eating enough ,so give it a go for just a week on My fitness pal it makes it very easy to do and good luck I wouldnt count your exercise as it gives too high of TDEE

I've often heard the 'not eating enough' response. Maybe I'll have the guts to try it this time! TDEE of 2300 was ignoring my cycling.

Here's kencc's post on NEAT the-5-2-lab-f10/topic5055.html Also when thinking about caloric intake you have to also figure in everything that you consume and this includes nibbles and drinks, I know that for me it's not so much what I eat it's more about what I drink (beer) lol and sometimes the food that follows. It can be a real eye-opener when you actually log EVERYTHING, including the bit of milk in coffee/tea, it all adds up throughout the day.

It could be worth looking at your intake on normal days as sometimes little things add up especially if you like a drink or two. Don't get too hung up on the counting though. On the whole I would get some measurements down or check out the fit of some clothes that were a bit tight and see if theres any improvement. Scales are all over the place with this WOE. You get quite large swings in fluid balance and it can discourage the most determined. Weight does tend to come off in chunks with quite long spells of seemingly no loss loss between. If the WOE suits you and you feel good I would just chug on with it and see how it goes.

NEAT looks interesting - I do try and have a wander around the building every hour which helps. Not a boozer either. Wish I was as I could cut down

Off to buy a tape measure now!

Pieman wrote: I've often heard the 'not eating enough' response. Maybe I'll have the guts to try it this time! TDEE of 2300 was ignoring my cycling.

Your TDEE should include your cycling - in the form of activity level included in the computation. I don't know your cycling or weight info, but given the distance you mentioned, the guesstimate is it impacts your TDEE by less than 200 cal. per day (bringing you from sedentary to light exercise).

Also, most people tested underestimate their calorie intake by almost 50%, so actually keeping track might be helpful.

Here is some information on TDEE:
5-2-diet-chat-f6/topic6600.html

Ta - I have been tracking calories (was doing slimfast!) so have a pretty close idea of my intake. My TDEE with cycling is about 2600.

Pieman wrote: Ta - I have been tracking calories (was doing slimfast!) so have a pretty close idea of my intake. My TDEE with cycling is about 2600.

Well, if your TDEE is accurate and you are eating, on average, your TDEE or less on your feast days, and you are eating 600 cal. or less on your two fast days, you have to lose weight over time (your calorie deficit is 4000 cal. per week, or slightly over a pound a week). If you are not losing weight after a month or more, your calorie intake is higher than you think, your TDEE is lower than calculated, or your exercise is impacting your weight loss (high water retention).

Otherwise, maybe this will help: 5-2-diet-chat-f6/topic6491.html

Hey Pieman, I thought I was going nowhere until I plotted my own chart (kencc's advice). Here's yours:



Weight loss is slow but you can't deny there's a downward trend. If you were fit and healthy before 5:2, I can tell you that the weight will not fly off you, it will be very gradual - but a chart will keep you motivated, it does me.

I see you've put your data in Moogie's progress tracker (which I think is great) but the y-axis scale doesn't always let you see what's going on short term for slow losers like us.

If you've a smart phone I think there's apps and stuff that will do this for you but I'm not that savvy....

That's very interesting Madge. It is certainly encouraging - Just . How did you plot that?

On an excel spreadsheet then saved it as a photo and uploaded it (gosh I sound really techie don't I? I'm not)

Actually I think Moogie's progress chart would show the same but the vertical scale has to account for the goal weight as well - which makes your tracker look a lot flatter (as does mine and a lot of other peoples' because we all want to lose several stone don't we ).

Blimey, finally got a graph with trendline! Shows a whole pound down....I'll give it a couple more weeks, and try to do about TDEE (no more, no less) on non fast days.