The FastDay Forum

This came up as an aside on the KISS 5:2 thread ( ) so as there seem to be quite a few of us, thought it might be interesting to see how many of us there were, and how you feel ...

So far miffy and madge are in, as well as myself.

I've lost about 4lb over 3 months, but several inches off my waist - which was my main reason for doing 5:2. As long as the trend is down, I'm happy to continue at the same snail-like pace. After all, if the rate of loss remains similar over the coming months, with a bit of luck, will have lost around a stone after 12 months.

Anyone else out there care to share??

I've always been a slow loser so this is nothing new to me. When I started 5:2 back in January and the first few pounds flew off, I thought I'd found the magic formula.

Unfortunately, it was not to be and I initially felt a bit cheated so fell off the wagon for a while (not fully but was a bit half hearted about it all).

People at work commented though that I looked slimmer so I knuckled down a bit more, threw in 16:8, tried not to eat too many carbs and the weight has slowly, slowly continued to drop.

So now, I really don't care how slow it is as long as it keeps moving downwards. I've posted before on this but I weigh daily and take a weekly average - otherwise I wouldn't see any weight loss easily due to quite erratic fluctuations, which can give the impression you are on an evil Pxxxxxx

I'm a very slow loser. Since January, I have lost 11 pounds.

BUT, I have thyroid issues - my thryoid is hyperactive, but medicated down so it will be normal. Except that it's been healing itself and the meds have been making my thyroid too slow - so my meds keep getting adjusted. Good news, I'm now on 1/3 of hte medicine I used to take!

My husband is losing weight much more quickly than I am, and while I'm happy for him, I do have moments of self-pity when I get a bit annoyed that I'm the one who makes dinner while hungry on a fast day, I'm the one who does all the planning and all of the shopping, even going to the markets on fast day when needed. Sigh.

But on the bright side, I have been on two trips during this time (Florida and France) and have still lost weight. And really, I was thinking yesterday that it's the most sustainable diet I have ever done. I really only need the willpower for a few hours a week and I can always say to myself "you can have that tomorrow!"

So I just try to remain focused on the positive: weight is going down and it's a really sustainable diet.

I don't know if I could cope with slow loss at this point in my journey - Lost about 60 lbs so far since Jan 2nd, and about 35 lbsto go to be fit. Only about 20 lbs of that loss was 4:3 - Rest was prior diet(Low carb). For me at this point I really need the motivation of seeing the scale move at a decent rate, and if its not, I change things up a bit until it does again. I am currently losign about 1.5-1.8 per week. and hope it continues at least until I get within 10 lbs of goal.

I would be surprised if anyone following 5:2 is losing weight quickly. There is nothing in 5:2 that would cause rapid weight loss, other than initial water/weight in transit losses. All you have to do is 'run the numbers' to see that (5-2-diet-chat-f6/topic6600.html). The average woman is very lucky to lose 3/4 of a pound a week with 5:2, and most, especially after some initial weight loss, will be lucky to lose a half a pound a week. There are always exceptions, but they are exceptions. Men aren't much different. I feel lucky to have averaged a pound a week so far, but my TDEE is much higher than most women's and I have to really watch my feast day calories to keep that up.

Having said that, I love 5:2. A majority of my 'major' posts are designed to temper the expectations of newbies and keep them going when they hit their 'plateaus'. I believe 5:2 is revolutionary because it focuses solely on calorie reduction and teaches a person how to do that on a consistent, ongoing basis. Most people that stick with 5:2 also comment on how they are slowly changing their eating habits for the better, and without trying. Any diet doctor will tell you that any diet can cause you to lose weight but unless you change your eating habits, you won't keep it off. 5:2 teaches a person how to change their eating habits, both by understanding the power of fasting and appreciating the need to choose foods more wisely than they were before.

Most people are in a hurry to lose weight. To that I say, go for it. I even have a post somewhere around here that suggests if you are in a hurry, go to a proven fast weight loss program (such as Atkins Induction Phase), lose your weight as fast as possible, and come back to 5:2 for maintenance.

But I like losing weight painlessly, if slowly, and knowing at the end I have learned a way to keep it off. I just wish 5:2 would have been around 40 years ago!

Good luck to all.

Yes, I am a very slow loser - always have been since back in the day (in my very early twenties) I became a bit of an anorexic before anyone even knew what that was!!! We didn't have calorie counts or anything very substantial to go on - so the easiest way to "diet" was to cut out as much as possible!! No, not sensible - but I slowly lost all the weight I wanted to in about 3 years - kept it off a long time. Now getting older and its all started to creep back on again!!!

So, I will lose again slowly and I don't mind at all as long as I lose - I love 5:2 and I don't have to starve ever - nothing like the old days when four Limmits custard creams was a meal SO I would have two and think I was doing great - Anyone old enough to remember Limmits, by the way????

Great thread, by the way Silverdarling.

I am a slow loser, but am totally okay with that. I have lost 8kgs since the start of the year - but 4 were before I started 5:2 in mid Feb, so that's only 4kg since mid Feb. I have lost 11cm from around my waist since starting 5:2, and that's way more important to me. I'm also in no hurry. I've got another 8-10kg to lose to get to my goal weight. Don't really mind if it takes me a year to do either. It went on slowly. As long as it doesn't go up, I'm happy.

I recently had 3-4 weeks away on holiday. I fasted 1 full day (I liquid fast), and then had a day I fasted until dinner, and then had a normal dinner without thinking about whether it was below 500 calories or not. I also did very little exercise (I'm normally pretty active), plus had loads of holiday food and alcohol. I maintained my weight. So looks like I've found what I'll be doing once I get to my goal weight.

I think I'm a slow loser, but I haven't officially weighed myself yet... sorry folks! I still haven't been around a scale (and I'm glad for that... I don't need that numbers game, I'm going by feel and the tape measure, though I didn't think of measuring my shoulders, which seem to be slimmer!)

But the way I (still) look, the length of time I've been eating this way (since April)... it's feeling very slow!

For me it's OK to go slow, seems a natural route to take - but also sometimes I wish that I was instantly thin!

Slow well actually stopped. But that's ok, it's staying off, something that's never happened before.

Silverdarling you do not have a bad BMI at all maybe your slow to lose because you don't have that much to lose. I have not been slow to lose even though I am most anxious for the weight to all be gone. I have lost 24lbs since April 6 inch around waist. I have no shoulders and my arms are starting to look like shriveled prunes. How and where the fat comes off is beyond me. You would think it would be from the biggest place...my abs but no. I will be walking on toothpicks before my waist ratio will ever be in line. Smile you are so very lucky to only have a couple of waist inches to lose.

I think I am a slow loser, although not as slow as some. I do find it challenging and I wish I were faster. I am gradually coming to accept it and to feel confident that the weight will come off eventually. I have taken 20 years to put on this weight and, theoretically, I know that slow weight loss is better because it is more likely to stay off.

What I do really really like about this WOE is how sustainable it is. It isn't hard to do. I feel like I can do it for ever and so it doesn't matter how long it takes. It isn't like a diet, where I'm thinking, I can do this for a short time, and once I've lost the weight, I'll be able to eat normally again. I eat normally 5 days a week. So what if it takes another 6 months or a year.

I'm only in my third week on this but I'm impatient, which is why I'm doing 4:3! Having less to lose I still didn't expect to lose quickly but so far I've lost 4lbs which I'm very pleased with. I don't think that's due to the initial loss you get when starting a weight loss plan as I was already doing WW before switching to this.

If it continues at this rate of course I'll be happy, but if it slows down I'll still be okay with it. I'm losing faster than I was on WW anyway

Yes I am also on the snail train & have been 5:2ing since the end of January. I have lost more but gone up & down because of holidays & my tracker is currently showing a loss of 18 lbs. Before 5:2ing I had lost 6 lbs on a low fat low cal diet but I was already finding that diet very restrictive so the 5:2 route is more flexible & does allow me to eat out socially without guilt pangs, & fasting is a sort of safety net & resource to reduce extra calories each week. I do keep well within my TDEE & possibly under eat some days but actually never feel hungry. I am also doing this for the possible health benefits not wanting my breast cancer to return or to develop Dementia as I age, because my Mother had both but did live until 85!
It will take me a long time to get to a healthy BMI but I am noticing an overall weight loss, unlike other diets when my face looked thin & peaky, & 5:2ing is a sustainable way to go although a steady weight loss of even one pound a week would be nice

lovemyparrot wrote: - nothing like the old days when four Limmits custard creams was a meal SO I would have two and think I was doing great - Anyone old enough to remember Limmits, by the way????

Oh I remember Limmits! Did Ayds too! That was back in the late 60s early 70s.

I was seriously disillusioned with the 5:2 as a weight loss plan. I'm still doing 16:8 in the hope that there are other benefits to fasting but I'm relying on low carb now to move the weight. Doing 5:2 has been a learning experience though. For one thing I have learned that I will always have to watch my carbs or my Type 2 will return but, it has also taught me a lot about hunger and seems to have at least partly reset my brain in that I used to eat when I was tired and with FMS I am tired a lot! Now I'm more aware of the difference between being properly hungry and my brain just trying to fill a gap with something or anything so its a bit easier to ignore the false signals.

I've been on various plans over the years but I don't think I've ever come across one where you get these drops in weight followed by weeks of maintaining (or even a slight gain) and then another drop just as you reach the point of chucking it all in!

I think I am a slower loser as well - and because I'm an impatient person I'd love to see the weight come off at a decent rate - I'd LOVE to lose a pound a week but I think my loss is slower than that. However like many others here I am losing inches (wahey!), I feel great and also my appetite is SO much less than before and I'm noticing I don't have the same longing for carbs I once had (and I often felt my eating to be out of control) so I really think it works in a way no other 'diet' ever has for me before. I think the hot weather is making me me retain fluid a bit which doesn't help but I read the posts on here and when I get disheartened (because some people really do seem to have faster losses) I read the posts from those who have just stuck at it and it has worked, so it gives me inspiration. I think it's a great way to eat and thanks for this thread - it has been really encouraging!