The Fast Diet Tracker – some great results!

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The Fast Diet Tracker – some great results!

This topic contains 124 replies, has 106 voices, and was last updated by  NorthGeorgia 3 years, 8 months ago.

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  • Big thanks to everyone who has been entering their data into The Fast Diet tracker. It is brilliant to see how you are getting on, and it is also a really helpful way of keeping yourself on track. Logging your data this way is one of the best ways of keeping yourself motivated and for losing weight.

    The main finding so far is that people have, on average, lost 5-6 kgs (11 to 13 lbs) over the course of the first 3 months (12-13 weeks). In fact those of you who have entered your data so far have lost well over 2000 kgs, which is a fabulous result.

    This is really encouraging and a lot better than other online weight loss regimes, where weight loss is typically less than 2kg at the end of 3 months.

    You could argue that these results exaggerate the benefits because the people who go on entering their data are going to be those for whom the diet is working.  I’m sure there is an element of truth to this, but what I find encouraging is that these findings are consistent with properly supervised research done by Dr Michelle Harvie from Manchester University.

    In her study on intermittent fasting, published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2013 (The effect of intermittent energy and carbohydrate restriction v. daily energy restriction on weight loss and metabolic disease risk markers in overweight women”) she randomly allocated 115 women to a standard low calorie Mediterranean diet  or to a low calorie/low carbohydrate diet two days a week. There was some drop out in both groups but the women cutting their calories two days a week were far more likely to stick to the diet and they lost far more fat.

    In fact those who managed to stick to the diet most of the time (and many of these women had tried other diets and failed) lost an average of 6.4 kgs (14 lbs) over the course of the first 3 months. Those who moved onto a 6:1 approach were able to maintain the weight loss and other health benefits.

    I also thought I would begin sharing with you some of the emails I get. This is from Chris, who said he was happy to share:

    “I am 26 years old from Northern Ireland, I always struggled with my weight and found it very difficult to stick to diets. My dad passed away last March completely unexpectedly from undiagnosed heart disease, he had also struggled with his weight. He died at 57 and I knew I had to change my ways. After a trip to the U.S. in August I returned at 103.7kg, this is when I heard of the 5:2 diet, since then I have dropped to 87kg (2.5 stone off) and my asthma which bothered me for years is near non existent. This is just a quick email of thanks and please feel free to use this story”

    I think there might be a decimal point missing in the quote. Losing 87kg would definitely be unhealthy!

    So far after 3 weeks I have lost an amazing 12 lbs / 5.4 kg using a non consecutive 2 day fast. Yes some is water weight in the beginning but the end of the third week my abdominal area is visually smaller. I can bend over and not get blocked by belly fat (almost). Energy is up tremendously which really helps to stay more active opposed to the slow climb in weight previously and a heaviness/sluggish feeling that simply takes over. In fact, the energy increase was a better benefit for me than the weight loss as it affects about everything I do in a day. As posted elsewhere, breathing is better too so less tossing and turning in bed means better quality sleep time too. I have stabilized this fourth week without any weight loss and must remain steadfast as I understand weight is like a buoy tossing in the ocean with the tide. When the waters are high, the buoy goes up and when they are low it lowers as well. One thing though…food entry is a pain to monitor but a necessary at least at first until new habits are formed. It would be interesting to have a checkbox to be a new measurement on qty of cheats. So if I sneak in a cookie, I must check a box to add a new cheat to the graph. As the weeks progress, looking at the long term cheats as a rise or falling measurement would be interesting. Not so much what the cheat was, or the caloric penalty, but simply how many times one slips in a cheat. These are the bad habits we are trying to break long term. In our attempt to eat better, choose better quality ingredients and lose weight in the process, the things that make us fall backwards of often still there and can cause us to return to bad habits even when we think we have beaten them. Just a thought.

    Read the quote again…he has lost 2.5 stone and is down to 87kg

    I would definitely have used the tracker if I had known it was available when my husband & I started the 5:2 diet soon after the original programme aired. My husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and told to lose weight. I have always been overweight and had reached about 16stone ( 5′ 7″ ) but had no will power to do anything about it. So both started the diet and completely changed what we ate on the non fasting days as well.
    We both lost about 5 stone each over the next 6 months, and needless to say both feel so much better for it. My husband visited the doctors after he lost weight and was told that he is no longer classed as a diabetic.
    Neither of us did much exercise during the dieting but we still lost weight. We both cycle to work on a daily basis now, and just do a 6:1 to maintain the weight loss.
    Just listened to Michael Moseley on Radio 2 and thought I’d look at the site.
    If anyone has any doubts about this diet not working, it does work and becomes a way of life. Good luck to all those who have just started

    Having trouble entering on tracker, as soon as I get to the goal weight bit it throws me back onto this page. 🙁

    hi jellybeanz, that happened to me as well but when I pressed the back button I got back to the next part of the tracker. Slow progress but got there eventually!

    I have been tracking my weight daily for 2 years and its really useful to see the progress when the weight loss has stalled. Its sometime difficult to know how far you have come until you look back.

    Also a medic once gave me great advice “You are the first one responsible for your health and the starting point is know your numbers”.

    I have gained weight. Fasting every other day. I guess its possible to eat to much on the non fast day?

    This is the very last diet I am going to try. I’ll give it my best shot until May, then evaluate results. If this doesn’t work, I shall finally give up trying, take my gorgeous gowns to a charity shop and get myself a Burka. I am 8 kilos too heavy.

    Hi Vron, do give it your best shot. Honestly if you stick to the ‘rules’ and don’t over eat on the non-fast days it will work. Keep the kitchen scales close at hand and weight everything until you’re used to the permitted quantities and you can’t go wrong. Good luck!

    I am not eating ANYTHING on the fast days, just water, black coffee without sugar, and herbal tea.
    I hope I’ll get some results, Panndie, or I really will get rid of my wonderful wardrobe of beautiful clothes all too small.

    Ive lost confidence in myself since I put on the weight and have tried everything from exercise to many different diets and even though I am only 77kg I am short so it really shows.
    So when one of my friends tried this diet I thought why not it worked well for him maybe it will work for me as well.
    This is my fist day on the diet and my first fast day on Wednesday so my fingers are crossed this will work.

    Good Luck Vron, It worked for a friend of mine so I’m sure it will work for you as well. Though maybe some fruit would be a good thing 🙂

    Hi maybelle and welcome:

    Hope these tips help: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

    Good Luck!

    Hello maybelle10,

    I have reduced fruit in my diet because the pathways by which fructose is metabolized make it more likely to induce fat storage. However, I do eat some berries with plain yoghourt on other days. I am getting through a lot of aspartame however, perhaps not so good, but who really knows? It only produces cancer in elderly rats given megadoses of the stuff. I am not too convinced by rat studies.

    Another thing I would like to feel is the euphoria you are supposed to enjoy while fasting. I have not noticed anything like this kick in yet. Perhaps 36 hours is not long enough to bring it on, or perhaps it is a myth, or a lie to help us stick to the diet. What I miss most is a nice glass of wine.

    Vron, as with anything, patience is absolutely key. The studies and research on intermittent fasting are still new and, as Michael points out here and in the books, a lot of the experiences are anecdotal. It’s important not to compare your experiences too much with those of another person, as we all have different bodies, different levels of daily activity and different goals. 8 kilos is definitely do-able, so I’d suggest setting little goals along the way.

    Also, you can have a nice glass of wine on your non-fast days – something for you to look forward to on your fast days. And you don’t need to make the fast days so difficult – there are some really great recipes for filling and delicious meals for fast days. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by these, as I’d imagined it would be all carrots, lettuce and celery!

    What I find to be the beauty of this programme is that there is flexibility and you need to adapt it (within reason, of course, otherwise you won’t see or feel any positive results!) to what will work for you and what you’re most likely to stick to. I *love* that there are no restrictions on non-fast days and, after years of yo-yo dieting using other well known diet programmes and feeling constant guilt, I’m still not over the novelty of guilt-free eating on non-fast days! The key is that this is a sustainable way of getting healthy. It’s been a bit of a revelation for me, as you can probably tell…

    Don’t give up though! 🙂

    Hi Laurellev,
    Thank you for your kind message. I am not giving up, as I too have been through all the diets out there, and the only one that made me really lose weight was Atkins, but that was hard going because it didn’t really take account of real life, restaurants, birthdays etc. This intermittent approach really appealed to me because of the psychological aspect of thinking that ‘tomorrow I can have a piece of bread, a tiny slice of quiche etc. Tomorrow is always just a few hours away. The only snag is that I have been on this for two weeks now and not actually lost any weight, despite the the four 40-hour fasts and being very careful not to overdo it on the normal days. I will have to step up the exercise I suppose, and that is the worst bit for me. I like to sit in an armchair with a good book and a glass of wine, not sweat in a gym with all those maniacs.

    I wish you could all just see the BEAUTIFUL clothes I’ve got just hanging there in my wardrobe UNWORN, just waiting for the day I can slip into them, and effortlessly do up the zips. I hate being this heavy.

    By the way, there seems to be something wrong with the tracker, it keeps throwing out my date of birth and substituting April 2015.

    Vron – keep at it. I just noticed the tracker page so thought I’d enter the 2 years’ worth of data I have since starting on 5:2. I lost 8 kg in 3 months and 16kg in 6 months. That got me to the weight I wanted to be and I have just kept on doing it ever since because it makes me feel good. I can’t see me stopping doing 5:2 now. Weekends are always one of the 5 so I’m enjoying a glass of wine and some nuts in anticipation of aromatic crispy duck in half an hour. Can’t think of any other diets that would allow that whilst still sticking to the system.

    Good luck to everyone just starting – stick to it and it will definitely work. It did for me anyway.

    Hello my husband and I watched horizon and we were inspired by what we saw. I am on medication for high cholerestorol and high bp which is due to my genetics as I am not obese I am 5.3 and weigh 10 stone. Ideally I would like to get down to 9 stone as I am small bones and I also like wearing right fitting clothes. What caught our interest was how the fasting can help memory function. I am on statins and since starting them I feel they have definately reduced my memory and this is so frustrating as I am a professional and I need my memory to be better. We have started the diet and this is our second week and we have both lost weight. I need to order the book for recipes and inspiration as I find counting calories hard when I cook fresh meals so I will be ordering the book. I am excited about this new way of eating and look forward to seeing how it affects my no etc in the future. Well done Michael for your excellent ducumentary and inspiring my hubbie to do. 4 day fast. He is now on 5.2 diet . Thank you again

    I’m now 73, and been on the Strategy since the 1st of Oct. last year (2014). I’ve always had trouble with my weight! Even since I was 15 and overweight I have had trouble trying to maintain a ‘healthy’ weight!
    I have been on multiple diets, and many have ‘worked’ but as soon as I go back to ‘normal’ eating I just put on weight again. The first diet was when I had to ‘drink’ an obnoxious powder and mix into a drink of a max of 500 kcal per day. I kept this up for 6 months and lost indeed something like 3 to 4 stone in weight. But just to go on ‘drinking’ the watered powder just in order to maintain my weight wasn’t on.
    Later, I went to a fitness gym and went cycling and get my HR up to a max of 176 with a recovery of 125 within 1 and half minutes. But I had to cycle about 25 and up to 100 km per day doing Interval training just to maintain my weight! Again I lost about 3 stones, but I felt that now at my age ‘do I have to do SO much to just maintain my weight? This was in the year of 2006! I decided to go and walk the Camino Francés through to Santiago de Compostela from St. Jean Pied de Port
    in 2010. I had again gained some weight in the meantime.
    I did walk the Camino and finished it in 33 days walking some 800 km (500 miles) but did not lose an ounce! When I got back home and told my Dr. he said then you eat more!!! (WTF!!!).
    As mentioned above, I started the 5:2 Fasting diet and regime in October of last year!
    Since then I have lost 3 stone (20+ kg), but what is more heartening for me is that it is really not only working but very easy to do and to maintain! I had never eaten very much for my size, as I’d monitored anyway how much I eat daily, weighing portions and keeping to in General 1850 to 2000 kcal per day.
    What I am extremely pleased about is that not only have I lost weight, but more so GIRTH! I have now lost 18 cm from around my middle! I can put on ‘old’ trousers that I couldn’t get into! I have been able to put back on ‘old’ jackets and suits and I’d not been able to wear for a very long time!
    Lastly, I have gained a healthy blood pressure and glucose level. And I am sure that all other life’s indicators have been effected positively!
    For me it is a W(ay) O(f)L(ife)! I can do this ad infinitum!

    I can only say; thank you so much Dr. Michael Molesley for giving me my life back once again!

    After many years of struggling with weight and despite trying many diets and joining several gyms. Inspired by my parents who are both in their 70’s, I started 5:2 this year, obese. My first fast day (which I now call ‘eat less days!’) was on 5/1. Incredibly, I went from 208lbs (5′ 7″) down to 190lbs in 6 weeks, all my measurements were improved beyond my wildest dreams, including energy levels, well-being and clothes fitting comfortably. (Food and drink tastes so much better too, especially on eat less days!) So, 1stone and 4lbs lost! I exercised 5 times a week, running 1 mile and doing floor exercises early am. I was buzzing (as my 3 teenage lads would say!) Then I had a relapse and pulled a calf muscle just over two weeks ago. I decided to have a 1/2 term break for a week, a good friend was visiting from overseas, we had a few beers! Knowing I’d put weight back on during a great week ‘off’ I decided not to ‘weigh in’ as usual on the Sunday, as I didn’t want to be demoralised! Back to 5:2 again last Mon (on the normal routine of no alcohol Mon to Thurs 4xdays off and bottled beer only Fri, Sat & Sun – 20 units) still not able to exercise, I had 2 ‘eat less days’ (600cals / day) weighed and measured in yesterday and was 194lbs…overall, I have still lost 14lbs since 5/1. I am encouraged that despite the lack of exercise, the majority of the weight has stayed off. Really missing the exercise and have been advised to have another week off until muscle is fully repaired, (sulking, because I know this will effect my overall results this week…thinking I might try a 4:3 to counter!) Today is my first ‘eat less day’ this week…really look forward to making and sampling the Aubergene Curry tonight at about 6pm. Thursday will be my second eat less day this week. I have had nothing to eat since last night 11pm…had a peppermint tea and water, a black coffee with one sweetener today so far…feel like I want to keep on track, knowing this new lifestyle change, eating and drinking planned strategy will prevent long term eating related diseases. I gave up smoking Jan ’14 for the second time and piled the weight on. Now aiming to get to 180lbs and really think this is achievable now, in the next 3 weeks I’m aiming to get to back down to 190lbs again! I bought the two recipe books – they are a great read with lovely recipes, handy little tips and useful reference information…probably not helping those of you, like me,on a fast day!!! Will shortly buy the excercise book! Really enjoyed all the emails in this forum, really helpful and inspiring too. I’m on my way to better health and weight control in my 50’s than my 40’s and it feels great and I really want to thank Dr Michael Moseley for his enthusiasm and down to earth approach that makes so much sense and is having such amazingly fast results…saw the programme last year and heard radio interviews – a great place to start to gain an overview. I’ve recommended 5:2 to two of my friends now and one of my colleagues is doing it too – hear so many people talking about it all the time! As Dr Michael Moseley says… Fasting is such a powerful way to impact change for the good, hopefully, not too far in the future, I will be able to look back at the days of being over weight as a thing of the past…good luck to all of you other 5:2 ers too!!!

    I am doing this 5:2 fastdiet for 10 months now and reduced my BMI from 30 to 25.3 by now. (13 kilo’s less)
    My goal is a BMI under 25.
    This diet has turned into a lifestyle for me and I rather enjoy doing it, because it makes me feel good and healthy and energetic.
    I think I’ll continu doing this for one day a week after I’ll reach my goal (healthy weight).
    I am very happy that I finally found a diet I can keep for a long time.

    Hi
    I am 5 ft 2 and 9 stone I am now aiming for 8 as all my weight stores in tummy so as we can’t spot reduce fat I need to continue to stop looking pregnant :-/ sigh
    I also have hypertension through genetics and kidney disease diagnosed at 22 Drs said just unlucky lol so I’m not sure if medications are holding this belly weight
    But anyway four days in and less bloated so I’m hoping this will work for me . 🙂

    Good luck

    Just completed 4 fast days over two weeks. Yes I have lost weight but do find that the fast days are not getting easier, and I have very little energy on those days. Will continue the diet but I’m not sure how sustainable it is for me.

    Hi mbmjb, It does get easier believe me! The best way to go about it, I think is to try and find something to concentrate on on your fasting day’s (going to an exhibition for instance or travelling). And alway’s remember the next day you can ‘tuck – in’.
    I’ve done it now for about half a year, and have lost 23 kg. But more importantly for me, I’ve also lost 18 cm of girth (got a flat tummy again, and have found a 6 pack that I thought I’d lost!). My glucose levels have come right down to normal and my blood pressure too. For me it is a life changer. Indeed it’s a WOL (Way of Life) for me now. I’ve stabilised and am now just taking it easy, but steady.
    Keep it up, it is worth it! Just forget food on your fasting day and try to find a rhythm of a specific food on your fasting day.
    Good luck never give up!

    Probably because of my age (65) and my already corrected diet (very little sugar, meals home cooked from scratch, vegetables) I have not yet had spectacular results with the 5:2 diet. It convinces me in my mind as being the best way of going about losing weight (possible effect on low-grade inflammation, digestive disorders, arthritis etc) but in spite of doing 2 ‘water only’ days per week for a month I have lost very little weight, perhaps a kilo. This is disappointing because it represents 2 x 36 hours of fasting per week. I wonder if fasting in fact optimizes the biochemistry for metabolizing sugar, so every little bit you take in after the fast translates instantly into fat reserves. I wonder if Michael Moseley has anything to say about that.

    I have lost 1 st and 2 lbs in just under 3 months – I do not take vigorous exercise apart from housework which can certainly be vigorous at times! It’s great to be able to stick to my usual fairly ordinary shopping list and just cut down on quantity on fast days. I’m finding I prefer to drink glasses of water (plus keeping busy and occupied!) most of the day and look forward to a substantial meal at night with perhaps an apple in the afternoon – really do-able!!

    @ Eddie1: She dropped ‘to’ 87. You missed the preposition

    @ motherjoan, I think you have hit the nail on the head with your wise comment.
    When I keep gaining weight, I am eating beyond my TDEE. That has been a strong tool for me in realising that eating does not have to mean stuffing myself. Moreover, I usually only have that issue after about 18:00, just the time of the day when I do not need it. I sleep better when I keep the calorie intake to a minimum in the evening

    Vron, I haven’t read all of the books, so perhaps you know something about what’s recommended that I don’t, but your approach sounds so extreme and unpleasant to try to maintain–and to me, that’s the beauty of this approach, is that it’s not at all unpleasant to maintain. How are you doing? Have you had any success? Have you given up?

    My husband and I started this approach in January and have each lost about 10 pounds. We have had two trips to factor in, as well as Easter, and several other things that made it virtually impossible, and each time we gained a pound or two…but we also REALLY looked forward to a fast day when we got back to our usual routine.

    Please post your progress, okay?

    Been doing 4-3 now for 4 months. Have lost 14 pounds. Seem to be at a plateau but will continue. Will try to adjust my eating days.

    I started the 5.2 diet Middle of January and have lost 10k so far, 100k down to 90k. I find now I’m losing half a kilo per week. I’ve found the diet to be very effective indeed but you must stick to the rules for 2 days then you can do pretty much whatever you want for 5.
    My only observation on some of whese posts is…
    If you say “You’re followed this diet and it isn’t working” then you must be doing something wrong, you must be honest with what you’re eating. If you cut out carbs and alcohol and limit yourself to around 700cals per day you will lose weight. (read that last sentence again and check your intake!!) No diet is effective If you don’t follow it, lets have some honesty guys…

    I started this way of life in January 2014 and lost 8 kgs (18 lbs) in the first 8 weeks. I realised that this is not a diet. It is a new way of life. In all I have lost 17 kg and have maintained this loss. I have lost 18 cm off my waist and dropped 3-4 clothing sizes. I lost most of the extra from around the centre of my body.

    During the weight loss period I gave up all white foods. I ate extra green vegetables and lean protein, I mostly ate homemade food. I restricted alcohol and sugars and processed carbs during this period. I drank lots of water.

    While losing weight, I ate my 400 calories on every fast day. I then ate around 1600 calories on my nonfast days. It is important not to overindulge and make up for the restrictions. I walked each day for fitness, plus did housework. It is not the exercise that loses the weight. It is learning portion size, and recording what you’re eating. If I did not record my food intake, I would always underestimate it.

    Intermittent fasting is for life. Maintenance is easy if your brain accepts it’s not a quick fix, but rather a change in the habits of a lifetime. BTW I am 68 years old, so no excuses re age and metabolism.

    All the best, Bay 🙂

    It’s important on nonfast days to only eat up to 4 times your fasting day calories during weight loss as suggested in the book. In my case my stomach shrank during this early period and then I couldn’t overeat. Keep it up and do what is doable. If you keep on fasting and then gorging in between, your body won’t be able to find its natural rhythm.

    The book clearly recommends that you work out your fasting day calorie intake, and then only have 4 times those calories on your non fasting days. When it says that you can eat what you like, they mean type of food, not amount of food.

    The person having aspartame must be drinking diet drinks. They are empty calories and you are better off giving up all forms of soft drinks and colas until you have retrained your system.

    Just starting Week 9 following the 5:2 diet at a start weight of 139 lbs and a goal weight of 125 lbs. I have been entering everything consumed on a food tracker and on my non-fast days have rarely gone over the recommended TDEE and even then never in excess.

    So, delighted to report that I have lost 12 lbs which disappeared at a rate of 2 lbs per week for the first few weeks, then a fortnight when nothing happened and then another 5 lbs dropped off and I have been on a plateau the past two weeks at 127 lbs.

    As Michael says it is very motivating to be able to chart my progress on the Tracker and to note that the weight comes off in fits and starts which makes it more sustainable in the long term.

    As well as the weight loss, the main health benefits I have noticed include more energy, a better shape, shiny eyes, improved skin and nails.

    DIARY :have now lost a massive 30lbs since January I am over the moon feel fantastic can get in so many clothes that are brand new and never been worn.. this diet is so easy I love it I can still eat and drink all I want and just watch the calories on Monday’s and Wednesday’s then I have finished for the week… thank you so much for this

    That is amazing darganl. I am starting this week and your story is so encouraging. Congrats on your results!!

    Reached my goal weight of 125 lbs on 26 June – so motivating to see the downward direction on the tracker. Now I am planning how to maintain my new lower weight – 14 lbs has made a huge difference and I want to stay here! I enjoy doing the two fasts per week so for July intend to just increase the calories on my non fast days

    HI Michael

    As you are using our tracker data for your research, would there be some value in having a 6:1 progress chart on the website that people can switch to when they stop doing 5:2? I have been continuing to enter my data in the progress tracker but have been on the 6:1 since March. I have put 1-2 kilos back on but am still under my original goal weight.

    Regards

    Christina Thomas (Sydney, Australia)

    Sure wish you had a tracker for those of us who go by “lbs” and not kgs or stones. So unfamiliar to us here in the US. And I know I can probably figure out what kgs equals to our measurements but I’d have to do that with every entry and remember. Oh well…such is life!

    Try clicking on the “Change to Imperial” button within your My Tracker screen, that should fix it for you and convert everything into those other units.

    Does this diet really work?

    Thanks I will try that! 🙂

    Start tomorrow – good luck me 🙂

    Yes, this diet really does work.

    I must be the only person who never saw whatever broadcast people keep talking about. I’m in the US, so that would maek sense I guess. Came upon this site researching different methods of intermittent fasting. The fasting I see usually see people about is a commitment to eating only during a certain window period every day. While I can appreciate a certain eating window, my schedule is so chaotic I don’t know from day to day when it will convenient to have a meal. This makes a lot of sense for my life. I can use fasting to help me cut calories and the various health benefits based on my schedule.

    Has anyone on this forum had to lose a lot of weight? I am looking at around 8 stone :'(

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