Hi Lulabella
When I first read your post, I did a double-take because it seemed like I had somehow posted something without realizing it.
I also started 5:2 in April, have not posted before, went for 2 week holiday mid year and gained then lost weight, and went for a week holiday with my mum in Sept!!!
However the diff was that you holidayed in summer, whereas mine was in winter – ie I assume you are northern hemisphere, and I am southern (tho both my holidays were to warmer climes).
I had decided that I was going to start posting at some stage soon, so your post was the catalyst 🙂
I also go thru stages of feeling v hungry, but have found the forum to be an excellent motivator to help me keep on track (most of the time…)
I do drink quite a lot of tea, and have a coffee when I am feeling most hungry. I probably should drink more water – tho as I have tea v weak and obviously black no sugar, I am hoping it is equivalent.
Sounds like you are doing the right things to get back on track – hopefully if you make yourself stick to the plan, and ignore those hunger pangs, then after a short while your body will also get back into the swing and send less hunger pangs.
With only 7lbs to go – can I ask how much you have lost so far – that should also be motivating?
Have you consider 4:3? I have done this the last 2 weeks as I am also nearing my goal, and it worked for me – I had been more or less static for a month or so, but this week the weight had come off and I could tell from looking that it had, which is even better.
My scales measure %bodyfat so I keep track of this as well as weight, my BMI, my measurements and my height/weight ratio – have been planning to track these via graph but haven’t quite got round to it yet. (I did try the website that offers this facility, but had problems registering so gave up.) However, the numbers I have written down still indicate an overall and continuing improvement in all these measures, and I think of that when hunger strikes.
I have always attributed my lack of success in keeping weight off in the past to lack of willpower – 5:2 is the first eating regime I have come across that seems to fit with the amount of willpower I am able to summon.
I hope that now you have started to contribute to the forum, that will help with the willpower you need.
Good luck 🙂

Hi Lu
Great to hear that yesterday’s fast went well 🙂 hopefully you felt good after that, and the next day – I always feel good the morning after a fast day. We need to bottle that good feeling so that we can access it when next tempted!
I am sure you have looked at the topic where others with only small amounts to lose have posted, but it’s worth checking that regularly.
My sister is your height, she used to struggle a bit with her weight, but with nowhere near the variability that I have had, and she has maintained a healthy weight for some time now. Not sure what her secret is, she is a vegetarian so I think that helps, but she also has a very stressful job… The only exercise she does is walking, but she doesn’t manage that during winter – too dark by the time she gets home from work. I think she doesn’t ever binge, and keeping a pretty constant (healthy!) eating routine must also help.
What are the rest of your family like weight wise? I was well on the way to being a clone of my mother, and tho she is doing pretty well for her age, she is quite overweight and I am sure some of her health issues are due to that and her complete lack of exercise. So another motivation for me for 5:2 is so that I won’t end up that way… (See my other post on May to December for more on my story, if you like.)
What has been the reception of those around you to 5:2? Unlike most who have posted about this, I haven’t had very positive reactions from people when I tell them about 5:2. I need to get a better spiel together!!!
It sounds like you have a sensible approach to 5:2. Is your goal weight something that feels reasonable to you – how long since you were steady at that weight and have things changed much since then? Are there other things you can – and are happy to – change in your life that may help with those finals lbs? Exercise can be a mixed blessing (not sure if that is the word I want) for weight loss but some exercise must help? What has worked well for you in the past? Interval training seems to get a few ticks – have you tried Dr Mosley’s 3 min cycle routine that is referenced in a number of places?
I am really quite surprised by how much weight I have lost in a relatively short time, with very little effort – seems a bit of a miracle really… I just hope I can stick with it and keep the weight off. I may have to be careful I don’t get too obsessive with it – younger son already thinks I am… 🙁
Anyhow, it is lovely to have someone else to share the 5:2 experience with. Keep posting! 🙂

Hi again Lu
Sounds like the fast day went well again, good on you for being able to resist the glass of wine – we certainly need to enjoy the feeling of virtuousness when we resist temptation, as long as we don’t beat ourselves up when we don’t! Your dinner sounded good too; protein and salad/veggies do seem to work well for fast days.
It is a fast day for me today, just had a cuppa in bed while the rest of the household gets up – oh the luxury of no longer having to go to work!!
I must get some of those interesting herbal teas – a bit of variety might help keep me going longer before the first food for the day. When I started 5:2 I did have 3 small meals a day, but after reading the forum I moved to just lunch and dinner, which has been much better – like so many others, once I start eating I want to eat more and the hunger pangs are then worse. Last fast day I even lasted to the end of the day and just had the one meal (and a choccy biscuit when I was at supper with others…)
Was it the gym or stress of divorce that reduced the weight?! Probably both. I have also been at my slimmest during a relationship breakdown, but this is not a method I advocate!!
With exercise, I think it is a matter of trying all sorts of things until you find one that suits. You sound pretty fit if you can run the occasional charity run – I couldn’t run 10m but I do love walking and have done some pretty serious walks in my time. Not possible at the moment as I have recently had a knee reconstruction and recuperation takes a while.
Of late my normal exercise had been walking the dogs for almost an hour every day, up and down hills, which was good for them and me. Now none of us get the walk (can’t get the others in the family to walk the dogs – how does one get 18 and 20yo sons to do anything????). Now my only exercise is the physiotherapy I have to do for my knee. We do have a treadmill and recumbent exercise bike at home. Hubby uses the treadmill every morning before work, and he shed the middle-aged spread he had gained, so he is now almost back to his more youthful weight. He has always been slim, he is an eat to live, not live to eat, person. Your hubby sounds very fit and active.
Have you tried the pedometer/10000 steps a day activity? This seems to work for a number of people, tho I know it is hard if you can’t go outside if weather is no good. Mall walking??! One of the beauties of 5:2 is that it gives you enough of a structure so as to make it easy to follow, but it also has sufficient flexibility so that it can be tailored to our own preferences. You need to find something similar re exercise. Have you got a friend you can exercise with? When I was doing serious walks, I used to walk 2-3 times a week with a friend, and that was fantastic – did all our chatting while we walked, most efficient!! Maybe if you could tie in using the exercise DVD with your 5:2 routine somehow?
When you have been at a stable weight for some while, as you had been, and not overweight (ie within ok BMI), I think it can be harder to shift. I have read that the body can get used to a certain weight, and tries to return to that equilibrium weight whether you under or over eat. I think the body needs to be ‘shocked’ into making a change. I don’t have any scientific evidence for this tho! Mind you, I think that the fast days are a shock to the system, if the body is not used to them, and certainly seem to be something that works for many people, judging by the response to 5:2. So let’s hope that now you are back into the routine, that your body will respond as you want 🙂
It’s a bit gloomy here today too, but at least we are heading towards summer 🙂 The dogs are on/in the bed with me, but I will get up once hubby has left for work.
Cheers! 😀