Re-started 5:2 over 4 weeks ago, but no change as yet…

This topic contains 8 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by chatelaine 5 years, 6 months ago.

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chatelaine

2:31 pm
13 Apr 19
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Greetings Fellow Southern Hemispherites.
My partner and I started the 5:2 diet in mid November 2016. We went overseas after 3 months, so took a break, then re-started after 4 weeks away. To cut a long story very short, I had an accident in May 2017 which necessitated emergency surgery and a lengthy rehab – including intensive physio until July 2018. I was advised to focus on regaining function and lessening pain, and to resume 5:2 when fully recovered. Unfortunately, the second anniversary of the accident is nigh, and I still haven’t fully recovered. Have finally had to accept that further surgery is necessary.
Anyway, have had a few false starts at the 5:2 since May 2017, but gave up after around 5 weeks each time as wasn’t losing any weight.
Re-started the 5:2 on March 21 (4 weeks ago), and have just completed 8 FDs. The story is the same as the last few times: My weight today is exactly the same as my starting weight – 66.00kg. Have been very careful to consume less than 500 cals on FDs – sometimes totalling less than 400cals.
Feel I must be doing something wrong, but can’t figure out what. Have followed the FDs without cheating. Have been walking for over an hour (just over 6 km) on 5 days per week. Still my weight hasn’t moved downwards, and measurements haven’t changed since I embarked on 5:2 over 4 weeks ago. Can’t imagine why not.
Would be grateful for any comments or suggestions, please.
Good luck everyone
Chat

fasting_me

7:35 pm
14 Apr 19
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Hi, Chatelaine. What a roller coaster you’ve been on! since you are being very low on calories on Fast Days, yet not losing weight, I suggest we look at what you eat on Slow Days. it is a myth that ‘you can eat anything you want on a Slow Day’ and still lose weight. Reduce the simple-carb-count on Slow Days for a week and see what happens.
Good luck.

VeggieGrl

6:05 pm
15 Apr 19
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You mention being solid on your two low calorie days-what do the other 5 days each week look like? While Mosley gives vague recommendations for those days (2,000 calories for women etc), that’s just not reality for many of us. Going by my TDEE, in order to lose a pound a week I’d have to be around 1,300 calories a day on my higher calorie days! I’m aiming for .5lb a week so it’s not so bad, but yeah-you definitely have to still be mindful on the other 5 days!

Also, how are you tracking your calorie intake? Are you using a site like cronometer or My Fitness Pal? Are you using a food scale to measure out correct portion sizes? Weight loss comes down to being at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals. 5:2 is just a way to move calories around, so it doesn’t feel so much like you’re dieting every single day. But, you still have to be at the needed calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

eta: this site has a TDEE calculator, run your numbers and see where you need to be at. Easy way to do this-after you figure out what your TDEE is, times that number by 7. Then subtract 3,500 (if your goal is to lose a pound a week). Then subtract 1000 (your two low calorie days), and then divide the remaining number by 5. This will give you your calorie target for the other 5 days.

chatelaine

1:49 pm
6 May 19
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Hi fasting_me
Thank you very much for your response. I’m so sorry for the delay in mine. Have been looking after an elderly friend and had no internet access until now.
I’ve been maintaining the very low cals on Fast days, apart from a couple of cheats owing to circumstances.

As for Slow days, I’ve been pretty good on those. I’ve maintained that 66/67kg range for a couple of years, so would think I’d lose weight if I didn’t change that diet except for the two Fast days (where I was drastically cutting cals).

I have followed your suggestion re keeping note of my intake on Slow days, and really can’t find the problem. I have definitely cut down on carbs (esp pasta and rice) and measured cereals (muesli) and limited bread to 2 slices per day max.
I’m really flummoxed…
Cheers

chatelaine

2:01 pm
6 May 19
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Hi VeggieGrl

Please see my post of a few minutes ago re the delay in response. Sorry for that. Hopefully back to “normal” now…

From what you say, I think my TDEE mirrors yours (I’m currently just over 65kg). You’ll see by my response to fasting-me that I don’t go overboard on non-fast days.
I’d be very happy to lose the expected half kilo per week, and just don’t get why I’m not!

BTW, I started on 21 March, weighing 66.0kg. Today is FDay 14, and I weighed just over 65kg this morning.

I haven’t been assiduously tracking my calorie intake on non-fast days, but do carefully track on the two FDs.

I definitely have a calorie intake per week of around 3,500 cals, so all very curious.

My expectation was that I’d have lost at least 3.0kg by this point, so losing less than 1.00kg is very disappointing.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments and advice.
Cheers

dykask

2:01 am
7 May 19
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@chatelaine – I’m larger than you, typically around 80kg and I am a man. I typically lose around 200g of fat on a 36 hour water fast, no calories. More loss in water but that comes back quickly. Last week I fasted for 100 hours and multiple workouts and I lost about 1kg of weight. While fasting my weight dropped 6kg but 5kg came back a few days after the fast. Losing fat takes a LOT of effort! Since I don’t count calories, I tend to lose 1kg of fat a month when I’m consistently fasting. I’m not 100% consistent so sometimes I gain back some. That is just how it goes.

Now I’m sorry but I don’t believe you are only eating 3,500 calories a week. That is starvation level. Mostly likely you are eating nearly 3 times that much. 10,500 calories / 7 days is still only an average of 1500 calories a day. Something like that I would believe. It is also more in-line with your weight loss. Although it isn’t really just about calories.

I think your weight loss isn’t that bad at around 0.75% of your body weight per month. However there is probably some noise in that as our weight changes a lot through out a day.

I think you should be using a cloth tape to measure things like your waist over your belly button or maybe your thighs to see if you are losing fat or not.

The other thing to look at is what do you eat? For myself I was eating less than 2000 calories a day and gaining fat. (a few years ago) When I cut most refined added sugar from my diet I started losing fat and I was actually eating more in calories. For me, refined sugar puts on fat even when I’m under-eating. My daughter eats globs of sugar and is ultra slim, but for me it doesn’t work that way. It isn’t the calories it is the type of food.

Over the last year I’ve gained about 3kg, but my smaller pants are now almost too loose … There are thousands of pushups, etc in there but the point is body composition and weight can be at odds with each other. Again the scale isn’t something than can be blindly trusted.

I do wish you the best and it can take a lot of time and effort to figure out what works for yourself. You are the best judge of what you need to do. I applaud your efforts to figure it out.

chatelaine

6:09 pm
14 May 19
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Hi dykask
Thank you for your response and apologies for the delay, but haven’t had internet access for over a week, and only just read your message.
Firstly, you are quite right – my calorie intake is certainly not 3,500. I meant “deficit”. My responses were typed in the wee hours, and just wasn’t thinking straight.
Your message certainly gives me much to think about. I get what you mean re some ppl can eat lots of sugar and remain slim, whilst others pile on the weight.
Yesterday was FD 16 (so 8 weeks in). Weight was 64kg on the weekend, but today back to 65kg. So 16 fast days and only 1kg down.
When I first started the 5:2 in Nov 2016, I followed the diet for 13 weeks and lost 7kg.
Have been measuring using a cloth tape, but minimal change thus far.
Simply can’t understand why the kg loss is so small after 8 weeks, but will push on.
BTW, am generally eating less than 500 calories on the FDs. Just over 300 cals most times.

Amazon

7:44 pm
14 May 19
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Hi there,

If you’ve been following 5:2 for 8 weeks and only lost 1kg and you want the weight to move faster, you need to eat less on non FDs and/or put in an extra FD every week.

I suggest you calculate your TDEE by using your goal weight and sedentary and eat no more than what it says on non fast days and see if that helps.

chatelaine

4:04 am
20 May 19
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Hi Amazon and thanks for your input. Am glad to say that I now appear to be a steady 64kg. Today is FD 18, so will see what tomorrow brings.
Certainly, my progress on the 5:2 this time is nothing like my progress the first time, starting in late 2016. That time, I lost 7kg over 26 fast days (with a lapse over Xmas and New Year. Perhaps the weight loss then was faster because I started at 70.5kg. This time, I started at 66kg. Still, as you say, need to change something in order to lose weight faster.
Yes, I’ve decided to recalculate my TDEE at goal weight (58kg).
BTW, I have been careful not to exceed 500cals on FD – in fact, usually between 300 and 400 cals!
How are you going? Losing or maintaining weight?

chatelaine

5:01 am
20 May 19
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Hi again Amazon. Have just figured out that I can actually read some of your posts to other threads. Was shocked to see a most negative and ungracious reaction to your response to one poster. Some people!
Anyway, read through a few others and wanted to say that I really like your direct and common sense approach to both losing weight and responding to other posters.
I shall be following your posts…
Cheers!