fatty85, consider changing your user name, to something like slim00 to start.

The weight may be ok for you now, as you didn’t mention health problems.

For me, lifestyle is about life and not about weightstyle.

Curious about your thoughts on this?

” If I can live a healthy life while reducing the risk of various illnesses and loss a few pounds in the process that seems like a good life!”

I get that. You’ve got the first part, now for the second part.

Wait 2 more months, then call me in the morning.

I was exactly in the same situation as you, prima_mona, after two months on the plan I hadn’t lost a single pound, my clothes weren’t feeling any looser, and I was on the verge of giving up. Thankfully, I happened to spot in the mirror the fact that my bingo-wings were looking less flabby, and that is what spurred me on to keep going. Sure enough, shortly after that, I finally saw a small decrease in my weight. I put my very slow progress down to the fact that I don’t have much to lose, my body has been subjected to every diet under the sun (and is therefore resistant to change), I don’t do any exercise, I’m generally a very healthy eater and I’m not prepared to count calories on my non-fast days. I’m happy with that though. After years of failed diets I’m happy to settle for the long haul if its an easier ride than the rest. What has been your starting point?

½ chicken breast 93 cals

not everything u said just the breast

This is just my opinion, but if you are limiting yourself to 1200-1300 cal on NON-fast days, then that is far too little. In my opinion, your body was already thinking that it was in a long-term famine, as there were far too few calories coming in to begin with…especially if you are exercising heavily along with it. The key to the 5:2, as I understand it, is that you only calorie restrict on the fast days. But if your “non-fast” days are maxing out at 1300 cal, then your body is actually thinking that EVERY day is a calorie restricted day and on two days of the week the restriction gets even worse. For 5:2 to work, there has to be enough calories, on the non-fast day, for your body to understand that it isn’t in a long term famine.

To support my hypothesis, let me give my own example. I have only been doing this for two weeks, however, so take it with a grain of salt. Moreover, I am doing ADF, rather than 5:2. Plus, on my fast days, I am truly fasting. No food at all. Just water. I am 44 years old, I am about 6′ tall, and I started at about 248. In just two weeks I am now at 240. But here’s the thing: Yes, every other day I don’t eat a thing. But on the non-fast days, the sky is the limit. Seriously. I eat whatever in the world I want, and don’t think twice about it. Sugary sodas? Check. Ice cream? Check. Pizza? Check. Seriously. Yesterday I had a ridiculous amount of seven layer dip and chips, pizza, coffee with cream and sugar, a 20 oz soda, and a pretty decent alcoholic night cap. This morning I was 1 lb up from my previous weigh in, but on my fast days I am usually going down anywhere from 2-3 lbs. So it is an up and down sort of thing, but my ultimate point is this: I make sure that my body understands that the calorie restriction was only temporary. I don’t recommend that people eat like I do on their non-fast days (especially if they are only doing 5:2 and not ADF like me), but it doesn’t change the fact that I believe that your lack of progress is that your body thinks each and every day is calorie restricted, and two days a week it gets even worse, and so therefore your body is going to hold on to all the fat as if your life depended on it. Because your body thinks your life DOES depend on it.

Again, that’s just my two cents…

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another point: you could be gaining more muscle, especially if you lift heavy.

read this thread – it’s written by a man, and he stopped losing weight 3 months ago while on the 5:2 plan. HOWEVER, comma, his size has decreased around his hips and waist, so much so that his old pants are falling off:

http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/10-months-in/

i’ve also noticed in just a few days, my formerly tight work pants were loose on me yesterday. 🙂

Reading through some of this thread I am concerned some people are using 5:2 as a ‘quick fix diet’ which, I believe, not to be the case. Most folk on the 5:2 as I am aware are either doing it as they are overweight to start with or they are doing it for the health benefits (therefore not overly preoccupied with the scales). It concerns me to think people are worrying so much about whether the scales have moved or not…this is not a healthy attitude to have & will only make you miserable.

Please try to remember that this is for the benefit of our HEALTH and not just about looking good on the beach. Plus in my experience exercising & doing the 5:2 I have found the scales don’t shift but my clothes are feeling looser & I FEEL healthier. I wish people wouldn’t get obsessed with numbers…as somebody who has been surrounded by people (family/friends) with eating disorders I know it’s a dangerous road to go down.

I hate to think of anyone being upset & frustrated by doing this as it shouldn’t be that way. Maybe the 5:2 way of eating isn’t for everyone?

I think that u rly need to lower ur calories. I mean 1200-1500 calories in non fast days and no more than 500 calories on fast days is way too much. Instead u should try not to have over 500 calories on non fast days and as close to 0 calories as u can on fast days. Also u should make as many days as u can fast days

For my two cents, I do NOT recommend lowering your calories any more than you eat right now. As someone with a past eating disorder, continuing to lower your calories continually is indicative of disordered eating, as well as being terrified of gaining weight. As I saw on another post here, your body is probably too famished to lose weight. That’s how my body got to be–I was exercising too much and eating too little calories everyday so that I couldn’t lose any more weight (as countercultural as that sounds). Take care of yourself and figure out whether you might actually have an eating disorder.

Hello, I just finished my second month of the 5:2 and I have been very faithful. I am 53, post menopausal, 5’2″ and hover around 125 pounds. I have never had a weight problem, as I have always been fit and active and ate well. Now I am concerned. Two months into the 5:2 and I have not lost an ounce!!! not an ounce! Not only that, my thighs seem to be getting bigger. I’m not delusional. Two pairs of my pants are proving me right. Weirdly, my waist is narrowing in, which is nice, but my thighs and hips are expanding. I cannot explain this. Have any of you experienced something similar? many thanks, Juno

You’re still eating too much then. Go zero on your fast days (it’s not hard) and under your TDEE on your feed days and the weight cannot fail to drop off.

I want to add that I´m 50 and am taking candesartan for bloodpressure since 2 years. I have in the past always been able to lose weight on diets. But since I take this drug I have gained weight and no matter what I do I cannot lose any of it. So, the cause is either this medication or my age. If it´s the pills, then it´s absolutely counterproductive. Gaining weight on bloodpressure meds is pathetic since weight gain will make the condition worse and the unhappiness resulting from all of that is not exactly helpful. So anyone who is not losing weight on the fast diet like me, are you taking meds and have they maybe made you fat?

Hello, Midway into my fourth month of 5:2 and actually have some good news to report. The first sign this diet was working came in end of March at a routine dental exam. I was diagnosed with gingivitis years ago, which surprised me as I thought I had good oral hygiene routines. I’ve used prescription rinses, floss, blah, blah, blah.
Well, at my most recent appointment the dentist was “floored” that I had no signs of gingivitis. She even called her assistant over to have a look. Though I am not sure if this is a 5:2 thing, as I seen no one else reporting such on this site, I give the diet credit, as nothing else has changed.

Just last week I have finally noticed a drop in weight. I went from 125 to 121. also I fit very well into the pants that I could not get into in February.

Also, my skin is in amazing condition. Very soft and clear. My hair, too is very soft. (I don’t color)

So, those are my results at 3+-months into 5:2.I plan to stay on board and see what other surprises are in store.

Thanks Tom. I started out attempting to raise my resting pulse above 45. I had read “180 degree health” and when I ate 2000-3000/day for 2 weeks, I gained 15 lbs. Now I have a low pulse and alot of extra body fat. I have also attempted raising calorie intake more slowly but with the same result. More fat. I have experimented with different macro % over the past two years with no results. I believe the science behind it is sound but once you have added a bunch of mid-rift fat and you are a senior with low thyroid, you are stuck.
I am thrilled with 5:2 idea also makes a lot of sense but I have not lost any inches or weight in 2 months. I feel good on the plan but it needs some adjusting. I typically eat 1200-1500/day or I gain weight. I suspect that 500 is not low enough on fast days to make a big enough contrast. I also suspect that my body may think I am fasting all the time now. (Before this disastrous little experiment, I ate a lot some days and very little other days much like the 5:2 pattern and I was thin and happy. However, I wanted a higher pulse as I know that is better for long term health, thus the dietary experiments.)
Also, I cook for my boyfriend two days a week now and we eat well on those days. I may make it to 2000-2500/day.
I just started doing 300 on fast days and normal 1200-1500 on non-fast days and more on cooking days. (I have always been a whole foods eater. I don’t buy or consume packaged food, so junk is not the problem.) I now live in Argentina which is a bread and pasta loving country. I am eating more of these foods than before but not more than twice a week. I enjoy a cocktail once or twice a week, which is also new.
At first I didn’t feel hungry at all on fast days, now sometimes I do. I suspect that maybe the fat on my organs is starting to decrease and that is why the inches haven’t decreased. If that doesn’t work, I will do the nothing but coffee and water on fast days approach that you suggested.
Something has to give, the math has to win out at some point.
Thanks again Tom

I am pleased to discover that one week after our two week vacation, I have lost 1/2lb. Slight reduction in back fat otherwise measurements are the same except waistline which is worse. I am hopeful that this is an indication that it is working. Its going to be very slow due to the low thyroid. Much slower than I anticipated. I’ll check out your book reference. Thanks

Hi everybody. I started the 5:2 diet 2 weeks ago and have been gaining the weight back on non-fast days. I want to loose 15 kg; but the health benefits are more important to me. I wonder whether there is anybody who has monitored his/her blood sugar levels in due course of the diet? If I witness that people have benefited from this diet in terms of improving their blood sugar levels (or insulin resistance, diabetics, etc.), which is stated as the major benefit of this diet, then I’d be much more motivated to stick to it even if I do not loose weight fast.