5.2 Diet not really working

This topic contains 6 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by Alice Louise 9 years, 11 months ago.

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Alice Louise

6:55 am
16 May 14
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I got really excited when I read this book, thinking this was the answer I had been dreaming of. Managed to lose a few pounds to start with, but soon put it back on when I went on holiday. Haven’t lost any weight now for two weeks even though I have been sticking faithfully to the fast days. it isn’t really true that you can eat normally on other days as this just counter balances the fast days. Must point out that I am 71 and only 5.1 in height and just half a stone to lose which will bring me to 8st 7lb. I walk for about 40 mins 3 – 4 days a week and am reasonably active on other days but do sit at the computer a lot.
However, to be fair, we did a 5 week cruise in January and I still had 2 fast days a week and enjoyed my food on other days and when we got home, I hadn’t put on any weight.
Feeling discouraged now, especially as I have just seen that I can only eat 1408 calories on normal days which to me is dieting every day and starving on the two fast days. I know what the answer will be – more strenuous exercise.

Dummerchen

10:48 am
16 May 14
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Exercising is not as good for weight loss as people always claim. The amount of calories burned in a session is not that large. Having decent muscles helps though as they burn a fair amount of energy just to say in good working condition. At your age strength training is very important and often neglected; good muscles will help you move around, keep your balance and prevent falls. Muscle tissue is also important for blood sugar regulation.
So instead of more exercise you might want to change the exercise.

It is also worth looking at what you are eating on the non-fast days. Obviously, you cannot scoff your way through 10,000 kcal of sugary snacks a day and hope to loose weight. There is mounting evidence that a high carb diet is not good for us and leads to weight gain in a lot of people. Additionally, saturated fat is not that bad for us either, despite what we have been told for decades. A change in diet with less starchy foods and more meat, fish and fat (!) might be what you need.

And finally, you are of normal weight (I guess that you are currently around 9 st since your target weight is 8st 7lb). This might be your genetically set optimal body weight and further weight loss might only be possible with severe restrictions. So why not relax, tone up and enjoy the other benefits IF can bring like lots of energy and a sharp mind?

franfit

12:51 pm
16 May 14
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Alice Louise, you have hit on the sad but true fact that what we have been led to think of as ‘normal’ eating by our culture/society is not, in fact, normal eating, especially not for us women who are smaller and/or older. When I reach my goal weight my maintenance TDEE will be 1450 calories, so I’m working on getting used to that now. That’s the real normal for me, not the way I was eating that got me overweight and kept me overweight.

Stef.

2:41 pm
16 May 14
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It is true that diet is for weightloss while exercise is for fitness and overall health, BUT a) the more muscle you build the more calories your body burns even hours after your training, so yes weight training can be very beneficial for weightloss and b) with exercise your TDEE goes up which is nice!

It is true, that the 5:2 is another form of dieting, whether one likes it or not. It is all about creating a weekly calorie deficit and this means sticking to your TDEE on non fast days.

I am very close to my target weight now. The first six kilos went very quickly, but the last two took ages…I am now 700g shy of goal, but nothing moves.

Stef.

kilda

2:41 pm
17 May 14
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if you are 5’1″ and 126 lbs, your bmi is 23.8. That is well within a normal range, and it is likely that that is where your body wants to be.

Add to that the fact that you are not very tall, and are 71 years old, factors which make your TDEE smaller. According to the calculator if you are lightly active your TDEE would be 1408, and even if you are moderately active it is only 1587. And yes, the truth is that isn’t a lot of food. It’s a lot less food than we have been led to be accustomed to through typical portion sizes. The hard truth is that as we get older our metabolism declines and we need fewer calories than we used to, to maintain our weight.

Apparently your body is telling you that in order to achieve your desired weight you will have to cut your intake to a level that feels “starving” or deprived to you. So the question is, do you really need to lose those 7 lbs? Why? Not for health, as you are at a healthy bmi of 23.8. Might you be happier if you learned to accept being 9 stone and focus on being healthy and active and feeling well?

Just for a little perspective, I started this diet at a bmi of 33.3. I’ve lost 36 pounds and look and feel a hell of a lot better at my current bmi of 27.3. My dream is another 29 lbs but I don’t know if I’ll get there. Your current bmi is still a distant dream for me! If I stall out before what I have decided is my dream weight, I will still be worlds smaller and healthier than I used to be. And if at some point I cannot lose more without making my life feel deprived and miserable, I will stop because I want to enjoy my life, not make it all about a number on the scale. And I will know that I have gotten to a weight that is healthy for my body and have decreased my risk of diabetes, heart disease and strokes.

You are healthy at your current weight, and will be healthy if you achieve your goal. I think it really boils down to deciding which is more important to you, and which way you will enjoy your life more – 126 lbs and eating more, or 119 lbs and feeling deprived.

littleliz44

7:12 pm
17 May 14
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SO agree with Kilda. For years I only weighed 7stone 10 pounds and was very active too but I am now a stone heavier but look a lot better at the weight I am now. At 57 being too thin is not flattering and have been following this diet since January really more for the health benefits and the desire to lose some fat off tum and bum area.
I had just crept up to 9st 2lbs over Christmas and post menopause have found it hard to keep weight off tummy and bottom so thought I would try this way of eating.
It really does work and if I have a really bad couple of days I just add an extra “low” day and do 3 that week instead of two.
I have only lost 6 pounds but 10 inches and I just think as above my body is “happy” at 8st 10 pounds and it will be a battle to get lower. My BMI is good so I feel I just need to maintain this weight now and not worry.
I use to run a slimming/exercise class years ago and even then I hated giving “targets” as weight is somewhat artificial. Rely on the tape measure, a far truer representation of success, particularly if a woman!!

Alice Louise

7:46 am
24 May 14
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Many thanks to all those who replied. I did reply personally to all the postings but did this on the email site and I realise now that they don’t appear on this site. This is just to let readers know that I did reply.
Have just read lots of posts with similar problems and it is so encouraging to see that so many others reach plateaus and even put weight on. I would still like to lose another 7lbs so will stick it out.