Hi everyone and Happy New Year! I’m on this journey again after having lost 21lbs last year and then regained 6lbs over the last few months. I stopped fasting when I had an accident as I needed to concentrate on getting well again. The inactivity meant I lost a load of muscle so inevitably gained some weight when I built that up again. Now, after the Christmas excesses I’m 10 st but aiming for 9st 8lbs. I did a fast day on 28th and felt so much better for it. My BMI is healthy so it’s much harder to keep motivated. Dry January should help but I do want to build in at least one fast day per week and see how I go.

atcgirl, that could be my lunch! Small portion of brown rice with a pumpkin and lentil Moroccan dish + yoghurt. I haven’t worked out the calories but it can’t be many.

Good luck with all your resolves!

So the week leading up to Christmas I fasted (zero calories) during my two fast days but had a normal dinner, then the week after I effectively did 16:8 (only eating between 12pm and 8pm). If my other half hadn’t decided to drop 5:2 for the 2 weeks I’d probably have had more will power to do it properly, but alas I am not that strong… Currently a little over 9 stone 4 which is around my pre Christmas weight (I went up to 9 stone 6 the other day).

Yesterday was therefore my first proper fast day in a while and it was miserable 🙁 I was freezing cold, felt sick and had a horrible horrible headache. I normally try and do 16:8 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays but that is NOT happening this week! Maybe back to it in a couple of weeks….

I would hate to do it. And I know that the workplace should respect people who don’t want to join in. Stick to your guns!

One guy has already started suggesting he doesn’t want to do it and they’re giving him a hard time already. I was thinking of meeting them half way by weighing myself at home the night before and photographing the display on my scales. But another colleague has said I should flat out refuse. It’s such a little thing, but I don’t want to make a spectacle of myself.

Ergh, that sounds like a nightmare. I don’t blame you for refusing and no way I’d be involved in something like that. I refuse to discuss such topics with irl people on account of how British I am :p.

Anyway, following work-related work craziness I managed to drop to around 9 stone 4, so I think around 4 ibs to go before I cut my losses as far as weight loss goes. At 5’6 I don’t think I’d look good at a lesser weight anyway. Currently able to fit into mostly size 8s and size 10 skinny jeans (a bit of a squeeze though!), so happy with that.

Also not really seeing the point in weighing too often, so might just drop the weigh-ins to 1-2 times a month. Even on ADF the weight loss is slow, with plenty of periods of water retention or weeks with little to no losses. With just four pounds to go and clothes fitting, I’m not really seeing the need to do more than log on MFP and wait it out :).

NickiS83 – that’s great weight loss, good luck reaching your goal weight again 🙂

Ferris – yes I think it’s the Britishness in my that doesn’t want to do it. Also I’m finding the whole thing very insensitive because it’s only healthy weight people that have agreed to take part and they’re being awfully loud about the whole thing. They’re doing it today now and there’s definitely some egos being flung about. Although I googled it and it seems lots of offices do it, so it’s not unusual!

Awesome that you’re managing to fit into some size 8s 🙂 that’s my goal – I have my favourite old jeans ready!

Hi, I am new to this. Fast day 1 yesterday, which was OK for me.
I am 65, 5ft 1″, also 10stone, and wishing to get down to 9stone. I didn’t even go above 9 stone in pregnancy 30+ yrs ago.
I was surprised my BMI is not above 26.6 , I thought it would be far worse considering I don’t have a waist, but a “middle ” of disgusting and dangerous 36″. I haven’t measured myself for years…perhaps I should have done and would have done something about it earlier. No wonder clothes are uncomfortable.
I exercise quite a bit, walking 4 miles 3 times a week (when not raining, so not lately!) Cycling in my hilly town, also when not raining, so not lately. Have just started a 1 hr Circuit training weekly , and restarted Zumba weekly . Legs and arms quite well toned after a season of Gig rowing, but girth needs to shift.

I was interested to watch “Trust me, I’m a doctor”, to learn that females lose more fat if exercising after food, and men lose more fat if eating after.
Sorry, but I would puke if I exercised after food…especially with sit ups etc, I need a lapse of at least 2 hrs after light snack before exercise. .

Thanks atcgirl. After my second fast day yesterday, today I find I am just under my initial 10stone target, and hopefully counting down to 9.5.It must be a year or so since I was “just under ” 10stone instead of “just above”. That is 3.2lbs lost since first fast day last Frid. Impressed so far, and I feel “do-able”. Easy now whilst hubby a way a couple of weeks, though he did mention”joining me” in diet on his return…I am just not too sure he could cope with Fast days, and I don’t intend cooking 2 meals!

I just had a somewhat indulgent weekend full of wine, full English breakfasts and meals out down by the sea and visiting my boyfriend’s family. I didn’t fast over the weekend and pretty much just ate and drank what I wanted, which I feel was a great break. I was referred to as “skinny” numerous times which felt great, along with being ID’ed for my rounds at the bar (I’m 32! People always seem to peg me as a university student, which continues to be as equally flattering as it is somewhat embarrassing at my age. As I never sunbathed, rarely consumed alcohol/ sugar and always drank a lot of water I think that has a lot to do with it).

I have two more pairs of skinny jeans to add to my denim arsenal anyway, which especially after the weekend are a bit fitted (well, even for skinny jeans I mean) for now. I jumped back on the wagon and at 6pm I have only consumed herbal tea, black coffee, water and two sugar free cough sweets as I also spent the weekend nursing a cold.

I think that diet “break” did me some good. Part of me thinks that eight months of strict every other day fasting with little to no indulgence was a tad severe. I’m back, and looking to lose the last couple of pounds to fit my new and shiny new clothes 🙂 (I even brought back a few bottles of wine to celebrate with once I hit my goal weight! I never lean…).

Just curious if anyone is aiming for a particular dress size instead of a specific weight? I’m aiming for size 8 and have guessed that’ll be around 8 stone 7, but if I don’t have a muffin top in my size 8 jeans at 8 stone 10, for instance,I may stop there, or push if further if my goal weight doesn’t cut it. 7 stone 10 is the healthy bmi cutoff for my height (5’4″) so that’ll of course be my absolute minimum.

I was a size 6 at 8 stone when I was in the military and didn’t have fibromyalgia, but I suspect I had a lot more muscle then.

Just weighed in at 9 stone 1 🙂 so pleased! (Was 10 stone 2 in September last year).

Congratulations rammsteinqueen 🙂 you’re so close to your goal!

I am 5″2 and have 10 stone not particularly fat or overweight but I have a fat tummy which I call my front bum lol. I started this diet last week and lost 3lb. Not sure my tummy has went down much though. Can anyone give me advise? I can’t exercise due to health reasons but walk a lot so I’m not exactly a couch potato. I have 5weeks to get rid of this tummy.

Hi Boxer:

Here is some advice: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

Hi there, from reading the post above some say about not eating all day and just having their main meal as their 500calories being the most effective weight loss, doe it still work if i have 100 for brunch, then 150 for mid afternoon then 250 for dinner( poss less with some frozen raspberries ( within calories) in the afternoon) I’ve only started today but i feel like this approach today should stop me from feeling like I’m not eating enough as i can stagger it .

Any advice, much appreciated

Hi Sar:

You can eat as often as you want on a diet day, or not at all. It is up to you.

For those that eat, many find that eating one meal high in fat/protein in the evening works best. This has nothing to do with more effective weight loss – the number of calories you eat is the determining factor there. It has to do with being hungry. Once you eat, and especially if you eat carbs for your first meal, you will probably be hungry for the rest of the day and find it difficult to complete your diet day successfully. By not eating, you (surprisingly) do not get hungry and it is easier to get through the day.

Good Luck!

Thanks guys, first day went so so well. I even instructed an exercise class for 20 mins. Feel great and yes has lentil curls for dinner ( not great for healthy ness) but I wasn’t hungry si just totally stuck within my 500 calls with things I liked rather than making a big dinner .

Feeling motivated 😊 Xz

Does Anyone suffer with sleeping the night after they have fasted? I have been awake since 4 am, wide awake.

Have eaten something to help sleep, but can’t get back to sleep

Sarah x

Hi, I’m 11 stone, wanting to be under 10.7 and lose my gut! The last time I saw 9 stone something was when I was in hospital with severe food poisoning and hadn’t eaten for a week.
I’m 5’8″ so I’m not overweight, but I can tell by my clothes that I need to get a grip before it goes too far.
I do plenty of exercise but I obviously consume too many calories.

It’s encouraging to read all your success stories.

Wedding planning getting stressful so for my remaining 100 calories I weighed out 25g of my other half’s birthday cake to make me feel better and it totally wasn’t worth it and now there’s all that sugar floating around inside me and I’m starving 🙁

Amazing how quickly your resolve disappears sometimes.

Earlier today I felt like another fast day tomorrow would be so easy. Now I’m dreading it.

Hey Annette, thank you for your kind words 🙂 I’ve got a very small bone structure so I’m not worried about getting gaunt or underweight. I just want this blasted spare tyre gone because I hate the way it makes me look. But you’re right that I need to be kind to myself, I probably am being too hard.

I have cut down on the sugar but not nearly enough.I’d probably have less emotional up and downs during the day if I did.

I’m one of those people for whom the numbers on the standard bmi chart are probably too high. I didn’t even look gaunt at 8 stone, near the bottom of ‘healthy weight’; my bones are that small (UK size 2 feet!).

I think one of the major things that has helped me is giving up coffee, 3 teaspoons of sugar a day cut out of my diet. I still drink fresh fruit juice for the vitamins, but probably 3 small glasses a week, I’m not keen to give it up. Definitely cut right back on chocolate. Cut back a little on starchy carbs and pasta, but I love my food too much that i can’t, and won’t, give them up completely. This diet needs to be sustainable!

We definitely avoid ‘low fat’ foods at home, far too much sugar in those 🙂

I have been doing 5:2 since October, started at 10st 4lb needing to get to 9st for medical reasons. Until I gave up smoking I had always been very light and then all my weight went around my stomach. I had been doing really well until I plateaued at 9st 5lb but by doing ADF and realising that if I want to lose a lb of weight a week then I had to stick to my TDEE or I was never going to do it. Made it this Thursday BUT I have two problems that I need help with. I have had headaches in the afternoons for the last two days and I am about to go on holiday for two weeks from Wednesday so won’t be able to continue with fast days. What can I do so that I don’t put the weight back on while I’m away. This has been a really big struggle to lose the weight.