jpplov,

Well done! 14 kg /31 pounds since April is really impressive. Congratulations on the weight loss and thanks for starting this strain of the Forum back in April. Keep reporting – maintenance is a problem I have ambitions to know about.

jp, congratulations!!! It was no easy feat, especially that I know you were stuck at a plateau for a little while. I wish you all the best on your maintenance program.

Just finishing my fourth week and starting to feel lighter now and have dropped 5lb or so in that time, so I’m happy.
I’m finding FDs are getting easier now but yesterday was THE hardest day so far…

I did a pretty heavy leg workout in the morning leaving me feeling a little weak. I had no breakfast. At work there was a special morning tea on including club sandwiches, gourmet pies and delicious looking slices. Initially I just left – it was too much to bare. Unfortunately I had to return to hear a speech, so I sat right in front of the food for about 10 minutes! Unbearable, but I made it.
No lunch, just a miso. Man, did I earn that miso!

After work I attended a workshop/seminar thing where I knew there would be food. “A “Light dinner” will be served” It said. Turns out it was just a crap load of pizzas! I searched through them and found 1 vegan pizza and demolished 4 small pieces. Managed to avoid the meatlovers etc.

Went to bed wired and hungry but sort of proud too.

Had a proper breakfast this morning and felt so good about it that I was irritatingly chipper. Boy, did I enjoy my food today. Probably overeating just slightly but feel like I’ve got this well under control now.

I agree with the above sentiments (new pants). Feeling jeans get looser over a few weeks is a good feeling and probably the best sign of loosing the right kind of weight.

Weekly weigh in, came in at 138.6lbs this morning, 1.4lbs below my goal weight. Today is a fast day, but I’m doing 16:8 having just had lunch, a light salad without dressing.

Just an update; latest weight = 94.6Kg (208.5 lb). Loss to date (since July 1) 12.8 kg (28 lb). Previous week’s weight was 95.1. This is after a week away visiting relatives who kindly let me cater for my self in my hybrid IF – LCHF style. They were intrigued to see me chowing down on all the fat after years of ‘healthy’ eating! But no true fast really, just trying to skip one meal a day.

This is a bit of a big week for me. Some time ago (years) I gave myself a target of 95Kg which then become a milestone, now passed, on my journey to 83.2kg (184 lb). I am now also over the hump (wish it was that easy) with over half target loss achieved. And finally, at least in the metric system, now I am a ‘2-digit’ weight guy at <100kg.
Stay fast (-ing) everyone, and do not let those lost kg/lbs find you again.

Thanks for the congrats jppiov. I’m 179 cm, and have bobbed like a lardaceous cork on the surface of a sea of 100kg for the last 5+/- years. My target weigh, derived from several calculations/aspirations, varies from 80 to 83 and a bit. Hoping the 83 will be like the 95 and be in the rearview mirror if this ‘diet’ keeps working. From what your experience, 7 cm taller, it would seem that less than 80kg is a possibility for me as well.

The app I use (‘Monitor Your Weight” – Android) gave me the 83 but a target time line of August 2016! A bit slow for me. So I took the 83 over the 80, bearing in mind the issues w rapid weight loss, and am pushing it but it seems IF makes it easy. My target date now is Dec 15, 2015.

The maintenance phase is an interesting issue but time enough for that when I’m fortunate enough to have the problem. Good for you and go the N–bullet! One way to make sm-oooo-th ‘bullet-proof’ coffee apparently.

I’m relatively new to the board and to 5:2, just saw this thread. I’m a guy, 58 years old, 5’10” about 140 pounds give or take a few. I’m doing 5:2 more as a way to maintain my weight rather than lose. I lost about 65 pounds a couple years ago and am paranoid about putting it back on. It’s said people who lose a lot of weight have an 88% chance of regaining all of it (or more) within 5 years. I don’t want that to happen after what it took to lose in the first place.

PhilPlasma, from my perspective at 42 years old you’re still a kid!

Bronx

Glad to see this strand of the forum in use again. Lately all of the action has been in the 5:2 Rugby World Cup area.

At 42 and 58 you are both kids. I’m 71, or that is what my passport says, but I prefer to think of myself as a well worn 45. We all have two ages, what the documents say and what we feel like.

This business of plateau can be frustrating, or even dangerous. My body had decided it was comfortable at about 7 pounds above my target. That was about 45 pounds less than when I started, so I decided I could live with it for a while and relaxed. Unfortunately relaxation included whisky and ginger nuts (biscuits or cookies depending on your variety of English). That and watching World Cup Rugby on TV with the traditional drink in my hand has resulted in a gain of 5 pounds. No prizes for guessing who will be fasting and hitting the gym tomorrow.

Weekly weigh in, 141.0 lbs, 1.0lbs above target. Fasting today and it is going well; may even skip through supper to have my next meal at breakfast tomorrow.

Bronx, welcome, good job on losing those 65lbs; hopefully 5:2 works out for you.

Pedro, congratulations on dropping below your plateau. I know all about disruptive calendars – with three young kids all in different activities we’re all over the place.

penguin – it is good that we have this 5:2 to do whenever we notice our weight creeping up. And having been doing it for sufficiently long we also know that we can come up with the discipline required to keep at it.

jp: yes, I figure to bring a sweater in to work and leave it there as the area where I work is often cold.

Hi gents, it’s been a bit of a rough go for me lately. Lot’s of travel and way too much food. I’m up 6 lbs to 179 and I’m not very happy about it. Hopefully I’m back on track as I want to be down to 165 by my 65th BD 12/20.

Diverdog,

I know how you feel. I kind of went “Nuts” with nuts this weekend; overdid the peanuts and mixed nuts a little bit. It happens every so often but now it’s out of my system for a while and I’m back on track. Yesterday was a fast day and I felt unusually hungry all day. The hunger finally subsided around 2pm and now I feel back to normal.

Hang in there; you can make it to your goal. And happy 65th to you in advance!

Bronx

Weekly weigh in came in at 141.0lbs, still one pound higher than my goal weight. It was the wine I drank last night after having carefully not over eaten at supper. Perhaps next week I’ll try harder still.

Bronx, with a 9-1 start the Canadiens really got off to a great start. Hopefully the Sabres will pick things up. I’ve never been that close to the cup.

Those gastric problems will take the weight off every time. From experience – a gentle restart can mean that it doesn’t all go back on. Either way, a pound or two above or below target weight is a good place to be.

PhilPlasma, it is good to hear from you. I was beginning to think that everyone had achieved their target and I was the only one left. The run up to Christmas has already started and restraint is required – I skipped the Pilates Group Christmas Lunch today because it is the MG Owners’ Club Christmas Dinner tonight. Of the two groups, I thought the Pilates seekers after fitness would be more understanding! My wife, who is nearer her target, is doing both but promising an extra fasting day to compensate.

I seem to be on a plateau. My body has adjusted to my new, lower, weight and eating a little or a lot is not making much difference. I shall fast on the required days during the holiday period, but staying on that plateau until after Christmas is probably the realistic target.

Greetings from Minnesota, USA! I am a 67 y/o male, 3 years out from a quadruple bypass surgery. I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes just before surgery, so have been following moderately low-carb diet and exercising a lot. This season I rode 1,800 miles on my bike and participated in two competitive gravel racing events.

I lost a lot of weight after surgery without doing anything other than reducing carbs. In fact, my weight dropped to the point where my wife was getting worried (I wasn’t) which was 160 lbs (72.5 Kg.) I’m 5′ 10″ (about 1.5 meters.) However, I also lost a lot of muscle mass – either that or the muscles under my fat had shriveled up without me realizing it! I added weight lifting to my regular cycling and cardio and finally after a 6 months started building some muscle and gaining some weight.

My diabetes has been under perfect control, but as winter put an end to cycling this year I had a lot of difficulty maintaining a good diet and put on a bit more weight than is healthy for me. I need to lose about 4 kg to get down to my “fighting” weight, about 165 pounds. I’ve studied nutrition extensively and have had an interest in calorie restriction, but only recently discovered the 5:2 way of eating, which I only started this week. This forum has been a great resource for understanding some of the challenges of intermittent fasting.

With two fasting days behind me, I have been a bit surprised about some of the effects. First off, sleeping has been a problem on fast days, which is very common. One thing that has surprised me is how the day after the fast my appetite seems to diminish. I almost have to force myself to eat. The fasting days have gone quite well. I’m still working full time and did not find it all that challenging. However, the day after I feel a bit of nausea early in the day and it takes a while for my energy to perk up.

In any case, thanks for being part of this forum and I hope to visit often to help me adjust to this new way of eating.

Hi Viking and welcome:

As you may know from reviewing this site, fasting and a ketogenic diet have been used successfully to totally reverse Type 2 for decades (from high insulin usage to no drug usage of any kind). You might check this thread: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/reversing-type-2-diabetes-the-fastday-lifestyle/.

In addition, some of my posts on this thread address Type 2, as well as many tips that might be helpful to you as you go forward with 5:2: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

I don’t have any trouble sleeping, but I do find I need perhaps an hour less sleep – I wake a little earlier and am up and about before anyone else. It is probably something to do with the body having less to digest, a process that tends to make us less alert.

Bronx, any movement is a very positive thing for our bodies. Walking your buddy is a great way to enjoy movement. Excessive sitting (more than 3-4 hours a day) has been shown to be a huge factor for poor health. Perhaps as bad a smoking! I work at a stand up desk, walk, hike and dance as often as possible. I don’t consider these things to be exercise. They are necessary for good health but don’t stress the body enough to build bone and muscle and condition the metabolic system.

As for real exercise I don’t like it very much and choose to do only about 30 minutes of it a week. 45 minutes if you count the active stretching. One 15 minute slow weight workout and one 15 minute sprint interval on a spin bike. These are very tough workouts but they are over quickly and produce great results.

Keep on moving and add some weight lifting if you can.

Hi all, another convert to 5:2 here inspired by Michael Mosley’s doc and hearing good things about the regime. I’m mid-50s, far too heavy and decided to something about it. Something I intend to stay with. Started 12 days ago at 17st 8lb and weighed in this morning at 17st dead. Particularly pleasing is that I’ve been unable to do my usual daily exercise, around 45 mins on my TACX cycle trainer, due to a sore lower back, but should be able to restart next week.

I’m not one for breakfast normally, so to be honest have found the fast days relatively easy so far. Get to midday on milk free tea, coffee and water and mentally I think if I’m not hungry go a few more hours and it will be dinner time. Eat sensibly and it’s easy to turn a “normal” day into a fast day without fretting about it. Non fast days have usually been soup, the odd tangerine, salmon, broccoli, kale and asparagus. Occasionally chicken. Guess I’m lucky in that once I find something tasty, I can eat it very regularly without getting bored. Effectively, these first two weeks have been 4:3 and they’ve been pretty good. No longer missing refined sugar, no headaches and feeling good, and looking forward to starting back on the cycle next week. I’ve bought a Nutribullet and will today experiment with some juicing. Still early days, but I’m hopeful and pretty pleased with regime so far.

Hi bigbooty – Thanks for the tip. I’m going to try and stick with just berries and certainly won’t be using any apples or oranges. Plenty of spinach and kale too. I put a few almonds in there too this morning. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste too bad at all!

Sheesh, it’s very quiet in here! I’m a man, live in Southern England and just about to finish my first month on 5:2. Lost 9lbs to date with a weigh in to look forward to tomorrow.

Thanks for that Penguin. How are you getting on? I’m steady, 1lb loss this week but did overindulge at the weekend.

Well it does work, I’ve been doing this for about 15months, diligently for the first 6 months & lost 25kg. I did end up doing 4:3 for about 3 months as I had a goal to reach & found it easy while at work for the 3 fadt days. Total weight loss now is 40kg in about 18 months so from 120kg to 80 for a 185cmm 52yo man so not too bad. I now have been stable at around 80kg for over 2 months & now do as many fast days as I need to maintain that weight. Don’t know how I will go long term but it is relatively easy & I don’t worry now if we go out or overseas on holidays or have events etc as I have wriggle room. Weekends I tend to have what ever I want as well just have to keep in mind bad things & moderation 😊 keep at it