Don’t fret Jessie S, if you’ve lost 19lb then it’s probably visceral fat (If you have that in you then 5:2 tends to address that fat first – certainly did with me). Visceral fat is the stuff that will kill you so stressing over a jean size is small fry compared to that.

Honestly I lost about the same in my first 2 months on 5:2 and noone noticed – not even me! I didn’t even weigh myself for the first 2 months on the diet because I started it FOR the health benefits and never expected to lose anything BUT just the visceral fat I couldn’t see. I only weighed myself once I started noticing that my bras & trousers were starting to feel slightly roomier around my hips and back. I can’t have lost more than an inch off either (I’d estimate) but I had lost somewhere between 16-18lb (didn’t take any real ‘start’ weight measurements before starting either) in 2 months.

It’s a win – take it and keep going. Once the deadly visceral fat is gone you will start to notice it in your shape too.

I was VERY overweight when I started so I’m definitely close to where I want to be but I’m taking it steady and not trying to get there asap, so I’m not quite there yet.

I lost 3 stone the first year, just with the basic diet (no extra exercise). I lost a further stone in the following 6-8 months and then upped my exercise dramatically last February. Initially I did lose a few lb but the weight loss quickly ground to a complete stop and in the past 8 months or so I’ve either just maintained or very slightly gained (adding up to 4lb in total) between monthly weigh ins. This is not an issue for me, as I knew exercise wouldn’t ‘help’ me lose weight, as it never ever does for me but I am still the same dress size etc. (actually probably slightly smaller than I was last Feb) and I’m fitter and more toned, so no problem. Once I’m happy with my tone I’ll cut out the damaging extra exercise and go back to just concentrating on diet again. I’m only hoping to lose about another 16-18lb all together, so if it takes me another 1-2 years at my nice slow, steady and sustainable rate then I’m fine with that. This is my lifestyle now – I will fast forever.

Thanks Jessie, I hope that cutting the exercise and throwing myself wholeheartedly back into pure 5:2 will do the trick once my gym membership runs out.

Good luck with settling into the lifestyle and I’m sure if you put in the effort you will see big changes (once all that horrid internal/visceral fat is gone). If it makes you feel any more positive I dropped from a UK size 16/14 (bottom/top) to a UK size 10/12 (equal over bottom & top) just in that first year on 5:2 and I’m now occasionally able to squeeze into an 8 if it has a forgiving cut. So even those of us who start out showing not much visible weight loss can drop sizes very quickly once that visceral fat is out of the way.

Keep up the good work 😉