Hi Amy – well done on coming back to the 5:2. My advice is to just go with it, do your absolute best and don’t worry too much about the scales. Measure yourself instead and check weekly by trying on smaller sizes which can be so encouraging. Weighing too often can undo a lot of good because weight fluctuates on a daily basis. If you follow the 5:2 it will no doubt be the best thing you could possibly do to be a happy size for your wedding in June. I just wish I’d known about it before I was married in 2000. I can’t begin to tell you the pain and extremes I went to in order to fit into my wedding outfit. The 5:2 would have been SO much easier and it would have saved me so much angst. Good luck 🙂

Heather

I have been on it for around 18 months and would say I’m very much in steady state now. Personally I didn’t notice much weight loss in the first 3 week (I wasn’t much over target to start), but weeks 4-8 were my big droppers. My tips:

1. combine it with exercise, 5:2 has the potential to take the 21lb target off that you want within the 4 months you have assuming that still leaves you at a healthy weight. But you need to exercise too otherwise you could end up looking a bit aged. Exercise is great at reducing hunger as well as the other benefits.

2. don’t stop. Once you hit target stay with it. 5:2 is hardest in the first 3-6 weeks. After about 3-6 months its just part of life.

3. increase hydration. A lot. most of the complaints about fasting are due to dehydration.

If you do say 3 – 30-45 minute hard cardio (e.g. spin cycling) with some HIT built in a week and stick to your 5:2 you should hit target providing you don’t compensate too much on your eat days. To hit target You are aiming to take about 4000cal a week off. 5:2 will probably only do about 2500 – 3000. Exercise is going to need to fill the gap.

Well done on getting through your first week and losing a pound! Keep us posted on your progress. 🙂

I save my calories until teatime too. Sometimes I have scrambled eggs like you said, sometimes I have a mealsoup with one slice of bread.

I’m guilty of weighing myself daily too, mostly because I’m a nurse and can’t resist the temptation to have a nice chart with daily entries! I don’t pay much attention to it though, just look at what the general trend is over time.