Hi coco and welcome:

What did you expect? The average weight loss for a woman on 5:2 is a little less than a pound a week. And some weeks you might even gain! It’s working, you lost weight. Just keep going! Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

I’m on about week 3 now – I keep losing 2lb on the day I’ve chosen for my official weigh-day (Thursday which is the day after my 2nd fast day of the week) and then if I weigh myself on a Monday morning (ie today), I’m back to where I started again.

I suppose looking on the bright side I’m not putting anything on and I am eating what I like on the non-fast days so that’s good – but I guess that could also be the answer – instead of eating what I like on the non-fast days, perhaps I just need to calorie count a bit more and maybe try to stay off things like bread.

Keep going cocoabean – my friends at work who have been on this eating plan for a few years swear by it – they have told me to keep going. I think I need to try and give it at least a couple of months.

I’m also hoping that my measurements will go down even if the scales don’t move much – have you measured yourself? I would advise doing that ASAP and after a few weeks see how it is. I figure that I don’t really care what the scales are saying if the inches do go down.

Cocoa+loops,

On the assumption that your eating say about 2000 cal/day and that your eating 500 cals on your two fast days, then your 3000 cals down for the week. That equates to a loss of 0.7 pounds, plus a little bit of water, so about 1 pound per week. There is no magic involved.

The two fast days does not mean a free for all on the other five days. Although the longer you do 5:2 the less likely you will find yourself overeating on your non fast days.

Try and stay away from sugar (real hard to do) which means anything that comes in a processed box or 99% of soft drinks and also stay away from simple carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc. Those foods are broken down into sugar almost immediately. To maintain a healthy blood glucose level all that excess sugar is stored as glycogen and once that is topped up the liver stores the rest as fat.

Good one Cocoa!!

Just make sure the routine you develop is sustainable. I do 6:1 maintenance which is a water fast as I think fasting has benefits other than weight loss. Make sure that when you hit your self imposed weight you maintain a variation of this diet. Treat it as a continuous journey.

thanks bigbooty – it makes sense – I think you’re doing the right thing Cocoa – and I’ve just realised that I am probably eating way too many cals on my non-fast days. People sometimes call them ‘feast days’ and I always think that’s the wrong way to think about them, but I might actually be subconsciously treating them like a feast day by eating too much.

Flora – I’d go with what bigbooty says and try to keep your cals under 2000. I think I’ve had over 1,000 already today and it’s only lunch-time!

Keep going everyone – we can do it 🙂

Hi guys,

Try and go for a walk every day. I spend my lunch break at work going for a gentle walk. Go for a one hour walk every day and that alone will see you losing 15 pounds over the course of a year. As long as you don’t up the amount of calories.

Hello Cocoabean, BB, Loops and Flora53,
I weighed in at 123.9kgs on 26th April. I’ve vacillated between going 5:2 and Alternate FD. I’m down to 120.3, after hitting 119.9 after my fast day on Tuesday but rebounded after the next day, by .4 kgs. Not game to use the measuring tape yet. Goal is about 70kgs, but if I can get under 100 it will be a huge victory. I no longer work as I gave it away 2years and 4 months ago to become a carer for my mother-in-law who has dementia. Have been sitting on my derrier for a lot of that time, so now needing to become very enthusiastic about this new lifestyle and get real when it comes to exercise. You must be feeling fantastic about yourself, Cocoabean, as you were disappointed with initial loss. It is taking off, literally! Well done.
Keep up the good work Loops.
Have you worked out your TDEE, Flora53? That helps give an idea about how much to eat on the NFDs. Still trying to come to grips with all of that.
I agree Bigbooty with the need to look for hidden sugar. My sister gave me one of those tubes of coffee plus powdered milk that is supposed to be a cappuccino. The packet was 15gms, 8 grams carbs, of which 5.5gms were sugar. I declined. It pays to read the small print on the ingredients and the analysis of what is in packets of everything. Fresh is best, I think.
It’s very nice to have met you folk and look forward to following your progress and use it as inspiration for my own journey. Good luck. x

High BigBooty. Have you tried my cider vinegar drink yet? Tbsp CV, a squeeze of lemon plus slice, couple of slices of cucumber and fill up with iced water, fizzy if poss. A couple of chopped strawberries and some mint leaves are good too. The lemon takes away the acid bite of vinegar. It seems to reduce hunger pangs, so nice on a fast day.

Yes, hidden sugars are such a pain.

I’ve just waved goodbye to two lots of guests and sighed to see two pounds back on the scale. Well, wine, biscuits, potato, toast and chocolate, what did I expect? So FD today and 4:3 next week. It must go!

Just been rooting out dandelions in my raspberry patch, a good job for FD as I didn’t want to stop till the last was out. Not eaten yet today, though had an instant miso soup at lunch, only 29 cal. Ostrich steak and veg tonight!

Good going everyone – For the first time this week I have lost a good few lbs – down 4lb now from where I started. I have been more careful on the calories on the normal days this week and it has made a difference (not been eating bread either).

I think I’ll have a try at the ACV too – I’m always reading good things about it.

Well done Cocoabean. Fantastic weight loss. Didn’t see any measurements decrease to start with but now have lost 5cm around my waist. So hang in there. I didn’t measure for weeks as advised by Amazon. Can’t afford to have things put one off in the early stages😄

Hi Cocoabean, My neck is taking on a turkey gobbler look so measured it and it’s down to 38.2cm. Hate the look but love the implications. Remained at 113.3kgs after NFD so have to be pleased with that . FD today. Have some bone broth in the fridge which will be dinner tonight. Good for you with all your gym work. I just haven’t got into the swing of exercise at all. Think I will get into a bit of gardening today and see what I can achieve. The once upon a time herb garden is overgrown with lemon grass and a Rosemary bush plus nasty vines and grass and weeds. Wish me luck. And congratulations on dispensing with those4.4kgs. It’s a tonic to see the scales reading lower when you’ve worked so hard at it.

You are doing so well Cocoabean. Your mind frame seems to be in the right place to meet your goals. There are so many inspiring people on this forum like Buttonboots who demonstrate that tenacity brings results. Good to see that your progressing well.

I had a good first week on 5:2, but will never, ever forget the horror of my first week on slimming world! did the programme to an absolute t, even though I went to a gig that weekend and all my friends were eating pizza and chips around me – I sat there with my hifi bars and fruit salad feeling very left out! Was absolutely devastated when I didn’t lose a single thing in my first week, especially because I went with my mum who lose 3.5 pounds and my colleague at work told me she’d lost 5 in her first week. Don’t be too disheartened, I had 4 solid weeks of 2.5 pound weight losses after that!