Hi ladies, I’d love to join as well! I live in Canada, just turned 37, 5’4″, and at the moment, 186 lbs. I have been on every kind of diet, supplement, and torturous exercise regimen imaginable for my entire adult life, and always ended up back where I started or higher…classic yo-yo.

I started 5:2 at the beginning of June, and have lost 28 lbs since then. It’s working so well for me, I can hardly believe it. @missj2002, I also use My Fitness Pal app to track calories. It’s so handy!

At the moment I am doing 4:3 because I had a long way to go and wanted to accelerate the process. I normally fast Monday – Tuesday back to back, and then Thursday. The consecutive fast days are a challenge, but I am used to it now. I find it easiest to fast on days that I am working and/or busy, and enjoy more freedom on weekends. On my NFDs, I only loosely count calories though.

I love that I can still live a little on my NFDs, and that I don’t feel like I’m suffering or waiting for the diet to be “over”. I especially love the flexibility of being able to choose which days I fast to allow for social events, etc.

Cooking ahead and freezing portion size meals is crucial for me. If I don’t prep ahead and have quick easy meals, it’s much harder. Normally I stick to black coffee with stevia, and clear tea or hot water with lemon all day, and save my calories for my evening meal. Always drink lots of water!!

Some of my FD (freezable) staples are:
Veggie curry: (made in slow cooker) eggplant, zucchini, and chickpeas (for protein), diced tomatoes, and spices to taste)

“taco” salad: 4-6 oz. of extra lean ground beef with chili powder (taco seasoning has too much salt, and I swell terribly), 3 cups of raw spinach, and 1/2 cup salsa. I cook the beef and freeze in small containers so that it is ready to heat and toss on the salad for supper.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast (4-6 oz.) cooked in Patak’s or Sharwoods curry sauces – some are higher in calories than others, so be careful. Served over steamed broccoli.

I won’t always be so long-winded, I promise. Looking forward to chatting with you all! Best of luck to everyone!

Hello everyone
After 2 FD last week I was down 3 lbs and 3% body fat!. Never seen results like that before. I’m very encouraged.
Had a weekend of eating, eating, and more eating…and some drinking, so not sure where I’m at now. Kinda of afraid to get on the scale
I just had my 3rd FD yesterday and feeling great.
One thing I’ve noticed is that I get insomnia the night of my FD. I wake up at 4:30-5am and can’t get back to sleep. This has happened on each of my 3 FD so far. Anyone else experience this?
Have a great day everyone.

Thanks for the warm welcome! HUGS @whyamisoshy !! It is discouraging to see no movement for a week or 2…I have also encountered that along the way. Plateaus are normal. I recommend switching things up somehow. Sticking to the recommended calorie intake on NFDs does help a lot, however, I find when I hit a plateau it also helps to shake things up a bit. Add a brisk walk or a good workout to the routine, drink more water (even if you think you are drowning in it already), and get as much quality sleep as you can.

As silly as it sounds, sometimes when I need to break a plateau, it works for me to have a treat day. Not go completely mad, but if I want a burger and fries, I have it just to throw my body a curve ball. Just one day though, and then get right back at it. Of course, the first day back on the wagon the scale will be up due to water retention, food ‘in transit’, etc., but it should get things moving again over the course of the week. Even the stress you cause yourself by watching the scale and not seeing it move for a few days can work against you, so take a deep breath and give it some more time. That initial 8 lbs in 5 days will have been partially water weight (it always is at first), so it is deceiving.

I am losing on average, 2-3 lbs per week, but every now and then there is a plateau week. Just keep at it…you’re doing great! More water might help with the headaches.

@katab – I find that even a small amount of salt makes me retain water…my hands swell up like puffer fish, so I try to avoid it, especially on FDs. That’s why I use chili powder to make my ‘taco beef’ rather than packaged taco seasoning. Even the reduced sodium taco seasoning has more salt than chili powder, and I find the CP just as satisfying. I agree – ‘lifestyle change’, not ‘diet’!!

@whyamisoshy, I am so glad you started this thread too! I have been doing this for a while, and I don’t know anyone else who does it, so I have nobody to chat about it with! It’s nice to hear about other people’s experiences, and share mine with others who understand.

I hope you are feeling better – I used to get migraines, and they are absolutely awful.

When I started I had about 80 lbs to lose, now only 50 left. I am expecting the weight loss to slow down the closer I get to my goal, but it has been fairly steady at 2-3 lbs per week with the exception of the odd plateau (and a week of vacation!).

I am doing 4:3, which makes a big difference. The weeks when I mind my calories on NFDs and do a couple of respectable workouts seem to be when I see the best results.

Once I reach my goal, I will switch to 5:2 or 6:1, depending on where I stay level. Looking forward to that, but it will be at least 6 months, I think.

I know what you mean about losing the appetite. Even when I fancy a treat now, I can have it, but I certainly can’t shovel in the quantities I used to! It’s great! Helps keep me in check on NFDs.

hI Mary here from London would also like to join I am 12 and half stone so over 2 stone oweight feel miserable would like to commit to fasting days and low carb on other days as I have already lost a stone on low carb
Getting easier to mange the 500 cal

Hi why and ebell:

Hate to break in a closed thread, but I’m afraid some will not get a true picture of the weight loss rate being discussed.

Ebell states she started 5:2 at the beginning of June and has lost 28 pounds so far. That is 18 or 19 weeks to now. Using 18, the average weight loss over the time is about 1.6 pounds per week. Had you been losing 2 to 3 pounds a week, you would have lost 36-40 pounds by now.

Ebell, you mention ‘plateaus’. I suspect you are losing 2+ pounds on the weeks you lose, but are not losing that much, or maybe none at all, on some of your weeks. I also suspect your rate of loss will continue to slow. But please do not get disheartened and give up. It works, but it just takes time.

Here is a thread whose links and posts to the links answer many of the questions I am seeing on this beautifully active thread: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/. As I am not really welcome here, if any of you have questions for me I’ll try to answer them on that thread.

Sorry to have bothered you all, and

Good Luck!

Hi Katab:

“females only please”

LOL

If you read my ‘Warnings’ thread you will find out!

Hi
I am also new and would like to join. I’m having my first fast day today.
I’m 42 and have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I’m carrying 4 stone more than I should be and it’s not helping!
One day at a time. I hope I can make some friends here?

Good morning from Canada, and welcome newcomers!

Yes, @simcoeluv and @whyamisoshy, I should have been clearer with my #s. There have been some blips along the way for me – a plateau week here and there (3 since I started, I think), and 1 week in August when I went on a ‘foodie’ vacation, and actually put 8 lbs back on (sigh), which did affect me if you look at my #s as an average since day 1.

I guess the way I look at it, the plateaus happen no matter what kind of plan you’re on, and the vacation blip was self inflicted, so in my head, I wasn’t counting those weeks. I have been weighing in religiously, and on the weeks that I am losing, I am losing on average 2-3. Of course now I have jinxed myself and am on track to only be down 1 lb this week, but again, plateaus happen (haven’t hit one in a few weeks), and 1 lb is still better than 0, so I will call it a win!

You’re right @simcoeluv, I have been on more than enough diets over the last 2 decades to know that the closer to the end goal you get, the slower it comes off…not under any illusions there, and I hope I didn’t mislead anyone with my wonky math.

This is a lifestyle change that I can maintain long term. I feel better than I have in years in a lot of ways – I feel more clearheaded on my FDs, my appetite for junk food in general is so much less than it was, my sleep has improved, my aches and pains are much less, and of course, clothes fit better. I will plug away slowly, until I am where I want to be!

Thanks again all for the support and encouragement! Wishing you all the best today, and every day!

I am totally new to this site

I am 49…have to loose 50 lbs in total

I cant stay motivated when I see slow results…

On Monday I started the protein diet aim is to loose 20 lbs in 2 months….maybe when I see this happening I will be able to stay motivated

Any help advise is much appreciated

Thank you for the birthday wishes, ladies! I’m looking forward to cake and wine this evening 🙂

For the record, I have no trouble at all having a 3000 calorie day either. lol Too many of them is what got me in this mess! Love knowing that I have a ‘forever’ solution now though. FINALLY!!!!!

@trying49, it sounds like none of us are strangers to the dreaded plateau, but stick with it! This plan is amazing once you adapt, which doesn’t take long. @whyamisoshy is right – by month 3, it’s routine. We’re all here for you if you need help!

@katab, I completely agree! I call my NFDs ‘normal days’ too. Some days I am mindful and stay under my recommended intake, but others I just live my life, and if I go over, I go over. It’s important to find that balance. I cannot pig out like I used to either, no matter how much I might want to. The appetite reduction is a welcome side effect!

FD done and dusted for this week so feeling quietly pleased with how it’s going so far

Keep up the good work everyone….xx

By the way, @whyamisoshy…what kind of cake/biscuit treat was it? I have cherry bakewells, frangipanes, mini battenburgs, and loads of chocolate in my freezer just waiting for treat days, which are few and far between these days! 🙂

I was in England in May, and came home with a whole suitcase full of shopping (mostly food) which is still in my freezer waiting for special occasions. I fear a lot of it will make its escape over the holidays. And then come the mince pies, sausage rolls, xmas pudding…oh my goodness, I’m in trouble!

Hopefully this lovely little support group you created is still active at xmas…I think I will need it!!

Those look lovely! Unfortunately for me, I found a recipe, and must now try to make them! lol My sister and brother-in-law were in Italy last year, and it sounded like a wonderful trip. I would love to go one day! Lucky you!

Hi ladies, wow, you all eat some interesting food!! Lol. ( I do love hearing about all the snack/sweets that you eat. I eat such different stuff here in the US.). @ebell. I’m in Minnesota so…..yes…..harsh winters! I know all about that. Freezing weather just makes me want to bake cookies. I’ll definately need to do 5:2 all winter. Good thing I find it manageable. 😊
Almost done with my fast day, and so far so good!!!

Oh goody, code puzzles, I love them…so, ADF is Alternate Day Fasting? EODF is Every Other Day Fasting??
whyamisoshy – would you be willing to share your soup recipe with us? I find soups really filling and eat them all year round.