I have been doing 5:2 for 7 weeks now, and started at 173 pounds. I’m 5’7″, female, 46 and quite fit, running and mountain biking 3 or 4 times a week. However, quite a bit of personal stress over the last year led to too much wine drinking, and eating (healthy food, but even so, way too much!). It seemed as if an extra 20 pounds appeared from nowhere and suddenly none of my clothes fit, not even my “fat” clothes. Of course, it wasn’t sudden, it was a gradual creep of weight gain; it had just got to the point where I couldn’t pretend to myself anymore that I had just gained a few pounds. I have had some ups and downs in weight over the years, and dieted here and there, but nothing significant, nothing like 20 pounds in less than a year! I was horrified into action, happened to see the BBC documentary on You Tube, and figured, hey I can fast two days a week, no problem. So I started. The first 3 weeks I dropped 5 pounds, bouncing up and down on fast days versus non-fast days, but pretty much settling at 168. Then NOTHING. 4 weeks of no weight loss. I had a few days of dropping down to 167.4 but nothing less than that. My measurements had gone down about 1/2 inch everywhere, but then nothing changed there either for 4 weeks. I read all the posts about no weight loss, about measurements being more important, and so on. I watched what I ate on my non-fast days more carefully, kept a food log, and even reduced my wine intake!!! Still nothing. This Monday I weighed 171.8 (PMS, but still!!). I was so mad and just wanted to quit. I thought, this is stupid, nothing is budging and I’m totally wasting my time. My jeans were a little looser but that was it. I decided to do two last fast days and then throw in the towel. I fasted Monday and Wednesday and this morning went to weigh with great trepidation. I felt thinner and thought my stomach was flatter but I’ve been fooled before!! I stepped on the scale, not wanting to look. 166.2!! I know it’s wrong to rely on the scale for happiness, but I have to say, I am happy! Pulled out the old tape measure: 1 more inch lost from my waist, and 1/2″ from hips. I think that the fat was slowly melting from my back and stomach, so slow I couldn’t tell, and it finally got to a noticeable point. I know this is very slow loss compared to some, but there is now a noticeable change in my body. Almost 7 pounds in 7 weeks is good enough; not dramatic loss like some, but it is weight loss for not too much effort! I want to encourage those who are experiencing something similar, and feel like quitting….try a little longer. Your body will catch up. I’m just accepting this will be a slow and unsteady progress, but I will get there eventually.

Wow Tracy that is amazing!!! You’ve lost a ton of weight! Maybe you just don’t need to lose any more, especially if you look and feel great. Exercise does make you gain weight if you gain muscle, since muscle weighs more than fat, as I’m sure you know. The day after a really hard mountain bike ride I often go up a couple pounds because of tearing down muscle on steep climbs, and then they retain water while they go through the rebuilding phase. Don’t stop the exercise, I bet your body has changed for the better because of it!!