Lose weight on fast days and then goes straight back on

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Lose weight on fast days and then goes straight back on

This topic contains 29 replies, has 20 voices, and was last updated by  HappyNow 6 years, 7 months ago.

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  • I’ve been following the diet for 3 weeks now and have my fast days on a Monday and a Thursday. On fast days I lose between 2 & 3 pounds and then it goes straight back on the days in between. At the end of each week I’ve been back to square one at the weight I started on at the start of the week and I’ve lost nothing overall in the 3 weeks. I eat very healthily most of the time with a few glasses of red wine every week so I’m struggling to see where I’m going wrong. Trying to lose baby weight as just had my second child and I’m out walking with the pram every day. Has anyone any advice?

    That is exactly what terrifies me. Losing and then putting it back on again. Do hope that someone comes up with a reply for you!! Although, I remember when I had two small children, I was always dashing around and it was the slimmest I’ve ever been in my life!!!

    Hi Sori to hear that you keep on taking off and then putting back on. Sounds like a disappointment. My answer to your problem is to have a look at what you’re eating on the non fast days. May i suggest you have a look at this website http://www.marksdailyapple.com where you might find some answers. I follow the cave man style of eating on a 80/20 basis and never have a problem with putting the weigh back on, in sort its the carbs that does it. Kick the carb habit and you will be on a winner. Hope this helps N.B. I don’t refer to a diet but a style or lifestyle manner of eating, bon appetit

    Thanks for your replies. I think I am frustrated as I eat very healthily the rest of the week with fruit and yogurt or eggs for breakfast, lunch I will have homemade soup or a bagel and low fat filling , then dinner I eat protein and vegtables (no carbs after 5). On a Saturday I will eat out for lunch or dinner and I have Italian or Japanese food. I will have 2-3 glasses of red wine at weekend as well. Snacks are normally fruit or nuts or sometimes oatcake and humus. I even stuck to these eating habits when I was pregnant both times, minus the wine. I walk an hour a day with the pram at the moment and also use the treadmill when I can fit it in. Spoke to my doctor yesterday and he thinks I eat a great diet and can’t understand why it’s not working, he even suggested I maybe try to eat more carbs as maybe not eating enough in the day. So confused I thought I was being healthy doing this diet and not doing any crazy ones. My friend eats a lot less healthy than I do and has lost 10 pounds on this diet in 3 weeks so making me feel worse!! πŸ™

    Hi Kirst22. I understand your frustration. You sound like you eat a healthy diet. Check your portion size though. I have always eaten healthily but i think just too much of it and always telling myself how healthy humous and avocado is(check out the calories though!!!) Healthy food can still be calorific. Stick to 3 meals a day and no snacks(maybe an apple/orange) on non fast days. Works for me( with some wine at wknd) Good luck!

    Thanks I will try dropping the snacks and see if that makes a difference

    Maybe you can keep a food dairy for a week and see how many calories you eat on average.
    Some of my clients don’t eat enough or simply don’t realize that healthy food can have plenty of calories too (like nuts). It always helps them become aware of where they go wrong.

    Hi Krist22, I use a food dairy online. ItΒ΄s called fddb.de. DonΒ΄t know, if there is something like that in UK. You can see, how many calories the food has, you eat and how much protein, carbs and fat. I try to eat 80 % from my daily requirement, sometimes I eat 100 %. I also try to eat low carb but sometimes eat whole grain produkts or a little chocolat too. Good luck for you!

    The exact same is happening to me. It is very frustrating, especially when on my non-fasting days I am sticking to 1300kcal, 500 on fast days, and doing at least 30-60 mins of exercise everyday. I have lost just over a stone at the beginning of the year, but now I am stuck…I am eating porridge for breakfast, soup and salads for lunch, and salads or stir frys for dinner. It’s getting me down πŸ™

    Hi MeIB,
    I think, you eat not enough on your non-fasting days. Only 1300kcal and then you make sport too! How many calories do you burn with your sport a day? You must strike them off from the calories you eat – and then: your calories on a non-fasting day are nearly the same than on a fasting day. I think, you must eat more on your non-fast days.

    Same here. I am beginning to wonder if lots of exercise + reduced calorie intake on NF days + 2 fast days is just not enough intake and my body thinks its famine time and has shut down! My size is reducing but the scales just won’t budge. It’s really frustrating because a comparatively slim friend is doing this and has reduced her waist size by 7 inches. Grrrrrr!

    Hi Kirst22 – its defo worth monitoring your calories and making sure you are getting enough calories! I think that could be the problem.

    Don’t reduce your intake on the regular days but stick to a healthy 2000 kcal with lots of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, whole grains and other healthy stuff.

    Interval training is great for upping your metabolism and it’s very simple.
    I combine powerwalking with regular walking and I’ve really noticed a difference. You can add interval training to everything you do, just double or triple your speed for 30 seconds or so and then go back to your regular speed.

    Thanks everyone, I have been keeping a food diary since Monday and have noticed that I haven’t been eating enough calories if you are meant to be taking in the 2000 on a non fast day. I don’t think I eat anymore than1300- 1500 on a normal day and have done for years now so might have something to do with it. I will try uping the amount I have in the day for the next week and see if that helps.
    I will start the interval training once I get clearance from my physio after my C section as I used to do it before I fell pregnant with my wee one. Thanks for all the advice. πŸ™‚

    Hi Kirst22 – I didn’t see anyone mention thyroid. My sister, after having her third child, had trouble losing the weight and in fact starting putting more on and she’s always been on the slim and fit side – she eats well and is active. Turns out she had a thyroid imbalance which can be common problem after a pregnancy. Now with medication, she’s able to control her weight much more easily. Just something to check on. Good luck!

    Thanks I will bring that up with my doctor and get my thyroid checked as my weight has gone up by 4lbs his week and I feel very bloated, just can’t understand what’s going on. Think I will stop the diet as not working for me right now. Will go back to weight watchers instead and try it again in a few months. πŸ™

    Kirst22 – since I wrote above I’ve upped the intake on non-fast days, made sure I’m drinking plenty of water and taking in probiotic yoghurt. I walk the dogs briskly for 20-30 minutes each morning, most mornings do 20 minutes on an elliptical trainer and try to keep active during the day. Sometimes I also take the dogs for a 15 minute late afternoon walk if nobody else wants to take them! Weight has reduced.

    Re. your 4lb increase and bloating, I have read (and believe as the sources have been reliable) that yeast overgrowth can be a reason that we bloat and don’t lose weight. It might be worth looking at your diet and seeing if that could be your problem. Basically, if you feel it is worth a go, drop yeast products, sugar, mushrooms, pickles/vinegar, alcohol for at least a week preferably a month and take probiotics. Google it and see what you think – everyone is different! Good luck.

    kirst22, Please don’t give up on the diet. I started 8 weeks ago and have lost approx 4kg. I’m sure I could have lost more, but I have a few bad habits on the other 5 days like drinking approx 3-4 litres of cola and nearly a bottle of scotch with it.

    In my opinion, you shouldn’t be losing 2-3 pounds of fat on a fast day as that seems almost impossible unless youre an elite athlete and they dont have much body fat to start with in the first place. For example, cross country skiing burns around 1000 calories per hour which isn’t much in terms of food. However you may be losing fluids on fast days and hydrating on non fast days creating the yoyo effect.

    My suggestion: don’t weight yourself daily. Most overweight people didn’t get fat in a week, it took years of sustained over eating to get to their current size. Logically, if you reduce your intake slightly, it will take a while to slim down but you will get there. If you don’t, there will be plenty of scientists wanting to study why someone who is consuming less energy than their bodies needs is piling on the fat. This goes against the laws of physics!

    I recently had an 8 week standstill of weight but my inches went down. Measure as well, it helps!
    One thing I did find was that weight loss was slower when it included wine. I measured the size of the glass , and toted up the calories-what a surprise,It was putting me way over the 1800 calories which fit my age and lifestyle. So I am measuring and weighing more now

    Hello Kirst22

    I find that i also lose weight after a fast day (Might only be 1 lb) then put it back on later.

    When do you have your fast days? I generally do monday & thursday, Do you think it would help doing 3 fast days?

    I am not losing weight very quickly at the moment, would like to know what i am doing wrong!! The only thought i’ve had, is that i eat too much on the other days!!

    I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me some advice

    a read

    I have been on the diet for 3 months and have lost nothing. I am sticking to the 500 calories very carefully, and do not overeat on non-fasting days. I am of the opinion that the anti-depressants I take (which have made me put on weight anyway) are preventing my weight loss. My husband is on the diet too, and has lost over a stone. I am contemplating fasting for three days, but don’t know if this is the answer.

    I think everyone’s idea of eating ‘normally’ on non fast days is very different. I don’t think it’s ‘normally’ for you , it’s ‘normal’ as in what we should eat in an ideal world. To me that’s 3 balanced meals a day, no snacks. We don’t need snacks, only drinks in between as we often confuse thirst with hunger. For me that normal might be a boiled egg with a slice of wholemeal toast or porridge with skimmed milk and water, lunch could be a sandwich of chicken and salad and an apple or a salad with tuna, dinner might be steamed salmon and veg and a small baked potato or spaghetti bolognaise made with lean turkey mince, and salad. During the day I drink tea with skimmed milk, water, herbal tea, coffee. I really think snacks are the BIG problem, the snack industry has made us believe we need it. Fasting should show you that we don’t! Ahh that’s better. Good luck, works for me.

    I walk to work 5 days a week-45 mins each way-uphill on the way there.I also go to Ceroc dancing for a couple of hours on evening(Mix of tango,salsa and jive) and I am running a total of 10 miles a week(for a looming half marathon in Sept). Doing all of this I have managed to lose 19lbs in 21 weeks.
    On the weeks that I didn’t lose any weight I counted my calories religiously for the week as recommended by Michael. I learned that a lot of what I liked to eat was stuffed full of calories and that as I was writing everything that I ate and drank down….I was eating rather more than I realized.
    I also became aware just how much food was advertised on the tv.
    Get a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps each and every day. Write down everything that you consume for a week and calculate the calories.
    We don’t need snacks, but the food and drink industry rely on us believing that we do.I eat cake and chocolate, just not as much. I enjoy it far more as a result.

    Last week was my first week,difficult but happy to see that I had lost .7 of a kilo then this week prior to starting again I had gained almost a kilo! I only need to loose about 4-5 kilos and loose my post-menopausal tummy weight. I usually sit around 60kgs and am quite fit. I walk a lot and do 2 Barre classes and 1 Pilates each week. I have always eaten a very healthy diet, apart from my wine consumption which could be less. I don’t like the idea of counting the calories on my non fast days as I thought the 5:2 was only about having to focus on the 2 days ” on”. I never eat desserts, biscuits etc, minimal carbs only low G.I etc. Perhaps I need to try less wine and see if that helps. Suggestions welcome.

    Really depend what “some wine consumption” means. Alcohol is 7 cal per mL. 3 glasses of wine will be about 350-400 cals. Must be processed by the liver and stored as fat.

    Too true, thanks for the reminder πŸ‘

    I think you need to restrict your diet on non fast days as well back to 1000 calories, which I am using this method, and I lost two kg on four weeks and my weight is dropping from now too,

    For me, 600 cals on Fast day and 1450 [or thereabouts] on Slow Days. I say FOR ME because there is no hard and fast rule. I try to walk 5 miles/day. I have been at my target weight for 1.5 years. Drink 1 glass of wine/day and eat dessert a few days /week.
    MaryTC, the ‘eat what you want’ on non-Fast days is a bit misleading. It should say eat in moderation and avoid the junk food.

    my body fat also drop down from 26 to 24.5 which means i am losing fat

    MaryTC,

    I don’t know how often you weigh yourself, but if you weigh daily you will know that weight fluctuates between days depending on a range of factors. And for many people (me included) weight will be higher on a Monday (post weekend) than it is later in the week (pre-weekend).

    Your two data points don’t really show anything. The second higher weight doesn’t necessarily show you have gained fat, you could be e.g. retaining water or have more food in transit. Two data points after one week are pretty meaningless.

    You need to give it a few weeks and look at the overall trend. If it’s not downwards then reassess your fast/ non-fast days, but don’t panic after a week.

    I never counted calories either, but you do need to be mindful on non-fast days. It’s eat whatever you want (no food restricted), not however much you want (all diets fail if you overeat).

    Some people use measurements/clothes fit instead of weight as that can be a more reliable indicator of shrinkage.

    Also, you don’t have very much weight to lose. You shouldn’t expect the same dramatic losses that heavier people record in their first weeks.

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