No weight loss and I can't understand why!

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No weight loss and I can't understand why!

This topic contains 7 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by  emmawatsi 1 year, 5 months ago.

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  • Hi All,

    I hope you are all doing fine and staying safe in this challenging Covid-19 time.

    I am writing in sadness and frustration, minutes after stepping on the scale: I am 2 weeks in 5:2 and did not lose any weight. And the worst thing is that I don’t know why, so I would love to hear your opinions and suggestions.

    A bit of background:

    1. This is the 5th time I do the 5:2 diet: The first time was 4 years ago, to lose 8 kg, and then I did it three times more over the last 3 years just to lose 2-3 kg after the Christmas holidays or in preparation for my wedding. Thanks to these occasional 5:2 sprints, constant 6:1 and regular calories counting, in the last 3 years I always happily kept my weight in the range 68-65 kg, with small ups and downs. All the times I did 5:2 I lost weight at an average pace of 0.5 kg/week with no problem

    2. I moved back to Belgium from Singapore 8 months ago and my weight crept up to 72 kg again 🙁 I knew it might happen: Singapore lifestyle was healthier, plus I needed to re-adjust to my life here again. Now my life is stable again and I have started 5:2 to go back to at least 67 kg (so I have at least 5 kg to lose)

    2. My TDEE is around 1600 Kcal and my BMR is 1400 Kcal, but judging from decades of dieting my BMR might actually be a bit lower (because I am quite sedentary and have a very low metabolism, which also reflects on my body temperature, paleness and bowel movements). I know that if I don’t go below an average of 1200 Kcal/day I won’t lose any weight

    3. I count my calories every day, not only on fast days (been doing this for 4 years, it’s a habit now). I weight/measure everything I eat and cook, which is especially easier now that I eat only at home since restaurants are closed. I eat 400 to 500 Kcal on fast days. For my feed days, I like to indulge more in the weekend, so I keep the calories below or equal to 1200 on 2 feed days and go up to 1500-1700 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The daily average over a week, according to my calories tracker, is 1100-1200/day. This is the eating pattern I used the other times I did 5:2 as well.

    4. Due to lockdown, I have been even more inactive than before. I work full time at home and due to the long working hours I don’t have the time/energy for long workouts, but since 3 weeks I started to do something small every day: a small 30min bike trip, climbing the stairs of my building up and down 20 times, some abs exercises and in the weekend a 2-hour walk or a longer bike trip (20-25 km). They don’t count as proper workouts but at least I try not to be stuck to my chair 24/7.

    What could it be preventing me to lose weight this time? Am I so inactive that my metabolism hit rock bottom? Is it because I am getting older compared to the last times I did 5:2 (I turned 36)? Should I eat even less?

    I am at a loss and I feel so frustrated (and hungry!) and I just feel like giving up 🙁

    Would love to hear your thoughts and tips and, if you have experienced this before, what solved it for you?

    Thank you in advance!!

    xx

    Keep at it!

    Have a really good week and I bet the scales will behave themselves when you stand on them next Thursday.

    Being older doesn’t help, but I got onto 5:2 in my 50’s, with a chronic illness that keeps me inactive,, so you are well ahead of me. And 5:2 works for me, I got to the lower end of my healthy weight range, and I have stayed there.

    All sorts of things could be messing up your weight loss, maybe take your waist measurement so you have something besides the scales to go on.

    Usually the culprit is that your body is holding onto water, maybe to help deal with inflammation (sore muscles, as well as illness) from eating salty foods or to help your gut. But there are other things too.

    The best thing about 5:2 is that it is easy and sustainable, so think months, not weeks. Make sure you keep it easy and sustainable!

    And, if you haven’t read this before, it might amuse you and comfort you: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/really-no-weight-loss/

    Best wishes

    Thank you so much Cinque!!

    Your post really motivated me to push through and guess what: I went on the scale this morning and I was 1.7 kg down! 😉

    I guess I was expecting a faster loss at start because I was used to it from my previous 5:2 experiences, I shouldn’t have lost hope so fast. But the body changes, situations changes, and I think I was just expecting too much from myself (and my body).

    I’ll keep going, hope to progress further!

    Have a great day 🙂

    Excellent news. I am so glad. I will have a great day 🙂 , best wishes to you too.

    Plateaus!! what a pain! I am in one now and would like some help PLEASE!
    Last time I used the fast diet. I got down to 141 last August and then I stopped fully participating in the diet but watched. It stayed off for a while and then creeped back up to 148. a few months back I stopped drinking altogether and got to a point where I was motivated to loose weight again.
    I started three weeks ago: stopped eating bread and cheese stopped snacking. and start dreading both the fast diet book and the fast800 book. The first week I got back to last summers weight. that was fabulous and encouraging. Now I want to loose the last ten pounds and nothing is happening, nothing has happened for two weeks. I’m drinking plenty of fluids and peeing all night sometimes four times in the night even after I stopped drinking fluids after 8pm. I’m basically eating salads and protein I start eating sometime in the afternoon and finish by 8pm. two meals. I’m using some of the recipes from the book. This week I started 10,000 steps, so far twice this week. The first two weeks I did 5/2 fasting . The next two weeks I plan to fast every day and eat one meal a day.

    what am I doing that’s wrong? too many carrots? not moving enough? not enough fats?

    oops not dreading the books!
    READING the books

    Hi AB,

    Keep on keeping on. You will get there. Your fasty week or fortnight ahead should make a difference, and then it will feel lovely to get back to easy and sustainable 5:2.

    5:2 isn’t a crash diet, think in weeks and months rather that days. This is for your long term health. Looking so good in the mirror is a bonus! 😉

    Your body must be making lots of changes, I hope that soon you can sleep through and that you are feeling great. All power to you.

    thank you Cinque. Ill try

    Your genes might be to fault for your poor metabolism. Or perhaps your level of lean muscle is insufficient. Lean, muscular people burn more calories than persons with higher body fat percentages.

    it is worth taking tests and going to a nutritionist

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