I’ve been at it for 3 weeks now. After the first week, lost 8 pounds! Next week, gained back one. This past week, lost one. I’m gathering from the posts I’ve seen here that this is normal. So, I will keep plugging along.
Compared to Weight Watchers, which I have used successfully in the past (thought I always regained everything once I went off it), I am liking that 1) This is FREE and 2) I don’t have to enter everything I eat into an app.
Going to try to focus less on the scale and more on how my clothes feel.
Also, I am getting full so much faster now, which I love. I used to be able to polish off two tamales like it was nothing. Last night ate one, started on the second one and had to stop cuz my stomach was hurting!

When is it best to weight in . I am a newby today is my 3rd fast. I weighed in after my last fast and i was down 2 pounds when i weigh in after my nonfasting day im up 1 pound. Is this normal ?

Hi Guys
I have been fasting now for over 5 years yes 5 years. I fast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and to be honest I absolutely love it and would not change back to a ‘normal’ eating pattern again.

I was the same as everyone else in the beginning not losing weight and getting really down about it. I have now lost over 4 1/2 stone. I didn’t lose it all at once and there were times when I didn’t lose any for months.

Last September, it had again been months since not losing any weight, I took another look at what I was doing. My fast days were fine, approximately 350 to 400 calories, my eating were ok, but changed from having meat to more fish and I completely changed my exercise regime. I have todate lost 1 1/2 stone, I am in size 10 clothes, never before being this small before and feel absolutely great.

Sorry this post is so long, I’ve don’t normally post on forums but wanted to share my experience with you guys after reading about your experiences starting out.

Please keep going, its not a diet is a way of life and its not just about losing weight, there are so many other health benefits.

Doing any Fasting in today’s world is something to be proud of so be proud and stick with it.

Simcoeluv, I have been trolling the internet reading up on the experience of people utilizing a 5:2 protocol, and your comment here is absolutely on the mark! I had to join the forum to reply! I am on week #11, and I could write almost verbatim your experience and thoughts as my own. I don’t eat anything at all during the two 36 hour fast windows since I am also aiming for the health benefits of autophagy. I do drink plenty of water, sparkling water and a morning cup of black coffee. I think we are all bombarded by sensational stories of rapid weight loss, but I got to this WOE based on the fact that all other lose the weight protocols have not worked long term for me. This is a sustainable WOE, and maintenance just a slight modification. I used to be the person who could eat anything, and was always active. My metabolism has changed in the second half century of life. Doing something and being consistent is better than sporadic efforts, losing weight, and then regaining it all when I grow tired of the constraints/impositions took to lose the weight in the first place. Probably the key to this WOE working for me is that I know I can eat the things after powering through 36 hours, instead of being deprived of the things for prolonged periods of time and then taking “a break” only to lose all progress or even score a pound or more setback. Your post made my day! Cheers!

I lost 1 and a half stone successfully a couple of years ago with the old 5:2 diet. This was the only diet that had ever worked for me. As I have managed to put half a stone again from half marathon training (I tend to overcompensate when I am doing lots of exercise), I’m having another go with the new 800 cal days, which are a lot easier. I used to find (and still do) that I need to calorie count on my non-fast days otherwise it’s very easy to go over. I use MyFitnessPal for this, so something like this might be worth a try for anyone who is finding that they are not losing as expected just to make sure that you aren’t exceeding calorie requirements too much. The biggest motivator for me sticking to a diet is actually losing weight so I can very much empathise with folks feeling like giving up when weight loss stops or slows, definitely been there. My pattern when I lost the weight was something like an average of one and a half pounds a week. I would lose a pound after a fast day and then put 1/2 a pound back on again a day later just from volume of food inside I guess

Hi Annabelle,
Welcome here.
So sorry to hear of your health issues, and how frustrating to have to re-lose that weight again.
Congratulations on such a great start to 5:2 again. Hooray for figuring out that the 800 calorie limit will make it sustainable too. Easy and sustainable is the goal!

This forum has become quieter over the years, so you might find better support checking out the threads that still have a lot of action. Have a look at them (click on ‘forum’ and then ‘active topics’ on the top bar) and see if you would feel comfortable joining. Don’t worry if they seem a bit like an in-group you are interrupting, we are all here for 5:2 and glad of new people joining.

I’m in the Southern Hemispherites group, and you would be welcome there, even if you live in the northern hemisphere.

Best wishes