Hey Mel,
I’ve been ‘trying’ since last year and not been very successful. I did lose a few kilos, but then Christmas and new year happened! I’m struggling to get back into it. I plan to go to my dads place in the bush this weekend for a few days. I’ll be on my own, he has no food (mum passed five years ago, she was chief cook!) only what I take with me! Exercise has been a struggle too, with cartilage disappearing from my spine! Normal situation for many many people, but damn frustrating. Other factors contributing too, but the main reason for this post is to let you know you are not the only one finding it a little difficult.

You may find at in a couple of weeks it all starts to drop off. I think I was eating way too much on non fast days too. They say you don’t have to watch what you eat on non fast days, but to lose weight I think we definitely do.

Hope this helps.
Cheers
Reldz

This is my 4th wk and not a pound or inch lost! VERY disallusioned and wonder where I am going wrong.On my fast days I tend to have my favorites:porridge/blueberries and dinner is cod with egg and spinach. On the other days I still eat very well and dont eat alot of rubbish and have also stopped drinking wine during the week. Also go to the gym at least 3 times a week! I will perservere for another month and may have to try something else. Anyone have any helpful hints?

Everyone loses differently.

A couple of things to think on.

As you loose weight you need to recalculate your BMR and TDEE they will change as your weight drops and you have to adjust your intake to come in under the new TDEE. The more you loose the less you need to ingest.

Fasting is really 36 hours during which you’ll have 500 calories for women or 600 for men. Personally I just don’t eat at all, a little food just makes my body think it’s even more hungry, food feeds my hunger basically. So I just do water while I’m fasting. Eat, sleep, fast with up to the 500-600 limit, sleep get up and eat a normal diet to the TDEE.

I enjoy the fasting and I’ve learned to eat better on my normal days, I know portion control and I can now control my excesses so they aren’t excess. It has been a learning curve. I don’t see 5:2 as a diet but a pattern of eating sensibly. I really wish they didn’t call it a diet.

The scale is only one way to measure progress.

Dani18M I assume what’s happened is because you didn’t eat for 3 days and then overate for 3, your body is clinging on to a lot of water weight.
Other things can influence what the scale says as well. Where you are in your menstrual cycle, sodium intake, dehydration; water retention in muscles from exercise you name it!
If you see progress in other areas (feeling fitter, healthier, clothes fill looser) you’re doing the right thing!
One point I will make as well that a lot of people don’t consider is make sure you’re eating ENOUGH.
Your average calorie count over the week should be above your BMR but below your TDEE- your BMR is what your body burns just to stay alive and so going below that number on a regular basis is dangerous.