shelduck67,

If you were eating only 1700 calories per day you were probably not too over-weight anyway. Looking at the numbers you lost 6lbs. If that were all fat it would be equal to about 24,000 cals (1g = 9kcal) or 12,000 per week, but you were eating only about 3,400 less cals per week.

What’s happened is that during those first two weeks, you have lost some water and you liver will have shrunk due to loss of glycogen. Some fat will have gone as well. Now you have got over this initial period you will lose the equivalent of 3,400 cals which is 3,400/9 = 377g or just over three quarters of a pound per week.

But, as you lose fat cells, your body’s requirement for energy also goes down, so you will lose less per week into the future. BUT you are at only an average of 1,200 cals per day over a week now which is quite low and you should be careful. If you are not losing weight at that it means you are not using much energy for anything else, but you say you have upped your exercise. This is very puzzling then and you may want to consider talking to a doctor etc. to see if they can help/inform. Remember thinner lighter people have a lower metabolism than fatter heavier people (because they have more cells wanting to burn energy).

There is very little (if any) research to back up the calorie theory – the one that states that 3,500 calories equals one pound of weight. there are too many variables, our bodies use different foods in different ways and different foods influence our insulin levels differently to others – so how can they all adhere to the calories in, calories out idea?

You should be focusing on the quality of the food you are eating and avoiding foods that are going to increase your insulin levels. ie sugars on all types (including starchy veg and fruit.

That said – the 5:2 idea works becuase it focuses the mind and gives your body a break from those high sugar foods. You will note that Michael constantly reinforces the idea of eating protein rather than carbs. The calories are less inmportant.

So in short – check that the foods you are eating on non-fast days are not high in carbs and are not processed.

I would not recommend “..avoiding foods that are going to increase your insulin levels. ie sugars on all types (including starchy veg and fruit…”.
True some fruits are very high in fructose like oranges, but berry fruits are low like raspberries, strawberries etc. You need vitamin C don’t forget. Cooked fruit juices are bad on two fronts as well, they contain a lot of fructose and hence weight gain and fructose is bad for your liver in excess. Anything with added sugar is best left on the shelf.

nzmegs I know where you are coming from, the low carb diet. I know all about it, I was on those tv programmes that Kevin Trudeau made (e.g. Shop America re Atkins etc.). I lost 50lbs etc. but it’s not sustainable long term.

It’s ok to eat a few small potatoes or parsnips on your days off on 5:2. That’s the point of 5:2, nothing is forbidden. All veg provide excellent vitamins, minerals and fibre (important for your bowel health and low carb has hardly any – trust me done that got the “bog roll”).

shelduck67 you may also be interested in a scientific paper about why weight loss slows down by K D Hall called “Modeling Metabolic Adaptations and Energy Regulation in Humans”. Ok there is some maths etc. but the text explains that weight loss always slows down just as you described. It all boils down to that well known saying that it’s easy to put on but hard to get off. And no one exactly knows all the reason behind it, not even the so-called experts and doctors.

Thank you so much your helpful post.When you’re in a place where eating unhealthy, calorie-dense food has just become a way of life, it’s tough to imagine yourself as anyone else.