You may not have lost weight but you may have toned up …. Muscle weighs more … And u may have still lost inches … Have you measured urself?

Thanks. I guess can’t complain as although weight not coming off. Its not going on either ☺

I do prefer this diet to others I’ve done as feel more in control when on a fast day. If someone brings cakes into work, much easier to say no than just have a small slice.

Hey Susan, I plateaued at 9st 5lb for around 6 weeks – it was disheartening after weeks of steady weight loss and only 8lb from my goal weight of 8st 11lb!

I kept on going though,even went down to one fast day a week over the Easter break and it seems this was enough to kick start weight loss again as I have since lost another 6lb and at 8st 13lb am a mere 2lb from my goal weight!

I started in mid January at 10st 11lb and have done little exercise other than pushing the baby around in the pram!

Don’t let a plateau defeat you! Keep strong and keep going!

Nikki 🙂

I’m not a big over eater, normally skip lunch, will have a couple of Ali we of toast for breakfast then a normal meal for supper, meat and two veg. I do like wine but won’t have wine every night… Mostly weekends…I only need to lose about 7lbs…

Yes it’s important not to over eat but it’s equally as important to eat enough…. I saw this weight loss program some time ago where people were competeing against each other to win a large sum of money,which was finally won by the person who lost the most weight … They were put on a diet especially adapted for each individual … But obviously the more weight u lost the better…. so a couple of people thought it would be a good idea not to eat all the food provided…at the mass weigh in they only lost a 1lb or 2 each … The others who followed the plan properly lost 7lbs or more … They claimed they were 2 full to eat everything … But the experts said their bodies needed enough food to give them energy especially when they were trying to burn off the excess lbs when exercising. So basically instead of speeding up weight loss they actually slowed it down

Hi Kiwi:

The average weight loss on 5:2 is about a pound a week. You have lost about 8 pounds in 9 weeks, so you are right on track.

Here is some information that might help, including why you can gain weight after a diet day: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

Thanks simcoeluv for your response to my previous post. My update is very encouraging: we have got past the weight plateau we had back then and everything is moving again nicely in the right direction. The info link you posted was very useful. We have since paid greater attention to our calorie intake on fast days but also on non fast days as well. We are interpreting “eat what you want on non fast days” as meaning eat the things you want, not eat as much as you want. It seems to be working. I am now half way to my target weight loss, have dropped a shirt size and feel sooo much better!

Hi LHS4

Disheartening, isn’t it?

Been there, got past it.

My suggestion?

Calculate TDEE, make that your maximum calories on non fasting days, ditch white bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, cakes, biscuits, frothy coffees and alcohol. Do a maximum of a quarter of TDEE on fast days, if you manage less than TDEE, thats fine. Choose the lowest TDEE exercise option, unless you live in the Gym.

Weigh regularly, keep a food diary, walk a little more.

Do it for a fortnight. Weigh and measure yourselves first. Weigh everything you eat, don’t cheat. Its only for two weeks. Report back.

This isnt a suggestion for forever, but its the basics. 5:2 has to work to suit you both, but doing the basics might help with the frustration, should help the weightloss. You might be surprised.

Worked for me, be interesting to see if it works for you.

Thanks everyone.
I’m still sticking to it even though not losing any weight. Have actually put weight back on, so am back where I started due to a week of illness when I couldn’t fast.

Find any diet I follow only ever works for few weeks.

Hi everyone,

I’m 5ft 10, female, 12st 4lbs and want to lose another 1st 4lbs.

I’m on week 15 of this way of eating now and am on my second plateau. My first lasted for 3 weeks and my second has lasted for 5 weeks.

I have lost 10lbs in 14 weeks, but the most frustrating thing is that I’ve been doing 4:3 since week 2 and never go past my TDEE on feast days – however I do eat what I want at weekends (within reason).

I exercise 3 times a week at the gym for 45mins – 1hour and so to not see the scales budge when I’m so strict 5 days out of 7 is so frustrating!

I’ve tried doing 16:8 one week – no difference, 16:8 with 5:2 the next – no difference, low carb the next – no difference. I’m out of ideas. My body is the kind that puts on weight VERY easily, so I think if I went back to standard 5:2 I would definitely gain.

I really like this plan, so I wish I could be singing its praises, but finding that difficult at the moment. Especially hearing about other people who have lost 3 stone in 15 weeks or even just 1lb following 5:2 (which I believe is the average).

WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO LOSE 1lb A WEEK ON 5:2. It doesn’t seem fair ey?

Any advice I would definitely welcome… Thanks!