Failed at fasting, anyone else given up and want to offload?

[rubyblue]

3rd attempt at 5:2 today, by 3.30pm was miserable, anxious, distracted, could not work...so hate a piece of bread and ta da...felt better.

It's is my 3rd attempt. I lasted 6 weeks last time and lost/gained a grand total of 3lbs. But, my mood was terrible during the two fast days which affected my work and my family.

I have read the books, watched the Horizon programme, joined the forums etc but the simple fact is that you cannot eat and drink what you like the rest of the time and expect to lose weight and the authors admit this. So it's not a 2 day a week diet at all.

I asked for advice on the official site about my low mood (no high for me!) and was advised to follow a more low carb, high protein diet for most of the week, as well as on fast days. This all sounded to me like a 7 day diet, where I would be thinking about food anyway.

Suffice to say, since stopping, my weight is more or less the same, less the 3lb loss (which took 6 weeks!), so I wonder if it was totally unrelated to the diet at all.

Anyone else want to share stories of failure?!!!

Ps DH and dc are mighty relieved I have given it all up...

[Breadandwine]

Hi Giraffes and Mintyy

Sorry it hasn't worked out for you guys - but perhaps you could combine Paleo with 16:8. That way you'll get the health benefits of fasting combined with the natural way of eating that Paleo provides.

I don't think anyone could say you haven't given it a good go, Mintyy - 80 fasts and nothing to show for it, says it all. (However, I'll bet that you got some health benefits from the fasting, even if they don't immediately show themselves.)

Congrats on the NSV, Giraffes, great stuff!

Best wishes to you both.

B&W

[GiraffesEatPineapples]

minty could you try paleo - i am loving it (following a quite strict version at mo) . You can still have fruit, sweet potato, squash, carrots, nuts and seeds even some rice, dairy or quinoa could be allowed dep which protocol you follow ?

I did 5:2 for about 8 months and lost 7lb - (I am just under 5 ft 4 and started at 12.7) . I have now stopped for over a month and switched to low carb/ paleo. I am losing weight much quicker with paleo and finally experiencing the appetite reset people talk of with fasting. I am finding it easier to get up in the mornings. I am nourishing my body but still losing weight No calorie counting yay! Interestingly a very pro fasting article I read that Bssh linked too on the other threads is basically outlining paleo/ low carb as the way to eat on non fast days.

I am 34 and I don't think there is enough positive information on the effect of this woe for women pre menapause. If it emeges the health benefits are there for my age group/gender I will probably try again (thinking 16:8) at some point as I am keen to avoid diseases such as strokes, alzheimers etc if fasting can help.

I also think people ignore the contraindications. For one I have had disordered eating (mildly over and undereating at points during my life) but I dismissed that. For another I don't get enough sleep and have small children - this equals stress but most people wouldn't count it as this, nevertheless it does probably impact on the efficacy of fasting. I would be willing to bet a lot of the people trying 5:2 are in a similar position. People who are already under strain probably shouldn't be fasting as a first port of call for improved health imo. Improve diet then consider fasting.

Another disadvantage with 5:2 is that if weight gain has been caused by some kind of intolerance such as to wheat, fasting won't neccessarily make this clear. In addition there is an emphasis on the (often) unhealthy treats people can have when not fasting rather than just eating for the positive impact it can have for your health. I think the 80:20 ratio of good diet to treats advocated by Briffa, sissons, etc makes more sense than 2:7 (sorry crap at maths) some people (not all, some 5:2 posters clearly eat very well) end up with through 5:2. BTW I am really happy for people who have changed there lives positively through fasting - B&W, Tip, et al

I really believed in 5:2 and wanted it to work - it just wasn't the best option for me. People fall off the wagon with paleo too and its only been weeks but right now its working I feel healthier and my whole family are eating less processed food and hopefully benefiting, which they certainly were not when I was fasting! I really hope I don't fall of the wagon.

NSV - I am in the size 12 skinnies I optimistically bought months ago when on 5:2!

Ok thats my story of fasting failure! ;)

[Mintyy]

I have given up. I didn't lose any weight in 9 months. I did more than 80 fast days. I just find it too miserable to carry on with fasting without the benefit of weight loss.

Not sure what I am going to try next. I cannot low carb.

[AwkwardSquad]

For me, the main thing that 5:2 has done is reset my control button. So on NFDS it is easier to apply moderation to my food intake. Which I had been failing to do, which was why I was putting on weight. But with the control button reset, I'm not fighting myself every day. But yeah, fundamentally the reason I'm losing weight is because I'm calorie counting.

[Talkinpeace]

I have been doing 5:2 since September.
In December I hit my target weight and have not lost any more since, nor for that matter have I gained it.

But I'm doing this for the long term health benefits.

5:2 is more like Low carb than anything else : its a way of life that happens to make you lose weight till you are at a healthy weight.

its not a "diet" as the primary aim is not weight loss.

[snoworneahva]

Apparently fasting for 14hrs will still deliver health benefits and is a tad easier than the alternative, with none of the grumpy side effects.

[itsnothingoriginal]

Yes totally agree that different things work for different people and I guess it's about finding the best diet for your own cheese cravings lifestyle!!

Am very interested in the diet plan you mentioned Mrsrobertduval - will take a look at that..

With the fasting, as someone mentioned earlier it was the hunger pains at bedtime that I couldn't deal with but maybe that becomes easier with time. I actually do fast from about 5pm when we finish dinner until 7 am the next day and that in itself seems to help with weight loss/maintenance when combined with low carb.

[Cat98]

Whereas I find 5:2 much easier to stick to than permanent low carbing! Different things work for different people.

[itsnothingoriginal]

Agree with those saying low carb is easier to stick to. I lost well over a stone low carbing in a few months at the start of last year and have kept it off. I do eat some carbs now but much less than before.

Tried the 5:2 with my DH and we both vowed that life is too short to put ourselves through it much as we liked the idea of the health benefits. Maybe life will be shorter not doing it but I couldn't keep fasting up long term. Wishing you success with it though OP..

[freerangeeggs]

"It's the calories I need each day right? But what you are saying, and the forums too is that in order to lose weight, you have to calorie count 7 days a week, not just 2 days. Which defeats the selling point of it being 'easier' and means you are in diet mode all week. "

I haven't read the book but have watched the Horizon programme and been following the diet since February. To be fair to Michael Moseley, I don't think he has touted this as a weight loss programme. The literature from him always focuses on the reduction in IGF-1 levels, which should reduce the risk of cancer etc.

The weight loss, as I understand it, is a side benefit, but he has said you need to watch what you're eating on other days for it to work in that way. It works purely because of caloric restriction, no other reason, and he has never suggested otherwise, so it's bizarre that the radio broadcast mentioned had speakers who were discussing that point as if it were interesting.

Good luck with whatever you choose, OP. I found I was extremely grumpy at first, and I still am sometimes. But I'm a grumpy bitch anyway so my DP is used to it

[Mrsrobertduvall]

I've been doing the Two day diet for about 10 weeks...it's not the 5:2, but by Dr Michelle Harvie and Prof Tony Howell.
You do diet for 2 days but not fast, and no calorie counting. No carbs.

I've lost 10lbs and am now more or less target weight...have bought bikinis today for holiday (at 53!) and feel so much better.
I actually have had no bread/pasta for 10 weeks as when I had some, I felt very bloated. I have wine, chocolate...there is a trifle in the fridge for tonight

have a look at it.

[ProfessorDent]

I have had loads of weight loss success through various methods: 1) High protein full English breakfast then cheese and ham toastie for noon or later 2) Modest 1kg dumbell work in front of a mirror for 3-5 mins each morning 3) Vitamins to bolster strength eg VitD D3, Magnesium to avoid choccie pangs, CoQ10.

I did the 5:2 diet just one day recently, to see how easy or hard it was, and found myself overeating stupidly the next day. What does it for me is a) It's called a 'diet' and honestly, for me there is no other word to mess up your feelings towards weight loss, it really makes the body rebel and say 'Oh yeah? A diet? Think you're gonna get rid of some of me, are you?' and b) Of course, it's begging for a feast and famine mentality, which is never good.

That said, if you are feeling rundown thru bad food and no vitamins you are running on empty anyhow, a diet thing is doomed. Myself, I have been feeling rundown lately with night sweats so maybe am not physically in shape enough to undergo this kind of thing.

Sugar addiction is what does it for me, so if I can knock that on the head I will be okay, but I have had a relapse of sorts lately due to being rundown.

[FIFIBEBE]

I'm finding it works but it is the slowest method of weight loss I have ever experienced. I eat all my calories for breakfast on fast days and then just keep away from food. I also find I need to stay high protein/low carb or the weight loss really slows down. This diet is just the thing of the moment, they are all hard. Grrr. I think low carb is the easiest way to go for reasonably swift loss.

[kiwigirl42]

I did it for quite a few weeks and lost weight but at time went by I found the fast days harder. I just hated having an empty tummy before I went to bed.
I'm low carbing on BIWI's bootcamp and have found that much easier to stick to - I'm eating healthier and better than I ever have

[elsie07]

I know of 7 people who've started this since about Feb, only two of us have done it consistently since then and have lost the same amount of weight (16 lbs). I realise that isn't a huge amount in 20 weeks but I've gone down nearly two dress sizes, lots of people have commented on the weight loss, I feel better and most importantly of all it feels sustainable. That's the only kind of regime (or whatever) that's going to work isn't it?

It's a combination of being in the right frame of mind and also giving it a chance. I hated the first month and really struggled but because I was doing it with someone else I felt I needed to give it a proper chance, so first I said I'd do it for 1 month, then 3 and I'm still here and intend to keep going.

But you're not alone OP in finding it difficult. But as Oblomov said, any weight loss is really.

[Breadandwine]

It's a pity that the main emphasis of the current vogue for 5:2/IF is on dieting - because with this way of life (WOL), weight loss is just a side effect. It's the anti-cancer/Alzheimer's/diabetes properties that are the main benefits.

I've said all along that I'm one of the lucky ones in that I found 5:2 fasting easy - going from 3 small meals a day to eating only one meal in the evening, thereby fasting for 24 hours. I've even gone for 48 hours with just liquids - without feeling the slightest bit hungry.

But rewind the clock 16 months, to when I first started - well before the Horizon programme:

I'm not one to rush into things, so when I first heard about IF and the recommended quarter of ones calories on 2 days a week, I thought that was a bit extreme, so I went down to roughly 1200 calories 2 days a week - I just divided every meal in half - and I still lost weight.

So maybe this is something you can try, Rubyblue. I would also recommend a look through the Tips and Links thread - there is a wealth of information on there that is well worth searching out.

Finally, there is a whole sub-section on the 52fastdiet forum devoted to the subject of failing to lose weight - 84 threads at the last count.

jelly there are people on this WOL who consume all their 5/600 calories in the morning - and then don't eat for the rest of the day. I couldn't do that - I like the anticipation of a meal in the evening, albeit one of around 200 calories.

For anyone interested, I wrote up my experiences with IFing on my blog - and I have my blood results after 12 months on the programme on there as well.

[Hugsandkisses]

Thanks indrid for that, I did manage to get a transcript of that programme on the internet, it was interesting.

[fedupwithdeployment]

I was thinking about having a go at this. My Dad has lost over a stone (and trust me, he doesn't hold back on the non diet days!), and a friend says she is doing it for maintenance (she looks great, but I wouldn't say she has lost any weight but doesn't need to imo). I am a size 10 / 12 and don't need major weight loss - perhaps 3-5 kg, it is just that my clothes feel a little bit tight.

Instead of jumping into it, I am trying to cut out eating between meals, and especially no peanuts or Choc bars from Pret! And also no alcohol during the week (am usually on my own, so this isn't a problem, but I do like to share a bottle of wine with DH at weekends). I am also upping the fruit intake a bit. I am going to see what this does over the next couple of weeks. I seem to have gone from about 65kg to 63kg (but a bit variable). The clothes test is more important.

Hopefully if it doesn't do the trick, I will be in a more disciplined state of mind to try this properly.

[IndridCold]

hugsandkisses I also heard that radio programme where they discussed two aspects of the 5:2 diet. It was the one with Dr Mark Porter

Firstly, as a weight loss regime they came to the conclusion that the fasting element had no effect on weight loss, and it only worked because it tended to reduce weekly calorie intake by 2000+ if you ate sensibly on the other days.

However, the programme also discussed the health benefits, especially with regard to high cholesterol and blood pressure, and they did say that there was evidence which backed up these claims.

I have chosen this diet mainly for that reason. I started in February and have my next check up in September and I will be interested to see if my cholesterol level has gone down. If it hasn't I'm not sure that I will bother to continue with it, although it probably has been doing me some good to have two completely wine free days per week .

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

OP, I haven't attempted this diet because I am incredibly grumpy if I don't eat and I know it! I am vile in the morning before breakfast. I also never got the 'not hungry' when low carbing either and snacked between meals (on low carb food and I lost weight doing it). Hearing people say they can fast easily or exercise on an empty stomach makes me feel really greedy as I simply can't! I need to eat regularly to concentrate, keep my mood stable and look after my toddler.

I am rubbish at diets all round though!

[WipsGlitter]

I've found the fasting fairly easy. But not much weight loss. I lost 10lbs but my weight goes up and down a lot. Still need to lose more. Going to try C25K as well.

[FannyMcNally]

All diets work for some people and not others so the IF diet is no different, it's just the new one. I can totally see why you gave it up ruby if you only lost 3lbs in 6 weeks. In 7 weeks I've lost 20lbs and I've stuck to it because it's working for me and I haven't got a reason to be disheartened. (Yet!)

I found the hardest part was the non-fasting days because my normal intake was about 3000 calories a day and my TDEE was 1700 so I needed to seriously rein in. I started by cutting out a 500 calorie after-work snack and having dinner on the table by 7.30 instead of 9.00. Then if I was hungry after dinner I went to bed! I don't think I could have done any of it with a young family or if I was at home all day.

[Oblomov]

I found dieting very hard. I had never done it, and never needed to, till last autumn. I was very strict, but lost not a lb and was totally miserable.
I guess this is the reason why there is a big dieting industry. because it is very hard.

[Anthracite]

I stumbled upon 5:2 having been low-carbing for a few weeks.

I think losing reliance on carbs (which takes a couple of days) is key to having easy fast days.

I have been 5:2 for three weeks now and find it fairly easy - if I am fasting on my designated Mondays and Thursdays. I had a mums night out last Thursday, so decided to switch to Wednesday, but succumbed to the wine in the evening, promising myself Friday and that didn't happen either.

The best thing is to choose your fast day foods wisely, so that you feel full for the fewest calories, and then be sensible on the other days.

My colleague is also 5:2 ing, but he has a massive lunch with pudding on the other days which seems counter productive.

[orangeandemons]

It didn't work for me either. I did it for 5 weeks and lost 3lbs. I found the fast days harder and harder, and found them impossible on a work day. I'm a teacher and teach a physically demanding subject, which involves being on my feet all day, and just couldn't manage on 500 cals.

The other option was to do it on my days offwhich were Thursday and Friday, which meant one day was always at a weekend which I wanted to avoid. I still had to count calories which really pissed me off, so I fell off the wagon. Was sick of how often the 500 cal days came round, it seemed to be all the time