Seemed to have gained 2lbs on 5:2

[harryhausen]

Really upset if honest

I'm a serial dieter (and giver-upper). I need to loose around 4 stone. I've tried everything. I've been reading and reading about 5:2 and thought I'd take the plunge.

I won't lie - it's been bloody hard. However I read the first 2 weeks are the hardest. However this morning I jumped on the scales to find I seem to have gained 2lbs

I know you'll all think "ah well she must have been having burgers/pizza/crisps/chocolate by the truck loads on the non-fast days, but I swear I haven't. I've just ate 'normally' which is pasta, curry (homemade), bread, roast chicken and veg etc. Obviously not all in one day!

Has this happened to anyone else? I'm in a bit of despair. This seems so easy and works for a huge amount of people. I just want to be one of them.

so do I! I've done it four days now (over two weeks) and I leapt on the scales this morning expecting to see results. My weight has gone up from 9 stone ten to nine stone thirteen and three quarters. I haven't been ten stone since I was actually PREGNANT.

I believe you that you haven't over-eaten on normal days. I was convinced that my appetite was naturally smaller the day after each fast too, so I think that it has been 8 days out of the last 14 of eating less!!

So, I'm off to dig out the measuring tape now. I think I will see results there. Don't know what to think of having put on weight [weight]

I'm only 5'1" so I'm big at ten stone

Maeve I'm sorry this has happened to you too.

I thought that on my non-fast days is wake up and have a huge breakfast etc, but I didn't. I felt like my appetite was slightly smaller too.

SO confused as to why this has happened, and so, so depressed.

I feel like its only a gastric sleeve/band for me know as I'm a bit of freak!

You need to eat within TDEE on NFDs - look at the main thread for links and advice. I think one of the things 5:2 does so well is reset our idea of what eating 'normally' is. It took me a while to get my head round it, but worth persevering with. Good luck!

harry Do not despair. Do not give up. Your body may well be holding on to some fluid, either because it is not used to fasting or because of another reason such as TOTM.

You need to give it a couple of months before you give it up all together.

The first thing I would look at is your quantities on NFDs. You can eat what you want, no food is forbidden, but you shouldn't eat AS MUCH as you want. Start getting an idea as to what a normal portion looks like. Not necessarily calorie counting to start with, just weigh out your pasta to see what a normal portion (100g) looks like. If you are making things like homemade curry measure out the oil rather than just glugging it into the pan (something I am guilty of) and weigh out your rice. And don't have both rice and naan and popadoms, you really don't need them all, chose one. Take a look at the secret eaters program (I think they are on youtube) especially the first series. It was a bit of an eye opener for me. (and by secret eating they don't mean eating in secret, they mean eating stuff without really acknowledging how much you have eaten)

If you stick to your fast days your appetite will gradually diminish, you will start to see food differently. But do not expect it to happen over night. You have made the hardest step by starting this, keep it up for a few more weeks, I promise you won't regret it.

Thanks for that French.

I think you're right that I must be eating totally the wrong portion sizes. I do eat quite healthily on normal days, so it really must be this.

The last few days have been my TOTM so I hoped that now that's over I would see a difference on the scales this morn.

I even added in some exercise though which I don't normally do.

I do maybe need to increase my non caffeine/water intake.

I just want something to work. I tried self hypnosis and mindful eating a few months ago. I joined the fb group and people were reporting huge losses. My needle just stuck

I think I just want the needle to move just a little to prove to me it works. I'll stick at it though, thanks x

If you have been doing excercise for the first time in a while that could also explain a small gain on the scales. Water seems to go around the muscles as they repair, but it is not a long term gain.

Try using a tape measure instead of scales. Measure your bust, waist, hips and thighs. You should see movement on the waist measurement first.

Thanks again.

Sorry Mscnile, I totally seemed to miss your answer when reading. I will try and oh back and read some more - although I feel I've been reading forever

Harry, another possibility is delayed reaction. I know it took me ages to get from "slim" to gutso ! So i am hoping now that it's a similare delayed reaction for losing it.

I think i will suddenly lose five pounds..... next week (?!??)

Ps im sticking with it tho, fd planned for tomorrow and wednesday

Come over to Thread 36. You will get lots of advice and support and ideas of what to do.

I have been doing it since August and have gone up and down at times. Usually because I haven't been eating enough on NFD but it all balances out.

harry
if your BMI is over 25, chances are that your "normal" portion is up to double what they use to record standard data

get the food scales out and record everything
don't necessarily change just yet,
but realise that that nice bowl of cereal level to the top is in fact "four portions"
or the spag bol where the pasta slides onto the sloping part of the plate is "three portions" and each spoonful of sauce is " a portion"
that EACH slice of chicken breast meat is "a portion"
or that a pack of taste sensation sweet chilli crisps is "three portions"

so then you need to move away from "portions" and move to "per hundred grammes" and allow for the fact that food labels are allowed to underestimate calories by around 8%

and all of a sudden how you got to where you are
will become clear
as will the route out

Holy Moley TalkinPeace, I've never heard portion sizes put that way before. Yes, I'm waaaay over. Looks like I need some portion size education.

I try thread 38 thanks

Sorry toffee, thread 36.

Talkinpeace- that is brilliant. I was going to say something similar- just not as well! I tried 5:2 a while ago and lost nothing. Started again in the new year- joined My Fitness Pal with lots of people from the "anyone want to lose 52lb in 52 weeks" thread, and I've been logging EVERYTHING I eat. Normal eating for me on a non fast day should be a lot less than I thought- I was massively overestimating portion sizes etc. Been on for 2 week now and lost 6lbs! MFP is excellent for helping you log what you eat. I'm on there if you want to be a friend- same user name. Good luck.

HTH

its the bit that the food and diet industry will never tell you - because those of us who grasp it spend a lot less money on they and their products

I believe that when Breadandwine and his good lady worked out their shopping bills after bringing portions under control (and doing some fasting) they had dropped by 30% ....

How you doing Harry!? I'm on my fifth fast day here (week three) so despite not having lost a gram, I'm sticking with it, not defeated in spirit yet.

I know a lot about food and what makes a choice good or bad and I know what a reasonable portion size is.

People always think that you must be doing something wrong, as though it were an exact science. Well it's not an exact science! I know I'm doing this right and I have faith that after a month of it, I will definitely see a result. I think my gut is less flabby, so I don't understand why my weight is the same! but hey ho........... sticking with it. I meant to dig out a measuring tape. I have one somewhere. I might be cheered on by a measurement as opposed to a weight.

I was supposed to my 5th fast day today, but I'm in London all say tomorrow having 3 consecutive meetings until 7pm so I reckon I won't have time to eat, so will try tomorrow.

I dunno. I'm still trying to suss out which days are good for me. I work from home normally (sat down for hours on end) so my mind can wander easily to food.

I def think my portion sizes are too on NFD. I think just looking at that may help. Good luck Maeve x

Yeh i did mfp for a while and it did work but i couldnt calorie count like that indefinitely. Calorie counting works, unfashoonable though it might be.
On my nfds, i dont eat chocolate or biscuits or crisps or cakes (or if i do, im conscious of what im eating with a plan to axe a potato from my dinner!) So...im hoping that 5:2 will b enuf!
Not sure i could mfp on nfds, but its a handy way to figure out whats what.
Tiz tricky to do it around other people. I get self conscious at work if somebody notices ive no milk in my coffee!

the point of using MFP is less to "count" than to record
if you go over, so be it, but be aware of what pushed you over and decide if its worth it
also portion sizes .... one of the biggest issues is that folks see "only 72 calories per portion" without realising how teeny a "portion" is deemed to be

I think if u r very overweight it allows u enuf calories buti was allowed 1200 which i found restrictive day after day after day....i was hungry doing mfp!
i did it for a year tho. Got down to 8.10 was a bit too obsessed i think.
Ttying to live normally now. Have balance....

maeve
it gives LOADS of people 1200
and I lose the will to live after just a few days of 1200 - goodness knows how people hungrier than me would cope!

that is why 5:2 is nice - you are only hungry 2 days a week

Have you had a delayed result yet? It took SIX fast days but finally, stwppwd on scales and it ive lost 7lbs since last saturday. Weird! I cant explain how my body works.
Hang in there for a result that WILL kick in eventually

The trick to using Mfp on 5:2 is to not set it to weight loss. Set it to maintain. This is what you need to be aiming for on an Nfd. On your two fast days you know it's 500 so you just ignore the number Mfp gives you.

It's definitely less demoralising and a lot more fun to eat to maintainance calories than to 1200. It will teach you handy things like it's OK to have wine or chocolate, just not maybe on the same day or in giant quantity.