5:2 :- 2 years on .. Backsliders and Rescinders: Recommit with me..

[Laska42]

Hi there, Im one of the 'old original' 5:2ers who started way back in August 2012 and lost 24lbs..

I maintained for over a year and was active on the Maintainers thread , but sadly since last summer/Autumn, ive backslid.. Now I'm 12lbs up off my lowest weight again

I know what to do , I know it works , but I can hardly say I should be on the 'maintainers' again. So im posting a new thread here , in the hope that I may find some other backsliders willing to recommit along with me before it's too late ..

Come and join me again before its too late.. We can regroup and get back on track.. I'm still managing to squeeze into my sz 10s (mostly) but I cant afford a new wardrobe, I dont want to buy a larger one.. and I certainly do want to get back to what I was (and maybe finish the job properly with another half stone off , so I can rejoin the Maintainers and comfortably say that this WOE is really this time going to stay with me for life..

So anyone with me? .. I have fasted today (first one for ages) .. WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!!

it can be done. how about trying a couple of days in a row of eating light and healthy - that helped me rather than just diving into a fast. after a few days of that i suddenly felt ready to do it and managed it.

think it particularly helps if you avoid grains and stick to non processed carbs like jacket potatoes for those few days - seems to break the cravings cycle.

you can do this. i just managed it so i'm convinced anyone can

Sadly 5:2 stopped working for me. I have fasted two days a week pretty well every week bar very occasional holidays for two years but seem stuck at a weight about three pounds above where I would like to be. I don't know why it hasn't worked since about May. It may be hormonal, as my exercise rates have been kept up and I am not eating more on on-fast days. Serious bummer. On the positive side, I am probably four or five pounds lighter than I was before I started in August 2012. I didn't have that much to lose, but getting back to my 'best' weight seems impossible.

It's worse than I thought. I have actually managed to put on a stone but I carry on over-eating. What is wrong with me [bangs head]?

Two things, guys:

Cool - you (we) overeat because we humans are programmed to eat whenever food is available. It's what we do! That's why most of us find NFDs harder than FDs! And why a lot of us have given up breakfast.

And, even if you aren't losing any weight, Abra1d, if you're fasting, the health benefits will be accruing. I guess it's a matter of 'Keep on keeping on!'.

Unless, that is, you're calculating your TDEE too high? Just a thought.

Yes, perhaps my TDEE is too high on non-fasting days, Bread. And you are right about NFDs being harder than FDs.

I think I fell for the 'you can eat anything you want on non-fast days' line that was implied in the original TV programme. You can't, not if you're a 50-year-old woman approaching menopause.

About to do a Fitnessblender HIIT Youtube video to try and get the metabolism burning up.

Thanks for the ideas honeybadger, I was thinking similiarly hence the fruit plan, just to help my body remember what good healthy eating feels like! Going to stock up tomorrow.

Cadbury don't be disheartened, try making some small changes to shake up your days and find distraction techniques for the times you know you overeat. For me, evenings are the danger zone so now the weather's getting colder I'm indulging my love of hot bubble baths and a good book which takes me out of harms way (the kitchen) for at least an hour

Abra, perhaps you're at a healthy weight that your body is happy with already?

dotty for me those few healthy days also saw a drop on the scales which really boosted me and reminded me it was possible. may have just been water weight that my body wasn't holding onto as tight due to not being full of rubbish it was trying to process but whatever - it was heartening especially after the initial shock of getting on the scales and seeing how much i weighed

Dotty, there may be something in that, but I am going to try to lose those last few pounds again.

< pops head around the corner, waves to everyone >
I see plenty of familiar names here. Good to see how well you are doimg

Just to let you know:
We have a new main IF / 5:2 Thread48

Hope everyone has a good weekend. I am off to buy a shedload of fruit tomorrow and will NOT get sidetracked next week (apart from DH's birthday on Tuesday but am going to mitigate the dinner out by not having breakfast / lunch)

Breaking a Weight Plateau

Some ideas:

. Calorie counting is a pain, but most overweight people can't judge "normal eating" for their body and also don't notice snacks adding up. Mosely wasn't really overweight
For at least 1 week, mfp everything, food & drink, to check your intake

. Most people and gadgets OVER-estimate calories burnt through exercise. Also, many folk don't realise that training up 3 x weekly is only "lightly active". Do you need to recalculate TDEE with a lower activity level ?

. TDEE is an average over the population, so your particular metabolism may be lower than average, even if you've calculated TDEE with correct age, height, activity level.
So, on 3-4 NFDs per week, aim for TDEE - 15%. Keep 1-2 days at full TDEE.

. Anyone who has lost 50 lb will initially have a TDEE 15% below that of someone naturally that weight. Your metabolism can take a year, sometimes even 5 years to adjust. So, big losers definitely need to lower intake.

. Weight loss can be stalled by: medications like steroids (of course continue meds !) , PCOS, thyroid, menopause - even 5 years leading up to it.

. Research shows quality of diet can be important: folk eating a lot of junk may need 10% fewer cals than someone on a healthy diet.
Move to complex wholegrain carbs instead of simple ones.
For 2 weeks, really cut down alcohol and junk, e.g. cake, bix, sweets, choc, any added sugar. Maybe restrict to 1 treat, on 2 NFDs only

. Ramp up exercise intensity. HIIT is more efficient at fat-burning than steady state cardio and may help metabolic problems. So, add 2-3 sessions per week, maybe ditching the steady state.

HIIT really does work. If I do a Fitnessblender session I always weigh less the next morning, even on NFDs.

I sadly suspect that 5:2 has reset my brain so I am in 'grab it while you can' mood on NFDs. I am well within the recommended weight for my height, so perhaps I should just go with it and accept I won't be what I originally got down to on 5:2 18 months ago--and stayed at until this summer, even with eating a lot on NFDs. I suspect my age (50) and hormones have caught up with me.

Abra Have you compared your NFD intake to your TDEE ? People are often surprised by how much they over-eat compared to TDDE, especially if you think your intake has increased. You need the facts to decide what to do.

Approaching the menopause means you have to be much stricter than the young 'uns to lose weight

I think that's right, BigChoc. I probably need to recalculate.

Howdy all. Back from Texas, and back to work now. I had a great time out there, ate lots but walked lots, and drank too many Margaritas.

So first day back at work and it was one of those days that feels like you're being punished for taking a holiday. I was so busy it was 4pm before I even had time to notice that I hadn't eaten yet, so first FD in a few weeks was made a bit easier.

I haven't weighed since I've been back, will do later in the week when I'm feeling braver and then set myself a Christmas goal.

You may be OK, Itsaboat, as you seemed to be so active and had a FD yesterday. I didn't put on too much in Rome in July (unlike at other times) because we walked so much and adopted, inadvertently, a kind of no-snacking regime, barring the occasional ice cream.

Welcome home itsaboat and well done for doing all that walking whilst on holiday in the Land of the Car!

I feel very pleased that I had a really successful FD yesterday with just a salmon, new potatoes and salad dinner and one small biscuit.
Going to do another good fast day on Thurs of this week and then brave the scales on Fri morning.
How's everyone else doing?

First fast for aaaaaages here, despite it being our anniversary! We are going to the theatre on Friday, so can celebrate then.

I feel I need a "reset" day - been away the past 2 weekends, with consequent too much eating and drinking. Haven't dared weigh myself for a while - may be brave enough tomorrow morning.

I'm sure you'll be just fine on weigh in Melanie - go for it

oh it got busier again

welcome home itsaboat - bet you'll be fine weight wise - well done for getting straight back on it.

well done for a good fast yesterday dotty - i fasted too and had liquid only and haven't eaten yet today so am planning on a huge salad for tea and make it two days in a row. hoping it gives my digestive system a nice boost to have had a really long break as i was feeling semi constipated and sluggish for what felt like ages.

sorry if that's too much info!

looking forward to my big bowl of salad leaves and prawns and an early night hopefully followed by some encouragement from the scales.

Will blog it later and add to the recipe thread, but tonights dinner was great:

2 quorn fillets simmered in a stock cube. Add a cup of chopped broccoli, and one of sliced mushrooms. I also added 2 anchovy fillets for extra oomph, as quorn can be a bit bland. Total - 150 cals.

well a two day fast and then tonight i had two big bowls of salad with prawns and a home made mustard and balsamic vinegar salad (with a few hours in between) and i feel stuffed!

rather a lot of prawns involved and a couple of large glasses of wine so it would be over 500 cals but all pretty easily digestible and this was day two. fingers crossed for encouragement on the scales tomorrow. i so want to get back into this and lose this tummy fat.

Had a blow out day yest as DH's birthday involved three courses at Pizza Express. Normal NFD here today though and tomorrow is a FD so hope scales will be kind on Friday

Happy anniversary MelanieCheeks, what are you going to see at the theatre?

I'm fasting with you tomorrow Dotty

hope you enjoyed the food dotty i'm sure the scales will be kind if you made good choices yesterday and are fasting today. good luck with the fast today - you too itsaboat.

scales have moved down a pound today. going to have a light eating day today of all 'real' food and avoid processed carbs and such and fast tomorrow. my official weigh in day is saturday so hoping to at least be down on last saturday.

i know it's going to take time to get to where i want to be but i want to quickly lose the real 'over the top' stone. think i'm just shy of half a stone down since starting to address it nearly two weeks ago so that's a good start.