5:2 only worked for the first few weeks, any tips or tweaks to continue

[PaganGoddessBrigid]

I started about 10 weeks ago and in the first fortnight I lost four pounds, from 130lbs to 126lbs, in seemed quick and effortless. However, in the last 8 weeks, I've just stayed the same! I did go away for a week and during that week to 10 days I managed to do almost every second day 800 calories. I know the science isn't there but I wouldn't have expected the weight loss to stall so completely. In the last three weeks I have been strict again. 500 in a narrow window twice a week. And on my feast days I'm generally eating about 1200-1500.

Eating healthily. The odd treat, like a glass of wine, or the odd meal out (when I order carefully etc). My BMI is about 23 so there should be scope for losing another five pounds.

I did 5:2 for 3 years. Initially it was bloody marvellous! I started when my maternity leave ended and I went back to work. I'd piled on the lbs. and was the biggest I'd ever been. A big size 12. I'd normally been a 10 or 8 on a good day! On 5:2 I lost a stone in 5 weeks! Then, in the next 3 months, I shifted another 12lbs and reached my target weight. Couldn't believe it when the weight carried on dropping and over the next 3 months I lost another 6lbs!!! It was a fantastic feeling. I managed to maintain a size 8 figure for the next 18 months, but then it started creeping back up! And no matter how 'good' I was I couldn't get back to that size 8. I've now put on about 12lbs and am stuck! My friend had the same thing, it worked for the first few months then she went right back where she started. I have a theory that done long term it screws up your metabolism. I know all the literature says it doesn't but I can't think of another reason why this would happen.
Try something new. Joe Wicks has been working for me. It's quite hard but is a much healthier attitude to food and fitness than starving. For me anyway. Good luck With whatever you choose to do. I sympathise completely xxx

Thanks crummyfunnymummy. I will see where I am at the end of this week. On my 'feast' days I am only eating roughly 1300-1400 (maybe less, could be more). So not over eating by any normal measure! I really hope i haven't screwed up my metabolism, because the experts all swore blind it wouldn't happen. Actually, in a clip I was watching yesterday a handsome american doctor (or actor?) said that your body only goes in to famine mode after four days of eating nothing so basically poo pooed the whole notion of famine mode.

Yeah I've heard all that too. But differing times. Some say 12 hours, others 48 hours.....but I think it's more about our diets being very carb heavy and that by adjusting when we eat carbs we can better manage weight. It's harder in many ways to do this as it's more planning ahead. 5:2 was great because there was no plan to follow, no special ingredients to buy, nothing to measure out...it was so easy! But I didn't enjoy the fast days at all. I went to bed the night before with a slightly heavy heart knowing what the following day entailed. And, like I say, in the end I was just back to my normal weight. I wonder if doing it now and again would be better than doing it for prolonged periods.

\I know what you mean, I'm glad now that it's done for today and tomorrow is a feed day.