Wow what a journey it’s been! I’m an active 40yr old but my BMI was classed as obese. I told myself it was due to muscle, however after getting my body fat checked , and measuring my waist I realised no, it was because I drink too many cups of tea and eat too many cakes and am a total carb slave 😄. I run and cycle so always thought this would counter act it, it didn’t.
I haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes but I was pretty sure I would soon if I didn’t do something about it.
I started on 26 Sept, so my 8 weeks will be up on Monday.
I’ve brought my BMI down from an obese 30.8 to a healthy 24.9!
My fat percentage using my scales which I know isn’t always accurate, however has gone from 33% to 28.7% .
My waist has gone from 103cm to 88cm. So although I’m still at risk with my waist , healthy is still doable! Apparently 4 more cm will be healthy.
So just wondering what are my best options now, 5:2 or just med style diet? I have had to eat more the 800 on days when I run and cycle, but I’ve tried to keep my carbs under 50g per day. I’ve been weighing myself a couple of times a week. When I haven’t lost much I noticed I’d crept my carbs up on the previous days, hence me trying to keep it under 50. I’d love to maintain, so I thought putting this on here to help me 😊

Good for you Runmum! can i ask a question, why do you have to eat more on the days you run and cycle? Your body will switch from burning glucose to burning fat and if you have kept your carbs down to below 50g a day you are probably already into ketosis the fat burning mechanism – until you have achieved everything you want to achieve and then want to maintain is there a hardship in this w.o.e?

That’s great Runmum. You sound similar to me, although my activity levels have fallen off over the past 2 years or so, hence the weight gain. I’ve signed up to do a sprint triathlon in May, so I’m trying to train for that as well as lose weight. I’ve decided on a combination of hiit type training with sprint intervals ( on the bike, running and swimming), short cardio sessions (15-30 mins) and endurance training doing slightly more than the triathlon distances (750m swim, 20km bike, 5 km run).2 rest days a week. I can do the distances (individually!) but they are really really slow so I’d like to get faster at jogging and cycling. I’ve been trying to work out whether to eat more on endurance days. I did a bike ride 2 weeks ago aiming for 15 miles, and just about managed 10 – there was just nothing left in the tank, so to speak. Its really difficult to get any good advice about combining training and weight loss so I’d love to know how you go about it. My weight loss has been slow and bumpy, but there is a downward trend. Otherwise I feel great – not dizzy or weak or anything. I stay in ketosis (using ketostix to check) and there is plenty of excess fat for my body to turn into fuel, so any advice gratefully received!

Thank you both😊. AraBella , I find I get dizzy and faint if I don’t eat more of days of heavy exercise. ( I tried it for 2 weeks) I’m not willing to give up my fitness. I was advised by BSD twitter to stop or reign back my exercise whilst losing weight, but that made no sense to me. I have good fitness level but wanted to keep it but lose weight. Running & Cycling are also great for my mental well being😉. Some other folks on here tend to eat back half of what they’ve burnt in exercise, which seemed sensible to me.

AndreaG, it’s a tough balancing act isn’t it. From what I’ve read I think a lot of people who create diets assume us bigger folks don’t exercise! However I’ve been a runner/cyclist for many years whilst my weight has crept up. I know doing large amounts of exercise makes me crave carbs. So I make sure I just currently stick to the food options within this diet to eat back 1/2 of those Cals. I’ve read about lots of LowCarb/High Fat athletes so it must be doable.

One other great aspect of this diet is that I’ve been able to cut my hiatus hernia meds, I’m not sure I’ll ever come off them but you never know.
I’m almost there in all aspects so I guess it’s worked😊

Runmum – I do not have any advice for you how to eat when you finish off your 8 weeks, but I just want to say what a great job you have done! Loosing 20% off your waistline is a massive result! And going from a plus 30 BMI to below 25 is a great result! Well done!

Like you, I find it is not necessary to reduce the exercise level. For me, starting on the Fast 800 has meant that I have been able to restart the exercise level I had many years and kilos ago. I have three weekly outdoor cardio sessions and three weekly indoor sessions with HIIT (4*4) followed by 40 minutes strength exercises. This may sound a lot, at least it did for me pre BSD, but now on the Fast 800, it simply feels great.

I too have on some days exceeded the 800 calorie restriction and eaten some of the exercise gain, focusing on good quality proteins. I feel getting sufficient proteins is helpful. Is that you experience also…?

PS – I do not like you get a craving for carbs post exercise, the HIIT (4*4) totally quash my hunger! 🙂

Thank you MortonOsloNorway 😊. I’m not craving carbs after exercise now, but I did before doing the Fast800. Yes I try to eat extra protein after exercise, I always used to come in and grab a slice of toast or gobble a banana. Now I’m more likely to grab a hard boiled egg😄. Although my hunger is a lot less after exercise now.
I love the idea of the HITT exercise but I’m taking it a step at a time.
I challenged myself to run everyday (because I love it😄), I’m on day 51 of running everyday. It’s been an awesome journey. Running isn’t easier, but as I’ve shed my weight I’ve noticed I’ve got faster. Which is a great boost!

Hi Runmum, I just wanted to say that for women it is recommended that our waists are under 80cm – Not sure where your number of 84 comes from? For men it is under 88cm. Just something to keep in mind… Also look at your hip/waist ratio, under .80 (or .50 depending on the type of calculation – just to be confusing! Fast Diet 5:2 website uses waist/height I think) is apparently better in a general health sense. There are numerous online calculators for these things.

Still, fantastic job at losing that much off your measurements in a short amount of time! 🙂

I used this http://www.health-calc.com/body-composition/waist-to-height-ratio
I had read for women to be under 80, but I think I’d read that on the NHS website so I took it with a pinch of salt! But wonder how that works for us tall folks. I’m not so far off 5ft 8. However I’ve for the first time in years I can see I have a waist now, hoorah!

Hi, Runmum, I am 5 feet nothing, so way out of the average also but I see fat on my middle so I know it can’t be good. 🙂

I think basically unless you are pumping iron the BMI is still pretty good for most of us, and I think I’d rather the 80cm waist or lower. We can always get a scan to really prove the amount of fat on our bodies and where it is but I think that is going a little OTT.

I am now 1.5 kg from healthy BMI and my waist is 73 cm. If we are all moving in the right direction then where we land has to better than where we started. 🙂

My waist is currently measuring 84cm which with my height of 168 cm means I am exactly on 0.5, I am fairly sure some of that is excess skin though, but will still feel better if I can get it below the 0.5 ratio. Last but one of my 8 weekly measurements will be tomorrow, so I will see if I have made that target, otherwise I will try again, next Sunday or Monday morning.

In Australia they had ads saying women should be below 80cm (men 88) but you’re right, that doesn’t take height into account. If I go by half my height, I’m supposed to be under 77 cm! I was 98 cm this morning, still a long way to go. But I started at 102.