NoName- maybe you just have a bug....hope you feel better soon!

Yogini - I have a BF% scale. I don't know how accurate it is, but I like to see the number go down!

wvuchick- I hear you!
Does it help in any way to have the BF also or is it just another number? does it help differentiate btw water weight vs. fat loss?

I am consistently ASTONISHED at how many calories I take in when I actually track them. Good grief!! I guess that's why people eat a lot of salads...bulk without all the calories!

ShaMac Welcome back! Hope your second fast of the week went well

yoyoma Thanks again for the link. I'm not sure what to believe anymore - this makes it sound like it's a terrible idea to work out in a fasted state, but I've read a lot that working out in a fasted state is wonderful! Either way, eating has made no change in how I feel (and I ate A LOT yesterday haha), and it's continued even when I haven't worked out.

I had these same symptoms a few months ago, even worse the one day...I literally could not get out of bed. Never figured out what it was, but it went away in a few days. If it lingers for a full week, I'll call the doc. I think I'm due for a physical anyway, so I can get some blood tests done. It wouldn't surprise me if it was a symptom of dieting over the long term. I do have a "diet break" scheduled for my vacation in a week and a half, and I think eating at maintenance calories for two weeks will be helpful, especially if my energy levels are related. In the future, if I feel this way again I will immediately switch to going on a diet break and see if that makes a difference.

Anyway, thanks everyone for your concern and sorry for harping on this. No clue what it is. Not feeling 100% today, but I'm going to fast anyway and get back to my normal routine as much as possible unless I start to feel worse.

Yogini99 Ugh, right? I don't even want to know how much I ate yesterday for that reason...

Yogini - Honestly the only number that really changes is the body fat, so I don't think it's very accurate.

noname - Hope you get back to feeling better soon.

Down a fraction again today. Fasting this week has been super easy, I hope it continues. I had a few days last week where I was hungry all day. Yuck!! Gotta keep chugging that water.

Have a great day everyone!

Thanks Yogini and noname for the return welcome

My second fast day went really good as well. Yogini I loosely kept track of my calories on my non fast day and it was not pretty. I have been getting back into my exercise routine so I didn't feel too bad about it.

Noname, I certainly hope you feel better soon.

Wvuchick, I know that is a great feeling to keep seeing those numbers go down!

Hello, new to this board. I started a 16/8 fast last week (on Wednesday I believe) and I'm down 5 pounds today! I've been yo yoing the same 2-3 pounds since January. I've been low carb and gluten free since last June and had lost over 80 pounds but then got stuck. I am finding the 16/8 very easy to follow though. Hoping this is the dynamite I need to get things going again.

Welcome lotsakids!
I love fasting..I do the 5:2 fast and try to stick with fast five at least 3 out of the 5 non fast days.

wvuchick Fractions in the right direction add up!

ShaMac Thank you. What do you do for exercise? I count sometimes on nonfast days to keep myself in check.

lotsakids Welcome! Congrats on moving that number again I've been peeking my head into the 180s thread as motivation and have seen you there. Hopefully you will be gone by the time I get there

Yogini why am I just now realizing we follow the same plan? I guess I just hadn't put it into such simple terms before.

Looking forward to a nice big plate of shrimp and veggies tonight. Trying to drink extra water today to push this crummy feeling out of my system, but how much water can a person really drink? I've already had almost 3 liters before 3PM. I also have a wedding to go to tomorrow...really looking forward to dressing up and then sharing some pictures of my weight loss finally.

Hi all,

noname--I hope you start feeling better really soon! I also hope it was just an illness and not diet related. But your diet vacation sounds like a good idea either way.

Lotsakids--Congrats on your weight loss, that's awesome! I hope the 16/8 plan helps you get to your goal even faster. Have you been doing the 16/8 everyday for the past week? (and how many kids do you have? ;-)

Can I ask what you all use as your goal calories per day or week? I know we're all a bit different in height, but "they" say 1200 calories should be the minimum we eat, and they give no distinction between gender, dif heights, dif bone structure, etc. So anyway, I've always AIMED for around 1600 calories (actual was more like 1800) when trying to lose weight, and that has worked for me in the past as far as calories for a loss of about 1 lb per week. But with Fast 5, I'm so full once I eat that I'm probably getting less than 1600 calories. I'm not complaining, the fullness is nice, but at what point should I worry about too low calories? I'm trying not to really count calories this time, but as someone else mentioned, I am "calorie aware". I'd say I'm getting around 1400 calories, but sometimes I'm having to make myself eat those last calories. I know a couple of you suggested just taking the calorie deficit and not forcing myself to eat, but I'm having this feeling every night. I wouldn't think it would be good to undereat for a lot of days. Any thoughts? Does anyone else here average less than 1400 calories per day (9800 per week)? And what about exercise calories--do you eat them back? I don't so far.

Today I was at 152.6, so 5.8 lbs off since I started 8 days ago. So far the fasts have gone really well. I feel hunger, but not that low-blood-sugar-hunger-that-makes-me-feel-shaky-and-desperate-for-food hunger I get if I begin eating in the morning. I just get an empty feeling in my stomach, maybe a growly tummy, both of which are helped by hot tea or cold water. I do sometimes feel a little weak overall, but at the same time I feel good. I've been exercising and walking on the treadmill more, too, so some of it could be due to that. I'd pretty much been a slug for the past couple of months.

Noname, I do a lot of different stuff to try to keep it interesting , Zumba, boot camp, body pump, cardio dance, and cycle to name a few. I love working out (most days).

Lightenup, If I had to pick a number, I would say I try to stay under 1800 cals on non fast days. If I feel like I'm under what is recommended I don't sweat it, because I know I will make up for it somewhere down the line.

Lightenup- I try to stay around 1450 on my non fast days that I do fast 5 (MWF) but on the weekend I don't worry about it.
If I don't count I hugely underestimate my calorie intake!

NoName-hahaha- yeah we pretty much are on the same plan! I just like not eating for as long as I can hold out generally- always skip breakfast, so I end up doing fast 5 (ish) on MWF. Weekends, forget it. I try not to go crazy though.

WVUchick- awesome that you keep on dropping!

Thanks ShaMac and Yogini! So would you say you do NOT eat back your exercise calories? Also, I think you both do the 5/2 fasts each week as well, so your overall daily average would be less than those numbers you gave, correct? Except for the weekends if you don't worry about calories, then maybe you bring up the average a little. I feel like I'm averaging 1400 or less every day, since I'm doing the same fast plan every day. I'm also thinking more about whether or not I'm getting all the nutrients I need, so I'm going to start diligently taking my neglected multi vitamin.

Sorry to focus on the numbers so much, but I'm a numbers gal too (a scientist, though, not an accountant)! That's why I've always enjoyed counting calories to lose weight. But I just got too obsessive last time, so I'm trying to find a method that will work for me over the long haul.

lightenup - I am doing better, thank you! Regarding calories, I really don't know. I don't think there is a magic number that you should eat nor is there a magic number that is too low. Honestly, what I've read about "starvation mode" is that it's a very, very extreme calorie restriction over a LONG period of time that causes it (famine!) - I truly would not worry about it. For you, it sounds like you'd do just fine eating until you're satisfied and not forcing extra calories in.

I also don't like to "eat back" exercise calories because it's easy to overestimate how many calories you've burned and underestimate how many extra calories you're eating. I do eat something extra if I've worked out and feel like I need it, but nothing crazy. Just an apple or a few nuts. But that's just my opinion! Whatever you decide to do, I hope it works for you. Sounds like your first 8 days of IF has been wonderful! Almost 6 pounds?! Woohoo!

Feeling better and back to my normal routine today. Had my iced coffee for "breakfast" and a smoothie ready to go for lunch. Wedding tonight. Hope the food doesn't suck :P