The FastDay Forum

Strange question when you're talking about dreaded dieting I know, but the reason I ask is that I have exceeded my target weight but don't want to stop.. My initial target weight was quite conservative in retrospect. As a male in his early 40's I wanted to get from 12 stone 10 to 11 stone 7 which I though was quite ambitious. 12 st 10 was probably over inflated by a few pounds due to Christmas, but 11 st 7 was quite a challenge so I thought. Hwoever this diet has transformed me and as you can probably see from the stats it was quite straight forward enough and in 10 weeks I am now at 11 stone 2 which I am very pleased about and a weight I had probably around 15 years ago in my mid twenties (and prime).

However my wife and some colleagues are now passing comments as from how well I am looking to - "Arent you going to stop losing weight now?"

The problem is I am enjoying the fasting lifestyle and enjoy the challenge of finding foods and different meals within the 600 calorie range. But it is really something I think about a lot.. I am still watching my intake (to a point during the non fasting week - ie no bread, restricted deserts, skimmed milketc) and only at weekends do I let go to normality. I also obsess about weighing myself every day whichmight not be ideal.

Its strange that you can enjoy this change of living but I do but I need to get out of this losing weight focus but still reap the benefits of fasting.!

I'm sure I'll hit the plateau shortly but in the meantime - Is anyone in a similar situation of losing more than the target but wanting to carry on?

Can it become addictive?

There are a couple of worrying statements in your post, that would indicate the control of food and weight is getting out of hand.

Time to get more balance in food groups through the week and maybe 6:1. You really don't want to be less than 11 stone as a bloke until you're 5ft nothing. My OH is 11'4 and he's very thin to my eye.

From what you say twicky I think it would be good for you to take a complete break for at least a whole week and not weigh yourself. In the meantime, turn your new found interest in creative calorie management towards something positive, by creating a healthy, well-balanced meal plan for your family and friends to all enjoy, that will work for 6:1 maintenance for you.

Hi twicky

That’s an interesting post for me, like you I have gone passed my target weight. I'm 48 years old, 5ft 8in tall. When I started I was 12st 8lbs, I thought a sensible target was 11st ish. I reached this and without really trying carried on losing weight down to 10st 3lbs. I also got told by my wife, freinds and colleges, etc. I was starting to look too thin/gaunt.

Since just after Christmas I have been making an effort to eat more. I an following this diet mainly for health reasons so I didn’t want to just abandon it after 6 months as I do seem to be making progress with my blood tests, BP, etc. First I tried to compensate by over eating on feed days, but I found it difficult to over eat enough. I have now cut back to 6:1 with a lunch skip once a week. This seems to have halted the weight loss for me.

I don't know about this diet being addictive, but for me the appetite re-programming has work well, maybe a little too well. However, the big difference between yours and my experience is I do not enjoy fasting. I didn’t enjoy it when I first started and I still don't look forward to fast days. I know a lot of people on this forum post how much they look forwards to fasting, after a blown out at the weekend, etc. I do not.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I hate fasting or even dread fast days, I just tolerate them in the hope of gaining health benefits.

Hi Mole.. Yes you appear to have a similar weight profile as me - I'm 5 foot 9 so very little difference. I can see myself dipping below 11 stone but I will try and focus on stablizing weight then.. ^:1 sounds like the logical move I guess as there is no way I would be ble to over compensate on the other days now as my body seems to have settled into what seems to be a more natural way of dealing with food.

[carorees]

I don't think there's any problem with carrying on the fasting lifestyle but you can stop the weightloss by either only fasting once a week or by doing a 24 hour fast and then eating normally (rather than waiting until next day to eat normally). I think most of us intend to carry on in order to maintain our new lower weight and to gain the "extra" benefits.

My OH is 5'8" and 10 stone. He always has been! He found that 2 days fasting even with only doing 24 hours made him very hungry on feed days after a few weeks so now only does 1 a week.

However, if you are developing an unhealthy obsession with the calorie counting and weight loss you may need to stand back and have a look at why thus should be so.

many overweight people set their targets much too high
and only when they hit that target do they realise that lean and healthy is much lighter than that target
and there is a MASSIVE difference in appearance between thin and lean
if you are toned and lightly muscular, you can carry much less excess weight without looking gaunt

also - what is your frame
mine is light - so I'm aiming at BMI around 20
whereas DH will be very lean at BMI 24 ....

Joseph the 'CRONi' from the documentary weighed if I remember correctly 134lbs. He had perfect bloods, organs in 'pristine condition' and was described as a 'Super athlete' . Maybe what 's really healthy is more at the extreme end of the scale? And we've all gotten used to seeing a bit of unhealthy padding as normal

I would have been feeding him pies personally...

Hi Twicky, I'm a bit taller than you at 5-10, and considerably older, 62. I set my target at 10 stone 4 lbs because this is what I weighed last summer after 3 weeks in California hiking & climbing in the Sierras around Yosemite - despite eating massive pizzas/burritos/fish tacos etc. Last winter I put on 7 lbs by doing the opposite of 5:2 - snacking, meals every few hours, drinking etc - so I knew the diet would work, I had tested the reverse of it successfully!
However, I got to my target within a month - now what? With Carorees nodding approval I shifted my target to 10 stone, and now I am within a few ounces of that. I too remembered the CRON chap at 134 and I must admit it is tempting to carry on down a bit whilst checking running & climbing performances for any negative effects. The last couple of pounds have been harder than the first so maybe the older fat is harder to shift - but it is still there, I can pinch odd bits, and I don't see the point in carrying it around any longer! Franglaise seems to have a similar mindset too...

Pete