The FastDay Forum

With less than two months to go to celebrate my five-year fasting regime, I want to get serious about it again. I had a ‘cup a soup’ at lunch because I was cold and needed something in my stomach to concentrate on work, but a fairly lean dinner, no wine, no snacks and plenty of water. I hurt my back at the gym on the weekend so that’s a bit of a set back but I still feel well enough to take the dog for a 3-4km walk in the morning.

Today I’ve slightly readjusted my long-term goal as I can’t see that happening again. Two kilos till short-term goal should be possible in two months. I’ve promised myself some new fitness pants if I get to my short-term goal as I need some extra incentive. Most of my friends and colleagues are putting on weight. Many are entering menopause, have some joint issues, give up the ‘weight battle’, but I am not giving up. I keep getting told that I don’t need to lose weight but I think those 2 kilos will make my clothes fit that little bit better. It’s definitely harder to commit and lose weight than it was five years ago!

Nice to see you again, @Wmr309! I understand how you feel about the weight loss struggle. Sometimes I just want to throw in the towel too, but I figure if I don't even try, then I will just gain weight!! So I keep plugging along. I have seen a few people who are older than me lose weight with Weight Watchers. I was successful on it the first time I did it and if I don't have any success soon, I might have to try it again!

Anyway, I hope you'll keep posting! It's very quiet here, but maybe it'll pick up a little.

Thanks @cblasz. I don’t post as often as I used to but I continue to love reading the experiences of particularly long-term fasters. A few colleagues are fasting regularly again but we all seem to choose different days.

Hi @wmr309

I seem to recall we have had some similar experiences when it comes to weight management?? I looked at your tracker and think that is how mine would look if I still weighed myself...

Good for you for finding the motivation to try again. Maybe I can use that to help me.... First I need to get well again after injury and sickness.

I agree that being able to reach the same goal as we reached the first time seems unlikely. Not really sure why this should be (I know there are theories), but there is lots of evidence that this is the case for many.

I often reflect on cblasz's point that the most likely alternative to not always trying to "diet" is weight gain. But I don't think it is ideal to have weight management strategies such a focus in one's life. Is there another alternative?? Maybe not til we address the reasons why we carry more weight than we would like??

I often reflect on cblasz's point that the most likely alternative to not always trying to "diet" is weight gain. But I don't think it is ideal to have weight management strategies such a focus in one's life. Is there another alternative?? Maybe not til we address the reasons why we carry more weight than we would like??

That’s an interesting point but if you’d follow 5:2 to lose weight, and 6:1 to maintain then it doesn’t really feel like a chore? I managed to do that for quite a while but increased snacking during the day made that impossible. I’m back to snacking on only very good food, not your ordinary packaged biscuits or mass produced chocolate bar. Four or five years ago, when offered those for morning tea or after dinner, I’d decline but this last year I’d slipped back into old habits. I think my super ‘additction’ raised its ugly head again.

I’m back to daily weigh-ins as the tracker keeps me honest. We went out to dinner tonight; great wagyu beef burger with cheese, bacon and egg, with a large bowl of chips, just to make fasting tomorrow that little bit more necessary....

Several points to respond to! None of this is probably new to you or other long time forum members. Btw - thanks for being willing to engage in discussion!

For about 18 months after I reached goal I only maintained by having 2 fasts a week. The moment I didn't - eg when I was on holiday - on went the weight. And having to fast 2 days a week to maintain meant I was overeating on the other days, which I wasn't happy with either. Then at some point in time I found I just couldn't do a 5:2 fast day, except on rare occasions - I couldn't stand feeling hungry. So fasting did become worse than a chore!!

When I first did 5:2, it was easy. I had no problems with fasting. But after a couple of years the novelty wore off. And I have never been able to stick with any other diet, or even just cut calories a bit. The only other times I have lost weight was through extreme exercise or extreme stress.

My problem is eating out of habit and for the immediate pleasure that eating gives. I can't find anything else that will give me equivalent pleasure. I know all the diversionary techniques and also how to use CBT to reframe how I think to try to help me stop eating when I am not hungry, but I generally won't use any of these techniques. Why not??? Keeping my hands busy is the best one, and the one that I would use most often, but not of late while I have been injured and also ill.

And though in my early days (even years) of 5:2, I ate very few processed snack foods (always some chocolate tho!), over time I have gone back to almost all the foods I used to eat. How did you manage to revert back to healthy snacks?

I do know that I could make better choices, and do accept responsibility for my decisions. I just don't know how to make (and follow through with) better decisions now, despite all the knowledge that I have.

And you have no doubt also read about my views on weighing. I totally accept that most people find regular weighing a very useful tool, but it ended up not being so for me - I was eating more whether the scales went up or down. I also don't like the focus being on the number, not the behaviour. I know if I weighed myself now that the number would just make me despondent, and would not encourage me. Tho I don't know what will encourage me....

I also don't like the fact that I think about weight management every day, I never used to worry about it to the same extent before I started 5:2. I did of course love it when I lost so much weight initially thru 5:2 and was regarded as slim for the first time in many years. I am still grateful to 5:2. But 5:2 longer term didn't help me address my eating issues. And although I am still in the healthy weight range, I would expect, it might not be for too much longer at the rate I am going...!

That's my first rant in a few weeks I think!!!