The FastDay Forum

Another useful and insightful article from refusetogain.com:

http://www.refusetoregain.com/2014/06/j ... -over.html

What a great, balanced, sane article! Thanks @ADFnFuel for posting it.
I am kind of at that point or at least close to it. I am only 2-3 lb. from my original goal but then I lowered it by 5 more pounds. I really want to get there. It is the weight I maintained throughout my late 20's to mid 40's. But now I am over 60 so is that realistic?
I am thrilled by my success so far and getting compliments, noticed etc. So should I stop now? Like the article said, I hit a major plateau around 30 lb. lost and have only recently started going down slowwwly since. Time to stop? Lots to consider....

To be five pounds fron the same weight you were in your 20s in your 60s. Wow! It would take a wasting disease to get me there. I'm thrilled to be at the weight I was at in my late 40s. I'm also in my 60s.

The real question is can you keep eating the way you are now, because that pretty much is what it will take to maintain. I think a lot of us have a secret belief, secret even from ourselves, that at goal we can relax and it will be easier than the weight loss phase. In my experience, it's harder.

Very interesting article. If I ever get close to maintenance then I can see that will require the same diligence!

I like Dr Barbara Berkeley's Refuse to Regain site. Berkeley was/is a bariatric surgeon and has extensive experience of working with overweight/obese people and I think it shows in her writing.

It's a very good idea to start thinking early about your maintenance, what you want for it, and how you plan to conduct it. I've said elsewhere that I'd noticed that I wasn't the size I expected to be as I neared my original goal weight of 130lbs which prompted me to investigate why. But, having learned that I was a morbidly obese by body fat level TOFI, I acted in line with her advice and planned that I would maintain my goal weight for 6 months or so, before deciding whether or not I could handle radically overhauling my body composition.

I've summarised the 12 Tough Rules from her book and put it in the maintenance section.

@judithn You may make it. Being over 60 is in itself not a barrier. I have made it down to 8 and a half stone and it feels right for me. It remains to be seen how I fare with maintaining, early days. However the Barbara Berkeley article makes excellent points; you must go by what feels right for you and be prepared to modify in the light of experience.

I read the article. Yes it is interesting. I am in my 60's and got to the size (not weight) of my 30's in one year only with 5:2 and I am very thankful to Dr MM and am very pleased. Three months in the maintenance . But I have done this only by keeping the 5:2 going. I think if I even cut one day of fasting I will start gaining weight. So very hard to think of stopping the diet for now. I don't even know if I can ever cut fasting and not gain weight .

I hope to keep fasting once or twice a week forever for the cell repair and the 'clean and light' feeling, losing any weight has only recently been achieved through horrible illness and I've maintained that through low carb/medium protein/high good fat. As you say, whatever you find works for you as an individual is worth pursuing :0)

That article certainly resounded with me. I've just got back from two weeks in Florida so have some holiday weight to lose, but immediately prior to that I was just 2 lbs over my original goal weight. I was very much doing the 'how about I now get to the healthy bmi' point or 'why not be a size 10 instead of a 12 (uk)' thing. Nothing wrong with either of those thoughts really, however what I wasn't contemplating was allowing myself to enjoy declaring myself at goal or practicing staying there, and perhaps I should

I shall bear these musings in mind while I tackle the holiday gain