The FastDay Forum

My thought today is not to lament the weight loss you may have pursued but didn't achieve but to celebrate just how much weight gain (and ill health) you have avoided by good eating habits and fasting, whichever flavour you prefer.

I've been thinking... I am now in my 72.9 to 73.7 weight zone and whilst it is much higher than I might have expected (having seen the 69.5 - 70.5kg range this time last year).... well frankly I am really happy as I look at what weight I may indeed have been if I didnt start 5:2 or 4:3 or think about my eating habits. I predict if I kep eating as much as I started to eat in 2012 and early 2013 that I would easily have been in the 80 zone... maybe even 85kg so thats nearly 10kg I have avoided.

Your numbers may be totally different but wondering if you feel the same. Don't beat yourself up about not reaching your challenge goals.. enjoy the fact that your weight is not spiralling upwards into a danger zone and that you are probably reaping the health benefits of intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting also makes us all follow a "mindful eating" practice and if we do eat the yummy perhaps slightly sugared or fattening foods, that we enjoy every mouthful and restrict to some extent even on non fasting days. That must be good for both our pockets (you save heaps on 5:2/4:3) and on sustainable food point of view.

I was 141 lbs this morning after 7 days of not fasting and eating all the holiday treats. That's 13 lbs less than I was this time last year. Imagine, Jan 2 coming and I don't have a month of eating 1100 calories a day to look forward to.

Yes, I was hoping to be 6 lbs lighter by now, but as you point out, it isn't the aspirational goal that matters so much as the fact that I could easily be back up to the 174 lbs I topped out at 12 years ago. Especially since I had gained 8 lbs in just a couple months last fall.

Gotta love 5:2!

Hi Juliana, my big gong weigh in comes tomorrow on my 1st fastiversary. I'm SO excited as I have beaten the 'coal face' so what the number is at my weigh in tomorrow is only one of many going forward in maintaining, which is often found to be more challenging than losing. Let's see, forever ever an optimist. Thanks very much for all your encouragement, it's good to turn the journey on it's head and take control

Yes I agree Juliana with not lamenting or what if!
I have not achieved what I had hoped weight wise this year but this WOL has given me back control with food & a way of recovering from holiday weight gains . It is how my OH & I live now & we are able to enjoy life going out to eat when we feel like it & not stressing about it or calorie counting. We will carry on in this way & eventually reach our goal weights & then learn how to maintain it so all is good without all the stress of having to follow past New Year resolutions of restrictive diets that we were not able to keep to!!