The FastDay Forum

I'm not sure where March went...I'm not even sure I manage to check in last month! So instead I'll get us all going for April

I'm still comfortably maintaining towards the top end of my 70-72kg maintenance band. I'm doing an 18hr-ish fast once or twice a week (depending on how I feel or what I weigh) but for the most part it's more because I feel like having one rather than because I've gone over my trigger weight. It feels to me that my body's hit a comfortable set point - I'm planning not to fast or focus on my eating much for the next two weeks of holidays, so I'll see if I gain much without the bit of intervention that I've been doing recently.

Good luck all maintainers this month!

Things are looking up again- or rather down. After being a pound over range at the end of March (yesterday) I am back on track just under the top of my range after a careful day and a 5 hour window. I am back to being a happy bunny!

This is my 1st year anniversary 5 2 on maintance , I do hover around my goal by 3lbs depending on if I have eaten salty foods, or eaten more carbs. Monday's I still only have homemade veg soup in the evening and on Thursday's only have a meal in the evening but usually go over 500 limit. I do relax when I go on holidays. I used to panic if my weight went up a couple of pounds, but now have the confidence that by fasting it will drop, plus realizing that you weight does fluctuate daily. I weigh myself weekly, also try to keep fit, swimming, cycling and using weights at the gym. I am so happy to have found this way of eating and not feeling deprived of any foods, eating butter, cream, and cake if I want to.

Can anyone join the maintainers monthly thread?

I only started 5:2 a few months ago with my main goal being digestive repair and health improvement as opposed to weight loss. That said I am now sitting comfortably at the bottom end of my BMI range after losing a couple of kilos. Surprisingly instead of the expected comments telling me I look too skinny and drawn, which I have heard when I've on occasions been this weight previously, I've had compliments saying I look slim, healthy and clear eyed.

I lost over 50kg with Weight Watchers and I have maintained with a lot of effort for almost 13 years. While I'll always thank WW for teaching me about appropriate portion sizes and making better choices I wish I'd known about 5:2 much earlier especially during the maintenance years.

@Cyclonet absolutely! Congratulations on your amazing achievement. Everyone is welcome. Even when losing I learned so much from the great maintaining thread. Oh, here I am April, looking forward to a good month ahead, March was tough personally, but that's ok. Bring it on and best wishes to all.

Hi, I am also still maintaining around the top of my range. After Christmas I had gained about 4lbs and I find it hard to get to my early December weight. I lost one llb in March but I really want to lose another lb or two to give me some slack. (Unlike others I don't experienc much fluid/body weight fluctuations other than a lb loss after a fast day which bounces back again after an eating day).

I reduced my sugar intake during lent, hoping it would plant me at the bottom of my maintenance weight but found myself compensating with fresh fruit and nuts and generlly more healthy food. Oh well healthy food is good, isn't it? After Easter I am doing the nursebean challenge - maybe that will do the trck. My biggest long term goal however is to keep sugar intake to one day a week and lose my addiction.

I'm in!
Still happily at between 140lbs and 142lbs.
Well done to all other maintainers!

Well I bounce around a bit. Definitely lifestyle challenges, tiredness dictates a lot of my eating, seriously busy with working, commuting, walking my beasts. Up before 5.30am, home briefly 4.30 to 5pm, out again to walk my dogs, home 6.30 to 7pm, almost time to go to bed. Still now only doing 4 days a week, so once Easter is out of the way, hopefully I'll get a better routine. Just employed some bloke to mow the lawns, 1 less thing to do. Then there is the issue of food for 1, add to that 3 fast days a week, I find if I don't bulk cook I have a fridge full of mouldy veg that I'm tossing. My aim is to address these challenges, but in the meantime I'm hovering around goal weight, tho I'd like to lose another kg. To be honest it's not easy for me, but I guess it's got to be managed.

I think my weight's being influenced by the form of physiotherapy I'm working with at present, so - bear in mind that my weight drifted up to the top of my range for a horrible 2 weeks in February then started adjusting down again, without further intervention.

March 1: 107.8lbs
March 31: 101.8lbs

And today I'm 102lbs, so my current weight is a little below my preferred maintenance range of 105-110lbs but I'm fairly sure it's fluid shifts that will correct themselves and I'd rather continue my watchful waiting than interfere with my present routines.

Hi All, I'm here. I am currently 1lb over target, so not too shabby. I haven't been particularly mindful recently as I have been out of routine and so very busy. I have also found for my shame that I have been throwing out past it veggies because dinner plans have changed so much. I buy my usual groceries at the weekend then find that I haven't time to cook the meals I had planned so end up buying quick to prepare things and throwing the groceries out. Very, very wasteful. I have also been snacking in the evenings far too much, I think it's due to tiredness. I haven't been fasting to 500 calories but I have had lots of ad hoc days with no lunch because I haven't had time to eat, nor have I felt like eating some days when busyness has taken over. However, I have been enjoying a ready made soup some days. The brand is Glorious Skinnylicious. There is a really good range of flavours but my favourite is the Singapore Fling. I couldn't get any recently so I made a passable attempt with some frozen mixed winter veg, stock cube, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chilli, fresh coriander and a carton of passata. It made more than enough for the week.
I am really looking forward to summer and lots of salad with home grown tomatoes with those lovely strong feta and smoked salmon flavours. I really want to get my fasting mojo back.

My fasting mojo seems to have run away somewhere. I manage fine during the day but the evening is my downfall. I am a couple of lbs up on what I feel is a comfortable, acceptable weight in spite of swimming twice a week and running twice or three times a week. I really need to get back to one good fast a week I think; I miss that clean, light feeling. Must try harder!

I'm at 18 months maintaining now, and I kinda miss my fasts

I used to love that 'cleansed' feeling, but ........ I'm "at weight" and don't want to go below, so ....

However, at least once a week I "go over", but a quick 16:8 gets me straight back on track

Here's to maintaining, however we do it

Looking at AnnieD above, I continue to be fascinated by how different weight maintenance is for those of us who post here - probably as different as our weight loss journeys.

I returned from a two and a half week visit to Germany on Saturday and at my weigh in yesterday I found that I am ( true to previous form!) nearly seven pounds over my target weight! Unwise food choices as we dashed around the supermarket late on Saturday has meant that today I will have to eat what we have bought but tomorrow I fast!

Well done all fellow maintainers - another successful month under your, much smaller, belts!

[carorees]

I'm at 18 months maintaining now, and I kinda miss my fasts

I used to love that 'cleansed' feeling, but ........ I'm "at weight" and don't want to go below, so ....

However, at least once a week I "go over", but a quick 16:8 gets me straight back on track

Here's to maintaining, however we do it

@AnnieD You might consider doing one fast day a month, perhaps 24 hours fasting followed by a non-calorie counted meal. Studies in Utah found that people who fasted for 24 hours once a month for religious reasons had lower risk of diabetes and heart disease than those who did not. Just a thought...