The FastDay Forum

I'm really disappointed with myself. I reached goal on 10 October 2013, and vowed to stay there forever. I have been weighing and posting monthly (in the maintenance forum), and managed to stay at goal, but in the last few months the pounds have crept on and my buffer was used up. Today I am one pound over goal. Only a pound, but huge psychologically.

Ah well, that's the past and done. The future is something I can influence. So here's my pledge for the next year - be at goal on 10 October 2015.

Oh kentishlass. I can see why you're a little disappointed, but in the scheme of things, you're doing SO well!

@kentishlass, one pound over is not a fail! It is brilliant that you are so close to your goal weight after a year. What buffer do you allow yourself? - if you are within it, then you are at goal - as far as I'm concerned! You and I have been at this WOL for long enough to know that your weight can vary by huge amounts on a day by day basis - so stop beating yourself up and enjoy the feeling of success!

I thought you were going to say you were hopelessly over - at least you are not the 10 odd pounds that I have been fighting for 18 months!!!!

StowgateResident wrote: @kentishlass, one pound over is not a fail! It is brilliant that you are so close to your goal weight after a year. What buffer do you allow yourself? - if you are within it, then you are at goal - as far as I'm concerned! You and I have been at this WOL for long enough to know that your weight can vary by huge amounts on a day by day basis - so stop beating yourself up and enjoy the feeling of success!

I just said exactly this on your other thread @kentishlass!

I do understand how you feel about not being at goal but I echo StowgateResident and carorees - you have NOT failed, you have done fantastically.
I am in a similar situation, and I do have to remind myself just how well I have done - just looking in the mirror does it and I hope that is the same for you.
I have joined the Christmas challenge to help me shed those few pounds over goal (it was more than 1 pound over for me!) and after a week of strict 5:2 fasts, but eating well with some goodies on other days (tho still around TDEE) the first pound of fat has gone.
Wouldn't a couple of very low cal fast days shift that pound for you? And are you sure that pound is fat, not mainly water?
Anyhow, do try not to be hard on yourself! Best wishes

You mustn't be so hard on yourself my dear, I fluctuate by a pound and a half over the day. At least you're being responsible by weighing and keeping within a certain buffer zone. Surely a fast day will set that straight.
Ps can't wait to join you maintainers.

Don't beat yourself up @kentishlass - you've done fantastically well!

One pound? That could be entirely explained by how much salt and water you are carrying.

Maintenance isn't static. No one stays exactly at a single weight all the time. We all oscillate up and down over about 3 pounds. It is when you exceed that 3 lbs that you have to take steps to get back on track. But even then, it is a normal part of long-term maintenance to do that. I would consider it a normal part of maintenance to go back on your weight loss diet every 6 months or year for a month just to tweak things.

So give yourself a huge pat on the back! You've done extremely well!

But you might want to ask yourself why you are so hard on yourself.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the support - that's what makes me confident that next year will be "Two year maintenance anniversary - GOAL!".
Re: what is my buffer? - I overshot (undershot?) my goal by two pounds, which is a pretty small buffer I know. But actually my weight doesn't fluctuate a lot - I know because I do weigh myself almost daily in normal times (life has been a bit abnormal lately, which is part of the problem). So a 2 pound buffer is enough to cope with any fluctuation. That little creeping upward trail on my tracker is a real trend, not a one-day blip. I can tell by my waistband.
Re: why am I so hard on my self? The thing is, I'm naturally inclined to get fat, I've lost and regained many times over the last 50 years. 5:2 is different because it's not a diet, it's forever. But lately I haven't been doing it. So this is my wake-up call, get back on the programme and enjoy the success.
And yes, thank you for reminding me, it has really been a year of success. I was fat, now I'm slim. It feels good!

Well, have a look at your progress tracker... Surely it has the words 'failure', 'inconsistent', 'huge ups and downs', written all over it

I totally agree with everyone, kentishlass. Failure has nothing to do with what you have and are accomplishing. What's more, viewing what you have done as "failure" is the slippery slope to a place where the pounds will tend to creep back on. I don't know about you, but this black and white/either-or way of thinking is what put the pounds on in the first place. "Oh, I had a second cookie and I am now so bad. I'm a failure (a fat one) so who cares what I eat." or "I didn't live up to my goal to walk 4 miles. Walking 1 mile would be a waste of time." "I failed at my fast because I ate an extra 200 calories. I just can't do it." Perfection is the enemy of "pretty good" or, indeed, any kind of success.

Instead, how about: "Whoa! I haven't been perfect but I only gained a pound! I think I can do better this week/month and I'll see where I'm at then." Just do your best, and your best is pretty damn good!

Seriously if you want to see a real maintenance fail, look at my tracker LOL the thing is we know how to get back to goal. Good luck for your 2nd anniversary success.