The FastDay Forum

I've never started one of these threads, but it's already May 4, so...

I'm carrying on with my maintenance journey, about 2.5 years. I'm in a phase of feeling blah about everything, so I've decided not to weigh for awhile. (I'm exercising again suddenly, so I think any gains would reflect inflammation, but I'll bet they would still upset me.) The thing is, I do the same thing no matter what the scales say: three fasts a week, but not strict 500 calorie ones, more like 700ish.

I want to focus on being healthier, instead of a number. It's all good... just the usual slip into too much sweet stuff on non-fast days. I don't think it's craving/hunger, more a weird addiction. Though, having said that, I'm far less likely to indulge when I make sure I eat proper meals on non-fast days.

Anyway... I'm almost finished with my first year of teaching on my new job. Teaching physiology has been interesting. I've learned a lot I didn't know about metabolism. I love the job, and mostly love NYC (except when some cheeky so-and-so steals my packages). Apparently I'm the only one in the city looking forward to summer!

Happy maintaining everyone! Have a great month!

Thanks for starting it @MaryAnn, just as it seems to be difficult to maintain focused on maintaining for some, it seems to be difficult to maintain input from all of us who made it to the maintenance stage (only 8 replies last month). Good to read that you focus on health. No need for all these measurements if you don't need them to stay on par in terms of your way of life and the weight that comes with it. Summer is finally coming to the Netherlands as well, and with a 4 day holiday coming up we will certainly enjoy it (and hopefully nice months to come as well).
Oh and by the way, after a full month of strick 6:1 I was able to skip this weeks fast and still be spot-on in the middle of my maintenance range. So the current maintenance situation is really:

I feel a bit of a fraud as my weight is creeping up, rather than I'm maintaining within my self imposed range. However, just finished a fast and it was relatively easy. Made three soups today; one from the original 5:2 book, all weighed out, for dinner tonight, one mushroom minestrone (vegetarian) for other family member and lunch tomorrow, and a Dutch pea and ham soup for a non-fast day.

How are we doing fellow mainteneers? I'm preparing for a week in Spain, to ensure that my actual situation is in line with the icons that indicate my maintenance status

I'm still here and still in the same situation as last month, that is maintaining at or around my 147 pound target but definitely not anywhere near my hoped-for 140 pound one! I don't know if that makes me a maintainer or a failure! However, I fasted yesterday and have decided to try and cut right back on the sugary/carby treats which I have been desperate for over the last few months. If I can reduce those in my diet then I'm sure that I will be much more likely to maintain properly.
Good luck to my fellow-maintainers for this month - wherever you all are!

I spent my first year of maintenance characterizing myself as a failure because I never got back down to my lowest weight. Finally I gave myself a range, and usually, but not always, I stay within it. But even at my worst moments, I don't get anywhere near where I started before IF.

Basically, I think we should be gentler on ourselves with how we define success and failure. I think the Biggest Loser study should put it in perspective. Or even something like the Look Ahead trial (link below to a Weighty Matters post about it), where even the most successful people were maintaining at above their lowest weight.

I.e., you're totally not a failure, @StowgateResident!

http://www.weightymatters.ca/search/lab ... aintenance

Thank you, @MaryAnn, for your wise words. It is true that, even at my heaviest, I have never come too close to the 170 pounds that I weighed back in January 2013, when I started this WOL, so I guess that's a win!

I hope that you have a great time in the UK - enjoy your holiday and catching up with your friends.

I've been maintaining since July 2013 but at a higher weight than intended. When I was losing weight I sailed past my target of 58kgs and got to 54kgs without any bother but that turned out to be a bit too low as my weight climbed back to 59kgs and stayed there. I seem to stay between 59 and 60kgs without too much bother, so I guess I've settled for that. As a general rule I'm eating in a window between 1.30 and 7pm - lunch and dinner and the occasional 0 cal fast day which generally is no bother. I only eat breakfast on Sunday's (porridge/banana/cocoa and soya milk) when I get back from my long run. I don't eat that many carbs as in bread, potatoes, rice and do eat full fat everything, except milk

Hi, @AnnieW, it's good to know that you're still around. Like you I am settling for a slightly higher number because it is much easier to maintain at that point on the scales. I have just realised that I have been using eating windows for ages without even thinking about it. Doh!!! I gave up breakfast a couple of years ago when I realised that it made me hungrier. However, I am rather an owl so I do tend to have a snack at about 10.00pm just to keep me going until my post-midnight bedtime.
I would like to lose a couple more pounds to give me some 'wiggle room' for when I go of to visit family in Belgium in three weeks time. Other than that, this WOL is working for me!

Still Fast-5ing every day. Weight reasonably steady but consistently above the maintenance range I set in my early maintenance period. I am not desperately trying everything to get it down as I don't think it wants to go lower at the moment and why stress myself out over a few pounds? More important that I keep away from sugars, starches and processed junk.

Up until a month or so ago I was on autopilot maintaining since fall of 2013, and still doing 5:2. I had a job change in April and yada-yada have had a few weeks of 6:1. The scale hasn't really changed much but I dont feel quite the same physically/mentally. I'm going to make a real effort to get 2 fasts in this week.

[carorees]

Still Fast-5ing every day. Weight reasonably steady but consistently above the maintenance range I set in my early maintenance period. I am not desperately trying everything to get it down as I don't think it wants to go lower at the moment and why stress myself out over a few pounds? More important that I keep away from sugars, starches and processed junk.

In short: ditto (well nearly...I don't always have as short a window as 5 hours but otherwise exactly the same situation).

It seems that most of us maintainers are in a similar situation but as Mary-Ann says, the fact that we are maintaining well below our start weight means we are all winners! And I keep thinking of Yoni Freedhoff's wise words:

your best weight is whatever weight you reach when you’re living the healthiest life that you actually enjoy. The truth is there will come a point where you can’t happily live any better — where you can’t happily eat less and you can’t happily exercise more — and your weight, living with that life, is your best weight.

I'm back just about within my chosen range and wondering- is there a so called set point for the mind as well as the body? -I've been watching my weight creep up slowly and have been thinking maybe I should try a fast- but not managed it. Couldn't face the idea at all. However last week I really didn't like the number on the scales and since then I've done 2 fasts which has reduced the number to a more acceptable level and I'm hoping lose a bit more over the next month.
I still weigh daily so it's not as though I didn't see the gain and know the indulgences responsible.

[carorees]

You could well be right there @merlin!

I could have written your post myself, @Merlin! I watched the scales increase but it was only when they were about to nudge 151 pounds that I managed to get back to fasting. Luckily, the excess (mainly water - due to my heavy carb consumption) is on the way down but I want a bit of 'wiggle room', so will be fasting for a further couple of weeks - just to be on the safe side!