The FastDay Forum

A new month and summer is definitively over, as this week, believe it or not, speedskating season has started. Interesting time of year as spending two times a bit more than an hour on the ice in temperature close to zero seems to be burning quite some calories. Not an official weighting day today, but some weight loss seems to be visable already (but too early to tell). I will keep you posted.
What are your strategies to prepare for winter/summer and its challenges in terms of maintenance?

Thanks P-JK for leading us out. We are presently enjoying an Indian autumnal October in London, lots of sun and light. The outlook for the next week or so looks good to fair and that makes me feel happy
Winter strategy: take in the sun light at every opportunity, be mindful of the affect of the change in daylight hours end of October, eat omegas, buy a lamp and research healthy recipes for Xmas season, appropriate portion sizes is key.
Last Xmas I was able to arrive in January on goal, as I fasted, that was not difficult at all.
This year Xmas is Friday 25th, so I shall fast my usual Mon and Thur as I wish to achieve my anniversary goal of maintaining for one year on 30th Dec.

Thanks, @P-JK, for starting this month's new Maintenance Thread. It's great that you have a sport which keeps you fit and which you enjoy. I still have to find mine!
I am pleased to report that, after a Herculean effort on my part, I have managed to lose six of the six and a half extra pounds that I was carrying when I returned from my visit to Belgium last Wednesday! I am starting this new month just half a pound over my target and therefore am well within my two pound 'wiggle room'!
As autumn and winter settle in, I am planning to continue with my daily weighing and using that to make decisions on whether a fast is needed, or not. Apart from that, soups will replace salads for lunch and I shall try not to make too many delicious hot desserts, although I am not ruling them out totally - of course!
@Lizbean, you seem to have a very clear plan to tackle the forthcoming cold, dark days of winter. I can't see me fasting in the run up to Christmas but good for you for doing so! I return from a two-week cruise just ten days before Christmas, so I can only imagine what damage that will do to my weight. It will be very difficult to shed all the weight before Christmas so who knows what I will weigh by January 1st!
Anyway, that's a way off, so good luck to all our fellow maintainers in the forthcoming month. Enjoy!

I'm hoping to maintain a downward trend through October, having reached 74.4kg today by dint of 4 x 5:2 days in September. Got a bit free with the olive oil on my leaves last night so must watch that on Mondays fast. So glad to see it dropping, having reached a whopping 76.7kg in early September, Something Had To Be Done
Steady as she goes, Captain and good luck maintainers all \o/

Lots of useful advice already for someone like me who is approaching the Autumn /Winter doing 5:2 and also trying to maintain for the first time. I have managed to go well below my Goal Weight of 125 lbs (currently 115.2 lbs) in preparation as I know that I am going to have to be very careful as I change from 'salad days' to good wholesome food to keep me warm and healthy, particularly from January to April, which is why I am making 125 lbs the upper limit of my maintenance target. Last Christmas we went away for 3 nights, but this year we're just going out for Christmas Day lunch so that's a plus straight away!

It's mid Spring here in Australia so we've started leaving behind the cooler weather for the heat. While it doesn't officially become Summer until December the forecast for Friday here in Perth is 34C (89.6F) so I'm revisiting my recipe books to find suitable meals that will keep me happy on fast days while satisfying my husband too.

After starting 5:2 in February I stopped posting in late April however I've have realised that to make this a lifelong change I need the support and experience of the board members.

Christmas Day celebrations are occurring on Boxing Day for us this year as it allows our two adult children to spend quality time with their partners families on Christmas Day without worrying about rushing off and who is going to be the designated driver.

Like Lizbean I'm planning on keeping my head in the game through out the silly season as after a tough 2015 (for lots of reasons not fasting related) I'm planning on starting and staying in the best condition I can during 2016.

I'm back from my conference at the Florida beach. I didn't eat anywhere near as much as I did last year. This wasn't a triumph of willpower. I just wasn't as hungry as I was last year, probably because I went to the conference 8 lbs heavier this year. I have been fasting for months again, but eating closer to 600 cals on fast days rather than the 435 I was doing last year.

I also learned a trick while visiting my son last summer. I brought along cough drops with Vitamin C and ate one when the urge to snack struck rather than something more massive. 20 calories rather than 100-200. It really helped. I also brought my own tea bags so I could brew tea in my hotel room and not be lured to the coffee shop with its baked goods every time I got thirsty.

Alas, the food on the buffets wasn't as good this year, making it much easier to eat reasonably. The desserts were gluey and unappealing, making it easy not to go for seconds--or even finish firsts. The best things I had when I bought some meals on my own was a mixed seafood chowder and some grilled gulf shrimp, neither of which were very fattening.

I weighed 148 this morning, up 3 lbs, but the food was so salty I'm pretty sure most of the weight is water. Depending on how things go,I'm hoping to begin alternating 5:2 with 6:1 every other week.

And there are no more challenging vacations looming, so I hope to get down to some serious work and stay busy--and away from the snacks.

Getting beyond the food (do I ever?) The beach was lovely and the water warm, but so urban! I am spoiled living out in beautiful country with no traffic or high rise buildings. It's probably stayed unspoiled because it gets so freaking cold here every winter, unlike Florida!

Hey all, great to hear how you're all doing.

I was pretty surprised to discover that the end of September saw the end of my first year in maintenance. And I was pretty happy to discover that with my weigh in this morning, and 71.8 kg I'm pretty much where I was this time last year! \o/ Woot!
I'm still trying for one "fast day" a week (my definition of fast day no being about a 18-20 hour fast with no calorie counting)...though school holidays often aren't included in this routine. Summer holidays will be the thing to watch out for...last year I got through on wedding jitters, this year I won't have that focus. Might have to think more on that one...

After the year of maintenance, I had planned to reassess my goal, and whether I might want to try losing a bit more. At this stage I'm pretty happy with my BMI at 23.7...maybe I'll make my goal building a bit more muscle and focusing on fitness. Time to start looking at HIIT videos on youtube...anyone got any favourites?

Hi @Peonyblue wishing you a very happy 1st maintenance anniversary. That is so cool, what a great milestone, I'm following you
Saturday! 80 days until my first maintenance anniversary, clocked up 285 days so far. Feeling happy and focused, 9 months in, maintaining is not as difficult as I envisaged (I think it was silly mind stuff). I thought it might be tougher than losing, I was wrong. Today maintaining 23.41lb loss and feeling great. Half way through Oct next week, I hope all is well within our tent

Today, officially two years on maintenance.

Congratulations, @P-JK, you are an example to us all and it's great to hear of the long-term successes of fellow 5:2 fasters/maintainers, - particularly for the newer members for whom it provides real inspiration!
Well done and here's to a long life and a healthy one!

Happy second anniversary to you @P-JK and congratulations on your great achievement

Well done[tag]P-JK[tag] something to celebrate!

Just back from a 12-day holiday on a pacific island and am VERY pleased to report that I have not put on any weight. Woohoo!! I'm trying to think how that was possible because I had about two beers every day, sometimes a cocktail on top of that or a glass of white wine. At breakfast I ate mainly fruit, natural yoghurt, black coffee but also two slices of toast with peanut butter and a small piece of cake (yum). My snacking was less than usual, mainly sweet potato chips but I thought I'd had too many carbs each day, not enough vegetables or plain water. I finished my meal every night but no desserts or chocolate after dinner so that would have helped. Lots of snorkelling and walking but I am used to daily cycling and gym workouts three times a week. So, I am puzzled but I am not complaining I missed pasta so that's for dinner tonight, with a big salad.

Wow! @Wmr309. Just WOW! Well done for no weight gain on such a lovely holiday. You deserve gold stars for that!
I have a cruise coming up in seven weeks time and I would hope to emulate your success. We'll see but, on previous form, it would take a miracle!
Anyway, well done. You are an example to us all!