The FastDay Forum

Good luck to everyone on maintenanc this month - it is really nice seeing more and more people who have reached their goal and are maintaining now! I've been maintaining since the end of March. Mostly by doing 6:1 and another half fast day, or skipping lunch. I put on a couple of kgs in December so have done 5:2 for a week which has nearly got me back to my target of 19BMI.
I've never been able to maintain so easily as with fasting, I find the flexibility and the realisation of how little you actually NEED to eat very beneficial. It's nearly a year since I started 5:2 and I can't see me ever stopping.

@P-JK - I read your update thread today. Gosh, you're managing well without fasting at all. Do you think you're eating below your daily TDEE most days?

@Otter Not below my current TDEE (as then I would still lose weight, in theory), but more or less 'on TDEE'. Of course, due to weight loss my current TDEE is 200 less than my original at the start of 5:2. (that's how I calculate weight gain prevented by the way). I compensate that with going from 3 sandwiches (Dutch version of a sandwich) to 2 for lunch, which is around 150 calories. You don't really notice once you get accustomed to that. So, if your change in TDEE is not dramatic, maintenance is not a problem (and 5:2 has been particulartly kind to me, losing at almost 1 kg per week when really on 5:2).

I'm in too please @Otter.

Hit my target on Christmas eve and dipped below it on Christmas day and, rather impetuously, moved myself into maintenance there and then... The festive season took it's toll and I've only just had three days in a row back at my target weight. Big sigh of relief.

I've not changed what I'm doing at all - 4.5 : 2.5 (4:3 but with a half-repair on the Friday) - and have no intention of changing anything for the foreseeable future. I suspect that because I've *never* decreased my TDEE my weight has naturally flat lined. Whether it's just luck that this happened at my target I really don't know. Somebody clever might have ideas (one the the reasons I'm continuing with repair days is that my brain seems to be addling, and though I doubt I can reverse it I might at least put a halt to it getting worse).

Anyway, jolly happy to be here: this WoE is definitely *for life*, for me.

@Otter

Hi Otter

I made it with todays weigh in, I am now maintenace

Hi everyone
I have started maintenance this month too so am very interested in reading about how others manage it.

Since reaching my goal I am finding that I am eating above TDEE on non-fast days. Not sure why (but see comment later). So I have decided I need to stick with 5:2 and monitor what happens - I am thinking of starting daily weighing, just for a short time. I have also started a food diary.

I am also finding fast days harder???? For the first time ever, I found that by the end of my supposed fast day on Monday I had eaten double what I should... I appreciate that most people have this experience at some stage, and it has only been the once for me, but now I feel like I don't even want to fast. I am scheduled to fast tomorrow... (I do agree with Otter that the daily fasting threads are a great support).

Possibly one explanation for me eating more might be that I am having breakfast again - because I really do like cereal with milk and I was concerned that I wasn't having enough calcium. But maybe I will have to revert to 16:8 again - many people in this WOL do seem to end up skipping breakfast. And I have been having more bread - again, I really love bread and had missed it. Hmm, food (no pun intended) for thought!!!

Best wishes to all maintainers, and everyone else!

@sassy1 could you not have cereal with milk for lunch instead? That way you get your breakfast kick but maintain a 16:8 maintenance plan...

Im not doing so well on maintenance

I reached my goal around Christmas, gained a couple over the new year, lost it and I'm now back up a couple of pounds.

Obviously whatever I'm doing isn't working for me to maintain, or may be I'm being too strict with the definition of maintain?

For me, I don't mind if I'm +/- 2 pounds, but if the trend is always + 2 pounds then that doesn't sound like maintenance to me

I've decided to reduce my TDEE by 100-200 calories, continue with 5:2 and hopefully get to a stable 128 pounds by the mid/end of February so see you all next month

I'm in! Been maintaining for around 16 months and can't remember the last time I weighed myself. I rely on seeing how my belt fits. If I'm in the last hole, that's fine.

When I was weighing I found I was bouncing around between 9.0 and 9.3. I don't think a constant weight is possible - or desirable - on this WOL.

Didn't put on any weight over Christmas - but I missed out a lot of the meals which were unimportant. And feasted when I could!

I do at least a 24 hour fast on a Monday - mostly followed by a low-cal dinner or sometimes by a full dinner (without counting the cals) and occasionally I'll throw in a 36 hour LOF.

During the week I often do a couple of 16:8s - especially if I have a late supper the night before!

I also think that a weekly binge is good - it's what our ancestors used to do, after all!

As has been said before - this WOL is for ever!

I should say I've recently started a weight-training regime, which is paying off! I got a 3kg kettlebell for Christmas, and I love it!

Im not doing so well on maintenance

Obviously whatever I'm doing isn't working for me to maintain, or may be I'm being too strict with the definition of maintain?

For me, I don't mind if I'm +/- 2 pounds, but if the trend is always + 2 pounds then that doesn't sound like maintenance to me

@jeninbostonFor me, maintenance is setting a 2 kg. range (between 62 and 64 kg.) and making sure that I do not step out of this range for longer than 2 weeks. Remember that even at stable weight your actual daily measurements might vary up to 1.5 kg (at least for me they do), due to water and food entering and leaving my body at irregular times. As long as you are able to get back to within your range in no longer than 2 weeks, I would say your maintenance strategy is succesful.

The whole idea of good maintenance is to become relaxed about it.

From the outside looking in. I SO want to join you lovely people in maintenance....maybe by March I shall be there.

Don't worry or need to hurry: we will still be around to give you a warm welcome!

@P-JK - for me 2kgs is too much of a range - mine is 1kg (2lbs) and anything above that I go back to 5:2 straight away. I suppose everyone is different but except for the start of a period, my weight never fluctuates by more than 500g or so.
@Sassy - agree with Bssh that you could have breakfast for lunch instead. I do this as I love my toasted baguette or brioche. It isn't fasting but I often find it easy to have breakfast and skip lunch instead.

@Otter I let my weight vary by as much as 4 pounds. When I initially started maintenance, I kept losing. When my mother fell ill, I was still losing, so while with Mom, I just skipped most breakfasts, did not strictly do 8:16. When I got back home (after 1 month, no scales), I was 2 pounds over goal. Using 8:16 has brought it back down and I've held it fairly steady since mostly within 2 pounds.

Great to hear from all of you. Just as we lost our weight at different rates, we'll probably maintain in different ways!

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The whole idea of good maintenance is to become relaxed about it.

THANKS

and yes,mi completely agree - I'm trying to get relaxed about it and was worried I was getting too relaxed may be its all fine after all?

I set my target at 128 pounds and I find I'm fluctuating between 128 and 131. I'd expected to fluctuate between 126/127 -130 but may be I should be setting my target at 126 to fluctuate that low?

Time will tell and I need to figure out what works for me and what's sustainable

Having entered maintenance only today (new kiddy on the block.. ok, midde aged woman on the block is nearer the truth )

I am thinking now, ok, what am I going to do in the first week. Had my first fast yesterday, weigh in today and goal reached. Another fast tomorrow (nothing new from normal), but maybe increase the feast days a bit.

Next week I plan to add to the fast days instead. Now for me, this will actually mean prob eating nearer 500 cals as I have been managing very happily on 300-350 for a few weeks with my home made curries and soups. Have my eye on lots of Hairy Biker recipes (diet ones).

I would have a job to eat more in the evenings with the smaller stomach, so lunch time could be the one to increase, add fruit, salads. Brekky is a long gone requirement so no need for that.

It does feel 'weird' thinking about what to eat to stop loosing weight. I like other maintenancies (not sure what a short nick name for us is!) will prob work to say +/- 2lbs. Only time will tell but will report back as there are a few of us new to it or have some experience to help us.

Should weight loss remain higher, then plan B, introduce a bit more food

or should I gain, then plan C, a re think