The FastDay Forum

Hello all, I am ready to join the "maintainers"... Hurrah !
I did 5:2 last spring and got to my target (and below it). Then I just completely stopped, and although my appetite is lower I put some weight back on over a year. So last month I started 5:2 again and am now back to target. I want to try and stay between 60 and 61kg if possible (9st4/132lb - 9st6 /135lb). Plan A is to fast as usual on a Monday, weigh weekly and have a second fast if necessary. Do others find that this works ? Thanks

Welcome @Mrstee and congratulations on reaching maintenance!

I have a similar routine to what you're suggesting, but find more than not I need the second fast to maintain the buffer I like between me and my goal.

There are plenty of other maintaineers who manage with 6:1 and others who rarely need to fast at all!

Think its trial and error for the first little while ... do keep us up to date on how you're going

Do others find that this works ? Thanks

Welcome, and yes it works, just be flexible (for me 1 day a week is enough, I can even skip some weeks), so just try and find out.

@mrstee a good policy to start off with and see how it goes. Before I ran seriously I needed to do more than one fast a week (I did a full one Monday and usually half a one Thursday) but now I can maintain without fasting most weeks - I only do the fast for the other health benefits.

Thanks all, I'll see how it goes !

[carorees]

Thank you all for your feedback...I have tweaked the page: https://www.fastday.com/fasting/success ... trategies/ to add your thoughts. Let me know if there is anything else I can add/subtract/clarify!

Excellent article @Carorees. I fully support the regular weighing, 1kg buffer, exercise plan, progress tracker and checking in on the forum. I do find telling people that I am doing 5:2 also helps in wanting to succeed in maintaining.

I do think that support through this forum is a major player in maintaining. 5:2 came up in conversation on a running forum that I'm on and someone said that loads of people from work had started 5:2 but had given up. Two of us managed to say that we were still committed 5:2 ers and I put a link to this website on. I do really think though that if the people who stopped had used the forum they might still be doing it. There is also the big difference between this WOE and a diet in that we can continue this way for ever whereas most people reach their goal/target weight and then immediately stop dieting and revert back to their old ways.

It's the last day of the month, so I'm a bit late to this party but I have been maintaining this month! I haven't always been within my two pound 'buffer' but at least the weight hasn't been piling on constantly! Last week I actually managed to be below target - a miracle!

I liked the article @carorees and think that it gives some very useful advice.

Good luck to all fellow maintaineers as we enter June. I can't really say 'Onwards and downwards!', so how about 'Onwards and onwards?!'

Yep Anzac, Easter and, for me, a couple of big birthday celebrations created a plateau. But it was good practice for the Christmas festive season. And it is great to find that you can get back on track and you haven't "blown" your diet so you may as well give up. It is just a blip in a slow but steady process of weight loss. I want to be in this for the long haul so, having said goodbye to the Easter Bunny and finally seeing hot cross buns off the supermarket shelves I can get on to the challenges of improving my health for the rest of the year