The FastDay Forum

Hi, all!
I've been absent, for the most part, for a few months--that is, absent from the forum but not from my own version of 5:2 maintaining. Visiting, socializing, celebrating--but pretty much maintaining at 135 lbs. (up a pound, down a pound). My original goal was 137 lb., but I decided to try for 129-132 (depending on which day you asked me). I think my lowest point was 131, but that was just a bounce . Then, life intervened (not in a bad way), and I just concentrated on doing "pretty good" instead of perfect. Given all the activity and lack of being at home on a regular schedule, I've done "pretty good" without stressing or working really hard at it. My body seems to have found a happy place, and to tell the truth, I feel like I'm back to myself (without the added 40+ lbs that were grafted on for 25 years. ) I feel like me! I haven't done many formal fasts--and those I do seem to be more in the 600 cal range, but that together with a somewhat lo-carb, veggie rich diet seems to work well. I'm planning to return to 2 fasts per week for awhile to make a pre-emptive strike against the coming weyhey days.

I am a little for having such a good start to October maintenance.
Oh Weyhey days @bordergirl long time since anyone has mentioned them. Feeling nostalgic

Knock, knock,
Who's there?
Ballerina here, hoping to tip toe into this little group. Can I come in please? I've been maintaining for over 18 months now and it seems as though I've always lived like this instead of eating like a pig being fattened up for Christmas which is how I used to feel and behave. I'm a window kinda gal as it seems to suit me and I can shuffle it around to suit moods or social engagements.

Looking forward to hearing how we are doing with the run up to the over eating festival and the survival tactics employed by us.

Ballerina x

Now...I've said it before and I'll say it again why is it that people have to abandon their health and wellbeing because of a day? What has a birthday, the movies, Xmas, uncle Charlie's wake, a colleague's birthday (who u don't socialise with out of work), the dogs birthday, winter, the anniversary of the Queen Mum's death, Spring arriving, the Guinea Pigs death....got to do with bingeing? This is just illogical to me. You can join in and eat with your family and friends, but why would you suddenly eat a whole box of sugar *read chocolate? When we have learnt to eat healthily, why abandon this for gluttony. The Christmas challenge should be a challenge to eat like a slim, healthy person over Xmas, not lose weight so u can be a glutton!!!!I feel emoticons coming on seriously we need to talk to our minds and realise we have outgrown bingeing and gluttony for the label of a day. Amen and good luck

Hiya all...just checking in! Finding this second week on maintenance a bit harder...eating this week has taken off and I'm eating significantly over my TTDE for most days since my last fast on Monday. Holidays are hard, especially when visitors stay! I'm almost looking forward to going back to work simply to get my eating & walking routine back in order. No chance to fit in a second fast this week that I probably need, so I'll have to wait til Tuesday to fast, and see whether I'll need a second fast next week to help get me back under 72.

Did a kinda half fast today, so probably more 16:8 - I never was a 16:8-er but, since going thru a lot of stress the last two months, my hubs and I have sort of got used to skipping brekky - even if I have my egg at noon, 1 or 2, it doesn't matter. I still like brekky, just move it forward a bit.

Right now I'm really maintaining in a neutral way so

I've been maintaining happily for quite a few months but this last few weeks have been giving me trouble. This is where I realise how much of an emotional eater I am! Oldest boy has finally moved out to live in Norwich, middle boy left Norfolk to go back to Uni in Bristol via Morocco at the beginning of September so missing both of them. Youngest is giving us a bit of worry but will hopefully sort himself out. I've hurt my back meaning little or no exercise for the last week or so and now I've got a cold and sore throat. All this has conspired to lead me to eat badly. I've put on 4lbs which on someone as small as me makes quite a difference, though others say they can't see it. Anyhow am going to pull my socks up, get a grip and get back to my 120lbs which feels just right. As others have found maintainance can be quite tricky, can't take my eye off the ball for too long. I need to make sure I come on this site daily too. So a slightly fraudulent post in this thread perhaps but I'm feeling cheeky.

I'm 105.6lbs (approx 48kgs) which is OK and within an acceptable range for me. It's dropped a little because I fell which jarred my back and right side and this has wiped my appetite for a couple of days.

NB: as a note, the tracker on this site doesn't allow weight entries that calculate your BMI at < 18.55 or so, so I normally have to enter the lowest permitted weight (I think that's 7:10 or 12) and then make a note as to what it 'really' is. I can understand that sites like this probably need such safeguards but it does have the unintended consequence of making me feel a tad dishonest - so I thought that I'd state my true weight albeit it's only slightly lower.

@ssure. Hope you are feeling better again. How unfortunate. Excellent weight though, congratulations !!!

@LouLou51. i feel for you. It's tough sometimes and just shows even when we think we have cracked it all a little spanner is thrown in to make us scratch our heads how this came about. I am a mother of 3 too (all left home) and whilst I miss them, I also enjoy the me time I have. Good luck and tell us how you maintain in the next few days.

Got to tell you this...... Further to my post upthread. I weighed in this morning at 8st 13lb. First time for months that I have been at target, let alone under! Chuffed indeed. Had a big lunch out yesterday, smoked haddock on a bed of boiled potatoes and spinach with a mustard sauce and a poached egg. Couldn't finish it and didn't have any dinner last night. Neither did I have any breakfast. I think there must be something in this small eating window idea that Carorees and Ballerina follow.

Edited to add my emoticons that I forgot.

@Wendy Darling - only thing remaining to be done is to pick an emoticon, so that P -JK can add it to the list in the original post!

Sorry dahhhhlinkk, in my excitement I forgot

I think I should have a sunny emoticon as I have managed to maintain this last month without weighing. I checked at my mum's over the weekend and it was such a relief to see only 0.5kg gain, which could have been due their excellent dinner and wine the night before. Phew!! I got worried as my new pants felt tight, despite trying to tell myself that I'd bought size 40 'very skinny jeans' so they were hardly ever going to feel comfortable.
I've been doing 16:8 most weekdays but the winter cakes and biscuits are on the shelves in all shops and are tempting me at every visit.

I'm still maintaining on target, with no proper fasts and 16:8 ish 5 days a week. I don't count calories anymore but now have a much better idea of high and low cal foods so that helps. However this is the time of year when it all goes pear shaped (literally). The dark evenings and mornings, yucky weather etc, and I start to gain weight again. Probably to be blamed mainly on the red wine by the fire in the evenings and baking cakes and bread. Oh yes, and blame it on being weak willed too ! I have had guests staying the last few days and my exercise regime has gone down and wine consumption up ... I will have to get cracking again when they've gone. I need you guys to keep on at me please !