The FastDay Forum

oh dear. I knew I shouldn't step on the scales after just one fast. Back to my Oct. 1 weight I suspect (hope!) at least 1kg will come off quickly--this has happened before when I gained some--but the rest may be a long slog. It's as bad as I feared.

I hope the extra measures about sweets and alcohol speed things up (and more importantly, make me healthier!) I'm realizing breakfast is a trouble spot for me, too. I might add skipping breakfast into the mix as well.

But… I also need to learn to eat like a thin person. All the adjustments in my appetite and cravings I felt early on in my IF journey seem to have disappeared. I hope it's just a phase and with ADF I will get it back. At the same time, I don't want to become this food obsessed ninny who is always restricting things, counting calories, etc. I want it to come more naturally. Maybe that's too much to ask.

Hi MaryAnn
You say a lot of things that apply to me too. I think things can be harder for people who have lost a lot of weight - I am 27kg below my all-time peak weight. Apart from any physiological processes that may well be triggered by having had fat and lost it, there are reasons why we got to be that overweight in the first place. I too have been a bit disappointed that maintaining hasn't begun to feel like something that comes naturally. But then I think back to when I started 5:2, 18 months ago. At that time I was despairing of stopping the steady creep up in weight. I think I would have settled for parking myself permanently at the moderately overweight level, but instead I happily found the weight coming off. 5:2 has done a lot more for me than I ever expected. I'm now back in the sunny valley of healthy weight which I've visited several times in my life but never managed to settle into permanently. I can see it will take time, and effort, to make it permanent. Perhaps for me it will never be effortless, but it is worth the effort.

I hope you find your extra efforts paying off soon.

It seems that I still can't maintain without doing at least one fast a week. Last week I did fine but then bought the most delicious ice cream, chocolate biscuits and bar of chocolate and slowly worked my way through them over the long weekend. All high quality but too much for four days. This is how my weight creeped up over the years but I am determined to stay in the 67.5-68.5kg range. So, successful fast yesterday and another 'mini one' planned for Thursday (no breakfast but some protein after big gym workout, no lunch and normal dinner).

Good luck everyone in finding out what works for you.

Having eaten some unexpected Roses chocolates last night I wanted to fast today, but am 100% on target so I guess I'll just have to make it a 16:8

Update: 1.7kg has come off pretty quickly. I've still got a ways to go, but phew!

One of my goals during maintenance was to lose a bit more body fat. According to my scales, mine is at a shocking ~31%. Well, when I had it measured for my annual health check (again, only by scales, not any of the more accurate measures), their number is 26%! I'm not sure what to believe, but I think it's fair to conclude that mine are giving me too high a number. I'll continue to work on it, but go more by how I look than a faulty number on a scale.

I am now officially a maintaineer - again! Hit my target of 10 stone, 7 pounds on the 8th March and on the 16th was 10 stone, 7 and three-quarter pounds, well within my two pound 'buffer', and that was after my birthday week when there were the remains of three cakes in the house!

I am off to Germany for ten days on Wednesday, so I have no idea what my weight will be on my return. I have every intention of fasting and being mindful of what I eat but I also have a sneaking suspicion that my high ideals will be very short-lived when I am actually there.

Only time will tell! Wish me luck!

When I first started maintaining I had to fast at least once a week with a couple of careful days to keep to my goal, but after a while I kept messing up my fast days and eating normally half way through the day. Recently I've stopped fasting altogether and even have several days a week when I eat way too much, almost as much as my pre 5:2 binging days - chocolate being my 'food' of choice - and yet I stay within 1.5 lb of my maintenance weight and always get back to 9st 7lb without trying. Very weird.

I hope it's not my scales that are at fault! I haven't noticed my clothes getter any tighter.

I hope it's not my scales that are at fault! I haven't noticed my clothes getter any tighter.

Thank you for that belly-laugh

This morning while chatting with my daughter on the phone, I went into the kitchen, took out the yogurt, and served myself a bowl. Was about to sprinkle some granola on top for my usual breakfast, and THEN remembered it's a fast day. So...I scooped the yogurt back in the container and made some coffee.

That's the first time I've ever forgotten what day it was

I'm maintaining successfully these first two months, so I could have just said what the hell, I'm eating breakfast. I didn't, and now, as I get ready for bed, I'm kinda proud of myself for it.

Just an observation.

Had my first 'feeling fat day' in months and it felt strange, although my clothes didn't feel tight, stranger still. I've been lucky and Haven't had that feeling of being fat and nothing looking right since the middle of last year. As I'm within my maintenance zone it was a surprise. Maybe had something to do with the 3 croissants and Chinese takeaway as well as breakfast, which I don't usually have, and two course lunch yesterday!

@AnnieW I'm with ya! I finished a religious fast yesterday, had my first lunch - and boy did I pig out today - at a barbecue place. I've lost a few pounds during the fast - I may just gain them all back today!

Hello fellow maintaineers - I'm back from a week's holiday. No fasting, but plenty of exercise, food and drink. Have gained, but nothing that a few fasts won't sort out. Love this WOE!!

Can't believe we're nearly at the end of March!

I'm sticking to fasting at the moment, although I'm within target. Have dropped to around 58kgs instead of 59kgs and want to lose one more for my half marathon in 3 weeks, so will keep going with 5:2ish (maybe less fasting as 1kg isn't much to lose). So nearly maintenance!

Wishing you all the best for the half marathon @franglaise! You'll probably drop half a kilo from nervous excitement in the lead up!

Have done it, scales on 57 now and not 58. Just need to keep it off, but with all the training planned over the next 10 days that shouldn't be a problem. I might even ditch the fasting for a week. It is easier to run when lighter, even a couple of kgs makes a difference.