The FastDay Forum

Thanks, Caroline, Susan and Pete. Indeed, I am doing HIIT on a stationary bike to decrease the impact on my poor sad knees. They weren't coping too well with 3 runs a week. I haven't tried HIIT on the track at all. I am happy to say that they have been recovering quite quickly after my weekly long run.

As for weight maintenance, I think I need to stop over-thinking it, just stick to my original plan, see how it feels and how the weight does, and take it from there...

OK. I'm done hemming and hawing. A social engagement has forced me to change my fasting schedule today. So I will fast tomorrow instead. That means for 6 days running, I will have done 2:1. Decision made. I have a feeling being on 2:1 for awhile will force me to get a handle on non-fast days. I keep slipping up on eating mindfully, and having treats and snacks when I don't need them. So… going to 2:1 will serve two purposes: easing off 4:3 and retraining my appetite (or attitude) on non-fast days. [I'm still not back to target weight yet, but I'm fairly sure I will still lose like this if I get the non-fast days under control].

Hi MaryAnn. You've done really well on getting to your goal & maintaining. I am very interested in your maintenance plan as I have been doing 4:3 too and am rather worried about what to do for maintenance. I'm very close to my original goal - but intend to lower it by another couple of kilos. The weight loss over the past couple of months has been REALLY slow for me and I am getting tired of fasting, so have been considering 5:2 & 16:8 on the other days but I think if I don't do 4:3 my weight will go up!

I've been trying out HIIT training for 3 weeks now. I was training for a half marathon, but have plantar facistis (not sure how to spell that!), that won't heal, so thought I'd give HIIT a try. I am running 3 x week, doing 1 minute sprints followed by 1.5 minutes jog, for a total of 9 times and its really hard - especially on the old heart! I am also following the 8 minute strength training programme outlined in MM book 3 times a week. It seems to be toning up the muscles in a very short time! HIIT training is meant to burn more calories after exercise - but I don't know about that! Guess I'll have to wait and see!

sorry about your injury, @Philippa. And I know what you mean about the weight loss slowing down at the end.

I'm not so much hemming and hawing as not sticking to my plan. This Xmas weight is so stubborn. I'm back to 4:3 and might even resort to ADF to get rid of it, and perhaps another kg or so to give a bit of a cushion for maintenance in case I gain, again. I'm not quite a kg above goal still.

I've started using MFP, mostly because I was having weird emotional eating meltdowns. It's a problem I have, but I haven't succumbed to it while on IF until the last month. I've got a lot of sh*t going on in my life, and it's got me a bit down, and the meltdowns were happening when I let that get to me. There are some things I need to do, some difficult things (publishing a few papers and applying for a new job), and I need to just put my head down and get them done. I know I'll feel better when I do. I'm trying to run when I get stressed rather than eat. This week has been better. I think it's helping to keep an eye on the calories going in. That, and having in my head that there's no way I'm going to undo all the hard work of last year! I won't let these b*****ds at work do that to me!

Sorry to hear that life is getting in the way @MaryAnn. You have done so well so hopefully Feb will be an easier (food) month. Good luck with your injury too. I have had the same but it has gone. Lots of stretching helped me. Wendy

Hope things get better soon for you Mary Ann - it can be so difficult to be motivated when you're in that rough patch - even when I know there are things I can do to get out of it, the motivation often eludes me.

You're MFP plan is a winner, I reckon - just a small period of tracking and accountability can do wonders.

All the best xo

Mary Ann - sorry to hear that things have rather caught up with you. It is so difficult when these things get in the way, and you have to make decisions about your future. Keep going, but relax if you can and don't be too hard on yourself (or expect too much) as we all know, stress can have a part to play in all of this. Step back if you can, and give yourself a (non- food related) treat to take your mind off things. It can be a long and lonely road when you are having to plan a big change like this, especially with so little support around you, and having to carry on at work in a professional manner as well. Hope things improve soon and do come on here and whinge, wail and moan if you need to.

[janeg]

sounds as though you're having a tough time MaryAnn. Hope things settle soon. Sometimes keeping a bit of control in one sphere of your life can help get a handle on other bits. I seem to remember you used running for stress relief but have injuries that are making this difficult. Can you swim instead? I know I find the water very soothing and can fairly belt through the water if I want to. HIIT in the water?
Just a suggestion.
Keep at it though, you'll get there and we're all behind you

I'm not sure if you can consider what I've been doing since Xmas maintaining, but maybe it sort of is. Basically, I've been doing 4:3 and ADF to try to get rid of a pesky last kg gained over the holiday, but I've gotten nowhere. My body seems to love 64 kg right now.

Eventually, I want to get down a kg or two below goal weight so if I'm bouncing around, my goal weight will be the upper limit. But in the meantime, at least I'm not going any higher than this. (Having said that, it's depressing that I'm doing so much fasting just to stand still!)

I am still overeating on non-fast days, but not by so much usually, and not so many sweets. I'm tracking things on MFP but not restricting. It's more out of curiosity. Eventually I'll have to restrict, though, I suspect!

I have a ski holiday coming up. I don't think I'll be fasting at all, but I'll try to be really sensible with food. I might try skipping lunch to have more time on the slopes. Or just keep some healthy trail mix in my pocket or something. It's a big group from work going. Last time, we ate really healthily--alot of local produce. Hokkaido is famous for seafood, but of course, it's Japan, so everything is ultra healthy. I'm hoping a mini break will do me good rather than send me flying off the rails! I have a conference in the US shortly after that. I might try to fast then. It should be easier than on the ski trip.

After that, I'll have to start serious half-marathon training for the last one of the season. I'm hoping to really improve my time again, since this one will be a lot flatter than the last one. And I'll have a lot more HIIT under my belt by then. I'm going to try to focus on this rather than losing a bit more weight. I think exercise is a healthier obsession!

Sorry for the rambling. My head is in a weird place lately. I need to resolve this work stuff which right now is just causing constant low level stress.