The FastDay Forum

John - so you are currently doing ADF? I think you're probably right - maybe when you are only say, 5kg from goal, you could start fasting every 3rd day? And then go to 5:2 then 6:1? That way if you are eating 'too much' on feast days you can slowly tweak it. Unfortunately there aren't as many posts on maintenance!

I reached my goal last week so really should be in maintenance but decided to carry on and lose a few more pounds to give myself some leeway to experiment and find what works for me. I also wished to continue as the holiday season as arrived We have a weeks holiday and four long weekends away planned where I am bound to put on a few pounds.
So I expect it will be September or October before I am confident I have the leeway to experiment without getting overly stressed about putting weight on.

I have actually decided to just sit at maintenance 2kg above my original goal. I think my original goal was a bit unreasonably low - i.e. the very very bottom of my weight range. I am quite thin now, and even though I am not entirely happy with my legs, 2kg isn't going to change that. I.e. I have to work on accepting myself now that I am a healthy weight, rather than continuing to strive for the unattainable. I am a healthy weight , completely healthy etc, and another 2kg isn't going to make me happier, smarter or change my life. So I am just going to continue doing the 16:8 approach (8 hour eating window Mon-Friday) and maintain all teh success I had on 5:2. And focus on being less obsessed with my weight, calories, and getting in a good head space for when I have kids in a few years - I don't want to pass on my dieting history and food hangups!

I'm finding people's journey with maintenance really fascinating. Good for you, lucy, for coming up with a sensible plan in advance. Even though I'm still quite a ways away, I'm already feeling a bit anxious about it, as I imagine are many others here, given the odds of putting weight back on with most diets.

About calorie counting and weighing: it seems you've decided on a really healthy approach for yourself. If you've been calorie counting for awhile, you probably have a pretty good feel for how much you can eat, anyway. As for weighing--right now I don't even have a set of scales (other than kitchen ones) in the house because I know I'll get unhealthily obsessed (I can use the scales in the health clinic at work, where I've informed the nurses to chase me away if I turn up more than once a week). I think for maintenance it's important to keep an eye on your weight occasionally, though. I may have to break down and buy a set sometime...

Yeah I have a pretty good idea what constitutes a proper sized meal calorie wise, so I should be fine. I'm also not convinced that counting calories is at all useful anyway - kind of arbirtary as there is no real way of knowing what your true energy usage is.

I obsessively get mine out of the cupboard - can' leave the scales alone, so I will take them to my parents. Honestly, clothing fit should be fine - I can't unknowingly gain weight and not fit into my tight jeans, unless I gain muscle - which is not bad thing. If I weight once every thre months I'm sure that will be enough

Hopefully we won't regain - by continuing fasting of some type or other we should continue to strengthen our metabolism. I think most weight loss approaches fail ebacuse the strict dietary rules can't be maintained. Or the daily low calorie requirements are too stringent for real life. Fasting helps avoid the lowered TDEE that comes for losing weight by dieting, and gives us that extra wiggle room calorie wise. Fingers crossed at least!!

John, I don't find 6:1 enough to keep my weight where I want it (not above a BMI of 19). Of course the lower your weight, the lower your TDEE and the fewer calories you need so that is why I have to be very careful and skip other meals or do 5:2 occasionally instead of just 6:1. I am used to doing this now so it isn't a problem and it is worth it to keep slim (I don't think I'm 'thin' even at the low end of the BMI scale).

John - so you are currently doing ADF? I think you're probably right - maybe when you are only say, 5kg from goal, you could start fasting every 3rd day? ...

Yes, I'm full time ADF - hence my user name as a play on words implying my being an ADFing Fool.

Thanks, Franglaise for relaying your experience. I intend to watch the weight trend carefully when the time comes to shift to less aggressive methods. It's a ways off yet.


One thing that is frequently mentioned to many who express their surprise at dramatic, initial weight loss is that it's "water weight". I think that this is incomplete in that it doesn't mention that solids in our digestive systems play a substantial role as well.

When we're eating less, were not accululating as much solid material as before so it contributes less and less to our total weight as the digestive "pipe" cleans out.

Conversely comments regarding shock of weight gain immediately after slowing or stopping a weight loss method have to be caused by the now-more frequent addition of solids that are refilling the pipe.

So maybe this is yet another variable in the equation of maintaining a healthy weight.

I tried to fast yesterday but failed for the first time ever. I don't have the motivation to do 2 full fasts a week now. My weight is OK so I don't have the motivation to do it either!

Maybe you are one of these lucky people Franglaise who's body and mind decides what the best BMI for you; even if you feel you would like to lose a bit more you will have to fight them all the way.

Have you tried the mindfulness approach; it can change things

I made no attempt to fast on Tuesday, eating 3 meals plus snacks, because the trend line on Libra is still creeping down... Yesterday was a carbo-load day and included cheesecake for pudding, expecting a bike ride with an old running/climbing partner today (ie a serious showdown!) but the rain has put paid to that, stood on the scales and today my lightest ever (134.2lbs).
Must admit to getting a bit concerned - if I go by appetite alone I do not seem to be eating enough, yet my meals are large and fairly calorific (but I'm not counting). Will see what happens next week if I make no effort to 'get hungry' before eating - I really don't want to start stuffing myself with crisps etc just to maintain weight but even I think I look pretty thin now...
And the pressup challenge is hard work - am I losing muscles?

Creakypete
Check your thyroid
A few years ago I started losing weight rapidly .at first I was thrilled but soon realised something was wrong when I started struggling at the gym
I had a hyperactive thyroid resulting in muscle loss which was the reason for the weight loss

Have you tried the mindfulness approach; it can change things

I got as far as downloading a book on mindfulness and started reading, but that is it so far. I've never meditated before!

Mindfulness is not really meditation; its about being in the 'now'. I have done a lot of meditation and mindfulness of the years and got great benefits from it.
I will have to go now just picking my friend up from the station; likely to be Monday when I next log on

Creakypete
Check your thyroid
A few years ago I started losing weight rapidly .at first I was thrilled but soon realised something was wrong when I started struggling at the gym
I had a hyperactive thyroid resulting in muscle loss which was the reason for the weight loss

Hi Sarahg, I just checked my March blood test results to find that TSH was considered normal, being 3.8 in the range 0.3 - 5.0 so that superficially sounds good - except that the web suggests the range should be restricted to 0.5 - 3.0 and that puts me into mild hypothyroidism, of which the only signs I am showing are tiredness and muscle aches. Which might also be to do with the running/cycling/climbing/pushups challenge etc. I am certainly not gaining weight! My mother was put on on Levothyroxine age 85, not long before she died from heart failure, so I suppose it is possible I will go the same way but hyperthyroidism seems to be ruled out. Thanks for the heads-up!