How to sustain doing 5:2 for good?

[3kidsareenough]

Hi all,
I'd really like some advice or your tips on how to 5:2 for good. I've been doing 5:2 for the last 3/4 years I love it, I've lost 4 stone on it and I've never felt or looked better than when I'm 5:2ing, but my problem is I can't sustain it. I stop for a break and end up going back to my old ways for a few months (and that's all it takes to put all the weight I've lost back on) so this week I'm trying to get back into it again I've been doing mini fast days and I feel brilliant again (have a good bit of weight to loose again) but next week I'm planning on doing at least one proper FD - so how can I stay in this zone?? Any words of wisdom greatly appreciated as the thought of not being able to stick to it is actually putting me off doing any fasting at all 🙁

What do you mean you go back to your old ways? Are you doing something else as well as fasting twice a week?

Once you get to goal, go to a maintenance plan:

e.g. fast one day per week
and on the other days no snacking - have any treats, alcohol, even fruit only as part of a meal

After a holiday, or whenever you put on 4lb, return to 5:2 - easy to correct a few lb

Weigh regularly, daily or weekly

If it's a question of how to 'stay in the zone' - dull as it is - I think you have to weigh yourself daily.

I'm sure plenty will disagree with this, but personally speaking, it's the only thing that keeps me on the straight and narrow.

I'm most definitely not one of those lucky people who can eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce. So I have to keep an eye on myself if I don't want to put weight on (and I really don't; menopause around the corner, etc).

I hop on the scales each morning as part of my bathroom routine.

That way, you can react quickly if there's been a gain. And if you're doing it daily, the gain will be minimal - and therefore relatively easy to fix. You would then go back on fulltime 5:2 for a couple of weeks.