I think my Why is because I do feel better after a fasting day or after exercise. Not just physically better, I feel satisfied that I did a good thing. It is so easy for me to overindulge. I overindulge in online time, I overindulge in eating, I overindulge in spending. When I overindulge, I feel bad but not bad enough to stop doing it. Yet the accumulation of instances where I feel bad about myself results in a downward spiral. I HAVE to do something to make myself feel better. Fasting, in the form of restricting food or online time, makes me feel better. 'Fasting from laziness' - a.k.a. exercising - makes me feel I have accomplished SOMETHING and results in feeling better about myself. And like Mama, I feel better about myself when I get to enjoy the results of better health and better physique. All that said, I am still plenty lazy and guilty of overindulging. Deciding to set aside time for a fast just helps me demonstrate to myself that I can say no to my indulgences as needed. And it was needed because I was in the pattern of gaining a little more as the years went by. Really, my fasting and exercising are not that big of a deal. Two fasts per week (and I never fast more than one day in a row so I can always eat the next day) plus a very bare bones strength or Tabata routine on weekdays plus whatever opportunity presents itself on the weekend. So overall, less negative self-image, less guilt, and more positive results for a very small investment!

Great thread! Thanks for sharing!

My WHY? Scroll to the end...

My History...
Fat as a kid, fatter as an adolescent, obese as an adult...always active and didn't get teased much about my weight. But was never happy with my weight. Dieted a couple of times but was afraid of the yoyo.

Then years ago I hit 97kg on January 1st. Not a good place to be at 157cm. I booked a vacation in Peru and knew we'd be up at 4000+. Thus i started exercising and as a side effect ate healthier/less and lost weight. 21kg in 18mth. Got stuck at 76kg and over time bad habits came back. Like Sanjo, I love food and can eat when I'm not hungry. I don't have huge binges but I'm definitely not always controlled....10yrs later i was up to 86kg again and slowly feeling side effects...knees, bloodwork, blood pressure. Nothing major but everything borderline. During that time I did alot of work on my innerself and psychological issues.

Then by 'chance' I watched Mosley's docu and it clicked...I fasted and the weight melted off...It was easy and my eating on normal days was pretty controlled without feeling the need to control it. I passed the magical hurdle of 75kg and for the first time in my life I believed I could reach a normal weight. So i continued. 18mth later i weighed 57kg and a size 36 was baggy to perfect. That was in May 2014.

Since then I've more or less maintained. Had a breast lift in oct 2014 and a major tummy tuck in june 2015. The breaks were hard but i got back to the exercise and just kept fasting. The last year has been difficult and my control left me several times. I hit 65kg in oct 2016....I did some more work on my innerself and have found my mojo again...down to 62.5kg again.

In that year I always fasted.many were not perfect some a total fail...but i continued, restarted again and again and believed my control would find me again.

I see two reasons for not losing myself completely...my birthday suit does not like the extra tension on my tummy scars and from the start 5:2 was a conscious decision as a way of eating for me. It was never a diet for a limited time, because as a short foodie, I will always need a tool to control my intake. I like the new me inside and out.

I'm happier, healthier, fitter and that is where I want to be. My brain still hasn't caught up with my appearance. The mirror still surprises me daily....and I like that. I also like the feeling of the bloat disappearing after a fast day. And I like healthy meals and enjoy various types of exercise. That's a plus I always had I just always ate too much...

WTG Kate! Go kick a**!

I've been away for a bit. Still fasting, but just going through the motions. Like many, my motivation is running on low. My original "why" was seeing myself on stage and looking like a cow, even though I was playing a mom. Ballet is my passion and I found the motivation in my desire to look good on stage. Then, my WHY became feeling good about being 47 and doing something not a lot of women my age are doing and doing it well. While I'm still dancing, I've just found my motivation for maintaining to be sort of bleh. Many of my FD end up being a wash because I cave around 4:00 and start eating. I've always had a weight problem. I've long thought that I don't know how not to be concerned with my weight and feel I sabotage my efforts in order to feel normal. The 5:2 plan has been easy for me and this is the longest I've kept it off (3 years in December). But my "why" has become a mystery. Thank you for giving me some food for thought...maybe I'll get my mojo back!!