I'm regaining.

Thank you Liz! I'm going to keep my plan really simple and see where it takes me.

1. Drink zero calorie beverages all the time except for 30min after meals
2. Eat 2-3 meals, no snacks
3. Eat between noon and 8pm, not before or after
4. Continue with a day of fasting every week (typically either Thursday or Sunday)
5. Meals are protein + Fat + green leafy or low carb veg
6. Eat sugar free cinnamon mints when hungry or craving between meals
7. Avoid protein bars / keto treats at all costs. They make me gassy and are a gateway to carb cravings.
8. Do not bring home anything off plan and tempting, even if it's for toddler and husband
9. Don't think. Just follow the simple food plan. No decisions to be made.

I really wanted intuitive lowish carb eating to work for me, but it doesn't. It sucks, but I just have to be strict with my eating forever. Being fat sucks more, so I can do this.

Just keep in mind that although hunger is not an emergency, it's not very fun either. If intermittent or full day fasting helps to stem your appetite than by all means - go ahead. But if you're going to hate your life figure out a different plan.

I'm really early out like you are, but I have maintained for longer (I think) and it's all been with 5-6 meals per day. But I count calories religiously, weigh and measure my food, and eat protein first, fats second.

Historically I haven't been able to sustain religious tracking in MFP for more than 5 months (3 separate times) but I have been able to sustain intermittent fasting for a bit longer. I think I find fasting easier than tracking, but if I start hating it I might have to track again. I mostly love how I feel fasted and it has documented health benefits, so it's my plan for now.

I actually do both -- and I have found that IF is very beneficial for me.

Before being 2 years out, it wasn't very hard to maintain -- even though I thought it was.

I am really over-the-top in my logging -- I count everything: condiments, supplements, even communion when I am forced to go to mass. EVERYTHING.

That is why I can say with certainty that what I can eat and maintain a BMI under 22 is considerably less as time goes on.

I just started Keto (for my blood sugars, more than for my weight) and I'm interested in IF or fat fasting at least. So far, I don't do well making it past 10-11am without feeling really depleted and like I need food.

It's really helpful for me to think of hunger as waves that pass: https://idmprogram.com/fasting-ghrelin-fasting-29/

On the same token, you haven't been successful right? You quit fasting or you're still managing to gain while fasting? It might be helpful to know that hunger comes in waves, but if it's not sustainable longterm then it's essentially no better than any crash diet, right?

I was intermittent fasting when I was maintaining for a few months and then I stopped. I have been fasting for 1 day per week but not controlling my eating for the other 6 days, so that has indeed not been successful at all. I think committing to intermittent fasting and cutting out my problem foods will work. For me, tracking my intake in MFP is a crash diet because I never sustain it. I'm very much a type B personality :)

It's good that a plan- but a lot all at once. I'm totally an advocate of picking 2 or three things and building in more once you've mastered a few. Losing 100 pounds is hard- losing 10 pounds 10 times seems so much more manageable.

Liz - Do you track and restrict your gum and splashes of dairy in coffee?