I don’t believe so. Although fasting may get easier over time, the body never stops being affected by it. The biggest obstacle with fasting over time, is that the body attempts to maintain the same weight, so we tend to eat more and more on our “regular” eating days, so in that way, weight loss can halt. For your second question: fasting is not necessary to maintain weight. The body more or less maintains its weight naturally. We tend to gain weight over time simply because occasionally over indulging is much easier and more pleasurable that under indulging. Fasting just helps to allow the occasional over indulgence while maintaining the same weight. If you don’t like the idea of fasting long term, just have a weight range to maintain. For example, 180-190 lbs (your numbers may be different). If you ever reach 190 lbs, start the 5:2 diet again full swing until you reach your low point again. I find this allows the best of both worlds. Enjoying big hearty meals, not worrying if the scale starts rising again, and then, because this diet is so easy, I know the weight will fall off quickly when I reach my set point. I hope this helps.

Hi damgaard and welcome:

The body does not get ‘used to’ fasting. As long as you eat less than you use, you lose weight.

As you have been gaining weight, that means you have been eating more than you use.

The answer is not in the ‘fasting’, it is in the ‘eating’. You probably need to eat less than you have been on your non diet days.

Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/. You might read the one on ‘Plateaus’.

Good Luck!