IF, 4:3, 5:2 - Maintaining a healthy weight - Chapter 2

[Breadandwine]

This thread is for those who have been practicing IF (Intermittent Fasting) for quite a while and are now at or nearing their target healthy weight. It's also for anyone who is doing it for the health benefits alone.

How do we experience fasts and balance a stable food intake while having little or no weight to lose?

How do we ensure that this WOL keeps us at the healthy weight long term rather than revert to yoyo games?

Several of us have been stable at our goal weight for a few months, now, and others are joining all the time. Obviously, the more the merrier!

Here is the current main thread for posters practicing IF to lose weight.

There are two other associated threads:
This one, which is an absolute goldmine of Tips and Links on how to practice IF, and the research behind it.

And here is a treasure trove of 5:2 recipes, mostly low calorie for fasting days, but there are also recipes for when you want to treat yourself. And, now we're maintaining, we'll need more of these!

survived fasting today with the lady whose house I was working in cooking and then eating bacon sandwiches with her kids in front of me. And it was real bacon.
but I did not buckle - just bulged a bit as I've had stuff all exercise lately.

Hello all. Well, we all know (most of you more than me as I'm quite new to this) that maintaining is harder than losing and that each of us has to work out, through trial and error, what works for us.

I've tried 36 hour zero calorie fasts but I found they made me binge the day after. Fasting (including 16:8 and vanilla 5:2 as per Dr M's book) has not helped me stop my tendency to overeat (even if under TDEE!) on non-fast days. But not snacking has. So this week I am trying 6:1 with no snacking during week days (pretty much No S). I'm not weighing until a month so I will judge my success by how I feel, whether I "binge" ( = eat when not at all hungry) or not, how my clothes fit, how I look naked.

So far I feel terrific on my no snacking policy - loads of energy, not always thinking about food unless it's time for lunch or dinner (I still skip breakfast), and so far no urge to overeat. But we'll see.

Oooooo.... We have our own section! Look at the headings

OOh 8 Cats* Mainstream!! how exciting!!

A quicky as my Bank hol weekend starts here and I have to go to pick DH up from ferry in a mo, (but hopefully will have time to be back on tomorrow )

so quick quick

Thanks MOCNK I had a little tear reading your kind words xxxx

Cyclistist Bro 5 stone lighter !! you must feel great . I'm 4 stone lighter almost but it took me 6 years! yes I'm up for a meal , can come up to London, if anyone else can (MONCK you'll have to come back for it!) , July or Aug? Tip if you are up also we could go same train maybe

Tip Bacon... How could you resist ? Will of steel!

Mam 29 welcome .. are you maintaining? if not you may be better on thread 20 ( though you are of course ery vwelcome here, but we are all at maintenance now)

BSSH B&W* FF everyone Hi if im not back until , have a great bank hol weekend

I'm a bit sad about the new sub-categories. Feel as if we've been "sidelined" and will be missed by all those not currently interested in fasting. I only started investigating 5:2 because it kept surfacing to the top of Big/Weightloss forum when I was skimming all threads for something new to try.

I'm not sure about the sub-categories either, though I guess it shows how mainstream this has become. I see they've moved the recipe thread but not the hints and tips thread. Anyone know how to get that moved so it doesn't get lost?

We've got a German exchange student staying with us this week. I've just picked her up and the poor thing is looking a bit lost. Our house is chaotic at the best of times, and I'm not sure which language I'm supposed to use. She is on a German/French exchange, but seems more comfortable in English, and we switch and change between us all the time.

I fasted today so I can eat normally at the weekend, I don't really want to have to explain to a foreign teenager why we don't eat 2 days a week. I've lined up pizza and lasagne and roast chicken (so good traditional French food!). Not sure what we are going to do though, we had planned pool and beach but the weather is pretty dire. We might go to the beach with a kite anyway we'll have to do something.

I would love to come to a meet up but unfortunately I can't get away in the summer. I'll join you in spirit though.

I've asked MNHQ to move the Hints and Tips thread (via the Report button).

we'll get more of the threads moved across
I'm not too worried because there is no header section so people will flick into each of the subsections

We have our own section .

I suspect this will actually impact on what I was about to come here and say- that I will be away until Weds next week so probably will be unable to start a new main thread.

If people continue to post in that thread, it'd be great if someone could make a new thread with the main links in it at the top so people have something to refer to. I'm not sure I'll be able to, though I might, it just depends on what internet access I have.

However... I think this new forum means people will post their own threads for individual questions. It's a good thing the tips and hints thread exists. :)

Agree with Bssh that it's a bit sad that we're in our own spot now. I don't think we'll get the random newcomers. I think we look a bit odd now- oh look at the fasting people. Hopefully that won't be the case!

In a fit of rain related procrastination I've reported all the main threads to MNHQ to get switched to the new category.

It'll be interesting to see if we get as many people stumbling across the threads now they're all on their own - but we are now mainstream after all and that's not a bad thing!

It'll be a lot easier for people to read through the threads when they're all together, it took me ages to find them all when I first started. It's easier for people to find the hints and links thread too now.

Just remember peeps.. we were here first and as we are still all here and maintaining it is a fantastic testament to how great this WOE is!.. and i'm back (just in time for another weekend) to my 'low' weight!'..

as Tip said whats not to like?

Another back on track here ... weighed in at 8:13 - ready for the weekend.
Not bad considering I've done burger all exercise and not stuck to 500 calorie suppers this week.
And more and more of my friends are now seeing that not only did I lose the weight but its staying off and are joining the gang.

We may have to ask MM to do an anniversary follow up programme

HI there i've just written a WELCOME thread , mostly utilising the stuff from the main thread ,as I though it may help now we have out own section can we make sure we keep bumping it up the list .

Well done TIP , I feel I'm going to have to work to get down to more your weight before we meet otherwise you may still think im a bit of a blob at 10st not really , I'm feeling pretty great at this weight and I reckon its fine for me.

oh yes I re-bought my favourite (and too big) white stuff skirt off ebay in a sz 8!! (its just arrived and it fits !)

LOL TIP what's a burger exercise? like the sound of it ..Freudian slip?

and oh shit.. talking of Freudian slips .. on my welcome thread i've referred to DR Michael Mosley's FAT diet book (duh) .. annoying that I cant edit it

Just checking in amongst the manicness of packing etc - failing all attempts at dating and NoS this week but I'm giving myself a break. Healthy eating from Sunday (I'll need a massive glass of wine tomorrow might after the move!) in the inal lead up to the bike ride.

Btw I'm only $149 off my goal of $5000 so Thankyou so so much to everyone who's donated - though your support has been invaluable, discovering 5:2 and this group has really helped me get into a good place to prepare for this ride

Dating?! Fasting!

I seem to be missing something here - haven't checked in for a little while and things are moving fast! (Sorry, that wasn't meant to be a bad pun )

Please somebody explain what NoS is? I've tried to work it out and failed

Non-fasting day here so off to have with supper

Laska
I'm a skinnymalink : many people would look scrawny at my weight.

Burger all exercise : old habits die hard. I started using this name in 2005 on the Ebay boards (I'm still there twice a week) and swearing is banned so one became VERY creative
Twonk was invented there, and describing things as Carp and Burger all, let alone Fur Cough and Dye ....
Friday nights on Ebay used to make AIBU look like a walk in the park

ATB : relink to your fund and I'll add in : I've got loads of west coast family so might even accidentally put it on my FB page ...

I've worked till gone 10 pm every night this week and have a rather disappointed DD next to me (prefect politics at school) so am already on teh fizzy ....

Evening all,

Well failed my attempt at 3 Fasts again this week but managed 2, so maintaining albeit a few pounds I suppose above where I want to be. My main problem seems to be at the mo, as with several others, uncontrollable munching on non-fast days. Still, it's a work in progress and I'll get there in the end, and as TIP says, the weight is basically staying off most of us contrary to predictions of those around us last year.

Sorry SWAFOT no idea what NoS is, but enjoy the wine

Laska, Catsrus thanks for coming back to me about the anniversary meal/meet up. As for a date I thought a year to the day that the programme aired would be great, you never know we might be able to make it an annual thing??!!!(Would be interesting to see what we all look like after 20 years of IFing ). Anyone else interested? It would be great if we could get a 10 or 20 people there

Have a great weekend all!

cyclistist
interesting talking to my BodyBalance instructor : she allows 3 lb up and down without stressing : and I was worried on 2 either way

sadly I like the idea of some sort of a meet up

• but
• who is for haggling MM to book it and we all get pictures taken with him : papparazzi proof sunglasses : as without threads 1 thru 5, his website would never have been set up :-)

I'd be up for it but I'm not back in the country til mid September

Thanks TiP....not sure how to do links properly on the app but here is cut and paste link:

Http://tofighthiv.org/goto/feloy

Oh sorry, NoS is very new... No Snacks, No Sugar

Yep, NoS is a "diet" I learned about recently: No snacking between meals, no sweets, no second helpings except on days that start with S (so weekends and special-to-you days). I've been following it on non-fast days as a way of not overeating.

Ohhh... thanks ATB and BsshBossh, that makes sense!