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!

[Laska42]

Thanks TIP well yes we knew it would be hard and of course she would be moving on . but I suppose it was it was just that it was so cruel and seemingly deliberately hurtful, especially as we have always tried to make her part of the family here .

I wouldn't have done that.

Better if she had just not invited us in the first place.

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

oh Laska I'm sorry it does sound very cruel, to give you one impression and then on the day it look like something completely different. And it's not like your son treated her badly or there has ever been any antagonism - it sounds like her DM has tried to wrestle control but like MOG is oblivious. I can see why you're so hurt.

I think TIP is right, you need to reinvent yourselves as the alternative (cooler, not so old and fuddy duddy, living in an awesome place) grandparents - the ones who Marcus will escape to when he's older because you have a bond but a slightly removed bond - like I suppose the ones we forge with our friends' children.

I'm really angry on your son's behalf though, how awful - though at least the BF doesn't sound like the mean and spiteful one, that would be very difficult for all concerned. (though he's turned up pretty damn quick hasn't he?)

No worries for going off topic, it's good occasionally to realise there's more to life than dropping a few pounds

lots of unmumsnetty xxxxxxxxx and hugs

[Breadandwine]

Laska [hugs]

What a horrible experience! I second TiP's wise words - at all costs, you have to be emollient and turn the other cheek. You need to stay in touch - and be available if there's any chance of child care at any time.

[Breadandwine]

Well, I did it! A complete fast of 48 hours - and, TBH, I could have kept going.

The closest I came to 'hunger' was a slight feeling of 'something' in my tum yesterday evening. A sip of water and it was gone.

I had three choices this evening - I could have just carried on; I could have ended the fast with a

[TheCyclistist]

so sorry to hear about your weekend Laska, and at the end of the day everything TiP2 says makes sense.

My eldest boy who's 21 now said to me a few months after entering the world of work and supposed adulthood, that when he was imagining what it would be like when he left school he imagined that he'd be entering a world full of 'adults' .......what he found he got was a world full of rather big kids!!

[Laska42]

Thanks all.. I feel better for having written it all down.. .Yes turn the other cheek it has to be , but oh , boy I never want to be in the same room as the rest of her family again..
Hopefully we wil be able to have positive impact on Marcus inthe future.
wel fastin gtoday and its goingok ,,(im hoping to have only veggiesfor dinner this eveningand not wine instead!)

Well done onth 48 hours B&W , but yes , perhaps a massive meal straight aftre wasnt the best idea.. Hope you are feling a bit less stuffed now
.

[Laska42]

oh bugger. I got home , walked into the kitchen and fell straight into a glass of white. And am now starting to prepare food for our weekend visitors.. . so I'm now just officially writing this week off.. ( no scale change though so good) Its not too bad though... earlier on in the week I nearly bought some fags again..
.
Right ..enough about my family woes and thanks again everyone for being kind (and not minding too much about me imposing here)

so we all know that B&W is master of the universe today (even if he has a slight bulge after all that cake) But how is everyone else doing?

I bought a fab 'sixties type print mini dress in a charity shop today (for the Summer which we all now richly deserve her in the UK.. lucky old FF and ATB ) ..was a Sz 10 -which is good as the still annoyingly big boobs usually mean a 12 (or sometimes even 14 depending on make ) in dresses or top even now . But I think they are shrinking at last .. so good , must get the tape measure out .(sorry if too much information here , boys) .. which reminds me did anyone ever hear back from manonboard I still laugh at his 'top of the morning' joke when i see TOTM written down on the net .

catsrus you were talking about your regime a while back (was it on the other board?) . I want to lose a bit more , but am keen to know .do you think the maintenance 'eating only in the evening' on eating days is working for you .

TIP are you back in the swing now?
cyclistist bro re kids vs adults .. (wry smile emoticon ) .. your boy does sounds like he has his head screwed on the right way though

[Talkinpeace]

Snot monster from the south checking in ....
Amazing how bloated a cold can make me feel. But I've taken to skipping lunch when I'm working and just having a decent supper each day - not getting to the gym my TDEE is only around 1300 calories.

Laska
When we meet up I'll regale you with how my family coped with the splits - some better than others - but finding ways to be different is the only way forward, as is meeting on neutral territory.
I'm up to my eyeballs with work but will message / email you ...

planning to have a drink this evening too : will fast properly when my head does not hurt.

[ellenbrody]

I had a mini - fast today, 16 hours, then 1000-1200 cals (TDEE is 1500), I'm hoping this, and a 'proper' fast on a Monday will keep me steady and let me indulge a bit at the weekends.

It's been three weeks and so far so good (fingers crossed for Sat am weigh in!).

[ellenbrody]

Oh, and b&w, well done! I'm most impressed!! I also love the name Ellen, its so pretty (not my real name, just a homage to my fave film).

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

blimey well done B&W but eurgh that over eating feeling must have hurt some....I hate that feeling so much and yet am still to control binging when it happens.

Glad you're feeling a little better Laska but I think you're entitled to a week with alcohol and no fasts! Back on it next week lovely.

I made a stupud mistake and bought some jeans on ebay in an America size 6 thinking it was UK size 8 (aim for my birthday then maintain) but the sizing in my head is wrong and should have bought size 4 (god that sounds ridiculous, no wonder there's such an obesity problem here!) BUT the size 6's are a bit loose so here's hoping....

Fasting today and doing fine, so much better mentally than the stupid juice cleanse bollocks....

[Talkinpeace]

was good and did not have a drink with supper ... saved for tomorrow :-)

[BetsyVanBell]

Oh Laska, big hugs xxxx

[frenchfancy]

Hugs from me too Laska.

[virginposter]

Well done B&W what an achievement.

Hugs too Laska people can be so horrible, family too. I was estranged from my mother for 20 years and even when she died. Sometimes when people cause upset and pain it's best to cut them out of your life totally. My sister was still talking to my mother but her life was made a misery until she too stopped seeing and talking to her. My sister told me recently that it felt like a weight had lifted from her shoulders.
Don't even think about them, just do the best you can for your son and his/your relationship with your grandson, that's what really matters.

[Laska42]

people.

I am feeling a lot better after this . But glad i unburdened to you rather than AIBU.. I wouldn't have wanted to be told That IWBU .. as of course you never really know what goes on in peoples relationships and so I can see her point of view about my sons lack of enthusiasm earlier ..But yes she did replace him just in a couple of months for a better prospect it seems..

Well I'm not eating until this evening when friends arrive.. have day off and should be cleaning as friends arrive lunchtime ,.. but just popped into catch up again. whilst is have my coffee digest the devastating Rolf Harris news - well for my generation of kids anyway -(as if this week hadn't been bad enough eh? ) Of course it not be true, but am fast coming to the conclusion that I'm just a bit naive even at 55 .. ah well..

Any way enough of that.. this is a diet board ,as i should remember [slap on hand emoticon]

.. I do agree with you on sizes ATB but of course the manufacturers seem to be all over the place... im finding sometimes I need an 8 in jeans but other times (usually cheapy jeans) the 10s dont even go over my thighs (which are quite slim) !! . I used to use good old M&S for my guide , but they seem to have got a bit bigger now, I think. in fact the other day I struggled to find any sz 8s in here at all.. (or perhaps its because they are now their best selling item) . but as said above with tops ..F knows! i usually start at 12 and go each way depending on make ..

If i ever win the lottery , as well as having clean crisp white cotton sheets on my bed every day ..I think ill also have someone to make my clothes..

stupid juice cleanse bollocks I thought you were liking it ATB

Tip hope you are besting the snot monster today

I have woken up with a big red SPOT monster on my chin grrrr!

[catsrus]

I have every confidence you'll manage to navigate through the relationship with your gs's mother laska hang on in there.

I had a day without food yesterday prior to a bit too much and good restaurant food when I went out with a friend consequently I have a heavy carb need this morning - toast followed by 2 bagels on the way to the train - and I've got a lunch provided at a meeting today.... Will have to take myself in hand at the weekend I know - make sure I'm not sliding back up again with a couple of good fasts. Am working Saturday with a fair bit of travel involved so that will help

[Laska42]

PEDANT ALERT: sorry that above should have read I wouldn't have liked to be told that IWBU by a lot of strangers .. especially as I know that many people (like myself when my son was small ) have ended up being single parents through no fault of their own) ..

I'm a writer . always scribbling and re=reading and correcting my stuff.. (not a very good typist though )

[Laska42]

MMMM toast and bagels Stop it Cats it's torture.. (I might make some more crumpets later though )

Right off to get the bloody sodding ridiculous unwieldy annoying bastard vacuum cleaner out . We are not friends ..usually DH does it ..

[Talkinpeace]

Feeling nearly human today. Had an excellent morning at the gym. Weighed in at 9st 2 - so 4lb up on ideal but bearing in mind the combination of holidays, Easter, cold and work, nothing I can't sort in a couple of weeks.

[BsshBossh]

Gate-crashing this thread to say ((((Laska)))). You've had some lovely responses on here - what a supportive bunch you are :)

I also have a question for you maintainers:
Are any of you continuing with 5:2 and if so why?
Those of you on 6:1 - are you actually maintaining on this?
Anyone mixing it all up with Fast 5 or 16:8 etc?

[BsshBossh]

Whoops * fail, sorry.

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Hope everything's ok literarygeek

bsssbosh I'm not sure what 16:8 is? To be honest once I'm maintaining (hopefully in the next three weeks) I'll probably do a juice day once a week and a fast 1 or 2 days a week, depending on what's going on. I've lost weight very slowly on 4:3/5:2, probably because in the grand scheme of things it's not a hell of a lot to lose, but I imagine some weeks there will be more fasts than others, and am definitely getting better again at "banking" calories, so if I'm going out for a slap up meal I will eat much less if anything during the day

Laska I do normally like the juicing and still juice one day a week but I think a stressful week or two with both children just goin through one I those phases, DH in China and too much pressure from a FB juicing group (which I subsequently left) meant I packed in doing a 3 day cleanse. I still did my one day though so I'm just going back to what I know and what works best! Might do a 3 day cleanse after anticipated birthday excesses in a few weeks. I know someone doing a 21 day cleanse and she is MISERABLE! She's just 6 days in but that is long enough to go without actually chewing on anything...made me realise I made a pact to myself to find a WOE and exercise that I enjoyed immediately as there's no point putting myself through something I hate as I just won't stick to it. Which (again) is why this WOE works so well for me, I can have what I want tomorrow! And now I don't need to feel guilty about not going to the gym or for runs

Aaaaaanyway. 70mile training ride tomorrow so fasting today until this evening when I'm having a massive but healthy dinner to build up protein for the ride

[mollysfolly]

Hi all and a bug hug for Laska . And you were so looking forward to your weekend. Can't help feeling new Bf, who sounds a good sort, will suffer a similar fate to DS.
Hope the Ice Age exhibition was good though (jealous - we went but it was booked up).

I have had an unscheduled fast day due to a very iffy pie at the pub this lunchtime, which made a reappearance shortly afterwards.