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!

oh and thanks all for your kind words .. I'm feeling much better now , .. but sadly still the same weight as I was when i came back from my hol (10:3) after losing most of it last week.. ah well, .. I've decided to not to worry if I only can maintain around 10st-10:3 for the rest of the summer (as I find the temptations of alfresco eating and drinking pretty hard to resist ) and to do at one 24hr fast a week and cutting back another day . Then ill go back to serious 4:3 after the summer..

BTW isnt it about the anniversary of the programme?

Filly [hugs] if you felt you had no choice but to resign, surely that comes under constructive dismissal? If you could prove that at a tribunal, you would at least be entitled to compensation.

Meant to say, Laska, I'm still a member of a union - UCU as now is.

I've always bee a union member - apart from when a certain MT threw the unions out of GCHQ, equating union members with traitors!

Glad you're feeling better! And enjoy the summer!

August 8th, imsmc, wasn't it?

Oh filly that sucks! No advice but much hand holding from my court

I've never been a union members, there isn't one for me sigh

Good to see there's still some of us leftie loony social pariahs left keeping the end up B&W

I've never been in a union - as accountants have never recognised any
but my council work brings me into contact with many
and I have excellent friends who go to Tolpuddle each year

Have just watched DR MMs The Truth About Personality - last weeks Horizon.. was really good . Its still on iplayer for another day here (he's still looking pretty skinny!). I'm getting quite excited about the mindfulness course tomorrow now

Good to see there's still some of us leftie loony social pariahs left keeping the end up B&W

Just come back from the pub with my son - and I'm well aware there's some leftover Thai curry on the stove calling my name.

On one shoulder I have Jiminy Cricket - "Don't be tempted" "You'll regret it in the morning!"

But he's absent from the other shoulder - where I'm hearing "Why not have another beer?" (I have 3ltrs of home stout in the cupboard - and the taste for more in my mouth!)

"And you're maintaining now, for goodness sake, that curry won't even figure! Why are you holding back?"

But the truth is that my 'hunger switch' remains in the off position. I resisted some crisps in the pub, knowing full well that if I had just one or two, I'd have to go and get another packet.

And, as I write this, my desire for more alcohol is subsiding - I'm now thinking more of a Benedictine with ice than a glass of stout.

But in truth, by holding off whilst writing this post - and catching up with my emails, my appetite for food and more alcohol have completely gone!

[smug!]

Oh bloody hell B&W can't at least sometimes be not so perfect

I've cooked up a fast day meal for the whole family - spag Bol using turkey mince and couchette noodles!

Er....courgettes!

I'm so sorry about your job situation Filly [hugs]. I can't offer any TU advice but the reason I ended up here in France (very happily) is because of my last boss who was a mysoginist and not getting my original job back after having taken all of 6 weeks of maternity leave...sometimes things happen for the best. Good luck!
I watched the Horizon programme and although there wasn't much on Mindfulness (I'd hoped there would be more) it was very interesting. Agree that Dr MM is looking quite thin, but then he is an insomniac worrier too!
Laska42 please let us know how the course goes. I still haven't had time to start the meditating yet but was encouraged by hearing the positive results of the research into meditation on the Horizon programme.
I did my 6:1 fast yesterday but was in SUCH a bad mood by the evening because I was so hungry and I had so much to do. Still, it is done now.

ATB you must have missed this falling of the wagon moment I posted about on the main thread:

"Anyone else keep their biccies/chocolate, etc on top of the cupboard?

In line with my NES (not evening snacks) rule, I had a biscuit after dinner. Seven biscuits later I tossed the biscuits up on top of the cupboard - where I have to drag the kitchen stool over so I can access them again.

There's no need to worry, since I just skipped breakfast, but I am a little annoyed with myself! [prat]"

(One mustn't assume from this - as someone did on the other thread - that the top of the cupboard is dust-free! )

Oh good, welcome back

I managed a successful fast yesterday but awful lower abdominal pains kicked in around 9pm, I don't think it's gas, and they're still there now it's 2:20am

Ow

filly hugs so sorry, that sounds horribly stressful, and the last thing you need, agree with b&w about possible constructive dismissal case, i would definitely seek advice, although possibly you have to be there a year before you would be eligible? also agree about unions, but sounds suspiciously private sector like (same as me, therefore much as i am a loonie leftie too, I can't join a union)

laska I watched teh dr m personality thing too, very interesting to realise that it can be changed, I always thought once a pessimist alwasy a pessimist and vice versa, I am an optimist, but liked the happy smiley faces game, I bet we could all do with some of that.

weighed in today and am 10 12, so have lost another 2 pounds since last week, so back to where i was maintaining (after 5 fasts), all good, but onwards and downwards. felt a bit off colour though so not done 16:8 today(I started doing that about 10 days ago) and had some fruit and nut muesli with yogurt for breakfast, but still no snacking and lots of fizzy water.

americas ouch, poor you, hot water bottle and some warm water to drink?

I defrosted a 'log' of goat's cheese with chilli crust yesterday bought it last autumn at a food fair and was told it froze well - I had some crumbled on nice healthy salad for lunch and it was just what it needed to give it a bit more taste for very little calories .

I just went in and ate the rest of it on Ryvita - the whole block

(talking of throwing hunger switches!)

On the plus side it counts as 'real food' - though not sure about the Ryvita!

[grin} cats
Im sittinghere at work , (everyone gone home ) as I had the choice of driving 23 miles home and back here to go to a 7.30 start course.. Theers nothing open here at this time and I have an hour and half to kill .

Think before next week id better plan ahead beter and bring something to change onto ,so i can go for a proper walk or go to theleisure centre .. and swim .Now why didnt i think of this before?

Ihave a block of mature Gouda bought lunchtime in my bag.. (ive aready eaten some..)

ah thats why.. the leisure centre swimming pool is closed for refurbishment .. rats .

I now have to go out to an appointment with the nice lady at the gym = yes I'm taking the plunge and trying to start up going again. It's been so long since I went that my details are no longer on their system - probably at least 10 yrs. I had that strange attitude that I couldn't go because I was so overweight and out of condition but now I'm not overweight so methinks it's time to hit the rowing machine!

I hope the rest of the Gouda survives until you get home Laska

Great weightless mocnk! Well done you - what's your new aim again?

I cheated a bit, supposed to only be weighing in on Mondays to give me a kick up the arse after the weekend, yesterday I was only 1lb down from last week so I WI today after fasting yesterday and down another 3.5lbs NFD today but im trying out 16:8 on NFD's and actually wasn't too hungry til midday anyway - stomach was still hurting a bit this am. Had a healthy salad for lunch then just gobbled down a "snack" of Chana Masala!! bugger....

DS and I always go for frozen yogurt on Tuesday's so I'll just make sure I have half the amount I normally do - DH and I discussed getting a takeaway this eve, I might change my mind and cook summat light instead

BUT very nice to see 133.5lbs again (even though I know I'll bounce up again a bit), next week will be quite indulgent so think it'll be 4 fasts this week in anticipation, just over half a stone to go before sept 11th, and to keep it there!

Oh, and even though DD has had a few crap nights I've got up and done Shred the last few days, will swim on Thursday, bike planned for weds, sat and sun....now to stick to it!

cats great news about having the confidence to hit the gym again, I'd take that as an nsv!

laska I am crap at avoiding temptation if it's right in front of me (Chana masala being a case in point!)

Gouda survived mostly intact so thats good,but i've had a (well deserved I think you'll agree) since i've been in.

Well the mindfulness course experience this evening was interesting.. obviously too soon to say how it will go its going to be in ideal conditions and I think the concept it good and hopefully useful

But I arrived at the venue only to find the door locked , wandered up the road to see if it was in another place and id got it wrong, no one around , wandered back and found 3 women hanging about and so asked if they were also waiting for the course tutor and they were.

20 mins later no sign of any tutor , then a lady stopped her car and asked if we were the course participants and said we'd all walked by her in her car , and that the room we were supposed to be in hadn't been unlocked. So she (the tutor) had seen us all , but hadn't come up and made herself known and said she was just going back home . Then she took us all off to the park to do the meditation there!

Bear in mind that we are all total novices,and this is about helping anxiety, but she seemed to think we shouldn't mind doing this for the first time ever in full view of a everyone else...

Well lying in the park on yoga mats trying to meditate I kept thinking , i wast really dressed for public view doing this. Mind you I am a bit of a recluse its true .. I dont go out much in the evening as it is so it always feels strange to be out then anyway.(sad but true)

Also I didn't think to wear trousers and was in a summer dress as worn to work . It felt a bit soviet or Chinese group exercises i suppose... but lying on a mat whilst people played football on the pitch next to us was quite strange... I kept thinking why was i wearing a nice summer frock doing this lying on a mat next to a load of sweaty shouting blokes. (

Found it quite challenging to 'get into the moment' but ill go back next week and hopefully we will have a private space.. Ok so a weird experience..but ( wrong thread but AIBU?)

Interesting, and yes I do need to get out more and get used to socialising more .. One of the reasons I'm doing this actually but a baptism of fire I think ,

Hi Laska what larks!

Reminds me of a similar occasion when the caretaker didn't turn up until 20 minutes after one of my sessions should have started. I ended up doing the intro's and scene-setting in the corridor!

Funnily enough, the shared experience really brought everyone together - and definitely enhanced the group formation! Maybe that'll happen with your class.

Full marks anyway, to your tutor for taking advantage of the good weather and the park!

thanks americas my new aim is 10 stone - or maybe just under as I haven't been in the 9 stone world since I was a teenager, but for September 11th 10 stone 6, currently 10 stone 12, you never know I might surpass target, but suspect I won't maintain current 2 pound a week loss, especially with school summer holidays coming up, and usually for me it really levels out to half to 1 pound a week. trying to stick to weighing after first fast day of the week

well done you on losing the extra 3.5 lb's that's loads! and also doing shred, your plan is good, 4 fasts is lots and will definitely mitigate the following week, but maybe don't weigh yourself after those 4 fasts as it will be bound to bounce back up the following week?

laska I'm with you, I would have been utterly thrown at having to do mindfullness outside when not expecting it and not feeling like I was wearing suitable attire, lets hope she gets a bit more organised for next weeks session!

cats I like it when I suddenly feel thin and energetic enough to start doing exercise, I think partly we're looking for a new focus too, once the weight is gone, you don't get the buzz from losing, but exercise can replace that, IYSWIM?

was a nfd yesterday and I made a delicious salad, I roastd butternut squash in coconut oil and then had cold with salad leaves and crumbled feta, avo, tomatoes, sugar snaps, cucumber and some toasted seeds, a little red chilli with a drizzle of EVOO and some balsamic, truly yummy!

fasting today, bought some calorie counted meals yesterday for ease, and so will try and stick to just drinks and some chicken stock today.

ATB - and anyone else who does marathon type exercise - fascinating discussion here about the benefits of being keto-adapted versus a hi-carb diet.

The whole discussion is interesting - but the bit about exercise is around the 50 minute mark.

Apparently, if you're KA, you don't hit the 'wall' and you don't have to worry so much about diet pre-event.