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!

Trying not to think about cinnamon rolls... it's not working.

I wont be able to afford cinnamon .next week . ..OH OK so that means id better have some this week! ( oh no that's not the point is it? )

Good luck laska - my dd1 did it last year so I know how much of a challenge it can be - don't forget you can Use foraged food such as nettles (which we use a lot in spring anyway)

That is a massive challenge Laska, good luck!

MAnaged to not overindulge today despite calories burnt yesterday and my fundraiser show happening today - but am also back to Shred this week, starting tomorrow....

hey cats ,we have nettles sorrel and wild fennel and garlic around right now plush thyme and rosemary in then garden, I did think of going mushrooming also though my work colleagues seem to think that fishing, or nabbing a road-kill pheasant wont be in the spirit of things!

Please can you pm your nettle soup recipe? ( I was was also thinking about doing the 'dine with below the line with me' for a couple of friends and was thinking nettle risotto obviously no wine or cheese in it though

hmm dandelion coffee....? there must be something in the garden I can make tea with,, its a bit too early for the mint..

Hi all, sorry been MIA I ate some old (homemade) turkey chilli and have been a bit poorly since, that'll teach mek, but may help with the recent couple of pounds gain.

laska sorry to hear what a tough time you and your DS have been having, that does sound hugely stressful, and it sounds like you put an amazingly strong and brave face on things, and that you will remain consistenly there for your DGS. The worrying just never ends once you are a parent I guess, but like cats I have no doubt that you will do brilliantly at negotiating a positive way through this.

literary sounds like you need some and hugs thinking of you.

B&W well done on managing your 48 hour fast, very impressive, and the binge after not great, but you definitely learned something from it. I hope your wife is thrilled to see how busy you have been when she comes back.

americas your ride sounds gruelling, but a brilliant cause to be riding for, wishing you all the best with that, and don't blame you fro abandining 3 day cleanse, fasting and one day juice days as well as some jillian and bike riding all sounds more than enough!

bssh bossh I never really had a specific target, but the 12 pound loss since last august was enough for me to feel happy and no need to actively try to lose any more (although I'm no skinny minny at a size 12, and I would like to lose a little more, just no urgency about it ) but I have continued doing 5:2, and not lost, but I have worked out I eat more than my TDEE on a daily basis, so this way 5:2 just allows me to eat what I like, when I like and I just maintain a happy weight, plus I get all the health benefits, I genuinely think it's a forever way of life for me.

cinammon rolls sound amazingly evil.....maybe tomorrow! fast day today, mushroom soup for lunch and laska's aubergine curry for supper, I finallymade it, and promptly split 4 portions out, froze 2 for fasts and then added a little coconut milk to the rest and had as a side dish with a girlfriend along with some tandoori chicken (non fast day) it was delicious!

salads season is upon us though and I am so looking forward to stopping the hot soups all the time!

I'm so hungry today .its not a fast day ,but cant quite understand it .. i was awake a couple of times in the night as well with a rumbling tum ..
Thanks to the people who have donated to my challenge so far ..I know a couple of you here have .

I've started a blog also

B&W bring on the cheap vegan recipe please.. ,The thing to remember though if you decide to join me is that your £5 had to include whole packets of stuff unless you can go to a 'scoop shop' and buy small amounts..

I'm also going to get creative with the wild plants and herbs in my garden,dont worry ill only eat what i can positively identify ..

We've got wild garlic in the garden too ATM, it's brilliant

Basic recipe is onions, potatoes, veggie stock and nettles. With whatever else I spot in the garden to throw in (cleavers, thyme, garlic, sorrel, young ground elder shoots). Either fry ingredients gently first or just poach in the stock - more or less of each depending on how thick I want it. Season to taste. We like it with a swirl of plain yoghurt and a swirl of hot pepper sauce - though the latter does interfere with the delicate herby flavours

I've crept up a few pounds and am constantly hungry ATM - so what's that about!? Am trying to fast today but staying overnight with friends so probably won't be able to calorie restrict - then have working lunch tomorrow fingers crossed I get back in the zone soon!

...update, todays fast went out the window, I found 4 pices of fruit and nut chocolate in the drawer at work and couldn't resist, not a common occurrence, but it's fine I will attempt to fast again tomorow.

Fasting has been difficult today. I've got to have gluten 3x per day and my biopsy has been put back so I can do this more religiously. I planned on eating krisprolls, but substituted my lunch ones with a piece of cake that was in the staff room - grrr.

I had 750 cals. Do you think 2x 750 fasts would work ok? Once I start on the carby stuff I find it tricky to switch off! So I usually avoid it like the plague on fast days.

Just finished my fast : whole tub of French Onion soup with leftover chicken chopped into it to come up to 500 calories.
Now stuffed.
Cannot decide what I want for my birthday meals tomorrow.
Would have been happier to be under 9 stone, but HEY I'm only two weeks away from it.

TIP its a birthday meal so have what you like,, Id go for Parma ham mango , buffalo mozzarella and torn basil as a starter, a whole baked fish with crushed olive oil potatoes and roasted cherry tomatoes , then some berries and a good cheese plate with fine bread . Plus champagne to start and red wine (yes even with fish. but that's just me.)and a good espresso and a dark chocolate . Enjoy your birthday..

Me? I'm thinking how to make potato and nettle scones coming in at under 25p a day .. B&W I need your help here

oh heck I've just made myself salivate describing that birthday meal. I haven't had fast day and have just had stuffed mushrooms with chestnut purée, cashew nuts cheese, onion and celery (it was so yum) . But fasting tomorrow.

This is the recipe I used the Walnut pate en croute (without the brandy but added celery and spring onion ) to stuff portobello mushrooms with as a meal for my weekend guests, It was fantastic and i've just had the last of them now . Highly recommended. and i dont think the eggs or cheese are necessary, you vegan friends

Obviously in the stuffed mushrooms I only used the chestnut purée and nut filling without the pastry tonight , but I did make it with Filo pastry over the weekend to rave reviews ..definitely recommended

cats I had a look in my garden ,no ground elder (but I'm quite pleased about that now I have looked them up and seen how invasive they are ) , but definitely cleavers which I didn't know you could eat, and they taste really good! and we have lots, I'm definitely going to eat those! We also have rocket, daisies , dandelions and horseradish too ..a veritable feast. Shame its not later in the year, when we also have hawthorn ,rowan, wild strawberries, elderberries , sloes ,damsons, quinces blackberries and crab apples )

literarygeek that was my recipe and brilliant on the flaxseed - what measurement did you use as I have a vegan friend I've been promsiing to make them for so would love to try it out. And well done on your NSV

Laska your imaginary birthday meal sounds amazing - TiP I would go for it! And I'm also a red wine with everything kind of girl

All the foraging talk is making me homesick!! Not that I ever foraged in my non-gardened 2 bed flat in London, but makes me think of English gardens and English countryside and my mum's house. Damsons and crba apples! I can't even remember when we last had them - must ask mum to make some damson jam later in the year and bring it with her at Christmas (along with crumpets!)

I'm fasting today and so far so good, have discovered a hot drink which staves off hunger and is delicious for people with a tart and spicy tooth - jucie of a whole lemon (we have meyer lemons in the garden), several shakes of cinammon, several shakes of cayenne pepper. Holding out til DC come home so I can have dinner with them and have a veggie souffle waiting to come out of the freezer

ATB I have a fab crumpet recipe! they are so easy to make .. will look it out and will pm it to you .. probably tomorrow now though as now off for an early night here in Blightly (and after a couple of

Has anyone lost any significant amounts of cellulite in the general weightloss? Mine seems to be more pronounced but am hoping it will go with the last of the fat eventually.

Happy Birthday TiP

been out at work this morning. Now lunch in the garden with DH then more work and then a nom nom fish supper he's creating for me.

BCL
its slower but it is going ...

Happy Birthday TiP

Found out DH will be in china for work for two weeks spanning mine next month. So I am planning a girlie martini/massage/pool afternoon at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel. That'll learn him

ATB
That sounds COOL ! or actually rather warm :-)
My birthday is sometimes in the Easter Hols. This year its in the middle of nose to the grindstone season. Hey ho.