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!

Finally got around to that recipe, Laska - but although it is very cheap to make, it does depend on you having the ingredients in.

Basically, it's a lentil and potato hash in a pie made with a bread crust.

nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/lentil-and-potato-pie-using-bread-dough.html

However, lentils are 99p/kg - flour is 80p a bag (or 45p if you don't go for bread flour), then you need a large potato and an onion. Fresh yeast can be had free from the bakery counter at Asda.

But the pie should last 3 or 4 days...

This is trickier than I thought - maybe you should just go on a 5 day fast!

I know, I know, it's not funny! Sorry!

If you bought the s/raising flour (45p in Morrison's), that would provide you with enough soda bread for the 5 days. A jar of jam costs (from memory) about 31p from Lidl - so you could live on bread and jam.

Still thinking...

Could I please ask some questions? I've had a read through some of the threads but still not sure.

I have lost 5 stone and am looking to maintain my weightloss but mainly I want to try an IF diet because of the reduction in breast cancer risks as I am in the very high risk category.

From what I can see it sounds like you need 16+ hours fasting to see health benefits, up to a period of 24 hours, with diminishing returns once you get much past 24 hours. Is this fasting period a zero calorie period or is it the time in which you would eat your 500 cals?

This is what I am planning on doing but don't know if it is 'right' or ok. Any help or tips would be great.

Tues 7pm-Wed 7pm -- No calories, plenty of water, followed by a normal meal at 7pm on the wednesday night
I would plan to do the same on either Sun/Mon or Thurs/Fri depending on what I have planned in a week.

Is that ok?

I use MFP anyway, so was planning on eating to my TDEE on MFP on the 'normal' days.

Happy Birthday TiP

well today I had a trawl around the shops hoping to make a plan fo ..and yes its a bit of a shock ... but I bagged some.some 'reduced for quick sale things -' 2kg of potatoes (far more than id usually eat in a month of normal eating) £1.38 , 6 very large onions,£1, and a bag of chillis reduced to 30p. Then a trip to Lidl got me a tube of tomato puree for 39p and A large tin of kidney beans (21p). and I think ill go back there for some lard (35p) as that seems to be the only cooking fat I can afford

.So the potatoes onions and chilli with my nettles ,wild garlic and a few herbs from the garden will have to be my 'sag aloo' and that looks like what ill be eating mostly .Although, ill probably make nettle soup also as we have lots in the garden .

The kidney beans chilli and tomato puree and more potatoes into a couple of 'burgers' probably with more garden weed 'greens' .

But the flour for the potato scones I was thinking of having for breakfast seems to be a problem. I could buy a large bag of 'basics' flour for 45p it seems , but I'm hardly going to use all that.. so I might have to pop back to Easyweigh again tomorrow and see if I can buy less for less loose..

,I've checked out the price per gram of Garam Masala, and salt at Easyweigh and its all around 7p and so costing it as 3g ..I have this at home but will weigh it out before I start

Then thought id get some 'basics' natural yoghurt , 45p in co op which with the wild garlic will make a sauce , or might bind the potato patties together.

So that comes to £4.74

Someone at work sells free range pullets eggs at £1 a half dozen .. 16p each I wonder if he will sell me 2? that would help with the scones but would also put me 6p over ..

Aargh! so do I lose the garam masala or salt? I must find a solution to the flour problem.. I only need a small amount not a whole ruddy bag..

Tricky.. I'm certainly glad I dont have to make these choices all the time .

Sorry this is a plan for my live on £1 a day challenge next week . not 5:2!. unfortunately even if i fast two days (and I might) it doesn't mean i can use the rest of the cash the next day, and the rules say i have to either buy full packets of things or things sold loose ... . its not easy , as it is I'm mostly going to be eating potato it seems .

Please sponsor me! here

Im fasting today , have just my had fish and veggies for dinner and am feeling stuffed.. . not usual for me .though, perhaps its it because i have been sitting around all day .think ill go do some exercises..

Laska the s/r flour at 45p will give you all the bread you need - plus you can make gorgeous pancakes for 1p each with just flour and water.

nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/pancakes-using-just-flour-and-water.html

Yogurt for a one off, or s/r flour for a lot of food??

I know I'm a vegan and probably biased, but the flour will give you more bang for your buck!

Ballet
Welcome to the stable crew : I'm hoping that in time this will become the active thread IYSWIM
I tend to do 24 hour tea only fasts.
I should probably not have tea as I have semi skim milk in it : but my poor audit clients might not forgive me!!
What I actively do is avoid all solids for 24 hours twice a week.

Today is a funny : its my birthday so my wonderful husband cooked me an amazing dinner
(small ouzo then scallops, chorizo and rose wine then sea bass, puff pastry shapes, green beans and hollandaise washed down with gewurztraminer and then boursin and rose wine for pudding)
BUT I skipped breakfast and had a small boiled egg sandwich for lunch knowing that supper was coming.

Tomorrow is not technically a fast day, but I'm finding it easier and easier to only eat at the end of the day (after mainlining tea all day)

hmm B&W yes i see where you are coming from , but its a big pot of yoghurt and will help with making flat bread anyway . .. but I dont know whether I can do all those carbs., but I'm not beaten yet .. lets see what Easyweigh have to offer .

I could perhaps swap some of the potatoes , for either more 21p beans or split peas. With split peas ( cheaper than lentils ,) potatoes and flour i could make your pie.. would e nice with nettles in and a yoghurty . tomato puree chilli sauce ..

wish i could afford sunflower oil or butter instead of lard .(oh and tea) but I also have lemon verbena in the garden .and a pot of lemongrass.. maybe I can come up with an infusion.. .

t8p8 sound like agreat birthday tea!

or TiP even [smile}

laska have you tried the Old Style forum on MoneySavingExpert? There will be loads of tips and advice on there.
I think others on there have done this challenge and have recieved good advice.

TiP that sounds like literally my favorite meal in the world ever!

ATB you make me feel unworthy to use the cyclistist tag after hearing about your antics at the weekend, 70 miles up and down hills against the wind....impressive!!

Good luck with the challenge Laska, it's amazing what you can eat on a quid a day but you definitely have to think about everything you buy and staples like milk etc are out of the question unless you have several people in the family who can pool their pounds.....and of course an Aldi or Lidl near by

Just finishing my second Fast day of the week today. Everything was fine but for some self defeatist mind games I tried playing on myself just as I got back from this mornings cycle. Got through it though and looking forward to toast and branflakes tomorrow with a vengeance and a clean conscience

......and belated birthday wishes TiP2 and good to see you're still around After8s

Have a great day all!

happy belated birthday tip sounds like a delicious meal, except the ouzo....blleeuughh

well I'm not helping myself, unlike cyclist my mind games keep winning, and I've not yet managed a fast this week and the array of konditor and cooke cakes at work today for 'administrative professionals day' (who knew?) made me cave way too soon.....I have a rare mid week night without kids tonight so was already planning some wine with a girlfriend, but the cakes mean it's all blown.

I know i'm gaining weight as I'm avoiding the scales and my jeans yesterday felt tight (they are the non stretch ones that were tight when i bought them, but they had got really comfortable in last month or so.)

tomorrow is another day, and no reason I can't fast on Sat as the kids are with their dad, so I am going to try and get positive, and eat nothing more til wine tonight, the problem I seem to have is once it's no longer a fast day, I have no willpower left then and just seem to start eating.

maybe I can go for a quick run after parents evening and before meeting my girlfriend tonight?

laska can you get really cheap baked beans to have with jacket potatoes?

TOTM struck, explaining carb loading. have forgiven myself and all will be right soon.

Such a relief when that happens isn't it?!? I wasn't fasting yesterday and had aimed to not eat much til dinner when we had friends round and I'd made risotto and lemon pudding but I think I ate constantly all day

But, today is another fast, started with tea and Shred, night in with DH who's having a rough time at work so I'm going to do a euro dinner of all his favorite nibbles and probably just have carrots and celery myself!!

Size 4 (US) jeans arrived from eBay yesterday, very right for but I can do them up - the muffin top is still a problem but given me a boost. Weird how my top shop size 10 skinnies STILL feel right though when everything else is gettin gradually looser

Just finished my first 24hour fast, feel great

mumofcrazy
Ouzo is wonderful so long as you drink it like the greeks do ...
it has to be warm and sunny so you can sit iin the sun as you drink - otherwise drink something else
then
shot of ouzo
LOTS of ice
two shots of water
once its ice cold and the sun is shining, ouzo is fab.

ballet
well done - they become second nature after a while.
After last nights huge supper I had some carrot and hummus at around 2pm but otherwise nothing till supper tonight.

but not going to the gym means I'm so untoned .....

I didn't go to the gym tonight, thought it probably wasn't best after fasting all day.

Will go tomorrow, my arms and legs are nicely toned but my stomach is beyond repair. Its flat, so looks ok when I'm clothed but it's saggy and badly stretch marked

I'm going to fast again on Friday, so after dinner on Thursday. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy I got through the day. Very hungry at 11am but after that hardly any hunger. Meant to do 7pm-7pm, but ended up doing 9pm to 9pm.

Should I be doing two 24hour fasts or maybe a 24hrs and a 16 hrs in a week?

Ballet, I have one 24 hour fast followed by a

Hi there , i've been eating for England today.. . but quite healthy stuff ..fasting again tomorrow.. I am concerned that I'm getting a tum again though, and it looks like I have have put on a couple of pounds after last weeks booze and food-fest.

Have been re thinking my 'live below the line' challenge (Sunday to Thursday next week) and vainly I dont want to put back any more weight (esp as I'm going to be relying on carbs to keep within my target spend) so I?ve decided to still fast 2 days (500cals) but only still spend £1 as im supposed to

So revised diet I think will be something like this :

'Fast' days: 3 small pullets eggs (I can get these at £1 a box of 6) and half tin of value baked beans and then nettle soup later on

'Eating' days
potato scones, nettle soup, .
potato,onion, kidney bean and nettle and garden herb 'bhaji ',

6 pullets eggs £1
6 large onions £1
1.5kg bag potatoes £1
1 tin value baked beans 25p
1 tin value kidney beans 21p
1 500ml basics plain yoghurt 45p
250g 'scoop shop' plain flour 25p
basics lard 35p
garam masala and salt 15p
pack 'reduced price' chillis (already have these) 30p

• nettles, herbs and wild garlic from the garden £4.95 (..Just inside my £5 limit ,)

do you think that sounds like its feasible to still fast and limit food to £1 a day ? (I think so, as have done 24 hrs before .. )

Thanks to those who have sponsored me ..

and sorry for keeping banging on about it ..

and sorry for keeping banging on about it

Worry not, Laska! It's fascinating seeing how your mind works!

Couple of thoughts:
That's a lot of onions for 5 days;
You don't include any treats;
Using self-raising flour* instead of plain would give you many more options over the 5 days (that flour is very expensive, BTW!).

If you bought 3 onions instead of 6, that would give you 50p for a jar of jam.

(*Pancakes, dumplings for your stew, soda bread rolls, jam doughnuts)

Bread I have low blood pressure so I think I might keel over at the gym when fasting!