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

[Talkinpeace]

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?
How do we ensure that we keep ourselves looking great rather than just thin?

Many of us have been maintaining at our original goal weight for a few months, and others are joining all the time.
Obviously, the more the merrier!
It is also worth considering whether a second, leaner target might be achievable.

You'll find the first two maintenance threads and all the main 5:2 threads for posters practicing IF to lose weight here on the Fasting / 5:2 on the diet forum. We're currently on thread no. 23, but there is a new main thread every 2-3 weeks.

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!

PS thanks to Breadandwine (proof that this forum welcomes everybody, not just Mums) for setting up the last thread while my old name that set up the first one was on 'holiday'

Just a blip, ATB, just a blip!

A mini-fast or 2 will sort that out!

Hi all,

I'm still here, but mostly lurking rather than posting....between the weirdness at work, the stuff with my mum and the fact there are 3 small dcs and a household of chores to do, I just don't seem to get around to actually writing very often...

But I am trying to keep up :)

Welcome silverbeetle - this is a very lovely, supportive and undogmatic community...we're all finding our own way through this maintaining challenge, sharing our discoveries, cheering one another's moments of triumph and providing support and love when it all gets hard. No-one has all the answers, but every is happy to share their experiences of what works (and what doesn't!), and it's a great place to find succour when it all feels a bit hard sometimes :)

B&W ...I await The Important Announcement with bated breath. Now I just need to figure out how to enable MN chat on the new phone I'm trialling for the Sainsbo's mobile thing and I'll be able to make sure I get the news In Real Time :) :) Glad she's doing well :) :)

Laska next time you're in London I need you to come and advise on my utterly miserable veg patch! 6 courgette plants, no courgettes (although just starting to appear now), 8 tomato plants but only a handful of very green tomatoes. Dwarf beans did fairly well but we only grew 5 plants in a pot, so a bit limited. Carrots and peas both failed this year. and the red cabbages are very pretty but don't look at all cabbage like....really leggy and sort of stretch out....

Great news about the Cutest Grandson In The World (TM and a time-limited patent) - so so so pleased that's working out. Really interested to read about your mental positioning and mindfulness...I think so much of the answer to the maintenance challenge lies in that whole not-panicking-when-our-weight-isn't-perfect and also in not thinking that we will have solved all our personal problems as soon as we hit our target weights. I know I've tended to hang far too much emotional backage on the bathroom scales in the past (and still do let them decide if its a 'good' day) rather than dealing with the real issues in my life.

ATB - don't panic! Anyone who can move house with small dcs and a missing dh and do that mammoth bike ride can overcome a few small hiccups along the way :) :) For the first time ever, I had a total fast fail on Monday...I was just too damn hungry by 2.30pm and it wasn't going away. So went out and got a delicious salad with salmon,lentils and egg for my lunch, had a lovely dinner with dh, then sailed through a fast yesterday. Not beating myself up was the most pleasurable part about it

MOCNK - how's the selling/buying/moving going?

We went to Tuscany for 10 days and had an utterly brilliant holiday. The best bit was wearing a bikini for the first time in 6 years and feeling good about it. Don't get me wrong - I've been doing no excercise at all (total Gillian fail) so my tummy wasn't a pretty sight, but I was 9.2 when I left and just felt happy in myself.

Skipped breakfast nearly every day, despite fresh croissants and home made cake on the table, but had more pasta, cheese, wine and pizza than you can possibly imagine. Went out with the dcs for a number of late night dinners, and guzzled quite a bit of vino dulce with dh in the evenings as well. So I was very psyched for waistline mayhem.

DH hid downstairs when I got on the scales when we got home. I was utterly to be 9.6!!! A couple of fasts and now I'm maintaining around 9.4, which feels about right to me :)

Woo hoo filly brilliant isn't it ?

I did have my scrumptious and healthy salad lunch - but am now at a London station having eaten 6 plates (so far) of Sushi and onto the second large glass of red . That's 2 trains missed then . In my defence it's been a long day and lots of train problems followed by a long meeting chaired by a very astute but very scary woman. I'm very glad I didn't write the reports that were being critiqued! I'm new to this panel and one of my colleagues was in the firing line - ouch!

I work in London a few days each month and would love to meet up with anyone up for it - laska we really do need to do the Brighton meet up you know

cats I'd really like to meet and we have all talked about this before and I have had a thought that might just work ..

There's a few of us 'Southcoasters' ..Im in West Wight, TIP is just over the water and ATB is coming over West Sussex way and you and B&W are a bit west and east respectively but we could perhaps all meet somewhere maybe mid week for lunch? ..

So here's my thought ..How about Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays in September when ATB is here , Yes its a bit of a way for B&W and you, I realise but I think its a through train line for all of us and there's lots of places to eat , some 'designer outlet' shopping and would be possibly not too difficult for getting home later (but there is also a Premier inn or such like there) ..

Also maybe Londoners filly MOCNK and perhaps even cyclisist could get down easily as its a direct line from Waterloo to Portsmouth harbour .. (and of course any one else who could also would be welcome )

The only problem - apart from the travelling - I can see is that i've been lying to you all and am really 16.5 stone! .. (well it would be the extra incentive to quickly lose that extra 7lbs i've put back on )

What do you all think?

Well obviously I'd have to get a boat also! But not difficult i could leave my car in Ryde and come over from there...

and of course my suggestion is not meant to be exclusive and just for those I have mentioned by any means.. I just dont know here everyone else lives ....

Hi all

Congratulations B&W on the health news. I was diagnosed with COPD a couple of months back, caused as was yours by smoking though I'd packed up 7 years back. I'm on one of those brown inhaler things at the mo but the idea of inhaling steroids for the rest of my life doesn't fill me with glee, so any tips would be gratefully received. I'm taking an Allicin and Turmeric supplement at the moment to try and reduce any inflammation but don't have enough confidence in that to stop the steroid inhaler.

Hi Laska, great idea about the meet up in Portsmouth and time allowing 'even Cyclist' as you put it would like to attend

On a food related note, God this WOL is amazing. Over a year in now and although I'm about 8lb above my very lowest weight I'm still over 60lb lighter and a completely different shape than I was early on last year. There's been plenty of times when tbh I've nearly given up on this WOE/WOL but it's amazing how easy it is to get going again and how easy it is to keep things under control and get back on track....relatively speaking that is

Hi bro.. sorry how about the especially Cyclistist ?? .. I was trying to remember where you said you were and thought it was maybe Thanet or Essex way>? so thought it might be too far.. (well a bit too far to cycle anyway!!)

(I still have the odd fag BTW.. umm .. Dirty secret)

Hi folks

Designer outlet shopping?!?!?! Eeek!

Still have the idea of a breadmaking workshop at Tips centre, sometime, just need to get the baby here safely and settle into a routine, and I'll know where I am.

5 days to the due date - my daughter saw the midwife today who said everything is as it should be. If nothing happens by next week, she's to go in again next Wednesday.

Sorry to hear about your COPD, Cyclistist. Don't know about the brown inhaler thing, but all the evidence is that fasting helps any condition that involves inflammation, so keep that in mind whenever you're thinking of relaxing on this WOL!

I've PMd you with some info, hope it's of some help.

Hi everyone.

I'd love to meet up, but it would be a 4 hour drive and an overnight ferry, so probably not realistic.

I've had friends staying for the last two weeks - way too much eating and drinking and no fasting, the result is a 2.5 kg gain - eeek.

So back on the wagon today - black coffee until this evening, then spicy beans tonight. Hopefully some of it is bloating and it will come off quickly.

designer outlet shopping Not my thing either B&W but we dont have to do that .. a nice lunch and chat I was thinking of really /.. lots of nice cafes( but there are shoes/ clothes/ handbag opportunities for those thatmight like ) and those brave of heights could also go up the Spinniker tower! (id be up for it )

FF we'd love to have you anyway if you can arrange a visit back ..

Thanks B&W have PM'd you back.

Hi Laska good to hear from you again. Yeah I'm up for meeting up for meal with everyone....not so up for the designer shopping though . I'll keep checking the Thread to see whether a date's been set and whether I can make it, then probably book up one of those advance cheap day returns, so Portsmouth is great for me, (though I don't know where Thanet is .

Have a great day all

Thank heavens some of it was bloating. One fast day has seen 1.4kg off. Back down under my original target . Scary how quickly it goes back on, but so nice to be in control and know I can get it back off again.

Ex OH has come back after hopefully sorting out his ex girlfriend for good. It is a very complicated situation and hopefully I'm not doing the wrong thing in trusting him, after all if he wanted to be with her he could just finish with me quite easily - and she doesn't have 2 young children either so life would be a lot easier with her.
I'm in the unusual position of having to put on around 3 kgs as I'm underweight for BMI at the moment at just under 55kgs.
I don't think it will be too much of a problem putting it on!

Be careful Anglaise. Remember for some men it isn't a question of choice, they want both.

If you want to put on wait just come and stay with me for a week I'm making chocolate, hazelnut and salted caramel tart this afternoon

Weight

Second ff

Can I come to stay please?!

Anyone is welcome, but if you are not here in the next hour there will be no tart left!

I've got to eat my veal Marengo with fondant potatoes first though.

yes anglaise I agree with the others, I know I dont know you or him , but please do be very careful of yourself and your self esteem here. I know all situations are different and he may really have changed now thinking he's lost you, but he's had lots of chances already and I'm sure there is someone else out there (if you want him) who will love and respect you for the brilliant, unique and totally well-worth it person you are without all this faffing about and heartache . I took my first DH back several times .. but it was the same over and over again ,until finally he left me with a 2 week old baby for someone he had only met the week before! It was the best thing he ever did ..

ATB when are you coming over? do you fancy my meet up idea?

ff im on the next boat out of Portsmouth!! I usually turn right at St Malo for Finestere is that the right direction?

Place marking and asking is it OK for a little one to join if you'll have me?

I've lost 2.5 stones since the end of Jan and have been maintaining for a month. Currently doing a true fast one day a week and eating quite lightly on two days and some weeks not doing as much exercise as I'd like which means my weight sometimes bobs and up down by a pound or two but that's fine. I sometimes think I should up my calories a little but as some of you say up thread experimentation is the thing. I've been either overweight or obese my entire adult life up until this summer so being slim is quite a big thing to get used to. I genuinely don't have as big an appetite as before which is really satisfying. I'm quite podgy, though, and need to start some yoga and weights (I've only ever done cardio).

Anglaise I echo the concerns of others - we men will, as a general rule, get away with whatever we can get away with!

To keep the thread on topic, we want to be able to have our cake and eat it!

So please, be careful! And at the first sign that things aren't what they should be, throw the bum out!!

SED welcome to the thread - nice to see you here!

About exercise - there's more and more evidence that it's not what it's cracked up to be. Certainly as regards weight loss. The 52fastdiet form has had an ongoing thread about this for a while, now.

B&W Nooooo.... not you.. (I'm sure you are one of the good ones!... but should we apply to Mrs B&W?)

Welcome SED you are in good company here