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'

A heartfelt thankyou to all of you for all your lovely comments and good wishes.

I have to be careful here, since I'm on my third glass of wine (following a pint of stout) - champagne is wasted on working class chaps of a certain vintage , Tip - and I'm in danger of becoming lachrymose and maudlin! Especially since I've got Louis Armstrong singing "It's a wonderful world" on a loop, ATM!

Update on the "Tiniest Most Gorgeous Grandson in the World!":

We went see him this afternoon - and he truly is, as SIL said, perfect in every way!

I've started a post on my blog and as soon as I get a moment, I'll put some pics up there.

Anglaise good luck with your new "Gonna wash that man right out of my hair!" project! It's the only way you'll achieve the future happiness that you deserve!

Just to say it's not my first grandson, it's my second - my son has 2 granddaughters and one GS. However, it's my daughter's first child. And apparently her last, if she's to be believed - after the unbelievable pain she's just been through. [wince]

On reflection, the 2 and a half hours it took her, from entering the birthing pool to giving birth was too fast, and she reckons she didn't rest enough between 'pushes'. She was torn quite severely, and had to spend 90 minutes in surgery (or at least, that was the time she spent away from her newborn!).

SIL took full advantage of this - in preparation, he'd had his chest waxed, so that any 'skin-to-skin' time would be maximised. He described the experience as 'bloody painful', but since the birth I doubt he'll be mentioning this in the near future!

Back to DD - she did the whole birth on paracetamol and a few puffs of gas and air, nothing else. And she was pretty proud of that, until she realised how much damage she'd suffered. It's early days, and we won't know how much it has affected her for a few days yet, I'm guessing. She's spending another night in hospital and hopes to come home tomorrow.

Still, looking at last year, and her two failed pregnancies - two terminations, in fact - this pregnancy has been nothing short of amazing!

All we wanted was a trouble-free pregnancy - which was the case; we wanted a healthy mother and baby - which we got; we wanted a September birth - which we got.

We are so, so lucky!

Just managed to get some photo's up on my blog

There are more to come, soon!

Congratulations GranddaddyB&W. Hope the head's not too sore after the stout and wine last night

Aw B&W he is vey very gorgeous indeed!

Seriously well done to your DD

He is gorgeous B&W.. its been a sh!T week all told (work etc..) and I'm just popping in to say hi before an early night .

Have managed 2 'fast-ets' ( may have been a couple of hundred cals over on Tuesday)

but scales showing a 1.5p lb loss this morning and I have Friday morning fast to do yet ( nothing until dinner time) .

Tonight's tea/dinner was toasted cheddar and (ripe, warm from th esun and just off the vine) home grown tomato sarnie ( yum!!)

I hope you are all well. its early , but i didn't sleep at all well last night and so am just off to bed..

Nighty night my dears ,x Be good.

Off to Bestival? Or just going to watch them get rained on from the comfort of home :-)

Well done on successfully fasting despite the shit week Laska

End of FD two this week and it's been a cinch, yay! I really think I manage to have a week or so of motivation and then I think get all pleased and sabotage myself which is frustrating but I wonder if subconsciously this is how I maintain?

Looking forward to heading back to UK, mum and dad do 5:2 which will make visiting easier, and mum is on a bit motivational health kick too, so the first few weeks should be fine. An then with any luck I shouldn't feel too guilty about a week of boozin it up in London!

How are we all ? I'm glad its term time again and loising my summer croissant has been a LOT easier than in any previous year.

FAB cartoon in Private Eye by the way
the bulimic 5:2 .... gorge 5 vomit 2 :-)

Hi Im struggling getting back to basics but its a new week tomorrow and I have lost 3lbs (or had .. dont know what it will be tomorrow , but it hasbnt been a real eating weekend)

sadly RL being a bit Sh1t right now, work crap (more cuts and difficult boss situation) . dying relatives, unemployed son housing probs , etc . so havent really been concentrating on much or posting really , but i'm still here and although i dont want to bore you with my ( hopefully temporary woes ) quite frankly posting on here is a bit of a stress reliever , ( but then also dont want to be all moaning minnie either .. [grin} .

However , good to see people still here on maintenance ,( though we are all being a bit quiet recently) .

Im planning ion carrying on with my 2-3 ,500-800 days for a week or so . .. it seems to be ok on the eating front its just that I keep having a couple of glasses ( no more honestly ) of anti stress in the evenings.

So although i'm not being much good at support and empathy at the mo., please dont give upon me (or this thread ) ill be back,and cooking on gas soon I know i will !

((((Laska))))
At least with Bestival finishing the roads get quieter.
Yup, work wide the papers have covered how all is not well in your neck of the woods, but the pressure eases when the grockles go home.
Tell me when you want to have lunch at either Ikea or John Lewis ....

tip i'm running out of leave but ill book in a 'Southampton housing appointment'.. will be great to meet up .. ive had a few probs with my email so have lost your address , please can you mail me again?

Hi Laska [hugs]

Why would we give up on you? We're always here for you, kid!

I've just received a bit of a kicking over on the Food boards - had a thread removed and received an email telling me I'd broken the rules.

I then received another one from a higher-up, telling me that the first mod hadn't read the new rules, apologised to me and reinstated the thread!

Great fun and quite exciting, but, for a while, it wasn't the Mumsnet I've grown to know and love!

Have a look:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food_and_recipes/1846914-In-praise-of-self-raising-flour-and-water

It wasn't all one way, there were a couple of people in my corner.

Blimey B&W there were some antagonistic people on your thread just spoiling for a fight by being rude! Not sure where exactly you were saying to have the pancakes on their own anyway

Quite funny though, the things people like to get worked up about

Hope all's ok Laska, of course we'd never give up on you or this haven of a thread

Hi ATB

I hope I didn't descend to their level!

Nearing the bottom of a wine bottle, ATM - I'm suffused with the milk of human kindness!

(Bit lachrymose - blame Glynis Johns and 'Send in the clowns' - and maudlin, ATM!)

Hope you have a wonderful trip over here, ATB! You certainly deserve it. You will keep us up to date on your "doin's", won't you?

On a lighter note, I texted my SIL and DD the link to the 'How soon after giving birth can you make love again' thread - and received a terse reply from SIL - "None of your business!"

Ah, well!

B&W we love you and think you are wonderful
Just ignore the others

Food fight threads - oooh a whole new part of MN for me to explore and stir up ....

gggrrr B&W what misery guts they are! couldn't help adding a post!

laska hugs hope things improve soon, come here and moan any time.

I've still not caught up on teh thread, just so much going on, but i move into the house I was going to buy, but as a rental next weekend, bit odd, but it obviously ticks nearly all the boxes (except for being able to buy it!)

am completely off track with fasting, (seriously - clotted cream and jam on cream crackers for lunch )

but after this weekends move then I promise to get it back on track!

and tip can't wait to see you stirring up the food threads!

You didn't at all B&W, I honestly found it quite amusing to see what folks like to get an immediate bee in their bonnet about!

Final day in US before flying home tomorrow, DC in school and daycare, DH off work so we're going to do a Mulholland Drive drive, luncheon in Los Feliz then back to the beach before getting DC.

Pack in the morning then the grim long long journey with 2x under 5's begins....

ATB
You'll be fine.
The total journey time door to door is only 16 hours, nine of which are with them watching cartoons and playing the video games on the seatback screens on the plane.
How long are you in the UK for?

Hola todos :)

Just checking in. All good in Chubut. Raining: cooking, sewing & writing.

Fasting: excellent. Yoga twice week = increasingly flat stomach & abdomen - yay!

Still no scales - and haven't tied a ribbon round my waist - but noticed this morning that when lying on my back my stomach was lower than my hip-bones. (A year ago, hip-bones were a non-event.)

Revelation last fast day when asked if I was hungry. I answered that I was empty, but not hungry. Of course there is a difference! I now appreciate the emptiness because it means my body is free to do its job unemcumbered with food to digest. Makes such a lot of sense.

As I said on the main thread, it's taken just 60 years to reach this point.
Oh well, better late than never.

Off to my experimental language laboratory, where I am am mixing with 15 year-olds and learning heaps.

hi chaps( that's girl 'chaps' too if im not being too contentious

I'm just going to write some difficult stuff here about how im feeling about death and bereavement if you will indulge me ,(just as a warning - dont read if you are feeling a bit low please)

Sorry I was a bit down last post ..it has been a difficult week on several levels and the family death (an aunt we were all really fond off and who was one of the very last of our family older generation) sort of topped it off for me . I suppose (being maudlin here) its hard to see that there's so few left now of our parents generation , but of course now we are having to remember that we 'kids' are all in our 50s and 60s (and are grandparents ourselves).

So of course its just something - a stage of life- we have to face.. but like i said to my son what hits you is that its our mums and dads going now .. Both of mine still very much with us ,and of course however old they are you still love (well I hope so anyway )and somehow rely on your mums and dads and you are still their kids and somehow still behave as 'kids 'with them .. But well, its something we are all having to seriously think of facing and now sooner than later ..

What i am also finding so hard is that they are now increasingly and more frequently seeing their own brothers ,sisters, husbands ,wives going and its fewer and fewer of them left , and what must they be thinking about their own life spans and how long they have left? ) .. and now of course we are all having to face a real change in family dynamics -we are the old ones now.. I know its just another stage to life of course. but oh its harder than I imagined ..

Thanks for listening .. a more cheery post follows ..

. right what i want to say also having read B&Ws thread and.yes and how this place really does feel like a nice place to be.. Also how appreciative i am of how really nice people are here and we here have been and continue to be so supportive to each other, this really does feel like a friends community .. even though we all landed here in a quest to lose some weight..

Gawd you should read some of the stuff on the AIBU and 'relationship threads ( I know I shouldn't but hey, I dont buy Ok or Hello or anything so i have to get my vicarious gossip somewhere but if you want real drama B&W look on the 'my partner and his friend have been having a chat about me' thread! (and yes as for yours such a fuss about a little bit of vegan cooking !!
How is everone else? MONCK it must feel strange to move o into the house you were going to buy as a rental .. do you think they might sto il sell it to you when you are able? i hope so

ATB good luck for the flight !!

oh and i have a round tummy again ..do really need to sort that out pronto .. TIP if we meet soon you must be kind to me . ( but it will give me a good excuse to get really back onto it properly .. i've just been told I have to go to a meeting in Eastleigh early October (cant remember the date right now cit will only be for an hour in the morning.. so ill find out the train times and perhaps we can meet up then )

B&W forgot to ask how is the TMGGITW and his mum? Have you told us his name yet? if so I missed it ?

Have just spent 24 hours in a hotel, sitting and listening and having my brain fried with fascinating stuff and eating every two hours
then came home to tagliatelle bolognese, garlic bread and red wine

better not eat for a week ....

Laska will email you ...