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'

Very NFD yesterday and enjoyed every second of it

Kale soup in the fridge for today FD

How is everyone?

FD here I still always do two meals
so nothing since last night and then an egg and some soup at lunchtime. and h/m spicy dhal on mushrooms and spring greens now. Yum (i forgot how much I love dhal and greens.. )

I tried on a couple of winter jackets and was annoyed to find that as well as a summer wine tum, my boobs seem to have got a bit bigger also ,meaning that coats feel a bit too snug if I'm wearing a jumper underneath ..it was only half a stone I put on and I've already lost a bit of that , but as usual it all goes on my top half ..I'm not buying a new jacket so a good motivation to fast ..

I have been out walking every day this week so far (but not got the evil Jillian out again yet .. i need to factor that in before I eat , not remember after....

Got a ecipe for kale soup ATB?

Not as such....I had a ton of kale so cooked it in some veg stock with a potato, fried off onion and garlic, added some frozen chillis and some odds and ends of carrots and squash leftover from spiralizing them....made absolutely tons though and worked out as 120cal/serving

Need up having lunch out, but grilled tuna steak with basic salad (no dressing) so should be well within calories.

Apart from the large glass of wine....but it was needed. I'm having some issues with my best friend, talked it over with another friend, promptly burst into tears (it's making me reallylook at myself and digging into a lot of self hatred which isn't going down too well) so obviously he saw it was just midday and decided we needed wine.

If I don't have the soup I'll still be within calorie budget though, if I do, well it won't be much over and it's all veg so all to the good

I haven't attempted shred again either Laska, DD is sleeping badly again, I just don't have the energy. Sigh, so maintaining rather than losing in time for Hawaii

Hi guys

Been lurking for the past week - tell you why tomorrow!

Thoroughly enjoyed all your posts!

Love'n'kisses!

B&W

ATB I hope you sort out the issues with your best friend.Sometimes a glass of wine is required, even on a fast day.
B1W you are teasing us! What have you been up to?
I'm doing my first fast day today in ages. DD has pyjama party tonight with friends coming over so I will cook for them and then fix myself a nice little salad. No wine or the chocolate brownies DD made yesterday for her party. But maybe a square of chocolate with a cup of tea at the end of the evening.

G'morning all

Starting my third FD of week today in my attempt to get back down below I was last December in preparation for Christmas. Finding a lot of the stuff I learnt last year helpful in making this WOE/WOL work.

Haven't been able to get out on the bike as have had a particularly deadly form of Manflu this week so the Fasting has helped keep the weight gain off, if you haven't seen the following public information clip on man flu you might find the following link useful (you can skip the ad at the beginning by clicking the skip ad icon in the bottom right of the picture)

Have a great day all

TheCyclistist tee hee - Man flu. DH feeling rough today so I let him have a lie in till 8am.
But now its sunny so I'm going to drag him out for a (small) pub lunch.

Its funny isn't t. You worry so much less about the waistline knowing that it can be dealt with. And therefore are less likely to 'give up' and make it all worse.

Dragged out for a small pub lunch.....ah the hard life Mr TiP lives

I totally agree about the 'less worry' though on staying a healthy weight and shape with this WOL. I've got to admit that over the 14 months or so I've been IFing , there've been several occasions when I've questioned whether it's worth continuing. And about a month back I was about 12lb heavier than my lowest weight back in Dec 12. That was though, still 60lb below my weight in Dec 11.

The key to this WOL for me is, it is so easy to hold on to when things are slipping. One FD and you feel great again, after a couple of weeks of 1 FD a week you can then move back to 5:2 and after a couple of weeks of that 4:3 (if you want it or need it) is really attainable again.

Two weeks ago I did 4:3 for the first time in a long time, last week I did 5:2 and after today I'll have done 4:3 this week. I'm halfway to getting back to my lowest weight and can enjoy the weekend without ANY worries about what I eat or do, knowing that I won't just not put on any serious weight but I'll also have decreased my chances of lifestyle diseases like Diabetes, Heart disease, Cancer or Liver problems.......Errr, no brainer if you ask me.

ATB hope things get sorted for you with your best mate.....there isn't a thing in the universe as important as a good friend, especially when things get tough.....not even a Donor Kebab with mayonnaise and chilli sauce from the Holloway Road .

Not sure whether I remember the shop you're talking about, was it nearly opposite a William Hill betting shop? I used to work above a Snooker Hall right near the top of the road near Archway Tube......but Donor Kebabs in daylight were never on the menu, even in my youth

B&W.......awaiting the answer to the mystery of your absence with interest

I think B&W has blown it on thread 29... but it could be something even more exciting..

2nd fast day in a row.. and yep, I agree with you cyclistist it is easy to thin 'oh blow it' but I'm feeling much better having fasted properly this week again.. I want more wear out of last years christmas party dress! btw is that the kind of man flu that means that someone else has to run back and forth with tissues, cups of hot chocolate, pillows, the newspaper, turn on the telly etc ? that's the sort my DH gets ( but he dont get the waiting on !)

ATB I hope it blows over , it's making me really look at myself and digging into a lot of self hatred which isn't going down too well Look , dont wallow, what's past is past , and from what we know of you here, you dont have nowt to justify or any need for self hatred.. You are an amazing person and mother and I bet a great friend too.. Sometimes we have disconnects with people we are close to, usually it all comes out ok , ..

Oh look you know that .. you drink wine, love , just not enough to make to go 'sod it' and eat the fridge , then beat yourself up over that as well ) (the contents of the fridge of course ), ! And remember you dont have to fast if you are feeling crap.. its not a failure not to , another day will do just as well..

Tip did you cycle to 'that' pub? the food was yum there , lets do it again next time I'm driving past

cyclistist well we did not end up at the pub in the end - DH was feeling really dire

Laska but yes, anybody going near the M27 / M3 junction, look up the Four Horseshoes as its a happy place
I'll be there for at least one supper over half term.

((( ATB )))) link a sponsorship form on here and we'll get it sorted

anglaise eyes on the prize, you'll find the right one who will be all yours

Aw you lot are brilliant, I love this little corner of MN. BF still hasn't responded and my lovely other friend did the world of good talking it through with me. I'll wait until she does and if she doesn't, I still have some little gifts for her I bought a while ago which I'll send with DS' thank you card next week (it's his birthday and she's his faux GodMum). But I do feel like I'm in the middle of a horrific breakup. Hope it will get sorted then blow over, I suppose you can't be close to someone for 12years and not have some falling out at some stage

NFD today and I'm stuffed after having tonight's bean chilli for lunch as well. Menu planning for DS' party on Sunday and Realised we have several children coming with dairy and/or egg allergies so need to find a good vegan pumpkin recipe pronto. Also making severed witches fingers, sweet potato pumpkin face chips, a pumpkin throwing up homous and guacamole which blue corn "bats wings" crisps will be dipped into, apples made into Dracula teeth, orange and pink risotto balls dressed up to look like pumpkins and eyeballs, tangerines with faces drawn on, sandwiches cut into ghost shapes, and spiderweb boiled eggs. Cake will (hopefully) be a 3D pumpkin!

Cyclicist Crystals used to be a smaller shop right over the road from the old National Youth Theatre headquarters, then moved down the street again. I'd happily have their kebabs at any time of day!

FD tomorrow and a ton of soup in the freezer to make it easier.

Oh and thank you TiP, I'm trying to launch a campaign of $10/month for 10months to reach a preliminary aim of $1500 by Christmas

On my phone so no idea how to link properly, if you don't mind cut and pasting

Http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/Effie

Last year most if my reason for doin it were selfish but this year it is pretty much all about raising as muh as I can for the incredible people who benefit from the funds raised - it all goes to the LA Gay and Lesbian Centre and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Last summer I met people who were being emotionally, financially and medically supported by both charities and they STILL did the ride - even though some if them had to get the bus most of the way, their kindness and resilience was awe inspiring.

Aw welling up now!! I bloody love the gay community, all my life they have welcomed me and looked after me, it's so good to be finally giving sown thing back

Morning Laska, Hope the consecutive FD went well, got to admit I've toyed with the idea but never actually got round to it. Definitely a NFD here and tomorrow so I'm pretty good at consecutive NFDs

Have a great weekend all

..........and another thing....

Has anyone else noticed that the more FDs you do, the less hungry you are on NFDs. Since moving away from 6:1 back to 4:3 I've found it a lot easier to control what I eat on NFDs

.......................................or is it just me

ATB
Http:www.tofighthiv.org/goto/Effie
will decide which name to put on there over the weekend :-)

TheCyclistist
definitely - our food bills have dropped, and I seem to have lost weight this week despite only doing one half arsed fast. But most of the week night suppers were smaller and its no booze tonight as DH is of to a Teslathon tomorrow (as you do)

Thanks TiP

Cyclistist items to find that but likewise if I have say three NFD in a row my sod it mentality increases! But I think your wise words of gradually upping the FD is a good one - I think I try too often to jump straight into 4:3/AFD and inevitably fail a couple a week

Whoop! FD 2 this week completed without a hitch - wasn't sure it was going to happen when I had a shit night with DD and both kids and I were awake and grumpy from 5am (again)

But after DD's nap (during which DS and slobbed infront of the Telly) we've had a lovely afternoon - including baking and I worked out I could have one square of the pumpkin bars we made for 160kcal, toddler mezze for dinner means I've still come in at 450kcal (before you count the milk in tea and coffee, I've stopped tracking that and instead try to keep food under 400cal)

Feeling satisfied and full as well, need that feeling to stay through the evening as I've got a lot of baking for DS's birthday to get through!

Happy weekend everyone

Hello everyone.

Just popping in to say I'm now at a weight to begin maintenance! Though I still lose very easily on this woe, so am expecting to drop a few more lbs before I hit a way of maintaining. But that's ok because it would be nice to have a bit of a bounce range.

I'm planning on 1 proper fast day and 1 mini fast day. Don't really want to drop to 6:1 at all as 5:2 has helped me so much with my pernicious anaemia that I'm a bit worried not fasting twice a week will lead to a return to bad symptoms.

Nice to see a few names on here from the weight loss thread that I recognise.

Yay eatriskier well done for joining this little corner of the party.
Yup, most of us still pootle back to the main threads, but this one is more mellow and moves much more slowly.

I'm still here FD today as I've been away on a work jolly event last week and the scales show it! Great to feel I can get it back under control in a few days though

Hi guys!

Sorry if I was a bit cryptic the other day - I didn't mean to be.

It's just that we've been away for the past week or so - and I don't like to mention that until we're back home.

Loads of photo's of Oscar to add to the blog - I'll do that over the weekend.

My daughter is still struggling with BFing - she was advised to take fenugreek a couple of weeks ago and her breasts have been engorged ever since. And Oscar, although he doesn't always seem to be feeding properly - he's had the snuffles for a few days - is absolutely thriving, up to 12lbs from 8 only 2 months ago!

I'm just in the process of uploading the latest pics, and I've fixed the video so now you get sound as well as vision.

Here it is.

ATB hope you get your friendship sorted soon! Loved your post about the gay community, your welling up almost had me joining you! Totally agree about the communal feel to this thread - it's a sum total of all our parts! [Does that make any kind of sense?]

ATB with your bike ride - I'd love to do that journey, only taking it easy over about 10 days, rather than the frenetic pace that you'll be travelling at.

I remember you doing it last year, and you being quite nervous about the prospect. This time you know what you're letting yourself in for.

Anglaise the search for that special someone is a bit like this WOL - it's a marathon, not a sprint!

I've no doubt you'll get there eventually. (Watch out for Tip though! )

Cyclist next time you feel like blowing a fast day or whatever - just remember the time you lugged a 60lb rucksack around the house. You've come a long way in the past 14 months and I'm full of admiration.

Hi catsrus and eatriskier!

5:2 has helped me so much with my pernicious anaemia

We should start a thread of the conditions that this WOL cures or ameliorates. Certainly IBS and diabetes type 2 should be on the list - anything else?

That's it for tonight - tomorrow I'll be back with a new weigh control twist. Still within the parameters of this WOL, of course!

Night all!

As I said, we were staying with our daughter for a few days last week, so I didn't manage my usual Monday fast.

Lots of good eating - not to mention some good wine and beer - through the week, culminating with an Indian takeaway on Thursday evening - our wedding anniversary.

Friday breakfast was four pieces of toast instead of two - well, the heel of the rather ageing loaf wouldn't have appealed to anyone and would only have been thrown away.

Which reminds me of the wonderful MissStrawberry over on the other thread, who is fond of declaring that she 'isn't a bin' and therefore doesn't eat scraps of food lying around!

This was followed by a substantial lunch - and then we had to leave our wonderful Oscar and his family and hit the A303.

So I made a low calorie dinner - the sort of meal I generally make for my Monday. A big pot of it came to 507 calories, a third of which I had for my dinner along with a small portion of rice. Then on Saturday I ate nothing until the evening (even though I was running a breadmaking taster session all day!) which gave me a 24 hour fast on

B&W - we are the same with holidays on FB - cryptic while away and then share pics once back.
And silly thing - for any on FB, I find it more relaxing for nattering than here (a gang of my FB friends are ex ebay after all)
but its so so cool that the big threads are still pulling in new people day after day

saw Dr MM on his new series the other day and he's still at his happy weight - and he started yonks ago

Getting back into my normal routine, I'm 26 hours into a complete liquid fast, ATM - still to feel any hunger.

Feels a bit weird (and I'm almost getting withdrawal symptoms) not to do any cooking for a day.

In the morning, I'll just have 20g of ground flaxseeds with a little fruit juice, then my plan is to go through to dinner tomorrow night on around