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'

Evening everyone . Really great news about your brother MOCNK, isn't it brilliant to see such great stories and just as you say MOCNK this is the BEST WOE there is.

So how'd your son's first week go Laska, as with all first weeks in the job I bet he's knackered....but that's all part of the joy of it I suppose.

Take care and keep well all.

Happy Fasting

Cooee! BreadandWine

Not actually a maintainer (looks around, nervous of being surrounded by 5:2 hierarchy), although I did maintain the same weight for 3 weeks if that counts? Just wasn't the right weight!

Anyway just thought I'd ask ... on the off chance, if you happen to have a naan recipe, particularly peshwari naan, available that you would be willing to share?

Being that I live on planet earth, and the 5:2 thread these days(!) I couldn't help but notice your breadliness skillz. I also happened to see that you broke a longer fast with a fruit naan (not stalking! Just looking at longer fasting periods) so putting 2 and 2 together, I was hoping it might have been one made by your own fair hands?

I would love to make one; this weekend if poss and thought of you immediately, rather than plucking a random one online. I am being too lazy to go through recipe thread, because I get too easily distracted by the posts and is late and eyes very tired etc etc just being lazy So apologies if there is one there - just tell me to sod orf!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

N'night!

(Bows head to all 5:2 highness's on way out)

not sure where B&W is, but here's his recipe
nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/spicy-fruit-naans.html

I'm currently writing a job application and as a displacement activity have made almond orange citrus and rosemary shortbread! It's in the oven now and smelling divine.. Luckily its not a fast day!. We also have venison and Guinness casserole and baked potatoes cooking and I have a Gin and Tonic in hand..

Oh well November didn't last past the first Friday evening it seems! (but ill carry on doing it during the week!). I was back down to 10.7 this morning, still a way to go but 3lbs down this week after fasting properly for 3 days this week,

I know what to do and so confident ill be back to 10st soon ..,

Cyclistist AJs first week went well I hear , My son is like a different person already .. Its so good to see him happy again ..

Oops , cooker pinger pinging!! shortbread here I come!

cuckoo Whats all this highness stuff? .. we like, well inclusive here, You wanna post , just come join us! ..

MOCNK yes great news about your bro..and dont you dare go away.. keep posting. This little 5:2 corner is the best one for supportive camaraderie on MN IMHO!!

I cant put this on the recipe thread as it would be wrong .. but
here are NON FAST DAY

Citrus, Almond and Rosemary shortbreads - YUMMY!!

butter 170g
golden caster sugar 100g
ground almonds 110g
plain flour 200g
finely grated orange and lemon zest 1 tsp
a few sprigs of rosemary chopped fine

heat oven to 160C/gas mark 3.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (best use a food mixer with a beater attachment.) Stir the almonds, flour and rosemary and zest into the mixture. Knead a little to mix it fully.
Roll into balls. You should get 12/14. put a non-stick baking sheet. Flatten each slightly and make a cross indentation on each with a fork .
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the biscuits are barely coloured. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before attempting to lift them from the tray with a palette knife.

And I'm off before it becomes the Totally Laska thread ..........

NOM NOM. May have to try that tomorrow when the oven is on for roast beef.

Oh Laska I love you! And yay for AJ's first week

Def don't go anywhere mocnk, great news about your brother but please don't leave us

I have been horribly hungover and filling myself with crap all weekend. Feeling very fat and miserable

FD and about to head to farmers market - any suggestions for today?!

laska that sounds yummy - shortbread is one of my favourite foods! However the Pret brownie I shared with DP over a hot choc this afternoon was pretty good too...50% chocolate according to the packaging I love 5:2.

They are even better the next day ,, the citrus flavour really comes through.. I need to put more rosemary in though as that hasn't quite so much .. DH has taken some back with him today ( he works away all week) and DS and his friend are here this evening so I dont think ill need to worry about them being in the house for tomorrows fast day!!.

Have made my borscht for this weeks lunches and fasting evening meals ( I really dont mind eating the same most days during the week )

Hi folks, back from another brilliant Men's Walking Weekend - Clare Balding's team have showed an interest in featuring us next year on her 'Ramblings' R4 programme.

Blimey, lots to catch up with on here - and I see that the main thread is already over a quarter full after only three days!

Cuckoo, hope you find the naan recipe to your taste. (Thanks, Tip)

Don't, as Laska says, feel inhibited by us having done this WOL for a while - we were all beginners once! And this is a very inclusive thread.

Great to hear your son's enjoying his new job, Laska. One relieved mother, I can see! And mocnk, of course I remember your brother - have to be sparing with the hugs, right? What a wonderful advert he is for 5:2!

Any of you remember this from a year ago?

I've eaten, over the past three days, more food than I have in a long time. Beginning with a large lunch at the pub on Friday, continuing with a huge dinner plus pudding Friday and Saturday night; 2 large breakfasts; two large lunches, etc, etc. I'm home now, and I've eaten a roast dinner with all the potatoes and veg, 4 or 5 biscuits plus assorted chocolate liqueurs and chocolate-covered marzipan.

This was my report after last autumn's walking weekend. As a measure of how far I've come, this time, over 4 days, I've returned home just as I left it!

I did this by giving up breakfasts - and thereby gained an extra half hour in bed each morning. (I just need to make sure, next time, that I'm not scheduled for an early morning duty - I was down to serve the breakfast and clear the tables on the Saturday morn, which I managed to swap!)

And today I didn't eat breakfast or lunch (I didn't fancy the nut loaf on offer at the pub). However, I made sure I ate very well at other times - so I had a terrific weekend and came home with no damage to repair. I'll probably adopt a similar regime over Christmas.

I'll probably fast again on Wednesday.

I'm also happy to report that I beat my main rival at table tennis for the first time! But, to be fair, I had the only decent bat - his was devoid of any rubber at all!

Our lovely betsy suggested I started a thread with inspiring stories. So I have with my own. But I'm guessing most of the inspiring stories hang out on this thread, so I'm asking you to come add your stories:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/1908144-The-Inspirational-5-2-Thread?msgid=42911392#42911392

a huge hurrah for eatriskier fabulous story, amazing photo's, truly inspirational. i didn't comment on the actual thread as i didn't want to fill it up with lots of comments and wanted to leave it for people to add their own inspiring stories....plenty of peeps on here should get theirs up now!

thanks for sharing though, and that thread is a great idea well done betsy

Oh! I was just coming on here to ask if you'd all share your 5:2 successes on eat's thread . I'm going to add a link to the the main thread OP as it's often one of the first questions people ask.

Let's inspire some new starters, current losers and old hands!

I love this WOE and think that almost everyone can benefit from it. Hooray!

Managed a full fast yesterday for the first time since...August! It went well but I'd forgotten how cold you get. My feet were blocks of ice in bed last night. Scales were down 1.5kgs this morning from yesterday (but I'm sure that is just water loss).

Anglaise
Its definitely thermals and jumpers season.
When DH is away I wear my oh so romantic flannel PJs and old hiking soks in bed.
And my fave house jumper is always to hand in the daytime.

Only doing one fast this week. Just because.

Had a successful fast yesterday too despite being a bit hungry and weak in the afternoon

Another tomorrow then that's me done this week. Not sure how I'm surviving at all thanks to the sleep deprivation fucking kids

Hi all

That inspirational thread is really amazing. You think you've benefitted from this WOL but then read the other posts and think bloody hell that's nothing compared to some. Plenty of stunning 'before and after' photos up there to show how people have benefitted and some even more amazing stories.

Well done on the successful FD ATB. Good luck with todays to get that 2nd one in a week in. I'm on an FD myself today, going to find it hard as stuck on a laptop most of the day but two things hopefully will keep me going. One, knowing how great I'll feel tomorrow morning when I get through today and secondly, how crap and bloated I'll feel by Saturday night if I don't get todays Fast done.

That first proper 5:2 after a holiday or break usually doesn't seem to shift much FrenchFancy but reckon a hardened 5:2 veteran like you will see it off very soon . Glad the walking week went well B&W and keeping up the fasting over that is some achievement! Hope all's going well MOCNK when the meds stabilise as you'll know many people find starting Fasting helps reduce the levels needed, good luck with things anyway. And as everyone else has said, keep posting and keeping us up to date.

Hi Laska, how you doing and how's your son settling in to the new job. What's this the end of his second week?

Anyway gotta go so hope it's a great week for everyone.......and if you're feeling down or need picking up - just remember that it's only just over 5 weeks till Christmas Turkeys beware!!! Sorry B&W

Today should have been a fast day but we took pies and sausage rolls and cheese straws up for lunch with my sis and her new baby.
Nom nom.
Then my soup for supper turned out to be a high cal (600 per pot) rather than low cal.
Better work hard at the gym tomorrow I guess!

Cyclistist
Its interesting isn't it. Some of the people who came to the threads long after we did have achieved incredible things. And hopefully reset the hunger mechanisms in their brains so that they will be able to maintain like we are doing.

Err TIP wouldn't want to be a fraud.......cause in many ways my 'hunger reset mechanism' has not 'reset' as it were. Yep FD's when I'm in the right frame of mind seem relatively easy at the mo, but NFDs are a different story.

However I have noticed something recently. Whilst I've got back to doing 4:3 for the last 3 or 4 weeks I've eaten A LOT less on my NFDs than when on 6:1. Has anyone else found an increased appetite on NFDs when they've decreased their FDs? Or is it just me

Definitely. Each fast shrinks your stomach a wee bit more. That is why I still stick to two a week most weeks.

Yeah I think so - or at least I'm more aware of what I'm eating on my NFD, less likely to press the "sod it" button and actually enjoy my food more on NFD when I have more FD

2nd NFD completed this week, that's it til Monday now. I am going to bed really really hungry but weird kind of non intrusive hunger - so actually it might be compounded by tiredness and TOTM arrived yesterday so all sorts of stuff going on I guess