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'

Morning all!

Hi mttum glad to see you're still in the zone, as it were!

I was just over 9st last week - and I'm just over 9st this morning!

Mission accomplished!

But if I'd have piled the weight on, I have the tools to shift it as fast as it accumulates.

We all do on this WOL!

Hi folks, season's greetings to everyone . Have been popping in occasionally but not posted for ages... Weirdly, I have lost 1 kg over the last seven days Have no idea how that happened, I have most definitely been well fed and watered, though I have been managing to squeeze FDs in between visits to family... I think it probably illustrates the normal day to day fluctuation and I just managed to weigh myself on a "low" day, but I was still surprised! Of course, there's another week of festivities and eating to go

That last post of mine was meant to go on the main thread – at the time of writing, there are 827 messages on both threads!

Never mind, the sentiment's the same!

Can't afford to relax, though - I've still got 14 vegan mince pies to shift! I asked my wife to get a couple of packs from Morrison's - so she got four! Never one to do things by halves, my wife!

As evidenced also by the 5 bars of Chilli choc I got for Xmas! I also have assorted bars of chocolate covered marzipan, couple of packs of chocolate liqueurs, the remains of a box of mint chocolates and a box of Turkish delight (all from Lidl, and all gorgeous!)

Just thinking about Christmas and excess eating. This year I had three things going for me – firstly, I’m a vegan, which cuts out a lot of the stuff being handed out. Secondly, I was mindful about how much and when I ate – and thirdly, I just couldn’t eat as much as I used to! I get full quicker.

I’ve just had breakfast, [written a couple of hours ago, now] and I’m trying to psyche myself up to eat a mince pie – but I know I’d feel uncomfortable if I ate it. So I’ll just have a piece or two of my chilli choc!

I figure the only way I can reduce that stash of goodies is to build them into my regular meals. [sorted]

We had a lovely family Christmas at my son's - the three grandchildren were (mainly) a delight to be with! Now back in Somerset and looking forward to a quiet few days.

Went to work yesterday for a couple of hours, made some pain au chocolate with the residents - and accidentally fell into a tin of Roses! Well, tins of sweets were all over the place, left by grateful parents, so I forgot I was a vegan for a while!

No principles compromised – since my credo is no animal should die or suffer so that I can live, I know that once those tins of sweets have gone, they won’t be replaced.

Only fly in the ointment is that our freezer was showing +3C when we came home yesterday! I reckon it must have been turned off when we left 5 days ago - the door alarm button is very close to the off button, and it's happened before that the wrong button's been pressed.

So yesterday evening, the house was full of the smell of cooking meat - not very nice. It could have been a lot worse - I had no compunction about re-freezing my vegan stuff, and all the vegies, for instance. Just a bit of a nuisance, really.

Going to be super fit this coming year! I received a 3kg kettle bell for Xmas - and a weighted, studded, hula hoop! That was in response to a throwaway remark I made several months ago - I said I wouldn't mind being able to hula hoop. So here we are! Any hints and tips gratefully received!

I’ll need to put some of this on the main thread – I’m sure BigChoc will take great delight in telling me what to do with my kettle bell!

Hope you’re all fit and well and enjoying the break – and planning what to do for NY. We’ll just have a quiet one I reckon. Won’t mind that at all.

I'm sure that sometime over the evening I shall raise a glass to all the lovely friends I've made on here!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas everyone! Have to admit I've been shying away from the thread as all self control has utterly disappeared!! I'm not going near the scales for a while.

A stomach bug helped me out yesterday though so got in a fast after all! Have dinner out plans tonight so think I'll try to push through til then or just have some plain toast to test my body and will have to take it easy on alcohol and rich foods for a few day - no bad thing. FD Monday methinks

My mum and dad normally do a bit of IF but there's been no mention of it, I think now the main Christmas event is over I should bring it up as it'll be so much easier to do with others. Also DH bought me an awesome lender for Christmas - so excited about homemade soups and houmous and pesto

So - if we don't have any major weight loss resolutions (I just want to get back to the form I was on post ride in June, but seeing as I'm doin it again that shouldn't be too hard!)

What are everyone's 2014 resolutions?!

I'm determined to continue, finish and draft the hell out of the novel I started this year, have it ready to go to publishers by next December

I'm going to move even more towards and vegetarian diet - vegan as much as possible. There will be a few note able exceptions (eating at friends' houses, buying the eggs from my local farmer who's welfare I trust - I was going to say Burns Night because I can't miss out on Haggis but will def give B&W's version a go! And very occasional sushi), but DEFINATELY vegetarian at home and eating out, there's no way I can trust meat bought by restaurants. I'm also going to do more reading and research around the subject so B&W be prepared!!

I'm doin the AIDS ride again and this year, now I know I can achieve it, I want to seriously kill all the hills....so hoping to get fortnightly rides in

Glad to be back!!!

Hmm looks like 4lb up - back to 10.9 -, but that was this morning ,, ! but we have people over tonight as well! ,

Also bank balance aint looking too clever for January (mainly through waiting for the ruddy ferry company to refund me £500 which seems, they say to be going to take them (at least) 28 Days!! (they ruddy take it quick enough!) so i think ill be going veggie or vegan this month also ..

Merry Christmas everyone.

Really looking forward to the new year as I don't think my body could take much more of this Christmas lark. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that I'd put 2 months of weightloss back on in 2 weeks. Disappointing I've got to admit and I'm definitely avoiding scales and averting my gaze as I pass mirrors until the end of January...but at the end of the day I knew this was going to be the case which is why I did mostly 4:3 from October till December. So it's eyes forward, one step at a time and time to download all those motivation and mindfulness audiobooks onto my iPod

4:3 for January for me for sure.

Have a great new year everyone....bloody hell 2014 already

Another one who is genuinely looking forward to fasting at the start of next month.
On the other hand I have utterly enjoyed a totally OTT 3 course lunch (that went on for 4 hours) and so have a very rounded belly.

I guess it all comes down to moderation - over the course of a week / day / year
These two weeks are NOT moderate.
The three months following are much more restrained
and so long as (like an electricity budget account) the amount is right at least once a quarter, living a bit a few weeks a year gives perspective.

As always TiP you hit the nail on the head there.

Christmas for many is a time for letting go and enjoying . The consequences, at least with this WOL, can be managed through the year

I brought back some mince pies to France but may even have to freeze them for next year as I'm not sure I can face another one!
Had a great Christmas, scales about what they were before, but what they were before was 2kg over where I want them to be. Still, it will be easy to lose and it was nice to let go and eat and drink without worrying about the consequences.
I bet that even by the end of January we will all be back to where we were weight wise
Happy New Year to you all!

Totally agree Anglaise lovely to see all the familiar names.

I have absolutely eaten lots of lovely things this year in the certain knowledge that if I put on a bit of weight I can soon shift it . I had a sort of mini fast yesterday - light turkey soup all day - topped off with a large slice of Christmas cake and a large glass of Port in the evening! I have eaten chocolates, cheese and delicious snack food - including stuff at work in the run up to the big day and a number of meals out.

My target weight this time last year was 9st 4lb - I got there around Easter and ever since my margin has been around the 9st2lb - 9st6lb range. I did notice that on boxing day it was 9st8lb, hence a few light days in preparation for New Year! This morning I'm 9st6lb and expect that I will be 9st4lb again by the end of next week.

I will certainly be raising a glass to MM this new year

Oh and my own personal revelation that a light eating day CAN include Christmas cake - its not that "all or nothing" mentality I used to have.

I braved the scales and thanks to the bug I actually haven't put on a single pound over the festive period! I have however lost all definition and I intend to DESTROY the hills on the AIDS ride this year so need to kicky self into action

FD today with mum and dad on board and New Year's Day bike ride booked in (was going to go tomorrow but our car died yesterday and we have to drive up a mountain in a few days so tomorrow am will be spent doing emergency car shopping, hoping we have enough built up credit to lease a car)

Anglaise
Glad your ferry journeys went OK after all that stress at the start

ATB
DH and the kidsand I were joking about cycling today - then it got dark at 4pm!

catsrus
I do not own scales, I just know that I'm oozing over my belt

beef wellington tomorrow .... my Dad's 80th birthday ... he'll be 3000 miles away playing bridge but I'll enjoy it

Hi all. Hope everyone had a great christmas and is continuing to enjoy the festive season. I'm fasting today, I didn't manage any fasts last week and I'm feeling decidedly bloated. I've not been anywhere near the scales so I don't know what damage has been done. I have eaten my fill this christmas, but haven't stuffed myself as much as in previous years. (no seconds on Christmas day, and only 3 roasties.) I've probably drunk too much wine though. I'm planning a big meal for tomorrow night (including gratin dauphinoise with A LOT of cream) but I will get back to fasting on Thursday.

Wishing everyone the very best for 2014. We've had a great 2013, in no small part due to our new size, shape and improved fitness. Long may it continue.

Have put on another kg...but had an email from my brother saying how much better I looked than when he saw me in the summer, thin and healthy as compared to thin and tired looking when I was 3 kgs lighter at 56kgs, so I'm not too worried.
Just spent a couple of days away with a new man (who is lovely) on the Isle de Noirmoutier - we ate a lot (he is a really good cook) but drank hardly any alcohol so hopefully that helped restrict the calorie input. He said I shouldn't lose any weight, so maybe a BMI of 19,7 is better than 18,5 after all!
I hope everyone has a good night tonight, then let the fasting begin

fat n' happy here (ok so not so happy about the rounded tum !!) but it'll be gone again soon and i've had a great time (and there are more roasties in the oven right now! ) and im not back to work until the 6th ..

Sadly our car has died and only major surgery that could hope to bring it back to life and as its quite old its not going to be worth it .. so thats going to have to be a new car for us as a New year expense.. Luckily my New years fast regime resolution was going to be to go veggie for a while anyway! Ah well...it will have to be so now out of necessity..

But not tonight all around for us . but its great to see everyone here . Have a brilliant new years eve! Everyone!

(ill be on the red cabbage and beetroot soup tomorrow...)

Happy NY all - I went out to friends and had a lovely meal - with good wine but not enough to cause a hangover :-) had my 3 scrambled eggs on toast this morning but plan to move into a light eating phase for January. My normal diet is now mainly vegetable - apart from eggs from my own happy chickens and the odd slab of local goats cheese - so Xmas is a huge meat fest which I'm glad to leave behind.

Oh dear not so happy today though....I got on the scales again ..i knew it was bad , but its so bad I'm not even saying

Ah, yes, Laska, that's all well and good - but now you know how to fix it!

I'm betting by the third week in Jan you'll come back on here and tell us how svelte you are again. With another lovely party dress, no doubt!

ATM, I'm busy eating up all the extraneous sweet stuff - not the Lindt's Chilli choc, I'm rationing that - choc liqueurs/mint chocs/choc covered marzipan, etc. It's all got to go!

Eating early tonight in preparation for a good 24 hour fast up until dinner tomorrow night.

Happy New Year everyone.

Phew am I glad that's all over - totally lost the plot and just finishing left overs now.
Well done to all who braved the scales. Me, not brave enough so as from next Monday back to 4:3 and exercise and then after a week or so I'll step on to observe the damage. Trouble is I know that if I jump on now I'll be so down that I'll seek out all the hidden Xmas choc that DH has so helpfully hidden in his workshop!

Happy New Year.
I'm trying not to think about how much fizzy the 4 of us (oldest friends, DH and I) put away last night.
Early nights tonight to be up for the sunny day tomorrow

I might go to the gym on Friday and venture near the scales
or I might chicken out
but I'm really looking forward to fasting
once I've finished my wine.

Happy New Year all.

laska sis I'm in the same boat as you. But who knows where a couple FDs will take us eh? Hopefully into a position where I can wear my bloody clothes comfortably again

Good luck and successful FDs to all

LOL at finishing off all the treats, I did the same with the christmas cake and after eights - I will eke out the good cheese and the Port though! I am still a bit at being able to have a guilt free Xmas - aiming to be back down to target by the end of the month I think.

ooh, anybody seen MOCNK lately ....

No tip not recently.

But evil Jillian is back in town

(and I am pleased to say I am in much better shape than last time I started the 30 day shred)