IF / ADF / 4:3 / 5:2 / 6:1 / 16:8 ~ Maintaining at a healthy weight ~ Chapter 4

[TalkinPeace]

This thread is for those of us 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 many 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 three maintenance threads and all the main 5:2 threads for posters practicing IF to lose weight here Fasting / 5:2 on the diet forum. We're currently on thread no. 35, but there is a new main thread every 2-3 weeks.

There are three 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!

Since I started the last Maintainers thread the importance of exercise has come to the fore, as part of our general health and to help weight loss. BigChocFrenzys thread is here

frenchfancy my DD is an early riser and huge breakfast eater but her appetite decreases during the day, so she can eat cereal/porridge as well as toast and fruit or yogurt for breakfast, an average lunch but tiny snack dinner, and my younger ds is the opposite, late to bed and rise, his appetite doesn't awaken til about 11am, so even though he's only 5 I don't make him eat breakfast although I can usually entice him with a piece of fruit or a yogurt, but by the end of the day he wolfs down a huge dinner at 5.30/6 but needs another snack near bedtime, the difficulty has been in stopping dd indulging in the same snacks as her brother at bedtime as she hates to 'miss out' but she is finally understanding that we all have to choose when and what to eat and that some choices are better than others. she now comes home proudly and says she chose fruit for pudding or just the curry but no chips etc.

But at the end of the day young children are at the mercy of what the adults around them offer - they don't have the free will that older children or adults have, her Father as he only sees them every fortnight hugely overindulges with food, they can eat 4 meals out over the weekend, pizza's burgers. nuggets smoothies etc, which i somehow have to rebalance the rest of the time.

Welcome Bouncy and Mrs F it is really nice to see new maintainers on this thread
MOCNK so nice to see you back and please don't leave this thread. A lot of us here go over 'goal' weight from time to time so we aren't on all on maintenance all of the time! I hope things go more smoothly with your partner now and good luck with the your fasting. I'm not in the fasting zone at all this week, running in the rain and wind makes me even hungrier, plus I have another race on Sunday, so will try 5:2 again next Monday

thanks all for your lovely comments, i may not have disappeared if I'd just been worrying about a few pounds, but literally I gained it all back! 12 pounds! I know compared to some that's not a huge amount, but really I think my target should alwasy have been lower anyway, the 12 pound loss got me just in healthy bmi -24 but now back to 26 bmi, this time I'm aiming for bmi 21 around teh 9.5 stone mark, which I have never been as an adult, but it gives me lots more leeway and is a more significant commitment to this woe....and hopefully HIT too.

i had a successful first fast day back yesterday, spot on 500, and counting cals again for the in between days for teh first couple of weeks just to make sure i stay on track and don't snack too much

anglaise I am pondering a running machine, argos has one reduced at the moment, but still it's a big spend when i'm learning to drive and so will hopefully be needing to buy a car soon, but fitting in exercise around the kids is tricky.....excuses excuses

am off to measure everything, I didn't do this last time and I remember regretting it.

mocnk I can't advise on running machines as I do all mine outside (I'm a fresh air freak) but all exercise helps your mind and morale as well as your body it might be a worthwhile investment.
This isn't meant to make you feel guilty, but I'm a single mum with no family nearby, with two kids 7 and 13, I don't work on Wednesdays or Friday afternoons so manage to fit 4 training sessions in a week. An hour/hour and a half is all you need, much less if you go the HIIT route!

MONCK welcome back! and welcome bouncy and Mrs F yep this the old friends corner but we love new friends too!

Mocnk just to say that im also struggling to get back to target having put on a bit , (after being an old original 5:2 stalwart , If i may be so bold to say so myself .. )and I also definitely need to regroup refocus and recommit! .
Also) ( a really shameful confession) ive also been feeling a little bit envious of all those who have whizzed downwards past me and are maintaining at weights i dream of being ...and im still struggling . If I am honest ( which yes, is a bit of a childish emotion and I fully know that they are doing so because they have stuck to it where as i haven't really and have remained so much more focussed than i have

So that's my confession . so come on MOCNK, take my hand .. lets get back on track together !

I'm still experiencing a dodgy internet connection , hope this will post will work

BreadandWine
Do you own a swiss ball?
Just that they are brilliant to sit on if you have a bad back as they are soft, mould themselves to your actual pelvis, but to stay on them for any length of time involves constantly working the core muscles ...

sitting with one leg out straight on a swiss ball sounds silly but is actually really hard.

MOCNK
Running machines : as a total gym bunny, I loathe them.
Getting out in the fresh air - even as foul as it is - will do you more good than a treadmill.

General health warning: I'm completely full of cold and feeling very sorry for myself and deeply grumpy :(

So this will be a very short post which will almost certainly fail to respond to most of the interesting things all you lovely people have had to say over the past few days, but will no doubt overflow with self pity

MOCNK Welcome back You have been missed! I'm so pleased you're back - don't cut yourself off from your 5:2 support network again :( Of course you can hang out here, and can I suggest some reframing? You're still 'maintaining', you've just had a blip and need to get back to where you were. That's not the same as starting from scratch.

I'm not in the same boat, but also up 4lbs over the past 2 weeks, despite a good FD on Monday...I'm not sure what's happened in my head, but I've suddenly found myself noshing on all sorts of snack foods (biscuits, sweets, nachos and wasabi peas in particular) which I thought I had cracked. Each day I get on the scales and whilst it's not terrible, it's just frustrating and cross-making to see that the numbers are going in completely the wrong direction :( Last week I started at 9.2, finished at 9.8, got back to 9.4 after Mondays FD and am now on 9.6. I don't want to fast today: I'm feeling utterly pants and can't face it, so am going to try and have a controlled and sensible day, and hopfully avoid any food at least until lunchtime.

MrsF great news about your FIL - that must be a huge relief :)

I have 20+ Manuka in the cupboard so will try TIPs suggestion on dd's spot. But I was told not to use it in hot drinks (tempted by the honey and lemon right now...) as the hot water kills the antibacterial properties....any comments, anyone???

Hope your back is feeling better soon B&W and that you get to spend time with Oscar one way or the other (come on, admit it...you're secretly hoping to have him all to yourselves for the weekend, aren't you?!)

FF I read your post with dread. 1 ds and 2 dds over here, but all under age 9, so guessing that I have all this fun to come. Sounds challenging....

Oops, sorry - forgot to say SED message me when you're ready to eat out again and we can meet up at Itsu. Happy to do that on a FD too, as their 100cal frozen yoghurt is my absolute favourite FD 'treat'.

thanks anglaise and tip I like to run outdoors too, but trapped at home with 2 small kids, working 4 days a weeks with the 5th currently filled with driving lessons, DD to psychologists/dr's/food shopping chores, that I just started to consider an option for doing something more regularly than the occasional twice a month I currently manage to fit it which just isn't enough, my brother got a spinning bike and he says just having it there really helps with his motivation....admittedly he does have it right in the middle of his living room in front of the tv, which wouldn't work for me!

I know if I really wanted to i would make time for some exercise, as you point out anglaise HIIT doesn't take long.....my motivation is not high, but maybe when the OH and I move in together....possibly autumn time, I will then be able to get out for a run early morning or evening.

i think first things first get back on track with fasting and then hopefully that will motivate me a bit more!

laska thanks for your lovely words, ok, solidarity, we are together in making this work for us again, it did before, it will again, and we will get down to a lower weight and join the club of all the people who have got down to skinny! I definitely think I got complacent and was 'happy enough' at 10 10 ish, but now none of my clothes fit again and I refuse to buy a size 14!

I might go and check out the inspiration stories thread, does anyone have the link handy?

filly thanks for the welcome back, and the re-frame! yes I know all about snacking, the oh sod it switch truly turned itself on, and when i did try a fast I allowed myself to go over (700-1000 cals) which really doesn't work, and you don't feel as good about yourself the next day.

you're ill today, so soup and wholesome food is necessary, but you'll fast again when better and those 4lbs will be gone before you know it, just don't let it creep up and up like me!

I can be the poster girl for what not to do!

found the link, duly inspired, mushroom soup today on my second fast day of the week.

My Dad's allergic to exercise but has a spinning bike too MOCNK, and it is much easier for him to rustle up motivation when it's just there in his study and he doesn't have to go anywhere - I think that's why I like Shred too, it literally does take 20mins because there's no travel involved, I can do it in my pjs and sports bra if I want to. So I totally see how a running machine would benefit you, do it (if you know you'll use it!)

Ugh ate til horribly full several times yesterday. Obviously FD today before my sod it switch goes into overdrive

Filly my weight is exactly the same as yours and fluctuating in the same way, more up than down, I was horrified this morning put on 1kg overnight but it still wasn't enough to motivate me into fasting today. It can't all be muscle. I have sod it hat well and truly on! Are you around the same height as me (5'8")? I can't remember.
mocnk I hope things get easier for you when you move in with OH. My DC are old enough to be left on their own so I can go out and run when want - and running for a club is much more motivating because I run with other people so it is more fun, even in the wind and rain!
I will start fasting again next week....

I had a successful FD today, had homemade salmon biriyani for dinner- was delicious. It does feel nice and familiar to be back on the routine. I really do need to get into exercise again. Like mocnk I kind it really hard to motivate myself and feel I lack the time (in reality, I do have loads of time - it's just an excuse really).

I start exercise, get really into it and then it sort of peters out. I guess I have not got into my head it should be a wol change. It's something I am working on (my attitude) as I sit on my bum contemplating

*find - doh!

Uuugghh. I hate this weather. Its wrecked my willpower.
Wine with dinner again tonight and it sure as heck was not 400 calories.
Then again DH is out till late tomorrow so no pizza.
Ah well. Next week is a new start
and I'm still just about on target weight
but I do want to be a bit lower by the end of term so I can wear a bikini!

Awful NFD here. Snacked on an unholy amount of Celebration chocs someone brought into work . Yesterday only slightly better. Went to the gym however so not all bad. Really not quite 'in the zone' at all lately like some of you too but managed a FD on Tuesday and going for another one on Saturday or at least a mini-fast. I'd planned to fast today but just couldn't face it...will avoid scales until next week.

B&W It's the 13" MBP with Retina I have and thanks for that 67p (!) pizza recipe.

Bssh How are you feeling at the moment?

bouncy your salmon biryiani sounds yum, is it on the recipe thread?

I've had 2 fresh carton soups today, I'm so lazy on fast days, but f I start cooking the temptation to add ingredients I shouldn't alwasy wins, so a calorie counted soup is safest, mushroom for lunch and a goan chicken and lentil for dinner.

tip winter is about red wine and comforting carb rich dishes, stews and currys and thick soups and cheese! roll on the spring and salads!

mumofcrazy no its not on the recipe thread - maybe biriyani sounds a bit more posh than it was. Maybe more stir fried rice with salmon.

Salmon cut up into small chunks, onion, garlic, spices, mushroom, peas, spinach fried quickly together with tomato paste and add 30g of cooked rice (I cook mine in the microwave). Serves one. Literally takes about 10 minutes. Could you tell I was hungry today?

Boo. Failed fast day

Morning all. SED feeling a bit better thanks. God, this weather is not helping with willpower and exercising is it? I am so over Winter now.

BouncyFun (great name change!) that biryani sounds yum. I'm not big salmon-in-curry fan (though my Indian mum loves it and makes salmon curry all the time) so I am going to replace it with cod.

MOCNK a home treadmill sounds perfect for you. I think you'll more likely exercise if you had one. Try and get one with incline options so you can mimic hill intervals - very effective for leg and bum muscles.

B&W hope your back feels better soon - what a drag!

This is my second week maintaining and it was another 6:1 week as I managed to maintain 3 lbs under target again.

Two good fast days' this week plus one fairly low eating day and one that got a bit silly (but not outrageous) and some ok exercise sessions. I thought this might possibly translate to breaking through the 9.11 - 10.00 stone weight range I've been stuck in for months as I had a surprisingly good weigh in on Tuesday (having briefly added 4lbs when I was ill last week). But no. Still hovering very much in the same range.

Not obsessing, just observing and reporting!

But I am wearing a size 10 non-forgiving dress and looking pretty good so hey, whatever

Glad to see you back in action bssh, this month is a bit of a nightmare illness-wise. I'm feeling a whole new range of symptoms appear today :(

bouncyfun Love the new name!

I've had a good 5:2 week. 2 good fasts, and I've been good on NFDs (not counting but not snacking either) and I'm managing to keep up with the no wine on weekdays. Some movement on the scales in the right direction for once, 1kg down on last week. Like others I seem to be just bouncing up and down the same 3 lbs. I would really like to get another kg off before my holiday in 2 weeks (mostly so I can put it back on again whilst I'm in the US).

It is a good job I am going on holiday because my mood is really starting to suffer with the weather. I work from home with DH, normally there are things to do out and about so we are not under each others feet but for the past fortnight we've been stuck in the house and tensions are starting to mount.

Morning. And Happy Valentines day.

TIP. The fecking weather is driving me insane. Ever since the rains started at end of October, the DC and I have been ill constantly. I am zapped of all power.

DC break up for half term today. DD reeled off a massive list of museums and activities we HAVE to do next week. Yikes. I had planned some quiet at home time. Never mind Dinisaurs at Nat hist it is. She also wants to go to the beach bless her. She is completely confident that it will be hot summer weather by next week. You've got to admire that.

Lost another 1lb so now at 68.5 kg. however that will soon be back as a big meal is planned for tonight and take away Thai treat for tomorrow.

Stay dry.

Thanks, Bssh - back is much better today, so much so that I'm going to my table tennis club this afternoon. I received a wonderful tip yesterday that has really helped. That is to sit on a chair backwards! It really works.

I'm able to sit for 10 minutes at a time without ann severe effect. Any pain I do suffer is eased by a couple of circuits round the dining room table. Yesterday it was taking about thirty!

Happy Valentine's Day indeed! It does help though if you've bought your partner (wife in my case) a card! For the first time in 43 years I forgot to get her one! I'm blaming the bad weather for not being able to get out much - but that didn't wash since my wife had one for me!

So it's now going to cost me not only a card, but a box of chocolates.

Ah, well! It's my silly fault!

Nice one, SED - I may well get something similar for Christmas! The pizza is just one example of saving money by making your own bread. I mean, a batch of Chelsea buns for less than 40p! You can't go wrong.