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

Well done Anglais on your half marathon - how's your knee at the moment?

Congrats on your fab news vie

Booze also took it's toll on me last week - I couldn't resist the 1litre bottle of very calorific Bailey's that was on offer at Ocado and drank the lot in an embarrassingly short space of time resulting in a 3lb gain, which I lost earlier this week by being sensible and a FD. I'd ideally like to drink more at home but I know it's not healthy and plays havoc with maintaining; a bottle of good quality wine over two nights is enough.

Off to the west end now for some foodie treats for tomorrow's Easter Day brunch feast - already found some organic raspberry and coconut 66% chocolate. Mini-fasting today.

Welcome Vie congrats on the wedding , we also got married 14 years in also, ( no need to rush into things!)

Kuchen looks good B&W.. ill have a look at the vid next ..

A wet Easter sunday here and so i fancy something warmings and filling.. so im making Lapin au moutarde (or wild bunny stew) with mustard , white wine carrots and parsley dumplings!..
.... Sorry veggies and vegans...

I didnt get an egg but DH is in a baking mood he says so ithink it will be cardonum easter buns or Greek easter cakes later for us (luckily i dont have a sweet tooth, so should be ok on just one small one , whatever it is..

Im on for dropping the alchohol right back down also .. will be fasting Tuesday and thursday next week.. and like tip intend to do my resting TDEE for the rest of the weekdays and only only Friday and Sat..
I can do this!

SEdweller im not sureof its respect on you drinking the Baileys (as i cant stomach the stuff) or bleugh!

I'm 6 days into an alcohol-free fortnight - and, so far, it doesn't seem to be doing me any harm!

Just poured myself a pint of water with ice, as a pre-dinner drink, which seems to do the trick.

SED, did you see the research on 5:2 for men I posted on the Links thread?

I hope everyone had a lovely guilt free Easter! We only have the Monday off here so not quite so much of a holiday, but plenty of chocolate nevertheless.
South thanks, my knee is fine at the moment, for the half marathon no pain at all and none since either. I'm on an enforced rest (by the coach) now for 10 days which won't do any harm, and it gives me a chance to read the Running like a Girl;-) I saw the surgeon last week who recommended the op to remove the torn meniscus and also to see the state of the cartilage which will determine whether I can run long distance or would be better sticking to shorter 10km races. Operation planned for July at the moment, unless I decide that I can live with the on off pain.
Good luck to all of you for the fasts and alcohol free days this week. Not sure I'll be fasting this week as weight still at my 9 stone ideal despite the carb loading before my race. Fasting does work, I lost the 2kgs I wanted to before the race, it just took a little longer than I thought it would as fluctuations on the scales were misleading. I think waist measurement gives a truer reflection of where you are than the scales. AKA How Tight Your Jeans Are. But the daily weigh in helps me stay focused. As does knowing your TDEE.

Southeast
'tis funny : I was brought up to never drink alone at home. Ever.
I broke the rule once when DH was away and I received some very threatening phone calls from some nice chaps in Ulster.
But if I'm at home alone I am teetotal

B&W
its the - do not start - trigger for me ; if I get a drinking head on its a roll
so I tend to just have water or lime squash in the week

anglaise
too right on the jeans thing : I've not exercised for two weeks (apart from lots of walking on holiday) so my ab muscles have gone F-L-U-M-P but minimal actual weight gain.

Packed lunch made for tomorrow - two carrots in chunks and a pot of grapes and than intravenous tea when I get to work!

No B&W I haven’t but will do tonight.

How were everyone’s Easters? After an enjoyable and fairly restrained long weekend which included a FD, I was expecting to stay on target or even drop a pound or two but oh no – I’ve put on two lbs over a week. I’d forgotton about two piggy NFD’s last week on Wednesday and Thursday when a tub of B&J frozen yogurt was consumed, along with a Burrito, a lot of bread, wine, and the last bit of my bottle of Bailey’s. I’m still in the 21 BMI zone so not a disaster by any means.

So, fasting today and I'm sure the 2lbs will be off again soon.

Haven't caught up but wanted to check in and say hi before I fall off the thread. 12 days into a non-stop eating holiday and no sign of even a mini fast anywhere and I'm more than a bit terrified what the scales will say when I get home next Sunday. I'm prepared for it to be very very bad.....but we're having a lovely break, and the food has been pretty fantastic (and more BBQs over the past week than we normally have in a year plus amazing ice cream galore....) so I'll just have to remember I enjoyed it and brought it all on myself when I get back into fasting next week.....
Hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter break x

Just checking in. Have struggled to fast or exercise over the last few weeks and definitely feel it. I'm at the top end of my maintenance range for the 1st time and showing signs of muffin top in my new skinny jeans. So I've had a stern word with myself and exercised over the weekend, fasted yesterday and having another involuntary one today as my cold is turning into cold + fever.

vie you are doing the opposite move to me. After 6 years in HK we are heading home. We've loved it here. If you ever have any questions feel free to PM me.
And congrats on the wedding!

I've been a bit overwhelmed with stuff so it feels good to be back on the fasting wagon.

Like a few of you I need to cut back on booze, it has been creeping far too much and definitely contributing to the muffin top.

just popping in to say hello and see you on the other side - off on road trip with DH for FOUR CHILDFREE DAYS! Grand Canyon here we come....

Have fun ATB

Hippo birdie 2 me
49 today

Happy Birthday TIP we are of the same vintage - 1965 - a very good year

Happy birthday tip. Any nice plans for your birthday weekend?

rebuilding my garden after having a new fence installed this weekend

tonight is more of a treat than I'd expected as my booking tomorrow cancelled on Monday : otherwise I'd have been working till 9 tonight and from 7 tomorrow!

but my lovely client today gave me a pressie - sometimes I love my work

Happy birthday tip

Enjoy atb

Happy birthday TiP

Happy Birthday TIP I like you don't like to drink alone, unfortunately I quite happily snack alone!

Hi everyone, sorry for longish absence again, all good, just busy.

welcome to vienrose good to see you over here, and many congrats on your upcoming nuptials, what fun!

congrats to anglaise on your marathon, sorry to hear about needing a knee op, but my ex had that meniscus repair done keyhole, and despite dire warnings from dr's about needing up to 2 weeks off work he literally walked out of hospital the same day and was totally fine, i guess a lot depends on how bad it is and what they nee dto do to tidy it up?

atb have a fabulous child free trip! sounds amazing, i am on day 6 child free, but unfortunately am working, although i had last week off fasting, then fasted tues and today, and yesterday I went for a run at lunchtime and then after work i did evil Jillian, first time in a year, am determined that I will find 20 minutes per day to stick at it, mostly becasue i was a lot hotter and sweatier and more out of breath doing the shred than after my run, and i really have no excuse other than my children laughing at me or joining in and sitting on me I can find 20 minutes per day ever day

well done b&w on your problem free alcohol abstinence, but at least you are treating yourself in it's absence, my problem is i want the sweet treats and the alcohol, I hope the antibiotics are working and you'll be back to full health soon! I've just started twittering, decided that if i don't get with teh program now, my kids are never going to believe i work in IT and i'll be the biggest luddite ever! what's your name on twitter so I can find and follow you? (i'm Gill Pinch)

LASKA right my friend, the time has come, shred with me? do you have it? I did my first yesterday, and I did it when I was feeling hungry and it was good for delaying eating and also made me feel much more virtuous about consuming half an easter egg afterwards but it was a NFD! although we then went out for dinner in the evening, crab and egg benedict followed by belly pork in a gorgeous sauce and veg, with ....ahem....3 large glasses of wine but no pudding!

also today out of some strange masochistic impulse, I baked a chocolate and banana and walnut loaf first thing, so all day I have been taunted with the smell of deliciousness....but tomorrow (for breakfast) I can have it!

filly good to hear you are having a lovely indulgent holiday, surely all holidays should be about indulgence...well unless you are lucky enough to take plenty of holidays, in which case maybe you can limit some of them, but to my mind, who hasn't had a holiday away from home for 6 years, when I do get to go on one I will definitely be indulging!

sed you sound totally in control to me, bmi 21 and a fast day over easter weekend is very impressive!

Hi all,
was good last night and did not have a night cap so woke up clear headed and ready to fast and then went for a swim.
No other WOE lets you eat a whole pack of roule with a spoon on a week night

Hi everyone!

Woke up with a sore throat this morning, which is not supposed to happen. I thought, sod it, 'Starve a fever, feed a cold'. So I've had three four meals today, counting the one I've just had. Plateful of oven chips with some homemade beans and a LM sausage. This only awoke the hunger monster within, so I've had 5 apple pie cookies my wife bought. These are vegan, from the Co-op, but they've got palm oil in them, so won't be getting them again. They were OK-ish.

I found you on Twitter, mocnk, and I've tweeted you. Had a great conversation re tempeh this evening, on there. Gained a few followers.

Made some smoked paprika pasta to go with a veg ragu sauce, tonight - it both looked and tasted amazing! (The basic recipe is on the 5:2 recipe thread)

Hope everyone's maintaining successfully - or at least doing something about it. I'll probably put on a couple of pounds over the next few days - but I won't go back a notch on my belt. That is not an option!

10 days with no alcohol (and counting!) so far. My biggest test was half an hour ago when I could have murdered a glass of red with my oven chips and beans (dead sophisticated, moi!). But we soldier on.

Take care, y'all!

Very happy, my week of rest is over and I can go on a nice long run this afternoon (sadly in the rain). No weight gain, no inch gain around the waist so the no exercise except for walking hasn't done any harm.
mocnk good to hear your news and especially the quick recovery that your ex had following his knee op, gives me a lot of hope for perhaps a shorter convalescence period than 6 weeks (the doctors over here always err very much on the side of caution).
Good luck with Jillian if running doesn't work for you! I'm on Twitter (@la_vache)but haven't tweeted for years now, I found FB easier to use for news, following etc. How are things going with OH now? I had a rocky weekend with mine:-(
TIP glad you had a good birthday
B&W hope your cold is better soon and well done on your no alcohol!

so planning to update here, so you lot can be my health conscience! so after first shred on weds, thursday We ended up going for a 5 mile hike, so no shred, but shredded yesterday am and this morning, I am still on level one, can do all the full exercises except push ups, at which I am useless! managed to do 9 and then 6, but not the full 30 seconds on repeat, I won't move up to level 2 until I can do a full 30 seconds of pushups without collapsing on the floor!

laska where are you and have you dusted off Jillian yet?

b&w thanks for the twitter follow and message, I'm still getting to grips with it, currently think I have too much science feeds so getting distracted reading tonnes of stuff.

anglaise sorry to hear you've had a rocky weekend with the OH, things going ok with me and mine at the moment, having a week without my kids has given me some more freedom to come and go as i please (i.e. the shoe is on the other foot for a change, i think that helps, but it will soon be back to me being a full time parent and he will alwasy be part time, I think that makes a difference that could mean it won't work long term, but trying to be chilled for now....easier said than done! I hope you get some clarity soon on the best way forward for you.

tip you've remidned me I have roule in the fridge!!!

Thanks for the link on that thread you mentioned earlier in the week B&W though in all honesty I didn't understand most of it . But this was clear and quite reassuring:

Recent reports suggest that IF exerts a positive impact on the metabolic derangements commonly associated with cardiovascular diseases, and that it may be a viable and accessible intervention for most individuals.

How're you getting on Laska?

mum I'm in awe of all that exercise you've done this week. Hope you had some lovely foodie treats this weekend.

Anglaise You haven't mentioned your knee so I'm assuming it's healed a little now...?

Hope the scale reading wasn't too bad filly.

Well, I fasted yesterday but again I've had some not-too-wonderful NFD's...fasting tomorrow and will get on the scales in the morning if I'm feeling brave. I think I need to reduce my sugar habit and thus reduce my still too flabby belly and thighs...and finally start doing weights.

aagghh just lost long post, i only pressed the back arrow twice!

anyway to briefly recap ......ggggrrr....

SED don't be in awe, I only achieved it because my kids have been away with their Dad for 9 days, so I had some rare time to myself, needless to say we had a joyful reunion yesterday but i didn't therefore manage any Shred, and now desperately trying to work out a do-able plan for maintaining now they are home.

today I am going to attempt doing it once they are home from school, as I am supposed to be working 9-3 while they are at school, and I will always need a shower after! if that doesn't work I might have to steal some work time and pay it back in the evening.

I had a lovely day shopping at the outlet village with my Mum on friday and we had waggamammas yum! (will try and post a photo of my beautiful new ted baker shorts) then Sat we had an easter egg hunt for my bf and his dd at his aunts house with lots of cousins so we ended up picking too much at the kids party food, so I just did the baked camembert with garlic and wine and ciabbatta for supper on sat night and a lovely bottle of Sancerre...just one between us...very restrained for a weekend night! no booze yesterday, no lunch either (although 3 slices of buttered home made fruit loaf for breakfast but a roast dinner with sausages for a family dinner with kids, bf and his dd.

This week attempting 3 fasts again, just did 2 last week after a week of not doing it, (and had gained 3 pounds back of the 5 lost...aaghhhh!) so mon tues and thurs, lots of coffee, soup, shred. I need to have lost those 3 pounds again by Fridays weigh in!

new shorts!