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

[TalkinPeace]

This thread is for those of us who have been practicing IF (Intermittent Fasting) for quite a while ( it being nearly 2 years since the Michael Mosely TV programme aired ) 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 mix fasts and 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?

More and more 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 four maintenance threads and all the main 5:2 threads for posters practising IF to lose weight here Fasting / 5:2 on the diet forum. We're currently on thread no. 46, 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 even more to the fore, as part of our general health and to help weight loss. BigChocFrenzys thread is here

whereas I can kill my need for food with a nice mug of tea (admittedly with milk in)
so long as I have mugs of tea I can happily have just one meal a day

A teasp of Marmite or a hot Bovril does it for me.

Bigchoc. Glad to see you've secured the new bike. Hope you're feeling cheerier by now.

Yes to bovril. Came across it on main fasting thread last year and I actually like it. Before I had no idea what bro il was for.

Still maintaining. Although FDs are mini fast here and there at the moment.

Things are high octane in the Florrick household. DH has been abroad 3 weeks on the trot. Is back until Saturday when he goes again for 5 days.

DS is being very challenging just now. It's partly that age (3) and that he hasn't seen DH for ages plus I'm mega stressed and busy. My second business has just really taken off plus we have lots of other stuff going on with rental properties being refurbished etc etc. obv DH does nothing and I do it all.

I do find myself shouting a bit more than normal. Don't think it's the stress, I think it's the behaviour.
DS hit someone at school today out of defiance. He has never done anything like that before.

Hope your lives are all a little quieter than mine....

nearly two years since I hit happy weight : and I'm still there.
LOVE this way of eating

Well done TIP two years is excellent!!

We're looking forward to your 2-year maintenance report, Tip
That'll be a great achievement

Been backsliding badly, definitely linked to not posting on here....but....

At a conference about 2metres away from Tara Nicholls-Nelson

Oops, hit post too soon. Anyway, the fab lady who runs marketing and engagement for My Fitness Pal.

Vair vair inspiring.....

TIP Congrats on your near 2 year milestone
Filly Good to hear from you and your post regarding MFP is very interesting. I'm running so much at the moment and with the cold weather I have only been doing 16:8 occasionally, no 500 cal fasts despite wanting to lose 2 - 3 kgs to get back to ideal 'running weight'. As a change I've been experimenting with MFP for the last 10 days and logging everything I eat, plus exercise. It has been very interesting and I've lost 1,5kgs even though I de-railed quite a lot at the weekend, as you do. Fortunately I eat mostly the same things so the logging of food/cals etc. hasn't been too time consuming. Not sure I'd want to do it long term but it certainly makes you aware of EVERYTHING you eat. As a result I've cut back on sweets and cakes and general food that isn't good for me. No snacking (except moderately on fruit) seems to have worked, as has cutting down on wine and almond consumption. I hope to get down to 58kgs by my next 10km race on Saturday.
What did the fab marketing lady for MFP have to say??

Tip Congratulations on 2 slim years.. such an inspiration.That first six months when 5:2 was a bit of a 'secret' was such fun wasnt it?

Sadly my 2 year anniversary is not quite so successful, but in a desperate effort to finally pull it back I have done something daft this week.. Have done 4 days on the trot fasting.. and had lost 6lbs this morning ..

Yes, I know.. it is a crazy thing to do and at all not maintanable as a WOE.. but its my birthday on Friday 2 years ago I was at my 10st target for my birthday .. I'm no way near now..)

And 'Ill be 57 and will be spending it and the rest of the weekend with v slim and v competative friend who's lost (and maintained) over 5 stone.. Confession:, i'm jealous!... ( God, I am a total cow...)

I really didnt want to feel crap on my birthday .. (but I will ) but at least I know its not as bad as last week.. (however there will be a birthday dinner and a curry on the menu sometime over the weekend) Bugger, bugger bugger.. I am such a bloody saddo aint i?

Actually 4 days fasting is quite easy .. ive felt a bit hungry but not desperate. Lots of tea black coffee and water help. Tomorrow though i have to go out for a works meal lunchtime.. sad git that I am I have been thinking of ringing in sick..

(Ok this is all just eating disorder thinking isnt it? .. dont answer .. I know)

So I wont do that but will go and try and have plain meat and veg if its on menu, theyre bound to have a fish or a steak )

MFP is really great , when I use it , it makes things so much easier .. right back off to the ether ..

One day though, I WILL be back here properly AND on merit ....
moan over ..

Have a great christmas

Congrats Tip on the two-year mark. These milestones are not just significant but also really encouraging for all of us who're maintaining for less time, or struggling to maintain.

Laska I'm concerned about the stress you've put on your body this week and wouldn't you be losing mostly muscle doing four days consecutively? Have a lovely day on Friday

I'll do an update soon - have had little time and energy to post much here the past couple of months.

Laska
Interestingly if I'm busy I can easily do 200 calorie lunch and 400 calorie supper several days on the trot
BUT
I do then tend to 'balance' it at the weekend.

DH and I are being bad this week and having wine during the week again long story, best chewed next time you're on the mainland.

Bigchoc
The actual date I hit target was the 18th - that was 8st 12 - I'll not bother getting back down to that but I've stayed within +- 3lb of 9 stone since then

I'll do a 2 year summary - prob onto the Inspiration thread - next week

Southeast
Sorry to hear that your Autumn has been as manky as you thought it might be.

WE WILL get that meet up sushi / tapas session for a gang of us on the South Bank some time

I should be ok .. I only had one day when i ate nothing at all, Sunday.. after a 'normal weekend' (and several weeks before of not fasting at all)

The other days were around 400-500 cal, so should be ok..

Anyway I now have 4 eating days to contend with!

Actually its been fine .. I may even do it again next week..

Laska I'm impressed you managed to fast 4 days on the trot. Fasting is definitely something you can train yourself to do. At first is it horrible and nearly impossible, but you do get used to it. My French friends (3 meals a day no snacking) can't even contemplate it but I can run on a fast day with no problems at all now.
Happy birthday for Friday, enjoy yourself and don't beat yourself up about anything.
SouthEast really nice to see you back posting too, sorry things have been so awful for you recently. I hope 2015 is better for you and you end up doing something you've always wanted to (I had a crisis 14 years ago which is how I ended up in France, I wouldn't change anything).

Nice to hear from you again, sed Hope things are OK.
Have you found another job ?

Laska Happy Birthday for tomorrow

Those 4 days might be ok as a one-off, but best to regard them as a motivating kickstart to return to 5:2 bootcamp. Like SED said: long fasts, even buffered, risk muscle loss and hence lowered TDEE.
Studies show that muscle loss may start after 72 hrs of total fasting, but no studies on buffered fasts, as far as I know.
Anyway, weight loss is a process of hard work over months.

Suggestion: Starting Saturday, after your birthday, why not try Mimi Spencer's accelerated 5:2 for a month ? It would also avoid Xmas gain.
Ignore the book title (Beach Body or some such crap) : It is just 5:2 plus exercise, plus cutting out crap and alcohol for a few weeks.

So, here I am on the 2nd anniversary of hitting happy weight.

For the record it was 8st 12 : down from the 10 stone I'd been on the first day of that term.
My weight has fluctuated in the interim : up to 9st 7 after a particularly food oriented 2 week holiday
BUT
with 5:2 I've been able to get back to 9st within a couple of weeks each time
and stay within 1 pound of "happy weight" with remarkably little effort

Even better, DH is still on the journey with me : we fast together every Monday and one other day most weeks.

I see no reason not to be typing a similar post in another couple of years
by which time hopefully
the snack industry will be in the same league as the cigarette industry
Intermittent Fasting will be at the top of the NHS advice pages
the worm will have turned on world food inequality

but for tonight I feel ill so have ordered Chinese and will have a glass of wine
because that is the beauty of this WOE : it lets you enjoy life

TiP

Happy 2nd Maintenance Anniversary, tip Well done to your DH, too.

A great achievement for you, which shows again that 5:2 is a longterm healthy WOL.

Congratulations on your 2 years of fasting TIP. Chapeau! I'm pleased you have found a WOE that you (and DH) are happy with and can stick with easily.
I hope the same as you that the snack industry is in the same league as that of cigarettes, with warnings on packets. But as there are no bad seconadary effects on other people, I doubt it will happen.

My insurance won't pay anything for my bike, because it wasn't inside a locked door with visible damage. So, a lot of time wasted filling out forms and making reports.

Oh well, last day of work, so 2 weeks of hols to enjoy

Anyone doing anything exciting ?
B&W What is your planned vegan Xmas lunch ?
For a change, I'm considering a curry at the lovely vegan restautant in the next town. They add roasted nuts and raw avocado, tomatoes. Delic.

(((( Bigchoc ))))) We all kinda knew but WHAT a pita.
DH had his last gig today : now its just me pootling till term starts next year
no alarm for two weeks .... bliss

So sorry about your insurance Bigchoc and all that wasted time filling in forms.
Just coming into Portsmouth on the ferry for the weekend to celebrate my daf's 80th birthday, then back to France Monday after stocking up on marmite, cox's orange pippins and pershwari naan. Maybe a couple of mince pies too.
I don't have my children this Christmas so it will be v low key and easy as no food to prepare. So not much eating and a lot of running

To you all

Starting to feel Christmassy now. Can't be avoided with two DC aged 5 and 3. They don't shut up about Christmas. Ever!

DH and I will be happy to wave goodbye to 2014 and all the crap with cancer and FIL and all the other crap we have had this year. Feel like we're turning a corner now generally. Sadly PILs are not coming down for Xmas. FIL still isn't used to his colostomy bag and can't get his head around the train journey.

I offered to drive up to Scotland and pick them up and we could make regular stop at service stations where he could use a fully enclosed disabled toilet to change his bag etc. but it's too much for him. He is 84 so there we are.

DS being so young doesn't understand but DD cried for about 3 days.

We then offered to go up there and stay in a hotel (they can't fit all 4 of us into their tiny house). But MIL wouldn't hear of it because the DC would have to sit in a small hotel room every time FIL would feel too tired to see us and we would have to leave their house every time he wanted to change his colostomy bag.

So it's just the 4 of us (and the guinea pigs )

Got play dates lined up for DC all through the festive season plus various parties and outings. So no chance of getting bored (or relaxing!).

Still maintaining without massive or in fact any real effort.

Just wanted to thank all of you guys here (and main thread) for all the support in 2014. You've all been amazing!!! You really really have.
Not just to support me through getting to goal weight etc but all the other stuff (life) which I have posted about and you've all held my hand. So lots of and for you all. And thanks for being there for me.

I'm sure I should feel festive, but I've had a bar steward of a cold since Wednesday and am now sleep deprived due to the coughing - DH decamped to the spare room last night as I was snoring so badly
BUT
the alarm clock is off for the next two weeks

MrsF
Its hard when parents are not able to "do" Christmas any more. BUT I'm sure your kids will have a blast regardless.

MrsF I feel bloody angry with the NHS right now

I'm also very miserable, because a very dear friend died just hours ago

She was only 60, a slim, fit non-smoker who has always walked 1-2 hrs each day. When she visited me in May, we had a great time
She was full of plans for enjoying her retirement at 65.

However, since July, she waited in ever worsening pain for an op to remove an ovarian cyst that was suddenly growing massive (bigger than 2 bloody house-bricks according to ultrasound)

She was excellent at coping with officialdom and did some work for the General Medical Council, but even she couldn't cut through NHS bureaucracy.

If they'd told her how long it would be, she would have gone private right away, but they kept stringing her along. Eventually, she was too weak to travel for private consultations anyway.

She was housebound / sofa-bound in agony for October and November, with zero quality of life, until she was finally blue-lighted.
When the surgeons operated as an emergency, they found the cyst was cancerous and it had spread to several organs.
They removed what they could and she started chemo, but her DH has just EMed me the sad news. Poor man, what an awful time for him, with everyone celebrating.

I've had private insurance since 1993, after having to pay for my DM's ops.
If you can possibly afford it, do get health insurance while you are youngish and fit, because if ever you need urgent treatment, shelling out say 100k could make you hesitate too long - or you might not be able to raise the money quickly at that time.

Bloody hell, BigChoc! You have my deepest sympathy!

Hope you still have a great festive season, MrsF, despite all the hang ups!

That goes for all IFers, everywhere!

TiP, you've still got 3-4 days to recover, so you should be fine.

B&W What is your planned vegan Xmas lunch?

Yer 'tis, BC, I'm making it today - I'll make loads of haggis, so most of it will go in the freezer for Burns night in the New Year.

I've got the chestnuts and the dried mushrooms and all the rest, so I'm good to go.

Hope your lunch comes up to scratch!

We've got my son and his family for Christmas - and we'll be joined by GS Oscar and family on Christmas day. Gonna be great.

Final word (for the moment) to you, BC:

I went to pinch a length of railings the other day - only to find some bugger had chained a mountain bike to it!