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

To be honest I'll have to check out your recipe

Well, at least you'll know it's egg and dairy free, ATB - dead easy, as well!

I followed my 24 hour fast this evening with a low-cal veg curry. 125 cals, plus I had 100g purple sprouting broccoli with instead of carbs - so 156 cals altogether.

I had intended to go through until the morn, but the 450 calories began to weigh heavily with me - eventually, I decided to have some stewed dried apricots and banana with some soya cream. This was an additional 198 calories, giving me a total for the day of 354 - I still have 246 cals spare! (226 - I just ate another dried apricot!)

I don't have any biscuits in the house - unusually for me, but while there are loads of vegan biscuits out there, I can't find any that don't include palm oil in the ingredients.

So I've just eaten 2 chocolate covered marzipan eggs from Lidl - using up another 191 cals.

That'll do, I reckon!

There's a programme coming up I think will interest us all - "The truth about sugar", Thursday at 9pm on BBC1. I know I eat far too much sugar, really!

B&W you're a baker! I have a couple of excellent vegan cookie recipes if you like - one of which you're like to have all ingredients in your cupboards so quick and easy to rustle up.

I'm excited about tomorrow FD, need to plan what it'll be but think I'll go back to my old faithful lentils and courgette dish

I have a couple of excellent vegan cookie recipes if you like

Yes, please, ATB! I've had a cursory look online for a recipe, but haven't come across anything that appeals.

CHAI COOKIES:

DRY
1.5c almond meal
1c. Flour (I use wholemeal)
1/2tspn salt
1tbspn cinnamon
Contents of 2 chai teabags

WET
1tspn vanilla
1/3c coconut oil
1/2c maple syrup

Combine, roll into balls and press down gently, bake at 350F for 10-15mins

Heading to bed - it's 10:30 here. Successful FD under my belt

B&W:
Paleo Vegan GF Choc Chip Cookies
Mix dry:
1 c. almond meal
¼ t. sea salt
? t. baking soda
¼ t. cinnamon
Then add:
3 T. coconut oil
2 T. honey or maple syrup
1½ t. vanilla
½-1 t. water, if needed

Stir in
4 T. chopped dark chocolate

Make 9 cookies

Bake 10 mins at 350F on oiled sheet
Rest 5-10 mins to firm up (important)

Nutrition 1 cookie: Calories 139, Fat 11.2g, Carbs 8.2 g, Sugar 5.6 g

2nd FD done. I'm going away on weds and will be indulging heavily so decided to do ADF until then, which is only sunday and Tuesday

Thanks for the biscuit recipes, guys! I'll try yours first, BC, since I have all the ingredients.

ATB do you think ground flaxseeds would be a good replacement for the chia?

I know if I was asked that question by one of my students I'd tell them to have a go and report back!

So that's what I'll do.

ATB ATB, with your ADF!

There aren't any chia seeds I my cookie recipe - but generally I think you can interchange flax and chia pretty well. I generally keep flax for baking anyway

What's in the chai teabags, then? I've never seen them.

I have to tell you, ATB, you're coming across all posh here! [stern]

Oh no! Not me!

Chai - you know, chai tea?! Twinnings do the tea bags, it's just Indian tea with different spices (mainly cinnamon and nutmeg), pretty sure tesco et all do their own versions too

Hi all! Sorry I have been gone so long, have not been fasting, and just life got too busy too many balls to juggle, but I did my first successful fast day in about 9 months yesterday, am planning on doing three days a week, and as soon as I decided to get back on the fasting wagon I wanted to reconnect with all you lovely people! Do think of lots of you even though not online.

Will try and catch up on back threads, and hope you don't mind me being on this maintenance board with the rest of you rather than on the main board, I'm an old timer even if not consistent at my fasting!

To be honest I have been using lots of the tenets of this Woe even though not actually fasting, I've done lots of 16/8 tending to skip breakfast and lunch and just eat dinner, but the snacking has been creeping up in the evenings and therefore the weight, so back to the more formal strict fast days for me!

Chai tea is lovely twinings do it, and is a good flavour in cupcakes.

Hello mumof yay all the old crew returning! Need to catch up on everyone's gossip

FD today ahead of my trip, so pleased that I'm finding it easy to get back into despite the Long break

MOCNK really nice to see you back on here! How did things work out for you and OH in the end? I'm not a consistent faster either, some 16:8 or eating when hungry but I haven't properly fasted (500 cals) in a while due to training for the marathon. Anyway, the marathon is now done, back from Rome so the scales might have gone up a little with the post run celebrations and a lot of pasta and pizza. I achieved my pre 50th goal of running a marathon and did a time of 3H41M even with a 4 minute Paula Radcliffe pitstop so not a bad time for a first marathon. I was 185th woman out of 2280 so in the to 8%, 2292 out of 11500 overall so in the top 26% . Had a lovely few days in Rome appreciating the sites at more gentle pace than running by them on Sunday!

Hi all! Since my last post 2.5 weeks ago, my weight’s still been creeping up (has been since the middle of January). I was conscious for a few weeks that my clothes weren’t feeling as loose as they used to be but put it to the back of my mind for a while. Tuesday night I felt especially uncomfortable so knew I had to take control and went to Boots yesterday to get weighed for the first time in ages and I’m 9lbs up on my usual stable number. It’s the usual reasons - staying away from the 5:2 threads, occasional snacking, several failed FD’s, some comfort eating, eating too many refined carbs, and sheer laziness. Haven’t been this weight since May 2013 but I know what I need to do to get back on track. Starting reading the revised Fast Diet book and fasting today.

Lovely to have you back with us, Americas and MOCNK

Sed Snacks aren't helping, but sounds like you need to plan your FDs in advance: choose days when you are busy, calorie count in advance all your food for the day and then eat nothing else, no improvisation

If you are comfort eating carbs on NFDs, it would be useful to mfp in advance - might cause you to make a healthy swap instead.

Mumof Cuttin out snacks is key for you, I think. Add 2-3 FDs per week and you'll soon see the weight dropping off again.
I suggest you mfp too for the first week, just to retrain your eyes wrt portion size on NFDs.

We're all thoroughly impressed, Anglaise
Fantastic achievement, now crossed off from your 50th list. Do you want to run another, this year or later ?

BigChoc we are looking at Barcelona for next year...or if not I'd like to do one in the autumn maybe (Berlin??) but only if some of the other guys from the club do it. Its more fun in a group!
The only problem is the time it takes up doing the training. It sort of takes over your life you do so much of it

wow Anglaise you go from strength to strength! Barcelona would be lush...I'm doing my first 5K in May, mainly because you get a plate of cheese and a glass of wine at the finish line. How is the man situation btw?

I am very much enjoying myself in Louisville, I'm letting myself eat and drink what I like because I don't have my children with me so I can sleep through the hangovers, and to be honest I'm having two meals a day so the collateral damage should be minimal. Joining DH&DC in New Orleans tomorrow so I'm prob not going to be fasting over the next week, though if I can plan it right will try for one day if we don't eat out at all, but I imagine we'll be doing a lot of walking and I'm not signed up to watch videos from my yoga studio so I can keep that up while we're away.

Very excited about eating all the southern food!

ATB Enjoy your stay (and the food) in New Orléans, I get the impression that the Cajun cooking is big in the UK at the moment and it sounds delicious. When is your 5k?
On the man front..at the moment still with my plumber/electrician, my kids adore him, but it isn't an 'amour fou', for me, at least. I wish it was as I've never been with anyone as kind and nice.

Kind and nice is really important for the longterm. Less likely to do the dirty on you, in the shortterm or after life's problems and wrinkles.

Bigchoc you are so right after the last bastard I went out with. I'm just not sure it is fair on him because he is in 44, love with me and is searching for a romantic dream. I'm 50, have recently hit the menopause, and I'm not sure that romance is high on my list of priorities anymore

Thanks BigChoc - you're quite right. It was just a matter of going back to basics, I think, which I've done and the weight is coming off and I'm feeling much better. Fasted twice last week and will do this Saturday.

Hope everyone enjoys their Easter weekends

Good to hear, SED! It's a matter of inculcating good habits and making sure you stick to them, isn't it?