I F - 5:2 - 4:3 - Maintaining the healthy weight

[TalkinPeace2]

This thread is for those who have been doing IF for quite a while and are now at or nearing their target healthy weight.

How do we experience fasts and balance a stable food intake while having little or no weight to lose?

How to we ensure that this WOE does keep us at the healthy weight long term rather than revert to yoyo games?

I have now been at the same weight for a month. I'm happy with that. I'm also still enjoying the 24 hour fasts because of the clear mindedness I get during them.

How about you?

500 a day, def not that hardcore!

Yes I have been having 500 Cal a day not just water but did manage 22 hours today with drinks with skimmed milk. Next week I might try 5 2 but with one 24 hour fast with herbal tea and no calories.

I don't dislike many people - mostly I just try and avoid anyone I don't get on with.

However, I am beginning to take a growing dislike to Kate Harrison!

This in a two page spread in the Daily Mirror:

Reporter Steve Myall:
"She's master-minded the feast-and-fast plan that's helping thousands of people to lose weight easily...It wasn't until she came up with this revolutionary way to shed the pounds..."

"It has been the thing I have done in my life I am most proud of," she said.

No mention of Mike Mosley - or of any of his researcher/scientist colleagues. No reference to any research - nothing, zero, zilch!

Horizon? Well there was this, "...Then last year Kate caught a BBC Horizon programme about the concept of fasting to lose weight and the germ of an idea for a new diet plan began to grow." And that's it!

OK, I can recognise a reporter's hyperbole - but the article would have lost nothing by giving credit where it's due. And I suppose it's good that the 5:2 regime is gaining wider currency.

But still, I'm not a happy bunny!

Why would the paper want to give her credit for 5:2? How has that happened!

b&w couldn't agree more, she 'watched Horizon' then had a gem of an idea' hmmmm. Wonder what DR MM would think if he saw that article?

Her book is being sort of serialised by the Mirror. But from what I read, it's pretty appalling. here's an extract from part two I found on the net:

"Then on your five feast days you can eat normally ? around 2,000 calories if you are a woman, 2,500 for blokes. After fasting, it will feel like a feast.

And with these secrets to turbo-charging the diet, you can shift even more ­? up to 5lb a week"

It's pretty pathetic, really.

If you're interested, here's the link:

www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/dieting/52-diet-kate-harrison-part-1713406

Good news Laska. Hope she's back soon.

"It's pretty pathetic, really."

That's the way I feel about all the attempts to commercialize any of the variants of this regimen, including the "official" 5:2 website, which doesn't have much to offer . . . although I'm happy to cut MM some slack because he deserves credit for bringing the concept and some of the research to the public eye, particularly the work of Krista Varady, which is really the basis of the 5:2 method that's become so popular.

It's simple. Watch the Horizon presentation (or read an article about it). Grasp the principle. Apply the principle. That's it. Answers to questions for which there are answers can be found with a bit of searching.

IF has been around for a long while, millenia in fact, albeit often for reasons other than weight loss. There are lots of sites where IF has been explored for years, and these MN threads provide a wealth of information and support. All of this long before Kate Harrison.

Furthermore, also preceding Harrison et al. is our own B&W, who's been IF-ing for over a year and did very well months before the Horizon broadcast. A great example of taking an idea, applying it, observing, experimenting and tweaking ... and then sharing the experience with others.

The difference is that B&W isn't trying to make money off it... sells papers, sells books (sells dvdd, sells fasting products etc etc) - it's the world we live in. It's why I love the internets, full of people who want to help & support others without trying to make personal financial gains. It's possible (though maybe not likely) that Harrison does credit Mosley but why would Mirror (or her publishers) mention that - they're not going to capitalise off publicising his book.

ATB Jaw drops - I cycle all the time but I've never attempted a long distance thing (scary roads outside my immediate vicinity!) very very impressed.

Right, I'm Shredding today - I've got the appropriate kit on and will go for it once I've come back from the school run (sometimes that's literal - my kids are fast!) I'm hoping I've had a light enough breakfast not to hurl it back up mid-squat! I'd normally avoid brekkie before a morning session but yesterday's fast was a tough one for me and I had to break this morning (not before a very positive weigh-in ).

I need a stiff talking to. Despite having lots of NSVs lately the scales are refusing to budge, or rather they are moving but in the wrong direction :( .

It has been 3 or 4 weeks now that they haven't moved. I hit normal BMI and then stayed right there on the barrier. I know it isn't the end of the world, I know I should just throw the scales out. I've done everything I can, my diet is great, I haven't gone over my TDEE even at the weekends, I'm exercising every day.

I've just ordered some new (well new to me) clothes of e-bay which will be waiting for me when I get to the UK on Saturday, but now I'm worried they won't fit. I know it is inches that count and not lbs, I know I'm being silly, but I just needed to get that of my chest.

(5 dresses, 4 skirts and 6 tops - total £140, all coast/monsoon/phase eight for any one who is interested - thanks betsy)

Pleased you had a positive WI betsy Good luck with the shred.

I've just been on Amazon to order the 30 day Shred. I blame you lot! I doubt I'll do it in 30 days though.

FF Ooh, that's a good haul - I think we all have those anxieties about things not actually fitting when buying online! I'm sure it'll be fine.

You must be feeling very frustrated sitting there on the borderline - the only thing I can think of that might help is to have a really huge gluttonous, fatty lunch one day - in the past I've found that a big pork roast at the in-laws', with plenty of crackling, has kickstarted weightloss when the scales have frozen. Just did a quick google such for such a thing ("eating fat to burn fat") and there's a lot of body builder type blogs that discuss it - given that you're of the super-fit variety of human it might be worth a try (could be fun too!). I think it needs to be fat not carbs for it to work, though I've never been shy of a roast potato or indeed a crumble and ice cream pudding on those Sunday lunches. I wouldn't then eat anything else all day.

I'm sure there's some science about it somewhere but I've got some Shredding to do!

Thanks betsy I'm sure there will be a lot of that type of eating during my trip, I just need to make sure it isn't accompanied by lots of alcohol :) And thanks for calling me a "super-fit variety of human" that put a smile on my face. (you wouldn't say that if you saw me running or heard me grunting whilst doing my abs!)

Well done Ezzza I won't do it in 30 days either as I'm alternating with C25K.

I won't do it in 30 days either Ezza because I'll be alternating it with sitting on my fat arse doing other things. Aiming for 3 sessions per week or 2 shreds 1 run plus a big yoga session each week too - stretch out those pained muscles. Recovery time is highly important anyway [petulantface}

FF I was pleased to have the house to myself this morning - some colourful swears emitted - it's the arm lifts combined with side squats that get me!

Shredded (3rd session, level 1), now need to shower!

Smiling at all the Shredding going on here - I've been on it too (well, actually I'm on Ripped in 30 just for a change) and definitely feeling it! Can't believe how 20 mins of anything can make me seize up so much. S'pose it shows it's doing something.

FF I am totally feeling your pain - the numbers are creeping up instead of down on my scales too.

Thinking of playing around with the fasting malarkey to mix it up a bit - did a 20-hr fast yesterday but had around 700 cals in the end. Toying with a daily 16/8 kinda thing for a week or two and eating

Ff, I am sure that you have done this, but just in case you forgot: have you recalculated your TDEE and therefore your 25% to match yor current weight?

One other thought is the "set points". I think it was mentioned (Laska?) recently on this thread though I might have seen it elsewhere. It suggested that a plateau is actually a set point and you might need to wait for a while for your body to re calibrate itself to a new set point. At least I think that's what it said. I expect B&W can ferret it out for us!

Yes BC my TDEE is now 2228, down from 2374, but MFP has it as 2010 so I'm using that. I logged everything last week and was 4353 cals under the total for the week.

Oh just give me a big boot up the A please.and tell me not to be so bloody pathetic . im feeling so down today ..its not getting that job and sittng inthe office here , when I just dont want to be here .. ..

supposed to be fasting today and already ive eaten 3 bits of bacon ,a small tin of tuna and some chilli prawns.. not even any healthy veg and now already on my 500

but its so pathetic .. I do have a job ..and its not a bad job .. and so many people dont ..

Just checking in....absolutely in awe of ATBs 50km bike ride (eek...!) and all the Shredders (sady, Jillian is still sitting in the corner glaring at me, unused...of which more in a moment) and slightly envious of FFs new wardrobe (isn't ebay great?!)....

sadly/luckily I have 2 cupboard overflowing full of small size 10 clothes from just a few years ago, pre dc3, waiting for me to climb back into them and discover they are massively out of date and need replacing ...for now I'm sticking with enjoying my 'normal' size 10 stuff finally fitting properly after over a year of either squeezing in or opting for 'looser' styles at my tom....

had some pretty awful news on Friday night....my mother had been suffering from vertigo/sickness for 2 weeks, gp had thought it might be an inner ear infection and eventually checked her into hospital friday morning to treat dehydration as she couldn't keep anything down last week....scan on Friday afternoon has shown up 2 tumours. No details yet (biopsy tomorrow), but it probably isn't great, although the rest of her body scans have come back clear....

so after a weekend dealing with that, plus holding dc2's 5th birthday party (joy) followed by a very late night on Sunday doing a cooking thing with some school mums that I couldn't get out of (not eating, just cookery demo ...but the hostess drank too much wine, forget to get started and at 11pm was still browning the chicken....)...then had to travel for work all day yesterday....so no excercise at the weekend....

Had planned to fast yesterday, but felt so worn out/sick/tired first thing I had a plain toasted bagel on the train....thought it might be a washout, then thought back to Ezzzas post on the last thread about not writing-off a day because of a bad start....reckon the bagel was about 200cals, didn't eat anything else at all, all day, then finished with a medium size serving of brown rice and small amount of the chicken/mango curry we had made the night before. Reckon it was a 900 cal day, so not a real fast, but a good way to kick start the week, and am fasting fine today, probably due to the brown rice/protein comibination last night.

Although I've hit my initial 9st 9lbs target, that was just my "I absolutely must get to at least that" aim....given its been relatively easy, I'm now going to try for 9st 7lbs....before I shift to a 6:1 maintenance.

May I stay here anyway please?

Oh Fillybuster what a weekend, and I'm so sorry about your mum. You did incredibly well not to collapse in cake and rescue a semi fast day, hope it at least aided some positivity for you.

FF I feel your pain too, scales just keep oscillating in the same 5lb area which is disheartening, but I'm pretty sure I'm way overeating in non fast days so need to take myself in hand, I'm actually bingeing which is terrible, so, start of a two day fast to try to kick start myself - I'm actually looking forward to it which shows how much I've eaten - I don't think I stopped eating since climbing off the bike!

Hope your day is getting better Laska, all starts afresh tomorrow

Oh, Filly what dreadful news about your mother... sounds as if she's in the right place, though, and any treatment will be quick. Must be an awful worry though.

Laska Chin up girl. I bet there's another, even fabber, job just hiding behind a bush and waiting to leap out when you least suspect it.

America I'm back to reassessing things too. I guess it doesn't do us any harm to take a step back and see what's going on. Let's face it, there's usually a simple reason, even if we don't want to admit it to ourselves. But, still, meh.

Thanks.

Sorry, Laska - I meant to say that I've been through the same thing, and spent about 2 years (including whilst I was still on mat leave with dc3) looking for a new job...having interviews, doing well, just never getting as far as the offer. Like you, I was in a perfectly reasonable, well paid job, just not the one I wanted to be doing. Pretty much gave up hope and was even thinking about packing it all in and becoming a SAHM, when I got a call from a headhunter out of the blue last May, and started work for the company I have most wanted to work for, for 14 years since I left them (and they almost never recruit externally...), this December.

It will happen...just keep the faith....

Sorry to hear about your mum Filly and well done on your will power.

Laska have a kick up the bum from me. You have a job, you have a lovely GC and you are thin and healthy. Now stop moping and start shredding!