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?

About DL's crumpet recipe, Laska, as my experiments w. pancakes showed me, you don't need the milk.

There's another use for a yeast-risen batter - tempura

I've only started eating battered sausages once I started this WOL - and realised I could. Now I have them about once a fortnight - they (and battered mushroom, and battered polony!) are a real treat!

They're a really cheap meal, as well - one sausage and a couple of mushrooms and you're away!

Giraffe
Don't stick your neck out !!
My DH is like you - the changes in bowel balances after following 5:2 have been amazing ...

I've just posted my 5:2 modified version of Carrot , cardamom and orange spiced soup on the recipe thread

This recipe was featured in the Guardian yesterday but i've changed it a tad - is very yummy..

507 cals the whole recipe and 127 a portion.

Laska you have mail!

Hi. Mind if I join? I am not a prolific poster but have been reading the threads since about number 3, with the occasional comment.

I'm doing ADF still but only have 2kg more to go before target weight (I've lost 10kg since 01 Nov). I will soon transition to 5:2. I normally eat just once a day on fast days, in the evening - but have a question. Those of you who do 30-36 hour fasts, do you not have any calories at all during that time? Not even a cup of tea?

after winding down my 3rd normal day in a row, i'm really looking forward to a fasting day tomorrow! i'm used to adf and not fasting every other day messing
with my mind lol.

TIP
Laska my inordinately long neck will be useful for popping back in, he he... (my children would do a ba boom cha bad joke sound effect here here, but why not TDEE!)

Hi fretfree

When I first started fasting for 24 hours I treated myself with flasks of filter coffee. After a while I found a flask of hot water was just as good - and was a saving, of course.

When the 24 hours is up, I eat my

"Those of you who do 30-36 hour fasts, do you not have any calories at all during that time? Not even a cup of tea? "

I'm one of those. No calories, unless you count a squeeze of lemon in my morning cup of warm water. After that it's hot/warm water and plain green tea, sipped with occasional tastes of a few grains of salt. I did not need to lose weight when I started this, so I opted for a complete fast once a week, which results in a smaller calorie deficit than the standard 5:2 regimen and a longer period in "repair mode". The other advantage is simplicity - no need to count calories. The downside is that I freeze on fast days and sometimes experience hunger pangs of the maddening variety about 22 hours in, although that's been less of a problem recently and it passes after a few hours.

This is an experiment in process. While I've been delighted with the results (reported above), I'm finding an urge to cut back on at least one other day during the week and will usually skip a breakfast or two to get in a supplemental 16-hour calorie-less stretch. I intend to continue with this programme for a few more months, after which I may try something a bit different ... perhaps B&W's routine twice a week or going for an 8-hour eating window on most days. Lots of possibilities but, unfortunately, not enough research to know what's best healthwise.

so fasting again today..I'm inordinately hungry already .. I think it was too may crumpets yesterday // i think ill be needing the real black coffee this morning, but do find that this seems to work.. I dont think I could go as purist as you B&W or natasha . I do drink both green and mint teas as well.

oh well off to work..I can manage without food ok although i too get the 22hour chasm feeling and I think its psychological ..

Not doing 24hrs today though (i do find it really hard in the office when everyone is eating), so ill be ill be eating my soup later on ..

Just had W.I and another 1lb down taking me to 24.5 BMI and into the top end of 'normal'. At 10st 7lbs and 5'5" and a small size 12, that's not a bad place to be but I'd like to try for 10st.
Despite doing 4:3 (and controlling my eating days) and doing exercise at least 5 times a week I've only lost 1lb this week but this is how it always used to be on all those diets I tried in the past. It was so painfully slow even at the start when I had a lot to lose. But with this woe it has, until now, been almost effortless.
So I'm going to stick with it as 1lb for a lot of effort now is worth it. I'm taking note of all your comments re maintaining (thanks) and hope to join in with my own and hopefully add to the wealth of knowledge on here.

Hi all, can I join you? thanks tip2 for starting this thread, and thanks to laska for Pm'ing me to let me know about this thread, very thoughtful

my currently super busy and stressful life and the brilliantly fastmoving thread means i'm just not able to keep up with all the posts on the main threads.

I've been doing this since the programme aired in August, have been on the threads since almost the beginning, have lost 12 pounds, and am within normal BMI now, although would love to lose another 10-14 pounds, but really not in any hurry and if I just maintained at this weight and size (I'm 5' 6" 10 stone 10 pounds, size 12 - with the odd size 10 skirt appearing)then I would be content.

What I've realised is that I still emotionally eat with stress and sticking to fasting is much harder when really pushed to my limits, but after my 3 day weekend of Fri-Sun normal eating i am alwasy looking forward to fasting on Monday, even though when it gets to 4pm on a fast day (approx 21 hours in) I am really struggling, I feel really hungry and grumpy, busy days are good, but work has been quiet since Jan which doesn't help.

My mum has been up for the weekend in the final push to get my house sorted for sale (should go online today) and we have eaten too much carbs and fat, so yet again toying with 3 fasts this week (still never managed that) in order to ensure I haven't gained, but maybe I should just try and cut down on the chocolate biscuits - just discovered mcvities double choc

My mum has done slimming world for about a year now and lost lots fo weight, she looks great and has loads more energy, i've tried to persuade her to fast to maintain rather than continuing to calorie restrict daily, but she says she needs to snack little and often, and to be honest she really does get super grumpy if she doesn't eat every couple of hours, so I guess it's ok, although want her to have teh health benefits,

looking forward to getting to where some of you are and being able to do 6:1 and maybe work harder at a full 24 no food fast.

laska your crumpets look great and so do you with your gorgeous grandson, ooohhh makes me want a baby to cuddle! as to wattles....well since losing weight i've developed one too, but really can't bring myself to do neck exercises, just feel so silly! but i am planning on buying a dance game for the wii !

I'm wondering why Greeneggs isn't on here. Can anyone remember if she is near to her target (I've gone back quite a way on the original threads but can't find out)?

after 3 normal days in a row i'm only up 1.5lbs [ I do not count calories at all on normal days, so that small of a bounce is pretty cool! today's a fasting day and I have dental work today, so most of the day my mouth will be numb-works out nicely for a fasting day

VP, I think GreenEggs said she was going on holiday this month.

Hiya. I'll be off on holiday next week, good memory! :) I've not been posting here because I'm not even close to maintaining- I had a plateau for a while (probably not helping that I've not been very active throughout January). I've only in the last two weeks started to lose again. I hate to think when I'll be in this thread at the rate I'm going.

Greeneggs Well, it was nice of you to pop in. Hope we will see you on here regularly very soon

Poo!! I rushed out thinking I was late after posting this morning and managed to prang the car coming out of my own driveway.. My fault unfortunately as the other car was passing , (though what she was doing hard up on the shoulder(no pavements here) I dont know),.. but whatever.. I'm responsible .... sigh... that'll cost then... but luckily no one hurt and my car only slightly bruised with some red paint on it and cracked numberplate, but what's the betting the other one will need tons of work doing to it? .. Sigh gain ... id better look out the insurance docs .. (with myself)

so ive had soup and stir fry veggies.. if like a large G&T but nope .. it'll be mint tea..and ill probably sulk off early to bed ..

now.. where are those car docs ?

Thanks natachamousse and breadandwine for the ideas. I have had nothing apart from water and black decaf coffee since 7 last night. I'll try and hold on without anything until tomorrow.

Greeneggs - you are most definitely welcome to pull up a chair by the woodburner on this thread.

Have been fasting today, but at incredibly stressful work project so have been mainlining tea and am now going to have a light supper but not 500 calories. By brain running at 120 miles an hour is surely burning off a few extra bits ....

fretfree any particular reason you are going for a 36 total?

ooh she doesnt want to do anything.. seems that it was only a small scratch on the side of hers and paint on my bumper - so a glancing swish by - and hers is so old it might get written off ...lucky ..

But could have been so much worse .. ill be out cutting back the front hedge at the weekend now...

Is there a clever way to let PiebaldRider know about this thread? She has been in from way back but recently said she would only look in occasionally so she will have missed the announcement of the thread.

yes.... PM her the link Border

I know better than to ask for that to be explained on this thread Laska, but haven't a clue what you mean!!!! can you do it, whatever it is?