Sounds wonderful Purple! I’ve still got 45 minutes to go. I have a phone call scheduled for 6.30pm so I wait til that finished – gets me an extra half hour I don’t think about! 😄
Yes, very glad I had you in my time of need! 🍲🍗🍆
This topic contains 11,627 replies, has 174 voices, and was last updated by hermajtomomi 7 months, 2 weeks ago.
Carolann, I read your post about chicken and steamed veg on my Friday fast day. So got some chicken breast, cooked 100 grams in a little butter, garlic and herbs then added the chicken (not more than 2 teasp remaining buttery juices) to bowl of mixed green veg cooked in chicken stock cube water. Delicious and really satisfying. Thanks for the tip. I think that might become a regular fast day treat. Might use instant miso soup next time instead of bouillon cube.
I’d had an egg for breakfast. Makes chicken and egg best fast day fare! And the egg came first!
Hi Happy
I used to put a wet fingertip into the salt and lick it in my early fasting days. Others use miso soup.
Carol and Purple, congrats to you on hanging in there. 🌺🌺🌺
I fasted Sunday and will again on Tuesday. I’ve become annoyed with myself for not losing the extra 4 kg that’s been hanging around my stomach. A question from Thin on the SH thread made me check back through my records. I lost 17 kg in the first six months of 5:2 and then maintained easily for 12 months.
Then I became bored/complacent/lazy/ insert whatever word is appropriate. Stopped regular intermittent fasting and slowly put on 4 kg over 12 months. For whatever reason 6:1 isn’t sufficient for me to keep the weight off. 😜😜.
Now I’m determined to lose that pesky 4 kg in the next month or so. 😂😂. So roll on regular 5:2 and the occasional ADF.
Cheers, Bay 🌺🌺🌺😏🌺😏
Wish you well with losing that 4kg Bay! Congratulate you also on putting a stop to whatever had changed for you.
Touch wood, I can keep the weight down with 6:1 and at times could even skip a fast based on weight but I don’t want to get out of the habit of doing fasting. Too easy to slip back, much easier to take preventative action now.
Hi Bay (edit… and Carol)
Likewise here. I reached 55kg, albeit very briefly, a couple of years ago. I found that unsustainable and settled into 57kg…well below my max goal weight of 60.
Gradually, with only 1 good fast per week and many 18:6 days and loosening off the food reins, I sat in the 57-58 range up until this year. Now I am in the 58-59 range…too close to my 60 kg trigger and feeling the tummy bulge 😕
I really need 2 proper fasts per week, as well as skipping many breakfasts and minimising simple carbs.
Mr P continues happily with 2 fasts. He is in the 67s very comfortably. His blood sugar rises, ever so slightly, sometimes, and almost always as a result of increasing naughty carbs. You think we’d know, wouldn’t you? 😉
So, my dear maintenance friend, the reality is constant vigilance, fasting and keeping away from carbs.
Good luck with reducing that spare tyre, Bay. P 😊
Don’t knock the apricot chicken! That was an all time childhood favourite of our sons. I enjoyed it too. Gladly I can see my tastes have improved! If I remember rightly the recipe was on the can – which can though – the apricot nectar or was there a can of soup went in too?
My husband still asks for another recipe I used to make that came off a soup can. It involved liver and some other meat and I think a can of steak and vegetable soup. I recall you placed thin slices of potato on top and baked it. It was pretty yummy. I have looked for him but don’t think they make that soup anymore.
Apricot I wouldn’t call toast and butter a failure. Were you still within your FD calorie limit?
CarolAnn, no I was way off after three pieces and jam on the last one! It must’ve been nearer 1000 than 500! Really silly, but it did taste good. But had quite a restrained non-fast day today, with smoked fish and egg for lunch, so will try again tomorrow. Just a glitch.
Apricot nectar! Haven’t seen that for years. I don’t know if they had it in the UK, but we did in Zimbabwe. The one we had was like a rather sweet purée. My aunt used to make a nice chicken and mushroom soup dish. Soup and chicken was quite a craze for a while, I remember trying asparagus (not so good).
We seemed to eat everything out of tins in the 60s….peas, asparagus, mushrooms, peaches, apricots (😊), pineapple…the list seems endless.
I can remember my English aunt questioning why we ate tinned fruit in a country that can grow any fruit. I guess it was modern and the shelf life was infinite (according to mum, who thought nothing of using food from a slightly rusty can!)
Regarding jam on toast, I’ve finally convinced Mr P that it really isn’t a good choice, even on my wonderful homemade sourdough.
Good luck with tomorrow’s fast, Apricot. I’ll be fasting too. P
Hi maintenance buddies
One of those dratted kg is gone over the 2-3 fast days through this last week. 😇 Now for the other three.
I made apricot chicken for dinner parties in the 70s. However by then I was using soaked sundried apricots from South Australia (where have they gone?) from the local food co-op. Remember food co-ops? Bulk purchases of quality organic foods. 🌶🌶. No tinned food. I was such a purist in the 70s. 😜😜. Home grown vegetables, homemade yogurt, no sugar, homemade breads. Brown rice. When I cooked from the Australian Women’s Weekly cookbook for the kids treats, I halved the sugar in cakes and puddings.
Cheers, Bay 🐾🐾☕️☕️
Yes, Purple Veg, the same where I was! I think we liked the different taste. I remember the tinned grapefruit from the Hippo Valley, it was really luscious!
Sourdough with jam – yum. But you’re right, not the best plan. Good luck to you too, you must be well into Wednesday, while here it’s only twenty minutes in.
Bay leaf, I was the same in the 70s, yoghurt made in a wide neck thermos flask, baked bread twice a week. I still prefer brown rice. And soaked apricots!
G’night!
Ditto Bay. I was heavily into the natural once I left home too. I guess it was as a revolt to mum’s menu.
We went the whole hog: going bush, chooks, milking goats, growing and swapping food with neighbours. Modern day markets seem to be the easiest way these days. I still love making everything from scratch…bread, yoghurt, kefir. It is amazing, too, how good recipes taste with minimal sugar. I like making from scratch as I know exactly what’s in it…and you can’t say “Je ne sais quoi” 😆😆
Well done on losing that kg! P
Hi, I’m a newbie on here but I wish I’d seen this forum sooner! I hope I’m posting in the right place! I’ve been doing the 5:2 for 17 months and have lost 17lbs, taking me down to 8st 8lbs ( I am 5′ tall). It’s taken a long time to lose this weight, I’ve tried before on Atkins – I lost half a stone but put it back on over 3 years and calorie counting works for a while but eventually fails because I get bored having to think about it 24/7. With the 5:2, only having to do it 2 days works because there’s always tomorrow! But recently, now I think I’m at my goal, although I don’t mind if I lose a little more, I’m wondering what to do. I’ve been floundering around wondering what to do when I wake up on a fast day. Shall I fast? Am I in the mood? How hungry am I ? Can I be bothered?…… Most of the time I pull myself together and get on with it but I’m having weeks when I don’t do it then I get back on the wagon and resume normal service. Holidays are a no no but we do a lot of walking while away so I probably burn more off then so it doesn’t matter really. Then I get back home and start again. My weight is now stable I think but what to do now? I’ve just read the advice on this forum recommending 6:1 and that appeals so might try that. I am recognising that I am struggling with the 500 calorie women’s limit And am wondering if I might try pretending I am a man and have 600 and see how that goes. I think 100 calories extra would make all the difference and now I’m at goal I might give that a go. Has anyone else tried this?? I also do 16:8 by prolonging the night time fast until lunch time, I do this most days so was also wondering if this would work as maintenance without doing the 5:2 as well? I’m pretty scared of putting the weight back on after all this hard work!
Hi JJ, I think most people have worked out their maintenance regime through trial and error.
I personally continue to fast one day a week. That is now more for health benefits than weight loss as I could maintain my weight now just by weighing daily and being vigilant.
I recently shifted to 24 hour fasting and have my 400 calories at one meal. I am finding that easier than eating a small amount in the afternoon then another small amount at tea time.
I’ve never done 16:8 but no others on this forum do very successfully.
One thing to remember is your FD calorie allowance reduces as you lose weight so you may have to recalculate that 500 calories.
However, if you are struggling on 500 then best not to reduce and see if you can maintain. You don’t say how long ago you lost the weight or how long you’ve been maintaining but my advice is to remain vigilant. Set up a method that works for you and stick to it. If 600 calories a day works for you and you can keep your weight where you want it then do that.
Best of luck! Let us know how you’re getting on!
Hi JJ
Congratulations. Welcome to this thread. If you read back over the last 3-4 pages of posts on this thread, you will get a picture that we are all different.
Like you, Purple and I only came here after we had lost weight. In my case I lost 17 kg, that is around 35 lb and I have found maintaining that weight loss is a matter of eternal vigilance. For my temperament it was easier to lose the weight than it is to maintain the weight loss. I read books and blogs to keep myself motivated.
I can maintain this weight loss on 6:1 for a while. Then I require regular 5:2 to keep it off. You are right to be concerned that you may regain weight. I lasted 12 months without any weight gain. When it begins, the weight gain is very gradual.
Intermittent fasting is for health and many people do 18/6 or 19/5 or even 24 hours without food. You work out what works for you. And stick with it. The discipline of fasting keeps us on track and refreshes our body. You don’t want to be on a daily calorie restriction. But you do have to keep below your TDEE. Otherwise you will find a gradual weight gain.
Feast and famine is what your body responds to with intermittent fasting, so I would not Increase your calories on a fast day. Instead search for really tasty low carb full fat recipes. We are all retraining our appetites to small portion sizes and having very few processed foods. Our food intake looks to emphasise fruit and vegetables, fish, nuts, and full fat yogurt.
Cheers, Bay 🌺🌺🌺
Hi JJ
Congratulations and welcome.
Carol and Bay have said it all. Weight regain will be gradual, but will happen unless you apply vigilance. Feast and famine, good satiating food and regular weighing to act as soon as things go astray seem the basic skills. It is all trial and error and frequent rethinking, but so much better than the alternative. 😊😊Cheers Purple
JJ,
I’m another maintainer who only started posting here once I’d lost my weight. Like you I was terrified of relaxing and putting all the weight back on! Purple in particular held my hand and reassured me.
I agree with the others, vigilance is key. I thought I’d be throwing away the scales when I reached goal, but actually they’re my friend and I can always rely on them to tell me honestly whether I’ve been eating a bit too much lately…
Maintenance is then no different to weight loss really, you see a gain on the scales, you do a fast to lose weight. I guess we’re yoyo dieters, but within a range of a couple of kilos only!
And we have the tools. We know how to do this through intermittent fasting (be it 5:2, 6:1, or daily 16:8) and exercise. You just have to play around and find what works for you. As Purple says, as long as you’re weighing yourself you’ll quickly see if something isn’t working and fix it before any lasting damage is done.
On the subject of fast day calories, I’m not a strict quarter TDEEr and it still works for me. I guess it probably depends to some degree on what you’re eating, I minimise refined carbs and sugars and get away with a few more calories 😀 And I’ve recently gone to eating once a day only on fast days, with a relatively ‘normal’ evening meal (carbs on the side for OH!), makes for a more generous evening meal and gives.a longer period of lower insulin.
Good morning Happy
I’m in the danger zone of a fast day…5.20pm with nothing but water and black coffee since last night. I’ve only just arrived home, feeling cold and vulnerable so a quick lick of salt and away from the kitchen for another hour.
I guess I eat about 400 to 500 cals on fast nights.I don’t do calorie counting, but never have simple carbs.
I tend to eat about 70gms of smoked fish and the rest bulked up with lettuce, carrot, cucumber, saurkraut. We always finish with a few berries, a spoonful of natural yoghurt and some almonds. I do find on days when I’m hungrier, like today, I use a lot of lettuce!!! We wash it down with fizzy water.
As you say, the scales (including our travel scales) are our friends.
How are you going on your 3rd fast this week Bay? Holding out ok?
Cheers P
Hi Purple
Hope you lasted ok. Sorry I didn’t see your shout out. I was typing OHs long document. As well as good ole housework, the diversionary specialty. Floors are scrubbed clean. It’s a beautiful long Autumn we are having. I moved compost around the garden.
I fasted 23 hours and have just eaten a vegetarian curry made with the contents of the fridge. Leek, bok choy, capsicum, onion, garlic, ginger, and kumara aka sweet potato. I had a few almonds for dessert. My third fast this week and each one I fasted 23-24 hours and am feeling good. Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Now for feasting with friends and family on Friday and Saturday.
Hoping for a kg loss this week.
Cheers, Bay 🌺🎉🎉🎉
Your veggie curry sounds wonderful, Bay. I have all the ingredients in the fridge, apart from the bok choy, instead of which I do have cavolo nero, which is a huge favourite.
I always think of sweet potato as one of the less naughty carbs, i.e. the carbiness (is there such a word?) is counterbalanced all the vitamins and minerals. By coincidence, I’m planning to use some this evening for a dish called Syrian Chicken (not very happy connotations these days) with ingredients which, along with chicken and sweet potato, include figs, raisins, orange juice, various spices and Worcestershire sauce – not sure how that finds its way into a purportedly Middle Eastern recipe.
I’m intrigued by the traditional indigenous ingredients, P. Do they include things that can’t be found outside Oz? Is there some overlap between these indigenous ingredients and others that occur in Southeast Asia?
Hi Herm
They are Aussie bush foods, but the book does offer alternatives (read as ‘western’ foods). I’ll share recipes after I’ve tried them.
Last night, I had a small roll of roast lamb, cold, in the fridge. I turned it into a yum, low carb salad…
Baby rocket leaves topped with a mix of pine nuts, chopped figs and garlic (cooked together for 3 minutes). On top I stacked slices of lamb, addded olives and feta and drizzled a lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and chopped mint dressing. Excellent flavours. P
Spinach! Now you’re talking 🙂 I’ve always loved the stuff, even as a very small kid when I loathed all other green veg. My mum very cleverly persuaded me that it would make me grow big and strong like Popeye (“I fight to the finish, ‘cos I eat my spinach”). One of her wiser bits of dietary advice. Shame about some of the other bits. 🙁
Love your salad , Purple. Will make it soon. Tomorrow I’m making an apple strudel. Foooood. Yum.
Hermaj, I make Syrian chicken and my recipe has lemon and currants, along with herbs and spices. But no Worcestershire sauce. Haha!
I love baby spinach leaves and baby rocket. I can’t grow them now until Spring, as our frosts are too harsh in July and August.
What’s the name of the book on Indigenous food? I love bush foods dukkah, and berries.
Cheers, Bay, from bed. 🌺🌺
Thanks for all the input and advice. I will experiment a bit and watch the scales, which will be difficult as I’m phobic about getting on them! I don’t normall weigh myself more than once every 2 months as I find this gives me a more accurate pattern than constantly monitoring every fluctuation.
There are a couple of things that I find help me on fast days, sugar free sweets from aldi, they are delish and cauliflower rice. Cauli florets sprinkled with smoked paprika, herbs and salt then roasted and processed till it looks like rice, but very low cal. Ideal with tomato sauce or a low cal curry sauce.
Hi Fellow Mcers
For interest, here is how the ADF went this week. Weighed every morning.
Sunday. Fast day. 23/1. Began the day at 4 kg above desired weight.
Monday morning. 1 kg lost from above weight.
Tuesday. Fast day. 23/1. Same weight, 1 kg lost in total.
Wednesday morning. 2 kg lost in total.
Thursday. Fast day. 23/1. Same weight, 2 kg lost in total.
Friday morning. Same weight. 2 kg lost in total.
Very happy maintainer here. All weight lost from around waist and stomach. I did have a small amount of healthy carbs and a glass of wine and cheese on non-fast days. Kept under TDEE every day. Will be feasting today and tomorrow. And then thinking about fasting again on Sunday.
It’s the feast and famine effect!!
Cheers, Bay 🙂
Hi JJ and everyone, from a wet and windy Wellington. Our lovely autumn is over – but it was great while it lasted.
I am another one who didn’t discover this site until I had reached goal. For the last year I have bounced around within a kg or so, by following 5:2 strictly – although I don’t count the Kcs. Mondays are soup, now that the cooler weather is here – home-made, stacked with veggies and lentils so probably well under 500 Kcs – and Thursdays are chicken salad piled with leafy greens and feta. Having those two regular meals makes life very easy. My OH has joined me but has struggled after losing the first few kgs, and the boys have buns or wraps on those days. (Boys! Son and step-grandson, both adults). I weigh daily, record the results, and don’t worry too much about the other days. Wine and cheese feature in those 🙂 Well done, Bay.
Hope you’re feeling better soon, P. 🙂
Yummy recipe ideas, ladies.
Hi Barata
You’ll enjoy these stats (being a numbers lady )…
This morning Mr P and I walked 5.5km (9088 steps) including 3 km of brisk walking.. He inadvertently left his fitness monitor on charge at home, but his basal met count still registers….result?
He burnt 769cal doing nothing (theoretically ).
I burnt 1072 cals actually moving! He only weighs 8kg more than me.
It certainly indicates that you burn more cals just being heavier.😀😀😀 P
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