Yes, Happy. That’s what I thought.
I am finding maintenance really easy. It is almost as if my body has got back to its “normal”. I seem to naturally crave healthier foods, am satisfied far quicker and am really turned off by sugary, carb based foods. And I do try them occasionally just out of interest. 😉
I fancy eating out at restaurants and cafes but more often than not choose to come home and make one of my yummy salads. When we do eat out, we will choose a couple of tapas dishes to share or an entre. Anything else seems to be far too big. When we eat out these days, we usually go home for dessert (fruit and yoghurt with a black coffee) rather than waste money buying food we don’t enjoy as much. Total change for us!
Re the sourdough in the breadmaking machine, Nicky….It came out a hard nugget. I was very disappointed, until I sliced it and discovered it has a wonderful crunchy crust and an airy middle. It was very misshapen, however, so am back to handkneading (very spiritual) and oven baking, as the weather is not quite as warm today.
Still at my lowest weight, despite all sorts of infringements this week. 😆 I wonder when I reach equilibrium? Happy fasting gang. P

Hello All,
Just popped in from my thread to ask if any of you that have reached goal have noticed a difference in your metabolic rates. How many calories can you now eat on non fast days( roughly). Is this more than you were eating when fasting before you reached goal?
Would be grateful for you help on this matter.
My fitness adviser told me my metabolism poor because my fat ratio 41, she said it would be better when my ration 30. Currently cannot exceed 1200 cals on non fast days.
Also are you all now on 1 – 6 maintainance?

It would be great to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks
Jojo (2 lb per week quest thread)

Thank you very much FastFastSlow, I would be thrilled if I can get to a similar pattern to you. I am the same age but have high activity levels because I really enjoy walking, sports and yoga. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

I would be interested in all your groups stories and I will suggest my posters read the comments.

Hi jojo and Wee – you’ll do it! Keep going!

Fantastic to wake up to find Jojo and Wee ‘over here’. Welcome girls.

Totally support the things FSF and Lichtle have said.

For me, I’m sure my metabolism had slowed as I reached menopause. I had always been skinny, with womanly hips ,) ) and could eat whatever. I’ve never been a sweet tooth but love cheese and salty foods. So did my dad, also skinny, who died of bowel cancer.

After retiring my whole system slowed down. I was less energetic and with the kids gone, could affort to eat out. I went from in the mid 50kgs in my 30s to a peak of 85kg in Feb 13. 🙁

For the year, April 13-14, I set a max TDEE of 1600, often much less, and 2 fasts of 350-400 cal. I was very strict the whole year, losing 1kg a week for the first 15 odd, put on 1kg over Christmas, then reaching 59.9 on April.

Since then I have experimented. As I said on your thread Jojo, my body fat was still 34-33 yet I am bony. I’m now 56-57 kg with bf at 30%. I do 2 ‘fasts’ a week to accompany my OH who needs them to stay off diabetes meds. He goes all day until dinner. I now eat a light vegan salad at 1 or 2 and the same dinner. Therefore, I have even up to 500 or 600 on fast days now. No change in weight. I often fall off the wagon slightly but also often eat little on feed days. It all naturally balances out. I can resist pigging out as I don’t feel like it any more. 🙂

On normal days I don’t count cals at all (don’t on fasts either, just eat the dishes I know). So I don’t feel I’m on a diet. I think the low/fast days are what is keeping my portion size down on normal days. My body seems to be able to regulate its use of food and had little left to store as fat.

I have cut out basically all white carbs but drink alcohol (good wine) as much as I like on 5 days. I don’t do sweet things, so my sugar intake is minimal. I often crave salt in the late afternoon.

Yes. I think my metabolism has normalised after 5:2 but needs at least mini fasting to keep it.

There is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel Jojo. I am enjoying this wol and it doesn’t restrict me at all.

All the best mate. P X

Hi Jojo and Weemam.. welcome..

I would say as my fat : muscle ratio has changed yes my metabolism is faster.. having started maintenance back in March 2014 I have been a fitness journey.. so have really made an effort to build my muscle mass.. obviously to build muscle I have become a lot more active .. much much easier once I had shed the excess.. so yes my metabolism is partly a result of more muscle but also as a result of just being more active.

I tend to just eat in the evenings during the working week and not eat too late either so before 8pm The weekend anything goes .. I find I can enjoy whatever I feel like.. be scallops and healthy salad or baked apples and pancakes.. or my rye bread with marmalade.. still my favourite breakfast.. 😉

I do still do a one day fast.. which I try and make vegan .. usually monday.. for the additional health benefits… so this means eating sunday evening (usually something high protein and lots of veg) then typically steamed veg and salad or veg soup on Monday evening.. then nothing on Tues until after 6pm .. quite often go for salmon and veg / salad or spinach and feta omlette on Tuesday night.

At a guess my workdays are largely below my TDEE as by Friday I am really really feeling I need sustainance and that I have been in deficit so need to make sure I have good things to pick at like smoked mackerel, olives (seem to really help satiate me) .. note they are both quite oily / high fat. I quite often sprinkle linseed (high oil and protein) on porridge made with Oatbran for a higher protein / high oil breakfast on Friday.. that way I’m not too desperate by 4pm on Friday.. which is dangerous I find as I will hunt and seek carbs as quick fix in this state ..

Hi Carol
Funnily enough on a weekend evening, after we have had a lunch (never very big these days) we will often knock off a bottle of wine with a chaser of yoghurt and fruit instead of eating. As a bottle of white is about 560cal, that’s about the same cals as eating a glazed doughnut. (Needs 72 minutes walking to use up). Mmmm…1/2 bottle of wine or a doughnut? Give me the fruit of the vine any day (or night).
I did Dry July a few years ago and lost no weight at all. Raised plenty of money though, so it WAS worth it 😉

I also weigh daily so I know how much I can eat or not. P

I should also say that all my naturally slim friends, including OH, are very active people. They walk, or run, or cycle and they don’t sit still for long periods of time. They also have smaller treats than they did when we were all younger. For example, they share a piece of cake as a treat, as OH and I now do.

I am a full fat, low carb person, and I agree with Purple and Samm, that foods with sharp and salty tastes and full fat are more satiating than sweet foods. 😉

Hope this helps with keepin on. I do admire your determination. 🙂 Bay

You’ve got us all thinking Jojo!
My bmi is now 21 and my TDEE is 1530. I probably eat that on normal days. About 500 max twice a week. I usually walk a lot in winter, but am currently exercising by raking and rubbish removal out of the pool and garden after daily storms!
I totally agree with Bay regarding carbs and sugars. They are the key to weightloss. I guess we humans only need lots of them when we are young and growing. P

Thank you all for sharing.
It seems to me that what I am currently doing is the way forward which is refreshing to know. Very low carb, no sugar, no alcohol( accept on special occasions(e.g. Holidays).

I will have been fasting a year in January and have lost over half the weight I need to lose. My goal is September next year but I was hoping to beat it by June so I can have a ‘sexy ‘ summer. I love clothes and fashion, luckily also dress making. This means I really need to maintain 2 lb per week, 40 lbs in 20 weeks, wish me luck! This is my January new year resolution.

If you don’ mind I will continue to read your thread for tips, thanks.

I still need to beat the portion control issue but I am working on it, at least with proteins( my favourite food) filling up on veg. I think ultimately I would like to do 1000 per day Monday to a Friday and 1500 at the weekends. I also plan on maintaining two hours per day physical activity albeit moderate or above. It seems unlikely that our ‘eating’ will ever be taken out of the ‘controlled’ zone so might as well get into the right frame of mind.

Jojo

I second Purple. You don’t need luck, you have the determination. And you have that in spades. 😉

I have just proven over the last 10 days that I will always need to fast to control my weight. As said before, my downfall is sugar, and during this festive season, I have indulged too much via extra wine, chocolates and GF pudding. It is 9 days since my last fast. 😆 As a result I have put on 1.5 kg over the last two weeks. Alarm bells!! 😮

Today I have had the strictest possible fast day. I fasted from 8 pm last night until 3 pm today, 19 hours with only water and black coffee for breakfast. Since then I have had two bowls of home made vegetable soup. Made from tomatoes, celery, carrots, green capsicum, Spring onions, ginger and chili. My aim is to go to bed with no more food.

With the support of this group and your group, I will be back on the wagon, and down to goal weight within the week. Thank you all. Cheers, Bay 🙂

Makes me think of Rawhide, the TV series with a very young Clint Eastwood. 😉

Cricket is going well. 😆

Hmmm Clint Eastwood, if only he was waiting for me on the sidelines, or Jude law? Might be a good reward!
Every girl can dream

Ha ha good on your aunt Purple!

Top “little” maintainer, Bay! Well done. Fasting and socialising with black coffee for me today 😉 P

It’s been a funny week so far, with several days at the top end of my range due to water retention and bloat (not entirely sure why, but is it coincidence it happens after puy lentils…). The taut belly has twice caused me to dream I’m pregnant (I’m not!). Thankfully have woken up normal this morning.

Just avoiding getting up (the wind is roaring, rain lashing) and reading about the UK’s first plus size fashion magazine (‘fashion doesn’t stop at size 8’!).

Apparently size 16 is now the UK average.

Whilst I agree wholeheartedly that models should be normal women and not pipecleaners, and its good to see how clothes would look on someone your size, and self-esteem is important to feeling good and making healthy choices etc, I do wonder whether this will add to plus size being increasingly seen as normal?

Hi P,

Not blown away thanks! I’m weighed down wearing all my clothes to keep warm 🙂

There’s snow on the mountains today, and expected at lower levels tomorrow. If it’s not snow it will be ice. Perfect! I’m driving to Dad’s tomorrow to help him with Christmas preparations. He’s hoping I get snowed in there and never leave.

Sorry your fast day fell over. Thankfully intermittent fasting is flexible enough to cope with life. And you’re comfortably within limits now. No worries!

Hi, MCers – just a quickie, as reassurance to those of us (me!) who are inclined to beat ourselves up if we stray….
….I’ve had a bladder infection for the last 10 days – gone now, I hope, but pretty painful while it lasted. It took 2 lots of antibiotics – the 2nd of which warned me to keep eating at all times, or they’d make me sick. Combine feeling grot, a hatred of vomiting which approaches phobia with some family stress, and I’ve spent the last 10 days on the sofa, eating 4 meals a day + snacks (mainly ginger biscuits!) and definitely not fasting. Managed to hold off any nausea, but here’s the thing: weighed this morning to see how much damage needs to be undone, and I’ve lost 2lbs! There’s a lesson in there somewhere…

@fastfastslow – I wonder if it is not necessarily that you ate so much but that four meals and any snacks now SEEM to be a huge amount when used to only two. Our gauge for what constitutes “a lot of food” has probably changed.

Of course an infections does take it out of you, too….temperature…the lot

Hi ! I want to share my story with you.

Ok, so Ive always been quite skinny. Until I started taking the Anti-baby-Pill, that was when I started gaining weight. But it wasn’t until my relationship broke, that I began to stop caring for my nutrition. I just ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. All diets I started were immeadiately interrupted, I just ate and ate and ate. BUT!! I HAVE DONE IT !! Within the past months, I have lost nearly 10 Kilograms. However,I want to keep that weight! So, I need your help now. I ate SOOO much again for the last two weeks, this just cannot start again. So basically, my plan is to lose those pounds again which I gained within the last two weeks using 5:2 or even 4:3 (I know its unhealthy, please don’t tell me that’s too much, I have done so before and I know how my body reacts to it.), and then I will start to PROPERLY miantain the weight by doing 6:1.

I am sooo excited!!! Lets help and support each other 🙂

Hi there. I’m not a medico, but thinking about bladder infections, we all need to make sure we’re drinking enough water to flush the kidneys and bladder. As they say, drink till your pee is very pale in colour.
FFS, You can see from my various posts that I have ginger in food almost every day. I love it. 😆
Cheers, Bay 🙂

Welcome AmyB and well done for losing 10kg. I am sure you can lose those few pounds again. Maintenance seems to be all about vigilance and reacting to any weight gain immediately and regarding your scales or whatever you use to gauge your weight with as your best frienD and not your enemy.

@bayleafoz I totally agree – a lot of women do not drink enough. I also didn’t drink enough and rarely experienced a sensation of thirst. Since I have increased my fluid intake I get thirsty when I don’t keep up the volume of liquid. My daughter used to get terrible cystitis and was on regular antibiotics until someone suggested to drink a lot more water about three years ago. She hasn’t had an infection since.

FastFastSlow, it takes time to create the habit and at first you have to force yourself, to drink. The advise I have read, (and please research this yourself as it is very important) is to sip (preferably)water throughout the day. Don’t think you need to gulp large amounts down in one go.

However try and aim for at least 1 1/2 litres per day.

Just keep having a jug or a bottle of water with you. If you fill it in the morning then you know how much you have had throughout the day.

I work in an office and always have a teapot or coffee next to me. If it is next to me/with me then I drink it. If food/drink is in front of us we eat/drink it. I used to cut fruit into small bite size pieces and this was the only way my children would eat reasonable amounts of fruit.

Of course Jojo. I know you can do it and seriously your skin does shrink with you (mostly) the rest can be hidden in clothes. I look pretty good in swimmers! !! 😉
Bedtime now. Been busy with OH planning trips. More of that later.
I’ll dig my stats out tomorrow. ‘Night all. P

Hi Jojo, very happy to oblige. Maybe it might be helpful to have a general questionnaire of main points that interest you. Just let us know when you want us to visit you. ;-))