Friday 20 June 2014

Fasting For Maintenence

Experiment number - oh I don't know - probably 17 by now.

After trying numerous maintenance methods since last October - 6:1 ... 5:2 ... 4:3 @ 500/700/800/1000 calories ... 2:1 ... fast-5/6/7/8. I think I've found one I really love and my weight has stabilised, it only varies by about 2lbs over the entire week, depending on the previous day's munching - well, actually we're talking about my mega-munch Saturday which I'm still having.

I have to say that after 19 months of calorie counting I was starting to get fed up - of the counting - I still love fasting. Up until now the only way I'd been able to maintain my weight was to stick with 4:3 @ 500 cals, any more and I gained. I also had to find something that Mr Grumpy could get on with because I know he couldn't stick with 4:3 forever as he misses being able to eat lots of fruit every afternoon.

The way we found our method was totally by accident, we forgot breakfast on our Monday/Tuesday up/feast days - after a double down day/fast weekend - because we were busy. Didn't think much of it Monday or Tuesday - except "how the heck did that happen?". But Wednesday morning - a down/fast day - we hadn't gained any weight, which was most peculiar after two 'supposed' up days.

Hmmmm, I know I've kind of maintained before with fast-8 (16/8) when we've had friends or family to stay, but I've always eaten late into the evening - yeah, I do mean whisky and nibbles - so ended up starving next morning ... and somewhat grumpy.

So what we did on the Wednesday is start at 16/8, then gradually drop down to 18/6 - without too much effort. We've been doing this for six weeks now and we both love it.
As I see it, we're still doing an 18 hour fast every day - so hopefully getting the health benefits of the fasting, and having a once a week 'eat, drink and be merry' day, which just means extending the eating window to 9 hours ... yeah, I do still mean whisky and nibbles.

And here's the bit that suits me most, a couple of days a week I am just a little more mindful and enjoy a mostly veggie and protein day - but still no calorie counting, the other days a biggish - by my standards - dinner and tea. Which is still reminiscent of 4:3 or 5:2 but not so strict

I don't feel deprived or stuffed any days - except Sunday morning (groan) - and himself can munch away on his fruit all afternoon ... what's more, he feels quite liberated going without breakfast and if he's happy - I'm happy :)

Oh, and this doesn't mean I've given up my beloved home made Muesli with rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, fruit, nuts, Greek yoghurt and honey - dribble - I just have it for lunch or tea instead some days.

Yes, I think I've finally cracked it - until experiment number 18 of course ... when this one has gone horribly wrong ...

.....

  1. Me and Alternate Day Fasting
  2. Me and Alternate Day Fasting ... Three Weeks On
  3. Five Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
  4. Eight Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
  5. Ten Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
  6. Alternate Day Fasting Three Months On
  7. Alternate Day Fasting in Winter
  8. Alternate Day Fasting Over Christmas
  9. Me and Zumba
  10. Saying Goodbye To My Curves 
  11. Eight Months Of Alternate Day Fasting And Me
  12. Growing Up 
  13. A Year Of Alternate Day Fasting 
  14. 60 Pounds Of Blubber - Vanished
  15. The Perils of Alternate Day Fasting 
  16. Mr Grumpy Is Losing It
  17. Mr Grumpy Has Lost It
  18. Fasting For Maintenance
  19. Tweaking Maintenance
  20. Weight Gain 
  21. Still Maintaining
  22. Four Years Of Intermittent Fasting
  .....

6 comments:

  1. I absolutely love your post. I too am now doing time restricted fast. Truth is, I hate counting calories for even two days a week. What a great post. I really enjoyed this blog. Keep posting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I really got tired of calorie counting and getting nowhere, it didn't seem so bad when I was losing weight but eight months of counting with no loss can get on your nerves :/

      And I'm sure to keep posting about our weight loss - and maintenance - while ever there's still interest :)

      Delete
  2. I read today that fasting causes gout.
    http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20458446_6,00.html
    Have you noticed that whatever you do, someone, somewhere will come and put the damper on it?
    Eggs are good - eggs are bad.
    Cod's Liver Oil good - No! It's bad. etc. etc. etc.
    It's enough to drive you to drink! - No, that's bad.
    Is it? I thought red wine was good?
    No that's Red Current Juice - or was it Beetroot juice - or maybe Cranberry juice? Oh, ho. Back to the red wine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Bernard,

      I've not come across the gout problems but have heard that it isn't good for gall stones or ladies hormones ... in fact anything that helps us lose weight without us having to pay one of the big dieting companies has to be bad for us ... well, that's my theory. We're just not making anyone rich so what we're doing can't be healthy.

      I gave in reading what's good for us after years of avoiding full fat, only to discover that all we were told has since been disproved. I'm just going to carry on eating - and drinking - as I do now because it suits me ... no more acid reflux or indigestion, no more guilt because I ate chocolate and nuts or drank whisky (I'm a work in progress on the guilt thing).

      Mmmmmm, red wine, today is my 'eat, drink and be merry' day ... this involves alcohol :)

      Julie xxx

      Delete
    2. Just do a web search on which foods help produce too much uric acid in the blood.

      ALI

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  3. Great post! I do 16:8 and love it. I'm finding I can lose weight just doing this, ONLY if I'm mindful about eating - like slowing down my eating and waiting 1/2 hour to take another portion, just to make sure I'm hungry. But the main thing is the health benefits. I'll never eat in the morning again (...except for a once a week Communion wafer!!!)....

    ReplyDelete

Be nice, I'm very sensitive.