20/4 Fasting for Health & Weight Loss

(Retta Stephenson) #21

I really appreciate reading how others do this, also. Lots of great ideas. And the main one that has helped me is: flexibility. Especially what @retired PJ said about keeping the same window, but moving it around to fit her life. Thanks for sharing!

(PJ) #22

You are so right rettakat, doing this with others helps so much. I have learned a lot from talking with some really good people who are willing to help. I’m getting ready to end my eating for the day and disappointed that I did not meet my 60g of protein. Not sure what I am doing wrong but will work on this tomorrow. Overall, I am feeling really good and did not get the sick feeling today due to spreading my food out over the 4hr window.

(Henna Selnes) #23

I eat also 20/4. I feel so good with this numbers, but I have gone to a smaller eating window from time to time. I find that about 1 o’clock I feel my strength getting weak. I can keep going but my concentration will keep going to “so what’s to eat” so I know that’s my natural time. I stop at 5 in the evening for a few reasons. 1. It’s the end of 4 hours. 2. I become busy with getting the evening time here in the house. Also it’s dark here at 3 in the afternoon, but that is at my eating window so ok, but after 5, it feels like evening and that will trigger night eating for me. So I stop, and all food is put away. I will make evening food for my husband and that is ok, because it’s not my food to eat, it’s his. ( we do not have his and her food, lol ) and it’s just something small not a meal or junk. Ok so I rambled. :roll_eyes:

(PJ) #24

Hi Henna, I can understand how hard this might be. I “thank God” have a husband who eats whatever I put in front of him and actually likes this woe. He also has his food items for treats and I have mine. I make fat bombs for when I want something ??? usually the sweet fat bomb does the trick. I make chocolate types of fat bombs since I love chocolate. Tomorrow I will be making some savory fat bombs with cream cheese, bacon and chives. I seem to have a problem getting enough protein each day. Its summer here in Australia, so its stays light til going on 9:30pm but the days are getting shorter now.

(Henna Selnes) #25

Yes days are getting longer again here, so that craving for snacks will go away. More to do outside. To understand,my husband had almost 4 years ago, 4 massive strokes. So bad all the docs said all he will know is to blink his eyes. Well long story short,I listened to what he wanted by the way he reacted to seeing me with food or around food. He had a feeding tube. He got excited around meat and seafood. So that had me thinking, for a few years. Over time, and not believing what doctors say,I worked hard with him,massive rehab for him,brought him home for his mental stability and trened. Now he is walking a few feet(?) meters at a time, talks, has started to eat certain foods his self, no more tube,and so on and so on. He is still challenged, but understands everything. My doc put me on keto,she knows my husband from the beginning of the strokes,and told me to start feeding him more fat. Since then we changed his doc to mine, and the change is unbeilieveable. He is so alert, thinking is clear, knows what he wants and is working harder. So if he wants a snack or two, (keto) he can have them,he has earned it. So this evening we are going to step up his eye, mind, and hand coordination with a few games on his new PS4. With snacks! Lol. Because they are his, it gives me strong to not eat them. He will never be the old mountain climbing, skiing, pet training and walking man again, but keto is giving him a second chance for a difference life. I love keto!

(PJ) #26

You are such a strong person for being the rock that he needs. What a beautiful story which needs to be shared. I pray that you are given more strength and peace and that your husband does even better with the change. I am here if you ever need someone for support.

(PJ) #27

OK, still going with my 20/4 and have plans for upping my protein. I found a link last night that lists the high protein foods and the amount in them so that I can pick and choose. I did copy it over on word so if anyone wants a copy just let me know and I will email it over.
I just wondering after having went over this list last night, for those who are fasting 36hr-14day they would not be eating protein at all during those periods. So what would their body be using for energy then? So if I have a few days here and there not meeting my protein if it would make a big difference?

(Adam L) #28

That is very inspiring Henna thank you for sharing this insight into your husband & your lives.

(Adam L) #29

Hi PJ, I feel like a bit of an imposter posting here as I don’t specifically do 20/4, still learning what works best for me. In the last week or so I have only been eating one meal per day as not hungry but I’m open to whatever eating window time suits me on the day. In terms of your question on energy

I just wondering after having went over this list last night, for those who are fasting 36hr-14day they would not be eating protein at all during those periods. So what would their body be using for energy then?

My understanding of this woe is that protein isn’t the primary source of energy but rather it is provoiding the building blocks for our bodies to maintain muscle & whatever else it needs it for. The bodies energy source during non eating/fasting times is largely stored body fat once the person is fat adapted/able to burn their stored fat. Not scientific at all I know, I hope that I didn’t misunderstand your question but I have come to understand that one of the main purposes of fasting is to allow the body to burn the fat it has stored as opposed to any energy it receives in the form of food.

(Sondra Rose) #30

My understanding is that up to a 36 hour fast, there are still plenty of circulating dietary proteins to meet most people’s protein requirements.

So those of us doing 20/4 or one meal a day will be fine if our average protein over the week meets our macros.

For longer fasts, there will be some protein breakdown, but there is no consensus as to how much. Here’s a great blog post by Richard that may be helpful:

(PJ) #31

I was able to up my protein yesterday during my 4hr window! :smile_cat: feel like I made a huge improvement. I went by the list I made making sure I fixed high protein meats. I can feel my body going down but will wait til the end of my third week to measure and weight.
How is everyone else doing on their 20/4?

(PJ) #32

Tomorrow will be the end of week 3 for me. I have been fasting most of week 2 and all of week 3. I find I like this better than eating 3 meals a day. I will measure and weight tomorrow to see how I have done. Got my protein and fats up to my goal yesterday which was good.

(PJ) #33

Got on the scales this morning and down another pound and lost another inch on waist. Feels like more but I will go with what I got. Still doing 20/4 each day.

(PJ) #34

Yesterday only had 1 meal but it was a good one. Homemade bread, pork belly, gravy and streamed broccoli. I ate everything on my plate and then felt like I had ate too much. It took about 2hrs to get where I felt better. I think I will now go with much smaller portions to see how I do. Yesterday was the first day of my 4th week. Sill going strong!

(PJ) #35

Another morning started still fasting will finish my 20/4 around 2pm today. I did really well yesterday, well below my carbs and did not eat as much. I only went with how I felt. My chicken salad for lunch was way too much so left half of it on the plate. Think I might start serving on smaller plates…Every day I can feel my body going down…and that a good thing!

(PJ) #36

Typical day of eating again. Had cookies in the house but reframed from eating. Just enjoyed a good day of eating keto. Had bacon/tomato on keto bread last night and it really hit the spot.

(PJ) #37

Had a social gathering yesterday with about 16 people and lots of food. I only ate 1 meal the whole day but did not track my macros at all. All in all, I feel like I did well considering the food available. Ended the day with taking everyone for a sail then I came home, showered and had a lg glass of ice cold mineral water before bed.

(jilliangordona) #38

I am about to start this WOE today! My eating window will be 4-8, makes me not have to worry to pack food for work!

(charlson.melissa) #39

I haven’t been getting the notifications for this thread for some reason! I’m glad I found it again! I’ve done 3 weeks of 20:4 fasting with eating whatever on weekends. I even got through Shark week! A friend and I started a 48 hr fast yesterday and already I’m starving! I think it must be mental. Looking forward to eating at night seems like a “reward” to me. Or maybe my body just got used to eating more this weekend. How do you know when you should push through in a fast and when you should eat? I don’t feel sick or weak. Just hungry. I’m drinking water and coffee and hope that will help. Also planning on some bone broth tonight if I need it. I really think I could do 20:4 everyday but am afraid I could stall if my body gets used to it. I guess I should just plan to do it until I actually DO stall and then do something different instead of worrying about “what if”.

(PJ) #40

Let us know how you are doing with this way of eating.