APRIL 2019 IF/EF Chat ALL WELCOME

[Sharon_E]

Herb…I don’t think I’m going to make it past today. I don’t feel so good. I haven’t really been keeping up with my electrolytes. I’m going to remedy that right now and see how I feel this afternoon.

How are you feeling?

[Herb_Martin]

Do what you need to do FOR YOU, Sharon.

Fix the electrolytes even if you are stopping – as our fasts get longer we must do that ANYWAY, it’s actually dangerous to feast after long fasts without adjusting electrolytes.

Watch blood pressure if you can.

Also consider (if you wish to continue) that adding a bit of bone broth and perhaps fat might allow you to become comfortable and continue without needed to stop a fast that benefits you. (I put salts in the bone broth which is another way to boost electrolytes.)

I am now not just recommending this for “problems” but consider it might be the preferred way to do a long fast.

If we can keep our numbers good then there is my be little or no reason to be a purist when we can be more comfortable AND have more effective fasts.

I use heavy cream for coffee and to turn a glass of water into a shake – both with optional MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil power (it’s powder, but the word ‘oil’ is usually in there.)

The MCT is a type of fat (technically triglyceride) that is JUST THE RIGHT SIZE to slip through the Hepatic Vein Portal just below your stomand in the small intestines without having to wait for processing further down.

This means it assuages hunger rapidly, getting to your blood stream almost immediately.

MCT 6, 8, 10 chains are what you want – anything larger doesn’t work for this TRICK.

Though today my numbers aren’t fantastic (for 7th fast day) so maybe I should cut that down a bit.

GKI: 1.3 with glucose 85 and ketone 3.6 – down 12 1/2 lbs at 6.5 days.

By now I would like to have ketones well above 5 or even 6.

My plan is to cut back a bit today but to continue to play with this idea of “boosting” to stay comfortable and provide some small alleviation of the tedium of fasting on water alone.

Good luck. Let me know if I can help in any way.

Also: None of 6 blood pressure pills of 4 kinds since yesterday morning (24 hours) when I took 2.

Blood pressure was PERFECT this morning ~ 97/64 (lowest levels of normal) with no recent meds.

[Digital_Dave]

Just finished an early meal before heading out for some more yard work. Got quite a bit done yesterday and it was nice to finally enjoy some Sunny weather on a weekend for once! … Think I might Fast until Tuesday or so? Wouldn’t mind putting in a couple small Fast this week.

[cervyn]

Fasting all day Monday and Tuesday is definitely in my plan this week so I am with you. Yard work actually sounds pleasant. Yesterday was my ‘get our taxes done and in’ day so I was glad it was rainy here.

I ate planned carbs last night. Small amount for an insulin sensitive person but for me 40-50g of carbs is a lot. Keytones 1.2 this morning, GKI = 5.179.
I hope those numbers indicate improving metabolic health. That’s what I tell myself. 3# water weight gain overnight from them as usual.

[andesite]

I am going to strongly disagree with the idea that that is some “minimum” amount of feasting or time or food required between fasts.

We know that at some point, caloric restriction leads to a declining metabolism. When eating, I think this is somewhere between one week and a few months. When interrupting a fast - who knows? It’s a question.

I don’t have any hard data to support it. There aren’t any studies of people who have fasted more than once as far as I know. This is just what Dr. Fung and Megan Ramos say in the IDM course. They’ve got the most data out of anybody, so I just have to go on trust when they say to do something fasting related.

This is what I do as well. At least two days between Fast, with two meals both days. (no matter how long I fasted) Works fine for me, and yes, believe Brenda also mentioned this is what they go by and suggest as well. And I believe she works with Dr. Fung? At least I think I recall her mentioning this?

These kinds of discussions/conversations/arguments are super important for us to keep up. With the lack of good science to refer too, we have to keep airing out or experiences, our logic and our collective knowledge to figure out what works best for people in general, and for each of us specifically. I really appreciate this dialogue, thank you team!

[Digital_Dave]

Yeah, I’m thinking if I go to Tuesday evening, it would allow me to get in somewhere around 55-60 hrs. and then refeed a couple days, and skip Friday, for another 48 or so. (Trying to keep it mixed up is all)

These kinds of discussions/conversations/arguments are super important for us to keep up. With the lack of good science to refer too, we have to keep airing out or experiences, our logic and our collective knowledge to figure out what works best for people in general, and for each of us specifically. I really appreciate this dialogue, thank you team!

Agreed

[Sharon_E]

it’s actually dangerous to feast after long fasts without adjusting electrolytes.

I haven’t heard of this before. How do I adjust them before feasting? Is it just a matter of stopping the supplements?

I use heavy cream for coffee

I do use HWC in my coffee, just one to two cups a day. I think it’s whats keeping me going.

I made some mug bread just to try out my almond flour. Son says it was good. It was soooo hard not to eat it. I did eat 4 almonds and then later 4 more. I feel like I cheated but I don’t care, lol. I have a doctor’s appt on Wednesday and I’d really like to blow their minds with my weight loss since my last visit.

GKI: 1.3 with glucose 85 and ketone 3.6 – down 12 1/2 lbs at 6.5 days.

I wish I knew what my numbers are but I have an aversion to needles (lancets). I’ve only lost 2.6lbs in 6 days I’m hoping for a whoosh soon.

What kind of fat and how much? I’ve tried butter in my coffee before but it makes my lips greasy. I do have coconut oil but I usually just use it for cooking. I need to look up fat bombs I guess.

[cervyn]

You folks are actually (far?) more experienced than I am at extended fasting.

Though I am finding that every fast is getting easier and more comfortable so far – in my limited experience.

12-day, 14-day, now finishing 6th day which 2 or more weeks in sight (maybe)…

I think I misspoke. I have been doing IF for 2 or 3 years. I can’t really remember. I wasn’t paying attention to it as I was in grad school at that time. So speaking for myself I don’t feel I have more experience, especially with EF. I started doing over 24h last September. The longest I have ever done is 9 days and the returns from that fast did not seem to match up with the effort I had to expend to do it.
But I guess there are many ways to measure experience. My current fasting goals are to see if I can get more regular with ADF yet not a routine as I want to keep my body guessing.

[ZuleikaD]

I’m nearly done with my current 42-hour fast, but I’m going to try to keep going to 48, maybe until tomorrow if I can. Tomorrow morning sometime would be 60-65 hrs. I haven’t done anything longer than 42, so we’ll just see how it rolls.

I think the combination of food I ate on Friday had a lot of fiber and I got a bit blocked up and bloated. I’m feeling better this morning, but not really feeling like I need to eat yet.

I’m finding it funny that I have such an instinct to be doing something in the kitchen around 6pm even when I’m fasting. I’m not even such an enthusiastic cook. But I’m finding it a good time to make things that I want to prep for other meals. Yesterday, I made a huge bowl of guacamole and froze most of it in little containers. Today, I might make waffles. I have a waffle recipe that needs some advance planning with the batter and then you have to stand around forever making the waffles. But once they’re done, they freeze beautifully and are yummy with big slather of butter.

[Robinette71]

I’m looking forward to starting my 42 hour fast after dinner tonight. I went off the rails a little yesterday. Hubby and I played golf, then went to a bar to meet some friends. I had quite a bit of beer a few of his french fries, then came home and snacked on too many almonds. I’m feeling bloated and fluffy lol.

[Herb_Martin]

Buy and use the KetoSticks to test your urine.

They aren’t as accurate as a ketone meter, but they are “good enough” and will give you are fairly good idea of your ketosis level in 95%+ of the cases.

I believe there may be glucose urine sticks but have no experience with them and don’t know anything about their accuracy.

Ignore anyone who tells you ketosticks don’t work – that’s all we had 40 years ago when I started ketogenic dieting and they work pretty darn good.

Lately, I’ve calibrated my ketosticks and my wife’s to our ketone meters and I can pretty much tell you what the meter will read based on the urine result. (Plus or minus a bit, but highly useful.)

[daddyoh]

I’m going to start my weekly EF after dinner today. Last week I did 60+hrs. This week I’m going to try to get to 72hr. This week has been a little rough. I think my body is adjusting to the recent weight loss. I have droppy skin on my upper arms and belly. That is all good but zi have been really thirsty some days this week. Yes I’m staying on salt.

Last night I ate too much watching the UVA basketball game and ate late. All Keto so that is good. But I was up 2 lbs this am because of my insulin resistance.

So time to recommit. I want to lose a few more pounds before visiting with my new cardiologist on April 19. Yea I know it is not about the scale. Okay for me right now it is. Just saying.

[ZuleikaD]

Yea I know it is not about the scale. Okay for me right now it is. Just saying.

I have an appointment with a new doc at the end of April and I really want to get to a certain weight by then so I can say “I’ve lost 25 lbs. since the beginning of the year.” So, yeah, scale.

[Tee2]

Hello fellow fasters, just finished feasting for 3 days. And am i ever ready to fast, I ate 2 yam fries and 3 bites of gelato, on the weekend. Plus of course keto food. That is crazy for me…i have never cheated before this weekend. It was tough this time traveling finding places to eat…food courts and concert foods. Terrible, i lived off burgers with no bun, which i never want to eat again.lol. But PINK was so worth it.
Anyway im ready for fasting…im starting after delicious keto pizza tonight. Shooting for 120 again this week, maybe i will make it this time. Im getting closer.

[Herb_Martin]

Most of you have been very quiet today – hope everyone is well.

I am starting into my 8th day of fasting.

Quite happy; hunger down to nothing.

I had an odd craving for a specialty I had purchased. I know it was a craving because even though the actual product was very mediocre I thought of it 3 or so times.

Didn’t amount to anything, but it was weird, especially since I wasn’t even hungry.

GKI 1.1 (Ketones 4.2)

[ZuleikaD]

I’m unexpectedly wrapping up a second full day of fasting. I hadn’t planned it, but really wasn’t hungry at all earlier today. I’m hungry now at dinnertime, but not so hungry that I can’t keep going until tomorrow.

I spent the afternoon doing some lightweight gardening, repotting plants and so on. I had a lot to do and it took a few hours. Normally, I might want to veg for the rest of the day after that kind of effort, but after sending a couple of emails, I bounced back up and did some prep cooking.

[damgal]

Happy to see everyone doing very well this month. I enjoyed a wonderful planned off-plan dinner/cocktails Saturday. Today I had a late brunch and felt that was enough. I’m thinking tomorrow I will have an early dinner. Tuesday will be a feast day and I should be joining you all again Wednesday if I feel up to it. kcfo.

[Robinette71]

I’m 13 hours into my 42 hour fast. May go longer because we are taking a little mini vacation to the beach this upcoming weekend, leaving on Thursday morning. I’m running in a half marathon on Saturday. I’m certain I don’t want to fast on this trip, so I have to get in what I can between now and Thursday.

[Diygurl19]

I’ve only been doing this a week and 3 days. Yesterday I managed to not eat until noon, which for me is good. I was up at 7 and at the gym at 7:30. Was hungry for about 10 minutes but I had a sip of coffee and I was fine until noon.

[daddyoh]

Traci

Make sure to take some salt under your tongue. This is especially important the longer you fast. If you are strict keto you need more salt anyway.