APRIL 2019 IF/EF Chat ALL WELCOME

(Herb Martin) #402

Thank you.

Technically I started all this Nov 2017 as keto. Did great through Jan, then stalled at about 50 lbs down – probably due to being more insulin resistant and having not encountered that before.

Drifted back up until July 2018 (down 25 to start at this point.) Lost the 30 back and got stalled again at 50 ± 10 fairly quickly – maybe late Aug or Sep.

Held that until Feb when I started fasting where I’m working from 232.5 so as of today I am down 75 (at 207.5 at beginning) and down 25 from mid-Feb at start of fasting.

One might think I am yo-yo’ing on fasting but not really. My fat keeps disappearing; my body percent fat keeps going down; and my clothes keep getting bigger. :slight_smile:

Also, even if I weren’t losing weight and fat which I am, my motivation and my actual follow through for doing things has returned full force.

My stamina, strength, and speed are all a bit off from 2010 when I was boxing almost all year at age 58 and in excellent shape for a man in his late fifties. Teaching combatives and winning all sorts of “scrimmmages” again young strong guys most of the time.

But then I’ve only been exercising for 2 WEEKS after laying off everything for 5 years and boxing for almost 9.

Don’t be impressed with ME – be impressed by the methods I’m using which are the ones we are all discussing and not something that I invented.

But do be inspired if it helps you in any way and do be happy for me.

I owe this success to so many people from Jordan B. Peterson and his daughter Mikhaila Peterson to Dr. Fung, Dr. Boz (Bosworth and her mother), Dr. Levy, Ivor Cummins, Tim Ferriss, Dr. Saul, Dr. Phinney, the 2 Keto dudes, people here who post, and a host of others I can’t quickly name.

We really must include Joe Rogan who was interviewing Jordan Peterson when I saw the episode discussing the Carnivore diet and he said, “30 days? I can do anything for 30 days.”

And of course, Dr. Atkins who started all of this FOR ME, almost 50 years ago.

Thank you all, each and every one.

Happy Fasting and Stay Safe Out There.

(Herb Martin) #403

Do not read this post unless you wish to be grossed out but definitely not unless you appreciate TMI :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

You’ve been warned.

Please do not quote it. Just refer to it to comment.

Summary

Today, at the end of 13 days of fasting, eating no nutrients, I went into the bathroom and literally filled the pot 2 1/2 times. Solid, well-formed mostly.

Felt like there was even more.

So there really are only two possibilities and I’ll discount the first:

  1. My digestive system was still clearing (some but not most certainly – I have had plenty of movements during the last 13 days to clear it out.

  2. Cell detritus – the no longer useful products of the dying and recycled cells are being offloaded.

#2 means that autophagy and perhaps more significantly apoptosis is clearing out my waste cellular organells and excess fat cells beyond just the fat they contain.

I hope it’s true. My clothes seem to think so.

(RossanaF) #404

That’s what’s happening to me! I’m taking advantage of that while I can. :smiley:

Yes, I notice a couple of lbs. do come back, but as long as the graph shows going down it’s ok. So you’ve never fasted before February?

I am happy for you and for finding this forum which has given me the willpower and strength to grab the bull by the horns…finally! LOL! Thank you all for that!!

(RossanaF) #405

Since we are on this subject…:wink:
Does anyone else get diarrhea around the 3rd day of fasting? :unamused:
It’s happened to me every time. (but a bit less this week)
I don’t know if it’s common when fasting.

(Herb Martin) #406

Yes, but diarrhea (technical definition) is a common occurrence for me.

I am practically never constipated but no matter my diet loose is unsurprising.

I take 10’s of grams of Vitamin C now and don’t care because it cannot make a difference. Same with Magnesium (a gram or more.)

Berberine? Bring it on. I wouldn’t know if any of these cause an issue.

3-7 times a day with “good stools” is also common.

There are two ways to look at this: I am full of shit, or everyone except me is full of shit. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Dave,
I first started water fasting about Feb 15, 2019.

In about 1979 I did a couple of extended juice fasts (when we didn’t know how bad fructose is for us – one of the few things even Dr. Atkins got wrong.)

The last 2 months have been my entire experience with keto style fasts, water fasts, etc.

You have seen my posts on the subject so it probably helps to know that I do have a lot of experience with maintaining electrolytes under extreme conditions though.

It didn’t take me long to realize this was the biggest problem people were having, and it made it easy for me to notice every time one of the true fasting experts – medical or otherwise – mentioned the issue.

Listening to the questions and comments and monitoring my own issues led me quickly to working out most of the electrolyte and with it the refeeding problem.

Prior to fasting my diet was all carnivore so my body was also carb-clean for 7 months (9 months now).

My simple practice is to totally avoid cheating on carbs and to avoid any sort of “20-gram allowance”.

Zero is zero, and everyone can count to zero.

Exiting and re-entering each fast is trivial; there is no keto-flu or loss of energy or any other significant problems for a reasonably healthy person who is carb-free and who maintains a reasonable electrolyte balance.

(Carol) #407

@Herb_Martin I would like to think we’re disposing of the non-essentials/junk. :smile:

I just passed 102 hours and hope to fast through tomorrow. And then I think I might take a break for the rest of April unless I have a super just-not-hungry day. Happy fasting everyone!

(Liz ) #408

Love your posts, everyone! Thanks for sharing your experiences (even theTMI ones which I find very useful!).

I’m over halfway through my planned ~68 hour fast & it’s been very good so far. The last one was no fun so this is a relief. I still have plenty of body fat to get me through a 3-day fast so it shouldn’t be difficult but there you go, every fast is different. Like I said I ate a LOT in the week leading up to this, I’m guessing that’s why it’s been going so well. Or it’s the position of the stars lol WHO KNOWS

KCFO folks!

#409

Yep, like I said, I really have no rhyme or reason as to why I like water fasting, other then I do like that it gets me away from all flavors, which makes foods taste even better afterwards. :slight_smile: … Myself, I’m probably 85% Carnivore most times. Just not full Carnivore, which I have indeed thought about it. I do just prefer meats, and only throw in a side here and there. (But I do like to have Pickles and Olives, as most will tell ya. :smile:) But I also recently tried a Dairy Free Month, which was the month of March. I do believe I have noticed one thing after re-incorporating Dairy afterwards though (mostly Butter & Cheese) that it does appear to have slowed down my restroom visits (Not to get too TMI) but there is now times I’m going 4 or 5 days between, which is the opposite from what you mention above. And yep, I showed a 6 lb. gain after the first week of re-introduction a week ago, and still feel like I’m holding onto foods too long presently. (Though I am down -2 lbs. this week, this is only -2 of the +6 from the week before. So maybe this is just a transition stage of this? Dunno, but it sure feels like it presently.

I’m actually planning to do OMAD all this week coming, and then jumping back in for some Fasting a week from tomorrow. I really like to keep things changed up, so after some Fasting the following week, I will eat some TMAD following the fast, and continue switching things up… But if I do see anymore ups on my weekly weigh-ins, I will probably cut back more Dairy, namely Cheeses, and still to mostly butter.

Happy Fasting Folks… :+1:

(Tamela Robinette) #410

Well I had a very self indulgent 3 days at the beach with lots of wine and some non keto desserts so needless to say I was feeling fairly rough yesterday after my half marathon. I began to fast right after lunch so I’m just past 19 hours and already feeling better. Think I am going to go for a full 72 hours as my longest was 66 and I feel like I have some strong tools to get me through. My foot tendonitis is probably the worst it has been in months today so I will definitely need to lay off the exercise this week, maybe just some seated lifting. I ordered an air cast so I can mobilize it and just let it heal. So it looks like I’m going to have a week of taking it easy, tending to my foot and fasting. My racing season is definitely over until at least the fall. Looking forward to fasting with everyone this week!

(Mame) #411

I find it fascinating that some can fast easily on the weekends. It seems my habit of meal planning and cooking (and being near the kitchen) is still too strong for me. Thinking about food makes me want to eat it. LOL

I too love to change routines up so here is my plan for the week. Eat hearty Sunday then ADF MWF this week. I haven’t done this routine since October. Probably omad Tuesday and Thursday due to schedule. Also be really nice to myself and be present because it’s going to be a challenging work week.

How are you fasting this week?

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #412

I usually do 60+ hrs starting at ~6pm Sunday. But last week breaking my fast did not go as well as I wanted.

I need a really productive week so I’m going to fast Monday for 36 hr fast and then again on Wednesday. I meet my new cardiologist on Friday and for no good reason don’t want to be fasted. Maybe have some nerves around meeting him and don’t want to have some emotional hunger.

#413

Just broke my longest fast at…drum roll please…112 hrs. I was not feeling well and dizzy even after h20 and electrolytes. I had 4 pork rinds. I may just continue going, we’ll see in a little while.

(RossanaF) #414

I know, I had to really concentrate on my errands to be able to fast yesterday. It was my first Saturday. Usually I do what Eric does, start after dinner on Sunday.

I did (again) have a boost of 2 strips of bacon last night. Not sure if I can call it a boost, since it is a lot, but it makes it possible for me to continue and it doesn’t seem to throw off my increasing Ketosis numbers and weight loss. I am sitting at 110 hrs. now. I am down another Lb. today and I went from 2.6 yesterday to 3.4 on my ketosis. My GKI today is 1.2! woohoo! I am breaking my fast with dinner tonight and my anniversary is tomorrow so I know I will have a nice lunch and dinner (Keto of course) since we took the day off. My hubby stuck with me through this fast, he has less to loose but we can both benefit fixing our bodies from years of excessive carbs. Happy Sunday!

#415

I think this is generally a good idea when going to the doctor in case they want you to do blood tests, which can have wonky results if you’ve been fasted for a day or two. I have an appointment with a new doc in a couple weeks. It’s mid-morning and I plan on going in my normal skipped-breakfast state.

My last couple of fasts have been more challenging for me. I’ve been craving salty food and really wanting to eat, especially in the evening. I drink water with electrolytes, have salty things like broth and pickle juice, but I guess it just isn’t enough. Yesterday, I ended up munching on some zero-carb dill pickles late in the evening. I think I need to get more in earlier in the day to stave off these cravings. I also should have gone to bed earlier.

(Tamela Robinette) #416

Little over 25 hours in. Feeling good. Dug my crutches out of storage so I can keep weight off this foot while waiting on my aircast, which Amazon says will be here Tuesday. Have only had a few tummy growls. How’s everyone else doing?

(Liz ) #417

Hope you get some pain relief!

I’m almost 44 hours in, struggling a bit. 48 hours is often tough. My favorite fasting time is morning on the third day.

I’m one of those folks that often fasts on the weekend and cooks every night for my family. Actually my most common fasting schedule is to start Saturday night & go as far into the week as I can.

I don’t know why it’s ok with me but cooking while fasted does not faze me at all, neither does sitting with a cup of herbal tea while my mom & husband eat. Though it all smells amazing as I get like, a bionic nose when I fast lol.

I really miss eating though because more than being hungry I’m pretty sure I’m addicted to eating. Even though I cut carbs enough (for two years now) to be free of physical food cravings, I think I’m still using food to soothe my emotions. Ah well. At least it’s keto food and I still don’t snack. I’m a work in progress.

Just as a note: I also quit most dairy in March, the main thing being cream in my coffee. I’m staying off it as my skin did almost completely clear up. Haven’t noticed a permanent improvement in scale weight though.

(Tamela Robinette) #418

I think I eat emotionally, as well as due to boredom, so learning to fast is healing that for me I believe. I am hoping having fasting as a tool will prevent me from yo yo dieting, which is something I’ve done for a few years. On the dairy, I gave up HWC but just love cheese too much to give it up. As far as I know it doesn’t cause me any issues. I attempted to give it up in March and lasted a week or so lol.
Do you do green tea or any hot calorie free beverages during your fast? I just sent hubby to the store for Matcha tea as I’m struggling at the moment. It’s getting close to my dinner time so I’m guessing that’s why.

#419

Good idea. Don’t want to further burden it and give it the best chance of healing properly.

Same here, if anything I find if you spend enough time cooking stuff you lose your appetite anyway. But when I’m Fasting, it doesn’t bother me at all to make meals.

Again, the same. I generally just start missing a nice meal, but that may be one of the reasons I also set a 5-day limit to my Fast to begin with? After so many days, just start missing eating something nice. :slight_smile:

(Tamela Robinette) #420

Ok this is probably a newbie discovery but if it helps someone else then I’m happy. Through reading here and elsewhere I learned store bought “bullion” is not optimal for fasting. I used it early on in keto to replace sodium and really enjoy it so I kinda miss it. It reallly helps me with fasting & I don’t want to do bone broth right at the moment. Cold salt water just doesn’t do it for me. I just heated up some water in a coffee mug and added a half teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt. It is so comforting! About to hit 29 hours! Fast on my friends (or feast) :grin:

(Liz ) #421

I do use hot herbal teas when I fast and have learned I pretty much hate them lolololol! Oh my goodness. I really prefer them sweetened but I don’t use sweeteners at all, ever, so here I am with my sad hot drink :laughing:

I can’t tell if fasting is helping or hurting my emotional eating issues. Certainly it highlights them for me. I hope it helps you!