APRIL 2019 IF/EF Chat ALL WELCOME

#462

This is my primary goal overall. I want make sure to keep changing things up, so I want to throw in some 42’s or 48’s, and then go back to 72’s up to 120. But I just don’t want to do the same lengths over and over, hoping this helps me some.

(traci simpson) #463

I’m not a faster of yet, however my last meal was at 6 last night and now it’s 9:15 so that’s roughly 15 1/2 hours so not bad. I’m eating twice a day which is easier than I expected. I’m about to eat some scrambled eggs, bacon and spinach which hopefully sustain me for a bit. I’d like to be done eating before 6 so I might eat my “dinner” around 3 or 4 while I’m still at work

(Mame) #464

Happy Tuesday. at 37 hours currently, just did my slow strength training before work (GKI=2.64 530am) and feeling that post-workout/fasting awesome. Love it!
Will most likely eat dinner tonight. Unless I am not hungry at all… which has not been happening on lifting days this month.

@LizinLowell It’s hard to switch things up when you notice it’s not working for you. But good for you for noticing. I am doing an ADF M-W_F this week. So far it’s fine, not easy but fine. LOL we’ll see what I am saying on Saturday. I am under so much work-stress it may be my body will not release weight. More meditating and EFT planned for that.
@Herb_Martin I love your enthusiasm. and I enjoy celebrating success.
I do want to gently remind you that it is not always that easy and simple for everyone as it is for you right now. Everyone has different levels of metabolic and hormonal health. :slightly_smiling_face:
@andesite are your raccoons as fearless as the ones around here are?

wishing everyone a successful day whatever that may look like

(Liz ) #465

I hear what you are saying, thank you for the tips. From what I understand, ketones are produced as a byproduct of burning fat, so if I’m processing plate or body fat I will produce ketones. Knowing exactly how many I am producing or “chasing ketones” is not my thing to be honest. If I’m in ketosis, I’m in ketosis and I never drop out because I only eat ketogenic and in a time restricted window with no snacks when I’m not fasted. I absolutely never eat non-keto.

If my body is holding onto fat it’s because my insulin is too high, not because my ketones are too low. I can drink MCT oil & make ketones, it’s not going to affect my weight loss.

If my insulin is too high to release body fat it’s because I’m still metabolically deranged, possibly stress in my life is causing cortisol to wreak havoc. Also at 49 I’m perimenopausal.

I fast to drive my basal insulin rate down over time and change what’s happening inside over years while maintaining a nice high RMR. But fasting is a stress and my efforts might be counterproductive re: cortisol production. Not sure.

Having lost a total of 100 pounds since 2003, I’m at the tough part of trying to clean up the last 20 pounds. But I have the rest of my life to figure this out :smile:

I do plan to incorporate resistance training as our lifestyles allow.

#466

Yeah, but going from dinner to lunch the next day and skipping any earlier meals, (Breakfast) usually puts about 17-18 hours between those meals. (Depending on your meal times) So this alone is IF, and is quite beneficial, and is usually where most start at as well. :slight_smile: … After some time, you might find the next step to be skipping lunch as well, which would put you doing OMAD. (One Meal A Day) - But again, this is not a necessity, since some find it easier to stick with TMAD. (Two Meals A Day) Most that do this, say it’s easier to get their daily intake in that way, and find it much harder to get it all in doing just one meal. (Also why my meals appear generally larger, since I usually only eat once a day most times. … Plus, I do enjoy a good hardy meal. :slight_smile: )

After typing the above, I actually just added a link to a video that explains it and provides the breakdown of IF. Always thought it was a nice overview. - And though I’ve heard some folks mentioning not liking Dr. Burgs stuff, I have found some of his video informative. (But yes, he does have his own products he at times will advertise, but I don’t this to annoying since he’s also offering up information to help folks.)

(traci simpson) #467

Thank you!~ I have to watch it at home since YouTube is blocked at work.
I guess I am IF’ng if you count during the night hours. I did a little workout and at almost 2pm, I’m feeling a little hungry. Since I cant eat a lot at once sitting, I might be a TMAD kinda girl.

#468

You’re welcome. And yep, the video does a good job explaining it. :+1:

#469

Even when things are working, it’s hard to switch things up. I like my routines, but I want to stay out of a rut so my body doesn’t settle into something as a habit.

I’ve decided I’m going to give ADF another go this week. I managed to get through yesterday, which is the first time I’ve done ADF, since I also fasted Saturday. My plan is Mon-Wed-Fri this week. I can’t say I like fasting much, but it is getting me the results I want, so here I am.

(Mame) #470

Yes, this can be true for me as well. Or sometimes it’s due to stress for me… we are all so fascinating and different.
(currently 43 hours, planning on dinner tonight for sure)

(Herb Martin) #471

Not precisely. Ketones in the blood are actually the products your body produces from stored fat AND other ketones (in breath and uring) are the waste or excess from this.

If you are significantly ketogenic you are burning fat and it’s highly likely you are losing ‘weight’ (or at least stored fat).

Probably because insulin is the “fat storage hormone”.

But if your ketones were high you probably would not be high in insulin.

Insulin is largely about putting glucose into cells (and when that doesn’t work efficiently you are said to be “insulin resistant” and on your way to T2D). It’s also about storing fat.

Insulin encourages: Burn Glucose; Store Fat.

Glucagon is the other major hormone produced by the pancreas and there is “signaling” so that when Glucagon is produced Insulin production is reduced.

Glucagon tells the fall cell to give up fat (lipids) and promotes “Lipolysis” or the break down of a 'lipid triglyceride" into glycerol and 3 fatty acids.

(Tri == 3 fatty acids)

Ketones are produced in the liver from the 3 fatty acids and the glycerol is used for gluconeogenesis – the production of new glucose because your body still needs SOME glucose even when you ingest none and even when you are highly fat adapted.

So for burning fat we want to stimulate glucagon and inhibit insulin (within reason.)

Testing urine or breath is actually showing “excess” or waste ketones and testing the blood is showing what is currently available to your bodies tissues for energy production.

Yes, a large component of “healing through fasting” is to reset the basal insulin level to a lower, more normal level.

This is in addition to simple burning fat and will help to make you healthier going forward and less likely to store fat when you aren’t officially dieting.

YES.

You also have a LOT of tools. Various forms of intermittent fasting, extended fasting, and all manner of ketogenic diets from vegan to carnivore and ordinary 0-carb.

There’s even reduced calorie but that is a nuisance and doesn’t work as well as the above.

I am almost to the point you have reach and intend to use carnivore with long extended fasting to finish this up – I will also use other forms of fasting but extended fasting will be one of my 2 main tools.

Right now I’ve lost about 75 lbs with about 25 to go for my target weight.

(I actually intend to go about 10 lbs below my target weight and hold that for a few months to allow for the inevitable ‘increase’.)

My target weight is actually based on a target body fat percentage: 15% (for now).

I am going to get there, the try to drop it to 10%, hold, then allow it to climb slowly back to 15% with an upper limit (for the future) of 18-20%.

This is different from my past: Every time I reach the upper limit this will cause me to invoke the 0-carb/extended-fasting rule until I correct the issue.

(KCKO, KCFO) #472

When I feel I need to lose water weight, I take some leeks, saute them and add to hot bone broth for leek soup. I can go with the best of the race horses then :wink:

(Liz ) #473

Interesting, thank you!! Sadly I’m allergic to onions and their kin :frowning:

I should say I do have some success with dandelion root tea.

(Herb Martin) #474

For water loss I cheat: I technically still take 2 kinds of diuretic prescriptions: HCTZ or “Spironolactone & Lasix” (furosemide).

I have both in quantity since I stopped taking either after beginning to fast and my cardiologist gives me the 2nd set for serious swelling.

So if I’m holding water I cheat and take one of the choices.

Boxed tonight and I have a BJJ (jiu-jitsu trial lesson at 6am). Yes, I am a kwazy wabbit.

My wife is finishing day #2 of her 2nd fast and I am finishing day #16. Onward and Upward. Looks like 3 weeks is easily doable.

Even though she’s using a cane she again volunteered us for a walk today. We might not have walked quite a mile.

By maintaining electrolytes I am feeling fantastic, motivated, and comfortable without eating.

At boxing they let me spar (again) but this time for real.

However, I think the young guys were taking pity on me – afraid to hit an old man.

Either that or I was winning, but because I was hitting them a lot more than they were hitting me and they kept running from me.

(RossanaF) #475

You can also buy “water pills” that are over the counter and they help. Any drug store has them. They don’t work as well as the lasix but they help. Black coffee also help me get rid of water. Another way is to make a heavy tea made from hibiscus, just boil the flowers and drink up. It tastes better with some sweeter if you want to use that otherwise it’s tolerable.

(Herb Martin) #476

Forgot to ask:

How much fluid are you holding and how do you know?

Holding excessive fluid can be dangerous and generally is NOT a “fasting thing” which tends to make you lose (a lot) of fluid.

I have had fluid retention problems that were serious and do not want to go there again.

(traci simpson) #477

Why not just drink water? Not trying to be funny but I drink over 80 oz a day and I pee all the time.

(traci simpson) #478

So, I decided to skip breakfast today to see if I could do it. I don’t know what happened last night but I worked late and when I got home I had to prepare for todays meals so I was snacking on stuff while I was cooking. I made parm crisps, and I ate some plain port rinds and half of a RX bar and it was almost 7 pm when I looked up so I knew I wanted to not eat early today. It’s 11:30 and I have a big meeting in an hour so I’m trying to hold off until after that so that I won’t be disturbed during lunch! Wish me luck? I’m hungry now so I’m going to make some tea and see if that will get rid of the empty stomach.

(RossanaF) #479

I can’t drink 80oz but I do drink about 60 a day. I have not had a diuretic in a long time, she was asking about water retention and I thought I would let her know it is available over the counter. It’s very uncomfortable to be bloated, but Keto does really good keeping me un-bloated.

(traci simpson) #480

yes, water does also if you drink it daily and the right amount, all you do is pee it out. If you rarely drink it they IMO your body will hold on to it.

#481

This is a great first step! It’s exactly how I started back in February. I just started by knowing I didn’t need to eat breakfast; I’d eat when I got hungry, usually around 11am or so. Then I started consciously going for 16:8 every day. Then I tossed in a couple of OMAD days alternating with 16:8, and eventually a full day (40 hours). I gradually built up to what I’m doing now.

One thing I found was that the mental challenge ahead of time was worse than the physical challenge of actually doing it. I knew that I couldn’t just play it by ear; I had to commit to not eating for the day. But then I’d terrify myself with “OMG, what’s going to happen? What if I can’t do it?” even though I’d be at home and 20 feet from the fridge all evening.

I’m sailing along on my new effort at ADF–today will be my third alternate fast day, starting with last Saturday. It was such a huge challenge for me for a while. I was even able to go two straight days fasting, but I couldn’t go without two days eating in between. I am finding that a non-carby bite of something small (under 100 calories) around dinnertime has helped, rather than trying to be strict. I don’t think this is disrupting any of my goals in a big way and I think I’ll eventually wean myself off of that, too.