August 2018 IF / EF Chat ALL WELCOME

(What The Fast?!) #281

Hi guys. I’m not venting…but I want to share some thoughts.
I’m getting sick of fasting. It’s not something I enjoy and I don’t feel some amazing sense of satiety or super human focus or boundless energy. I feel sort of normal, generally a little foggy/out of it, but like…hungry. Could be mental/psychological hunger more than regular hunger, but also…regular hunger! :slight_smile:

I’m on Week 3 of alternate day fasting and while I’m not finding it SUPER difficult…it’s also not my favorite thing in the world. The reason for fasting for me is solely weight loss. Regular keto wasn’t working so I figured ADF was a good idea.

My weight fluctuates on the daily and it can go up and down 5lbs in a day sometimes. I’m just looking for that 3-5lb range to start trending downward.

Pre fasting: 149.0 - 151.9
Week 1: 147.7 - 151.7
Week 2: 146.6 - 150.8 (1 lb downward trend)
Week 3: ONGOING, but so far 147.0 - 150.6 (same-ish as last week)

It just seems like a LOT of fasting for some sloooow results. I’m currently working out 9-10 hours a week (cycling, weight training, reformer Pilates). I lift on my fasting days because I find that I’m RAVENOUS the day after lifting heavy weights.

…am I hurting myself more than helping when it comes to maintaining muscle and/or building muscle by doing so much fasting? I know there are different schools of thought on this, so I’m very curious. Candidly, I may just be looking for a justification to stop doing ADF so I can just eat some freaking food.

On my eating days, I’m eating around 2200-2500 calories. I’m burning around 4000+ each week with my workouts. Maybe I should eat more on feasting days?

After finishing this week of ADF, I may switch to just doing a 48 hour once a week or maybe a 72 hour every other week. I’m feeling a little lost.

#282

I’m sure there are probably many folks here that could provide you with much better insight as to your issue, or have more experience with fasting in general (hopefully from their own experiences) but I do know from reading your info above, you seem to be a very active person. So I thought to maybe at least attempt to provide some thoughts that may be useful in some way? Or to maybe just give you something to think about, until that better information is provided?

  • One - Not knowing all your information, I would say based solely off your weight, that you are probably at or close to maintenance weight? And from everything I’ve read/studied, being closer to this does make it much harder overall, and have ready many state they had issues trying to reach a goal they had set.

  • Two - with all the exercising you mention/list above, are you sure you are not just trading created muscle for fat? (Which we know muscle weighs more, as far as by scale, not weight.) If you are building muscle while losing weight, this could be what you’re seeing?

  • Three - And this may sound stupid, but have you ever just tried resting? Instead of being as active? especially while fasting? … I only ask because I know that at times, things associated with our bodies can be quite funny and sometimes just allow your body to rest can do great things.

As for me, fasting actually feels quite good. But I honestly did this from time to time, way before I learned of Keto. The saying I hear a lot on here ‘Are you eating tonight?’ is something my wife would ask me, many many years ago. Because when I wasn’t hungry, I simply would not eat. … But this just happens to work with this WOE, where it didn’t with the SAD WOE. … So for me, I seem to fit right in with doing a Keto WOE, and I think this has helped me a lot. I haven’t been doing fast to simply lose weight, or any other reason really. I wanted to try it to experience it, and to see how I would feel. And I’ve enjoyed it. … But I have read other state they didn’t like to fast, and they just decided not to because of the way they feel.

In the end you have to listen to your body and it seems like it may be speaking to you now? Maybe it’s not the fasting itself, but a part of it, or something you’re incorporating into it? Either way, if it’s not making you feel good, there is reason to think about if it’s something you really want to do? But I was serious about resting. My wife has received this advice before, after trying so many other things such as meds, remedies, etc. And in the end… She simply rested and finally saw results. :slight_smile: … This wasn’t in any way related to Keto, diets, etc. But was something that didn’t require medications, or any interventions, but simply to let her body rest.

Hope this was helpful in some way. Good luck.

(Central Florida Bob ) #283

I’m finishing week 9 of ADFs, and while I don’t find it particularly hard most days, I’ve come to a shocking realization.

Eating is enjoyable. I like eating.

I know, right? Who would have thought that something we’re wired to do would give us pleasure?

Seriously, I have some of the same concerns, although I’m nowhere near as active as you are. I’ve been wondering if my body is adapting to the ADF and I should mix it up more: maybe not fast for a week and then hit it again. Or switch from alternate days to a two day fast which would be more like 66 hours fasting.

If my measurements of body fat are right, I could easily lose another 10 pounds, if not 20, without getting at risk for being too lean.

Usually, I eat two days in a row only once a week, Friday and Saturday. That makes Sunday morning start of the fast my heaviest and Friday morning’s end my lowest. But that’s no always the way. I wish it made more sense to me.

I’m trying to feast on feast days and fast on fast days. I still drink coffee with HWC - call it 1 TBSP between two cups - and I’ve found my nightly prescriptions cause stomach upset if I don’t have a tsp or 1/2 TBSP of butter. It hasn’t been a problem.

Just trying to figure out what to do. Just like you. Just like lots of us.

(What The Fast?!) #284

Sigh. No, my last few DEXA’s had me at 32% BF, which means about 48lbs of fat.

I wish. It’s highly unlikely that I’m building that much muscle while not eating 3 days of the week. If you (allegedly) lose a half pound of fat a day while fasting, that would mean I’m gaining almost the same. Not even Arnold can pull that off.

Meh. I tried working out FAR less for periods of time (all in the past 18 months while eating keto) and all that happened was that I got squishier.

TBH, I don’t WANT to, but straight keto isn’t dropping the weight, so I don’t see a lot of other options.

To your point, I’ll think about adding another rest day in. Thanks for your thoughts! :slight_smile:

Yesssssss. Same.

My body seems to adapt SUPER fast to anything I do. I also think I’m going to switch it up. I think I’ll lay off fasting next week and then do a 48 hour or something like that.

#285

I hope that you find some answers…the ADF did work for me, before I’d heard of keto, then keto worked for a bit, then I had to go to EF to lose a few pounds, now I’m sort of maintaining, but worried too that my body will get used to whatever I’m doing, I think I’ll keep switching between shorter fasts, OMAD etc. Can’t offer you advice I’m afraid, but I do feel for you when you’re working so hard at it…

(Allie) #286

Why did I decide to fast on a day when the temperature suddenly drops? I’m COLD! :persevere:

(Central Florida Bob ) #287

I think the more often we’ve dieted or worked at it, the faster our bodies learn and adapt to our tricks.

This morning I’m in the last couple of hours of my ADF, at hour 39. This is usually the lowest weight of the week, and this morning I weighed exactly what I did last Friday. No weight loss.

So I’m thinking pretty much what you were saying. Take a week off, and try to come up with some new tricks. Maybe eat less on eating days, but that goes against the “feast on your eating days” conventional wisdom.

(Allie) #288

This is why I always change things and never get set in one way of doing things. If I don’t know what I’m doing day to day, my body has no chance of adapting :joy:

(Allie) #289

My plan to fast throughout yesterday didn’t go so well due to the sudden drop in temperature as I hate feeling cold. I did 23 hours so am OK with that.

Currently drinking a half-caf coffee (after three days of no caffeine at all) but not really feeling it so think I’ve detoxed OK. Now I’ll be strict and keep it limited so as not to get addicted again so one cup of half-caf every other day (or even less) until my batch of mixed caffeinated / decaffeinated coffee is gone, then only decaf.

Not sure what I’m doing today with regard to fasting as I’m waiting for the vets to open so I can take my old man cat in as he’s really struggling :cry::broken_heart:

These are a few short videos I took this morning

#290

Hope he feels better soon. I know having an arthritic animal can be miserable. … Fortunately my 3 pups love the cold and can’t wait for some snow to play in. But they’re also full of thick fur, so they don’t like it when it’s hot.

(back and doublin' down) #291

watched the videos and cheered when he stood up to eat! He is well loved. My pets are my greatest joy and at times my greatest heartaches. Prayers and positive thoughts for Spud.

(Allie) #292

Thank you :heart:
He seems a bit happier now, got out of bed and walked around a little bit before jumping up to a different bed and going back to sleep. He’s old, eighteen, and his body just isn’t what it once was - so sad to see. I do my best to keep him comfortable.

(Allie) #293

Thanks Dave. He does seem to have picked up a little bit, for now anyway. One day at a time.

My dog loves the cold too, he’s not good in the heat.

#294

@Shortstuff- hope he picks up, 18 is a good age… all the cats we had were rescues, had had hard lives so none lived to the age. Miss having a cat, but too many go missing where we are now, can’t cope with the worry! But we have twice now saved a neighbour’s cat from going missing, stupid thing is determined to escape & gets in the Tesco’s van every time they have a home delivery, spotted him & shooed him out before the driver went…

Fasting today & tomorrow, 48hrs, hopefully!

(Allie) #295

Thanks @jules4 Spudley is a rescue too, all mine are. He’s been with me for ten years now and it took me six years to win his trust enough to him indoors so I could help him. Oh actually his story is on my site at the top of this page - http://stronger.me.uk/html/writing.htm

I haven’t decided what I’m doing fasting wise today. It’s been a difficult weekend so far so all a bit messy, but I’m currently at 17 hours so will see how the day goes

(Hoby Bradfield) #296

Thanks for this thread… as a newbie to the group, and a novice to this fasting thing, the tips and tricks are great information. I’ve been doing ADF all of August, and during the last week my hunger has been pretty strong on my OMAD days. I am considering trying 48 hr fasts once a week in September, and continuing IF on the rest of the week. Any thoughts on what days of the week work best for EF?
TIA for your feedback.

(Allie) #297

Very much depends on your own life and schedule. The key is to fit fasting in with your own lifestyle.

(back and doublin' down) #298

I’m crediting IF and EF with my continued success. for August, I didn’t log my food, didn’t weigh or measure. Just ate keto listed foods, ate to satiety. Some days was more food than others. Down 9 lbs in the past 30 days! Other than BPC (which I’ve stopped most mornings for the past week or so), I very seldom have good before lunchtime and regret it when I do because I’m just not hungry enough to really enjoy it. That’s a new signal for me that I’m not REALLY hungry because it doesn’t taste as good. Learning to stop and put food in the frig rather than thinking I have to clean my plate or finish what I cooked.

This week I’m doing the IDM week of mixing it up that @collaroygal shared. Weird to think of eating at 10am. I brought some nuts to have then, then a meal with staff during the noon hour. My body will definitely wonder what’s up getting something to eat before noon!

(KCKO, KCFO) #299

Agreed. You work schedule, your family schedule, and social schedule all play a part in what is the best time for you.

I usually do extended fasting from Wed. onwards because for some reason, I just don’t get as hungry if I follow that. If I try to do EX from Sunday onwards, I always end up breaking it far too soon. Just my body, test out a few days and see how you go. We are all n=1 experiments.

All the best sorting it out.

#300

Also decided to throw in another fast for this week. It wasn’t planned, but actually just prefer it sometimes. Especially during the work week. Though not sure for how long yet? Maybe 3 day, or possibly all week?