DEC 2022 IF/EX Chat Thread

(KCKO, KCFO) #3

I just finished a 3 day fast, first in a long time for me. I really want to make it through a couple more over this coming month. I am currently slightly under my goal weight and hope to stay there for the new year ahead.

(Bob M) #4

That’s a good way to do it, if you can do so. What I used to do was have a holiday, or go on vacation, and after that have a longer fast. It seems to work well.

I hit about 36 hours, did a long body weight workout (too long – I need to cut something out) at about 32 hours, and had a great workout. Having my first meal, a bit early, so “36” might be a bit less.

I was not cold at all – until I went outside, when it’s finally below or near freezing here. Then, when I got home, I had to go out to get our puppy, who is freaking out (barking, howling) because – we think – she can see the neighbor’s lights now that it’s dark and the leaves are off the trees. I had to take her inside. And I had to go get my daughter from dance class at 9pm, so I was in my PJs and wore a long shirt. I kept the shirt on over night.

I slept well, which is sometimes an issue. Sometimes I sleep great and get up later (today). Other times, I sleep well but get up early. Today was the former, not the latter.

#5

I start to have some success at OMAD again… Yesterday wasn’t perfect, my eating window was a bit bigger as I couldn’t eat my food at once (one of my usual problems on carnivore, theoretically it’s easy but it still isn’t) but I just went back to eat a tiny bit later :slight_smile:
I do dinner OMAD now. Some tweaking may be needed to figure out what gives me perfect satiation for almost a day but I am close. Hopefully a proper carnivore OMAD is possible for me. It’s very hard, even a few plant carbs help tremendously, I don’t need high-carb for an easy OMAD day anymore but it still doesn’t happen with carnivore. OMAD-ish near carnivore, I can do that. But I will get better.

(Ohio ) #6

This months plans:
(Latest direction)

I’ve gravitated towards OMAD in the AM. I’m getting more solid sleep like this. If I get busy it’s no burden to push nutrition to the PM and do a 30 ish hour fast. Still there’s something about doing all my eating and dental before noon.

I’ve also fused protein fasts with the OMAD regiment recently. Intermittently.
*100% dark chocolate with walnuts and peppermint.
*Coconut oil w peanut butter chaser. (50/50)

  • Salt (lots)

Not an everyday thing, but this is in rotation with a mostly carnivorous OMAD diet. Keeping protein under 20g. Maybe 10.

#7

OMAD is tricky but today I decided I will be relaxed anyway. I already ate at 3pm, it was maybe 800-something kcal? Just because I weigh everything, I can’t possibly tell but my accuracy is fine for me (and I want to stop tracking, annoying thing. but I need the info now). That’s fine for TMAD. Normally when I used to have 2-3 meals, my first meal was WAY bigger (not always bad but usually is). Actually, eating 1500-2000 kcal for a meal (almost exclusively the first though I had some cake dinners with this size too on my wildest off days) was easier for me on not OMAD. It happened so often. OMAD for a few days always diminished my mealsize and became not sustainable.

But as I often wrote, I am fine with TMAD too. Many OMAD and TMAD days sounds wonderful to me for now. We will see what happens later when I will be very used to this new attitude and not eating just because it’s lunchtime and a lovely family meal sounds good to my hedonist self who don’t get its needed amount of enjoyment from life… I actually wait for some real reason now. It’s a big step! :wink: Almost all my meals happen after sunset now (well, it comes early now :)). I am moderately pleased.

This far it seems I can’t lower my protein intake on OMAD either. But as my not big enough first meals lack fat too, maybe it’s not (just) the protein. I will try to use leaner protein sources but it’s not so easy to buy proper meat for me around here nowadays (it’s still fine, I eat good food but I can’t experiment freely. but it will happen later, after some big city shopping. I even get my only useful plant protein for non-carnivore experiments that makes certain protein experiments possible).
But it’s probably the protein. It’s very noticeable that I keep getting unsatiated if my protein is below its usual level and I easily stop eating when I reach the usual minimum, no matter where the fat is (as it’s always adequate, sometimes too high. too little fat doesn’t work even with the right protein intake, no wonder).

As always, my meals control my fasts. I can’t last long with a too small one. But I can’t eat as much as I know I need if I get too satiated first. And it keeps happening so it’s a bit tricky. But with my new attitude TMAD seems possible. I almost never could pull it off in the last month. I typically had 1 or (more frequently) 3-5 meals a day and I had enough of that.

(KCKO, KCFO) #8

In case anyone is interested, I finally got the Maintenance thread posted the Nov. thread was closed out by admin already, so here is the link for anyone looking for it.

(Central Florida Bob ) #9

For the first time I can recall, I needed to end this week’s fast early. It was my first fast of the month and I fasted only about 22 hours - from Wednesday evening to Thursday dinner time. Was feeling pretty weak and, well, crappy most of the day.

Not sure why, but I’m attributing it to the medications I’m taking now. I increased the crapola content of my year the Saturday before Thanksgiving by having a bike accident which apparently led to a concussion and positional vertigo, so at my GP 's recommendation, I’m taking ibuprofen along with the “dizzy pills” (meclizine). I say “apparently” a concussion because the ER doctors said they only consider a concussion as diagnosis when the tests reveal nothing worse. (Thank God for small favors, right?)

The vertigo symptoms are easing up, so I’m figuring on being on fewer med.s this week. Which means I’m planning to do my weekly Wednesday night to Friday noon fast this week.

(Central Florida Bob ) #10

From the “what a difference a week makes” file, I did my usual Thursday-centered fast for 40 hours this week and felt fine. The difference (in my mind, at least) was that I finished the ibuprofen prescription dosage on Tuesday and stopped taking the dizzy pills. And another full week of healing.

(Bob M) #11

Great news!

(Central Florida Bob ) #12

Thanks, Bob.

I’m 90% back to normal, but haven’t gotten back on a bike. I’ll probably ride on my indoor trainer a few times before getting back on the road.

(Bob M) #13

Bob,

Was that a fall off the bike or did someone hit you?

I used to go ice skating during the day, to break up the monotony of my job. I fell and hit my head. I was totally wacky for 2 days afterwards, as in I would say the same thing over and over again. Or I’d lose my train of thought.

You sound a lot better than I was.

(Central Florida Bob ) #14

It was a fall.

Just clumsy, uncoordinated me. I live in pretty quiet city, and “retirement privilege” allows me to ride at 9 or so in the morning. I stopped at an intersection where my direction has a stop sign while the cross traffic doesn’t, looking for a break in traffic. A woman being nice stopped and waved me across. I usually try to ignore that, because it violates what I consider the important first rule, which is to ride in keeping with all rules of the road. For some reason, instead of playing “after you,”, “no, after you, I insist,” and holding up the cars behind her, I gave a wave of thanks and started across.

I ride a road bike with Look pedals that cleats on my shoes lock into, but sometimes the pedal doesn’t fall into position just right and my foot slips off. That happened. Then my cleat started sliding on the pavement and next thing I know I’m on the ground; half on the road, half on a grassy spot on the far side.

I never got knocked out, and rode home. About the only bad effect was the worst black eye of my life. I think it was from my handle bars bonking me in my right eye. The dizziness didn’t start until the 3rd day after the accident.

My guess is I’m back to about 90% normal. There are still some positions I can get into that cause dizziness but I haven’t taken one of the pills in at least a week.

(Bob M) #15

Ah, clipless pedals. When you’re in them, they are the best thing ever. Getting into them (and out of them) is the problem. I’m glad you’re feeling better though.

(Central Florida Bob ) #16

Exactly - and thanks. Now I’m pondering whether I go back to the toe clips or flat pedals or just what to do.

I don’t want to give up riding. It’s really the only form of exercise I like enough to stick with.

I’m just over 3 weeks out from the spill, and I figure I’m off the bike through next weekend (4 weeks) at the earliest.

(Bob M) #17

@CFLBob I started with toe clips, and switched to clipless a long time ago. It depends on how much you are riding and your comfort level. I tend to like clipless, but I’ve fallen over because I couldn’t get out of them fast enough. It’s particularly hard when you have no speed, and I was riding a way I hadn’t ridden before and came up suddenly on a hill with a stop sign.

Was hoping to do a 36 hour fast this Thursday. But I took my puppy for her first jog with me, only a mile, on Sunday. But I had new shoes and hadn’t jogged outside. Once my puppy figured out what was happening, she basically pulled me through our jog.

Then came back and swapped summer tires/rims for snow tires/rims, so jacked up one tire, pulled it off, put a snow tire on, etc., for 4 tires. Then went to Costco with the wife, came home, took quick nap, started cooking dinner. Was after 8pm before I finally was able to relax.

Snow last night, plow came at 2:40 am; was really loud and we turned on the lights using Alexa. I turned them off too, but couldn’t go back to sleep for a long time.

When I got up (late) this morning, my legs hurt. Decided to ditch the workout. Will now work out Tuesday, Wednesday, take Thursday off, work out Friday. That means I won’t be able to fast Thursday.

So, I’m eating OMAD today. I guess it might be possible for me to work out full body Tuesday (instead of 1/2 body Tuesday and Wednesday + HIIT both days), then I could fast on Thursday. I’ll give that some thought too.

But as of now, only OMAD today.

(Central Florida Bob ) #18

I’ve been riding with clipless pedals for around 25 years. Don’t recall when I first started, but late '90s is a pretty safe guess. It’s harder to remember riding without them, but I guess the crash 3 weeks ago and a couple of goofy injuries I’ve had in the last couple of years have me wondering if they’re all signs that I’m getting less coordinated. It’s the first time I’ve fallen in years, though. Maybe I’m being too harsh on myself.

(Bob M) #19

I’d guess you’re being too hard on yourself. For instance, I’m now doing HIIT inside, and I ride my bike on a trainer set up. I’m doing this after doing body weight training, so I’m warmed up and don’t need an easy part initially for my bike ride. But I have to build in a minute, and it often takes me almost the whole time just to get clipped in. And that’s inside, with nothing happening.

So, I hope to have a 36 hour fast next week. I did body weight training Tuesday and Wednesday, my body “split” into two parts. I’ll have Thursday off and then I’ll do a full body workout on Friday. I can’t see fasting this Thursday, so I’ll try again next week.

#20

I really focus on OMAD now. More than on carnivore, it’s December anyway, it won’t last long - but I stay as close as I comfortably can.
Yesterday was almost OMAD, I only had a tiny follow-up second dinner.
Today I was brave and went for lunch OMAD. My macros are great so I hope for the best. It’s 5pm and I am very full (not something I really like but it’s not so bad, establishing OMAD always needs some effort and more if I don’t just use a lot of carbs) and determined so I think I have chances.

I pretty rarely eat 138g (guesstimation but must be close) protein for a meal, that’s why I had problems with OMAD this far but today I did it :wink: I happen to have lean protein sources, they help a lot.

I expect a 25-26 hour fast as I ate very early, finished at 4pm. I usually don’t start eating until 5-6pm nowadays. It was so long ago I went over 24 hours :slight_smile: If I can’t skip a day, I want at least this pretty pointless thing :smiley:

I still expect my longer term OMAD producing an easy fasting day especially that I do dinner OMAD most of the time and I am pretty okay until 5-6pm at least. I will start to wait until proper hunger at some point.

(Bob M) #21

I still think OMAD is more challenging than 36 hours, as for me, I can stay out until late at night to pick up my daughter from dance, and then I just pop home and go to bed. For OMAD, I have never actually limited myself to the meal time. Instead, there’s a meal, then I have to do something, then I’ll eat later.

And I tend to eat so late to begin with that my sleep is often affected.

I know there are a lot of people who can do OMAD and they like it. I just find it challenging. Maybe it’ll get easier when both my kids are in college. :frowning_face:

#22

OMAD is easy (once, if I put my mind on it. never could do it longer term but it’s fine, I would be happy with the occasional second dinner or first if I had my main meal at lunchtime). 36 hours (more like 45 for me) is impossible since years. My body loves to eat every day but a biggish meal isn’t a problem normally (only on OMAD and carnivore… and I go for carnivore OMAD but I like challenges. I do it gradually, it should work).

Sleeping after a bigger meal is fine for me but I tend to need food earlier or eat when my SO does and as I remember eating after 6pm always was very odd, I rather avoid that. But I try to bring myself to skip dinner too (when I don’t feel the need to eat, of course) and we will see. Actually I am curious. What would happen. A big meal after midnight? Finally EF?
I don’t even remember how I felt when I did EF… And I know it wasn’t hard. I need determination and a group thing here, I built up myself mentally but then it was fine. I still was hungry at 45 hour but that’s quite great even though I would like to do 72 hours. Not more, I would worry about my muscles even before and no one ever can persuade me it’s baseless. And it doesn’t matter, it’s a low-key paranoia and doesn’t strictly follow logic and other such smart things. I did 1.5 days on fat fast due to it. By the way, I should do a fat fast day again, it was interesting. With OMAD, obviously. Actually, how else? Fat fast barely has food, it’s a tiny meal - but interestingly, it was enough. Mostly fat is magical :slight_smile: I just have problems to imagine a fat fast meal on carnivore.

So I do OMAD with various interesting experiments this month :slight_smile: I am curious about various combinations… Keeping myself entertained is good. It’s very hard for me to get bored (it’s basically impossible in general, possible if it’s about my food. I can get bored of water too and how silly is that?) but when I manage to get bored, bad things may happen.

I do like OMAD, I just rarely can do it but now I am determined AND my body seems to be on board. So I must use this chance! But without OMAD… I am doomed. It doesn’t work. Too much feeling starved, too much overeating (the two can happen together, it’s all about the number of meals. the less, the better), harder to experiment, compare, easier to get bored I think, way less chill, more time consuming… And I may be able to skip a lunch at a relative (or only eat the right part that wasn’t enough while I had substantial lunches but okay now) if I am used to dinner OMAD, it’s important if I want to stick to my chosen woe… And as I always write, I consider dinner OMAD a very possible gateway to EF… But it’s easier to plan and eat too, I just need to eat everything at once. Or if I don’t want to track, I just stuff myself with right items, it can’t be too bad. More meals are way more dangerous, I can easily mess up a day that way. I still am fine with a nice TMAD but TMAD is about the hardest. If I can’t do OMAD, I often have 3-5 meals* and that’s just horrible. So it’s for me I am sure and it’s unfair I need to work for it but this is life sometimes :wink:

*If my first meal is after 5pm, I usually don’t need 5 meals, it’s neat. If I can’t do OMAD, I want to wait until 4-5pm with my first meal as it is beneficial already… But eating kind of late usually triggers a bigger meal so it helps OMAD a lot. But if I wait too long, my body enters its natural fasting time or what, it’s different if I didn’t eat earlier and it’s harder to eat a proper meal again. Hence my preferred time around 5pm. That is my best bet.

Sorry. I am pretty excited now as it seems to be working!!! (On some days but it’s good enough for now.) I wanted this since so, so long!