Fasting while caring for small children, tips and advice needed

newbies
(Susie) #1

Hello-
I am pretty new to intermittent fasting, though I have been doing keto since July and down 40 lbs so far, but I am still 90-100 lbs over what I should be. I have three small children (still breastfeeding the 2 1/2 year old once or twice a day). I do fine all day but when it comes to dinnertime I have been having trouble cooking for the family without wanting to eat with them. We love our family time at the table, sitting with a cup of water is what I have been doing but I wanted to ask what others do to combat that. Like how do people cook without tasting it, etc. I wish I could just avoid the kitchen but we don’t have a personal chef, lol.
Please help! TIA.

(Susie) #2

I should add that I want to try a 48-72 hour dry fast soon. I did one for 36 hours and the persistent edema in my left leg went down by half. That is the thing that got me off my duff to lost weight in the first place, that my left leg was always swollen up to my knee. I had it when I was pregnant but it never went away after my third baby was born.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

You can cook a main dish that is ketogenic, perhaps with an extra-fatty slice of meat for yourself. A salad or low-carb vegetable with lots of butter would be a good complement. If your husband and kids absolutely cannot do without carbohydrate, you could roast some potatoes or make noodles, or something. A keto main dish and side dish, together with a salad smothered in bleu cheese or avocado dressing (for the fat). As long as you stay away from the carbohydrate, you’re good.

When I cook, everything is ketogenic, except for the gravy, which is high-fat but contains a tablespoon of flour in the roux (still fits under my carb limit, though, but I don’t like to push it). So far, nobody has even noticed that it’s all keto (except possibly my sister, who understands and supports my way of eating). The flavors are great, and that’s all they care about.

(Susie) #4

Thank you for responding! That’s what I’ve been doing, it’s easy to cook that way, it’s been easy. What I am having trouble doing is cooking/spending time in the kitchen while fasting. Unfortunately most of the family meal-prep falls on me because of my husband’s work schedule. The more time I have to spend in the kitchen the harder time I seem to have fasting.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

Oh, while fasting! Sorry, I missed that nuance. Yeah, I hear you. I used to know a woman who fasted for religious reasons, and when she cooked she tied a scarf or handkerchief over her mouth, to remind herself not to taste the food. I’m sure God would have forgiven her, though, if she had slipped up.

On the one hand, you’re fasting because you want to do something good for yourself. But on the other hand, it’s not a disaster if you accidentally taste a bit of what you’re cooking. I’d say do your best, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do it perfectly. And KCKO. Here’s some virtual bacon to encourage you: :bacon::bacon:

(kirstin) #6

What I have been doing is batch cooking in the weekends , things like spaghetti bolognaise , lasagna, curries, shepherds pie. Stuff that freezes and reheats well. Initially I tried cooking without tasting, but since I taste to adjust the seasoning , I was serving food that was too salty or under seasoned! I will still cook fresh if I have someone home to taste for me, otherwise I heat frozen food plus fresh veges.
It is hard for me sometimes, if I get a wave of hunger or it smells appetising. Don’t cook your favourites, save those for when you are eating!
I usually sit with a pot of peppermint tea with them at the table, the minty flavour seems to quell the desire to eat. _ A bowl of broth and a spoon can seem more like a meal to others, useful if you don’t want to get into what you are doing.
Also brush your teeth right before you start and wash your hands as soon as food gets on them, so you don’t automatically lick them!
It gets easier the longer I do it.

(Susie) #7

Thanks, that’s a good tip! Yeah, I am not trying to be too intense about it, I just really want to heal my edema and wouldn’t mind a jump down in weight. I was in a good groove and feeling so good before thanksgiving (and my birthday the day after) but kinda fell off the wagon with the fasting/intermittent fasting. Didn’t gain any but surprised at how quickly I got really depressed just eating a few days of carbs/alcohol.

(Marie Dantoni) #8

You can taste a tiny bit without blowing your fast. I have a part time job cooking, so there is no way around it. It might help to cook something big, like a roast ahead of time, (when you aren’t fasting) that way won’t have to do as much cooking while you fast.

(Sophie) #9

I second @muffles suggestion of pre-cooking a large batch of something that can be reheated easily for the family. It’s easier to do that when you are eating to taste seasonings etc., and a quick reheat will keep you out of the kitchen and away from temptation. I have also sat down with a cup of broth at the table when hubby was eating and I was fasting. It works well. It’s either that or remove yourself which would be difficult with small children.

#10

You can accomplish the lower end of your fasting target using alternate day fasting with one meal on eating days. For example, eating at 7 pm on day 1, fasting on day 2, eating at 7 pm on day 3. That would be a 48 hour fast. You cook on your eating days and the family can eat leftovers on your fasting days.

(Susie) #11

Thank you for all of these great ideas!

(Susie) #12

thank you! I am going to try that.