March 2018 IF/EF chat - all welcome

[Shortstuff]

@rustyk61 that sounds great!

[Shortstuff]

Here in the UK we are in the middle of the worst winter conditions this country has suffered for a long long time. The below freezing temperatures killed my car battery which was thankfully sorted by a friend who is a mechanic, but it was still stressful until it was fixed as I was stranded at work. Home now though but broke my fast earlier than planned as I’m cold and tired and stressed and decided to go easy on myself.

[marklifestyle]

Allie, that’s exactly what we are supposed to do, adapt to our situations. Great Job!

[LizinLowell]

That was me on Monday! Ugh what a stupid day. I went home and broke my fast early and it was exactly the right thing to do. I love that it’s such a flexible lifestyle. I agree with @marklifestyle

I’m near Boston MA in the US but my social media is FILLED with UK snow pics, it’s wild! I’m glad your battery got sorted. Hope things go more smoothly now.

[Ginnandbark]

I started IF yesterday. I fasted from 8pm-2pm yesterday and 8pm-1pm today. (varied just because of my work schedule) I have been doing BPC in the morning and exogenous ketones. I plan on continuing this during the weekdays this month. Has anyone else used exogenous ketones while fasting and if so, how did this affect your Keto? (BTW I’m a January newbie.)

[LizinLowell]

Welcome! I don’t use exogenous ketones because I want to make my own and I don’t know how that works if you add from outside. I do sometimes use MCT oil when I fast, in my morning coffee, because I believe that gets transformed pretty quickly to ketones and it gives me a boost.

[Shortstuff]

No need for exogenous ketones, just let your body do what comes naturally.

[KetoLikeaLady]

had a serious bout of dizzyness during my last extended fast and I have been afraid to do a full extended fast ever since.

I get this all the time and EVERY time, I realize it’s because I haven’t had enough salt.

Update on my fasting - I’m back in the 147’s…seems like it’s two steps forward…and two steps back. I’m fasting right now until we leave for a trip Friday morning. I will likely break the fast with breakfast or lunch, then out to a nice dinner with friends (I picked the restaurant so I know the menu is all good). We have a wedding on Saturday, so that should be fun plus lots of dancing (AKA exercise).

[Carikate]

Just wanted to chime in that I do tabatas during my fasts (16:8 every day and one 24 per week - I’m in heavy training/running mode, so not quite ready to go longer than 24) and I think they really help. I do them first thing in the morning during my first run, and I can almost feel my ketones rising . Makes the fast much easier, in my experience.

[Madeleine]

Just wanted to chime in that I do tabatas during my fasts (16:8 every day and one 24 per week - I’m in heavy training/running mode, so not quite ready to go longer than 24) and I think they really help. I do them first thing in the morning during my first run, and I can almost feel my ketones rising . Makes the fast much easier, in my experience.

Thank you for letting me know! It makes sense that it would kickstart ketosis (or bump us to a higher level). I’m excited to incorporate this. It’s part of my March strategy and nice to know that it’s already working for someone!

[Madeleine]

Update on my fasting - I’m back in the 147’s…seems like it’s two steps forward…and two steps back.

Andrea, what happened with IDM? (Were you on their waiting list? I can’t remember…)

[KetoLikeaLady]

I was going to sign up, but they only take payments through PayPal, so I can’t use my FSA card (Flexible Spending Account). I called my insurance/FSA company and they won’t cover it.

[Madeleine]

You can’t link the FSA card to Paypal? (that stinks…) I often wonder what Megan would advise you.
The question seems to be: is there anything besides high insulin that blocks access to our fat stores?

[Carikate]

I’d love to hear how it works for you. Please keep me posted.

[KetoLikeaLady]

The question seems to be: is there anything besides high insulin that blocks access to our fat stores?

YESSSS - I know right??? I revived an old thread today with a podcast where Mark Sisson talks about reducing calories on keto because you can get additional energy from stored fat. I used to count calories and macros like crazy a few months into keto and it never worked, but maybe now, with extended fasting, it will. I’m going to experiment with fasting MINUS the feasting part and see what happens.

Yeah - FSA said I need a letter of medical necessity. So dumb.

PS Can you tell me more about your tabatas? How long do you do them and what exercises?

[Madeleine]

PS Can you tell me more about your tabatas? How long do you do them and what exercises?

I do 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, repeated for 8 rounds, which I believe is standard Tabata protocol (except that it probably should be 4 of those in a row, and I’m only doing one right now - aiming to bump that up over the next few weeks).

The main exercise I use is kettebell swings (either a 25 lb bell with an emphasis on speed, or a 40lb bell) but I intersperse pushups and goblet squats. So, for instance, today’s session was 6x kb swings with the heavy bell, one set of pushups* and then one more of swings. During the rests I’m usually pacing or doing hip circles but I have to pick up the bell by the last few seconds of the rest so that I’m ready to go right into the next work set.

Maybe more detail than you needed

You saw Carikate’s post? I love the idea of a HIIT session kicking me deeper into ketosis on fasting days.

(*I can do full pushups with good form, but my focus during the tabatas is speed so I generally start on my toes and transition to knees (without a pause) sometime during the set just to fit in as many as I can in 20 seconds)

[KetoLikeaLady]

Maybe more detail than you needed

Nope, not at all. I LOVE detail. We do tabatas sometimes in my workout classes. Here’s another fab at-home workout I do when I can’t get to the gym or on my bike:

pick 4-5 exercises, do 15 reps of each. then do 14 reps of each, then 13, all the way to 1.
Ex: Yesterday I chose squats, pushups, curtsy lunges, tricep dips, and abs. Took me about 40-45 minutes and when you get to the round with 10 reps, you’re really working. By the end, it’s a cool down. It’s fab and great in a pinch with no equipment!

On to some fasting talk…44.5 hours in and I’m SO FREAKING HUNGRY. Going to have some hot water with salt and potassium, that usually helps. I’m not feeling any mental clarity. I’m actually super distracted…hence me being on the forums instead of working!

[Madeleine]

I’d love to hear how it works for you. Please keep me posted.

ok, thank you! will do

[E.Dawn]

Hey Everyone! Thanks for all the sharing here. I am beyond excited for the ZornFast this month. It will be my first ever. And I never thought I would say I was excited about fasting.

I hope you all don’t mind me sharing a milestone. I’ve been eating keto (man it takes time to get it right) for about a year. My results have been okay but not stellar. My A1c and FBG are coming down but not that fast.
In the fall I started IFing pretty much daily. I’ve done a few 24 hours.

Yesterday I completed my first-ever more than 24 hour fast. I went 38. Today, I was not hungry until dinner time and again I didn’t eat! So another 24 hour fast in the bucket. Thing is, I was not hungry - at all. That’s a first for me.

I used to wake hungry every day although it would subside if I didn’t eat. For the past week, I have not felt hungry when I wake up. I feel like something has truly changed in my metabolism. I can’t tell you how excited I am!

I feel like I have just graduated from kindergarten fasting. And I’m gonna try those fasting wings on later this month.

[Shortstuff]

I’m so glad I listened to my body and ate last night as I had to walk to work this morning because the snow is so bad. It only took me an hour but it was hard work! I’m used to walking miles each day, but not in snow a foot deep.