November 2019 - IF/EF Chat Thread (All Welcome)

[collaroygal]

So basically, for me I “personally” see IF as being the time-frame between meals, whether I’m doing an OMAD, TMAD, etc. I don’t personally consider myself doing EF until I go beyond that 24 hrs. threshold. (just my opinion) - So anything under 24 hrs, I consider IF. And anytime beyond 24 hrs. is when I see it as EF.

I agree with this.

I also tried time restricted eating, which some insist is not IFing. I got the same results doing TRE as IFing. It was a struggle to stop eating so early in the day on TRE, but the IFing is just any 16/8 (or similar protocol). So if we had a social event I could just adjust my times for that day. I usually don’t like breakfast eating that much so most of my IFing ends at lunchtime or even later, not breakfast.

We just have to find what works for us. And know it won’t necessarily work for everyone else.

[Momof5]

I do this; however I stretch to 44 hours because I like to keep to my 20:4 IF that I have done since like May, and it suits me.

I deviated on Nov 4 (my bday and had an OMAD) -made a Keto pizza so didn’t cheat but still ate a meal but eitherwise I have been doing this since the end of October and doing it until Nov 30. For December I am going to do my 20:4 TMAD and the Zornfast for 72 hours or more, then I might do the protocol above in January. I am thinking of alternating months, doing this and my 20:4 TMAD and always do 72 hours or so for the monthly Zornfast. If I am really successful in January and I find it easy, I might just continue doing mostly this protocol for life though – nothing is set in stone! I really like fasting, but I need to make myself have eating days as well, so I don’t fall back into my anorexia and lose too much too fast and well end up a mess again! I think slow and steady is better for me, that is why I was thinking of maybe alternating the months. I am just playing it by ear haha.

I have also been dairy free except buttersince Oct 18. I got rid of all artificial sweeteners in June, as they make me gain weight/or stall me.

[Shinita]

I think it similarly but I consider my fasting EF if I have a day with zero calories. I do OMAD normally and I still cling to my meal so I ate just now in the end (but I will get there…). I fasted for 26.5 hours but it’s OMAD so it’s still not EF for me. No idea about “official” definition of EF though if there’s any. EF is when I actually skip my only meal, it’s a big deal and surprisingly hard (or rare, I never do that if it’s hard, it must come more or less naturally).

Labels aren’t so important, my body and mind surely doesn’t care but they make easier to communicate so it’s a problem when people have different definitions of the same thing. But it can’t be avoided to some extent.

[DeeCS]

Hubby & I are on hour 25 of 42. I’m hungry, but determined not to even eat celery or pickles like I sometimes do (1 serving only) during a fast.

He’s out for the evening bowling, so hopefully that will be a distraction for him.

This is hubby’s first fast and I’m so proud of him for hanging in there. When he left to go bowling he said that if he wasn’t hungry at noon tomorrow, he might go 48 hrs, instead of 42. Good attitude.

His BG after 18 hrs fasting was 110 / 6.1, so he definitely needs to work on his metabolism.

[daddyoh]

I don’t personally consider myself doing EF until I go beyond that 24 hrs. threshold. (just my opinion) - So anything under 24 hrs, I consider IF. And anytime beyond 24 hrs. is when I see it as EF.

Same for me. But each person can have their own opinion.

[DeeCS]

The LIFE Fasting Tracker app was just updated and the diplay can now be enlarged. Yay!

Screenshot on my iPad.

[DeeCS]

I just had a sudden burst of energy, like I drank caffeine, almost jittery.
I checked my numbers and my ketones have gone up quite a bit in just 5 hours, I wonder if that’s why I’m feeling like this.

[Paendora]

I wonder if that’s why I’m feeling like this.

Maybe! It certainly is a boost to keep going! Enjoy the surge!

Just started another 42 hour fasting gig. Determined to go the full 42 this time!

[DeeCS]

37 hours into a 42-ish fast. My numbers this morning:
Down 1 5 lbs / .68 kg
BG 85 4.7
Ketones 4.3
GKI 1.1

I didn’t take enough potassium yesterday, only 3.6 g instead of the recommended daily intake of 4.6 and no sodium, not even pickle juice, and had a bad episode of low blood pressure when I got up around 5 am to use the bathroom. Vision whited out completely. I took 1.2 g of potassium and 500 mg of sodium and feel much better now, a couple hours later. I will keep up with both today.

[Paendora]

I will keep up with both today.

Hope so, cause that sounds scary as hell! Glad a quick remedy put things right.

Woke with really bad foot and calf muscle cramps early in the am. First thought was “Susan, you know to snack on salt…” Fasting today and that helps me remember.

11 hours into 42. Have a full schedule and things I need to squeeze in between so hopefully too busy to think about anything else. And an early bedtime. Also don’t have anything precooked and a clean as a whistle kitchen. Setting myself up for better success this episode.

[DeeCS]

How long did the cramps last? They can be excruciating. Good luck on your fast and thumbs up for great planning ahead.

[Shinita]

I can’t function with little calories, my body reminded me again. So I stuffed myself as best as I can, I used every tricks to put food into myself.
I’m really curious if 0 calorie is better than 1200-1300, it is according to my experiences but my last longer fast was so long ago… So, still no real fast to me, just my tiny 20 hour one this time (dinner->lunch switch, after a 26 hour lunch->dinner fast). I do OMAD all week, I got the hang of it again! I won’t do EF until next week, that’s unrealistic but maybe I will be ready soon. Next Tuesday is my best bet. I wondered if I should start eating only dinner. Skipping lunch would be natural then and I probably wouldn’t feel hunger at dinnertime so it might be easy. Or I just would end up a ton after midnight, who knows? Or should I eat only when I am hungry? No, that’s a bad idea, I get huge red warning signs “lack of energy, refuel NOW!” with the accompanying weak and miserable feeling first. I just don’t get hungry easily while well-fasted.
I don’t really think much about it, what happens, happens. But I tend to never do slightly longer fasts and I wish to try them. I keep trying in a gentle way A big meal probably would help but I can’t do that on keto OMAD. Maybe I will fast longer after a carby high-calorie day when such a day happens, I really don’t plan one but it will happen eventually.
I really stop thinking about it. I just don’t like when I wish for something, it’s up to me and it just doesn’t happen for some reason.

I started supplementing magnesium again, I regenerated from my one day overdose and I obviously consume way too little in my food. I feel between Scylla and Charybdis… Both extremes feel horrible, last time my cramps lasted more than a day, it wasn’t so painful except the first night but I hated it, that’s why I overdosed magnesium with my “no idea how much will absorb from this crap I bought as a mistake” pills (they have some okay part AND magnesium-oxid too. I wouldn’t buy only magnesium-oxid but I wasn’t careful enough). I don’t remember if I abandoned those posts where I wrote about this. Maybe it’s not overdose, just crappy pills with not absorbed magnesium-something? No way I consumed too much magnesium for my body, I was low and didn’t eat many pills and it was ONE day. Whatever, I won’t do that again but I keep supplementing it for now. Just a little.
I eat as little salt as I like in my food. It worked this far.

[DeeCS]

I’ve just passed hour 42 of my 42 hour fast and checked my ketones. Got a reading of 6.2. That seemed high, so I retested and got 5.3. Averaged them out to record on my spreadsheet at 5.8.

That’s inspired me to not break my fast just yet, 'cuz I gotta be burning endogenous fat since I’m not ingesting any.

My BG went up a bit, so my GKI is 1.0.

[Madeleine]

On my weekly (well, almost) dry fast and feeling fine.
Hi everyone

[AuntJane]

So frustrated. I want to be a regular faster SO BAD but it’s so f***ing tough on me emotionally!!! I definitely calm myself with food and of course I’ve known this for a long time. It isn’t just an occasional binge thing; it’s an all-day how-I-manage-my-daily-anxiety thing. So even a short fast like last night until 5pm today is really tough on me. I’m trying to be as gentle with myself as I can but still accomplish this goal (pushing myself too hard just sets me up for failure). I just managed to fix a cup of tea instead of eat some cheese so I’m trying to hang in there with 3 hours to go…

[Paendora]

a cup of tea

this is my #1 Go To for stalling that first bite of food when fasting.

so brew a cuppa and enjoy And be gentle with yourself. Let’s not turn fasting into a competitive sport.

[DeeCS]

Sending you virtual hugs. {{{AuntJane}}}

[cervyn]

calm myself with food

Yep! I find feeling full very calming, this then leads me to eating too much volume-wise. Also it’s a habit for sure. I have to keep gently reminding myself how much I like the physical light not full feeling.
[The food it all keto but it’s simply too much for me.]

Wow November is half over and I am just now planning my first 24+ hour fast of the month.
No shaming or beating myself up though!

Fasting Friday it shall be! I will be happy with 36 hours but we’ll see how it goes.

I have been good about my daily IF this month but I don’t lose when I do that. GKI hardly ever goes <2.5 with IF.

Wishing all who are fasting today success! and I hope some will be joining me tomorrow.

[Shinita]

Practice… I think I am a natural intermittent faster but it took me quite many years to reach OMAD (and I can’t do that each and every day)… I let it happen, it went slowly, well keto changed things a bit but still, it took time.
Tea (I have plenty! black, oolong, green, fruit…), coffee, well if I must, sauerkraut, not exactly fasting to me but better than a huge meal (I don’t do tiny meals, I can’t. a few kilocalories are fine). But if I’m hungry, I eat. It really helps if you always wake up very satiated and can’t imagine eating until mid-afternoon… But skipping dinner and second dinner, well that was tough sometimes. When I couldn’t get the hang of OMAD again but knew it was ideal for me, I just ate as much as I could, using every tricks (I am pretty good at eating a lot but it’s harder on OMAD especially using little carbs) and after some time I just stayed on track (with my automatically lowered food intake). For a while, at least. It’s easier every time unless I am much weaker mentally for some reason. A nice, satisfying meal turns off my appetite and unnecessary eating and I feel okay food wise for a long, long time. I write a lot about food choices but they are so important for many of us!

[AuntJane]

Thanks so much everyone! I made it so yay me!!! Hugs and have a great weekend!!!

KCFO