Hello all. I didn’t see an IF chat for the month, so I thought I’d start one… partly to keep myself motivated. So, those of you who follow me at all know that I go from “low carb” to keto in the winter… That starts this month. As part of my winter Keto diet, I eat more protein, and do OMAD IF on Mon, Wed and Fri. This year I started at 178 lbs yesterday morning, and fasted until dinner. My subQ is 18% aaagggain, but I swear that it feels like I am pinching less when I flex my abs. Anyway, this year my goal is not to gain any weight while I gain muscle… LOL… I think I accomplished this only the first year I did keto… but I was getting in a bad way back then before I decided to do keto. Really, I would like to get to 11% body fat, so figure I still need to lose about 10 pounds of fat, and would love to replace that with muscle. I just haven’t really found how to do that yet. This year, I plan to tweek a few things to see what happens… I will report back periodically. I will probably do blood work early next month, and this year I plan to also test my omega 3 to omega 6 levels and ratio. Any suggestions are welcome.
November 2025 IF/EX Fasting chat - all welcome
Please edit the chat title to IF/EX Fasting chat. So those who do this month can easily find this chat.
Thanks for getting it started, much appreciated.
@scaperdude I’ll be interested to see your O3/O6 ratio. Every time I’ve gotten mine taken, it’s been poor. Now, I’m not sure that’s “bad”, because the data for this ratio is all high carb folks, but I don’t know.
For muscle gain, more eating might be better. Also, from my perspective, gaining muscle is hard, particularly when you get older. Even when younger, it took me a long time to gain muscle. Years to be able to bench 325 pounds, and then that only 1-2 times. Years.
I know people have this idea that they’ll gain 10+ pounds of muscle in a year of lifting, but I think the chances of that are near zero unless you have genetics and are a younger male.
I’m interested too, which is why I plan to take it. I believe it will be relatively low, but I don’t know that is terribly important as long as I have a relatively good omega 3 number. At least some studies show good life expectancy as long as omega 3 is relatively high. However, I am of the belief that oxidized PUFAs are bad, and should be kept to a minimum, and there is science showing a connection between PUFA intake and glycation.
I believe I did achieve at least a 10 pound gain my first year of keto, but I was starting with def too much visceral fat, and studies have shown that muscle will replace fat rather effortlessly in that condition. I lost 2" in the waist, which typically equates to about 15-18 lbs of fat, which at 6’ I believe is quite reasonable. When I went off keto, and my weight went back up(water weight) my waist remained 2" smaller, so I believe at least 10 lb of that 12 or 13 lb swing must have been muscle, but I didn’t even use a smart scale back then. Every year subsequently, I have gained at least as much fat as muscle in trying to gain muscle, so it definitely has been a challenge. If I lost 10 lbs of fat now, I would be only 5 lbs over my HS graduation weight, so I haven’t been able to retain a lot of extra muscle from my efforts… I am making 2 different tweeks this year tho, so we’ll see I guess. Thanks for weighing in, because yeah, it is hard, and I appreciate anyone who has done it and has suggestions.
You don’t want to trust me, as I’ve been stuck for a while in terms of muscle mass and strength. But it’s hard to tell, since I do body weight training now, with only limited dumbbells. It’s easier when you can add weight via plates or similar, as you can say “I added 5 pounds”, whereas decline pushups or one-leg exercises are harder to tell.
There’s quite a fight about whether fasting helps or hurts muscle gains. And some people believe you have to eat “more” to gain muscle. While I’m definitely stronger than I was say 10 years ago, I can’t tell whether I’d be even stronger if I did no intermittent (<24 hour) or regular (>24 hour) fasting. I’d need two of me.
But I keep pushing forward because exercise makes me feel better.
My husband is joining me in doing OMAD fasting I am excited because he hasn’t joined in during the 7 yrs I have been using keto and fasting to keep away the ol’ lady pounds. This can only help him with his T2D he is trying to control through diet and exercise, he really doesn’t want to get on any meds for it.
My plan is to continue with OMAD this month as I did put on a few lbs. over summer and my yearly dr visit is coming up in Dec. I want to be back at my goal weight.
I haven’t fasted over 12 hours this month. But I plan to start a 24-hour fast every Monday for the foreseeable future. Started 9:39 pm last night.
23 hours in. Blood glucose 76mg. Blood ketones 1.8 mmol. GKI 2.35
Feel great after a 35 minute brisk pace around 5pm on a treadmill. Thinking of going back to the gym for another 25 minutes to make it an even hour on the day. Then if my blood glucose is not lower than 72 I"ll go to bed to stretch it to 32 hours.
One thing I’m finding is my ketones are lower in the morning when I get up. Is that common ?
5 minutes away from 36 hr fast mark. Blood glucose 69mg and blood ketones 2.3 mmol. GKI 1.6 (a record for me)
Bedtime…
Checked my blood glucose. 82 one hr post meal.
Day’s average across 4 reads is 76. Another record. Unreal compared to when I started my health kick.
Wow, never saw that coming lol Ate ~ 12 net carbs today.
I’m getting my nutrients. Those that are indicated on my comprehensive metabolic panel yesterday are fine.
Aside,
I saw a hematologist yesterday because my blood count (CBC) has been wonky this year. But it was wonky before I started keto. A couple of the categories that were out of whack could be caused from anything as simple as a recent infection all the way up to leukemia or bone marrow disorder. He told me he saw nothing out of range that was indicate cancer or bone marrow problems.
But he ordered more blood work. Reticulocytes was one. It came back in the lower normal range. B12 and folate are fine. Still waiting on the copper result.
I’d be interested to see the copper. That’s one I wanted to get but forgot to add.
It is common, but it varies per individual and eating habits. Mine seem to be strongest in the morning, and I can often smell them in my first bathroom trip. That may be because as I get up and do things, I burn up more of the ketones, so they fall. I’m really not sure. When I do keto, I tend to do a lot of desk work, writing, etc, so maybe my brain burns them all up LOL.
Copper result hit. It’s fine.
Probably my 100% dark chocolate and black tea.
I’m learning if I can smell it in my urine I don’t have to test.
The urine strips I use seem to work okay.
Did OMAD for a little over a week. Got my numbers dropping back to the range I want to see. Was really easy. However, I did have a growling stomach and a lite headachy feeling this AM so it will be a 2MAD.
But I will go right back to the OMAD tomorrow. Any fasting is better than no fasting :).
Two weeks later and this morning I am 176 lb down from 178.6, and my body fat dropped 0.7% or a little over a pound. If I do that every 2 week period I will be very happy. My subQ is 17.8 down from 18.4%. My scale says my skeletal muscle is up a half a percent, but my muscle mass is down… I chalk that up to loss of glycogen and water in the muscles. I offset that a little bit by supplementing creatine during keto. So, some progress in the right direction it looks like. At least things are heading in the right direction so far this year… I have bought a Hume Body Pod, so we’ll see if it measures me any differently when it comes, and I will report back.
Just broke another 24-hour fast. I rolled the dice this time. Instead of my usual 4 oz of kefir to break the fast I went ahead and ate a meal. It’s been about 45 minutes and I don’t feel any discomfort.
600 calories
52 grams fat
(10 g saturated)
3 g net carbs
12 g of fiber
25 g of protein
85 g of cauliflower
85 g of broccoli
Two tablespoons of soaked chia seeds
One can of King Oscar brand
mackerel
Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on the veggies.
Snuck in a teaspoon of peanut butter for “dessert” lol
Blood glucose was 77 before the meal. Curious to see what it is around 2 hours later.
Also, took 210 mcg K2 mk7 and 4000 iu D3 with the meal. 500 mg bromelain as well.
I have taken pictures of some of my fat-burning kale salads, because I think they look very appetizing. I use them as an excuse to get down some olives too… Maybe I will post one. Tonight I had a grass fed burger again… it was so good…
What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
I will do a OMAD, midday. Menu is champers, fondue with cauliflower, broccoli, ham cubes and a couple of apple pieces. I had this in the past with no issues.
Do it! 
I like to look at plants, even green ones, I just rarely like to eat them. Never was a salad person, not even as a vegetarian but I still loved many (usually non-green) vegs to bits! That was actually my number one problem on keto: even 40g net carbs meant less than minimal vegs back then. I missed them. (And I already missed fat, that started when I went low-carb and looked at my energy intake. This without losing any fat.)
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I STILL can’t skip lunch, I wonder if “as low-fat and protein-rich as possible lunch” is a great step into that direction… It should help at avoiding overeating fat. I made new, leaner recipes, we will see. Anything below 65% fat was virtually impossible in my early keto years but I got a tiny bit better. If I focus.
But OMAD dinner is my actual goal, that is simpler and way easier when I manage it.
At least I am close to carnivore now, it’s something. Though I want to be closer. Soon.
We had the first frost. My tomato plants died but not before I collected the orange fruits and the green ones never could became tasty anyway (but the survivors got into an “ethylene box”. it’s for my SO, I had some earlier, my season ended. and he appreciates vegs WAY more than I do since I have tried carnivore. except sauerkraut, I have a mild phase. maybe a sauerkraut lunch isn’t a bad idea either when I am not hungry just want to eat with my SO… I can handle sour… but it’s such a rebel thought when carnivore-ish is my chosen default woe. so maybe not).
I felt kinda bad on my slightly carby but long term diet. It’s much better now but still not how I feel when I do carni so maybe I should push for it - or a fast. But I can’t even do OMAD… But if I think about how nice is when I am well-fasted and how eating makes me feel less well for some reason (I don’t get it, I don’t think I eat wrong now… do I? I went too far and now I need pure carni to get better?)… Sometimes not eating seems easier than doing pure carni. Too much temptating “extras”. And anyway, fasting is different. I have so lovely memories about it. (And some less lovely ones when I pushed and we did our big multi-supermarket shoping when I was already hungry… 
Well the memory is a bit funny, it merely was bad to live it! But it is nice to push for it sometimes, I usually just eat without hunger. Good to know once I had the strength to do the opposite for a bit!)
I don’t even know if I am able to feel strong hunger anymore (probably but I don’t KNOW). I never wait for that long and it’s harder to get really hungry. Not the small hunger than probably goes away in an hour if I ignore it.
I think I go for lunch skipping tomorrow. I will remind myself of the nice well-fasted feeling and the benefits.
Thankfully we don’t have that but it’s almost December. Oh my. Saint Nicholas day. Ouch. (I hope my SO’s Mom still remembers I appreciate citruses more than candy. still carby - people don’t gift lemons and that’s the best for my diet - but I can’t expect a bag of scratchings and a piece of cheese, can I?).
End of the year gift basket. Well at least some of that is drinks.
Christmas is better as I always bring food and anyway, it’s a proper meal so there will be meat, in good years without any added carbs. And it’s one single meal. My SO eats his Mom’s 2 Christmas rolls we always bring home at an alarming speed and it makes my life safer. And I plan to make my own, better version this year. I actually really hate eating a sugary thing when replacing it with sugar alcohol just makes it tastier and so much better… Of course my version will have other carb reducing methods, I don’t make new recipes all the time (mostly baked goods) since ages not to use my experience to the fullest. Christmas rolls have the help of their tasty filling anyway, I can get away with a lot there. (I googled, oh not those rolls, ours are different and harder to make low-carb.)
I sooo need carnivore and fasting (and getting ready for December, mentally too). As much as possible. And we still have a few fruit seasons at the moment… I barely eat fruit now but “barely” isn’t “not at all”. Another reason to push for OMAD, it makes it way easier and even if I eat plant carbs (as I still don’t care about carni ones but I don’t go overboard with them either as they bring too many calories… all carni carbs are packed together with lots of fat and often not enough protein), the amount is smaller.
I only have one proper meal lately It’s not OMAD as I still have some bites elsewhere but I am moderately pleased!
It’s 5:15pm now and I really start to get hungry, it’s wonderful, normally (no lunch skipping) I never have proper hunger and it feels off.
On the first OMAD+some bytes day was very odd (maybe I ate much the previous days… well they were TMAD or 3MAD so I obviously overate but it’s not always enough) as I had no hunger even at 6pm, I just ate because it was the plan to eat that day… And I probably would have missed my meal. But next time I will try to fast when this rare thing happens (or eat later, it’s weird to have my only meal at midnight or something but risking that is not a bad thing for me, it potentially even helps my sleep, never noticed it would cause any problem).
We had snow! About 10cm, it’s not a very common thing here since climate change! We went from proper snow in winter to fig trees able to having ripe fruit. I want a fig tree, dislike the fruit but love the look. I just have so little space, trees absolutely everywhere. I can plant something if some dies.