Scared to start fasting - I'm always hungry!

fasting

#41

It will probably change a lot. I had to eat fruit every day in the beginning. And a significant amount of vegetables (way more than what 20g net carbs allow, I could afford more, fortunately). I don’t need either now. It’s so much easier and better if I skip them… I like I don’t even need to track now (I try to do it due to curiosity and experiments though. and it may be very informative in the beginning). But we are all different, at different parts of our journey. But you probably will have significant changes :wink:


(Michael) #43

Physically your ready to fast. Mentally your not.

First off your diet looks good not great but certainly workable and your on the right path. If you feel you need to change something just make 1 single change (I’d drop soy products) keep everything else.

Listen to your body it’s trying to communicate to you.
1st off heartburn. your stomach is telling you it’s getting enough food by pushing acid up into your esophagus causing pain and it’s very uncomfortable. The side affect is that the antacids dilute your stomach acids and create an ooze that floats on the top of your stomach acid slowing digestion but reliving the pain. the downside apart from a dilute stomach acid is chewing on them can stimulate the ghrelin hormone (Hunger hormone) produced by your stomach as the partly digested food enters your small intestine. Do you begin to feel hungry about 30 min after your heartburn subsides?

Weight Stall
you mention your weight has stalled. you have lost a little bit but now stuck perfectly normal happens to everyone at some point. whats happening is your cells are releasing some fat for fuel but the floodgate is only partly open. Your using some (Great) and storing some (too much insulin) you have reached a ‘Tipping point’ to solve it you need to drop insulin response, even one less time per day will help. and that’s where Fasting comes into play. it will be your DOUBLE WHAMMY!!
it will relieve your heartburn and kick start your fat loss WIN WIN!!

Getting mentally prepared

  1. Choose a day
  2. Plan not to eat breakfast make lunch your first meal
  3. YOU CAN DO IT!!! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!!! EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS YOU CAN DO IT!!!
  4. JUST DO IT!!! PUNCH A FAST IN THE FACE!!
    5,.JUST DO IT!!
  5. JUST DO IT!!
  6. ENJOY LUNCH!!!
  7. GET ON WITH YOUR DAY!!
  8. REFLECT!!!
  9. PLAN YOUR NEXT FAST!!!

(Bethany Greenwood) #44

Thanks, but I don’t chew on antacids, I swallow a tablet first thing in the morning. I’ve already noticed a big difference dropping mayonnaise. Unfortunately I’ve become ill (ear infection) and I’ve been SUPER stressed at work so not eating is not in my mental capacity right now.

Saying that I’ll be working from home for now which is going to eliminate all the stress from My life :blush: I’m planning to slowly reduce my antacid and if I get to a point when I’m not taking them anymore, then I will start fasting more, since I won’t be going into work I’m going to focus on increasing my at home work outs!


#45

@Bethany
Do you know that a large number of heartburn/ulcer patients have helicobacter in their stomachs? If you have this acid resistant bacteria in your gut, then you are therapy resistant. No antacid will heal you.You have to take a long bout of specific antibiotics to get rid of this. But if you have this then no amount of antacids will ever heal you.
And honestly- I wonder if you are suffering from this painful condition, that you don’t RUN to a gastro-enterologist? You seem to think that we can heal you here just by readjusting your foods. It sounds to me like you are far beyond what anybody had here, and you have had this for decades and should really see your doctor. I also would not contemplate fasting until you are ready. IF works just fine for losing weight in the meantime. I woke up one morning and I had no hunger. That day, I fasted. If I am hungry, then I do not fast. ( IF might be slower for weight loss, but so what.)


(Bethany Greenwood) #46

I’ve been tested several times for that bacteria and it’s always been negative.


#47

I’ve been on a Keto Diet for 6 weeks, and I’ll fully admit I still have not figured out how to eat a “Well Formulated Keto Diet” But I am keeping under 30gr of carb and usually closer to 20gr. I’m glad someone mentioned Cronometer, I’m using that and weighing every thing I eat.
Chronometer suggests I need 2134 kcal, I’m not reaching that, I’m running about 300kcals low daily. This is after I bump my fat and protein
with the following. In order to bump my kcals, for more fat I have hot water with a bouillon cube, plus 2 tbsp of Olive oil and I also add a scoop of MCT oil powder (optional). The OO get me 27gr of fat, the MCT is 7 gr. I have a chocolate protein powder that gets me 30 gr of protein. So, my results, I have no more indigestion, I have lost 11pounds, I have more energy which had become a problem, and I’m not having any hunger issues. My suggestion for you is to try the Bouillon with 2 tbsp of Olive oil as a appetite suppressant. I started with just a bouillon cube in hot water for the salt, per Dr. Phinney, once I added the OO, I’ll never go back to just plain bouillon, it is much better with OO. It doesn’t mix well, but just stir it before each sip. You need to fit this in with what Cronometer says you need for your macro ratios.
I also take a multivitamin, Magnesium, Vitamin C and D, This helps my get almost 100% of Vitamins and minerals. I’m sometimes low in Vitamin K and always low in Potassium, about to buy a salt substitute.
I just received “The New Atkins for a new you” co-written by Dr. Phinney, it has a some recipes, that I hope will get me closer to a
“Well Formulated Keto Diet”
Try the bouillon and OO when you are hungry, within your macros.


(Bethany Greenwood) #48

Also I don’t appreciate your tone. Don’t patronise me. If you’d read the other messages you may have noticed that I already explained why I haven’t investigated this further. I also NEVER claimed someone here would be able to heal me??!! I came here asking questions about my fasting and simply asked if anyone knew whether taking an antacid regularly inhibits your ability to fast.

I have been to my doctor SEVERAL times about my stomach condition, that’s why I have antacids on prescription Also, I’m only 30 so, no not decades. Again, read the messages before replying if you are going to accuse someone of not taking their health seriously.


#49

@Bethany
You did not mention that you have been checked for HELICOBACTER.
I was a doctor and my questioning you is relevant to your questioning us.


(Bethany Greenwood) #50

Yes, at least 3 times.


#51

Fasting should come more naturally. It isnt something you should have to force upon yourself. Dr Boz says that she broaches the subject of fasting only when her patients have become used to the keto lifestyle and their appetites have already diminished. Also I dont think that fasting fits with too high stomach acids in the proportion that you describe in yourself.
BTW - I too have taken omeprazol. The issue was resolved when I basically got to the bottom of what was scaring me, which was manifold. That isnt to say that it could not recur in times of great stress. But high acid otherwise is a sign of chronically being stressed out.


(Bethany Greenwood) #52

Yeah, that’s my problem see. . .I haven’t lost my appetite, I didn’t want to start fasting when I still get very hungry. As so many people talk about loosing their appetite I thought I might need to make some adjustments to get to that point?

I am thinking of asking to drop a day at work too as I definitely have issues with stress.


#53

@Bethany
Sounds more like chronic stress to me.
Yeah- why dont you just do keto, track your macros, and if you want to try anything- then try IF 16/8 to begin with. But I lost weight on regular keto eating 3 meals/day too. And you know- sometimes we stress ourselves! Like trying to rush ourselves and push ourselves too hard - just keep calm and keto on.


#54

BTW, to add to my post above, I’m also doing 16/8. I eat between 12pm and 8pm.


(Bethany Greenwood) #55

Ah, yes! I didn’t think of adding oil to a broth!! Have you tried putting it through a blender to try and get it to mix a little better? Now that I’m at home for a while I will have all the equipment I need to create great Keto lunches :smiley:

I’m still struggling to eat my protein powder without something to sweeten it, but I think this has more to do with the powder I have since I can now drink coffee without any sugar. Which one do you use?

I can’t get past 10 am. . . even if I eat at 9pm lol.


#56

I have not tried a blender, I’m to lazy to do that. I don’t think it matters much, you get extra OO at the start, but that works for me. The protein supplement I use is Body Fortress Whey Protein chocolate (Walmart). I drink it with a few clumps, it mixes poorly, If you have a blender, I recommend it for mixing the whey powder. It’s not unusual for me to finish my day with both an OO fortified Broth and a separate glass of water with scoop of chocolate whey powder, just to get my macros up, I still never have reached the Cronometer recommended 2134 kcals, although I noticed another calculator suggested 1968kcals, I haven’t reached that either!


(Kirk Wolak) #57

Bethany, 20g of carbs… I wish. My body (due to massive inflammation, I believe) cannot tolerate more than 5g and keep me in ketosis.

Please read the book: The Obesity Code by Dr. Fung. He runs The Fasting Method (IDM Program).
I was a consulting client of theirs!

Anyways, KETO is NOT about grams of carbs. It’s about STOPPING the INSULIN production caused by the carbs, and getting your body into Ketosis.

Are you making Ketones? That’s what’s important. It’s the lack of glucose swings (caused by insulin) that makes your hunger easy to manage.

How many times are you eating?

And the point is not to each as much as you can (I have packed away 3lbs of bacon in a single setting). It’s about eating heavy fat/protein until you are completely sated (FULL). But only doing that 1-3 times a day, eventually 2 times a day, then OMAD (once a day). But over many weeks is fine.

TFM generally recommends a FAT fast. Eating all the avocado and bacon you want. FOR DAYS ON END. The point is to get bored with the food choice. It’s a psychological trick. Then to get busy walking, or house work, or work, whatever. Distract your mind. Eventually you find your hunger signals stop.

But I read what you are eating, and if you have ANY inflammation I am screaming… NOOOO!
Cut the dairy! Immediately. And the Soy creamer. Your coffee is black for now or have water.
NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS until you figure out your Levers.

And this is an article I wrote that describes the core levers that can cause stalls:
The Levers of Power (What to Measure, What to Control) to avoid stalling/stalls

HTH, and feel free to ask more questions.

Personally, I think you can FUEL your body (food), or Feed your Palate (Tastes). And when I review what you are doing, you doing the latter, just in more of a KETO style. If eating your food is producing Dopamine from the enjoyment of the tastes, then you are just subbing one addiction for another as "Dr. Cywes @CarbAddictionDoc would say). He is worth listening to as well… He is a bariatric surgeon, who prefers to use Keto/Carnivore with his clients since even those who get the surgery will gain the weight back if they don’t fix their ADDICTION to carbs/food!


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #58

:+1: :+1: :+1: :+1: :+1:


(Bethany Greenwood) #59

I am producing ketones and I eat 3x a day. I have Dr Fungs book and will be reading it in the next few weeks.

I see what you’re saying but I’m not currently interested in not enjoying my food or only eating once a day. I don’t have masses of body fat to loose, I just want to use IF for a while to get to my goal weight but don’t want to force my body to ignore hunger cues.

The post that you linked though, I have a couple of questions 1) are you saying even if I have 5g carbs, if I get stressed my glucose and insulin will rise? 2) what happens if you are 24 hours into a fast and you get the worst news?

Because if just some bad news can stall my weight loss then that is most certainly part of what is happening here. :frowning:


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #60

I make hot ‘creamy bone broth’ using this stuff , whipping cream and cacao butter. You will probably find the cacao butter ‘tastes sweet’, even though it is 100% fat, mostly saturated.


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #61

@Bethany I’ll let Captain Kirk speak for himself. All I want to say is that eating for fuel in no way implies not eating what you like. It’s just making better choices rather than letting your taste buds be the final arbiter. It’s letting yourself expand your horizons. I like what I eat and over the 3+ years of keto have learned to expand my choice of foods greatly. A lot of stuff I used to think was great, I no longer miss nor care about any more.