Intermittent Fasting

TheWalrus

I Am The Walrus
I've been thin all of my life - and then my 30s hit. And weight didn't come on all at once, but it creeped in pound by pound because I kept the lifestyle of a 20 year old: eat what I want, when I want, and who needs exercise? I only had to lose 20 pounds but it was the hardest 20 lbs of my life and took forever. I would lose a couple and plateau forever, and it seemed if I even looked at food I would gain it back. Learning to exercise was so foreign. Like I said, I've kept it off for 7 years. Now, it doesn't take much effort because I don't take it for granted anymore and I am conscious of my activity level and calorie intake. When I first got to my goal weight, it was a daily struggle to stay there for a long time. I highly suggest a food diary or phone app that does it for you. I loved the app because it not only tracked my calories but proteins, carbs, fiber, etc., my calories burned and my weight gains and losses. It helped me stay on track, focused, and helped me learn so much about what I can have and when because I had a record of when I lost, when I gained, when I plateaued, when I maintained. I did it for a so long that now I just know and don't have to track it anymore.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
OK, it's Day 2 of our experiment.

I was good and tired last night from my extra workout, but it felt good. Going to try to replicate it today.

This is my daughter's last day of the once-per-week classes, so trying to get some cleaning done while I can, but be back in the afternoon to report my progress.

Anyone else?
 

TheWalrus

I Am The Walrus
A few others things I did/do (I remember as the thread continues because I didn't do it all at once), is I switched to low fat foods in milk, dressings, margarine, etc. unless it tastes terrible. I use olive oil instead of other oils and sparingly. I have always baked or grilled my food - greasy, fried foods are rare for me. (I even bake French fries.) I changed to whole grain, high fiber breads. I can't stand the gluten free anything and whole wheat pastas were nasty to me. I compromise - if it tastes fine or the same, I switch. If it is noticeably and unpleasantly different, I don't. I eat a lot of salads and vegetables with grilled meat. I added salmon to my diet. I never skip Mondays to workout as it sets the tone for the week and the weekends are when I am most likely to get a little off track.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I can't stand the gluten free anything
Walrus, we HAD to go gluten-free. And... I learned, really fast, that if you want to be gluten free, the best thing to do is to give up the things that are normally dependent on gluten. Bread. Pasta. Cake. Cookies.

Most people don't realize how many things they eat that really are naturally gluten free. Meat, for example, except for sausages and breaded stuff. Veggies. Fruit. Rice. Potatoes. You can eat very well and not use gluten.

But yes, most of the "gluten-free" versions of gluten-based foods are... either extremely expensive, or totally disgusting, or both.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I like-a da bread! I like-a da pasta!
Most of us do. Including the member of our family who can't have gluten. We have developed these foods because they DO taste good. Nobody would go to the work of making bread if it tasted like... cardboard, or Brussels sprouts.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Hey now! Quit picking on my Brussels sprouts!

Actually, the only member of the cabbage family I've met so far that I don't like is broccoli.
 

recoveringenabler

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Insane, I've found a number of good tasting gluten free pastas, particularly the ones with quinoa and brown rice. I have to look for them, they are not offered in many stores, but they are the closest to the taste of regular pasta. (they can be bit pricey, but Trader Joe's now has a version which isn't bad.) Udi's gluten free bread isn't bad toasted. Can your family member eat ancient grains bread? I find them to be so tasty, not gluten free, but I think healthier and they work well for me. I found a baker who sells the ancient grains bread at Farmers markets. I've had to be a bit of a detective, but I have found foods that work well. I imagine you have too.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Can your family member eat ancient grains bread? I find them to be so tasty, not gluten free
No. Zero gluten. Ancient grains work well for me, too. But not an option.
I'm working with certified gluten-free oat flour now, and having some success. Oats, per se, do not have gluten, but most are processed with the same equipment that handles wheat, so the oats become contaminated.
Udi's makes some pretty good stuff - including cookies. We have them for a treat.
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I did loosen up a bit. Ate a good dinner.

Today I will try again for a modified fast day, under 500 calories.

While I am still lying down in bed, I do not feel near as fatigued as yesterday.

Thanks for the support ladies.
 

Nomad

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Copa...what diet are you on? Are you eating less than 500 calories some days and then a higher number on others? I guess I got lost. Wishing you well.

Copa, if you get fatigued, you might want to pay attention to consuming foods high in potassium. I also recall there was a no cal potassium drink that I drink now and then....I'll see if I can find it. I need to get some myself.

I went back to my 900 calories of healthy food diet the other day and used my app. So far, so good.

I ate something delicious today with my lunch. Trader Joes is selling cauliflower rice. It comes in the frozen section. It is teeny tiny cut up cauliflower shaped like rice. Kinda tastes like rice. Just as yummy as rice. BUT, healthier and super low calorie! Loved it!
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
You can also get a ricer (may have to go to a "fancy" cooking shop to find one, or order from Amazon) and rice cooked cauliflower yourself. It's much better fresh. You can also rice potatoes, turnips, rutibagas, carrots, all sorts of "solid" veggies.

I have one, but its about 30 years old and has seen much better days. If your diet allows, riced potatoes are very good, even better if mixed with riced turnip. They are fluffier than mashed, and don't' require all the cream and butter and stuff to be tasty.

RIced turnip or cauliflower makes a tasty, and healthier substitute for polenta/grits in a lot of dishes that call for them as a "base" for the main course.

Parsnips are also very good, but they are sort of an acquired taste and even more expensive than turnips.
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
I went back to my 900 calories of healthy food diet the other day and used my app
Good job, Nomad.
Copa...what diet are you on? Are you eating less than 500 calories some days and then a higher number on others?
I am kinda making up my own.

I did a whole lot of studying about intermittent fasting and caloric restriction. These are the things that impressed me:

if you fast or near fast, the body uses up the glycogen store, and then of necessity burns fat. A lot of that fat is in places it should not be such as around internal organs.

The problem with most dieting is that because one eats much of the day and night the short-term glycogen stored is never depleted. The body does not ever have to turn to stored fat.

Intermittent fasting has been shown to be just as effective in weight loss as sustained caloric restriction. And is easier to do.

Even long-term fasting does not seem dangerous as once thought.

The reason I was not losing weight before is because my body over time had accommodated to the lower caloric total. I needed to shake things up.

Longer fasting intervals up to 36 hours are good for the body.

Ideally, I would like to eat one meal a day, or confine my eating to a 3 or 4 hour window, but I am not there yet.

I would love to eat less than 600 calories a day for the next few weeks. And then go on the alternate day diet or 4/3 where I keep calories at 400 3 days a week and below 1500 the other days, until I reach my goal weight.

This is my third day. I have lost weight (after remaining at a plateau 6 months.) I have more energy today, feel more upbeat, and my appetite is much reduced.

Glad you feel good Nomad. Hi everybody.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I mentioned turnips first as though it is hard to find them in grocery stores, and they are expensive, parsnips are much harder to find, are usually in awful condition, and cost a flipping fortune.
 

Nomad

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I'm fairly sure I have accidentally done better dieting in a way because I take breaks. Planned breaks. So, instead of getting fed up and eating very crazy, I just eat a more normal calorie count and mostly healthy food until I'm in the mood again. I was off my diet for a long time this time, longer than usual and was happy to discover I hadn't gained much. I did eat some cheesecake recently though. Similar to int emit tent fasting.....going up and down a bit.

I think I'm going to stop going up and down so much, but skip breakfast several times a week and have my green veggie drink at lunch time. This way, I'll for sure get in some of that intermittent fasting benefit. It works out fine, because some mornings I'm just not that hungry.

Glad you are losing and feeling better Copa.

I think talking about it here is helpful. WW is like that...love the comraderie.

GN...I had no idea there was such a thing as a ricer!!!! Thank you for telling me. I just loved this cauliflower today. What a wonderfully nice surprise.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
If I skipped breakfast, I'd be having seizures from hypoglycemia by noon at the latest. Not only do i wake up starving, I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night starving.

And if I am starving, I eat. High protein, complex carbs, and a small amount of sugar/high GI foods to get the sugar up right away. The protein and complex carbs keep the blood sugar from seriously spiking, and keep things more level. They also stay with me longer than just sweet stuff does.

Nomad, if you love cauliflower, keep your eyes out for "broccoflower". It is is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. What you get is a head that is shaped very similarly to cauliflower, but is colored a deep yellowish-green.

It isn't as good as cauliflower raw, but it is even tastier than cauliflower once you cook it up. It substitutes for cauliflower in most recipes, though cooks a bit faster.
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
Good day, Ladies

Day 4. My intention today is to restrict both my calories consumed and the eating window during which I consume them. Less important to me is the quality of calories, because I do not want to put myself under too much stress, with too many (restrictions) not otherwise specified.

By giving myself permission to eat what I want if I want, I am better able to abstain.

In 3 days, the scale is down 1.6 pounds. I could care less if it is water weight. The scale, for 6 months, did not move even .1 of a pound. I will take what I can get.

I ate first today at about 10:30 am. I will try to stop eating altogether at 4:30 pm. I will try to eat 500 calories or less.

I am hopeful I will be able to return to working on June 6th. I have not yet heard if I will get the position. It would be very nice to drop 6 pounds by then because it would put me under 170 where I have not been for 3 years.

Thank you. I hope all of you had a great day.
 
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Copabanana

Well-Known Member
Where is everybody today????

I did OK today. My eating window was 6 hours. I did so-so. Because M wanted fried rice *with bacon and chicken sausage, and vegetables), I had temptation. I did not resist. But that was all I ate, maybe 2/3 of a cup at the most. Within my 500 calories. Not ideal but OK.

On my fasting part I can only drink herbal tea. I am getting accustomed to this. I am less tired, but this morning I could not rouse myself. I think it is partly stress.

Did I tell you I got a job offer? I am returning to work after 3 and a half years not working. It is a big deal. I am a little bit afraid but I am eager to be earning money again.

Insane, RE, KT, Lil, Nomad, Going, Walrus, Apple, Pony?? Who did I miss? SuperG!
pay attention to consuming foods high in potassium
Thank you, Nomad. The only food I know high in potassium is a banana, and they are high carb. I will look now.
 
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