I have been reading this thread for like months (I have three kids, not much computer time) I'd love to join you all. I lost 25 pound on the HCG diet, a little over a year ago. I have been maintaining my loss by low carb + Intermittent Fasting.
I am 5'2, mommy of three, age 33 (not for much longer), current weight is 122.6. I would like to get down to 118. Yes, 122 is comfortable...120 comfy in my skin...118 beaming/confidence!!! Ya know?
I have been doing low carb + Eat-Stop-Eat (24 hour fasts) 1-2 x per week, since January of 2012. That has kept me maintaining my 25lb HCG loss. (I also am a barefoot runner & pilates addict --so addicted) So my plan is to step it up. I can't believe how much more it takes as we get older...(sigh)...but, it is soooo worth it! I can't say I feel deprived at all! For once in my life...I feel in absolute control. So...are these last few pounds considered "vanity pounds" to some? Sure. But it is worth giving it all I got in my 30's to say I gave it the best I had. This is a forever life change. If not now...when? Why waist time being uncomfortable in my own skin? So...how'bout those last few pounds, ey?
Glad to find this thread again, a lot of good advice gets posted.
I do IF in spurts, not really any pattern, but I call it IF. I fast 18 hours or so, sometimes less, weekly for awhile and then don't. It just seems to help me. I have tried the popular plans like ESE and Fast 5 and they don't suit me as they are not intuitively in synch with my personal needs.
It's great to find another IF thread. I thought that I posted to this one, but I guess that I have been awol from the boards longer than I realized! lol
I've maintained my IF (window 5p-8p) pretty well. It's just a natural thing for me. So, since I have been working like a dog behind my desk and not paying too much attention to what I'm eating (I don't eat fast food or junk anyway) and barely exercising, I didn't gain as much during that time as I could have - only 3 pounds and maintained it. I didn't go down, but I didn't go up much either.
Now that I'm back on the wagon, it is easier than ever, especially since I've gone back to bellydancing. I've extended my routine to drinking fresh high-nutrient juice, Alive green drink and a soy meal replacement during the week while I'm working and then meals on the weekends. This helps my stomach as it is hard for me to concentrate sitting at a desk with a full stomach.
I think that everyone in my life has given up bothering me about my woe, so that's a plus. lol
So day 19, down another pound to 274 so all in all 12 lbs. gone and of that about 4,4 lbs since starting the IF. (I measure in kg. so odd numbers sometime)
What a relief, I actually feel the difference just walking around and in my energy level. Also it's a lot easier to bend down and easier to clean my house as well.
What I like most is the fact that this is SO easy! Why haven't I been doing this all my life? I am not hungry in the mornings, in fact when I think about it I'm almost never hungry in the morning nor have I ever been. Which might explain why I have always struggled with finding something to eat in the AM. I work part time and am home at 2:30 pm and I usually start eating then, if I'm hungry that is, but on Wednesday I work until 4 pm so I just don't eat until then.
I have also been trying to drink more water and usually drink about 1 - 1 and 1/2 liters water at work and I am sure this is helping me as well.
I just can't believe how less complicated my life seems to be when I don't have to find something to eat when I don't feel like it. I have also been reading a bit about Intuitive Eating and since it's the most natural thing to eat when hungry and stop when sated I am also thinking about that when I eat.
So my keywords for this WOL is Freedom! Both from unhealthy eating habits as well as the weight that has been keeping me down for too many years.
So day 19, down another pound to 274 so all in all 12 lbs. gone and of that about 4,4 lbs since starting the IF. (I measure in kg. so odd numbers sometime)
What a relief, I actually feel the difference just walking around and in my energy level. Also it's a lot easier to bend down and easier to clean my house as well.
What I like most is the fact that this is SO easy! Why haven't I been doing this all my life? I am not hungry in the mornings, in fact when I think about it I'm almost never hungry in the morning nor have I ever been. Which might explain why I have always struggled with finding something to eat in the AM. I work part time and am home at 2:30 pm and I usually start eating then, if I'm hungry that is, but on Wednesday I work until 4 pm so I just don't eat until then.
I have also been trying to drink more water and usually drink about 1 - 1 and 1/2 liters water at work and I am sure this is helping me as well.
I just can't believe how less complicated my life seems to be when I don't have to find something to eat when I don't feel like it. I have also been reading a bit about Intuitive Eating and since it's the most natural thing to eat when hungry and stop when sated I am also thinking about that when I eat.
So my keywords for this WOL is Freedom! Both from unhealthy eating habits as well as the weight that has been keeping me down for too many years.
Sounds like you're doing really well! When you're ready, you should add a bit of exercise at the end of your fast, right before you eat. When I do that, the weight FALLS off. Basically, you go right to your fat stores for that fasting workout. Even twenty minutes of a good sweat should do the trick!
Again, congratulations and good luck!
Thank you for your kind words mrslynah, I will be adding some exercise into my routine gradually. I always work or cycle to work and since I live in a small town I also try to walk or cycle to the shop or when visititing.
For me right now it is important to let things flow naturally and not force any development, I can already feel my spirit lifting with every pound gone and I will not let myself fall into the trap of trying to do everything at once as is my habit.
According to my calculations if I keep up with my gradual weight loss as it has been from March when I started my latest journey it will take me about 2 years to lose all this weight. Would I like it to go faster... **** YEAH... but I am trying to pace myself so I won't get disheartened as so many times before. So if it takes more or less than 2 years so be it, but as long as I am not gaining weight and gradually losing I am content.
I am still trying to get a pattern going and am looking at JUDDD. I searched for JUDDD on this site and got the IF thread and that moved to ESE and then Leangains and now this one. Was just wondering if anyone considers JUDDD a form of IF and if there is anyone doing it here.
I am still trying to get a pattern going and am looking at JUDDD. I searched for JUDDD on this site and got the IF thread and that moved to ESE and then Leangains and now this one. Was just wondering if anyone considers JUDDD a form of IF and if there is anyone doing it here.
I just looked up JUDDD because I wasn't sure exactly what it was
I'm not sure I'd call JUDDD a form of fasting, because in the IF context, "fasting" means to literally put your body in a fasted state (as opposed to a fed state) for a given period of time. Consuming 500-600 calories is still more than enough to keep your body in a "fed" state.
For that matter, I question whether people are really technically fasting when they consume things like vegetables or veggie juices or the many other things some people can rationalize eating on a "fast" day. And this is fine as long as they get the results they want, but I'm uncomfortable with calling that "fasting". There are many ways to keep body weight under control, but according to everything I've ever read on the subject thus far, your body must be deprived of calories (and subsequent insulin spikes) in order to gain the myriad of other benefits that are possible if you keep your body in an actual fasted state for 16 or more hours (the 16 hr mark seems to be where the benefits really start adding up). Apparently small amounts of pure fat -- like cream in coffee, or a little MCT oil -- will not trigger an insulin spike and the body still perceives itself to be in a fasted state, but I don't know if that's actually been demonstrated or if it's just one of those "it stands to reason" things. And even then, even if your body still thinks it's in a "fasted" state, it still sets you back as far as the calories you're burning. (If you're not IFing for weight loss this may not matter).
I'm not saying JUDDD won't be beneficial - it sounds like it might be another great tool for managing body weight and food intake. But I don't see how it can be called a form of fasting. Personally, though I do need to lose weight, the weight loss isn't as important to me as some of the other potential benefits so I'm really strict on my fast days (ESE style, so 20 to 24 hours but only once or twice a week).
ETA: I just realized something important - it also depends on timing! If you go from, say, 7pm on Tuesday (dinner on a "regular" eating day) and then wait until late afternoon the next day to consume your 500 cals, you will have just completed an intermittent fast. So it sounds like JUDDD can definitely work within an IF framework.
I am still trying to get a pattern going and am looking at JUDDD. I searched for JUDDD on this site and got the IF thread and that moved to ESE and then Leangains and now this one. Was just wondering if anyone considers JUDDD a form of IF and if there is anyone doing it here.
I found a few posts/threads using google with the following words and quotation marks- site:3fatchicks.com "johnson up day down day" and "juddd". This is my way of searching within 3fatchicks.com rather than use their search tool because it doesn't always work (sometimes words too short, etc you know.) I think the last recent mention of it other than your post was in March of this year.
Devinerock: I was shaking my head, 'yes' as I was reading your post. So often we are expected to subscribe to certain social conventions, such as when and how often to eat. You are so right when you say that life is less complicated when you don't need to find something to eat when you're not hungry. I too am finding that this more natural pattern of eating keeps me much more satiated.
Hi there! i'm researching IF right now and am very intriqued. I've been obese since the age of 8 other than two 60lb weightlosses. The first time I drasticly dropped my calories and worked out like a fiend and lost it rather quickly but gained it back when I changed my eating and workout out pattern. The second time I did Weightwatchers and it worked well for me at that point in my life.
However, I gained 60lbs with my son 8 years ago when I was pregnant with him and have not had any success with losing more than 15 pounds at a time since then. I've actually found that i'm MORE obsessed with eating and planning food now, than I was when I was younger, fat, and didn't care about my weight. I ate alot of junk, but wasn't obsessed with food. It wasn't all I thought about every waking minute.
Now, after years of yo yo dieting, it IS all I think about. What I can eat, what I can't eat, what we can eat when we go somewhere on a trip, if I need to plan and make meals ahead of time, etc. I've tried Weightwatchers again numerous times, Body For Life, Calorie Counting, eating super clean, etc etc. The same thing always happens. I get to obsessed with the food and I end up bingeing. I find that no matter what types of food I eat in the morning, even if it's pure protien, I feel like i'm hungry again half an hour later and want to eat. Also, if I eat one peice of junk after a day of eating clean, I get that all or nothing"Let's throw in the towel and binge" attitude.
I need to lose 110lbs. What intrigues me most about Eat Stop Eat is that during those two fasts, i've read that it's the first time people who have struggled with compulsive overeating actually start to feel REAL hunger and know the true signals and slowly start to gain control of their appetites, FAKE hunger and of course, portion sizes.
I'm interested in trying this, though i'm not sure if I should do Eat. Stop. Eat or combine it with fast five. Eat Stop Eat the other 5 days a week i'd probably be trying to eat small meals 6 times a day like it's been drilled into my head. I don't know if that would work now with just the two fast days or if, considering my compulsiveness with the food if maybe Fast 5 would work the best and then pick two days to fast longer.
Anyone have any opinions to give? I know some (people outside this forum and those with little information on how this all works) might think eating this way could even be triggering to someone with an eating disorder(and I do consider compulsive overeating an eating disorder) or even push someone to anorexia with words such as "feeling in control" and what not, but as someone who has RARELY eaten because they were TRUELY hungry, I think this might help.
Just to add to the discussion, I call any substantial period of not eating, followed by a period of eating, and repeated, Intermittent Fasting, I don't think it has to be any specific time period. There are a lot of publications and programs dealing with this idea but IF itself is just fasting at intermittent periods followed by eating, in my opinion, but there are so many ways to think about fasting. Just not eating overnight is technically fasting.
Again, I don't do ESE or Fast Five but benefit from both of the ideas presented.
Alycat31, I also used to think abstaining from food for any length of time could trigger compulsive eating or anorexia or blood sugar control problems. I know my brother thinks that lol so I never say the word fasting to him.
I am still very experimental in what I think about IF. Sort of decided JUDDD isn't something I am that interested in.
Welcome. I can somewhat relate to your problems, I find when I do a 'diet program' my world becomes focused on eating, eating, eating. When is the next meal, what do I need to have, prepare, buy...
Where as when I am not on a diet I tend not to obsess about food, although I eat a lot more of it than I should.
But what I have found after starting a loosely interpreted Fast-5, 28 days ago, is that I am now starting to think about food in a new way, and truthfully I am not hungry, actually physically hungry until the afternoon. I usually start eating at 2:30 pm and before that I am not really hungry. I also do a longer fast on Wednesdays cause then I'm working till 4 pm. The 6 meals a day crap just isn't for me.
I am more dispassionate about food than ever before in my life. My life has in fact revolved around food since I can remember, but now I finally feel like I don't just 'live to eat' and although I'm not quite at 'eat to live' mode, my eating is much more manageable.
There is no one way of eating that is gonna work for everyone, but I urge you to try this, and challenge your idea of what you think it means to be hungry.
Best of luck,
Devine
Last edited by devinerock; 07-11-2012 at 07:44 AM.
Hi there! i'm researching IF right now and am very intriqued. I've been obese since the age of 8 other than two 60lb weightlosses. The first time I drasticly dropped my calories and worked out like a fiend and lost it rather quickly but gained it back when I changed my eating and workout out pattern. The second time I did Weightwatchers and it worked well for me at that point in my life.
However, I gained 60lbs with my son 8 years ago when I was pregnant with him and have not had any success with losing more than 15 pounds at a time since then. I've actually found that i'm MORE obsessed with eating and planning food now, than I was when I was younger, fat, and didn't care about my weight. I ate alot of junk, but wasn't obsessed with food. It wasn't all I thought about every waking minute.
Now, after years of yo yo dieting, it IS all I think about. What I can eat, what I can't eat, what we can eat when we go somewhere on a trip, if I need to plan and make meals ahead of time, etc. I've tried Weightwatchers again numerous times, Body For Life, Calorie Counting, eating super clean, etc etc. The same thing always happens. I get to obsessed with the food and I end up bingeing. I find that no matter what types of food I eat in the morning, even if it's pure protien, I feel like i'm hungry again half an hour later and want to eat. Also, if I eat one peice of junk after a day of eating clean, I get that all or nothing"Let's throw in the towel and binge" attitude.
I need to lose 110lbs. What intrigues me most about Eat Stop Eat is that during those two fasts, i've read that it's the first time people who have struggled with compulsive overeating actually start to feel REAL hunger and know the true signals and slowly start to gain control of their appetites, FAKE hunger and of course, portion sizes.
I'm interested in trying this, though i'm not sure if I should do Eat. Stop. Eat or combine it with fast five. Eat Stop Eat the other 5 days a week i'd probably be trying to eat small meals 6 times a day like it's been drilled into my head. I don't know if that would work now with just the two fast days or if, considering my compulsiveness with the food if maybe Fast 5 would work the best and then pick two days to fast longer.
Anyone have any opinions to give? I know some (people outside this forum and those with little information on how this all works) might think eating this way could even be triggering to someone with an eating disorder(and I do consider compulsive overeating an eating disorder) or even push someone to anorexia with words such as "feeling in control" and what not, but as someone who has RARELY eaten because they were TRUELY hungry, I think this might help.
Hi, there! Welcome to the thread!
I do a variation of Intermittent Fasting called leangains. I am not a body builder or anything like that, but the eating windows are much more manageable for me. It is a 16 hour fast, followed by an 8 hour eating window. I fast from 9pm to 1pm the next day. Basically, you don't eat late at night and skip breakfast. You can still overeat on this plan and not lose weight. But it is a good starting point for someone who has never fasted and wants to get a good balanced grip on hunger with a little extra fat burning thrown in.
A five hour eating window such as fast 5 is just too small for me to do on a daily basis. Most weeks, I throw in a 20-24 hour fast. That is when I really stretch myself, and I usually lose a pound from that fast alone. But on a daily basis, the 16 hour fast works really well for me.
Good luck to you!
I don't think it has to be any specific time period.
Well, it does have to be long enough for your body to be in a fasted state as opposed to a fed state, and that does take some time (I think it's in the 8 to 12 hour range). Otherwise, I agree
Joining in!
) I'd love to join you all. I lost 25 pound on the HCG diet, a little over a year ago. I have been maintaining my loss by low carb + Intermittent Fasting. 
), current weight is 122.6. I would like to get down to 118. Yes, 122 is comfortable...120 comfy in my skin...118 beaming/confidence!!! Ya know? 
--so addicted) So my plan is to step it up. I can't believe how much more it takes as we get older...(sigh)...but, it is soooo worth it! I can't say I feel deprived at all! For once in my life...I feel in absolute control. So...are these last few pounds considered "vanity pounds" to some? Sure. But it is worth giving it all I got in my 30's to say I gave it the best I had. This is a forever life change. If not now...when? Why waist time being uncomfortable in my own skin? So...how'bout those last few pounds, ey?
