Would like to do this but ever since IE nothing else works.
Boy, I know what you mean, Carol! Even though I know that I must lose some weight due to my health issues, every time I tried going on a *diet* I failed miserably.
This one is different - I don't have to deny myself anything, I just have to eat it in a very small window. And unlike any other *diet* out there, I don't find myself thinking about food all day...in fact, I don't really decide what to eat until it's time to eat.
I do get hungry during the day, usually around 2-3 pm, but it always passes. Now it's just part of my routine and I know what to expect, but when I first started this it was the only real challenge I had, so I found ways to distract myself from it. It is nowhere as intense as it was the first week I started, but it's still there. The upside is that the mid-afternoon hunger has totally replaced the mid-afternoon fatigue I was experiencing before. My energy level hasn't been this high in YEARS.
I also keep in mind that those fasting hours are helping me lower my A1C, which has gone a tic above normal in the last year or so. This is my primary motivation for losing weight, and it's a strong one.
It's the first time since I began practicing IE that I can honestly say I've found something that will work for me long-term. I will candidly admit that the weight is coming off slowly, but it is coming off.
Best of all, I am not fanatic about it...if I want to change my mealtime any particular day because of a social situation, I do so. I am not completely tied into the early evening. I can eat any time after 2:00 p.m. and not have to eat again. I wouldn't try doing this in the morning because I know I'd never last until the following morning, but mid-afternoon to early evening works. I'm still fasting a pretty long time and getting the benefits from it.
The only thing I don't like about eating mid-afternoon is that I get sleepy, which I don't like. So that's why I generally wait until evening.
I'm so glad I came across this thread, I don't think I have really heard about anyone else doing this as well.
Usually, I eat a lot of my food at night around midnight then go to sleep, then the next day I eat a small post workout meal just to get some protein in. I've always just liked eating larger meals and I can't sleep unless I eat a lot right before.
For example tonight I will probably eat 2 poppyseed cornbread cake slices, some pumpkin oatmeal with Greek yogurt, and a quest bar.
SouthernMaven DH and I watched some of Dr. Fung's YouTube videos on reversing diabetes with fasting a few months ago. I am thoroughly sold on his ideas, however, I don't seem to be able to do just one meal a day. I surely do wish I could. I lost an average of 1 lb a day eating only one meal a day years ago, but haven't been able to do that any more. I don't know if it is the diabetes or what. However, I was able to do a 5 hr eating window back when I heard the videos.
I haven't been able to take the medicine my doctor wants me to take so I'm working to lower and control diabetes with diet and exercise so it would be great if I could get back to the 5 to 7 hr eating window again. I think I could go back to eating 2 meals a day 5 hr apart which is what I did last year. I know my bs was great when I was doing it. The IF group here seemed to dwindle down so I eventually got away from it.
Wishing you good luck on your 1 meal a day. IF does work and from what I've seen it works whether done eating once a day or using a 5 to 8 hr eating window.
I'm so glad I came across this thread, I don't think I have really heard about anyone else doing this as well.
Usually, I eat a lot of my food at night around midnight then go to sleep, then the next day I eat a small post workout meal just to get some protein in. I've always just liked eating larger meals and I can't sleep unless I eat a lot right before.
For example tonight I will probably eat 2 poppyseed cornbread cake slices, some pumpkin oatmeal with Greek yogurt, and a quest bar.
Welcome, Bostoncreamprincess!
I know exactly what you mean about the one larger meal. I only need one of them a day, which is why this WOE is so good for me.
Wishing you good luck on your 1 meal a day. IF does work and from what I've seen it works whether done eating once a day or using a 5 to 8 hr eating window.
Hi Trish! So glad you are here; you are right, the IF forum has become very inactive.
I agree about IF, and I think a 5-8 hour window is probably just as effective - both as a weight-loss tool and as a way to lower blood sugar - as is the OMAD method. It really boils down to personal preference.
I do know that Dr. Fung has also worked with people who have gone on multiple-day fasts. I actually think I could do that too, were conditions favorable for it. Right now I'm doing well to do a 23 hour fast.
I can't do the one meal a day thing either, but lately I have not been eating breakfast as I realize I'm not hungry for it most days, Then I eat lunch and we always have dinner at 5 pm and I don't eat anything after that so inadvertently I guess I have been doing a form of IF as that gives me an eating window of 5 or 6 hours, depending on when I eat lunch. Lowering blood sugar has been a goal of mine as well, so it would be awesome if this helped.
SouthernMaven I actually knew a woman on another lowcarb website who only ate one meal a day. She was a nurse and she talked to me a lot about eating OMAD and the benefits and why she ate that way. She was a Cardiology nurse in ICU. She talked to me about how this way of eating was good for heart protection. According to her, the health benefits are amazing.
I have been so convinced that I can't do this any more although I have done it before and felt great. Today actually will be a OMAD kind of day since DH and I have doctor's appointments at 1pm and I will be WI. I would like to attempt to do an OMAD for a while just to get my eating straightened out. My doctor doesn't like the idea when I've done it, but once I heard Dr. Fung and others talk about the benefits, I'm not really afraid of doing it. Besides, if I need to have a second meal or a snack, I can always have it.
When DH and I travel, we only eat 2 meals a day. DH has to eat because of the meds he takes, but he usually eats 1 good meal and the other meals or more like snacks. However, traveling the breakfast is not always really healthy food although more of a snack. We always do great when traveling and come home with a weight loss.
Pinkhippie I actually learned when I was eating only 2 meals 5 to 6 hrs apart that my blood sugar came down. I never was a breakfast eater until I was convinced that I had to eat it. However, I only have to cook one meal a day for DH and me around 2:30 or 3pm. It is helpful that I don't have to have more than the 1 meal. I always know that if for some reason I need the second meal 5 or 6 hrs later that I can have it.
I don't think OMAD is for me at this time. I can do 2 meals a day, but right now I'm fine with the 5 to 8 hr IF eating window.
I think that's great, Trish! I wish you much success with it.
Feel free to continue to post here - I was disappointed to see the IF thread dwindle away, so it is fine with me if people who are participating in any type of IF post here. I suspect that OMAD is probably the least practiced form of IF, as it can be difficult.
I'd be interested in knowing how your 5-8 hour IF plan is working for you.
Pinkhippie I actually learned when I was eating only 2 meals 5 to 6 hrs apart that my blood sugar came down. I never was a breakfast eater until I was convinced that I had to eat it. However, I only have to cook one meal a day for DH and me around 2:30 or 3pm. It is helpful that I don't have to have more than the 1 meal. I always know that if for some reason I need the second meal 5 or 6 hrs later that I can have it.
That's good to know. I am hoping it will help my blood sugar as well.
SouthernMaven Thanks. I would love to get this thread going again. I too was disappointed that the other one had fizzled out. It would be nice to have a place for us to encourage each other.
I noticed there are a lot of different ways to do IF. I hope I can get back to eating just 2 meals a day within 5 hrs until then I am doing 8 hr eating window.
