[yoyoma]

Originally Posted by lin43

Ever derail yourself with information overload?

Yes!

There are many schools of thought on nutrition, even in the world of Intermittent Fasting. I think that different things work best for different people even within that umbrella. Working "best" for me puts a priority on *my* sustainability and that may not be optimal nutrition. I love that IF has health benefits, but that's not primarily why I'm riding this train.

When I've paid too much attention to the details of different proponents, not only are they sometimes contradictory (even within IF), but if I try changing things too much it often backfires. I have absolutely flubbed things up a few times by trying WOEs or schedules that weren't a good fit for me. Maybe they will be a good fit some other time, but not at the time I tried them.

I have done LCHF. I did feel the appetite suppressant effect. However, I didn't feel as satisfied with my meal (I find including a small serving of something starchy really hits the spot). That led to some problems. Also it made eating out a PITA, so for me that was a non-starter for a maintenance lifestyle. That doesn't mean I won't try it again for a period, but I'm unlikely to adopt it as a lifestyle unless I have a health issue that requires it. I've also had trouble with other IF schedules including fasting for entire days or eating earlier in the day. Of course, I tried these changes after reading recommendations for them.

By all means try new things for short trial periods but keep the things that work for you and focus on them. But whatever you do, DON'T feel like a failure because you can't or don't want to follow the advice of a given expert. There is another expert out there advising something else that works better for you.

I hope things are going well for you all. Recently I've been having artichokes with tahini spread, once with a tuna-based chef salad and once with an egg-and-veggie scramble (my current soup has a lot of black beans in it, so that is my starch).

[mystico627]

I think we need to be careful with the popular phrase "low carb." This phrase and the consequence craze has caused lots of problems for folks. One should not ever cut out ALL carbs, because remember veggies and fruits are carbs as well. What needs to go are the processed foods and simple carbs (i.e., white rice, pasta, candy, etc.) I've sat at lunch with folks following some low carb diet and trying to order something with no veggies. Veggies should NEVER be avoided, unless you're allergic to one in particular.

As for asking your doctor about diets and things, we in the west still elevate doctors to a place they have proven themselves to not belong. They are not experts on all things related to the human body. Western medical education focuses on disease management--the easing of symptoms related to some disease process. Helping us remain healthy is simply not part of their education, so they're often ill-informed or misinformed about nutrition, diet, fitness, etc. And ironically, the same goes for nutritionists and dieticians. So my recommendation would be to do your own research--meaning reading scientific journal articles, not necessarily blogs with no scientific backing that tell you to do this or not do that.

Now, my rant aside, I am joining you girls on this OMAD journey. Trying to do it while also transitioning to vegetarian so good luck to me. Day 1!!

[pattygirl63]

mystico627 and yoyoma - Thanks for the advice and I agree. I like reading the different ideas and take the best part that works for me and create my own plan. I have been able to stick with 5 to 8 hr windows, but I haven't been able to do a very low carb woe at this time. However, just doing the 5 to 8 hr windows are working very well the way it is.

I am actually reading and watching videos that have different ideas of how to diet for managing diabetes and like you say there are a lot of different ideas on how to do that as well. I'm just taking the best of what I observe that I think will work for me and apply it to making my own personal plan. I have learned that I am not the type of person who can handle being I can never have a certain food or food group ever again. That just makes me want it more. I believe there is a way to include foods I really like and still reach my goals. At least that is what I hope.

[yoyoma]

Hi, Mysti and welcome!

I agree that medical training includes very little on nutrition and maintaining good health. Of course, I'm not so certain that courses would teach the right stuff even if they were included, so maybe it's just as well. Those of us will significant weight management issues need to figure things out for ourselves.

I know there is a lot of overlap in schools of thought between IF and LC, but I posted a link in this thread a while back about the champion vegan weight-lifter (Amen Ra) who practices OMAD, so LC is not at all required!

Chili made with ground beef, kidney beans, and veggies last night. We add spinach, carrots, peppers and onions to our chili. Leftovers tonight. =)

[Pang]

That's a great topic Yoyoma

I find that fasting. Is only a piece of my longevity challenge.
Yes getting to a healthy weight is also a piece of that goal.
I can go into overload for health from time to time, but I I've been doing nothing for so long , I wish I were not just paying attention , but also applying what I learn.

It took me 6 years to start eating fish and fasting in schedule that includes exercise. For me I had to look past the menu to overall health. I guess I mean to say I'm trying to be healthy while obese.
Which is a different approach as trying be healthy while at healthy weight. Additionally I've learned from others it's sometime difficult to maintain the fasting lifestyle after weight-loss. Goal gas been met.
If I were younger , I didn't care. Now that it matters that I live long enough to help my daughter go to college. It's a lifestyle , because I'm trying to overcome the obesity at age 50. I need to really pay attention and delve into every advantage I can explore.

As Dr Varady said once.
Sticking to weight loss after 2-3 months is finding what works best.

So I can't or couldn't stick to adf. .
But what works for me is the non snacking approach of fasting days.
Weekdays I'm all about restriction.
But weekends I'm all about protein loading for exercise with flavorsome satiety.

Thank god for protein shakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pattygirl63]

I appreciate y'all sharing how y'all do your plans. It is helping me to learn how to make my own personal plan. My doctor back in S.C. tell me any diet would work if you could live with it. It does have to become a lifestyle.

My doctor is moving to another practice closer to her home although I wasn't told where that is. So I had to look for a new one. I am going into a the system here that works with the hospital I want to go to. There seems to be three systems. Two work through 1 hospital and the other has been here for years and have their own network that hasn't changed. I've been dealing with the old network because I love the way they have progressed. We meet our new doctor in a couple of weeks.

The thing I love about this system is that they have loads of information they share online so I can go in and get a whole lot of information concerning what certain foods are good to eat for diabetes and what isn't. I love the fact that their nutrition facts are very much up to date. I can actually watch it and make up my own healthy eating plan and work it within the fasting plan I choose to use which right now is eating 16:8 plan give or take a few hours because I eat within a 5 hr instead of 8 hr window just depends on how I feel that day. So I am very excited about this.

Reading y'alls comments shows me that it does work better if we make our eating plan more personal rather than following a bunch of other peoples plans. I really appreciate what y'all share.

[Pang]

I use window just to control snacking.
If I don't ,
Well my window is 5 hours on fast days and 8hrs on feed days.
I aim for feeling full in the window. And then have zero calories outside the window. The windows themselves do nothing for me , except help my to control my snacking inbetween meals, as there is alot of snack foods my family keeps in the house.


On my fast days I go with 36 hour window where I can eat 600 calories inside 5 hours.
I sleep twice in the 36 hours.

I practice 4:3
I realized this was making me eat 12 meals instead of 21.
So my menu choices focus on nutrition dense foods and their synergy pairings for better uptake of the nutrients.

I loose about 1 lb a week.

I exercise 3 - 4 times a week.


My food choices are
Nuts and berries on fast days. Walnuts and blueberries.

On feed days
Breakfast is protein shake
Lunch is salads.
Dinner
Tuesday fish and broccoli, sweet potato
Thursday fish and broccoli , sweet potato
Saturday chicken and broccoli,
Sunday steak and broccoli,

As blueberries help with plant foods nutrition uptake
As broccoli help with meat foods nutrition uptake.

That is my guide. But if I feel like eating something else , I will.

I'm trying to fast, eat fish, and exercise, as well as getting lots of dense nutrients from organic foods.
I do take supplements, but only 3 times a week.

When I go off plan , I sometimes go off plan for months and years till I gain my losses back.
So now I've adopted planned breaks, and 13 week menus.
I planning to change the planned breaks from just a week long. Reality check. To a four week long muscle building shift.
So im the process of making a simple plan complicated.
9 weeks fasting 4 weeks muscle strengthening. And then start over with the fasting. What I'm leaning toward is schedule that makes room for cleanses and 96hour tea fasts between the shifts.

Also I'm leaning toward 30 - 33 hour fasts with zero calories. During g the fasting phase . And 5:2 600 calories semifast during the muscle strengthen phase.

So basically I eat the same foods all along, Wether fasting or muscle building. Just more protein shakes and eggs in my salads during the building phase.

So this is definitely customized to fit my schedule the way it fits the seasonal changes. Geared for longevity - fasting, exercise, nutrient dense lifestyle.

[pattygirl63]

pang - Thanks for sharing. You have a good plan. I am working at finding the foods DH and I like and work all my food plans around what we "really" like. I will try new things, but if we don't like them then they are out the window never to be on the menu again. I also keep things pretty simple and fairly easy to cook quickly. I like meals ready in about 30 minutes.

I am learning which foods do and do not affect my blood sugar and choosing the foods I really like out of those foods. One thing I've been noticing lately is that a lot of foods I used to like that I thought I even thought I couldn't ever give up, just do not interest me any more.

I really think the reason this is happening is that by creating my own plan, it is up to me what will fit and won't. I don't necessarily have any food off limits as long as eaten in moderation and eating it within 8 hrs is helping a lot. I don't plan to follow anything but the 16:8 ratio for now and I use that because I need to have a cut off time. I am a night eater so I fit that time into my hours so that I eat something with the last hour just before my cut off time for the day so that I don't get hungry until the next afternoon.

[Ubee]

Hi Everyone.
I'm doing well. This past week I stopped doing OMAD and stayed within a six hour window, some days less.
I was very hungry this week and decided to listen to my body. The hunger is way better and I think it was a hormone thing. (Only ovaries left) I still ate much less then back in the day. Windows work well for me. Counting, measuring, and not allowing myself "forbidden foods" does not work for me.
I am kinda proud of myself for having faith in me and my decision to listen to my body.
I love Intermittent Fasting!

[yoyoma]

Congrats, Ubee, on adapting your plan to your needs! You have made so much progress on your journey, and knowing when to adapt is part of that. I've mentioned my husband does well with an 8 hour window.

Trish, I love trying new things, but I also tend to avoid dishes that require too much effort. We normally make 1 entree (meat and veg) and a base that we keep on hand for a few days (brown rice, lentils, etc) rather than separate sides. Recently, I had some globe artichokes that didn't take long to make, but they were quite a time sink to eat, lol.

On the spur of the moment on Wed, I went out to see Hidden Figures with a gf at theatre that sells meals, so I ended up having soup at home, a grilled chicken sandwich and O-rings at the movie, and nuts/chocolate later back at home. I love that I can do things like that in this lifestyle. =)

[pjvw34]

Hello all,
I am new to the thread and back after a long absence from the site. I recently became interested in IF and want to try it. I am going to read through this thread and pick up some ideas on how you all do this. I am starting today and done well so far. I just have this mindset that I NEED breakfast, but now maybe I can eat that meal for dinner if I HAVE to have it.

Thanks to Ubee for directing me to this thread.

I hope you all have an awesome Easter weekend!

[Ubee]

yoyo thanks for your encouragement. I do love how flexible fasting is.
Pam, welcome to the world of fasting. It may not be for everyone but I love it. The support here is helpful and appreciated. It sounds like you are doing well. The good news is you can have cream in your coffee.

"I use cream in coffee during fasts as well. For me, that little bit of cream does not stop me from getting the results that I desire.
In others, it may undo some of the positives, but generally not."
Dr. Jason Fung

TMI After my days of eating in a larger window I found myself not hungry so I did a 39 hour fast. About 30 hours in I found myself living in the bathroom. I thought I don't remember reading about this. A few hours later it was my husbands turn. I made a quick recovery but he became very ill. This is the second time since I started fasting that I became mildly ill and he caught the same bug and suffered much worse. I told him it is because I fast and try to eat healthier. It is giving him something to think about. His health is not that good and he needs to improve before it takes a nose dive.
The only reason I broke my fast was because of our family Easter dinner. I hope next time I do a longer fast I can do it again without experiencing any huger.

[pjvw34]

Thanks, Ubee that is good news. I love coffee. I am on day 3 and have done pretty well. I got a little hungry earlier today than the past two days but I figured out that I had not been drinking my water like I had been. The past two days I drank at least 2 quarts during the morning so I will make sure to do that from now on. It also helps to get in my water for the day.

[Ubee]

I need to get my water consumption up.
I will be going back to OMAD. I do a lot of mindless eating.

[yoyoma]

Welcome, Pam!

I drink coffee with cream whenever I want some (maybe 4 mugfuls a day) I switch to decaf in the afternoon. I also drink chai with froth, plain roobos, water with flavor drops, diet doctor pepper (not every day) and once in a while, plain water. If I try to stick with plain water I don't hydrate enough.

I guess my taste buds have become chocolate snobs from eating dark chocolate daily. Due to Easter, I've discovered that I've lost my taste for American milk chocolate, including 2 of my used-to-be-favorites. I had an Easter-themed KitKat and was shocked at how "yucky" it tasted to me. I also found out that I don't like Reeses minis. I've always preferred the larger cups (which have a higher PB-to-choc ratio), but now I actively do not like the minis. I do, however, still enjoy Reeses peanut butter eggs, which are mostly PB filling with a thin coating of chocolate. I'm glad they are only around at Easter time, and I know what I will be buying for my Easter basket next year. =)

In addition to Easter, I am facing a few other weight management challenges. My treadmill is on the fritz! =( It works for short periods of time and hubby tried lubing it, but it looks like it's time to replace the motor or the entire thing. I also have my daughter (ever-thin, regardless of what she eats) coming home from college soon, a house guest coming for a week, and hubby going out of town for a few days. I'm glad that OMAD is so simple!

Chicken stir fry for dinner last night. I have leftovers but will save them for one of the home-alone nights.