[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I keep jars of Heinze turkey or chicken gravy which ever I can get when shopping. That way I can put chicken or pork chops in the crockpot season and poor a jar over the meat and set it on high and walk away. I usually put it in by 10ish and take it out for us to eat about 3ish. I use a little bit of the gravy on my meat and a slice of SLMG and DH pours the rest of the gravy on his piece of meat and bread because it is hard for him to swallow meat that is so dry.

I will have a 6 hr eating window myself as I will have a cup of coffee with creamer and collagen powder a little before 6 pm. I didn't eat until 1 pm. I hope I will be so busy tomorrow that I can fast until 3ish. That would give me to long fasts this week.

[Wannabehealthy]

I use Heinz gravy but only buy it when I need it. That sounds like something DH might eat. Good idea. I don't use my slow cooker enough.

I am up .2 but still at 188.8 so that's still good. The fasting is helping. I really wanted to eat something last night but didn't. I wasn't hungry, just wanted something. Even after I was in bed I wanted to get up for some string cheese. Nope! That's 3 days in a row below 190! As long as I'm losing I won't be as firm about my eating window. I don't want more than 8 hours but will go as low as 4.

I don't know where we will eat today. Its hard on Friday. I won't go to Texas Roadhouse because DH is so picky about where he sits and they get crowded. I really want to go to Rodneys but they only have a couple meals that DH will eat. We'll see.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue The good thing we have learned is those small bumps up are not weight gain. Glad you are still in the 180s. We are headed toward the 170s. YAY!!! We will make it.

I did the same thing last night. I got hungry but I didn't have anything in particular that I wanted. The good thing for me was that even though I went to bed early since I was getting up earlier to go to the beauty shop, I was actually sleepy and went right to sleep. I wanted something when I got home from the beauty shop, but really want my long fast worse so won't eat until 3ish. We are having that shrimp scampi I mentioned yesterday and I will put mine on MG pasta today. I plan to have a 2MAD today. Only reason I will have the second is to have my collagen and high protein drink to get my protein up. My beautician told me today that my hair grows fast and that I need a hair cut next week and I think that is from the protein.
.
I got up at 7 and almost decided not to weigh, but I wanted to see it any way. Weight was back down to 184.6 this morning. I was excited to see that and it has given me the incentive to keep doing this. I left early to go to the store before I went to the beauty shop because it was raining and I thought it might be raining when I got out of the beauty shop and I didn't want to get my hair wet when I left the shop. I was able to get DH tomatoes at the store by the shop which I figured I would. So we are good till Tuesday.

Have a good day everybody.

[pattygirl63]

I am copying and pasting this from one of the Dr. Fung FB groups because so many of us have potty issues when fasting. A guy asked a question if others had this after fasting and there were a lot of answers but one person said to pay it forward so I decided to copy some of the helpful info to share here. I never associated it with fasting. However, I did read where one lady said that she doesn't have the problem on 2MAD only on longer fasts.

I always had this issue until I read on here to have a cup of bone broth, followed by soaked/gelled chia seeds half an hour later and then a light meal an hour after that. Haven't had any issues since I started doing that. Think we all need to explore what works for this. Some people have posted that they can eat anything and huge meals and be fine. I'd never try that after barely making it to the bathroom too often even with lighter meals without gently "waking up" my digestion again. I was about to quit fasting, not because of the fasting when I felt good, but because the refeeding had me feeling so mierable. Really happy that I found something that works for me to refeed without issues. Hope you do as well!

I put 2 T in water, stir, and let it gell overnight, although it probably doesn't need that long. Does need to absorb the water, though, so much easier for me to just have it ready. Sometimes I put cinnamon in it. I never eat them plain, though, because I have read that the seeds should be mixed with enough liquid to allow them to expand because dry chia seeds could expand in the esophagus and cause an obstruction.

The way I understand it (from a digestion perspective, not refeeding syndrome) is once your digestive system shuts down it doesn't turn back instantly. Your body will detect the misstep and move it right along to try again with the next meal. Same happens to me if I eat a huge meal. Diarrhea sometimes is just your body saying it wasn't quite ready for what you just did to it.

I fasted for 28 hours and had some beef and brussel sprouts... Bad time after... Skip very gassy foods like brussel sprouts after a fast...

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, I bought chia seeds once but never tried them because the thought of them gelled turned me off. Its unusual for me to refuse something without trying it first. I will have to read up on them again.

We went to Texas Roadhouse. First I said no but then told him if he said one word I would leave and wait in the car. We went at 2:00 so he got to sit where he wanted. He likes to get a booth in the bar area so he can watch sports on the TVs. I ate til I was full but not stuffed. I had so much food to bring home I needed 2 boxes but it is all food that I like and will be lunch for Saturday and Sunday. I hope I don't get a gain from it but if I do, I do. I enjoyed it immensely.

I don't think my fasts have been long enough lately to cause a problem. I seem to get issues about once a week now. When I had the medical 5 day fast in the hospital my food the first day afterwards was broth and Jello. The next day they gave me cream soup and egg custard pudding. The third day I could have regular food but I went home. I had diarrhea for 3 days after I went home and I thought the surgery destroyed my colon and I'd never have a normal BM, but then I was ok. So, my point is they refed me lightly and gradually and I still had issues.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue The first time I ever bought and ate chia seeds was years ago when a lady at church told me they helped her lower her blood sugar. I ate them for breakfast in oatmeal. I never thought about whether they gelled or not. I quit eating them so much because they were always getting in my teeth. LOL I have no idea whether the fasting causes my potty issues or not. I just shared the conversation I saw because it might be helpful to someone else. I personally don't think I fast long enough either.

We haven't been to TX Roadhouse in ages. We need to plan a trip there again sometime in the future.

I don't necessarily plan my fasts except that I would love to have one or two days a week of a longer fast although I don't want to limit my calories to 500 calories as the 5:2 diet does. My goal is to keep my eating windows between 4 to 8 hrs and calories between 1000 and 1200. I would like to build my exercise up to 30 minutes at least 3 days a week as a minimum. I see no reason why I wouldn't be able to finally lose weight and keep it off in a healthy way.

I've had another very good day with a 21 hr fast and 6 hr eating window. My goal is to make this such a habit that it becomes a lifestyle.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, last night I was reading about chia seeds and they do have a lot of benefits that would be good for me. The problem is, I don't eat any foods that I can add them to and I don't like the idea of adding a food to my diet that I don't need or want just so I can consume the chia seeds. I also don't want the plain seeds to swell up in my esophagus. Ill have to think of a way I can use them. That's probably why I threw them away last time.

I do believe the refeeding causes the potty issues when I was doing the 18-22 hour fasts but mine recently were 14-16 hours. I also think I might be lactose intolerant when I consider what I've eaten before the issues start. But I do believe that refeeding after a fast has an effect because it happens to MD, and also others.

[pattygirl63]

Weight back down to just under what it was on Mat 1st... 183.2 lbs today (WI day). I will keep doing what I'm doing. I think the IF and the exercises are helping a lot. I upped my exercise today and decided to do some today. Trying to have more self discipline. I will have a 2 meal day today and still tracking on MFP because I think it helps keep me on track especially when it comes to exercising.

I shared with my beautician that I was having to fast to lose weight this time and she says she is too. She hadn't weighed but thinks she might have reached 160s even if it was only 169. I thought I would love to just be 179. LOL She is much younger than me and I told her I was proud of her for doing it now before she gets older.

Not sure what we will have to eat to day. I used to have heavy meal on WI day but I'm trying to just treat everyday the same now. We might just have a salad and some frozen quick dinner today. I'll let DH decide. I keep our favorite pot pie and lasagna in the freezer. I like the one day break.

Carol Sue I remember reading about fasting when I was much younger. Back then it was just Health Food Store thing not main stream and docs didn't recommend it. They always recommended eating very light foods like stewed tomatoes or something soft like that for the first food that you put in your stomach. That time our church did a one week fast our preacher and his wife were what we called "health nuts" back then. They told us not to end our fast with a big feast of heavy food. I don't know what Mama cooked but I do remember that we did not follow the preacher's advice. I find it so interesting that all these years later that Fasting has a special name of IF and it is a great way to control weight and be healthy. Go figure.

Hope everyone has a nice Saturday.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, it won't be long before you are in the 170s and I doubt you will stop there. I found out years ago that trying to go lower is what causes you to maintain your loss. You are on this "diet" for the rest of your life whether you are losing or maintaining. That is why its called a lifestyle change. When I was in the 120s I was always trying to get to 120. The girls at work were encouraging me to try to get into the teens. I never did either but I stayed in the 120s for the next 10 years. Then I met DH. By the time we got married I was 137 and it just kept going from there. Marriage is not good for women. LOL

Good for you for getting back to 183. I knew you could!

I made stuffed cabbage rolls today. They are good, but I usually use meat from that one store in the next town but I used the local meat and it was fattier.

Most doctors are still not in favor of fasting. I never mention it to my doctors. They are all about pills and procedures. When DH had his heart surgery the cardiologist told us there's nothing you can do to prevent heart disease. If your family members have it, you will too. I don't agree with that. I think if I had stayed on the path I was on I would not have diabetes, heart disease or obesity. There are leaders and there are followers. DH brought me over to his way. If I had been stronger and brought him over to my way both of us would have been healthier. But that is water over the dam. It was all diet and lifestyle.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I am one of those people who doesn't believe that just because someone else in my family even parents had a certain health problem doesn't mean that I have to have the same. I have always believed that we can learn from other peoples mistakes. I still make my own mistakes but try to learn not to make what others did. I also watch what works for others and try to learn to improve myself. That is why I try to eat healthier than both my parents did. I realize there may be some things that are just in the genes but I do my best not to activate them if at all possible.

Like you, if I had kept eating the way I did when I was younger when food meant absolutely nothing to me, I never would have had the problems diabetes or obesity either. There was a time I never thought about food or how much I weighed. Oh to be able to live like that again.

Today will be only 2 meals no snack because I actually took almost all my pills when I ate brunch so when I ate dinner I just took the others. So I was finished eating by about 4:30. So I ended up with approximately 4 1/2 hr eating window. Not sure what time I at brunch. Now I am ready for a short nap so I am going to take one before DH decides he wants me to watch a movie with him.

Edited: I ended up with 8 hr eating window and 1508 calories which 1500 is the high end of calories that I allow myself. So I count this as my cheat or high day.

[Wannabehealthy]

I didn't keep track of my eating window but I think it was 8 hours at most. The sodium in my cabbage rolls blessed me with a 3.2 up tick on the scale along with the G. When I went to Texas Roadhouse I got pulled pork but forgot that the BBQ sauce spikes my blood sugar. That was Friday and I still can't get it down. I should have stuck with salmon or something else without sauce. So the high blood sugar is giving Mr poor sleep. It all connects.

I'm going to buy some digestive enzymes to try next time I eat ice cream to see if it helps. If it does then I'm probably lactose intolerant. Milk and cheese don't bother me but I never eat them in large quantities.

Trish, its typical for you to have an eating day on WI day so I wouldn't worry about the calories. You might be surprised!

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue No surprise but I think the bump .8 lb I am sure is fluid. I found the whole glass of tea I poured still sitting my by chair so I didn't get all my liquids in to counteract it. So 184 this morning. I'm working on fasting until 3ish.

I found frozen chicken breasts in the freezer I didn't know I had. I actually thought I had used all of them. Besides cooking them in gravy or French onion soup, DH also likes it cooked in cream of chicken soup so I've got them cooking in cream of chicken. Mama used to use Golden Cream of chicken but DH #2 didn't like anything but regular cream of chicken and I don't think I've ever tried the golden with DH. Mama also cooked chicken in cream of mushroom soup which I used to cook but the last time I cooked it that way DH told me he didn't like it as much as in cream chicken. Picky, picky. LOL

I think the potty issues I've had in the past was greens. I found some beautiful organic baby kale that I put in my salad everyday and man I am having no problems going. Not diarrhea but boy the cramping when it is time. Can't complain because it is probably helping with the weight loss. Maybe that is why the original WW plan you were required to eat at least one servings of greens each day. I saw someone on FB WW SF group say they needed to go back to the original. Did you know that FB even has a WW private group for people who still do the original WW exchange plan? Amazing isn't it?

Carol Sue I hope you can get your bs back under control. That is another thing that keeps me OP. My extra eating can cause my bs to go up into the 110s and I don't like that. I was surprised it was only up to 108 this morning. It has gone up into the 120s which I don't like at all. I have seen 90s before but I'm not ever sure how I get that. I think it is from strict low carb but I know I can't do that long term so I need to just stick with what I can do.

Hope to hear from Pipsicle and Fatmad. I don't remember how long Fatmad was going to be at their cottage. I hope things are going good for them both.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone.

[Pipsicle]

My official weigh-in is up 2 pounds from the last official weigh-in a week ago. I had a great week and was on-plan all week. Friday's unofficial weight was showing a 2.5 pound loss. This means today's weight is up 4.5 pounds from Friday's unofficial weight two days ago. Staying on course but this feels discouraging. The scale never drops 4.5 pounds in two days.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, I love chicken breasts cooked in Cream of Chicken soup. DH tolerates it. No surprise, his food likes are few. I think the only reason he eats it is because I put home fried potatoes on top. I make another recipe I call chicken cacciatore, but it's my own take on it. It has canned diced tomatoes and canned mushrooms.

I think the greens are probably providing fiber which helps with bowel movements but not necessarily potty issues. I've been looking for a bag of baby spinach and baby kale but I can't find that mixture. I don't want to buy a separate bag of each because DH won't eat greens. He says it looks like they were picked out in the back yard. LOL. He only likes iceberg lettuce. You eat very healthy, Trish. Its no wonder you're doing so well!

Edit: I looked online and found the spinach and kale mix in Wal-Mart but its out of stock in the 2 stores near me. Darn!

[pattygirl63]

Pipsicle Sorry about the gain. I know how that feels. Especially when you working so hard to loses. I like that for so long and thought I would never get the scale to move down at all.

Carol Sue Your chicken caccitore sounds good. I would have to use canned mushroomds because of DH. He eats cooked mushrooms at the steakhouses and I love to cook fresh ones at home, but he doesn't care for them. That could be one of those things I could do both by making it individually in foil.

I used to by the spinach/kale packages too but haven't seen them lately.

Well we have today and tomorrow in the 80s and then by Tues or Wed we go into our higher temps in the 90s. Three digits aren't too far behind.