I couldn't sleep so I'm up reading at 4:30. I will probably read for a while then go back to bed.

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Still up at 7 am. While I was reading I came across a site Calorie king where you enter your specs and it tells you how many calories you should eat to lose weight. Mine came out to 1100-1300 which is about my range. So much for "not eating enough.". It said my ideal weight is 100-135 lbs. 125-135 was good for me when I was 30 but I don't see that for me now.

I feel fat today and don't want to weigh. I am not going to weigh when I feel like this. Seeing a higher number causes depression and depression hinders weight loss. I am still in that Lose a Pound A Week challenge so my goal is to be 187 by next weekend. Our weigh in day is from Friday to Monday. 1 lb a week for 1 year would have me at goal range so I will take 1 week at a time, 1 day at a time. I want to stay on plan for today and then do it again tomorrow, and continuing it for another 364 days. Sounds easy enough, right? LOL. And what is plan? I plan on eating the amount of healthy food that my body needs and moving more. Any movement is more than I'm doing right now.

More coffee and continue reading.
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Guess I'm not going back to bed after all. DH got up early, too, and cooked breakfast at 8AM. I didn't want to start eating that early so I did what I did a few days ago, covered up the plate with plastic wrap and will reheat it later. It tasted fine. I'm at 17+ hours so far and still not really hungry. I plan on eating around 11 or so. I'm planning on grilled chicken tenderloins for dinner, Chicken Broccoli Alfredo.

So far besides my reading, I scheduled the Recyclers to pick up a broken TV on the 27th. We get that service free with our trash collection. Disposal of televisions is almost impossible here.

Carol Sue I have had those days of not able to sleep especially when low carbing but so far, I'm not having it. Of course, I'm not doing as low a low carb as I have done in the past. I usually use that time like you are with reading. Carol Sue you have a good plan. Good for you in saving the breakfast until you are ready to eat it. I'm in that same sweet spot you are where I don't want to mess up my fasting time so I keep fasting too.

Today is my WI day and according to MFP I lost 1.4 lbs today down to 187 and FBG is 92. My goal is to just keep doing what I did last week. I may go lower on carbs in the future but not yet. I am happy with how things are going and I would be happy if I could lose 1 lb a week. In fact, at that rate, I could weigh 135 lb in a year. But I will be happy if I can just lose the 37 lbs to get to 150 lbs.
I might could lose more if I ate lower carb but I'm not sure it is good to do that at my age. I'm wrinkled enough.

I am having 19 to 20 hr fasts now. I'm not really trying to go that long. It just seems to happen because I am not hungry. By the time I do get hungry, it is too close to 3 o'clock when we have our main meal so I just wait. Evening eating usually is just enough of something to take the edge off of the hunger.

I watched a young woman make ice cream in the Cuisinart IC maker I have. I think I can use the recipe she used and use an alternative sweetener for the sugar and have a low carb/keto friendly sugar free ice cream. I will do that when I get the new freezer 2 weeks from now. I also found some other recipes for so DH and I can have some sweets made with Stevia or some other alternative sweetener. I want to get away from sugar alcohols.

Today is a day when I cook DH chipped beef so I'll probably have to drink a protein shake later to get more protein in it because this meal won't have enough.

Have a great day everybody.

Trish, I am reading a book written by a woman who had tried every diet and failed. She succeeded at low carb while in college but as soon as she went back to eating carbs, she regained. No surprise there. Finally she decided she was going to count calories, but eat what she liked, and she liked junk food. I haven't come to the part where she says what she eats, but she said it is mostly fast food. She said she made this decision when going to McDonalds with her thin sister-in-law. She ordered her regular double burger and large fries, but her thin sister-in-law ordered a small burger, no cheese and small fry. So she saw that she could still have the foods she loved if she counted calories and just had smaller versions of her favorite foods. I am not recommending a fast food diet, but what I am doing is similar. Eating the foods I like, but in smaller portions, and in a shorter eating window. She started out by making a list of her favorite foods and their calorie count. Then she went through the list and crossed out the foods she thought she could eliminate without feeling deprived. This just shows that you can tweak your own plan and make it work for you and live with it for the rest of your life.

I understand what you mean about just wanting to get to 150. There was a woman on the LC forum that wanted that but ended up going on down to 114. Very thin. I think she became obsessed with losing weight. I WANT to lose 1 lb a week for the rest of the year, but I will be HAPPY with what I get. LOL

DH just tried out our air conditioner and it's not working. Good think he didn't wait til it got hot to find out!

Carol Sue I remember when Carolr was living and had the original IE group on 3fc. She told of reading about a man who was living somewhere overseas as a contractor. He would eat at McDonalds over there and order the same thing he at in the USA, however, the portions there were smaller than the portions in the US. He found that he was just as satisfied with the same food that was smaller as he was with the larger portions in the US. Back then those of us doing IE would cook our meals and prepare our food and then always leave at least one bite of every food on the plate. I actually learned not to try to eat everything on my plate.

We are having beautiful weather here right now and then we are supposed to get rain all next week which isn't a surprise since we should be going into a rainy season pretty soon.

Glad your DH found out now about the AC before it gets hot.

Edited: Carol Sue I just remembered that I read somewhere (not sure why) about a research that was done with one group that had a diet while doing IF and one group didn't change the way they ate while fasting and they both lost weight. So maybe that is why that woman did good by choosing the foods she wanted to eat and made up her own plan. I also thought of your friend who still goes up and down stairs but eats what she likes. I've always been impressed with your friend's woe. I don't see why eating the 4 hr window with 20 hr fast and eating while just eating the foods I like wouldn't work.

Hi Gang: Feeling a little frustrated. In spite of the fasting, not losing. I am 161 this am. i did Omad yesterday, so one meal since Thursday night. Yesterday am after fasting Friday was just below 161. So I think I need to rev things up a bit and will eat 2MAD today but careful Keto. So my high fat yogurt and nut and seed granola, with blueberries for breakfast/brunch but have not yet figured out supper. But we have lots of salad stuff so I will be sure to make a nice salad. Likely will just grill a bit of meat. Debating whether to hit costco this morning or tomorrow am for a few things. My keto stuff and GF stuff is much cheaper there. Sundays in general are busier, but if I go first thing its not too bad. Don't want to walk the dug until the rain stops though, so that might interfere.
At leasts its a warm spring rain.

Carol: delighted you got under 190 again. The IF really suits you, and you can eat what you like it seems.

Trish: I think you are wise to be a good listener to your niece. I did that with DD, and she did get back together with that boyfriend for a few months, then they broke up later and she never looked back.

Have a great day friends

Trish, the book was more like a short story and I finished it already. She started out by saying all diets work but you have to find one that works for you. She really did eat fast food. She said it was the thought of giving up the foods she liked and having to eat VEGETABLES that kept her from losing weight in the past. And she didnt want to exercise. She had a 100 calorie breakfast of something small like toast or a toaster pastry, then she had a 500-600 calorie lunch and dinner, always from a drive thru. Sometimes McDonalds, sometimes KFC and others. She said she could buy from the $1 menu which fit her budget, plus it was portion control because there were no leftovers. If she wanted ice cream she fit it into her calories by not having French fries that day. That's what I do when I have DQ ice cream for dinner. She went off her diet for family holidays and such but went right back on plan. She was 5'7" and went from 332 to 170. I am not recommending this and don't think its healthy. But weighing 330 lbs is not healthy either. This was about weight loss and I found it interesting.

My wt is up to 191. I am finding that I do better when we don't stay home. It could have been the pasta Alfredo or the fact that I'm overdue for a BM. (TMI) The chicken tenderloins turned out great on my grill pan. Mine was so soft and tasty with only garlic salt for seasoning. I have to cook DHs a bit longer because he likes his done more. I start his a couple minutes ahead then put mine on when its time to turn his over. I do that when I grill steak, too. I can tell when I overeat because I stay full longer. I'm still learning. If this is water weight I will get it off today.

Talking about research, I have read several times that one group did low carb and the other group did low fat. The low carb group lost faster in the beginning because of lost water weight but at the end of the study both groups had lost the same over all. So I do believe that all diets work but you need to find one you can stick to. I want to be able to eat any and all foods, so IF is the way to go for me, however I could not eat fast food like that woman did. Fast food makes me feel yucky. Sluggish. Its too greasy. The only fast food I like is Sausage and Egg Mcmuffin. Also, no matter what the experts say, I believe that CICO does work for weight loss. Most of the experts have never really had a weight problem. They have never lived it. My friend does not eat fast foods, but she lost weight with all packaged processed foods. She does not cook. And she does all those stairs and has walked every day for the past 3 years. I dont know if I ever mentioned this, but she was diagnosed with diabetes with an A1c of 8.1. It is now 5.6. A My BIL moved from a 3 story home to a mobile home in a trailer park and gained 50+ lbs. He is the one who says the Bible says not to exercise. LOL. He says God gives you so much energy and when you use it all up you die. I've asked him to tell me where it says that but he ignores me.

Mad, like you, my weight has taken a bump up which I hope is temporary. I am totally sick of the 190s.

When you say I am eating whatever I want it sounds like I am eating the SAD diet, which I don't think I am. You might not have meant that. I am, in that I do eat pasta occasionally and bread occasionally but not on a daily basis like I was when in gaining mode.. I've stopped breakfast 75% of the time and when I do eat it there's no toast, only scrambled eggs. On the few occasions that I eat fried eggs I have toast. If I want a sandwich with bread I will, but I rarely eat sandwiches now. And at dinner I mostly eat protein and veggies and will swap out potatoes for veggies in a restaurant when I can. I am eating what I want to a point but what I want has changed, and quantities have definitely changed. I agree that low carb is healthier, especially for a diabetic, but I don't see myself eating that way for the rest of my life and I want a life long change.

I have to be in the mood to eat a salad. I think that's because I prefer to eat warm or hot food. Ice cream would be the exception. I used to order meal salads in restaurants where the warm steak or chicken met my criteria, but they put things in them that really add to the calorie count and you might as well order a meal. We don't eat enough salad at home for me to keep the ingredients on hand, but I do have everything now. I just always seem to choose hot vegetables before salad. I hope this WOE brings long term results because I don't know of anything else I haven't tried.

Carol Sue My SC doctor that I loved so much, always said that "Any diet will work; you just have to find the one you can live with". I believe that is true. I honestly believe that when we eat the foods we like and count or watch the calories is the best way to lose weight. I also think eating real food is probably the best way. The big problem I found with fat free or lowfat for me was that I was always hungry, but eating healthier fat keeps me from being hungry.

Mad I wonder if your body has adjusted to the way you fast? I don't really know enough about EFing like you do to know how you could shake things up. Are you still on Dr Fung's group? Perhaps you could ask someone on the group how to change things.

My weight was187.2 up only .2 but FBG 102 up from 92 yesterday. I think I can't eat some of the processed proteins especially in the evening. I ate a healthy low carb breakfast this morning of avocado, eggs and bacon. Dinner today will be roast, salad, carrots etc. I actually will have enough calories so it is acceptable on MFP although I do have planned an small evening snack if I need it. So calories will be between 1000 - 1300 depending on whether I eat the 3rd meal. So eating window will either be 4 hrs or 6 hr. as I figured if I eat every 3 hrs that I can get 2 or 3 meals or 2 meals and a snack and still have a 18 hr fast.

Carol Sue Because DH likes eating Fast Food some days, I am thinking that if I as healthy as I can most days and then foods he likes either Fast Food or meals I cook for us that are his favorites staying within my calories within IF that it will work in my favor. It might be slow but it will happen. I also believe the exercise will help too because it makes me feel so good about what I am doing.

I had to laugh when I read that your BIL said the Bible tells us not to exercise. I have never read that and I'm not sure they had to talk about exercise because people had to walk everywhere unless you had money to own a camel or donkey. I've heard that those people were wealthy. Also I notice that the Bible does warn us not to be lazy or slothful so I think that kind of covers exercising because they were so busy they didn't have to exercise. When I was in school we not only did exercises in PE which I'm not sure most schools even have any more. Mama had a car and could have picked me up from school, but until I had to go to the only HS in town which was downtown, I walked home. We didn't live close to either of the schools. My friends and I used to walk a mile to the little mall we lived close to so I didn't have a weight problem back then. Now kids ride everywhere they go just as most of us do.

nothing new to report...still overeating...weight still creeping up

Trish, DH and I were just recently talking about how. far I walked to school. We did not have school busses because I lived in the city where we had sidewalks. So kids walked or you could take a city bus but my parents didn't have money for us to ride the bus. My friend, the one who lost all the weight, and I would walk home from school and we walked past DHs house. He was out of school. If he was on his porch I would say Hi. He said I never talked to him but back then it was up to the boy to start a conversation. That was in 1962 or 1963. LOL. Well he lived close to the school and said he was surprised that we walked that far to school. I walked a lot back then. We all did.

I think my BIL has a lot of very strange ideas about things. That's why he never had a wife or family.

I never liked any low fat or fat free products except for milk. I like turkey or chicken but not ground. It has to be ground beef. I don't eat a lot of bacon or sausage but I don't like turkey bacon or sausage. We tried them. The turkey sausage links were good but we didn't buy that anymore. I like turkey Dell meat and also turkey salami, but I don't consider any deli meat to be healthy. I love it and I can't buy it because I would overeat on it. It is a rare treat for me. I don't even like Canadian bacon and that is supposed to be healthier.

I am trying to stay up later because I've been waking up too early but I am getting sleepy so I'm going to bed. DH already went.

Goodnight.

PS. I didn't know Carolr died. I just thought she stopped posting.

Also, we did not hear from Pipsicle today!

Oh! Pipsicle posted while I was posting last night. I'm sorry you've gone off the rails. It has happened to all of us at one time or another. I hope you're still exercising and keeping up with your fitness, and something clicks to get you back on track.

Weight is back down to 189.6 so I guess it was fluid. I've been doing well with my fasts. I had 17 HR 56 min, yesterday so almost 18 hours. So far I'm at 17 hrs and 45 minutes. We have to go to Wal-Mart and we will stop at Goodwill while we are in that area. DH might want McDonalds breakfast. I don't know when I will eat. My body will tell me. There's hunger, then there's what I call sick hunger where I feel horrible and need food. I powered through that one time just to prove I could.

Today I have to call the air condition tech. Last year it would not come on at all and they found a dead mouse in the motor. He had chewed the wire and electrocuted himself. This time it comes on but is not cooling. Its old. We got it in the 1980s and it was fine til last year but we won't replace it unless it is costly to repair. The guy does not have to come inside which is good due to Covid.

I'm reading another short book. I got these free on Amazon. This guy is doing a Protein Express diet. Emphasizing protein to limit muscle loss on a low carb diet. He is using whey protein shakes instead of eating tons of protein. Nothing really new. I like to read in the morning while DH is still sleeping.

Hi friends: I'm 162 this am after my 2MAD Keto yesterday. I did not have a BM this weekend either Carol. I do use glycerine suppositories from time to time to keep things moving. Also with fasting it affects them, sometimes I very loose watery stools the morning after about 36 hrs of fasting. So I will see tomorrow morning, since I am back to fasting today. Friday into Saturday, was easy because I had a lot of work and that distracted me. I am walking or going outside when DH eats supper when I am fasting to avoid temptation. Will see how today goes. I am "interviewing" a couple of my board members today, and that should keep me busy and mentally occupied today.
Carol: I was not implying you were eating a SAD diet. From your descriptions, it seems varied, and you have always had lots of veggies. You don't seem to restrict any foods though (I have to be GF, but not low carb, just find that is right for me) and that seems to suit you and your life with DH and family. Its working so why meddle too much? You also seem to have found a way around DH cooking for you when you didn't want in, by wrapping it up and eating it later. That is a great response, no arguments, just managing things according to you, but not wasting food. Well done.

Trish, you may be right about my body get used to the fasting, this is also around the set point I was stuck at for a while. I have planned to have 2 eating days on the weekends, to avoid living "permanently" in alternate day fasting. Will see how this week goes. If I can get things down this week, I can keep going. If not, I will have to reframe things and see where I go. A week today will be the litmus test, lets say.

Have a good day friends, its cool and rainy here.

Mad, I also don't want my body to adjust to the same fasting pattern. I am considering a JUDDD-like plan but not necessarily alternate day, where some days I have OMAD, A small meal, and other days when I eat more. But I'm going to continue as I've been until I stall. I can easily restart my overeating with only 1 big meal. I find that the longer I go, the more I am eager to extend it and once I eat the more I want. Its all part of my eating disorder.

PIpsicle So sorry you are struggling. Hang in there and be kind to yourself. Like Carol Sue said we have all experienced those times and we have to just go through it and I started everyday the way I knew to do and it was so discouraging to do what I thought I was to do and it didn't seem to work I guess that is why it has taken me 9 yrs to lose 55 lbs, but I look at it this way. I learned a lot along the way and I did lose even if it was so slow. We are all pulling for you.

Carol Sue IF seems to be working for us both. Some days I can do a 20 hr fast but I try not to go less than 16 hr. I had a 16 hr fast last night because I decided to eat protein today after exercising 33 minutes on the recumbent bike to get my 3 miles done on it. This makes my exercise back up to what I was doing when I lived in SC. I'm finding I can't eat as much as I used to.

We had a beef roast yesterday with carrots and baby potatoes and a salad. I ate all my salad and at only the meat from the roast as a lot of it was fat that I don't eat. I ended up throwing out half the potatoes and about 1/4th of the carrots that were on my plate. This making me feel empowered to keep going.

Mad Dr. Fung talks about changing up your ways of fasting and I have read that other places. Is that what you are doing now? Of course, when you were working full time you were more active and busier so it may be that your body is just catching up to the changes. Also you had that period of time after hurting your knee that you weren't able to be as active. I'm sure as you get back into your groove that things will turn around and your weight will start coming off. Looking forward to see how the litmus test works out. I think that is what I'm doing with my new way of doing my plan for last week and this week.

Weight down to 186.6 today and FBG 102. I'm not sure what I do to get those lower FBG #s in the 90s but I don't so I am just thank ful that it is less than 110. I am working to keep calories less than 1400 and micros balanced but not always successful on that because I have to work at getting calories to or above 1000. However, when I run out of the 2% milk and go back to the whole milk, I won't have that problem any more and I will be able to eat only 2MAD and keep it up to at least 1000 calories. Whole milk is 30 calories more than I usually have by the end of the day so it will help me with calories and it is less sodium than the 2% has.

Hope everybody has a nice day today.

I can't sleep so now I'm up at 1:30 reading. We have to go at 8 AM to pick up our taxes so I will really be dragging but maybe I will sneak in a nap.

I am really struggling with my eating. Or should I say my over eating. Its all about once I eat I want to continue eating. We went to Texas Roadhouse and I found that they now have salmon salad. A nice bed of greens topped with grilled salmon. Very tasty. But then I had to ruin it by eating 2 rolls and a piece of DHs baked potato. Then I came home and ate chocolate covered peanuts. My shut off valve is broken. I go along fine for a while thinking I'm getting this under control then WHAM! I have a day like today. I haven't eaten since 4:30 today but I still feel full. I am so much better off if I don't eat at all.

DH thought he would be ok eating that baked potato but he went to bed and his shoulders are hurting. I don't know why this would start after 78 years of eating potatoes. He read online that in recent years they are spraying potatoes with something to kill the potato bugs and its toxic to people. Apparently it doesn't effect me except for slight pain I got that one time. Poor guy. I feel bad for him. There aren't many foods he likes but he loves potatoes.