Last night I stopped eating when my window was over, but I drank beer two hours later-- oops! Good thing it's a flexible plan. My hope is to be perfectly in my window 6 days a week with one going-out night where I can drink beer until midnight/1am.
Does anyone else do this? Has it worked for you?
OH NOES! You're going to gain at least 10 lbs now that you drank that beer. So much progress ... wasted.
Actually it doesn't matter. One night a week of drinking won't matter either, much. Depends how much you drink.
I have a high calorie day on Sunday (it is also the only day I do not work out). It kind of 'resets' me for the rest of the week. It's also a 'high carb' day for me, meaning I eat sweet potato and perhaps some starchier squash/veggie paired with a protein. And, I'll even 'relax' my window, and it's working fine for me.
sahahmac, lowcarb is sustainable longterm if it has to be. I'm one of those who don't think that a person should necesarily be completely gluten free unless they are forced to, healthwise (and I am forced too). I gave up sugar 12 years ago. I have to credit a lot of my weightloss success to the fact that I found a medical practitioner that 'got it' about thyroid disease, and it's replacement.
I know that I can eat four hundred more calories a day on lowcarb than I can on lowfat too, and that my tri glys are 29 (not a typo), my total cholesterol is 184. It's not like that if I'm on lowfat, it's really bad
So, the fact that you are doing what is working for YOU, and I am doing something (completely different) that's working for me, reflects the individuality of all people. And that's a good thing. Why would anyone stay on a way of eating that they hated? There's no way it would be longterm way of eating for them, you are right about the unsustainability of that.
Six months' after I started IF (I was already LC), my requirements for T3, and three other meds I take went down. My CRP reflected a huge drop in inflammatory condition, and that's all I know so far. I have to really drag it out of the test group by asking questions to 'know' much. And they are paranoid, knowing my background work.
But, so far, IF seems to reduce inflammatory process in my body (which leaves me actually looking forward to lifting weights, and seeing definite progress, and at my age, that's not an easy thing).
Doing my first 24 hour fast tonight/tomorrow (dinner tonight til dinner tomorrow). I've done a few in the past, but I'm a little nervous for this one! I think I'm building it up in my mind too much. I've been doing 16-18hr daily without be starving at the end, but for some reason the thought of tomorrow already makes me hungry Wish me luck, here it goes...
This thread has been really helpful! Strangely enough it's what I do naturally (I'm just in the process of making the meals healthier lol). I kept getting told that I HAVE to eat at least 3 meals a day at certain times to lose weight and all they did was make me maintain, or worse, gain. It's great to know it's not unhealthy to eat this way.
lildawn, I, also, was doing IF without knowing it 'had a name'. I have to say though, I have encountered some people who will eat 'junk' during their window. I'm talking they'll eat bread, and icecream, etc. Whereas if I ate the standard American Diet, I would start my window opening with vegetables, protein, etc.
The calories in, calories out doesn't work in my case anyway. If I were lowfatting and not lowcarbing, I can only get in about 1350 cals a day (yes, even with weightlifting three times a week and cardio twice) but I'm seeing about 1700 cals as it is and my weight is remaining stable.
I can see ice cream as a treat once in a while and in tiny amounts (I'll take a spoonful once in a great while...it lasts forever with me lol totally frosts over each time) but I wonder if those people lose that way. Compared to a lot of people I ate decently but now I'm working harder to cut fats, lessen carbs, and lots of veggies. I've been losing some weight but I'm still getting in the swing of things since it's only recently I've put my mind to it for real this time.
I have toyed with IF but I do better if I totally fast every other day. For instance, I'll eat dinner and then break the fast with breakfast 36 hours later. I also lose weight and feel better eating lower carb. I would like to to embark on this WOE immediately but am on an antibotic for the next two weeks. Two pills twice a day. I am nervous about taking them without food on the fasting days although there is no instruction that they must be taken with food. Any thoughts on that? I guess I can just try it and see if there is any tummy upset. Also, those of you on thryoid replacement (hypo) do you find that you need to adjust your dosage on fasting days?
Doing my first 24 hour fast tonight/tomorrow (dinner tonight til dinner tomorrow). I've done a few in the past, but I'm a little nervous for this one! I think I'm building it up in my mind too much. I've been doing 16-18hr daily without be starving at the end, but for some reason the thought of tomorrow already makes me hungry Wish me luck, here it goes...
I did the same thing. I built up the whole '24 fast' thing in my mind where you would think I was embarking on some type of pilgrimage or something.
When I finally did it, I realized that I was basically just pushing my eating window back by a few hours and I really didn't get dramatically hungry or anything.
It was almost anti-climatic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilidawn
This thread has been really helpful! Strangely enough it's what I do naturally (I'm just in the process of making the meals healthier lol). I kept getting told that I HAVE to eat at least 3 meals a day at certain times to lose weight and all they did was make me maintain, or worse, gain. It's great to know it's not unhealthy to eat this way.
Actually, it's not strange at all, that this is what you do naturally. I would bet if you took a poll of us that do IF, a good 75%+ are folks that tended to do IF anyway, but had no idea what it was called.
Also many of us had been fed the "eat-6-meals-a-day-or-you-are-doomed-to-doubling-your-body-weight" for so many years that discovering that wasn't some sort of universal law, was equivalent to being released from a prison.
We were locked into something that we thought was crucial to success, only to realize it was our greatest obstacle.
Just checking in! I'm about a month in to IF and still really enjoying it. I'm very flexible with my window though. Sometimes it's 4:30-9, sometimes it's 1:30-8. I think I've heard on this board that that is okay, so I'm going with it.
I still am having a problem exercising without having eaten anything. I think the problem is mentally getting on a treadmill for half an hour with my stomach growling. I tried coffee with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp skim milk, which has worked a few times but is not consistently reliable. I've started working out at about 1 PM and eating 1 bite (25 cals) of a homemade bran muffin with no oil right before. If nothing else it makes me feel like I haven't not eaten in over 16 hours and that I'm fueled enough to kick tail on that plastic electric behemoth.
I also continue to eat healthier and less on IF, which has been great. On days when I don't eat until 4:30 I eat extremely well and have no problem staying under calories.
Someday I'll try the 24 hour fast. As soon as I make my boyfriend read peer-reviewed studies on IF so he doesn't freak out...
Congrats everyone on your progress and successes so far!
Someday I'll try the 24 hour fast. As soon as I make my boyfriend read peer-reviewed studies on IF so he doesn't freak out...
Congrats everyone on your progress and successes so far!
Hahah! I identify with this, definitely had to prove some things to the bf at first. He was also very annoyed with my 'window' yesterday morning when he wanted to eat McD's breakfast and I told him I would just get an iced tea.
Also, he has jokingly said to me, "Call me when your window opens so we can eat"
John P - good comment about alcohol and IF...do you incorporate this for yourself? What do you typically choose when you go out for drinks? I think Martin from Leangains has an article about how to make the most of a "night out." Am I remembering this correctly?
Texalupa - "Also, he has jokingly said to me, "Call me when your window opens so we can eat"
Wahhhhh "
That is too funny! My husband has NO PROBLEM eating during my window. ha...I've been surprised at how little I struggle with him eating during my fasts.
Neanderpam-
I hope I didn't sound like I was poopooing LC in all instances...sometimes it is hard to get ideas across on the good old interwebs. I think that you are spot on about LC being sustainable for others. My brother is gluten free because he has severe problems with it. It changed his life once he figured that out. He could eat no dairy without having the most terrible gas and stomach problems. The week he gave up gluten his lactose intolerance completely disappeared. He misses certain foods for sure, but his quality of life is so much better now. That was what I meant by one person's good medicine is another's poison. It can also be wise to abstain from certain foods for a period to deal with specific issues. I like the idea of eating somewhat seasonally for that reason...it adds variety and indulgence into our lives. I'm a person who needs a little indulgence here and there
I also think you are very wise to do a refeed day once a week. Sweet potatoes are wonderful, my favorite last meal before ending my window is a sweet potato with full fat sour cream, steamed chard and cottage cheese with fruit. This really seems to help me get through my window with sustained energy and focus.
I would definitely echo your thoughts on IF reducing inflammation. It's been wonderful for me! My body is rejoicing that it gets a break from the constant bombardment.
Back on my window today. Going to have some honeyed rhubarb with cream...eggs and leftover mexican rice with salsa and greens, cottage cheese and fruit. I have to admit I started my morning with coffee and fig newmans.
John P - good comment about alcohol and IF...do you incorporate this for yourself? What do you typically choose when you go out for drinks? I think Martin from Leangains has an article about how to make the most of a "night out." Am I remembering this correctly?
Yes. However his article is about planning an evening of mass drinking. He never goes into details but as a single male in sweeden I'm guessing it is way more alchohol than I would consume especially since I'm a major lightweight.
I believe it is called "cheat strategies for a hedonist"
I have toyed with IF but I do better if I totally fast every other day. For instance, I'll eat dinner and then break the fast with breakfast 36 hours later. I also lose weight and feel better eating lower carb. I would like to to embark on this WOE immediately but am on an antibotic for the next two weeks. Two pills twice a day. I am nervous about taking them without food on the fasting days although there is no instruction that they must be taken with food. Any thoughts on that? I guess I can just try it and see if there is any tummy upset. Also, those of you on thryoid replacement (hypo) do you find that you need to adjust your dosage on fasting days?
I am hypothyroid and do not change my dosage/adjust. But..I don't just take synthetic T4 either. I take both T4 and T3 (and T2 and T1..I'm on porcine replacement). I do not fast 'every other day' because I found I did not lose any faster, it didn't really give me any more 'benefit' than just having an eating window of five hours a day.
I hope I didn't sound like I was poopooing LC in all instances...sometimes it is hard to get ideas across on the good old interwebs. I think that you are spot on about LC being sustainable for others. My brother is gluten free because he has severe problems with it. It changed his life once he figured that out. He could eat no dairy without having the most terrible gas and stomach problems. The week he gave up gluten his lactose intolerance completely disappeared. He misses certain foods for sure, but his quality of life is so much better now. That was what I meant by one person's good medicine is another's poison. It can also be wise to abstain from certain foods for a period to deal with specific issues. I like the idea of eating somewhat seasonally for that reason...it adds variety and indulgence into our lives. I'm a person who needs a little indulgence here and there
I also think you are very wise to do a refeed day once a week. Sweet potatoes are wonderful, my favorite last meal before ending my window is a sweet potato with full fat sour cream, steamed chard and cottage cheese with fruit. This really seems to help me get through my window with sustained energy and focus.
I would definitely echo your thoughts on IF reducing inflammation. It's been wonderful for me! My body is rejoicing that it gets a break from the constant bombardment.QUOTE]
No, not at all, everyone is individual...if a person is overweight, they have to find what works for them. I've been a thyroid patient advocate for 22 years now, and am finishing up my degree in nutrition now (better late than never, I'm 56 yrs. old). I've seen the 'majority' of hypothryoid females lose weight and maintain on lower carbs and adequate fat. So, I kind of 'specialize' in those with autoimmune disease at this point, and will go on to make menu's, etc. for that group.
I want to keep an open mind, especially since my first two visits with dietitians did NOT go well...they BOTH were into the 'no fat' and 'lots of carbs' type menus...that doesn't work for me. I did revisit one of them after going from 277 lbs. down to 114 lbs....and she was amazed. I'm glad I went back because it brought her to researching more about lowcarb.
The refeed I do is placed right after my heaviest weight lifting workout...I suppose you could say I'm more of a CKD type way of eating...CKD/LC/IF.
Last edited by neanderpam107; 04-11-2011 at 05:30 PM.
