John: I agree. I reacted a bit defensively when this person approached *me*. I think that friends can be saboteurs, even if they don't mean to be. My husband is supportive, and I think he's trying his first fast today. He's having a very emotional reaction to the whole thing, very panicky and stressed out. I find it liberating. Just goes to show that you can't tell how people will take up a food plan, and that it's very emotional for everyone.

WVUchick: I'm from WV myself, so it's nice to see that handle on here. :) I was a 22/24 at my largest, and I'm an 8 now. At 135 pounds, I was a size 10. (I lost from 315 to 135 by straight calorie restriction, not IF.) In about 5 years, I've put on 20 pounds of muscle. I guess I say that to put into perspective just how weird "goal weight" can be. I feel most comfortable at a low 8. When I'm around a 6, my upper half starts to look emaciated.

OH: Totally unexpectedly, lost another pound. I'm down 5 pounds in 7 days. I'm seriously floored. I was totally skeptical about this plan, but not anymore. One week has made all the difference, not only in my weight, but in learning now to 1) eat when I'm hungry; 2) stop when I'm full; 3) eat only foods that are "worth it," so not eating mindlessly; and 4) not spending so much mental energy worrying about my next meal.

I LOVE it. LOVE IT.

Happy Friday everyone and I hope that your weight loss continues along with all the wonderful benefits :)

This thread is getting so interesting and Im glad to be part of it.. Everyone seems to be doing so well.

I ended up doing a 22 hour fast yesterday which I was happy about because the days before that I was eating a lot more and I dont want to get into my bad habits again...I was thinking about how easy I am losing weight and its becoming easier with time,,so excited about how far I can go :)

well yesterday after my fast the day before I definitly over did it a bit. Feel really heavy and groggy. Now normally the amount I ate yesterday wouldn't bother me at all. Glad to see I am more conscious of it now.

The more intense the exercise the more you should be cautious of doing it if you're not going to be eating for a long time due to muscle catabolism.

That said - walking even briskly is not an issue. Your body can support this exercise primarily with fat for fuel. Walking also does not tax the CNS. So go for it.

How awesome. I am from WV and have lived here all but three years of my life. Lived in the DC Metro area, but sooooo glad to be back. I :val1: WV!!

PallasAthena - I absolutely LOVE the 4 things you've learned so far. That is my absolute goal, to really get those exact things in my head and come to peace with them.

sum38 - Let's make today awesome! :) I'm already 17.5 hrs in, and aside from a little bit of a headache, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm also planning on working out later, but not hardcore cardio, probably do some dumbbell weights and body weight exercises.

I'm new at this, obviously, but I did work out yesterday while fasting. I usually don't have a real drop in energy until around 4:30 or so (I break my fast at 6:00) so I was fine to work out at lunch. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical at a fairly easy pace, then 10 minutes on the rowing machine. My back is sore today; guess that means I should spend more time on the rowing machine.

After dinner I did some lower body strength training and I was fine then as well. I hope that trend continues for me, because I can't really afford to take training days off while I'm fasting.

I ended up doing a 20 1/2 hour fast today. Has been a long time since I was able to go so long without eating. I am really pleased with my day.

Hi all. I am back. I went on a trip and have had a busy week since. I am happy to see some new names. I missed my fellow IFers. I gained some water weight from my trip but I'm going down. I will be doing a 24 hour fast today. I am getting back on schedule with 16/8 with two 24 hours.

The only person I have told is my mother because she live with me. Other than that I don't talk about it. It just makes it easier for me.

The thing is everyone is noticing my loss. I love how IF really gets to problem fat. It is taking my stomach area down nicely.

Hi Everyone! Got into the Girl Scout Cookies. I'm doing my Fri-Sat night 24 hour fast. Will check in later. Have a great OP day, everyone.

Mizz - Welcome back.

Hey all -- so sorry for just doing annoying 'pop-ins' but family is still here and it seems like we just go from restaurant to restaurant when everyone visits -- in between sightseeing and doing touristy things I don't usually do a lot of normally (I live in big city for tourism).

Anyway, IF has been shaky at best this week. I've been trying to fast until at least lunch (so maybe 15-16 hours) and then showing restraint and meals but it will be interesting to see what the scale says.

I am so sorry for not addressing people individually -- when things calm down and my life is back to 'normal' I'll be able to get back into the group the way I want to!

ordered pizza last night and ate waay too much. Feeling so bloated this morning I'm considering fasting today instead of tomorrow as planned. I work today though so since it's only my second 24 hour fast I'm a little concerned how it will affect my energy level.

Cherrypie - You might find you do better. I don't suffer the mid day slumps when I'm fasting. You may get a bad case or two of the stomach grumbles after a big night of pizza eating, though. Usually lasts less than 15 minutes and can have more to do with your body ridding itself of excess stuff instead of true hunger. Give it a try. Worse comes to worse, eat something light later on.