Pang, I agree that most of us who do fasting like to eat. I know I sure do.
yoyo, good job maintaining. Japan? Lucky girl!
I am doing well and am happy to report that as of this morning I am down 60 pounds from my restart.

I would like to try this but my favorite meal is breakfast. Is it possible to do one meal being only breakfast?

Carol, your one meal can be whenever you want.
Fasting is very flexible.
Good luck.

I restarted dieting on 4/28 and went from Medifast to low carb to keto in three weeks. (Much happier with real food.) My question is: Does ANY intake break a fast, or can you still benefit if you have one meal midday plus cream in coffee in the morning? Or bone broth in the evening? Or both? I've been doing just that: full fat cream at 5am, meal at 2pm, bone broth at 7pm.

I pre-ordered Mercola's Fat for Fuel book and have been watching Jason Fung's videos - fascinating stuff. Any input welcome.

Thanks,

Jean

Welcome Jean!
I know you need to limit your cream intake. I hope this page will help answer your questions.
https://intensivedietarymanagement.c...-tips-part-12/

Hi, and welcome, Jean!

I've got decades of experience with weight management (I was the fattest kid in my elementary school, back when school-age obesity was rare). It was not until I added OMAD that I have been able to maintain successfully. But I need to do it in my own way and that involves having cream and/or NFPM foam in coffee/tea whenever I feel like it. I also have sugar-free jello or broth (and cabbage soup). The rule of thumb I've heard is up to 50 calories is OK (how often, I don't know). I pay less attention to rules and more attention to my satisfaction with my WOE.

For me, it's also important what I eat for my meal, and in order to stay within my maintenance calorie budget while feeling satisfied, I need to start with a high-volume, low calorie course (usually soup, sometimes salad or both). I usually eat an entree of mostly vegetables and meat on a small serving of starch (e.g. chicken and veggie stir fry on lentils or brown rice). Then, I have a small serving of nuts and chocolate (weighed/measured). I also try to make sure I get enough healthy fats; I take fish oil supplements and sometimes add avocado (or olive oil on the salad). And, sometimes I eat out and most of that goes out the window, lol. =)

So, for me, I need to combine IF, volumetrics, eating healthy, and low(ish)-carb in my own way to make a program that works for me over the long run. I encourage you to find the specifics that work best for you, too!

PS: I fluctuated down to 136.5 on the scale! I hope to stay towards the low side of my range before I go on my trip in 2 weeks.

Thanks, yoyoma - sounds a lot like what I need to do. I don't have a sweet tooth thankfully so that isn't an issue. But adding broth to a meal makes a big difference for me, and amazingly I can manage one meal a day if I have broth at night.

Ubee - thanks for the link. I usually combine 2 TB of cream with 1 cup of almond milk and that let's me drink the massive amount of coffee I need (not that massive, but I would say three large mugs a day). I do try to limit cream and cheese.

Jean

Hello, I am not exactly new here....I have been here before in the past and I have been lurking on IF threads.

I am starting IF this week, a strange eclectic mix of IF to fit in around my running and martial arts. I don't want to do either of them starving or recently full of food.

I have lost a lot of weight in the past and just have a few pounds to go now. I am hoping IF will be the thing that will get me there. I am also interested in its health/longevity benefits.

Hoping to get to know you all.

Auto

PS....because it is useful to know these things in the weight loss world...female, 5'7", 54 years old. Post menopausal.

Welcome Auto! How are you doing?
How is everyone else?

Hi, all! I haven't posted in a while. I decided to try 5:2 or 4:3 and on those days, stick to OMAD. I love OMAD, it wasn't a hardship most of the time, and I enjoy the taste of food much better when I finally do eat. However, for some reason, I was just sad (not sure if that's the right word) in the mornings because I actually enjoy the ritual of eating in the morning---that's strange, but I don't know how else to classify what I'm feeling. So I figured I would try 5:2 (or 4:3---depending on the week) so that I can eat breakfast some days. Even on the days that I do eat breakfast, I've just been having two meals: breakfast and dinner. We'll see how it goes. I don't want to get out of the fasting mode, though, because I like the feeling of control I have when I feel a hunger pang and don't give into it.

I hope everyone's doing well. Yoyoma, I agree with you about making a plan our own. Over my many years of trying almost every diet out there, I've learned that it's better to tweak a plan to suit me than to force myself to follow a plan 100%, which always results in me giving up on it. I've also learned that what may work for me at one time in my life may not work for me years later. I was happily logging calories (zigzagging & starting my "day's" count with dinner) for several years, but about a year or so ago, I just didn't want to do that anymore. Also, for about five years (maybe more), I used a homemade tread-desk for 5 - 8 hours a week, but over the last few months, I just can't do that anymore either. Unlike my younger self, though, I won't just give up, eat everything in sight, and sit on my butt. Instead, I'm making other plans (e.g., yoga rather than so much walking) that I feel like doing now. I think it's important that we're flexible with ourselves.

Hi everyone,
I so agree with finding what works for ourselves. I was over thinking the OMAD plan thinking I needed to change it up.
I remembered from reading all the old fasting posts about someone who knew 3(?) people that had lost a lot of weight, like over a hundred pounds doing OMAD long before it was the thing to do. Most importantly was the fact that they kept it off for over 20 years. Whoever that was Thank You! It has helped put my mind to ease. Also Butter Bob has helped too.
Hope everyone is doing well.

I'm just planning to keep on a diet, but thanks for the inspiration, girls!

I am dabbling in IF, so I found this thread interesting. Lots of helpful ideas. I tend to tweak any plan I follow to suit my likes and dislikes. That works to a point, but certain guidelines must be followed.

I watch my favorite TV show while walking on the treadmill. For a while, I had a rule for myself that I could not watch the show unless I was on the treadmill. That lasted for a while, then went by the wayside. I feel it's much better to watch from my treadmill than my recliner, but the recliner is so confortable!! LOL I know of someone who has their computer set up with their exercise bike. I would love to do that with my computer and treadmill but I can't figure out how. Also, DH and I share this computer, so he would not like that set up.

Someone mentioned that OMAD works for them because once they eat their first food of the day their appetite revs up. That's how I am. I may start out with a plan to fast until dinner. Then DH makes some hard boiled eggs and I decide to have one. Not many calories or carbs, right? Well, after I eat that, I decide to have a slice of corned beef. Then a few slices of cucumber. A few walnuts. When I had planned not to eat anything until dinner! So I am better off not to start. If there's something I want, I can set it aside and include it with my dinner.

I mainly follow low carb, but don't completely eliminate any food. I don't want to feel that I'm on a diet. I want to lose weight, but want my food plan to just become a way of life...something that comes naturally, that I don't have to think about too much.

I think it's smart to alternate OMAD with something else, like 2 meals, or 16:8, or 5:2. If you continue to eat in the same pattern all the time your body can adapt to that. Also, it makes it easier to plan social events if you are less rigid. It really depends on the person. Some people have to stick to a regular schedule or they lose control.

I will continue to stop in here from time to time. I hope Southern Maven stops in once in a while, too. I like hearing what everyone else is doing.

One week (or so ) round up.

I found the fasting part surprisingly easy, and like others on here, once I start to eat I keep going, so it is better to have my window later in the day. Also we are normally heading to bed by 9:30pm so my eating window is usually shut by 7:30pm. I do get up at 5am though!

I have found running hard, the running itself is easy but afterwards I am very very very very VERY hungry. And I run in the early morning! I have coped by reducing the running, but I hope to adapt as I do not want to give up running because I enjoy it. Sunrise on the beach with the dog, what's not to like!

Also one night we had surprise visitors and ate muffins, and my healthy snacking has increased during my eating window. I want to work on reducing this. The window ranges from 2-5 hours/day and varies according to my schedule. The day of the surprise visitors my window extended to 8 hours. If I had known I would have started eating later.

I have lost 2 pounds this week although I had a dip during the week to 4 pounds lost, but it bounced back up again and was 2 on official weigh day this morning.

This week I am going to see if drinking almond milk in my tea during a fast stalls things for me. I hope not.....

How are the rest of you doing?

Auto

Me again....

Have any of you suffered night cramps since starting IF? And ideas for reasons why? Or cures?

The cramps continue all night and are in my calves. I have to get up and walk them off. Very tiring.....

Auto