Hi all! I guess I will stop lurking now and say hi.
I kept meaning to drop in, but things have been too busy for me to write while I'm at work.
I have been doing IF for two months now and I can't believe how well it is working for me.
A little background: I have been an Intuitive Eater for a year and a half, which worked well, but I plateaued about a year ago and never hit my original goal of 145. I chalked it up to 152 being my body's ideal natural weight until I read about IF.
This winter I also began to have problems with my blood sugar being too low. My doctors tested me for hypoglycemia (I'm borderline) and put me on a micro-meal diet with more protein. My meals were already small and frequent due to Intuitive Eating (IE), but even with the extra protein I continued feeling miserable and low-energy all of the time. I would test my blood sugar every morning and it would be in the 70's. I started counting my calories and found myself in the 1500-1600 range most often.
I read about IF and wondered if the micro meals were part of my problem. I remembered that I usually didn't have symptoms when I traveled with my husband, who inadvertantly had me fasting for 14 hour stretches because he isn't a morning or breakfast person. And I remembered that I usually lost a little weight during those trips, despite eating larger meals in restaurants. So, I finally tried IF, and I carefully monitored my blood glucose to make sure I didn't hurt myself.
The first few weeks were a little rough symptom-wise with headaches. I probably should have started with a 10 hour window, but I was too eager. Then I continued to have headaches when I dropped back to a 10 hour window, so I figured I might as well keep it at 8 hours. I noticed I had more energy with an 8 hour window anyway. Eventually my symptoms disappeared, although I occasionally still feel ravenous a couple hours before I break my fast.
I'm happy to say that my glucose woes have disappeared. Now my glucose is always in the 90's when I check it in the mornings. I feel so much better than I did with the micro meals; no more dizziness or fatigue.
I initially wondered if IF would be completely opposite of IE (with ignoring the hunger and all), but I've found that the two plans can work well together. I have simply pushed my hunger to a more convenient time and I can absolutely say I am eating for true hunger when it is time. My body is now used to 2 or 3 larger meals and its cues respond accordingly.
And... I finally hit my goal weight of 145, which my body has maintained for almost a month now.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself, share my story, and thank everyone for sharing their stories. Without you guys, I would still be feeling miserable and not knowing why. I feel so blessed now. Thank you!
Let's do this!
