Just getting back to IF after a break. I got distracted with travel, family issues and emotional eating. I generally don't do well over the summer. But I'm happy to report I've maintained my weight within a few pounds.

Today I held off eating until 12:30 and then had only two meals. It worked out well for me. I still ate just over 1800 calories, but that's well under my former 2100 calories I used to struggle to stay under. What's different now is that the stress I was experiencing before has been removed and I am a much happier person! So I don't feel so compelled to eat in order to mask bad feelings and constant stress. Plus, I make much better choices.

I'm also sticking to a strictly Paleo diet, the Whole30 plan. No grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods or grain-fed meats. I've been eating like that for two weeks solid and I feel pretty awesome! Didn't lose weight on that plan because I was still eating too much with the three meals a day, so that's why I've switched back to IF.

Since today was my first day back at IF, I'm cutting myself some slack. But my goal is to get calories down to 1650 in the next month. Hoping to pick up the weight loss pace too. I want new clothes by spring!

Awesome success in paring things down calorie wise and sticking to the Paleo Diet, Georgia.

I'm a bit joyous this morning. Going completely off plan got my weight back up to 310. Eating Paleo made me feel really good, cutting carbs helped, exercising help with that too, but since being back on IF, I'm back down to 299 this morning!

:carrot::carrot::carrot:

Congratulations, geoblewis!!!

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I am not doing IF exactly (doing Sugar Busters and calorie counting right now), but IF and the concept has really helped me lengthen the periods between meals back to the more normal (for me) way I ate in my youth when weight wasn't so much of an issue. So I am glad there is a thread on 3FC for it.

@geoblewis Good going! :)

@Amarantha You are right, there is no magic in Fast 5. The eating window you choose for IF is whatever works best for you. I do 5 hours because that gives me the easiest control on appetite. It seems that after the first bite crosses my lips my appetite kicks in. Using a short eating window works for me simply because it give me less time to eat and when I do eat I can eat more. Anyone starting IF should probably experiment with eating windows to see where their "sweet spot" is.

I like to eat in the evenings. It's when my appetite really kicks up. But I have issues with getting too hungry and limiting calories. I can eat a lot when left unchecked. Easily put away 2000 calories. But I'm shooting for 1200. I do eat a lot of vegetables, but I also add extra olive oil, avocado and almonds.

Today I had a bigger breakfast (pastured egg omelet with turkey bacon, cooked in ghee), hoping it would help me push my second meal later into the day, like around 5. It worked, and I braised kale with a little chopped hard salami. I intended to have a tomato salad too, but went to a sports thing for my son that I forgot about. I was too tired to cook so I offered Taco Bell. I wasn't going to eat anything from there but...600 calories later, I'm kicking myself! I would have been just fine if I had gone home!

So, back on track for tomorrow.

@geoblewiss, huzzah on the loss!

@KTucke7, yea, I feel that way too about establishing less time to eat. I bought into, for a long time, the idea that I should always eat six meals a day to lose weight and manage my blood sugar. I am now rethinking that strategy.

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This really isn't exactly IF but I've been using some new software to reformulate my weight goals by date. Weight goals are part of my life goals. It is very important to the way I feel to control my weigth and fitness.

I am now on the old Sugar Busters program (again, did it years ago). I modify it to suit myself but one thing they say is the old advice against eating too late at night. That has been debunked by later science as far as weigh loss but it is a good idea in general as it does cut down on the amount of time I can eat eat eat.

Working on that. Ideal for me would be three meals a day, period. I am not there yet. I do think that is a form of IF because if I could train my body and blood sugar to completely "fast" between the three meals and at night, life would be simpler and I would feel better.

But not there yet. :)

geoblewis I find really large lunches (30% of cals) at 1 PM and snacks (20% of cals) at 3-4 PM help keep me from getting too hungry for my evening meal. If I get enough protein and fiber during those meals I have to really work to eat the rest of my cals for dinner!

Amarantha totally OT but every time I see your username I think of One Hundred Years of Solitude! Is it in any way connected to that book? I'm so curious!

@indiblue, no, didn't know that name was in there, now I have to read it. :)

The name is an old handle I have used here and there about the internet. I am rather gabby on forums. I think I read the name in a book somewhere but not that one. I really just put an "a" on the seed "amaranth" because I was trying to get to like that once as a healthy grain.

Woot to all! It is going to be a great sugar free day!

@geoblewiss, great comeback!

I've joined WW but still continue to use IF. I'm not sure if WW is for or against it but I love it.

Luvinit, I'm playing with WW lately, doing it IF and Paleo. When I mentioned IF to some WW people, it was like I was trying to introduce devil worship at church! I'm finding some resistance to the Paleo too. But I'm just ignoring the nay-sayers and doing what works for me.

I also think we should just do what works for us. Right now I am OFF the Sugar Busters' plan per se because it isn't working for me in its strict form but I am sugar free, counting calories and working on an IF style meal pattern that really isn't IF as defined by Fast Five or anything formal, just trying to train self not to need to eat every hour of the day!!!

It is all very individual. :)

Thanks for this info!

Fasting is an excellent way to detox! Good for you for doing what works for you.