I am much less hungry. Even with my more flexible window. I get periods of stomach hunger but it usually goes away quickly.
I am surprised to find that I am having no loss of energy for my workouts. I ALWAYS used to tank for about 3 weeks when cutting down to even 1800 calories and I've been averaging closer to 1300-1400 and no loss of energy. I rocked a hard hard workout this morning even after yesterday
I'm also less susceptible to "I have to eat this kind of food with the proper amount of protein and carbs or I will be ravenous.".. I try to eat what is good, but I can pretty much eat any type of food within reason. (I havent pushed it with junk yet).
Yesterday I didnt get a chance to eat until about 2:30 or 3. And then I had a bowl at Chipotle. Theoretically 600 calories, but lets call it 800 because I am not thinking they measure all that accurately. STUFFED and remained stuffed the rest of the day. Couldnt have forced myself to eat more. Actually as it was I was kind of uncomfortably full for about 2 hours. I try not to do that but it was that kind of day.
I do have a dinner party Saturday that is outside my window...I havent decided how I will handle it, but I think I have much less problem with eating after the window than earlier.
When I have something special, like an office lunch that I must attend or a family thing, I just fast until the event then don't worry about it. One of the benefits to IF is the flexibility. While it wouldn't work if you did it often, that happens with me about once every two weeks and it hasn't hurt me yet. The scales don't budge (which is fine since I'm maintaining).
yeah, I wouldnt make it to fast until the party most likely. 2pm, 3pm is about as late as I have been able to handle. I still have days where noon is tough and 1 is my time. Maybe if I get more sleep saturday morning.
Just checking in, I started IF on Monday and as of today I'm down 3 pounds. I started with my feeding being between 7am and 12pm but switched it to 1-6pm (doing a 24 hour fast in the process).
I originally though eating early was better for me because I love breakfast and eating in the morning. But I work long hours and found that I really needed to eat lunch at around 1-2. So far I love IF! it's so easy to follow. I have no problem fasting, I have energy and clarity.
I do find that I only eat once in my 5 hour window. I'm so full I can't eat after and I don't have any desire to eat before my window closes. I just feel satisfied. I'm eating pretty good with the exception of yesterday we went to 5 Guys and I had a cheeseburger and some fries. But other then that I'm eating healthy.
I have a party tomorrow as well and I think I will push my window back so I can enjoy our dinner and some wine a little later in the day.
How long does the freezing cold part last? The only problem I am really having is that I am freezing. FREEZING all morning. Coffee, tea, I am wearing a sweater, a sweatshirt and a jacket inside my house AND am running the heat more than usual. I am about to try and fold laundry with gloves on.
It is actually hard for me to get my work done because all I want to do is take (another) hot shower or crawl in to bed with my hot bag.
This is DEFINITELY part of an IF reaction for me. I used to be hot all the time.
Ennay I also wonder about body temp. I have been doing the Fast5 for about
4 months and the last 3 months I have tried to do JUDDD also but haven't
been all that good about doing that. But I notice my morning tempiture seems
to be about 97.8 and I feel a little feverish. Is this part of the IF ?
Being cold is. You lose the heat produced by digestion. It IS true that eating raises your metabolism slightly which is where the eat early eat often camp got going. But not enough to compensate for how much MORE I eat. Besides if you are cold like I have been you burn calories trying to get warm. I'm not as cold today because I havent worked out yet. I usually workout at 5 am and then am FREEZING until I break fast.
yeah, I wouldnt make it to fast until the party most likely. 2pm, 3pm is about as late as I have been able to handle. I still have days where noon is tough and 1 is my time. Maybe if I get more sleep saturday morning.
I made it to 4 and was starting to get shaky. Party starts at 5, but who knows if the food will be READY at 5. Broke fast with string cheese and 1/2 apple. Have plenty of party calories left.
Being cold is related to dieting, not IFing specifically.
However, during your fast period, your body will make adjustments and increase blood flow in some areas to help mobilize fat which comes at the expense of blood flow to the extremeties. Thus - it is common during the fast period for your hands and feet to be cold.
On the plus side the last 4 months I have lost a little over 30lbs, my hands
don't hurt near as much ( guess I have RA ) and I have 4 skin cyst that I
have had for over 2 years that are slowely drying up. This is kind of funny
because 3 months ago I was thinking about having a dermitoligest look at
them but the way it's going they will be totaly gone in another month.
My diabetes is under better controle and one thing that I think may be helping
there is the timing of my eating window. I read an article talking about the
carcadian rythem of glucose metabolism. It seems there is a huge difference
between diabetics and non diabetics with regard to insulin sensitivity and the
time of day. In a non diabetic they handel carbs best in the morning and as the day progresses they become a little insulin resistant and by diner time realy don't handel carbs all that well. But diabetics follow the opposit patern
having a very high insulin resistance in the morning and handelng carbs better
later in the day. So for me what works best is an eating window from about
2 to 7 pm where I can handel carbs better and leaving enough time for most
of my digestion to be done before I go to bed. If I go to a later eating window
say 5pm to 10pm my morning blood sugar will be a little higher. The reason I
talked about this is my idea that chosing your best meal timing may also depend on how you handel carbs. But thinking about this sort of has me thinking that for most non diabetics the " breakfast is the most inportant meal
of the day" may realy be true.
Woody, thanks for sharing that info. Certainly makes some sense to me about the circadean rhythms. Where did you find that article. I'd like to read it too.
I am still experimenting with IF in various forms (intermittant fasting patterns are not limited to just Fast Five). I am getting a lot of clarity on how longer periods between eating are benefitting my blood sugar and calorie control, although I am struggling with plateaus. Glad this thread is here because I do read it, although don't post much.
Amarantha,
I've done IF in the past with success, but I'm doing it more purposefully this time, and tracking my results better, as I'm really looking to make it a lifestyle (beyond weight loss). There are so many benefits associated with it, as I'm sure you've been reading.
I've been doing Fast-5 for the past week and am switching over to Eat Stop Eat for Week 2.
I do think there's something to be said for a full 24 hour fast, because of those extra hours of cleansing and healing, on the other hand, a few less hours of the benefit, on a daily basis may have the same long term effect.
I'm looking to see which is better for me as a lifestyle choice and I won't know that until I actually try them both out. It may take a few rounds of each and a couple of months for me to decide, either way, it's forward progress.
I think lengthier fasts on occasion also can have wonderful benefits, but I'm not there yet. One step at a time.
I do feel great, though, and have had close to a 5lb loss.
John - no, I am WAY WAY colder with IF than with normal dieting, and not just my extremities, deep down cold. OTOH I sleep better.
I tried this weekend to shift later....NOT good for me. I dont sleep well if I eat close to bed time because of the heat generated. I'm going to stick to 2-7 as my main window with 11-7 on other days.
My sister has had really good results with the E-S-E method of fasting which is 24 hours M/W/F and normal eating on the remaining days. I really think like so many other things there really isnt "one best way" its what works for you
