Hey y'all! Anyone and everyone is welcome to jump in and join us.

This is the Intermittent Fasting DAily Menu/Results/Accountability Thread. It's where a few of us (or many) are going to log in and encourage each other while we experiment with our own IF plans. You can list or talk about anything--not just your food. I look forward to adding in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and core exercises to my walking plan while practicing IF. So expect to hear about that too. hehe I expect some of us will talk about the known IF side-effects like insomnia, circadian rhythm disturbance, etc. It's all good! Let's hack this IF mofo! mkay?

There is not any 1 specific IF plan--there are so many to choose from, so this is a BYOIFP (bring-your-own-IF-plan) and join the fun! This is the thread where we'll post our daily menus and maybe some piccys at times! We can discuss progress, issues we might notice, look at how we may want to refine our own personal plans. I do think you should be healed from surgery and have your doctor's and RD's blessings to try something like this and you should do a ton of research and reading about Intermittent Fasting.

IF isn't only about weight loss, it's about taking specific measures to limit either quantities, calories, macros, or sometimes only consciously altering eating windows/schedules in order to effect metabolic change and reduce inflammation and improve health markers.

Ok, let's do this thang!!!

So, my other half has had great success with 16/8 IF - doesn’t eat after 7pm, and no breakfast until 11am. She’s now down 7kg or so to about 58kg, less than she’s been for 20 years. One clothes size, and pretty content. Would like longer legs but even IF can’t really help with that!

I am starting the ‘no calories after 7pm’ idea too, IF but only 12/12 for me, to give my body a chance to be insulin-free for just a few hours each day. No real reason but 8 months of happy maintenance and there is a tiny creep up in the weight graph. Only a pound or so, but... NO REGAIN is my life aim now!

I have a range 61-63kg, but prefer to be 61.5 to 62 - and have crept up to averaging 62-62.5. That stops now!

Biggest sacrifice - no cups of instant coffee after 7pm! Pomegranate tea it is...

6 hours ago, Biddy zz ?️? said:

So, my other half has had great success with 16/8 IF - doesn’t eat after 7pm, and no Breakfast until 11am. She’s now down 7kg or so to about 58kg, less than she’s been for 20 years. One clothes size, and pretty content. Would like longer legs but even IF can’t really help with that!

I am starting the ‘no calories after 7pm’ idea too, IF but only 12/12 for me, to give my body a chance to be insulin-free for just a few hours each day. No real reason but 8 months of happy maintenance and there is a tiny creep up in the weight graph. Only a pound or so, but... NO REGAIN is my life aim now!

I have a range 61-63kg, but prefer to be 61.5 to 62 - and have crept up to averaging 62-62.5. That stops now!

Biggest sacrifice - no cups of instant coffee after 7pm! Pomegranate tea it is...

I love that she has done so well!!!! Yippee!!! Love that she feels great and is so happy and that y'all are happy. I truly think IF is a miracle. And I'm glad you are gonna do it! Please jump on board with us and post like a ho!!!! We'll help you get through the no eating after 7pm. I'm gonna join you in that! I want to be able to get to no eating after 6pm. Currently it's no eating after 8pm. ? Ugh.

I'm so happy about your maintenance and love the idea of only having 2lbs to reckon with at any point in time. Your graph is gorgeous girlie!!!! ((hugs))

I love that graph too - that is the last 12 months. This is the one since surgery (well, a bit pre surgery. Of course I lost weight in the lead up, the small spike is surgery weight gain, and then it is all good!

I was plateauing nicely between 70 and 75kg (156lbs) last August, thought I would stop there and was pretty happy with that - I had maintained 80kg nicely when my gastric band worked, so anything lower than that was a blast. But I got gallstones and was pretty sick, so got down to 62gk or so (135lbs). And I am staying there! This is my spiritual home! It isn’t without work. I run 3x a week, gym other days, cycle to and from work some days, cycle in the weekend... I am reborn.

This is the full graph since I started recording when the pre-surgery diet began:

Edited May 11, 20197 yr by Biddy zz ?️?

Anyway, last night was the first. And man, I was STARVING head-hungry at about 8.45. But I rode it through! And for me this is a definite calorie reduction. Often late evening I have a bowl of muesli and yoghurt with fruit. Or peanut butter and jalapeños (or pb/cinnamon/mashed banana, or pj/jelly) on seed bread toast.

But no more.....

woke 5.30am, got up, did my usual work emails, reading (I know! It is Sunday!) and then my ‘forever breakfast’ of a coffee/whey powde slushie. Bang on 12 hours of no eating. I think this will appeal, once my heard learns not to yell for food in the evening!

You have a gorgeous graph. I've never seen one with so few spikes! That's amazing! Yay on you for not feeding your screaming 2 year old! I swear, each time you don't it gets easier. You should feed it with something hot like a cup of unsweetened camomile tea or maybe peppermint tea? Or walk for a bit when it happens, Or pound a glass of ice water also works. Also knowing that cravings usually pass in about 20 minutes and don't continue to grow helps.

Hang in there! Congrats on your success!!!

Tomorrow is a long fast day for me. Haven't decided which one I'm doing. I look forward to my fasting Monday-Wednesdays.

How's it going today little IFers? I'm about to break my fast with a 16:8 and do a partial day alternate day style of fast. It's essentially an FMD, from a different doc. This one is from Dr. Mercola with his new book KetoFast. Dunno yet about it. LOL.

Anyone still here except me?

I'm fasting today--will do an 18:6 with an FMD type of diet. Have a big weekend coming up of LOTS o'meals! Ugh. LOL.

I happened on this YT of a couple of braniacs talking about diet diversity and IF. Chris Masterjohn is a PhD in nutrition and teaches at some big uni--can't remember. And Siim, you know is pretty braniac as well. I've followed Chris' stuff for years especially at Weston A. Price Foundation.

See what you think?

On 5/9/2019 at 12:40 PM, FluffyChix said:

Saw this in FB and wanted to share. Powerful powerful magic!

Needed to hear this today. Started a 48 hour fast (maybe 60 if I feel ok tomorrow night). I have been downright binge eating. I have no idea why I am like this. But today I am not binge eating so that is what I will focus on.

1 hour ago, FluffyChix said:

Anyone still here except me?

I'm fasting today--will do an 18:6 with an FMD type of diet. Have a big weekend coming up of LOTS o'meals! Ugh. LOL.

I happened on this YT of a couple of braniacs talking about diet diversity and IF. Chris Masterjohn is a PhD in nutrition and teaches at some big uni--can't remember. And Siim, you know is pretty braniac as well. I've followed Chris' stuff for years especially at Weston A. Price Foundation.

See what you think?

I am around. Had a rough week, not fasting. I think trying to add keto killed me, it just gears me up to binge. Going back to my low carb, moderate fat ways.

Good luck on your weekend feasting! I still haven't gotten to the point where I can easily bounce back to my IF and EF after a very indulgent weekend. BUT I know you are not one for over indulgence, so I suspect you'll do fine.

As for the video--- veganism = bad ---> personal theory confirmed.

I'm here ... not IF-ing, but around

5 minutes ago, YeahOkay31 said:

I am around. Had a rough week, not fasting. I think trying to add keto killed me, it just gears me up to binge. Going back to my low carb, moderate fat ways.

Good luck on your weekend feasting! I still haven't gotten to the point where I can easily bounce back to my IF and EF after a very indulgent weekend. BUT I know you are not one for over indulgence, so I suspect you'll do fine.

As for the video--- veganism = bad ---> personal theory confirmed.

Yes on Veganism = Bad (Most Likely); the caveat is, that there is a qualifier. That qualifier is "Unless it's carefully constructed and observed." LOL!

I'm sorry you are struggling getting into keto. You know, maybe look up The Resetters, Dr. Mindy Pelz on YouTube and FB. She talks alot about resetting the female metabolism (especially if you are pre-menopause), and she has a plan that is ketobiotic, but it addresses the week leading up to Auntie Flo and how you progesterone load for that week using things like sweet potatoes, and other things that build progesterone. You actually eat more carbs during that week. And it's helping turn a lot of women's lives and weight loss around.

So the keep for me with weekends like the one coming up is planning. I'm a planner, now. And I find comfort in the planning. Like I know our friends want to stop for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. I just don't hardly do that anymore unless those meals are all very slim type of meals. But I know these are gonna be extravagant places and only one really counts tomorrow. So I'm gonna maybe just have a poached egg and sauteed spinach for breakfast with tons of coffee. Then I might eat a bite of Mr. F.s grits or a bite of his biscuit and gravy. Something I know I can easily do. Then lunch is bbq and I will eat my fill of that cuz they don't add sugar. And it won't take much. Dinner is a hamburger from this joint in Arkansas and I've got no probs doing a lettuce wrap. No need for fries cuz I know what they taste like and they make me feel awful. And tons of iced tea! So I know the day won't be bad. Then I just apply those same metrics to Saturday and Sunday.

The reality is I will still come back a couple pounds up. But I shouldn't have too much issue going into my M-W fast next week. *score* And it's IF for the win!!!!

Also you are doing WONDERFULLY!!!!! It's ok to take a week off. Just keep flexing and building your fasting muscle hon!!!

5 minutes ago, sillykitty said:

I'm here ... not IF-ing, but around

I miss you.

I miss kibitzing with you and @GreenTealael!

*sniff* (the world is a much more sparse and scary place without our daily chats)

Edited May 15, 20197 yr by FluffyChix

More food for IF thought. The guy is an MD and he treats his patients with a fasting and keto diet. And they make great points throughout, but listen around the 1:00mark. A very seminal point!! It's about the importance of sleep and how it affects cortisol and what cortisol does to insulin elevation (ie weight loss) and how long cortisol remains elevated as a result of a poor night's sleep. It makes you hungrier and you preferentially crave carbs and about eating late at night!!!!! Like billy badass carbs. It lasts for 2 days! Wooooo!

WOW!!!! ?

Still here and still observing and learning.
I’m now >3 months post-surgery so not quite ready to jump on the IF train just yet


Question: when did most of y’all feel like you were far enough out from surgery to start IF?
My sleeve is usually so tight in the morning that I’m basically doing 14:10 or 15:9 every day because about the only thing besides water I can take in before 11am is coffee with a couple ounces milk.

Once midday to early evening hits, I can hold about 1-1.25 cups of food in my sleeve before the pain hits

1 minute ago, Sheribear68 said:

Still here and still observing and learning.
I’m now >3 months post-surgery so not quite ready to jump on the IF train just yet


Question: when did most of y’all feel like you were far enough out from surgery to start IF?
My sleeve is usually so tight in the morning that I’m basically doing 14:10 or 15:9 every day because about the only thing besides Water I can take in before 11am is coffee with a couple ounces milk.

Once midday to early evening hits, I can hold about 1-1.25 cups of food in my sleeve before the pain hits

I hope everyone will come back and answer!!!

For me, I was at 8 months. That's when I started this thread. So you can go read about the journey. I had no issues getting all my fluids in, and no probs getting all my protein in from food. That's the key in my opinion. Wait till that is super easy. Wait till your losses from surgery are diminishing. Wait till hunger kicks up. Wait till you start eating more at meals (inappropriately). This is something you do "in addition to" your tool and making good po dietary and lifestyle choices.