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!!!

How do you break your fast? Regular meal or something light? I am finding that my pouch is protesting a regular meal after 16 hours of empty.

Broth, tea, soup or lighter fare like yogurt.

It takes time to adjust also but here are a few videos

Thanks so much. Lots of good info and ideas. I have done well when my first meal has been half a protein drink, or some yoghurt/protein powder/berries, or a green smoothie. I did NOT do well today when my first meal was a salmon patty with kimchi, beets, and a yucca pod pickle. It was too heavy and the texture was too tough. That would make a better second meal.

11 hours ago, AZhiker said:

How do you break your fast? Regular meal or something light?

Nothing especially light but I tend to get full with less.

I have been very faithful with IF for the past couple of weeks. My problem is that I have too much energy which is causing insomnia. I feel like an energizer bunny and can't turn the switch off. I know there are hormonal changes, including some sleep hormones that affected by IF, but this is crazy. I used to average 7 hrs sleep/night, but now only getting 5 or less. I wake up full of energy and can go all day. I do not feel sleep deprived at all. Mentally, I am alert and happy - almost euphoric.

Anyone else experience this? If so, when does it let down? Not that I'm complaining - I'm getting a lot done and my weight loss continues. But I don't feel quite normal. However, maybe this is what normal is supposed to feel like. I have having labs drawn tomorrow morning, so will see what the thyroid is doing.

???????Siim Time???????

Hahaha funny you posted here. I decided it's been enough time since the surgery, to go back to my weekly rotation with IF. Gosh, I've missed it and I honestly think my body needs it to stay "normal." Are you doing any kind of TRE or IF?

Is anyone still really doing it?

I'm gonna start again on Monday. I think I'm just gonna do my baby steps and try to do an 16:8 or 18:6 and CRE of 500cals. Then have another DD on Tuesday to make it about a 60hour period. Then Wednesday would up cals again.

Still not IF-ing here, since I'm maintaining without it.

But somewhere back in this thread I posted about my mom doing IF. Well she has now lost over 30 lbs and is into a normal BMI range. She hasn't been this thin in 30 years! She is insanely pleased with herself (as she should be). She's wanting to lose another 5 lbs or so, not more than 10 lbs. She didn't lose the weight through IF alone. She has basically been on our post WLS diet, 800 cals max, 60 g protein (with cheat days). But the IF has made it really easy for her to eat so little, but not be hungry. She said it is by far the easiest diet she has ever been on (and she's done them all over the years!)

So I am still vicariously IF-ing! ?

While your mother's success is definitely a great thing it makes me a bit sad that IF is basically broken down to being a weight loss diet all too often.

No true IF for me yet. I need to settle into things first before i think about biohacking my way to immortality.

????????????????????

However I truely believe IF has contributed to my more youthful appearance over the past year. People are constantly saying I look so/too young for xyz

Even my family members have commented that I seem to have aged in reverse ???

Edited August 4, 20197 yr by GreenTealael

On 7/28/2019 at 2:03 PM, AZhiker said:

I have been very faithful with IF for the past couple of weeks. My problem is that I have too much energy which is causing insomnia. I feel like an energizer bunny and can't turn the switch off. I know there are hormonal changes, including some sleep hormones that affected by IF, but this is crazy. I used to average 7 hrs sleep/night, but now only getting 5 or less. I wake up full of energy and can go all day. I do not feel sleep deprived at all. Mentally, I am alert and happy - almost euphoric.

Anyone else experience this? If so, when does it let down? Not that I'm complaining - I'm getting a lot done and my weight loss continues. But I don't feel quite normal. However, maybe this is what normal is supposed to feel like. I have having labs drawn tomorrow morning, so will see what the thyroid is doing.

Consider your lifestyle and habits to see if they are contributing to circadian rhythm disruptions.

I am totally doing IF with about 10/14. It is boosting the final bit of weight loss, but better yet, I feel so good. Lots of energy, no hunger, mentally alert. I really want the long term benefits of knocking out the senescent cells, decreasing risk of dementia, decreased osteoporosis, and increased vitality unto old age. I will probably be doing this for the long haul.

My only issue right now is too MUCH energy. I am too wound up and can't shut down. I get to sleep OK (when I finally DO go to bed) but then wake up every 2 hours thinking it is time to get up. Midnight, 2 am, 4 am, etc. When I finally get up at 5 am I am wide awake and ready to go, even if I only got 4-5 hours of sleep. I got labs drawn last week and will have my 6 month follow up this week, so will see if everything is normal. I am especially interesting in the TSH level. I will also be seeing my sleep doctor in a couple of weeks to see if I can go off the C-pap and will ask her about it as well. But it is very strange. I'm not complaining - I get a lot done - but I feel a bit like a manic energizer bunny. Anyone else have this with IF or with weight loss in a short time? I've lost 100 lbs in 6 months, so I am a bit of an outlier, for which I am thankful, but wonder if the rapid change has something to do with either my hormones or brain chemistry, and if IF is a contributing factor.

Edited August 4, 20197 yr by AZhiker

@sillykitty I'm so happy for your mommy!!! That's fabulous!!!! And who cares why she's doing it--she is certainly getting he benes of autophagy. And somewhere and somehow, when she's ready, she will make that longevity connection. It's only a matter of time. It first started for me as just a way to lose weight, and maybe get off asthma meds! And now look how far down the rabbit hole I am. That's amazing progress she has had and she is really lucky to have you to mentor/live vicariously through! And too awesome about following our post WLS forevs diet! Cuz the cal restriction is also adding to her autophagy!!

@GreenTealael - you just heal, heal, heal right now!!! There will be time for IF when you're ready to do it again! Congrats on aging backwards. You do look INCREDIBLY young to be xyz! Is that a thing? Can you be "too young looking?"

@AZhiker It does really sound like your circadian rhythms might be off. SIM Land writes about that a lot as does Jason Fung. But he also talks about having so much energy that you just get up and work! Keep hacking to try to find the solution hon!! I do know it feels like it gets better with time? Maybe try doing a "high carb snack" just before bed: like 1-2oz Granny Smith apple slices with a tbsp of almond butter or something like that. See if it helps?

Today is Day 1 for me after the surgery. I think it's gonna be "hellah hard." Cuz I've been eating weird for weeks now. Way too many carbs, eating whenever I'm hungry and I'm def not in ketosis. So *gulp* I just gotta put mah big girl panties on and drink that water and green tea and walk when I feel like eating. Should be a busy day at work, so that hopefully helps!!!