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!!!

I am so excited to have this new tool. It adds so much flexibility. If I gain a little, I can just do 5/7 or 7/7 for a week and get things back under control without sacrificing nutrition. The more I read about the physiology of metabolism, the more I believe that various forms of fasting are absolutely the way to maintain a healthy metabolism and improve overall health, without feeling deprived. I have been so scared of "what happens after the honeymoon period?" My appetite will return and my restriction will be less. But IF gives so much control and empowerment, that I really don't fear it anymore. I have tools to use that are effective and healthy.

I really think ADF should be the suggestion for anyone suffering from a prolonged stall. (Given that one is already maintaining low carb diet. Exercising also helps, with shifting as much exercise as possible into a fasting period of the day.) And of course if someone can do some kind of 16/8, 14/10, or even 12/12, that helps so much in burning fat storage.

Edited August 18, 20196 yr by AZhiker

On 08/18/2019 at 11:00, AZhiker said:

So I am reporting back after a week of alternate day restricted calorie IF. Prior to this week I was averaging about 700 per day and just feeling stuck. This past week my calorie intake (still very low carb) has been 500, 1015, 530, 1175, 540, 1165, 400. That averages 760/day - about what I was eating before. BUT...... TA DA! I LOST 6 POUNDS and met goal weight in the process! That is simply amazing to me. It was quite easy to do. The restricted days were easiest, because I knew I would be eating more the next day. The high calorie days were actually quite uncomfortable, as it was very hard to get those calories into an 8-10 hour window. I was more full than I would have liked, but kept going for the sake of the experiment. I did my exercises every single day, although alternated with light and heavier weights, rather than skipping days altogether. I also tried to get my exercise in during the fasting times for more fat burning.

Bottom line: IF is a very powerful tool. 16/8 is great. It does a LOT. But alternating day caloric restriction just shoves it into a whole new gear. I will keep this up for 5 more pounds, then change to 5:2. I'd like to add a weekly 24 hour fast as well.

Thanks so much for posting your experiment.

Okay, so I just came off of losing 10 pounds in 3 weeks, which is the most I’ve lost per week since the first month.
Weighed in this morning (no poop for 3 days and counting) and I’m up 1.6 pounds since a week ago.
Lol, that 1.6 pound bounce put me at my average monthly average of 8-9 pounds, so I’m not gonna hit the panic button just yet. Especially since things are a bit....backed up, so to speak.

Today I extended my fasting window and just now (3pm my time) gobbled down some lunch.
Pure protein bomb at 44 gm and under 300 calories.
I’ll make sure to have dinner finished by 7 so I’ll end up with a 20:4.
Also did 2 Pilates classes and felt great, but admittedly pretty hungry by the time I got lunch ready.
Tomorrow I’ll go back to 16:8 and then restrict back to 20:4 Tuesday.
Plan on weighing in Wednesday am and see if that budges the scale any.

I went from 170.8 to 172.4. Dammit I was soooooooo close to hitting the 160’s. My goal is to see 160-anything by this time next week.

Okay so question guys:
Does anyone here ever do 20:4 and what does that look like for you?
Here is condensed version of my calories/macros today.

Needing help deciding if I’m on the right track.

19 minutes ago, Sheribear68 said:

Okay so question guys:
Does anyone here ever do 20:4 and what does that look like for you?
Here is condensed version of my calories/macros today.

Needing help deciding if I’m on the right track.

No, I have never done 20/4. I would never be able to fit my daily intake into such a small time frame. My restriction just won't allow it. Even with 8 hours, I can barely get everything in.

Here's what a 20:4 day would look like for me. I no longer try to do them without at least 1 protein drink. It's just too hard otherwise.

I usually try to eat fish cuz I can eat more fish than I can other proteins and it's very high protein per ounce. So I usually do either pangasius (swai or basa) or salmon or cod. And the zucchini here cooks down almost to a list over an ounce (about 1/4-1/3cup when made into noodles with the veggetti.

So you guys- do any of you drink coffee in the morning and then still wait to start you window of eating until later in the day? I was thinking I could probably do 16:8 but I have to have coffee in the morning or I cannot function.

3 minutes ago, CurvyMom said:

So you guys- do any of you drink coffee in the morning and then still wait to start you window of eating until later in the day? I was thinking I could probably do 16:8 but I have to have coffee in the morning or I cannot function.

Yes. I drink it black, decaff, no sweeteners. I also drink green decaf tea the same way and also EarlGrey tea same way.

Just now, FluffyChix said:

Yes. I drink it black, decaff, no sweeteners. I also drink green Decaf tea the same way and also EarlGrey tea same way.

decaf what?! lol

I am apparently "not allowed" black coffee- that used to be my go to- so now I have to use a little cream SIGHHHHHHHh. I bet I could drink black coffee again....it's been almost 7 months since surgery. but decaf is a huge no no no

Just now, CurvyMom said:

Decaf what?! lol

I am apparently "not allowed" black coffee- that used to be my go to- so now I have to use a little cream SIGHHHHHHHh. I bet I could drink black coffee again....it's been almost 7 months since surgery. but decaf is a huge no no no

LOL. Some use a little Premier Protein drink in their coffee and still count it as fasting. It just depends on why you're fasting and which method you are using. There are many different ways and reasons.

Just now, FluffyChix said:

LOL. Some use a little Premier Protein drink in their coffee and still count it as fasting. It just depends on why you're fasting and which method you are using. There are many different ways and reasons.

Maybe I will try that......gah.

and ya know. just discipline and refocus and continue weight loss and just overall health. It also seems like it would fit my day well and force me to be more disciplined which i need!

7 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

Okay so question guys:
Does anyone here ever do 20:4 and what does that look like for you?
Here is condensed version of my calories/macros today.

Needing help deciding if I’m on the right track.

I am impressed. I don't think I've ever managed 46g of protein in one sitting! What was it?

Okay so somehow the “quote” function isn’t working for me now, but here’s a breakdown of my 46gm meal:

The most important part is that when I make the soup, I’m only using enough water to mix the packet and add the scoop of bone broth powder. The canned chicken and drained noodles will also carry some water so I drain and strain as much as I can.

I’m a pretty fast eater with this sleeve, but it still takes me about a half hour to fit all of this in. Luckily the soup and chunk chicken can be rather slider-ish so that helps.
I mostly add the noodles to keep it interesting and it feels like I’m eating something Raman-like.

20 minutes ago, Sheribear68 said:

Okay so somehow the “quote” function isn’t working for me now, but here’s a breakdown of my 46gm meal:

The most important part is that when I make the Soup, I’m only using enough Water to mix the packet and add the scoop of Bone Broth powder. The canned chicken and drained noodles will also carry some water so I drain and strain as much as I can.

I’m a pretty fast eater with this sleeve, but it still takes me about a half hour to fit all of this in. Luckily the soup and chunk chicken can be rather slider-ish so that helps.
I mostly add the noodles to keep it interesting and it feels like I’m eating something Raman-like.

That's an amazing dinner for 182 cals and 45g protein! Bravo you!!!

I can't wait to eat my shirataki noodles again!!!! I miss them so much!

On 08/19/2019 at 06:31, CurvyMom said:

So you guys- do any of you drink coffee in the morning and then still wait to start you window of eating until later in the day? I was thinking I could probably do 16:8 but I have to have coffee in the morning or I cannot function.

Okay so now I can quote. ???

Anyway, I drink coffee almost every morning and I put about an ounce of plain milk in it.
I’m not being purist on this ATM, so I don’t count my coffee as breaking fast.

Not saying I’m correct, just saying that’s what I do.