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!!!

25 minutes ago, Healthy_life2 said:

Wednesday!

IF is going well. Today was shoulder and back day. I had extra energy to push things. I’m staying off the scale and going by how my clothing fits for now.

I am trying to stop worrying so much about the scale and just try to be super strong.

Love this couple!

Adiposity Set-Point - Putting this here so I can come watch it tomorrow! Ok, I took the time to watch this. And I thought I knew a lot already about nutrition, our fat brains, and neurosciency nutrition. But my mind is officially blown. This explains so so much! I'm running to buy this book she speaks about. It's ALL about what I've been saying...that we MUST down regulate our hedonic pleasure response to food in order to have a normal relationship with food. As MO or formerly MO people our response and neural wiring is DIFFERENT do you hear that? From naturally thin people.

Turns out...our BRAINS (hypothalmus = aka lizard brain = hedonic pleasure center) will increase our neurochemical adiposiity (fat) set point to defend a higher weight (resist losing weight) based on how tasty your food is! So the tastier, the harder it is to combat and control hunger.

It's why substitutions still light up our brains like crack! So sugar free anything still causes our pleasure center to be stimulated and we get a cephalic insulin response. But even salting steamed green beans will make things more pleasurable. Even roasting green beans rather than steaming them, raises our cephalic response and cause the brain to NOT want to lose any weight.

Gah! Brain! Ef you!!!!!

Edited September 5, 20196 yr by FluffyChix

I’m At work right now, but have made a mental note to watch this

I know I said I wouldn't worry so much about the scale, but I'm curious. Does anyone lose weight with 16:8 fasts? I only lose at 24+ hours

On 09/06/2019 at 12:12, GB in CA said:

I know I said I wouldn't worry so much about the scale, but I'm curious. Does anyone lose weight with 16:8 fasts? I only lose at 24+ hours

Well I’m only 7 months PO, so I have no idea if my loss is due to still being a honeymooner, or if 16:8 is helping.

I probably do 16:8 four-five times weekly, depending on my week.
When I’m not doing 16:8, I usually do 18:6.
Occasionally I do 20:4, and once I even did a full 24 hour fast, but my restriction doesn’t allow me to have feast days without protein shake supplementation so I’m not really pushing the longer fasts so much ATM.

When I hit my next stall, I’m planning to use IF as a way to bust it, so I like the practice I’m getting now.

I think 18:6 has really helped me. It boosted me past a stall, and now is maintaining my goal weight. There is something very significant about the fasting period. I try to do most of my exercises during the fasting time, which supposedly boosts the fat burning. But the limited eating window really helps curb the total caloric intake. There have been days lately where I have really "blown it" with my eating plan. I still eat only healthy, non processed foods, but I seems to be hungrier and needing more calories. But....... my weight is still remaining a few pounds below goal, and I think IF is the tool that is helping that.

When I hit a stall a while ago, I added alternate day IF (500 cal one day, 1,ooo the next) and it really knocked off the pounds like magic. Got me to goal.

the next layer is to fast 24 hours one day a week.

The final layer is a 72 hour fast maybe every month. So there are lots of IF tools to use and it really helps take the anxiety out of maintanence. I fear losing control and regaining, but these IF tools give me confidence that things will go well and I will be able to maintain.

Yes. I lost 30 lbs with a combination of IF TREs and minimal EFs. I did a lot of ADF with 500 cal restriction as well.

IF got me to goal. But I should say, that my TREs are not free for all eating in that eating window. I still only look at getting my protein and deeply nutritious veg in and a tiny bit of healthy fats...

I also have treat days every week.

6 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

Yes. I lost 30 lbs with a combination of IF TREs and minimal EFs. I did a lot of ADF with 500 cal restriction as well.

IF got me to goal. But I should say, that my TREs are not free for all eating in that eating window. I still only look at getting my Protein and deeply nutritious veg in and a tiny bit of healthy fats...

I also have treat days every week.

I agree. The eating window still has to be healthy. At this point, I find it impossible to eat more than 800 calories in a 6 hour window. I can push 1,000, but it is not comfortable. I also focus on the protein and then on the veggies. I do eat more nuts now, and find them very satisfying and easy to digest. Although, the steatorrhea is a bit of an issue sometimes. At times there is urgency and I worry about an accident.

So here is a question. I have started training for the Triathlon next month. So far, my training has been in the mornings and in a fasting state. This morning I power walked the 5K and then swam 1/4 mile. I did not feel hungry, but maybe a little weak when lunch time came around. I think I need to eat SOMETHING in the mornings if I am going to swim, bike, and walk all within a few hours. But I don't want my bowels to start acting up, either, from the stimulation of eating. Do you have any advice? I am so hesitant to go off IF, but maybe I need to start getting my body used to the idea of eating something on high intensity exercise days. And I really don't know what to eat. I don't want to load up on protein that will take a long time to digest and divert blood from my muscles. But I don't want to carb load and get a big insulin response, either. Maybe I will try some almonds and half an apple.

On 9/7/2019 at 7:04 AM, FluffyChix said:

Yes. I lost 30 lbs with a combination of IF TREs and minimal EFs. I did a lot of ADF with 500 cal restriction as well.

IF got me to goal. But I should say, that my TREs are not free for all eating in that eating window. I still only look at getting my Protein and deeply nutritious veg in and a tiny bit of healthy fats...

I also have treat days every week.

What is TRE

@FluffyChix Do you do low protein one day, then load up the next? I just worry about doing the low day because out nutritionists really drill that protein intake into your head

3 hours ago, GB in CA said:

@FluffyChix Do you do low Protein One day, then load up the next? I just worry about doing the low day because out nutritionists really drill that Protein intake into your head

I talked to my nutritionist. She has no problems with me fluctuating my protein up and down. She just doesn't want me to suppress it every day. I only need about 45-53g of protein per day to sustain my body at my new weight. So to eat 50-55g or protein one day and raise on other days is perfectly fine. The protein can come from "all sources"--meaning even protein in veggies count! She wants me to focus on getting protein from many sources. Yes, complete proteins are important, but that can come from milk, yogurt, eggs as well as things like quinao/beans/lentils/soy beans (which I got the go ahead to have a serving a day from whole sources (no isolates)) or things like hemp and chia seeds and I'm now allowed a bit of flax seed too.

I had a pre-albumin test recently and my pre-albumin was 24. Think 20 is low. But the doc was fine with it being at 24. Some days I get 90g of protein (feast days), but other days I'm more like 50-ish. I usually on days where I do a 20/4 or a 22/2, will do 1 shake (25-30g protein) + 1 meal with 4-5oz of cooked protein (meat/fish/seafood--something very dense protein per ounce--trying for 7g protein/ounce of source (weight). So if I can get 24-30g of protein in a meal + the shake, I'm gold! And right before eating closes for the night, I might still be able to get in 4oz of kefir + 2-3oz protein drink (love strawberries and cream flavor or peaches and cream flavor mixed with low fat kefir).

TRE=Time Restricted Eating

On 9/7/2019 at 3:40 PM, AZhiker said:

So here is a question. I have started training for the Triathlon next month. So far, my training has been in the mornings and in a fasting state. This morning I power walked the 5K and then swam 1/4 mile. I did not feel hungry, but maybe a little weak when lunch time came around. I think I need to eat SOMETHING in the mornings if I am going to swim, bike, and walk all within a few hours. But I don't want my bowels to start acting up, either, from the stimulation of eating. Do you have any advice? I am so hesitant to go off IF, but maybe I need to start getting my body used to the idea of eating something on high intensity exercise days. And I really don't know what to eat. I don't want to load up on protein that will take a long time to digest and divert blood from my muscles. But I don't want to carb load and get a big insulin response, either. Maybe I will try some almonds and half an apple.

Ok, maybe @Healthy_life2 will step in and help you with this. She runs marathons! And has a huge routine down that is very specific for her work out schedule. She's awesome sauce!!! Congrats on the triathlon next month!!! Wooooot!!!! I hear ya on the urgency stuff when you cut down via TRE (time restricted eating)--especially during a race! Wow! That would be unpleasant!!

Interesting Study on Mice and Humans!

Relative to IF and EAE eating and protection against neuronal diseases such as MS.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413118303139?fbclid=IwAR15_4zB8d4QWr8bFauUmK67ae7XKAdHSTcpNcOVZa5aS8GUAdAouDFAESI

Okay so after a rather decadent weekend (mostly with alcohol, not food) I’m hitting it now with a 24 hr fast.
At 6:30 We finished up a dinner of chicken and salad and I even found some passable avocado to add to the salad for some extra healthy fat and calories.
I’m so stuffed right now that I don’t feel like eating for 3 days, lol.

Plan is to get up early for Pilates, spend some time organizing some clothes to do a sell-back before going to work at 1pm, then finding a way to break my fast tomorrow night at work after 6pm.
I’m going to do an 8 ounce beef bone broth cup with some sea salt before I go to work.

I’ll try to remember to post when I get off work tomorrow night and let y’all know how it went

Hey guys, I have been binge reading your posts I feel like I know everthinganna,sherriebear,recibus or something like that johhny something well just say the February sleevers. Having my sleeve in November . Any advice?