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!!!

WB!!! We misssssed you!!!!

On 09/22/2019 at 12:22, GreenTealael said:

☕?????? I'M BACK ??????☕

In anticipation of Yom Kippur I'm starting IF again (tomorrow) should be relatively easy since I'll be travelling and busy. Im also trying to convince my BF to give it a whirl. I'll let y'all know how it goes ?

Love it!
I ended up not doing OMAD on Saturday, but I’m going to fast for 24hrs.
Lol, I’m already 3 hours in. ???

5 minutes ago, Sheribear68 said:

Love it!
I ended up not doing OMAD on Saturday, but I’m going to fast for 24hrs.
Lol, I’m already 3 hours in. ???

Enjoy!

Please help me understand 1) how anyone with WLS can do OMAD and get their nutritional needs met? I know I could never get more than several hundred (maybe 500 tops) calories in a one hour (one meal - stretched out) period.

2) How do you do your vitamins with OMAD?

3) How do you not feel really uncomfortable with eating OMAD - with fullness and restriction?

I am not trying to be negative in any way, but I just don't understand how it is nutritionally possible.

6 hours ago, AZhiker said:

Please help me understand 1) how anyone with WLS can do OMAD and get their nutritional needs met? I know I could never get more than several hundred (maybe 500 tops) calories in a one hour (one meal - stretched out) period.

2) How do you do your Vitamins with OMAD?

3) How do you not feel really uncomfortable with eating OMAD - with fullness and restriction?

I am not trying to be negative in any way, but I just don't understand how it is nutritionally possible.

Years down the line I can see it being easier when restriction is lower but when i practiced OMAD (rarely) i would not focus on getting everything in. It just wasnt possible for our demographic (unless you had a meal then a high protein shake after that instead of water)

26 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

Years down the line I can see it being easier when restriction is lower but when i practiced OMAD (rarely) i would not focus on getting everything in. It just wasnt possible for our demographic (unless you had a meal then a high Protein Shake after that instead of water)

So I can see OMAD being used as a tool for maybe once a week? Like doing a 24 hour fast once a week.

Or as an alternate day (or 5:2) technique IF... IF... IF... at least 500 calories can be consumed.

I agree that a protein shake would have to be part of this, and I still don't see how the vitamins can be done well, as calcium needs to be separated from iron by at LEAST 2 hours - 4 hours is better.

????????Matcha Latte????????

5 minutes ago, AZhiker said:

So I can see OMAD being used as a tool for maybe once a week? Like doing a 24 hour fast once a week.

Or as an alternate day (or 5:2) technique IF... IF... IF... at least 500 calories can be consumed.

I agree that a Protein Shake would have to be part of this, and I still don't see how the Vitamins can be done well, as Calcium needs to be separated from Iron by at LEAST 2 hours - 4 hours is better.

Vitamins *can* be taken whenever you can fit them in... I don't count them as a meal (I don't believe I need to be extremely rigid or a purists because I have other rules to focus on)

10 hours ago, AZhiker said:

Please help me understand 1) how anyone with WLS can do OMAD and get their nutritional needs met? I know I could never get more than several hundred (maybe 500 tops) calories in a one hour (one meal - stretched out) period.

2) How do you do your Vitamins with OMAD?

3) How do you not feel really uncomfortable with eating OMAD - with fullness and restriction?

I am not trying to be negative in any way, but I just don't understand how it is nutritionally possible.

1. You don't meet all your nutritional needs that day. I choose to focus on getting lots of protein when I do eat because I do weight training. However, I only do it twice a week so I make sure I meet all my macros the other days.

2. I take my vitamins as usual. They don't have any calories so it doesn't break my fast

3. I just don't overeat enough to feel uncomfortable, it's meant to be a low calorie day.

On 09/23/2019 at 11:05, GB in CA said:

1. You don't meet all your nutritional needs that day. I choose to focus on getting lots of Protein when I do eat because I do weight training. However, I only do it twice a week so I make sure I meet all my macros the other days.

2. I take my Vitamins as usual. They don't have any calories so it doesn't break my fast

3. I just don't overeat enough to feel uncomfortable, it's meant to be a low calorie day.

Pretty much the same here.
I think AZhiker’s needs aren’t good for OMAD bc of the intense training which requires much more protein than those of us not in that kind of intense training

I’ve done OMAD 3-4 times (depending on how strictly you want to define it)
The main reason I tried was to experiment with a little bit of everything so I could know what kind of stuff works/doesn’t work.

When I OMAD (and I did it today) I still take my vitamins in the morning. I have both chewable and regular capsules so I do the swallow ones (with no added carbs) during the fasting phase and I do my chewable probiotic and iron when I’m eating.

Also, I had 8 ounces beef bone broth with some sea salt in it around 2pm. I consider this not to be breaking fast, but I know that a lot of purists will not agree with me.
So I got home tonite and had dinner around 7pm— 24.5 hours past when I’d started eating dinner last night.
I extended dinner into a couple small meals and I had a protein shake with my calcium chews initially and then about an hour later I had a few meatballs and ricotta cheese.
Skipped the salad because there would’ve simply not been room.
Didn’t get in quite 500 calories, but I did get in over 50g, protein so I’m thrilled with it.
As I’m winding down post-shower, I’m about to have my probiotic and iron chews.

12 hours ago, GB in CA said:

1. You don't meet all your nutritional needs that day. I choose to focus on getting lots of Protein when I do eat because I do weight training. However, I only do it twice a week so I make sure I meet all my macros the other days.

2. I take my Vitamins as usual. They don't have any calories so it doesn't break my fast

3. I just don't overeat enough to feel uncomfortable, it's meant to be a low calorie day.

Got it. Thanks for the info.

2 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

Pretty much the same here.
I think AZhiker’s needs aren’t good for OMAD bc of the intense training which requires much more Protein than those of us not in that kind of intense training

I’ve done OMAD 3-4 times (depending on how strictly you want to define it)
The main reason I tried was to experiment with a little bit of everything so I could know what kind of stuff works/doesn’t work.

When I OMAD (and I did it today) I still take my Vitamins in the morning. I have both chewable and regular capsules so I do the swallow ones (with no added carbs) during the fasting phase and I do my chewable probiotic and Iron when I’m eating.

Also, I had 8 ounces beef Bone Broth with some sea salt in it around 2pm. I consider this not to be breaking fast, but I know that a lot of purists will not agree with me.
So I got home tonite and had dinner around 7pm— 24.5 hours past when I’d started eating dinner last night.
I extended dinner into a couple small meals and I had a Protein Shake with my calcium chews initially and then about an hour later I had a few meatballs and ricotta cheese.
Skipped the salad because there would’ve simply not been room.
Didn’t get in quite 500 calories, but I did get in over 50g, protein so I’m thrilled with it.
As I’m winding down post-shower, I’m about to have my probiotic and iron chews.

Thanks for explaining. I was thinking that folks were doing this every day, and that didn't make sense. But this certainly does. Basically, it is a 24 hour fast, which is good to do intermittently.

Yeah, I'm not a purist, nor a super athlete or endurance pro (or trainee). And I too find OMAD difficult to do mentally cuz I "feel" like I'm trying to force more food into me at a single eating window like 60-90 minutes. And I feel longterm, trying to do that too frequently, I'd end up overeating and possibly stretching my stoma.

So I will do it once in a while or as part of ADF. And when I do it, like the others said, I try to shoot for satisfying minimums. About the minimum for me on protein is about 43-46g or protein per day. So that's pretty easily satisfied by 1 Premier Protein drink, plus a normal size bari meal with 3-4oz protein + 1-1 1/2oz al dente veg + 1 tsp healthy fat. It will be a super low cal day (ADF).

I defer my vitamin window as long as I can until I can still get all my vits for the day. Vits like Calcium and Magnesium might stop autophagy. But, like normies, I believe on the days we totally fast, then the breakdown of stored nutrients will sustain our vitamin and mineral status. I take my vitamins in 3 sets, spaced 2 hours apart in order to maximize absorption. So if you want to get technical, I probably break my fast in an 18:6 window, since I start taking them in the afternoon on the days I OMAD. (Oh and I will also often add a splash of Premier Protein to coffee, or an HerbOx bouillon during the fasting period--I'm on purist and was in it for the weight loss more than autophagy--although now I'm in it not for weight loss, but rather for autophagy, so rules are changing for me.)

But that's when we actively have excess fat on our bodies. Once we reach goal, or are very low in fat stores, EVERYthing changes...and entering into long term caloric deficit has detrimental potential, with protein status as well as vitamins and minerals. But when we have lots of extra fat--no issues. I do believe that done correctly, we can have periodic episodes of severe caloric restriction (without vitamin supplementation) and be perfectly fine. In fact it helps longevity. But that is something done once a month or quarter depending on your health status.

Hope that helps.

Edited September 24, 20196 yr by FluffyChix

A few weeks ago (before starting this insane idea of a triathlon), I was IF'ing 16:8 every day and felt great! So much energy and mental sharpness. Happy mood. Oh, the wonders of acidosis! Now, I am reading that acidosis greatly accelerates bone loss. Hmmmmm..... maybe why I went from normal DEX scan to osteopenia in such a short time.

I have also been eating a LOT more, including carbs, and not doing IF anymore, as I prepare for the IE (Insane Event.) I am clearly NOT in acidosis, and feeling it. I feel sluggish, lower energy, depressed, and my bowels are in hyperdrive from all the intake. I am eating more than is comfortable, and rather than having more energy, I just want to curl up in bed.

So the dilemma - return to IF after the "IE" and risk more bone loss with acidosis, or continue to eat breakfast and feel crummy. My feeling is to return to IF and just keep walking and biking regularly, along with weights, stairs, stretching and hope that maintaining my weight instead of losing will also maintain my bone health, while making me happy and more energetic.

This has been an interesting experiment, for sure. I definitely do not like eating as much as I am now. I definitely feel better with IF. I definitely can walk, ride a bike, and hike while doing IF. I just can't swim, bike, and walk all at the same time while doing IF. And I definitely don't like changing my entire eating plan, just to accommodate IE. Two more weeks and IE will be over, I will have my little participation medal, and I will be very proud of myself. Then it is back to activities I can perform with IF as my friend instead of my enemy.

48 minutes ago, AZhiker said:

Now, I am reading that acidosis greatly accelerates bone loss. Hmmmmm..... maybe why I went from normal DEX scan to osteopenia in such a short time.

This is a myth. Dietary ketosis is COMPLETELY different than metabolic acidosis. The body is a very resilient organism. It will maintain (in the absence of acute and overwhelming diseases or difficiences) a pH balance in blood and tissues within a VERY narrow margin. That is part of why they test CO2 and O2 and K (electrolytes) and Ca, balance in the blood. It shows what state your blood pH is in (in an average). And it regulates the pH balance primarily through the kidneys and lungs--keeping your blood from going into metabolic acidosis or even respiratory acidosis. Both of these states are an extremely critical emergency situation--like you are dying.

Osteopenia can be caused from many different things. We as bariatric pts take a crap ton of calcium. But taking calcium out of balance (which we do) CAN contribute to osteopenia--as can quick weight loss. ADEK and K2 (metabolites) are necessary to build bones by sending the calcium to the bones rather than the soft tissues or pulling minerals from the bone.

I've been low carb (in and out of ketosis) for the better part of 20 years. I do not have osteopenia. I also am on Femara which can also cause osteopenia/porosis. So...I would tend to really look at the studies that are "proving" acidity because of ketosis. Just my 2cents.

Sorry you are dealing with osteopenia girl!!!

Edited September 24, 20196 yr by FluffyChix