Intermittent Fasting & Keto Living Lifestyle

mwright5806
mwright5806 Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just started learning the science behind intermittent fasting. I've been Keto Living Lifestyle for many years that means no sugar, no premade box food, etc. I subscribe to "The Diet Doctors" website to help me plan my low-carb meals. But..... I had a stressful 3 years (Alzheimer's parent - and I was primary caregiver. Sadly my best friend and mama passed in October 2021).

I gained 30 lbs. in 3 years.. by stressing out and drinking too much, eating too much fat, etc. While I tried to stay keto, I was failing big time. I needed to do something and get serious about loving myself again.

The science behind the intermittent fasting is new to me. Applying the science...more new to me!! I started learning by reading "The Obesity Code" by Dr. Jason Fung. Man, may I say this guy is so good!! Wow! Dr. Fung really breaks down the science behind losing weight. LOVE HIM!! He has lots of quick YouTube videos too! Check him out, you will not regret this!

So here goes the sharing and discussions about this lifestyle of intermittent fasting:

I love having dinner with my hubby and I am all about cooking keto, love cooking! So what I started with was 16/8 fasting. Meaning 16 hours of fasting, no snacks, no cheating, and 8 hours (or so) of eating, no in-between snacks! What does this look like? Skip breakfast, except my coffee - which I drink black anyway; prep and cook dinner while I drink my coffee (so I don't miss food.. coffee.. is enough for me to not care about eating while I am cooking). After two days of this, I realized fasting was working for me, I lost 4 lbs. along with my keto lifestyle. I only ate lunch and dinner. To bed earlier, which is so good, because I don't desire to snack while I sleep. LOL.

This was so easy to me and I really liked seeing quick results. I decided after learning more about the 24 hour fast (Dr. Fung) that I would try it. So far I have done 3 days of 24 hour fasting, by eating only at 5:00 pm (yes, one meal a day).. and then drinking only water, tea, coffee, Ice zero sugar water bottles. I feel my stomach growl a bit.. but when I do, I get busy and do something, take my mind off of the stomach noises. I am amazed.. I feel so good, such a clear and focused mindset! I can't seem to stop updating my goals and am so hyped up, that I have to walk to help get rid of this excess energy (my dogs love the walk too).

Since starting this new Intermittent Fasting & readjusting my Keto Lifestyle.. I have lost 10 lbs. in two weeks doing 2 days of Intermittent 24 hour fasting (easy for me to do during the week, Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu, and Fri/Sat/Sun I switch to 18/6 hours of fasting (skipping breakfast but having lunch and dinner with my family).

I will continue to capture my weight loss journey.. but more importantly capture how I feel while combining Intermittent Fasting and Low-Carb Keto lifestyle. But had to get started documenting this subject to open a discussion with you. What has worked for you? Any side effects? Any challenges? Maybe we can help each other thru this process. I am new at this.. like I said, just learning the science and trying to apply it to change my life.

Pros:
Losing weight fast
Feeling Focused and mind is clearer
Feel energetic and walking more
Staying busy because of this and not missing food
Still get my family time meals with my family.
Sleep 8 hours or more a night
Drinking lots of water
Cutting out alcohol (until I feel like I can do some socially on special occasions)

Cons:
I did experience the "keto-flu" for a couple of day.. naturally
I did get really tired a couple of days from adjusting to keto (again)
lightheaded when I am pushing myself too much... when walking.


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Replies

  • AngWBald
    AngWBald Posts: 59 Member
    edited January 2022
    Dr. Jason Fung is a great speaker and writer. I'm currently reading The Diabetes Code. Prevent and reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally.

    My mother was diagnosed at age 52 with this horrible disease. She suffered a major stroke and lived for a year and half from this devastating event. So I'm interested in not developing this disease.

    I'm currently 58. I'm blessed I haven't been diagnosed with Diabetes. My BMI says I am obese. I'm trying hard to get my weight down to an acceptable range.

    I'm currently trying intermittent fasting. I first gave up snacks, then I did a 12 hour fast, and finally I've given up eating breakfast every day. I really don't miss it. I typically fast 16 hours daily. I've made it as long as 23 1/2 hours on a fast. My next goal is to be able to fast for 30 hours.

    The benefits I've seen so far is imitate weight loss. But I'm still new at this. I'm reading as much as I can before I do a longer fast. I want to be well informed before I attempt a longer fast.

    I remember a Youtube video about a guy who went on a 55 day fast. It's called Facing the Fat. He lost a lot of weight and inches around his waistline. He only drank water. He documented every day of his fast. He did before and after blood tests. I was really inspired by his results. Although I'm not sure I'm up to a fast that long. There's too many celebrations involving food I'm not suppose to eat.

    The Obesity Code is the next book I'm planning on reading.

    I can see you are already receiving Disagree clicks. Be ready to have more Disagreeing with you. People have Disagreed with some of my comments to other discussions. Keto and Fasting is a way of dieting that is highly controversial. We have to be patient with those who haven't caught on.
  • AngWBald
    AngWBald Posts: 59 Member
    AngWBald wrote: »
    Dr. Jason Fung is a great speaker and writer. I'm currently reading The Diabetes Code. Prevent and reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally.

    My mother was diagnosed at age 52 with this horrible disease. She suffered a major stroke and lived for a year and half from this devastating event. So I'm interested in not developing this disease.

    I'm currently 58. I'm blessed I haven't been diagnosed with Diabetes. My BMI says I am obese. I'm trying hard to get my weight down to an acceptable range.

    I'm currently trying intermittent fasting. I first gave up snacks, then I did a 12 hour fast, and finally I've given up eating breakfast every day. I really don't miss it. I typically fast 16 hours daily. I've made it as long as 23 1/2 hours on a fast. My next goal is to be able to fast for 30 hours.

    The benefits I've seen so far is imitate weight loss. But I'm still new at this. I'm reading as much as I can before I do a longer fast. I want to be well informed before I attempt a longer fast.

    I remember a Youtube video about a guy who went on a 55 day fast. It's called Facing the Fat. He lost a lot of weight and inches around his waistline. He only drank water. He documented every day of his fast. He did before and after blood tests. I was really inspired by his results. Although I'm not sure I'm up to a fast that long. There's too many celebrations involving food I'm not suppose to eat.

    The Obesity Code is the next book I'm planning on reading.

    I can see you are already receiving Disagree clicks. Be ready to have more Disagreeing with you. People have Disagreed with some of my comments to other discussions. Keto and Fasting is a way of dieting that is highly controversial. We have to be patient with those who haven't caught on.

    YES!!! I have 10 DISAGREE! That means people are reading. Got to get the news our there! Keto, combined with intermittent fasting works! I'm starting slowly and haven't made it to more than 24 hours fasting. I'm still researching on how to do a prolonged fast safely. I don't think I'm ready for it yet.
  • mwright5806
    mwright5806 Posts: 20 Member
    Thank you for your insight. Interesting. I only just began my journey and so far I have so much energy and feel so focused and alert. I am getting 8 - 10 hours of sleep a night, eating low carb by tracking on MFP. I thought the IF would be harder to do.. but for me, it's working out...so far only 18 days into the program. I appreciate your thoughts and am glad you responded.
  • makethistimedifferent
    makethistimedifferent Posts: 31 Member
    I've been eating keto for the last 2 1/2 years and it is the only eating plan that works for me and it's been easy to modify meals when I'm eating out. I see all the dislikes you are getting and that is because people are comfortable regurgitating what they spoonfed, so they truly believe keto is unhealthy. It's not. That doesn't mean it's for everyone. If it's not for you, that's fine, but don't poopoo all over it for everyone else because it's not your thing. That's my perspective.
    Good for you for finding something that works for you and getting back on the wagon. Getting to weight loss maintenance is a trial-and-error process and you only fail when you give up and quit.
    You got this!!!
  • makethistimedifferent
    makethistimedifferent Posts: 31 Member
    Xellercin wrote: »
    I LOVE IF, but I have complicated feelings about Dr. Fung.

    I say this as doctor and a former researcher. What we doctors are taught and what we know works is often not supported by science. Why? Because medical science is often virtually impossible to conduct in ways that show definitive results. Nutrition science is even harder.

    What we have to go on is clinical experience and the historical clinical experience of our predecessors, combined with reasonable interpretations of science, and a good understanding of it's limitations.

    As such, if you took virtually ANY doctor in the world and held up what they said day to day to their patients under rigorous scientific scrutiny from actual research scientists, it wouldn't hold up and they would all look like woo-peddling quacks. All of them. Me included.

    But if we limited ourselves to what is unquestionable...well, a lot of people would die. Period.

    So here are where my feelings about Jason Fung are complex.
    I've experienced first hand benefits of IF well beyond what the extremely limited science has proven, which isn't much. I also relate to a lot of what Dr. Fung has seen among his patient population. The doctor has had remarkable clinical success, and that's a great thing.

    Now, if only he would stay in his lane and speak about his knowledge from a CLINICAL perspective, instead of excessively scientizing it and proffering "scientific" explanations, when he doesn't actually have them.

    This kind of scientizing sells books and makes people believe what you are saying, but it lowers your credibility in the medical and scientific community.

    It sucks that the public doesn't understand how medicine works. I've experienced this. One of the treatments I used to provide was about $500 and it often worked, but I never claimed to really know why it worked. When asked, I would just shrug and say "no one really knows, but I've helped thousands of people with it, so why not give it a try?"

    Meanwhile a doctor down the street was offering a far more complex version of my treatment for $70,000, which had infinitely more steps, was far more invasive, but at the end of the day, did the same thing as mine. And it worked...about as often as mine did. The difference was that she scientized her explanations and justifications. I shrugged and said "I don't know" and she gave long winded explanations, and printed off research that supposedly supported her narrative, and made the whole thing so convincing and compelling, and if it failed, she had complex explanations for that as well, along with thousands more in options she could offer. (Note: she's not evil, she was legitimately taught this way by a "reputable" school that teaches this BS).

    The difference between us? I used to be a scientist and she isn't, so she believes this scientized BS and I know it's nonsense. The research is real, and solid research, it's just not as relevant to what she's saying as she thinks it is. Guess which one of us patients take more seriously at first? Guess which one they initially think is better educated in this specific area of medicine? Not me, that's for sure.

    The thing with medicine is that if we're all honest, we don't really know what will work a lot of the time, and often don't even know exactly why something works when it does. You would be shocked at how many prescription drugs we have no idea how they actually work, we just know they work...usually...to some degree...

    So that's my issue with Fung.

    I think he's an AMAZING clinician. His results are unquestionably impressive, and that really should be enough to convince people to try his approach. But his science is kind of...well, questionable, and not even necessary for promoting IF.

    So yeah, you're always going to have a lot of push back when you talk about IF, especially if you promote a lot of the "scientific" claims that the gurus like to toss around. But I personally ADORE IF and can confirm that for myself, the benefits have gone far beyond just calorie restriction, which is what an analysis of the existing research would conclude is the only benefit.

    However, a failure to produce good research is not evidence of a lack of effect. Diets in general are almost impossible to study beyond very short periods of time without introducing massive confounds. So it's not likely that we'll ever have good research that thoroughly explains the affects, good or bad, of IF or of any other diet out there. It's just not a realistic thing to conclusively study in any kind of rigorous way.

    Thank you for your post. It's incredibly insightful and candid, which I appreciate. I would not be surprised by a lot of what you said, it's just refreshing to hear someone be honest for a change.
    Karen
  • Wondersheoom89
    Wondersheoom89 Posts: 7 Member
    I'm doing Keto since January 2018, when i was 107 Kg. :# The first 2- years hard keto, than more LCHF-ish with a few more carbs. Anyway I was able to get under 80 KG and sustain that weight.
    Last year I had a ruff year, and began overeating... Still "keto" but too much calories. I turned my running in fitness... I gained approx 30 kg too... Well a few kilograms where muscle mass, I gained a lot of power in a year of fitness. I went from 30 kg bench to 150 kg bench, from 30 kg dead lift to 200kg.. But for me to be able to improve I needed to eat... So i eat 100-160 eggs a week ( still Keto fitness ) Basically in a year of fitness I went from 80 kg to 95-96 kg... I changed work position, I got a son, I didn't have much time to do sports, to think that even if I am not training I am eating the same amount of food...

    In four years of keto/ lchf I cheated maybe 4-5 times, eating a pizza and a beer. That's it. Well this December I realized how much weight I gained and went bezerk with food. I told to myself I will eat as much as I want and what I want for the next 2 weeks, than go back on Keto and IF. I am a vegetarian for 10 years now.

    So from 03/01/2022 and 106 KG.... I am back in Keto I am in 25% + deficit, I don't eat more than 22-25 g of carbs and I monitor my fast. I don't schedule it. That means I eat when I can and / or when I am hungry after the period of at least 16 hour. That means some days I eat after 16 hours other after 18, 21... I had a few 24+ hour fasts not planned. And it's working quite good for me. Not new with fasting tho. If I plan all this it ends I am thinking about food 3/4 of the day :s Also I started to run again and do some walks in my free time. From 1/01/2022 until today I ran - walked 141 km ( registered )

    So in three weeks I've lost 9,7 kg and gained speed in my running. I've improved over a minute on Km.

    I think Keto and IF are a good combination, I don't know dr. Fung but I love Thomas DeLauer. I'm following him from 2018 and he helped me a lot with his instructional videos and some good ideas - recepies.
  • pammac11
    pammac11 Posts: 1 Member
    I could use help starting. I know my fitness pal has an upgrade for IF but how do I incorporate keto with My fitness pal
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,197 Member
    pammac11 wrote: »
    I could use help starting. I know my fitness pal has an upgrade for IF but how do I incorporate keto with My fitness pal

    Premium MFP also has net carb features, if that would help you.

    Fundamentally, you mostly need to go into the goals area and set your carbs goal low enough for your style of keto, and increase protein and/or fats so the split adds up to 100% (in free MFP). It's more usual in keto go to high fat, moderate protein . . . but macro details can be tweaked to personal needs/experiences as you go along.

    Generally, the same calorie level leads to the same body weight results, but the macros are important for health, energy, and body composition, plus can have a strong effect on some people's ability to feel reasonably full on lowered calories.

    Note that this is a thread from 2022, so I'm not sure how many people are still here who posted on the thread back then.

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