Checking in.

I fasted for 16.5 hours today before going to my hot yoga class....

I've never not eaten before yoga before because I've been too afraid of "bonking", but I'm happy to say it was actually a very positive experience!

I felt extremely focused and in tune with my body the whole time, and my energy level remained constant throughout the class.

The only thing I consumed before was my BPC at 7am, 2 stock cubes and some BCAAs & electrolytes during class.

I might do the same tomorrow and see how I feel.

Gave my insulin system a good long rest by completing my first 60 hour fast (with BPC, tea & broth). A month ago, I wouldn't have thought this was possible. Inspired by some folks in this group, and also Dr. Jason Fung. Got in over 3 hours of brisk walks while fasted for increased fat burning. Some hunger on the first day, some light headedness on the second afternoon & 3rd morning - salt definitely helps with that. Confirmed ketosis this morning for the first time. This has given me more than 3 weeks of weight loss without a plateau, which at this point wouldn't ordinarily happen. I'm pleased with this new tool in my bag of diet tricks.

If I have to go more than 16 hrs fasting, people flee.
Still...
Just sayin.

I think I'm in another 3 week stall cycle. We shall see. I haven't really even lost anything thus far. Just losing and regaining the same water weight all month in rapid-cycle mode. And I'm getting headaches. Still hungry in the AM every day. My body doesn't like being hungry. Ever. At all. TOM in effect, and it is rough around here right now, let me tell ya. I haven't killed anyone yet. Yet...

Not really seeing much benefit in IFing, other than turning me into a new supervillain named Broomrider. I'm sticking with it and not weighing any more until the end of the month. We'll see. Ask me how I feel when TOM is gone. I have zero energy and mood is in the toilet and I want to eat anything I can slurp or chew. Bleh.

If I have developed anything over the past 13 months, it's greater stick-to-it-ivness. But I'm unsure at this point whether IF is a habit I will continue once the challenge is over.

jennybird99 wrote: »

I'm still working out the kinks. For instance, I'm wasting food at home and having to throw it out as I am at work for a fair chunk of my eating hours. So, I need to plan better.
I also have to go look up if a hard boiled egg breaks the fast...

Nice work rosendale1. I have a trip coming up and will try to emulate.

So far I have seen nothing different while doing IF. I feel the same, my weigh still fluctuates, losing inches at about the same rate. No harm, no foul.

Confession. I have not been a poster child for IF during this challenge. It seems to me that I do better when I don't have to do something. Maybe it's my stubborn inner child, who knows. I do better when I put a very loose target of what I want to achieve or test and do what falls naturally into that. It's very unscientific, lol, but it works for me.

Tbh, I also think that since my body is very slowly chipping off fat, recomping, I don't feel the urgency to fast for fat loss. Last year, during weight loss, I felt compelled to fast because it really, really worked for me, where no other method had previously worked. I have been able to stretch fasting hours a bit and many days I don't start eat until 5pm.

So there were two weeks in the middle where TOM hunger reared it's ugly head. This last week I did 2 days B2B with low calorie cycling. Roughly NET 800 kcal/day. The scale weight is the same as start of the challenge, but undies, shorts, pants that were too tight 6 weeks ago, feels a tad looser. I also started experimenting with daily creatine and inulin, so water retention because of this is unknown. Measure tape says 1 cm lost in waist, but that could be a spurious event.

I also wanna say that by looking into the mirror, I'm very close to goal. I can see the outline of abs now when flexed. I mostly do cardio so those are my baseline midsection muscles. So naturally any fat loss at this point is a painstaking endeavour.

So even though, I didn't comply with goals stated at the beginning of challenge, I still feel like this is a win for me. It has raised my consciousness about how and why I wanna keep fasting. During this month, I've re-read and found new info about IF that firmly convinces me that doing IF for health: anti-aging benefits, increased HGH, mitochondrial biogenesis, more cell repairs, increased beta cell function, improved glucose metabolism, to name a few...is a good motivator to try do 2-3 days of fasting on a regular basis even after goal body composition is reached.

I only have to find a suitable protocol/time that works for me. I'm thinking 1x/month is a good start.

TL;DR Daily fasting window works for slowly chip off fat recomp mode. Semi-fasting is still a more effective for scale movement for me. Fasting is good for not just weight loss, but also have hormonal benefits I would like to explore more.

It has been interesting hearing about all of your different experiences. It reaffirms for me that we truly are all different

Starting weight? 160.3 lbs
Ending weight? 153.3 lbs
Loss = 7 lbs!!

I was away from home and eating out every day . . .

Fast Schedule 16:8 - 5 days per week; 20:4 - 2 days a week
Met for the entire month

Took the following supplements Magnesium, Vitamin D,
Almost daily

Do you plan to exercise?

My exercise was walking . .

What you hope to achieve by participating: Including how you'll measure it: Reduction in pain/swelling, weight loss. Measured by how I feel by the end of the month and scale.

My goal to achieve was weight loss and appetite control . . . both of these were achieved. I will continue low carb eating, with IF as above.

Your current weight (or clothing size, or whatever you use if you don't weigh): 176.2

*down to 170.6 almost 6 lb drop ; )

Your Fast/Feed Schedule: Include how many days per week you plan to do this 16/8-7
* did the 16/8 IF for 5 days-then break for 2

Do you take supplements?: just a multi

Do you plan to exercise? If so, how do you expect that to impact your fasting?: yes -nothing hardcore- just starting again- ?? not sure- increased hunger maybe

only exercise was yard work - house cleaning and my 4 girls LOL

How you'll fast: Water only? Water/BPC only? water/tea/occasional bpc or bone broth if needed
*stuck to this water with electrolytes

What you hope to achieve by participating: Including how you'll measure it be able to listen to hunger cues/ and to control evening eating problems

Any previous experience with fasting: not really

Your carb/protein/fat targets (in grams) for the feeding periods: (This should not be all that different from how you eat before starting. Remember: we aren't restricting calories here)
5%carb19 gm/20%protein75 gm/75% fat 127 gm


i found i really like this way of eating- i feel better and so nice not to have to think about food all the time- for me anyways-- will def continue this