Am I intermitting fasting with this approach?
cenright0
Posts: 80 Member
Ive been on low carb ketogenic woe for 2.5 months now and only have lost 3 pounds. Im doing everythinig right- Carbs under 50, watch my protein, etc. I think I just realized that even though I am in ketosis (using a Ketonix device to check) I am not in Ketogenic yet. Ive come to think that because I sip on bullet proof coffee all morning long, then eat a keto lunch at noon, then eat a keto snack around 2-3pm, then eat dinner at 5:30pm, then another keto snack at about 8pm. I guess I always have food in my stomach- I am not giving myself a chance to to become ketogenic. I am open to intermitting fasting but wondering if this constitutes:
Bullet proof coffee 8am- sip on it all morning or at least till 10:30 am. (one T. CO, one T. kerry gold, almond or coconut milk)
decaf coffee with almond milk or coconut milk and/ or sparking water throught the day.
5pm- dinner
8pm- snack
10pm bed
Bullet proof coffee 8am- sip on it all morning or at least till 10:30 am. (one T. CO, one T. kerry gold, almond or coconut milk)
decaf coffee with almond milk or coconut milk and/ or sparking water throught the day.
5pm- dinner
8pm- snack
10pm bed
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Replies
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I'm not an expert in intermittent fasting but I think the almond or coconut milk might be breaking the fast if you are sipping throughout the day.
I thought they added the cream in coffee to help compliance but I think it is only one tbsp.
I think intermittent fasting would be something like having an 'eating window' where you eat between a certain time, but fast throughout the rest. I think 16:8 is the regular routine to start out with. So you would eat in the 8 hours and fast in the 16.2 -
Ketogenic just means "generating ketones." If you're in ketosis, your diet is ketogenic.
I looked at your diary on the couple days you did complete logging. Looks like your calories were pretty high on those days. It also looks like you're treating fat as a goal. If so, don't.
As you've discovered, eating a lot of fat makes you ketogenic, but it doesn't lead to weight loss. Just eat enough to satisfy your hunger. Fat intake is not a goal you have to meet.3 -
Cut out the BPC and the 8pm snack. Losing 3 lbs in 10 weeks means you are basically eating at maintenance. Neither keto nor IF will cause you to lose weight in-and-of-themselves, but they can both be used as tools for appetite suppression and/or increased satiety while eating at a caloric deficit.5
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thank you for the suggestion!
You're right, I do think I've been focusing a lot on adding in fat. I'll watch that and maybe eating the way I suggested in my original post will ultimately thereby lower my overall calories which I agree have not been at enough of a deficit.
I love this community! You get such great advice and suggestions!4 -
Are you actually hungry at the times you're eating the snacks? Or are you eating them to "get fat in"?
Try only eating when hungry. I have BPC every morning but only 1 cup and then I don't eat again until I'm hungry which is around 2pm. Then dinner about 6:30-7. It's very rare that I am ever hungry enough for a snack. If I ever do eat anything else it's typically just because it looks good and I want it. Not actual hunger.
I am losing slowly but I only have about 8 pounds left to lose. So it's fine. But I am going to be ditching the butter from my BPC going forward to create just a bit more calorie deficit. Even though I'm not actually tracking calories.2 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Are you actually hungry at the times you're eating the snacks? Or are you eating them to "get fat in"?
Try only eating when hungry. I have BPC every morning but only 1 cup and then I don't eat again until I'm hungry which is around 2pm. Then dinner about 6:30-7. It's very rare that I am ever hungry enough for a snack. If I ever do eat anything else it's typically just because it looks good and I want it. Not actual hunger.
I am losing slowly but I only have about 8 pounds left to lose. So it's fine. But I am going to be ditching the butter from my BPC going forward to create just a bit more calorie deficit. Even though I'm not actually tracking calories.
Yes, I am hungry when I eat those snacks. I keep waiting for that feeling everyone talks about when your in ketosis and you could go forever without food no problem. I haven't reached that yet and I thought maybe because Im eating too often.0 -
I keep waiting for that feeling everyone talks about when your in ketosis and you could go forever without food no problem.
That's not a foregone conclusion, so it might never happen that way for you. You might find yourself being able to go longer between meals than you currently do (and this is where the ghrelin entrainment due to IF can help) but it can be a long process. Especially when we're coming off of years of 24/7 food availability and eating patterns.
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I may drop the kerry gold butter in my bpc and just stick to one tablespoon coconut oil in my coffee in the morning along with a splash of almost milk. This is going to be hard for me (Ive LOVE my bpc!) especially if its all Im consuming until 2pm.
Ive read that if you use just a splash of heavy cream in your coffee you are still considered fasting- what if I was to substitute almond milk same result??0 -
You'd be surprised how many calories a splash of heavy cream has. One tablespoon is about 50 calories so if you're using half of that, you have to figure you're consuming around 25 calories. Personally, I would consider that breaking a fast but it's not gonna make or break a diet.
As Samantha stated, intermittent fasting is generally done by fasting for 16 hours and fitting all of your meals within an 8 hour eating window. If 16 hours is too much, you can adjust the fasting window by an hour or two (14 to 15 hours) and lengthen your eating window by the same amount (9 to 10 hours). Personally I do the 16/8 protocol.
I realize you haven't lost much weight but have you noticed a difference in the mirror? Do you appear leaner? If so, you might inadvertently be doing a recomposition whereby you're losing fat and maintaining muscle.0 -
I may drop the kerry gold butter in my bpc and just stick to one tablespoon coconut oil in my coffee in the morning along with a splash of almost milk. This is going to be hard for me (Ive LOVE my bpc!) especially if its all Im consuming until 2pm.
Ive read that if you use just a splash of heavy cream in your coffee you are still considered fasting- what if I was to substitute almond milk same result??
Do what you need to do to make it work for you. You can always adjust later on even more if you think it's necessary.2 -
I would love to know your tip of making a BPC last all morning?? Doesn't it get cold? It takes me less than 5 minutes to drink it. Do you use a huge cup?0
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Christine_72 wrote: »I would love to know your tip of making a BPC last all morning?? Doesn't it get cold? It takes me less than 5 minutes to drink it. Do you use a huge cup?
lol, I should have clarified!
I make bpc iced so its chilled all morning. Sometimes I add a cup of cooled decaf to half of it as it starts to dwindle.
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>I make bpc iced so its chilled all morning
It stays emulsified?0 -
I found the key is to gradually get it cold. When I stick a ton of glass of ice cubes in it ithe butter and or coconut oil chunks up as it chills too fast. When I add just a cube or two to the emulsified bpc and then as it melts add just a couple more it works well. The result is not as cold of iced coffee as true iced coffee but as long as I get the temp down to chill I'm happy. I usually end up with just two cubes in my chilled coffee not a while glass full of ice. I just don't like hot coffee I never have. Also I make my coffee extra strong as I know it will get a bit weaker with the ice.0
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Isn't 50 carbs generally too high to achieve ketosis, for most people?0
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MilllieMoo wrote: »Isn't 50 carbs generally too high to achieve ketosis, for most people?
No, it is an acceptable level - especially for people who are physically active.
The 25g net or less thing just pretty much guarantees you will be in ketosis after a few days within starting out.1 -
>I make bpc iced so its chilled all morning
It stays emulsified?
It might take a little toying, but apparently it can be iced down without breaking the emulsification -- https://www.bulletproofexec.com/iced-bulletproof-coffee-recipe/ http://thepaleomama.com/2013/05/iced-bulletproof-coffee/
OP -- if yesterday's log is any indication of what you normally do, part of your problem might be that you're not eating much in the way of actual meals. Even your "meals" look more like snacks.
Try dropping the processed meats and trading them for cut meats. So ham in your eggs and a steak for dinner, instead of beef snack sticks and a "dinner" of bacon. Additionally, you have some carb wiggle room. Make yourself a salad. The extra water, volume, and fiber in it (in addition to some protein and fat from toppings) might help satiate you longer.
Also, try to make your meals bigger (at least in volume at first, if not in calories) and see if that helps with the snacking.0 -
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