Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences.

I started 16:8 two days ago & on day 1 it felt weird not to eat right when I got up but I realized I wasn't hungry & I'd just been eating out of habit! So today was no problem. Feeling hopeful this will help heal my insulin resistance.

ladyj22 wrote: »

Thank you! How do I calculate my macros? I'm 34, 135 pounds, 5'6 and I work out 5 to 6 times a week. I'm wanting to lose a little fat and tone. My calorie goal is set at 1370.

Well, since this is the LCHF board, the first step would be to determine what you want your carb limit to be. Anything below 150g or so could be considered low carb, all the way down to 20g or less for those folks shooting for guaranteed ketosis.

http://1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ is a site I like for playing with macros. It's LeanGains-based so it differentiates between rest days and lifting days, but you can set them to be the same if you want to eat the same macros each day.

CRZYFTM wrote: »

So I've started IF (16/8).
Day 1 was ok, day two was really had, day three was nearly unbearable.... day four, I woke up with zero hunger! Of course once my husband made bacon and eggs I felt hungry, but I'm drinking my black coffee and staying strong.

Anyone else find that starting IF was hard? How long did it take to acclimate?

So, how is it going on the IF protocol? I have now done two longer extended fasts. I think I could do these a few times a month now.

That sounds like a good idea to me @CRZYFTM , heed your hunger signals. I'm always so excited that mine work now, both on and OFF. Still a novelty!

I've been doing roughly 16:8 for a week now & it's been much easier than I expected. I used to wake up starving but on Keto I don't, so waiting until 10 or 11 to eat is fine.

I'm really hoping I'm helping to reset my insulin levels downward. I'm not working with a doctor but I've been doing a lot of research & I see now that I'm likely insulin resistant & probably have hyperinsulinemia. I'm so glad to have found all this out & come back to LCHF after years of just low carb (not low enough it turns out) and now IF to hopefully heal all this mess inside me & prevent future disease.

@CRZYFTM - Sweeeeeet!! Congrats!

CRZYFTM wrote: »

I heeded my hunger signal then went right back to my IF schedule. Woke up this morning slightly down in weight but more importantly an inch down in my waste! Funny how it works like that!

I hoped knew it would get around to poop sooner or later.

@kirkor What I have recently been doing?
Well, here's my recent trend in a nutshell. What worked for me in 2015 when I first started LCHF -I lost 40 pounds.

I started eating breakfast at 7am -1-2 eggs mixed with cream, cinnamon, spinach and kale and coffee with cream.
Lunch - can of tuna or 6oz of chicken or steak, bacon, and spinach/kale/ leafy greens
snack - few almonds.
Dinner - 6 oz meat or fish or boiled eggs with broccoli or cauliflower with parm cheese.
Snack 1c. Strawberries.
2 glasses of wine on weekends only.

I lost 40 in 2015 doing pretty much that for 7 months. (April-November)

Then in December 2015- thru January 2017 I pretty much introduced the alcohol back in, with lead to more snacking at night and during the day and the earlier post routine. More stress, no exercise. munchies during the day. Then, when I was back to 178, I knew I had to put the brakes on again.

I was gaining and losing the same 4-5 over and over until May 1st.

I started the above routine again with 3 meals, little or no snacks, stopped the martini(s) at night, stopped going out after work. Started walking again. I'm down 5 again since April.15.17. Seems to be more difficult this time. I'm having a bad reaction to eggs now. I thought maybe a good kick start with IF might help. Since I really don't like eating in the morning. I did find however, eating a morning meal seems to keep my afternoon cravings more in check.

As a side note, in trying to find out what works for me, and a WOE I can sustain, I just read Dr. Gundry's Diet evolution. He suggests ricotta and cottage cheese as another source of protein. The meal plans haves some good ideas for variation. He strongly doesn't like any sweeteners or sugars or white or beige foods. Encourages high protein, doesn't advocate fat. Seems critical of strict LCHF. You should avoid salt. Doesn't advocate strict animal protein, which is high in iron which he believes is not good over the long haul. I'm still trying to put the pieces together.

@sixaround1 If you have a touchier tummy it often means you have to break a longer fast with a bit less food, or maybe food not quite so rich in fats (not sure what you ate...). I find a great help with info on longer fasts is a Facebook page I belong to: https://facebook.com/groups/459769974182105/
It's a closed group to avoid trolls/LC or IF haters.
"Fung Shweigh for Diabetes/Metabolic Issues inspired by Dr. Jason Fung"

@canadjineh Thanks for the tips! It was steamed egg, which is 3 eggs with broth, water, and a little oil. I think it was the volume that did it. Normally I break fast with a small slice of almond meal toast. Learned my lesson!!