Intermittent Fasting

[RandyO]

One week completed

217.8 - 212.3 = 5.5 pound lost.

Don't bother with the "it's water, It's..., blah blah blah"

I'm just reporting what the scale told me.

I feel better, am not really hungry during the fasting times. Exercise has been minimal, that has to pick up this week.

nothing wrong with loosing water, if it comes out your skin as sweat.

I go up and down 5 lb a day depending what time I weigh myself. that said, I'm down 11lb this week, back in the 270's, changes in medications affect my metabolism big time, I'm taking one that has turned my into a slug, over the last year, I have gained 20 lbs, but my doc attributed it to "everyone in gaining weight during covid" anyway, I just had another med change a few weeks ago, that seems to be counteracting the sluggishness, as well as it's intended purpose, I am taking a cocktail of meds for several diagnosis. and of course, I can't eat grapefruit

[CEO]

As long as the workout is less than an hour or so I don't have a problem doing it on an empty stomach.

Agree with this. If you're doing any endurance activity you just can't perform well throughout without some fuel. And recovery would take longer. Basically any runs ~7mi or above, I start adding in gels.

[Paul_E_D]

well, day 1 thoughts. Black tea tastes terrible. staying busy is key. sitting around the house is brutal. It's definitely doable. It seems like it will work.

[SteveM]

Yes, busy helps a lot. I’m choosing projects to avoid eating...

[Vovchandr]

well, day 1 thoughts. Black tea tastes terrible. staying busy is key. sitting around the house is brutal. It's definitely doable. It seems like it will work.

if it helps, I'm pretty sure sugar substitutes are allowed (splenda etc)

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong. As a big tea drinker I've cut out real sugar for it a long time ago (not for IF just for empty calories that aren't needed)

[e30addict]

if it helps, I'm pretty sure sugar substitutes are allowed (splenda etc)

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong. As a big tea drinker I've cut out real sugar for it a long time ago (not for IF just for empty calories that aren't needed)

Check out the first ingredient in Splenda....

Stevie is good to go. Some of the others definitely not, while some are debatable.

[Vovchandr]

Check out the first ingredient in Splenda....

Stevie is good to go. Some of the others definitely not, while some are debatable.

Dextrose? Whats that?

What about the other 2 major substitutes? Are they also somehow deceiving? Genuine questions.

[e30addict]

Dextrose? Whats that?

What about the other 2 major substitutes? Are they also somehow deceiving? Genuine questions.

Depends on what you consider deceiving. They all have great marketing. Based on my limited research sugar substitutes might not have the same calories as pure sugar, but they seem to derived to some degree from sugar or sugar alcohols or even corn and other stuff you may not want in your body.

Equal contains dextrose and maltodextrin and sweet and low dextrose. Yeah, we eat too much sugar in general, but is that worse then chemical alternatives to save a few calories? Personal call there.

For me, I'd rather not mess with them and use either a cleaner Stevia product or monkfruit sweetener for sugar substitutes.

[jimmycapp]

well, day 1 thoughts. Black tea tastes terrible. staying busy is key. sitting around the house is brutal. It's definitely doable. It seems like it will work.

Day 3 without coffee. This tea is pretty good black.

[Vovchandr]

Depends on what you consider deceiving. They all have great marketing. Based on my limited research sugar substitutes might not have the same calories as pure sugar, but they seem to derived to some degree from sugar or sugar alcohols or even corn and other stuff you may not want in your body.

Equal contains dextrose and maltodextrin and sweet and low dextrose. Yeah, we eat too much sugar in general, but is that worse then chemical alternatives to save a few calories? Personal call there.

For me, I'd rather not mess with them and use either a cleaner Stevia product or monkfruit sweetener for sugar substitutes.

Thanks. I'll give Stevia a try sometime. I heard it's got a very unique taste for obvious reasons.

Day 3 without coffee. This tea is pretty good black.

I was doing black coffee last time I tried IF and the biggest downfall for me is how considerably darker my teeth became in a short time. Yes I know there are ways to minimize it like follow up drinking with water etc, but to me it was a no compromise. Trying to solve one problem by creating another. Coffee with creamer seems to have a much more mild effect after it near daily for over a decade now.

[e30addict]

Thanks. I'll give Stevia a try sometime. I heard it's got a very unique taste for obvious reasons.



I was doing black coffee last time I tried IF and the biggest downfall for me is how considerably darker my teeth became in a short time. Yes I know there are ways to minimize it like follow up drinking with water etc, but to me it was a no compromise. Trying to solve one problem by creating another. Coffee with creamer seems to have a much more mild effect after it near daily for over a decade now.

This is the Stevia I like. Small quantities are fine, but I found with large amounts I notice the bitter after-taste more. That's why I started using a combo of it and monkfruit sweeteners in some of the stuff I make. I've been drinking coffee and tea black for years so my actual use of sweeteners is pretty low and I still stuff my face with plenty of sugary foods as well.

https://www.sweetleaf.com/sweet-prod...via-sweetener/

[Paul_E_D]

Today was morning gym day. I caved and ate 2 eggs before working out. I was glad I did as it was "power" at OTF and I might have passed out on an empty stomach! haha, probably not, but mentally it would have been tough.

[csmutty]

Today was morning gym day. I caved and ate 2 eggs before working out. I was glad I did as it was "power" at OTF and I might have passed out on an empty stomach! haha, probably not, but mentally it would have been tough.

I feel like it does get easier over time. Before I would need to eat something during a morning swim if I went into it on an empty stomach. This morning swam 3k yards without eating anything before or during.

[Paul_E_D]

I will try on Wednesday...

[SteveM]

2 weeks in.

2.8 pounds dropped this week, 8.3 overall, down to 209.5.

This is more normal and sustainable than 5 pounds per week.

I still feel I've got to ramp up the exercise, but so far I'm happy with the progress and not feeling hungry during the fasting periods.

For me, each milestone, i.e., "I'm under 210, lets not have the scale start with 21... again" is a motivator.

[jimmycapp]

but so far I'm happy with the progress and not feeling hungry during the fasting periods.

That's great. I used to love a big breakfast on the weekend. I would wake up hungry during the week too. After doing some IF, that's completely changed. No hunger until 11-12am, sometimes past that, if I'm busy. Keep up the good work

[Paul_E_D]

I'm not quite a week in. I've lost maybe a pound. I hope it kicks in soon! hahaa. I too am struggling less with hunger than I expected.

If I have learned anything about my diet before it's that I never went very long without a small sugar boost. Tea with cream and sugar first thing when I woke up. an occasional piece of chocolate. more tea, etc. This has at least interrupted that cycle. I do seem to crave sugar a bit less, and I think the longer I do this the less I will crave it.

[SteveM]

I'm not quite a week in. I've lost maybe a pound. I hope it kicks in soon! hahaa. I too am struggling less with hunger than I expected.

If I have learned anything about my diet before it's that I never went very long without a small sugar boost. Tea with cream and sugar first thing when I woke up. an occasional piece of chocolate. more tea, etc. This has at least interrupted that cycle. I do seem to crave sugar a bit less, and I think the longer I do this the less I will crave it.

Paul, your started out carrying a lot less useless crap inside you than I did. Heck, you are half the man I was headed toward being!

Stick with it.

P.s. time flies, when I met you way back in the Super Dave ride era, you were just a kid...

[Paul_E_D]

Paul, your started out carrying a lot less useless crap inside you than I did. Heck, you are half the man I was headed toward being!

Stick with it.

P.s. time flies, when I met you way back in the Super Dave ride era, you were just a kid...

LOL, Now I'm old, so apparently time DOES fly! I remember some of those rides like they were yesterday.

[e30addict]

2 weeks in.

2.8 pounds dropped this week, 8.3 overall, down to 209.5.

This is more normal and sustainable than 5 pounds per week.

I still feel I've got to ramp up the exercise, but so far I'm happy with the progress and not feeling hungry during the fasting periods.

For me, each milestone, i.e., "I'm under 210, lets not have the scale start with 21... again" is a motivator.

Sweet. Don't underestimate the effect exercise has. There's a reason people who are bulking on weight training eat a huge amount.

Even just moving more is huge. I have a little 3 mile loop along a local river that my Fitbit claims I burn just under 500 calories doing. You would burn more. Something as simple as walking with your wife along a nature trail several times a week could burn around a pound of fat worth of calories.

I also used to laugh at people who said take a picture of yourself every week thinking it was stupid. I vastly underestimated the psychological effect off seeing the difference as a motivator to not say fuck it and skip a workout.

[e30addict]

I'm not quite a week in. I've lost maybe a pound. I hope it kicks in soon! hahaa. I too am struggling less with hunger than I expected.

If I have learned anything about my diet before it's that I never went very long without a small sugar boost. Tea with cream and sugar first thing when I woke up. an occasional piece of chocolate. more tea, etc. This has at least interrupted that cycle. I do seem to crave sugar a bit less, and I think the longer I do this the less I will crave it.

I stopped viewing sugar as a fuel and more as something I wanted. Now it's a "treat" instead of something I thought I needed. Switching to darker and darker chocolate helped me feel like I was still indulging my sweet tooth while eating something with a better nutrient profile.

Do you have access to a body fat scale? Probably a bigger change for you in composition then outright weight since you're so active and closer to an "ideal" weight.

[e30addict]

That's great. I used to love a big breakfast on the weekend. I would wake up hungry during the week too. After doing some IF, that's completely changed. No hunger until 11-12am, sometimes past that, if I'm busy. Keep up the good work

Keep the best of both worlds! Eat breakfast later. I eat bacon and eggs almost everyday and frequently that's in the afternoon.

[csmutty]

Keep the best of both worlds! Eat breakfast later. I eat bacon and eggs almost everyday and frequently that's in the afternoon.

Bacon, an omelette, and a protein shake is my dinner pretty much every night. Can't beat it.

[jimmycapp]

That's a good idea. I've been adding bacon and hard boiled eggs on salads, since the wife takes hers to work.

[typeone]

I think I already basically do IF all the time by mistake. I basically never eat breakfast; I have coffee and lots of work. Can't ever take a break for lunch until 1230ish, so eat a good lunch then. Maybe 3 or 4 I'll have a snack. And can't get away from work early enough to have dinner until usually ~730. I usually try not to snack after that. So I'm doing this 16:8 thing you all are talking about naturally, I think... lol

i'm the same way, 16:8 (or more) is kinda natural, but my downfall is always alcohol/cheese/bread, mostly heavy beers ... when i cut those out, eat sensibly, the pounds fall off consistently.

for a few years now i've been doing a random ~2.5 day fast w/ only black coffee and water. hunger isn't really a problem and feels like a good mini 'reset' at times. i like feeling hungry, but not 'starving', and feeling 'full' sucks so IF works for me.

i nix'd alcohol 2nd week of Jan, lessened cheese and bread, added in basic walks on the treadmill w/ light weights after and have dropped 8lbs. the beer really kills me. any time i cut alcohol out, 10lbs falls off in a few weeks.