Intermittent Fasting great results

[street]

I started this intermittent fasting about a month ago when there was thread started here about it. Since I started it my blood pressure has been around (110/69) and I have lost 16 pounds.

I seem to have more energy and feel really great since starting. Not sure I follow the guide lines to a T but what I'm doing has worked well. I fast for ~ 15 to 17 hours than I eat what I want and eat a large portion. I do have a little something about 8 pm before bed. I seem to sleep so well when I have something before I go to sleep. I know this isn't the right way to do it but it works for me. I do get a lot of exercise darning the day working at the ranch and just all the everyday routine stuff.

 

[Rianne]

I typically eat my "dinner" usually smaller than breakfast @ 4-4:30 and don't eat again until breakfast 6-6:30. I guess I fast everyday. My BP 110-115/70-75 somewhere in there, sometimes lower. I hate the full feeling when I sleep, I'll drink something before sleep (not alcohol, I don't partake).

I have a healthy amount of energy and am active. Part of this is because of a Small Bowel Obstruction I had 2 years ago. Smaller, frequent meals/snacks during the day, then I quit eating to sleep comfortably.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow - those are pretty fast and amazing results for one month!

 

[Sojourner]

I fast for ~ 15 to 17 hours than I eat what I want and eat a large portion. I do have a little something about 8 pm before bed. I seem to sleep so well when I have something before I go to sleep. I know this isn't the right way to do it but it works for me. I do get a lot of exercise darning the day working at the ranch and just all the everyday routine stuff.

I've been doing 16/8 daily IF for the past several months, and I'd be VERY happy to see blood pressure numbers like yours when I go in for my annual physical later this year!

I imagine you may already be aware of this, but eating a "little something" at 8 pm does break your fast and halts the autophagy process that is a major benefit of IF. This may not be of much importance to you if you're just trying to lose some weight and lower blood pressure, but I think it could make a big difference to someone doing IF to improve other health metrics, e.g., insulin resistance and fasting blood glucose. As I understand it, eating anything that restarts the body's digestive processes will shut down autophagy and interrupt the fasting cycle. So the best way to think about IF is that you are trying to minimize the amount of time your body stays in "digestion mode" each day and also minimize the number of digestion cycle restarts.

Here's a really good YouTube video on fasting and autophagy for those who are interested:

 

[RAE]

I seem to have more energy and feel really great since starting. Not sure I follow the guide lines to a T but what I'm doing has worked well. I fast for ~ 15 to 17 hours than I eat what I want and eat a large portion. I do have a little something about 8 pm before bed. I seem to sleep so well when I have something before I go to sleep. I know this isn't the right way to do it but it works for me. I do get a lot of exercise darning the day working at the ranch and just all the everyday routine stuff.

Good to hear you are getting good results, Street. If you have a snack at 8 pm, I'm assuming you don't eat again until 11 am the next day, at the earliest? That wouldn't work for me - I need something in my stomach shortly after I wake up in the morning. I have tried to avoid snacking after an early dinner (about 5 pm), but I usually wake up around 6 am, and have something to eat (typically eggs) at 7 am, so I can only manage a fast of about 14 hours or so, maximum. I'm not trying to lose any weight, and my blood pressure and blood test results are good, so I plan to just stick with my routine for now.

 

[COcheesehead]

Anybody who is very active fasting? I workout 90 min to 2 hours a day. Not sure I can get to the 16 hour autophagy point without eating. Any experiences?

 

[NgineER]

I was always a breakfast eater. A healthy serving of oatmeal with toppings before going to work. Thought I could never do without breakfast.
Started IF in the winter, during the work week, weekends are non IF. I usually start IF at 8 pm and go until noon the next day. Only thing I have in the morning is 2-3 cups of coffee and water.
This summer I have started biking to work, about 17 miles each way. Not really that hungry after biking but I make sure I stay hydrated until having lunch at noon.
I get about two hours of strenuous workout a day when biking to work.

 

[street]

Sojourner>>> thanks for that advise.

RAE>>> yes then I won't eat till noon. I haven't been real consistent yet but working towards that goal.

 

[audreyh1]

I did intermittent fasting for about 6 months, and didn’t lose weight. In fact I gained a little. I would skip dinner or breakfast. Sometimes both. Usually 14 to 16 hours fasting.

I initially did it because often my stomach would fell like it wasn’t emptying overnight and would sometimes feel upset in the morning when I woke up. So I got strict about not eating for many hours before bedtime.

It did accomplish my goal. It did clear my overnight digestion issues. Plus I actually got real hunger pangs again - something I hadn’t experienced for a couple of years.

But no weight loss as many here experienced. Rather slight gradual weight gain.

Then I switched to a ketogenic diet and lost 10 pounds in 2 months.

Go figure!

I still avoid eating hours before bed, but not as strictly. Dinner is super light or I might skip. I still occasionally skip breakfast. Mid day or early afternoon is my big meal.

My tummy is even more settled on low carb. My whole digestive system is super settled.

 

[harley]

I've been doing LCHF/IF for about 8 months now. I've lost 43 lbs and have dropped from seriously obese to the lower half of the overweight scale on the BMI chart. DW has lost well over 50. I find it really easy to go 16 to 22 hours without breaking the fast. It's not a challenge, I don't really pay attention. I just eat when I get hungry. Sometimes that's over 24 hours from my last meal. I've never been a breakfast eater, and giving up carbs really isn't hard after that first withdrawal period. Even when we cheat a little now, like ice cream at DGDs birthday or something like that, it doesn't live up to the memory of it.

My big issue is with my fasting blood glucose level. I've been diabetic for ~15 years. My fasting blood sugar levels were always in the 200+ range, even though my A1c was usually below 6. I had/have a severe case of dawn phenomenon. So I started taking insulin and that dropped my FBS levels to the prediabetic range. However, taking insulin while doing IF is counterproductive, as you are trying to flush the glucose out of your cells, and insulin packs it in. So I stopped taking the insulin (with my PCP's agreement). My FBG levels increased some, but my A1c improved to about 5.6.

However recently my fasting blood glucose levels have jumped into the 200+ range again. I've got an appointment with my PCP next month, and will definitely get an A1c again. I'll be curious to see how it is with these high FBG levels. I think I'll ask her to order tests for insulin levels too. This is a new PCP for me, and I'll be curious to see what she recommends. I doubt I'll go back onto insulin. I intend to continue with the LCHF/IF lifestyle from now on. I'm hoping the FBG levels moderate as I continue to lose weight. Once I drop another 10-15 lbs I'll be into the normal range chart-wise. What I do over the long term will depend more on my A1c readings than my FBG levels. I'm hoping that eventually the combination of taking in pretty few carbs combined with having flushed out the stored sugars will result in better FBG numbers. My body is a science experiment. But my life is much better with this weight loss. I feel good and am much more capable than I was this time last year. At least I'll die healthy.

 

[robnplunder]

I started this intermittent fasting about a month ago when there was thread started here about it. Since I started it my blood pressure has been around (110/69) and I have lost 16 pounds.

I seem to have more energy and feel really great since starting. Not sure I follow the guide lines to a T but what I'm doing has worked well. I fast for ~ 15 to 17 hours than I eat what I want and eat a large portion. I do have a little something about 8 pm before bed. I seem to sleep so well when I have something before I go to sleep. I know this isn't the right way to do it but it works for me. I do get a lot of exercise darning the day working at the ranch and just all the everyday routine stuff.

Congrats! I hope it was my post that got you started. Even if not, it does not matter. It's good that you are having a good result.

I am into it for more than a year and my weight is back to what it was in my college days. I no longer follow strict intermittent fasting schedule b/c if I do that, my weight will fall even below that. Along the way, I also developed a healthier eating habits, reducing carbs, fats, etc..

Anyway, continue on. One month result needs to be sustained. No going back.

 

[Marita40]

I don't regularly follow IM but it did teach me with some experimentation that I can easily go an entire day without eating every so often, feel no hunger or weakness, and feel fantastic the next day. So every so often, especially if I've overindulged, I take a full day off of eating. I drink coffee, lots of water, herbal tea. I always feel somehow "reset" the next morning and resume healthy eating. Anyway, learning that I could do this quite easily was an eye opener. It has allowed me to maintain a good weight.

 

[street]

robnplunder >>>> yes it was your post, I thank you for starting the thread.

Sounds like a lot of great results and I personally hadn't heard of this method before.
It has been very interesting process and have learned a lot about my and habits.

 

[aiken]

I did intermittent fasting for about 6 months, and didn’t lose weight. In fact I gained a little. I would skip dinner or breakfast. Sometimes both. Usually 14 to 16 hours fasting.

I initially did it because often my stomach would fell like it wasn’t emptying overnight and would sometimes feel upset in the morning when I woke up. So I got strict about not eating for many hours before bedtime.

It did accomplish my goal. It did clear my overnight digestion issues. Plus I actually got real hunger pangs again - something I hadn’t experienced for a couple of years.

But no weight loss as many here experienced. Rather slight gradual weight gain.

Then I switched to a ketogenic diet and lost 10 pounds in 2 months.

Go figure!

I still avoid eating hours before bed, but not as strictly. Dinner is super light or I might skip. I still occasionally skip breakfast. Mid day or early afternoon is my big meal.

My tummy is even more settled on low carb. My whole digestive system is super settled.

The Keto diet was always very effective for me in mitigating any heartburn/reflux issues. Not sure I could handle the "no coffee in the morning" restriction...that's a tough one.

 

[audreyh1]

The Keto diet was always very effective for me in mitigating any heartburn/reflux issues. Not sure I could handle the "no coffee in the morning" restriction...that's a tough one.

Oh, I weened off of caffeine years ago.....

I often have a nice decaf espresso after my big lunch.

Edited to add: not sure where your “no coffee in the morning” rule came from. Intermittent fasting/skipping breakfast?

 

[robnplunder]

The Keto diet was always very effective for me in mitigating any heartburn/reflux issues. Not sure I could handle the "no coffee in the morning" restriction...that's a tough one.

I switched to green tea. Coffee as it turned out wasn't addictive. With DW (coffee drinker) traveling for a month now, I haven't had a drop of coffee for that period. Tea helps with IF diet. During the long hours of fasting, if one gets hungry, drinking tea (much less caffeine than coffee) is OK.

 

[audreyh1]

I went on a very strict elimination diet a few years ago. Both tea and coffee were off the allowed list. So I had to kick caffeine addiction. Took about a week - first few days were by far the worst. After 2 weeks didn’t need caffeine anymore. I switched to mostly decaf simply because I didn’t want to get hooked again.

My husband drinks only decaf because caffeine gives him scary bouts of irregular heartbeat.

 

[skipro33]

Where does it say coffee is bad for Keto diet? Everything I read says it's fine. Caffeine helps stimulate the metabolism and if you want milk, use heavy cream and get a few more grams of fat added to that column.

 

[audreyh1]

Where does it say coffee is bad for Keto diet? Everything I read says it's fine. Caffeine helps stimulate the metabolism and if you want milk, use heavy cream and get a few more grams of fat added to that column.

Nowhere. Lots of people including the experts drink caffeine and coffee on a ketogenic diet.

I suspect the comments are regarding intermittent fasting and morning coffee.

 

[robnplunder]

Black coffee is fine for IF. Coffee with cream or sugar is obviously bad. Drinking caffeine heavy liquid while fasting is not recommended though. It can lead to dehydration for one.

 

[haha]

I've been doing LCHF/IF for about 8 months now. I've lost 43 lbs and have dropped from seriously obese to the lower half of the overweight scale on the BMI chart. DW has lost well over 50. I find it really easy to go 16 to 22 hours without breaking the fast. It's not a challenge, I don't really pay attention. I just eat when I get hungry. Sometimes that's over 24 hours from my last meal. I've never been a breakfast eater, and giving up carbs really isn't hard after that first withdrawal period. Even when we cheat a little now, like ice cream at DGDs birthday or something like that, it doesn't live up to the memory of it.



My big issue is with my fasting blood glucose level. I've been diabetic for ~15 years. My fasting blood sugar levels were always in the 200+ range, even though my A1c was usually below 6. I had/have a severe case of dawn phenomenon. So I started taking insulin and that dropped my FBS levels to the prediabetic range. However, taking insulin while doing IF is counterproductive, as you are trying to flush the glucose out of your cells, and insulin packs it in. So I stopped taking the insulin (with my PCP's agreement). My FBG levels increased some, but my A1c improved to about 5.6.



However recently my fasting blood glucose levels have jumped into the 200+ range again. I've got an appointment with my PCP next month, and will definitely get an A1c again. I'll be curious to see how it is with these high FBG levels. I think I'll ask her to order tests for insulin levels too. This is a new PCP for me, and I'll be curious to see what she recommends. I doubt I'll go back onto insulin. I intend to continue with the LCHF/IF lifestyle from now on. I'm hoping the FBG levels moderate as I continue to lose weight. Once I drop another 10-15 lbs I'll be into the normal range chart-wise. What I do over the long term will depend more on my A1c readings than my FBG levels. I'm hoping that eventually the combination of taking in pretty few carbs combined with having flushed out the stored sugars will result in better FBG numbers. My body is a science experiment. But my life is much better with this weight loss. I feel good and am much more capable than I was this time last year. At least I'll die healthy.

I weigh a little less than I did at age 15, and I have good muscularity. But my fbs averages 112 mg/dL. I can’t make any sense out of this, and I doubt that ever will. I think fasting might make a difference, but I struggle to handle what to me feels like hard deprivation. I wish I could respond like some here who hardly notice missed meals.

Ha

 

[COcheesehead]

I weigh a little less than I did at age 15. But my fbs averages 112 mg/dL. I can’t make any sense out of this, and I doubt that ever will.

Ha

I am pretty active and my weight is on the low side for my size, 160lbs, 6 ft tall, but my fasting glucose is pretty steady at 103. I am trying really hard to minimize carbs. My doctor isn't freaked out by it, but he does keep telling me to stay active and minimize carbs, which doesn't seem to do anything for my glucose level.

 

[haha]

I am pretty active and my weight is on the low side for my size, 160lbs, 6 ft tall, but my fasting glucose is pretty steady at 103. I am trying really hard to minimize carbs. My doctor isn't freaked out by it, but he does keeping telling me to stay active and minimize carbs, which doesn't seem to do anything for my glucose level.

Very similar to me. I have been low carb for close to 25 years. And for the last year or so probably no more than ~15 gm/day. I wear a smaller belt than I wore almost 60 years ago in college. But my dad was diabetic for almost 50 years, so genetics must have a lot to do with all this.

 

[harley]

I weigh a little less than I did at age 15, and I have good muscularity. But my fbs averages 112 mg/dL. I can’t make any sense out of this, and I doubt that ever will. I think fasting might make a difference, but I struggle to handle what to me feels like hard deprivation. I wish I could respond like some here who hardly notice missed meals.

Ha

How about your A1c? From what I understand the FBS numbers are less important. As far as the deprivation, I never ate breakfast (morning meal), but I would usually eat a large meal between midnight and 2 am, just before bed. When I first started the fasting and LCHF lifestyle I really missed that meal. But these days I'm seldom tempted. The LCHF diet really does curb cravings, at least for me.

Also, I suspect if you were tangoing more you'd get that FBS down.

 

[COcheesehead]

How about your A1c? From what I understand the FBS numbers are less important. As far as the deprivation, I never ate breakfast (morning meal), but I would usually eat a large meal between midnight and 2 am, just before bed. When I first started the fasting and LCHF lifestyle I really missed that meal. But these days I'm seldom tempted. The LCHF diet really does curb cravings, at least for me.

Also, I suspect if you were tangoing more you'd get that FBS down.

For me the A1C is 5.4 which is in the expected normal range. I don't get the higher FBS number. I have been counting carbs these last few months and will continue to do so until the end of the year when my next test takes place. We'll see if it makes any difference.