The fasting and the furious :-)

[LittleGreyCat]

Hopefully a lighthearted look and some minor confusion in my mind.

I think I am following LCHF - at least I am eating low carbohydrate, high(ish) fat, possibly a bit too much protein.

I seem to be doing O.K. at the moment as my weight is going down (lost half a stone since my latest push) and my BG seems to be improving.

I was down to a bullet resistant coffee in the morning, a Lidl roll with a protein filling for lunch and something low carbohydrate in the evening.

A few days ago I had the usual coffee, a chicken roll for lunch, and some very nice egg mayo in lettuce leaves for my evening meal.

Next day, after my morning coffee + butter + double cream and going round Morrisons I began to feel a bit woozy. I blame the supermarket lighting at least in part. That and that I had my screen glasses not my varifocals on. I can see to drive in them but not full 20/20. Hadn't realised until we were half way there. My partner drove home, just in case.

Anyway I bought some steak there, and had the full English when I got back. Steak, and egg, two rashers of bacon, mushrooms, tomato. Washed down with a bottle of beer.

Had to lie down for a bit after that as it is more than I have eaten in one sitting for a while. Cheese roll for an evening meal, with baby tomatoes.

Anyway, I felt better after that so yesterday I had the morning coffee and then had the full works at lunch time. I didn't feel hungry for the rest of the day so didn't eat any more.

I haven't lost any weight over the last two days but I haven't gained any either.

Fasting BG still around the mid 5s.

So I wonder if I was eating not quite enough - witness the loss of a few ounces to a pound of weight each day.

However having seen a few threads about intermittent fasting, I started to wonder how long you had to avoid eating to be considered to be fasting.

For a fasting blood test you have to water fast (nothing but water) for 10-14 hours.
This doesn't seem that hard to do - 7 at night to 9 in the morning is 14 hours.7 to 7 is 12 hours.

So if I ate before 14:00 and didn't have my coffee until 08:00 then I was without food for 18 hours.
Does this mean that I have been accidentally intermittent fasting? Didn't seem to knock my BG right down but didn't push it through the roof either.

Not sure if I have turned to the dark side.

Things are weird at the moment. I settled happily into a way of eating not very much spread throughout the day and wasn't hungry, was losing weight and improving my fasting BG. Gradually eating less and less, I think. Then I had a woozy morning, and switched over to one big meal at lunchtime. Again I feel fine and I don't feel hungry. Weight and BG stable, and I can hope for a slow drop over the next week or so.

So what regime am I following?

I was considering trying intermittent fasting for a change, but I might already be doing it!

 

[Bluetit1802]

One form of intermittent fasting is eating in a certain window. Maybe all your meals in a 6 hour period, or a 7 hour period, and fasting for the rest of the 18 or 17 period. This is why it is easier to include overnight in the fasting period. I do believe this 6 or 7 hour period needs to be consistent though, and not a different 6 or 7 hours every day. This helps your pancreas and liver and other bits of the metabolism to have a routine. One thing though, by skipping a meal it doesn't mean you can eat twice as much at the next meal if you want to lose weight.

I don't eat between my tea around 7-00pm and starting my lunch around 1-15am next day. However, I do have a decaf coffee with double cream as soon as I get up and probably a cup of tea mid morning, so mine isn't a true fast. Just no solid food. I don't have any weight to lose though.

 

[lucylocket61]

I find that the only way to tame my liver dumps is to have an eating routine, so my body knows what to expect. I cant do proper fasting, but I stop eating at 6.30pm and eat again at 12.30 the next afternoon.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I find that the only way to tame my liver dumps is to have an eating routine, so my body knows what to expect. I cant do proper fasting, but I stop eating at 6.30pm and eat again at 12.30 the next afternoon.

Do you only have water during this fast, or do you do like I do and have a coffee/cream and a tea/milk?

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I'm afraid I couldn't count my morning coffee as fasting - too many calories and most of them fat.

Apart from the carbohydrates instead of fat, you could apply the same rules to beer - and I think a beer fast might attract the wrong sort.

 

[lucylocket61]

Do you only have water during this fast, or do you do like I do and have a coffee/cream and a tea/milk?

tea, small amount of full fat milk.

edited to say, that should say "tea with a small amount of full fat milk in"

 

[Bluetit1802]

tea, small amount of full fat milk.

edited to say, that should say "tea with a small amount of full fat milk in"

I am afraid to say I can't abide tea that is creamy. I have to have skimmed milk in mine, but as I don't have much milk the difference in carbs is negligible.