Dawn of the intermittent faster!

[jpscloud]

Thanks Shelley, I hadn't thought of spring onion greens, what a good idea. I'll pick some up in the supermarket later. I might try chicken bones too, I can save them up from chicken thighs or quarters in the freezer.

Woke to slightly worse numbers this morning, 6.2 mmol and 0.4 ketones so not sure whether to risk the beef stock now. I'll see how things go.

 

[jpscloud]

In the end I decided against the beef stock, and had cream in coffee (x3 cups) through the day. My fast was 26 and a half hours this time, and the desire to eat when I was getting dinner ready was more psychological than anything. I dallied with the idea of going for 36 hours, but decided against it this time. Things are going so well, I don't want to rock the boat too much.

I used up two chicken breasts from the freezer but dressed them with olive oil, and had a huge sprout mash with butter, cream and olive oil. I probably would have been fine with just one, but I'm so used to being a big eater. Live unsweetened yoghurt with cream and a teaspoon of ground flax for dessert.

BG between 5.3 and 6.2, ketones between 0.4 and 1.1

Weight is down another couple of pounds but I'm going to let that settle out over the next couple of weeks before I get too excited.

 

[jpscloud]

6.6 mmol and 0.5 ketones this morning. I am feeling really good, and not hungry despite this being a batch-cooking chicken legs and pork ribs day! so I just had some coffee with double cream. I might go until dinnertime if I continue to feel this good. I'm getting stuck into some housework today, so should be fine.

I'm so surprised at how I'm not craving carbs at all, even less than last weekend when I fell for the crumpets. This is going to save me a great deal of money if it becomes my way of life! I am starting to have some feelings of being free. I haven't felt like this in all my adult life, I've always been overeating, bingeing, thinking of the next thing to eat, and worrying that I won't have enough of it to satisfy my appetite, and fearing hunger.

 

[Arab Horse]

That is great news, keep up the good work.

 

[jpscloud]

Thanks Arab Horse, lovely specimen in your avatar by the way! Arabs are so graceful. I hope it's ok to keep on posting like this, I was going to use the blog but I use a thread out of habit. If I become a nuisance let me know!

I had a meal at 2pm, bacon eggs and sausage followed by a small avocado with peanut butter. Feeling very full now.

I made some lemon coconut fat bombs a few minutes ago - I used a recipe from t'interweb but omitted the sweetener so just creamed coconut, coconut oil and lemon zest with a splash of vanilla extract. I tasted a little, and the texture so reminds me of the tooth-aching coconut ice we used to buy as kids but without the sickly sweetness. The taste is lovely, I think the past couple of weeks of no sugar or artificial sweeteners has altered my palate enough for me to do without sweetness now.

 

[shelley262]

Thanks Arab Horse, lovely specimen in your avatar by the way! Arabs are so graceful. I hope it's ok to keep on posting like this, I was going to use the blog but I use a thread out of habit. If I become a nuisance let me know!

I had a meal at 2pm, bacon eggs and sausage followed by a small avocado with peanut butter. Feeling very full now.

I made some lemon coconut fat bombs a few minutes ago - I used a recipe from t'interweb but omitted the sweetener so just creamed coconut, coconut oil and lemon zest with a splash of vanilla extract. I tasted a little, and the texture so reminds me of the tooth-aching coconut ice we used to buy as kids but without the sickly sweetness. The taste is lovely, I think the past couple of weeks of no sugar or artificial sweeteners has altered my palate enough for me to do without sweetness now.

Well done sounds like you’re making great progress do keep posting I think it’s interesting seeing how you’re getting on. When you go through a period of fasting and eating less food it is amazing just how good food tastes - you pick up flavours you didn’t detect before.
I am currently doing a mindfulness eating course - as part of the headspace app - and it’s helped me to review how, what and why I eat and to move forward in getting more satisfaction from smaller amounts. I find it’s when I’m not mindfully eating ie when doing something at same time as eating that I don’t feel as satiated!
Good luck

 

[jpscloud]

Well done sounds like you’re making great progress do keep posting I think it’s interesting seeing how you’re getting on. When you go through a period of fasting and eating less food it is amazing just how good food tastes - you pick up flavours you didn’t detect before.
I am currently doing a mindfulness eating course - as part of the headspace app - and it’s helped me to review how, what and why I eat and to move forward in getting more satisfaction from smaller amounts. I find it’s when I’m not mindfully eating ie when doing something at same time as eating that I don’t feel as satiated!
Good luck

Absolutely agree! I think a 24 hour fast makes me really mindful when I have my first meal, as you say perception of the flavours and textures is so heightened that I really don't want to do anything else other than savour it... and I feel satiety, something that was completely absent when I was a carb eater.

 

[jpscloud]

Today I had a meal at about 11am, scrambled eggs, bacon and halloumi. Busy day taking mum out after that, now finishing up some housework jobs. I'm going for another 24 hour fast tomorrow, starting to think about 36 or 48 hours now, if everything goes well this week.

Dinner will be chicken leg with sprouts mashed in butter and olive oil, followed by full fat unsweetened yoghurt and ground flax.

 

[Arab Horse]

Thank you @jpscloud. He is a straight Egyptian Arabian I bred so has been here all of his life.

 

[jpscloud]

Today is a 24 hour fast and I was halfway to work when I got gridlocked - called in to be late, and work declared a snow day! I must be getting a bit old though, because my first thought was "Yes! Now I can get through some of that housework that's been piling up!" Rock and roll, eh?

Second thought was how I would manage a 24 hour fast at home... so far I've only done those on working days. I have some horribly expensive bone broth which I can justify until I make my own because I'm saving so much money not buying as much food. It's doing a very good job of keeping me going, I'm even preparing some cider vinegar pickled eggs and some things for tomorrow's 16:8 without wanting to eat any.

I'm also getting on quite well with clearing out carby food that needs to go - most of it is out of date anyway, but what is good can go to a colleague who runs a food bank and other colleagues at work.

I don't think (limited) carbs will never feature on my diet again, but I am going to teach them to know their place!

 

[jpscloud]

Hmm just did my midday readings and I'm 6.2 mmol and 0.7 ketones. Usually on a fasting day I'd be in the 4 or 5s with 1+ ketones by now. The broth is 0.7 carbs per 100g, and I've had 324g (one sachet) through the day. I'd usually have had a splash of cream in coffee 3 times through the day at this point - I wonder if the bone broth is not the right thing for me?

I am fairly active today but not more active than I would have been at work - it's a bit puzzling. Never mind, onwards and upwards.

 

[jpscloud]

5'5 mmol and 0.5 ketones this monring.

I caved today - have been feeling hungry and thinking about bread since yesterday morning - tried to distract myself, tried eating the right things, ate till I was full, but those demon carbs were still calling my name and I couldn't shut them out.

Not going to detail the lapse, but it was bread.

So this morning is a write-off, but I'll monitor and see what the impact is.

It wasn't quite as satisfying as I imagined - so that's something to tuck away in my memory. I knew the disordered eating wouldn't be cured in such a short time, but I think I can lay down foundations for a different life now. Lapses will come, and I'll deal with them. I will do everything to make sure I don't relapse completely.

 

[bulkbiker]

5'5 mmol and 0.5 ketones this monring.

I caved today - have been feeling hungry and thinking about bread since yesterday morning - tried to distract myself, tried eating the right things, ate till I was full, but those demon carbs were still calling my name and I couldn't shut them out.

Not going to detail the lapse, but it was bread.

So this morning is a write-off, but I'll monitor and see what the impact is.

It wasn't quite as satisfying as I imagined - so that's something to tuck away in my memory. I knew the disordered eating wouldn't be cured in such a short time, but I think I can lay down foundations for a different life now. Lapses will come, and I'll deal with them. I will do everything to make sure I don't relapse completely.

Watch out you'll probably get hungry soon too as you get the post carb crash.. coffee with cream to the rescue! Maybe lots of cream...

 

[jpscloud]

Thanks @bulkbiker, I will try that! Also, I had to go out to get the bread, and so I felt more accountable somehow. I'd usually have a ton of stuff in already and just mindlessly eat it, but this was different as I had to really think about whether I had to do it or not. I know food addiction isn't strictly a clinical addiction, but I certainly feel like an addict today.

However, I think I'm no longer a helpless addict... I think thanks to the support I've had here, and the revelation that eating low carb high fat is not dangerous to health, I see a way forward. I felt truly helpless before, and weight loss surgery is on the table for me still - but I really don't think I will need it now.

 

[bulkbiker]

I know food addiction isn't strictly a clinical addiction, but I certainly feel like an addict today.

Oh yes it is.. all I have to do is have one bite of something with a bread like consistency even if "keto friendly" and all the old monsters arise from the depths. That's why I swear off it completely and would advise anyone else to do the same.

 

[jpscloud]

Tomorrow is a 24 hour fast, so I hope I can get back on track. I'm feeling positive!

 

[jpscloud]

Yesterday was a write off from start to finish! Suffice to say it wasn't just bread - other things featured too. A few interesting observations on that though - I would class the day as a "binge" episode, but the amount I consumed was just a fraction of the amount I would have had before I started lchf/IF. There were some feelings of guilt, but none of the helplessness.

My BG went up to 8.4, I think that was probably the peak. It was down to 7.3 by bedtime, and 6.7 this morning. I'm usually in the low 6s in the morning. Ketones stayed at 0.5 yesterday but had dropped to 0.4 this morning, and have stayed at 0.4 on my midday readings today with BG of 5.2.

I found I was actually looking forward to fasting today, and am enjoying the experience. It feels right, physically and mentally, and I feel confident. It's so different to every other weight loss or lifestyle adjustment I've ever tried in the past, there are no feelings of deprivation.

 

[jpscloud]

After a rocky day yesterday with hunger issues, I felt much less hungry today on my 24 hour fast. I might try OMAD for the rest of the week now.

 

[jpscloud]

Not the best day today - a baguette at lunchtime and carbiferous dinner. I'm feeling a bit unwell and emotional, as though I'm coming down with the flu. There's plenty of it around at work, people are dropping like flies. I have labyrinthitis from time to time and am having those symptoms now, but that usually comes after a virus, so maybe I already fought it off and just have to deal with the labyrinthitis. I had been feeling ludicrously well up until later yesterday.

Had a chat with my Dr this afternoon and although he seemed a bit wary, he approved gradually extending fasting up to five days, but only because he is happy that I'm diligent with self monitoring. He's impressed with the good steady numbers and weight loss so far, though, so I hope I can impress him even more next time. He didn't seem to be familiar with Jason Fung, so I mentioned his book and knowing my Dr he will be interested enough to have a look.

I'm going to aim for a 48 hour fast starting on Sunday night and ending on Tuesday night, unless I really do have a nasty cold or the flu coming on, in which case I'll have to see how I feel. Fasting would probably be the best thing for it, anyway!

 

[ringi]

Personally I question the benfits of fasting when eating "food" like baguettes between fasts.