Been on intermitant fasting for 3 week no weight loss, lower stomach smaller. Do/can you loss weight on intermitant fasting.
No weight loss
- Thread starter RayCox
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Certainly, but it takes time as our bodies have a lot of readjusting to do, some more than others. If we follow a low carb/sugar regime at the same time, it happens faster, but, as with fasting, there are plateaux and fluctuations. If you would share what you are eating/drinking, we may be able to offer some suggestions for easy changes that would help.
catinahat
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I struggled when I first tried intermittent fasting, mainly because I was doing it wrong. I mistakenly thought that all I had to do was not eat for x amount of hours a day, ignoring any hunger I felt and just power on through.
When the allotted time came I was so hungry I could have eaten my own feet, I was eating more overall because once i started i couldn't stop.
The trick is not to be hungry, if you're eating carbs you are fueling yourself with sugar that your body can't use. If it's not used you get hungry because your diabetes has stolen part of your meal. And to add insult to injury the sugar in your blood that you can't use is eventually converted to fat.
The trick is to fuel yourself with food your body can use, when you actually feed your body what it needs hunger ceases to be a problem. You become fat adapted , sounds scary for those of us brought up in the low fat era, but in reality all it means is that in the absence of carbs your body uses it's fat for fuel, after all that's why the fats there.
In a nutshell for us T2's high carb = high blood sugar and fat storage, low carb = lower blood sugar and fat burning.
Ps,
When I eventually realised it was the carbs wot did it, my IBS disappeared along with the meds I needed for it
Not sure my experience is relevant since I did both LCHPHF and Intermittent fasting (2 meals per day/ 1 meal per day) in order to lower my BG rather than to lose weight, since I was TOFI (thin outside fat inside).
Like @catinahat I fell into Intermittent Fasting naturally fust by getting fat adapted from my Low Carb way of eating. So the bulk of my weight loss was on purely LCHPHF and shortly after starting IF I was also consciously eating more cheese, nuts, eggs in order to try to add back a few lbs of weight due to feeling a bit too thin having gone from 12st 2lbs to 10st 0lbs.
Like @catinahat I fell into Intermittent Fasting naturally fust by getting fat adapted from my Low Carb way of eating. So the bulk of my weight loss was on purely LCHPHF and shortly after starting IF I was also consciously eating more cheese, nuts, eggs in order to try to add back a few lbs of weight due to feeling a bit too thin having gone from 12st 2lbs to 10st 0lbs.
We are all different, but my IBS disappeared completely as soon as I went low-carb. It was my poor body trying to tell me what was wrong all along.
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I didn't consciously try to do intermittent fasting. It happened by itself because I wasn't hungry, so didn't eat. I'd started low carb and upped the amount of meat I was eating to compensate for the bread, pasta and rice that I'd dropped. As if by magic I didn't feel hungry and started going 16-18 hours without eating, without trying. I do sometimes, if left to my own devices, forget to eat.
EBe66
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My personal experience, yes you can. But in my case not easily.
I started out with skipping breakfast. At the time I did not know about this forum or intermitted fasting, low carb etc. This did not work for me.
At that point, many years ago, I bought the Dr. Atkins book and started to replace my lunch with an Atkins bar. Basically my start at low carb. That did not help either. Next step was also skipping lunch and doing one meal a day. Did not work. Fast forward to the start of 2021 and I was coming out of depression/mental breakdown whatever number 3 and had, after the for me typical initial weight loss, gained ~25 Kg!
At that point I really had it. I had seen some Dr Jason Fung youtube clips and decided to give it a try. I bought the Libre 2 cgm's and I did three day fasts followed by two days of eating around a pound of lean meat out of the air fryer followed by another three day fast and repeat. Did this for about a month and lost nearly all weight gained and was back on my old pre depression baseline. At this point even this regime did not help anymore.
As a matter of fact, my body, which is not making things any easier, seemed to get caught up with what I was trying to do.
It seemed to have developed the ability to go into energy saving mode within the hour.
Even now, trying to do the same regime three years later climbing out of depression number 4 (I hope) and having gained ~16Kg if I have not eaten around the normal time, my heartrate drops from mid 70's to low 50's and I get cold. Sometimes to the point of lying in bed with my socks still on and shaking of cold. And believe me I am that type of guy who is normally never cold.
In my opinion it's my body conserving energy. It certainly is not my BG being too low. For the moment my weight loss on cycle nr 3 is minimal.
Just sharing my experiences and speaking out my personal frustrations I guess. Sorry for that.
Oh, and since the start of 2021 the one meal I do eat is LCHF.
And I by no means suggest you should try something this drastic without consulting your GP!
I started out with skipping breakfast. At the time I did not know about this forum or intermitted fasting, low carb etc. This did not work for me.
At that point, many years ago, I bought the Dr. Atkins book and started to replace my lunch with an Atkins bar. Basically my start at low carb. That did not help either. Next step was also skipping lunch and doing one meal a day. Did not work. Fast forward to the start of 2021 and I was coming out of depression/mental breakdown whatever number 3 and had, after the for me typical initial weight loss, gained ~25 Kg!
At that point I really had it. I had seen some Dr Jason Fung youtube clips and decided to give it a try. I bought the Libre 2 cgm's and I did three day fasts followed by two days of eating around a pound of lean meat out of the air fryer followed by another three day fast and repeat. Did this for about a month and lost nearly all weight gained and was back on my old pre depression baseline. At this point even this regime did not help anymore.
As a matter of fact, my body, which is not making things any easier, seemed to get caught up with what I was trying to do.
It seemed to have developed the ability to go into energy saving mode within the hour.
Even now, trying to do the same regime three years later climbing out of depression number 4 (I hope) and having gained ~16Kg if I have not eaten around the normal time, my heartrate drops from mid 70's to low 50's and I get cold. Sometimes to the point of lying in bed with my socks still on and shaking of cold. And believe me I am that type of guy who is normally never cold.
In my opinion it's my body conserving energy. It certainly is not my BG being too low. For the moment my weight loss on cycle nr 3 is minimal.
Just sharing my experiences and speaking out my personal frustrations I guess. Sorry for that.
Oh, and since the start of 2021 the one meal I do eat is LCHF.
And I by no means suggest you should try something this drastic without consulting your GP!
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Depends on how you want to handle it. You pick the pattern that suit you.
Yes, there'll be a bit of energy taken in from the cream but it's nowhere near like having a meal. My personal view is that cream in my coffee doesn't count. I know other people take a different approach.
TheSecretCarbAddict
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I think we did have a discussion on this on another thread @RayCox. As it has already been mentioned, it depends on what works for you and your personal goals.
For a while, I took a view that cream in my coffee was fine when fasting, but then I realised that it led me to a more relaxed approach to everything else and I had to reign it in and say no to 'extras' to get back on track. It might be my addiction tendencies trying to find other outlets, and abstinence in problem areas seems to be the best policy for me.
For a while, I took a view that cream in my coffee was fine when fasting, but then I realised that it led me to a more relaxed approach to everything else and I had to reign it in and say no to 'extras' to get back on track. It might be my addiction tendencies trying to find other outlets, and abstinence in problem areas seems to be the best policy for me.
AloeSvea
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Hi @RayCox. No - of course not if your desire is to cut out nutrition from food. And for us its the glucose-insulin cycle that fasting is hopefully having a positive effect on. Cream is mildly insulinemic, ditto the actual coffee, as in, as it does have some nutrition, you will get an insulin response, but apparently a very mild one. And it does provide enough nutrition that it may/probably interferes with autophagy. So if your goal with fasting is to get your dud cells being consumed, then it is a safer bet to go water only, at least for 2-3 days for that process to happen.
AloeSvea
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Oh! I just re-read your question @RayCox! Sorry about that - I was approaching the cream question from a fasting point of view, not an intermittent fasting pov, and, I wasn't thinking about weight loss goals in particularl. My bad!
The posters above have already addressed the weight loss with high fat issue, ditto windows of eating periods, I believe.
Basically the only thing I have to add is the healthy fat is a really important part of a LCHF way of eating to attain and maintain a normal weighted body. I have watched folks who do the low carb without the healthy fat, for weight loss, as in I have worked with them, and it's not a pretty sight! Kept out of their way for sure, especially after having my head bitten off for suggesting salad without a healthy fat dressing was unspeakable! (I didn't use those words, but that was my point.) I make the mistake of thinking the visual on my own successful weight loss LCHFing and IFing (and fasting) is a good thumbs up on my words of wisdom in those situations, but in actual fact it may be a deterrant? in the non type 2 scene at least? a lot of folks don't understand the enormous attention we pay to the weight issue, as our health and life span depends on it so. But you do at least!
I personally don't count cream in an IF regime, for practical purposes. Especially if goal is weight loss. Re weight, especially as a type 2, focus on the carbs, is my own motto. I also say, fat doesn't make you fat. But that is a handy generalisation, and maybe is not true for everyone? But it is for me.
But, I say, eating healthy fat, and having some in a drink whilst not eating, is def part of a treating T2 with LCHF and IFing regime.
The posters above have already addressed the weight loss with high fat issue, ditto windows of eating periods, I believe.
Basically the only thing I have to add is the healthy fat is a really important part of a LCHF way of eating to attain and maintain a normal weighted body. I have watched folks who do the low carb without the healthy fat, for weight loss, as in I have worked with them, and it's not a pretty sight! Kept out of their way for sure, especially after having my head bitten off for suggesting salad without a healthy fat dressing was unspeakable! (I didn't use those words, but that was my point.) I make the mistake of thinking the visual on my own successful weight loss LCHFing and IFing (and fasting) is a good thumbs up on my words of wisdom in those situations, but in actual fact it may be a deterrant? in the non type 2 scene at least? a lot of folks don't understand the enormous attention we pay to the weight issue, as our health and life span depends on it so. But you do at least!
I personally don't count cream in an IF regime, for practical purposes. Especially if goal is weight loss. Re weight, especially as a type 2, focus on the carbs, is my own motto. I also say, fat doesn't make you fat. But that is a handy generalisation, and maybe is not true for everyone? But it is for me.
But, I say, eating healthy fat, and having some in a drink whilst not eating, is def part of a treating T2 with LCHF and IFing regime.
vivicozmo
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In my case i started watching Dr Fung's videos also. But there were only 1 or 2 videos that talked about female bodies.
Only read on if youre comfortable reading about female issues.
I was finding that on certain weeks of my cycle i wasnt losing any weight.
Then on month 2 of my 16-8 IF, i lost my shark week and i panicked.
It turned out that for us women, there are different hormones at diferent weeks of our 28day cycle. The last 2 weeks before the menses, we get more of the hormones that would help support a pregnancy. But these hormones are appetite stimulants.
With no sign of my menses after about 6 weeks, i realised that i needed to be eating a normal meal on those last 2 weeks.
Im not sure why my fasting caused amenorrhoea, and i never went to my GP, because i would still be wanting for my appt 5 months later! (Bad idea)
The week of the menses and the week immediately after are week 1 and 2. The hormones fo these two are not appetite stimulant, which is why its easier to fast during those 2weeks if youre a woman.
So now i know more about my cycle that i have ever cared to know. I think for all of my life i havefound it more of an annoyance than a celebration of womanhood!
apart from the period issue, there was another thing.
Why was it a Bad Idea to Not see my GP? GALLSTONES
I recently developed movement of my gallstones, and that really hurts. Apparently 1 in 10 people have gallstones in the UK, but they stay in situ, never causing any problems.
But, a change of liver enzymes, and the gallbladder not being able to do its job because theres no food in my stomach caused the things to move around.
I wasnt doing the fast wrong per se, as i cut out all sugar, all junkfood and my meals consist of a normal lunch with plenty of veg (no microwave meals from the supermarket), everything home-cooked by me.
I was drinking more water because of all the ginger and other herbal teas i was now drinking.
So please, please do chat with your doctor about IF, as each person, each organism is different. Get a nutritionist to help you devise an eating plan.
Gallstones really hurt, for days.
Only read on if youre comfortable reading about female issues.
I was finding that on certain weeks of my cycle i wasnt losing any weight.
Then on month 2 of my 16-8 IF, i lost my shark week and i panicked.
It turned out that for us women, there are different hormones at diferent weeks of our 28day cycle. The last 2 weeks before the menses, we get more of the hormones that would help support a pregnancy. But these hormones are appetite stimulants.
With no sign of my menses after about 6 weeks, i realised that i needed to be eating a normal meal on those last 2 weeks.
Im not sure why my fasting caused amenorrhoea, and i never went to my GP, because i would still be wanting for my appt 5 months later! (Bad idea)
The week of the menses and the week immediately after are week 1 and 2. The hormones fo these two are not appetite stimulant, which is why its easier to fast during those 2weeks if youre a woman.
So now i know more about my cycle that i have ever cared to know. I think for all of my life i havefound it more of an annoyance than a celebration of womanhood!
apart from the period issue, there was another thing.
Why was it a Bad Idea to Not see my GP? GALLSTONES
I recently developed movement of my gallstones, and that really hurts. Apparently 1 in 10 people have gallstones in the UK, but they stay in situ, never causing any problems.
But, a change of liver enzymes, and the gallbladder not being able to do its job because theres no food in my stomach caused the things to move around.
I wasnt doing the fast wrong per se, as i cut out all sugar, all junkfood and my meals consist of a normal lunch with plenty of veg (no microwave meals from the supermarket), everything home-cooked by me.
I was drinking more water because of all the ginger and other herbal teas i was now drinking.
So please, please do chat with your doctor about IF, as each person, each organism is different. Get a nutritionist to help you devise an eating plan.
Gallstones really hurt, for days.
