# Health Benefits of Intermittant Fasting and OMAD (one meal a day)



## Happyflowerlady

I have been reading about insulin resistance, and some of the effects that it has on our bodies, and apparently one of the side-effects of insulin resistance can be muscle loss, because it is connected with low levels of human growth hormone. 
The two hormones work in sync, and when that sync is messed up, then the body suffers the results. 
When we eat carbs, we produce insulin to send the glucose to our muscles for energy, and to our liver for glycogen stores. However, when a person over eats on carbs, or lives on processed carbs and not natural Whole Foods, then we can become insulin resistant, and when that happens, the cells refuse to let the insulin come in with the glucose. Since the blood sugar can’t be allowed to get too high, the insulin ends up sending the glucose to the fat cells and stores it as fat instead of burning it as energy. 
Even worse, is that a fat person makes five times as much insulin as a slim person, when they eat the identical food. 


So....hypothetical scenario......two people eat a piece of apple pie, One person is overweight, one is slim. The fat person produces 5 times as much insulin as the slim person; but because of insulin resistance, he doesn’t get the benefit of using the nutrients from the food as energy like the slim person did. 
The slim person enjoys his pie, burns the carbs as energy, and happily goes on about his day. The overweight person, has no energy, because all of the sugar in his blood went into fat cells, so now his blood sugar is too low again, and he is hungry. 
He eats the rest of the apple pie. 
Of course, it doesn’t do him any good either, all due to insulin resistance, and even worse, he now has more body fat, and is still craving food. 


Once the body has digested food, and after we go to sleep at night, then our body goes into restorative mode, burns fat, and produces human growth hormone. This is when our muscles are rebuilt, and bad cells are burned up as food, and the body regenerates itself.
 It takes about 4-6 hours after our last meal before we finish digestion, and burning up the glucose, and start using fat ketones as fuel. 


Now, when we are doing intermittent fasting, OMAD (one meal a day), then during the fasting period, several amazing things happen ! 
The first thing is that fasting lowers our insulin resistance better than anything else can do. A 3 day fast will lower a person’s insulin resistance by about 70%.  The good news is that about 2/3 of that happens during the first 24 hours, so simply eating one meal a day, and fasting for 16-23 hours will lower your IR almost as much as a 3 day fast, and the more you do IF, the more it lowers your insulin resistance.  


The other thing that IF does is increase your HGH levels. In men, it can increase up to 2000%, and about 1300 % for women. 
When HGH increases, you can build/retain your body muscle mass better, and it also helps with anti-aging. 


I am not done yet ! 
 This is only from testing with mice, but they found that when they restricted their feeding time, even though they were given the same amount of food to eat, the mice did not get old-age related dementia like the mice that were allowed to eat whenever they wanted to eat. 
Most mice started to develop dementia at about 9 months of age, but the mice who fasted didn’t start to develop this until 24 months, almost their whole life span !  
This correlates to about 20 years for a human, so this lowers the chances of Alzheimer’s , especially if a person continues in the OMAD food plan.


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## C'est Moi

My husband has eaten once a day for as long as I have known him (over 30 years).   He has always been slim.   Really annoying.


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## Catlady

C'est Moi said:


> My husband has eaten once a day for as long as I have known him (over 30 years).   He has always been slim.   Really annoying.



For about a week I started eating only once a day, in the evening, and I did lose some weight.  I bet if I kept it up I would have eventually reached my goal weight.  Perhaps I should try again.  It's just that most species eat small meals all through the day, and I assume that is the right way to eat since animals don't get brainwashed by research and opinions.  

So, C'est Moi, when does your husband eat that one meal?  How does he manage to include all necessary foods in that one meal?  I'm very curious.  I chose the evening meal because I was afraid if too hungry then I would not be able to sleep, and at breakfast and lunch I have very little appetite.


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## Happyflowerlady

Along with the intermittent fasting books, I discovered some of the information that is in a book called  “The Obesity Code”, by Dr. Jason Fung. He is actually a specialist (Canadian) for kidney diseases, but he realized that most kidney failure comes from three main sources, either heart problems, diabetes, or obesity; so he started studying what the relationship is between insulin and how our body processes food. 
It is actually a really great explanation about what causes diabetes, and why insulin resistance is the basis for it. 

I have been reading some of his blog articles, and then I joined the Facebook Group, and this man has some really great information about how obesity works in our body, and the huge part that insulin and insulin resistance plays in making people gain weight. 
The ebook is almost $10, and I usually do not spend that much on ebooks; but I really wanted to read this whole book, and more than the little parts that he discusses on the website. 

It is very interesting, and Dr. Fung does a great job of explaining something in layman’s terms, while yet giving a complete explanation of how something works in the body. 
I am about 1/3 of the way through the book, and I definitely recommend buying the book, or at least, checking out some of the information on his website, especially of you re diabetic, or even overweight. 
He totally recommends low-carb/keto, as well as fasting to not only lose weight, but to help completely detox and heal your body. 

Here is one review of his book, and it really gives you a good overview of the basic premise of this book. 

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/obesity-code/


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## C'est Moi

PVC said:


> For about a week I started eating only once a day, in the evening, and I did lose some weight.  I bet if I kept it up I would have eventually reached my goal weight.  Perhaps I should try again.  It's just that most species eat small meals all through the day, and I assume that is the right way to eat since animals don't get brainwashed by research and opinions.
> 
> So, C'est Moi, when does your husband eat that one meal?  How does he manage to include all necessary foods in that one meal?  I'm very curious.  I chose the evening meal because I was afraid if too hungry then I would not be able to sleep, and at breakfast and lunch I have very little appetite.



Sorry for the late response; I just saw this.   My husband eats a balanced dinner, usually around 5 p.m.


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## Catlady

C'est Moi said:


> Sorry for the late response; I just saw this.   My husband eats a balanced dinner, usually around 5 p.m.



It's okay, I just assumed you missed my post.  I did do some research about the OMAD diet and have started today.  I've decided to eat between 6-8pm, have dinner around 6 and then have fruit around 8.  I've read somewhere that you should not eat fruit too close to other food, don't know if it's true, but the wait will allow me to be hungry again for the fruit (not a big fruit eater).  The rest of the day I will consume only water, cranberry juice, coffee or tea.  We'll see if this will finally make me lose that 23 lbs I want to lose.


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## C'est Moi

PVC said:


> It's okay, I just assumed you missed my post.  I did do some research about the OMAD diet and have started today.  I've decided to eat between 6-8pm, have dinner around 6 and then have fruit around 8.  I've read somewhere that you should not eat fruit too close to other food, don't know if it's true, but the wait will allow me to be hungry again for the fruit (not a big fruit eater).  The rest of the day I will consume only water, cranberry juice, coffee or tea.  We'll see if this will finally make me lose that 23 lbs I want to lose.



If nothing else, you'll probably end up with a lower calorie intake...so you should lose weight.   Good luck.


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## DGM

With all the worrying we do about eating all "the necessary foods" I invite you to google "neophobia".  I have a perfectly healthy daughter who has NEVER eaten a fruit or vegetable in her life.  It baffles me.


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## RebeccaBrowne

I've read a lot of research on intermittent fasting, and there is some evidence that it can help reduce diabetes. One of the issues in the studies was that it was hard for people to stay on the diet. I think the maintenance was something like fast for a specific day or a specific meal on a regular basis. Some do every other day.

Also, most animals eat when they can, since they have evolved with an uncertain food supply. So if there is enough food, they will eat smaller, regular meals, but if there isn't, they eat all the food they can when they find it, since they do not have refrigeration.


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## Happyflowerlady

I am now into my second month with OMAD, and I really, really like it ! Since there is only ONE rule (eating only once a day), it is pretty simple to follow this eating plan. 
I kind of sneaked my way into the idea, and started by doing a 16:8 fasting window, and having an earlier dinner. My eating window was from 8am-4pm, and then I fasted after that. 
Once I saw how easy that was, I started eating only a protein shake for breakfast and then the late lunch after swimming. 

After I read that it was much better to exercise at the end of your fast because you burned fat better then, I eliminated even the protein shake, and that actually started me on the one meal a day plan. 
I like that I only have to be concerned about one meal a day, and even though there are no restrictions on what you can or can’t eat during you one meal, I mostly stick to low carb foods, and only have other foods occasionally, like if we go out for lunch , or something similar. 

I have also joined several facebook groups, and an OMAD forum, so I feel like I have some good support to keep following this WOE (way of eating). 
If anyone is interested in the forum, PM me and I will give you the link for it, since it is not a conflict with this forum in any way. 

There are SO many health benefits from intermittent fasting that this is not just a temporary weight loss plan, it is going to be a way of life for me, and hopefully, a step into even better health.


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## Keesha

PVC said:


> It's okay, I just assumed you missed my post.  I did do some research about the OMAD diet and have started today.  I've decided to eat between 6-8pm, have dinner around 6 and then have fruit around 8.  I've read somewhere that you should not eat fruit too close to other food, don't know if it's true, but the wait will allow me to be hungry again for the fruit (not a big fruit eater).  The rest of the day I will consume only water, cranberry juice, coffee or tea.  We'll see if this will finally make me lose that 23 lbs I want to lose.


I know this is an old thread but it’s an interesting one.

You are right that you shouldn’t eat fruit too close to other foods eaten. It’s much harder to digest after a meal than before. Fresh fruit is best eaten on an empty stomach so eating it before a meal  and waiting half an hour before eating a full meal especially combined with meat is best.


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## RadishRose

Happyflowerlady said:


> I am now into my second month with OMAD, and I really, really like it ! Since there is only ONE rule (eating only once a day), it is pretty simple to follow this eating plan.
> I kind of sneaked my way into the idea, and started by doing a 16:8 fasting window, and having an earlier dinner. My eating window was from 8am-4pm, and then I fasted after that.
> Once I saw how easy that was, I started eating only a protein shake for breakfast and then the late lunch after swimming.
> 
> After I read that it was much better to exercise at the end of your fast because you burned fat better then, I eliminated even the protein shake, and that actually started me on the one meal a day plan.
> I like that I only have to be concerned about one meal a day, and even though there are no restrictions on what you can or can’t eat during you one meal, I mostly stick to low carb foods, and only have other foods occasionally, like if we go out for lunch , or something similar.
> 
> I have also joined several facebook groups, and an OMAD forum, so I feel like I have some good support to keep following this WOE (way of eating).
> If anyone is interested in the forum, PM me and I will give you the link for it, since it is not a conflict with this forum in any way.
> 
> There are SO many health benefits from intermittent fasting that this is not just a temporary weight loss plan, it is going to be a way of life for me, and hopefully, a step into even better health.


How many pounds have you lost HFL?


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## win231

Fasting may be OK for those who can.  I've known people who can "Take or leave" food.  Some will get busy in the morning & not eat anything until dinner & they don't even get hungry.
On some days, I can skip breakfast, & on other days I can't because my blood sugar gets low, which is dangerous.
I remember when Martha Stewart had her own show & Barry Manilow was a guest.  She tried to get him interested in something she was making.  He said something that surprised me - he said "I hate food....I hate looking at food, I hate smelling food, I hate eating food."


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## Catlady

win231 said:


> Some will get busy in the morning & not eat anything until dinner & they don't even get hungry.
> On some days, I can skip breakfast, & on other days I can't because my blood sugar gets low, which is dangerous.



It's like any other habit, it takes about 3 months to get used to it.  I can easily skip breakfast and lunch, and don't have hunger pangs but do get cravings for food.  And, I agree with you, if I have to drive I'll have something to eat, I don't want to take the chance of having low blood sugar while driving.  My eating window is 6-8 in the evening because I would not be able to fall asleep if hungry.  I hate to say it, but I have cheated a LOT  and have only lost 10 lbs since my prior post.  I still have 13 lbs to go to reach my goal weight of 140.  When I am a good girl and don't cheat I can usually lose 2 lbs a week.  I hope I keep it up from now on but am not making any promises to myself considering how long and often I have cheated these last 12 months.  I rather be honest with myself than feel guilty.


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## Trade

I had a friend back in the day that did this when he was in college. He was in pre-med and over the summer between his Junior and Senior year he took a job at a nursing home. Mainly because he figured it would look good on his application to Med school. One of the perks of the job was that he got to eat for free at the cafeteria. Ed was a really cheap dude and he figured he could save a lot of money on groceries if that was the only meal he ate. He was about 5-9 and 185 when the summer started and he lost about 30 lbs and got down to 150 something over the summer eating that way.


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## Catlady

Trade said:


> I had a friend back in the day that did this when he was in college. He was in pre-med and over the summer between his Junior and Senior year he took a job at a nursing home. Mainly because he figured it would look good on his application to Med school. One of the perks of the job was that he got to eat for free at the cafeteria. Ed was a really cheap dude and he figured he could save a lot of money on groceries if that was the only meal he ate. He was about 5-9 and 185 when the summer started and he lost about 30 lbs and got down to 150 something over the summer eating that way.



The main benefit of OMAD is that the body is forced to use the reserve fat/energy during the long hours of fasting, that's how you lose weight.

Your friend sounds industrious and resourceful.   I have no problem with being cheap, I call it frugality, as long as it's not carried too far to the extreme.  I bet he became successful, did you ever find out what became of him?  Just curious.


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## Marie5656

*I was thinking along these lines when I was doing my colonoscopy prep earlier this week.  Not fasting as much, but a day of a nourishing liquid diet.  Broth, Jell-O, unsweetened juices or Gatorade type drinks.  That kind of stuff.  I could do a OMAD so long as it is not junk...a healthy meal.*


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## Catlady

Marie5656 said:


> *I was thinking along these lines when I was doing my colonoscopy prep earlier this week.  Not fasting as much, but a day of a nourishing liquid diet.  Broth, Jell-O, unsweetened juices or Gatorade type drinks.  That kind of stuff.  I could do a OMAD so long as it is not junk...a healthy meal.*



You can make OMAD as healthy as you want.  I really got interested in it when C'est Moi said her husband has only eaten one meal a day for 30 years and he's always been slim.  I figured if he's healthy and slim and alive after 30 years the diet can't be unhealthy.  She did say he doesn't actually do the OMAD diet, he just doesn't like eating so keeps it to one meal a day and has a balanced meal.


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## Trade

PVC said:


> The main benefit of OMAD is that the body is forced to use the reserve fat/energy during the long hours of fasting, that's how you lose weight.
> 
> Your friend sounds industrious and resourceful.   I have no problem with being cheap, I call it frugality, as long as it's not carried too far to the extreme.  I bet he became successful, did you ever find out what became of him?  Just curious.



Last I heard he was a radiologist in Houston.


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## treeguy64

DGM said:


> With all the worrying we do about eating all "the necessary foods" I invite you to google "neophobia".  I have a perfectly healthy daughter who has NEVER eaten a fruit or vegetable in her life.  It baffles me.


What does she eat?


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## treeguy64

If you lead a very active, very physical life, OMAD will not work for you. Were I to get up, not eat my normal, healthy breakfast, hit my job site, go aloft and then spend a few hours pruning, I would, almost surely, pass out at sixty feet up, and need to be rescued. I eat four vegan meals a day, and weigh exactly what I did in high school. The key is to balance your food intake with your activity level, at least for me. I also question the advisability of eating at around 8 PM, as numerous studies have highlighted the negative aspects of eating close to turning in for the night.


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## Catlady

Trade said:


> Last I heard he was a radiologist in Houston.



Hmm, that's one of the highest paid specialties in the medical profession.  According to Google they get $315,000 a year and so do orthopedic surgeons.


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## Catlady

treeguy64 said:


> The key is to balance your food intake with your activity level, at least for me. I also question the advisability of eating at around 8 PM, as numerous studies have highlighted the negative aspects of eating close to turning in for the night.



I fully agree with you, it would never work for someone very physically active like you, you would be using more fat than available.  OMAD works for using up the stored fat and thus losing weight.  It works well for me because I am mostly sedentary, but I do eat if I have to be doing any driving that day.  I also go to sleep most nights at 11pm and that's 3 hours of not eating, which is considered adequate.  If I HAVE to go to sleep sooner than 11 I will lay on my right side so as not to get acid reflux (the stomach dips on the right side).


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## Trade

PVC said:


> Hmm, that's one of the highest paid specialties in the medical profession.  According to Google they get $315,000 a year and so do orthopedic surgeons.



Maybe so, but he didn't follow his dream. Being a Doctor was his mother's dream for him. She programed him for success like he was a robot. His first love was Entomology.

But of course that doesn't matter. We all know that the true measure of a life well lived is how much money you are able to accure.


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## Happyflowerlady

If people passed out from not eating for 4 hours, while living an active life, humanity would not have survived until today. Most of our forefathers lived hard lives, worked hard all day, and were lucky if they had even 2 meals per day. 
The native people, or even the pioneers, had to hunt for their food, and might have had to go several days without eating before they found something substantial to eat. 
Bad weather conditions, being attacked by another tribe, or just not finding any source of food , was pretty common up until maybe the last hundred years, for many people in almost any part of the world.  
Our body was designed to be able to burn fat as fuel when necessary, and can store much larger quantities of fat than it can store of blood sugar in the bloodstream or glycogen in the liver. 
This is why people that are burning sugar for fuel need to eat more often than when they are burning fat for fuel.


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## Catlady

Trade said:


> Maybe so, but he didn't follow his dream. Being a Doctor was his mother's dream for him. She programed him for success like he was a robot. His first love was Entomology.



Maybe he does entomology on the side?  Like a hobby?

 I'll never forget an article about this guy who became a forest ranger.  He loved hiking, the outdoors, camping, wildlife etc.  He said he was happy that he was getting paid to do a job that he would have done for free.  One should always follow their dreams, and should ignore other's expectations, and everything will be fine as long as they're willing to accept the consequences of their decisions and actions.  Hope your friend found a way to be happy somehow even while following his mother's dream.


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## C'est Moi

treeguy64 said:


> If you lead a very active, very physical life, OMAD will not work for you. Were I to get up, not eat my normal, healthy breakfast, hit my job site, go aloft and then spend a few hours pruning, I would, almost surely, pass out at sixty feet up, and need to be rescued. I eat four vegan meals a day, and weigh exactly what I did in high school. The key is to balance your food intake with your activity level, at least for me. I also question the advisability of eating at around 8 PM, as numerous studies have highlighted the negative aspects of eating close to turning in for the night.


My husband is very active, and very busy.   This week he's building a shed for our daughter's new house and comes home totally sweat-soaked.   He ran track in high school and still has a runner's body.   (30" waist)   Though he eats one (large) meal a day he also drinks a lot of fluids, including full-fat milk and juices.  He also loves fruit and eats a lot of it.  

He is 64 and has never had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any poor results on blood work.   He has never given any thought to "OMAD" or whatever fad they are calling it; he just prefers to eat a meal once a day and so has always done so.    He is an enthusiastic carnivore.


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## AnnieA

I did 16:8 intermittent fasting for several months last year and felt great.   Broke my shoulder in December and got out of the pattern due to needing to eat taking NSAIDS and just never got back going.


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## StarSong

One meal a day?  Only if I ate it continuously from 9-5.  Otherwise my entire focus the rest of the day and night would be about getting to that magic hour when I could finally eat.  

I once went a week without eating and admit that after the first 24 hours I didn't notice being hungry or particularly want to eat.
 Of course, that could have been partially due to the delightful morphine haze being delivered intravenously.


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## win231

PVC said:


> You can make OMAD as healthy as you want.  I really got interested in it when C'est Moi said her husband has only eaten one meal a day for 30 years and he's always been slim.  I figured if he's healthy and slim and alive after 30 years the diet can't be unhealthy.  She did say he doesn't actually do the OMAD diet, he just doesn't like eating so keeps it to one meal a day and has a balanced meal.


Being slim is not quite that simple.  There are genetic factors.  Just as some people are obese, some are slim & it doesn't matter what they eat.  Genetics also play a big role in lifespan & health.


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## JustBonee

I've had days where I've "forgotten" to eat all day,  when I've been busy working on a project around my house or yard. ..  Have done that many times in the past.  ..  But those days, with my house sold now,   seem to be behind me,    as I'm  not too involved with any great projects these days in  my retirement apartment  life .. so watching myself these days  is key.  
I've volunteered to go to my daughter's house when they are all at work/school  and rake their yard for them .... they think I'm  kidding! .. but I've been thinking about doing  just that.


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## Happyflowerlady

Here is a set of books on Amazon (for Kindle) that are about intermittent fasting and autophagy, and they are free today. I don’t know how long they will be free, so if you are interested, you should get them right away. 
Just go to Amazon, Kindle Store, and search for Elizabeth Moore. she has several books about this subject, but these two are being promoted right now, so they are free together.


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## Keesha

Happyflowerlady said:


> Here is a set of books on Amazon (for Kindle) that are about intermittent fasting and autophagy, and they are free today. I don’t know how long they will be free, so if you are interested, you should get them right away.
> Just go to Amazon, Kindle Store, and search for Elizabeth Moore. she has several books about this subject, but these two are being promoted right now, so they are free together.
> 
> View attachment 76558


Could you add a link please happyflowerlady?


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## Happyflowerlady

I don’t know if this link will work, since it goes to my account and shows that I have purchased the book, so you might have to go to the Kindle Store and look up the author anyway.
I also discovered that she has 2 more books for free right now, so I got those, too.

The link is for Amazon Smile, which is the way that you can also donate to your favorite charity each time you order from amazon. You just choose the charity you want, and a part of each order is donated by Amazon to that charity. 
It is not a lot, but every little bit helps, especially small local charities. Mine goes to a pet rescue organization near where I live.

Here is the link, hope it helps....

https://smile.amazon.com/Fasting-Ul...h+Moore&qid=1568597538&s=digital-text&sr=1-13


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## Keesha

Happyflowerlady said:


> I don’t know if this link will work, since it goes to my account and shows that I have purchased the book, so you might have to go to the Kindle Store and look up the author anyway.
> I also discovered that she has 2 more books for free right now, so I got those, too.
> Here is the link, hope it helps....
> 
> https://smile.amazon.com/Fasting-Ul...h+Moore&qid=1568597538&s=digital-text&sr=1-13


Thanks happyflowerlady. I ordered the book but I don’t know how to download it. I’ll have to ‘bother’ my husband when he’s at work tomorrow.


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## Happyflowerlady

What are you going to download it on ? If you have a Kindle, it should ask if you want it to go there, and if you are using another kind of tablet, or device, then you need to have the Kindle app on that device, and you can download it to there.
It should give you an option. Here is what mine looks like.


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## Keesha

Happyflowerlady said:


> What are you going to download it on ? If you have a Kindle, it should ask if you want it to go there, and if you are using another kind of tablet, or device, then you need to have the Kindle app on that device, and you can download it to there.
> It should give you an option. Here is what mine looks like.
> 
> View attachment 76561


I have a kobo and my husband downloads all my stuff cause .... well.... cause I don’t know how to do it. Im on an iPhone. 
I probably can’t download it but that’s ok.
Thanks all the same. Hopefully it will stay in my cart until  I can figure it out and if not .... no biggie.


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## Happyflowerlady

You can definitely put it on your iPhone. Just get the kindle app, and then you can download any kindle books. I don’t know anything about a Kobo, but it looks like it can’t read kindle books because it is a different format.


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## Keesha

Happyflowerlady said:


> You can definitely put it on your iPhone. Just get the kindle app, and then you can download any kindle books. I don’t know anything about a Kobo, but it looks like it can’t read kindle books because it is a different format.


Thank you kind flower chick. Lol 
I’ll give it a go. 
Much appreciated.


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## Trade

PVC said:


> Maybe he does entomology on the side?  Like a hobby?



Yep, he does. This is an article about him. Ed is my old friend from school.

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/s...ate-lifetimes-worth-of-butterflies-and-moths/


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## Olivia

Trade said:


> Yep, he does. This is an article about him. Ed is my old friend from school.
> 
> https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/s...ate-lifetimes-worth-of-butterflies-and-moths/



I have to admit this makes me kind of sad. Butterflies live an average about two weeks. I just hope that they were caught at the last few minutes of their lives. I know, I know, it's for science. In Vienna, Austria, there's what they call The Butterfly House, and it's live butterflies.


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## Keesha

The butterfly toss at weddings really gets me.
I’ve seen so many disastrous butterfly toss’s where most butterflies were dead before being tossed?

What’s so romantic about killing animals for a mere flash of nostalgia. How sad.


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## Trade

Olivia said:


> I have to admit this makes me kind of sad. Butterflies live an average about two weeks. I just hope that they were caught at the last few minutes of their lives. I know, I know, it's for science. In Vienna, Austria, there's what they call The Butterfly House, and it's live butterflies.



I have to agree with that. We met in Junior High and stayed friends all the way through undergraduate college when I went off to the Air Froce and he went on to medical school. He was one of my closest friends during that time. But I always thought his butterfly collection was creepy. 

But other than that we had some good times together. I actually considered trying to call him. His work number is on the net. But what do you say to someone you haven't been in touch with for 50 years?


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## Keesha

Trade said:


> But other than that we had some good times together. I actually considered trying to call him. His work number is on the net. But what do you say to someone you haven't been in touch with for 50 years?


How about “Hi Ed. Remember me?”


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## C'est Moi

Keesha said:


> Thank you kind flower chick. Lol
> I’ll give it a go.
> Much appreciated.


Keesha--you can read it directly from Amazon's website.   Just go to your account, select "manage content and devices" (or something like that) and when you select your content you have the option of "read now."


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## Keesha

C'est Moi said:


> Keesha--you can read it directly from Amazon's website.   Just go to your account, select "manage content and devices" (or something like that) and when you select your content you have the option of "read now."


Get out!!!
Oh I feel so silly but thank you so much. 

Gonna read now.


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## StarSong

Keesha said:


> The butterfly toss at weddings really gets me.
> I’ve seen so many disastrous butterfly toss’s where most butterflies were dead before being tossed?
> 
> What’s so romantic about killing animals for a mere flash of nostalgia. How sad.
> View attachment 76604


I'm happy to say that I've never seen nor heard of this.  What a ridiculous and selfish thing to do.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Happyflowerlady said:


> I have been reading about insulin resistance, and some of the effects that it has on our bodies, and apparently one of the side-effects of insulin resistance can be muscle loss, because it is connected with low levels of human growth hormone.
> The two hormones work in sync, and when that sync is messed up, then the body suffers the results.
> When we eat carbs, we produce insulin to send the glucose to our muscles for energy, and to our liver for glycogen stores. However, when a person over eats on carbs, or lives on processed carbs and not natural Whole Foods, then we can become insulin resistant, and when that happens, the cells refuse to let the insulin come in with the glucose. Since the blood sugar can’t be allowed to get too high, the insulin ends up sending the glucose to the fat cells and stores it as fat instead of burning it as energy.
> Even worse, is that a fat person makes five times as much insulin as a slim person, when they eat the identical food.
> 
> 
> So....hypothetical scenario......two people eat a piece of apple pie, One person is overweight, one is slim. The fat person produces 5 times as much insulin as the slim person; but because of insulin resistance, he doesn’t get the benefit of using the nutrients from the food as energy like the slim person did.
> The slim person enjoys his pie, burns the carbs as energy, and happily goes on about his day. The overweight person, has no energy, because all of the sugar in his blood went into fat cells, so now his blood sugar is too low again, and he is hungry.
> He eats the rest of the apple pie.
> Of course, it doesn’t do him any good either, all due to insulin resistance, and even worse, he now has more body fat, and is still craving food.
> 
> 
> Once the body has digested food, and after we go to sleep at night, then our body goes into restorative mode, burns fat, and produces human growth hormone. This is when our muscles are rebuilt, and bad cells are burned up as food, and the body regenerates itself.
> It takes about 4-6 hours after our last meal before we finish digestion, and burning up the glucose, and start using fat ketones as fuel.
> 
> 
> Now, when we are doing intermittent fasting, OMAD (one meal a day), then during the fasting period, several amazing things happen !
> The first thing is that fasting lowers our insulin resistance better than anything else can do. A 3 day fast will lower a person’s insulin resistance by about 70%.  The good news is that about 2/3 of that happens during the first 24 hours, so simply eating one meal a day, and fasting for 16-23 hours will lower your IR almost as much as a 3 day fast, and the more you do IF, the more it lowers your insulin resistance.
> 
> 
> The other thing that IF does is increase your HGH levels. In men, it can increase up to 2000%, and about 1300 % for women.
> When HGH increases, you can build/retain your body muscle mass better, and it also helps with anti-aging.
> 
> 
> I am not done yet !
> This is only from testing with mice, but they found that when they restricted their feeding time, even though they were given the same amount of food to eat, the mice did not get old-age related dementia like the mice that were allowed to eat whenever they wanted to eat.
> Most mice started to develop dementia at about 9 months of age, but the mice who fasted didn’t start to develop this until 24 months, almost their whole life span !
> This correlates to about 20 years for a human, so this lowers the chances of Alzheimer’s , especially if a person continues in the OMAD food plan.


So this is for diabetics?  Can I try this to lose weight?  I am in relatively good health, just would like to lose about 20 pounds.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> So this is for diabetics?  Can I try this to lose weight?  I am in relatively good health, just would like to lose about 20 pounds.


I have been doing it off-and-on for one year.  When I'm good and don't cheat I lose about 2 lbs a week.  But, I'm bad a lot, sometimes I feel ''depressed'' (not clinical) and wonder why bother and then eat a few days like normal.  Then on Sundays I eat normal, not a religious thing, it's just my ''happy day''.  See what I mean?  So, I started last September, 2018 off-and-on and have lost 13 lbs and still have 11 lbs to go.  I have no hunger pangs, just crave food in the afternoon before my 6-8pm meal.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> I have been doing it off-and-on for one year.  When I'm good and don't cheat I lose about 2 lbs a week.  But, I'm bad a lot, sometimes I feel ''depressed'' (not clinical) and wonder why bother and then eat a few days like normal.  Then on Sundays I eat normal, not a religious thing, it's just my ''happy day''.  See what I mean?  So, I started last September, 2018 off-and-on and have lost 13 lbs and still have 11 lbs to go.  I have no hunger pangs, just crave food in the afternoon before my 6-8pm meal.


So, how do you start out? And what are the side effects, how many calories per meal that you pig out on, carbs, sugar, fat?


----------



## Ruthanne

I am overweight and don't have any problems with wanting to eat all the time.  I  don't believe in the whatever kind of fasting.  Eating 3 times a day seems good to me.


----------



## treeguy64

Happyflowerlady said:


> If people passed out from not eating for 4 hours, while living an active life, humanity would not have survived until today. Most of our forefathers lived hard lives, worked hard all day, and were lucky if they had even 2 meals per day.
> The native people, or even the pioneers, had to hunt for their food, and might have had to go several days without eating before they found something substantial to eat.
> Bad weather conditions, being attacked by another tribe, or just not finding any source of food , was pretty common up until maybe the last hundred years, for many people in almost any part of the world.
> Our body was designed to be able to burn fat as fuel when necessary, and can store much larger quantities of fat than it can store of blood sugar in the bloodstream or glycogen in the liver.
> This is why people that are burning sugar for fuel need to eat more often than when they are burning fat for fuel.


As I wrote, if I didn't eat my normal breakfast of a bowl of oatmeal and a slice of garlic bread, and I went out to a tree job, I'd probably pass out.

With all due respect to your info on past cultural norms, I wasn't raised back then. I know my body well, and I know that one time I did, indeed, miss breakfast because I was running late. An hour into the job, I became faint and felt terrible. I let my crew finish it. My BMI runs between 9-12%.  I do not have much fat to burn.

It's a mistake to try and point out historical/modern generalities to an individual who knows himself/herself very well. As I always tell folks, and write about, in here, know your own body well. Listen to what it tells you, daily. My body tells me that the fasting trip will definitely not work, for me.


----------



## Catlady

@fancicoffee13
I just started out cold turkey, ate my dinner one day and ate the next dinner at 6pm the next day.  You can ease into it if you wish, skip breakfast at first then skip breakfast and lunch next.  How faithful you are to the regime will decide how much you lose.  You can eat as much as you want and whatever you want during the 'meal time'' and those meal hours can be at your discretion, but the more narrow the meal hours window and the less you eat will determine how much you lose.  However, logic says that you should eat healthy food for the sake of your health.  Tonight I made me a homemade pizza and had a glass of wine, a slice of cake with my coffee, and a banana.  Now I won't eat again until tomorrow night.

I eat between 6-8pm and the rest of my waking hours I drink water, coffee, and one cup of cranberry juice for lunch.  As far as I'm aware I don't have side effects except for a craving for food in the afternoon hours.  As I mentioned before, I'm bad about cheating.  I had 24 lbs to lose last September and if faithful to the diet, I could have lost them in 3 months or so, yet here I am one year later and I still have to lose 11 lbs.  Grrr!


----------



## RadishRose

PVC said:


> @fancicoffee13
> I just started out cold turkey, ate my dinner one day and ate the next dinner at 6pm the next day.  You can ease into it if you wish, skip breakfast at first then skip breakfast and lunch next.  How faithful you are to the regime will decide how much you lose.  You can eat as much as you want and whatever you want during the 'meal time'' and those meal hours can be at your discretion, but the more narrow the meal hours window and the less you eat will determine how much you lose.  However, logic says that you should eat healthy food for the sake of your health.  Tonight I made me a homemade pizza and had a glass of wine, a slice of cake with my coffee, and a banana.  Now I won't eat again until tomorrow night.
> 
> I eat between 6-8pm and the rest of my waking hours I drink water, coffee, and one cup of cranberry juice for lunch.  As far as I'm aware I don't have side effects except for a craving for food in the afternoon hours.  As I mentioned before, I'm bad about cheating.  I had 24 lbs to lose last September and if faithful to the diet, I could have lost them in 3 months or so, yet here I am one year later and I still have to lose 11 lbs.  Grrr!


Don't feel bad @PVC. You still lost about half and kept it off!


----------



## Catlady

treeguy64 said:


> As I wrote, if I didn't eat my normal breakfast of a bowl of oatmeal and a slice of garlic bread, and I went out to a tree job, I'd probably pass out.
> 
> With all due respect to your info on past cultural norms, I wasn't raised back then. I know my body well, and I know that one time I did, indeed, miss breakfast because I was running late. An hour into the job, I became faint and felt terrible. I let my crew finish it. My BMI runs between 9-12%.  I do not have much fat to burn.
> 
> It's a mistake to try and point out historical/modern generalities to an individual who knows himself/herself very well. As I always tell folks, and write about, in here, know your own body well. Listen to what it tells you, daily. My body tells me that the fasting trip will definitely not work, for me.


We're all different, and as you say, we each have to know our own body and pay attention to its messages.  I live a mostly sedentary life except for cooking my own meals and some light yard work.  Your job is much more physical and you lead an active life.  And you don't have any extra weight to lose, so this diet won't work for you.  You might do well to fast a couple of times a year for a minimum of 3 days each time to get rid of toxins in your body, but that's another thread subject.  I've only done it twice and it was hell, not only physically but I kept thinking of all those poor people in the world who are starving without a choice and it depressed me.


----------



## win231

We sure are all different.
I was born fat & a chubby 10 year old kid.  I constantly wished I was thin like most of the other kids in school.  I got tired of being constantly made fun of, so I skipped breakfast one day; I figured maybe I'd lose weight if I didn't eat.  My school was only 1 mile from home, so I rode my bike.  I made it to school, but when I got off my bike, I noticed that my hands were getting numb.  As I walked to my first class, my legs were wobbling.  I got to my class & flopped down in my seat.  Then the bell rang & we had to stand up & look at the flag while a bugle played.  The next thing I remember was the school nurse wheeling me to her office in a wheelchair.
I said, "What happened?"  She said, "You passed out & you were unconscious for 20 minutes.  We called your mother to come & pick you up & you have to see a doctor before you can come back to school."

I didn't know it then, but that was hypoglycemia - low blood sugar, just from skipping breakfast & that 1-mile bike ride to school.  I didn't get diagnosed with diabetes until 45 years later.  I have to be careful not to wait too long between meals or snacks.  It has happened several times since when I get busy with something & not pay attention to how I feel.  I wish I could try fasting but it would be disastrous for me.


----------



## Catlady

win231 said:


> I didn't know it then, but that was hypoglycemia - low blood sugar, just from skipping breakfast & that 1-mile bike ride to school.  I didn't get diagnosed with diabetes until 45 years later.  I have to be careful not to wait too long between meals or snacks.  It has happened several times since when I get busy with something & not pay attention to how I feel.  I wish I could try fasting but it would be disastrous for me.


For diabetic people, this OMAD or any other fasting diet MIGHT be dangerous.  You've done great and have kept off the weight for a long time, so you're on the right track, just keep it up.

I'm not a doctor, so Happy Flowerlady's paragraph is kind of confusing to me.   IS IT safe to fast for diabetics?  Would fasting help diabetics?
{{Now, when we are doing intermittent fasting, OMAD (one meal a day), then during the fasting period, several amazing things happen !
The first thing is that fasting lowers our insulin resistance better than anything else can do. A 3 day fast will lower a person’s insulin resistance by about 70%.  The good news is that about 2/3 of that happens during the first 24 hours, so simply eating one meal a day, and fasting for 16-23 hours will lower your IR almost as much as a 3 day fast, and the more you do IF, the more it lowers your insulin resistance. }}


----------



## C'est Moi

PVC said:


> ... I also go to sleep most nights at 11pm and that's 3 hours of not eating, which is considered adequate.  If I HAVE to go to sleep sooner than 11 I will lay on my right side so as not to get acid reflux (the stomach dips on the right side).


Just a slight correction; for acid reflux you should sleep on the LEFT side.


----------



## treeguy64

C'est Moi said:


> Just a slight correction; for acid reflux you should sleep on the LEFT side.
> 
> View attachment 79324


Unless someone has found that sleeping on their right side works for them, even if their original info was incorrect. Again, "listen to your body" is my mantra.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> @fancicoffee13
> I just started out cold turkey, ate my dinner one day and ate the next dinner at 6pm the next day.  You can ease into it if you wish, skip breakfast at first then skip breakfast and lunch next.  How faithful you are to the regime will decide how much you lose.  You can eat as much as you want and whatever you want during the 'meal time'' and those meal hours can be at your discretion, but the more narrow the meal hours window and the less you eat will determine how much you lose.  However, logic says that you should eat healthy food for the sake of your health.  Tonight I made me a homemade pizza and had a glass of wine, a slice of cake with my coffee, and a banana.  Now I won't eat again until tomorrow night.
> 
> I eat between 6-8pm and the rest of my waking hours I drink water, coffee, and one cup of cranberry juice for lunch.  As far as I'm aware I don't have side effects except for a craving for food in the afternoon hours.  As I mentioned before, I'm bad about cheating.  I had 24 lbs to lose last September and if faithful to the diet, I could have lost them in 3 months or so, yet here I am one year later and I still have to lose 11 lbs.  Grrr!


Very good!  Thank you for the information, I may give it a try.  I am sure I will have weak spots also.  Just losing pounds means a lot to me.  I will give it a try.  Thanks again.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> Very good!  Thank you for the information, I may give it a try.  I am sure I will have weak spots also.  Just losing pounds means a lot to me.  I will give it a try.  Thanks again.


Do your research first, what works for some does not work for others.  It's good to know all the pros and cons.  Google OMAD or fasting diets.  Good luck!


----------



## Catlady

C'est Moi said:


> Just a slight correction; for acid reflux you should sleep on the LEFT side.
> 
> View attachment 79324


Geez,  thanks!  Sounds like I had it all wrong.  When you look at a body with the organs showing, the stomach slants to the right, so I figured that's where all the acid would rest and away from the esophagus if you sleep on the right side.  I haven't had any problems so didn't worry about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't *sleep* on your right *side*. For some reason, this seems to prompt relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter — the tight ring of muscle connecting the stomach and esophagus that normally defends against *reflux*. Do *sleep* on your left *side*. This is the *position* that has been found to best *reduce acid reflux*.


----------



## treeguy64

PVC said:


> Geez,  thanks!  Sounds like I had it all wrong.  When you look at a body with the organs showing, the stomach slants to the right, so I figured that's where all the acid would rest and away from the esophagus if you sleep on the right side.  I haven't had any problems so didn't worry about it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Don't *sleep* on your right *side*. For some reason, this seems to prompt relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter — the tight ring of muscle connecting the stomach and esophagus that normally defends against *reflux*. Do *sleep* on your left *side*. This is the *position* that has been found to best *reduce acid reflux*.


Do what works for you.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> @fancicoffee13
> I just started out cold turkey, ate my dinner one day and ate the next dinner at 6pm the next day.  You can ease into it if you wish, skip breakfast at first then skip breakfast and lunch next.  How faithful you are to the regime will decide how much you lose.  You can eat as much as you want and whatever you want during the 'meal time'' and those meal hours can be at your discretion, but the more narrow the meal hours window and the less you eat will determine how much you lose.  However, logic says that you should eat healthy food for the sake of your health.  Tonight I made me a homemade pizza and had a glass of wine, a slice of cake with my coffee, and a banana.  Now I won't eat again until tomorrow night.
> 
> I eat between 6-8pm and the rest of my waking hours I drink water, coffee, and one cup of cranberry juice for lunch.  As far as I'm aware I don't have side effects except for a craving for food in the afternoon hours.  As I mentioned before, I'm bad about cheating.  I had 24 lbs to lose last September and if faithful to the diet, I could have lost them in 3 months or so, yet here I am one year later and I still have to lose 11 lbs.  Grrr!


What a great post. Everything you’ve stated makes perfect sense. I’m going to lose 20 pounds by December 25. That’s 8 weeks. I will do this. 
I’m SO inspired. This is just what I needed to read today. Yayyyyy. 
I will prove it works.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Would fasting help diabetics?
> {{Now, when we are doing intermittent fasting, OMAD (one meal a day), then during the fasting period, several amazing things happen !
> The first thing is that fasting lowers our insulin resistance better than anything else can do. A 3 day fast will lower a person’s insulin resistance by about 70%.  The good news is that about 2/3 of that happens during the first 24 hours, so simply eating one meal a day, and fasting for 16-23 hours will lower your IR almost as much as a 3 day fast, and the more you do IF, the more it lowers your insulin resistance. }}


This is my understanding also; that the fasting lowers insulin resistance thereby helping diabetics.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> This is my understanding also; that the fasting lowers insulin resistance thereby helping diabetics.


I don't trust my memory.  I think you said you're diabetic?  An acquaintance of mine was diabetic and got tired of shots so started doing the Atkins diet and was able to control it without the needle.  I've lost touch for more than a decade so don't know if he's still doing it.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> I don't trust my memory.  I think you said you're diabetic?  An acquaintance of mine was diabetic and got tired of shots so started doing the Atkins diet and was able to control it without the needle.  I've lost touch for more than a decade so don't know if he's still doing it.


No I’m not diabetic. My father in law is so if my man becomes diabetic I’d like to keep up on latest diet advancements on the subject. I’ve known diabetics control their disease through diet also plus our past dog became diabetic and we lost her so it’s a topic close to my heart for those reasons alone.


----------



## Keesha

It’s only been two days but this diet seems to be working well for me. I eat between 12:00 and 6:00 and then fast for the other 18 hours. My energy increased, cravings decreased to almost non existent, mental alertness seems clear. I’m really liking this. I’m only go to weigh myself once a week. 
So next Monday I’ll see how much I lost.


----------



## gennie

,


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## Keesha

I’ve only just realized this thread isn’t just intermittent fasting; it’s only eating ONCE a day and fasting the other 23 hours. 
Ohhh boy.


----------



## drifter

Happyflowerlady said:


> Along with the intermittent fasting books, I discovered some of the information that is in a book called  “The Obesity Code”, by Dr. Jason Fung. He is actually a specialist (Canadian) for kidney diseases, but he realized that most kidney failure comes from three main sources, either heart problems, diabetes, or obesity; so he started studying what the relationship is between insulin and how our body processes food.
> It is actually a really great explanation about what causes diabetes, and why insulin resistance is the basis for it.
> 
> I have been reading some of his blog articles, and then I joined the Facebook Group, and this man has some really great information about how obesity works in our body, and the huge part that insulin and insulin resistance plays in making people gain weight.
> The ebook is almost $10, and I usually do not spend that much on ebooks; but I really wanted to read this whole book, and more than the little parts that he discusses on the website.
> 
> It is very interesting, and Dr. Fung does a great job of explaining something in layman’s terms, while yet giving a complete explanation of how something works in the body.
> I am about 1/3 of the way through the book, and I definitely recommend buying the book, or at least, checking out some of the information on his website, especially of you re diabetic, or even overweight.
> He totally recommends low-carb/keto, as well as fasting to not only lose weight, but to help completely detox and heal your body.
> 
> Here is one review of his book, and it really gives you a good overview of the basic premise of this book.
> 
> http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/obesity-code/


Checking it out.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> I’ve only just realized this thread isn’t just intermittent fasting; it’s only eating ONCE a day and fasting the other 23 hours.
> Ohhh boy.


Well, I am now eating only between 5-7pm, bumped it up one hour so that I have more time to digest before I go to sleep at 10-11pm, my usual time.  I WAS calling it OMAD but found out yesterday that my way is actually called ''time-restricted diet''.  That does sound more accurate because I feel free to eat during those two hours.  Sooooo many labels!  Don't worry Keesha, the main thing is that you fast between any hours that you choose, the fasting forces your body to use fat for energy rather than the sugar/carb that is more easily available to it.

It's best to only weigh yourself once a week, otherwise if you're not losing day to day you will get discouraged.  I manage to lose 2lbs a week if I am good and don't overeat or cheat, you might lose less or more depending on your metabolism.  Since you're much younger than me you might have a more active metabolism and lose more.  Good luck, I'm rooting for you!


----------



## Invictus

I've been doing intermittent fasting for a few years now...I love it because I can eat all my favorite foods and whatever foods I want in my 4-8 hour eating window and not gain any body fat, and without losing my hard earned muscle...Plus all the great health benefits are an added bonus, like autophagy, anti-aging, increased growth hormone levels, etc...If you want to be healthy and live longer you should go hungry sometimes and not be full of food all the time like most people.


----------



## Catlady

You made me look up ''autophagy'',  had no idea what it meant.  Thanks for the brain-boost, LOL.  According to this, you would have to fast at least 36 hours to get the benefit.  I did a 3 day fast a couple of times in the past to ''clean out the toxins'' and it was murder physically and very depressing mentally.  I kept feeling sorry for all the people in the world dying of starvation against their choice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Autophagy* is the body's way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells, according to Priya Khorana, PhD, in nutrition education from Columbia University. “Auto” means self and “phagy” means eat. So the literal meaning of *autophagy* is “self-eating.” 

How long do you have to fast for autophagy?
There are no exact rules or recommendations (yet?), but researchers agree that extended *fasting for autophagy* — like going for 36, 48, or even 72 hours without food (like Jack Dorsey's three-day water *fast*) — is something that healthy people *should do* at most 2 or 3 times a year, and only after conferring with a doctor


----------



## Invictus

PVC said:


> You made me look up ''autophagy'',  had no idea what it meant.  Thanks for the brain-boost, LOL.  According to this, you would have to fast at least 36 hours to get the benefit.  I did a 3 day fast a couple of times in the past to ''clean out the toxins'' and it was murder physically and very depressing mentally.  I kept feeling sorry for all the people in the world dying of starvation against their choice.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> *Autophagy* is the body's way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells, according to Priya Khorana, PhD, in nutrition education from Columbia University. “Auto” means self and “phagy” means eat. So the literal meaning of *autophagy* is “self-eating.”
> 
> How long do you have to fast for autophagy?
> There are no exact rules or recommendations (yet?), but researchers agree that extended *fasting for autophagy* — like going for 36, 48, or even 72 hours without food (like Jack Dorsey's three-day water *fast*) — is something that healthy people *should do* at most 2 or 3 times a year, and only after conferring with a doctor


Yes fasting 16-20 hours will not give you the full benefits of autophagy but you will get some...I do a 72 hour fast once every couple months for autophagy benefits, cleansing, and spiritual reasons, I'm not religious though...I've never had any health problems and my blood work was always good, but since starting intermittent fasting my blood work still improved even more and my natural testosterone level rose a bit, and I'm in my 50's...I agree, going hungry for extended periods of time really puts some things into perspective and you gain a much greater appreciation for what you have, and you also gain a deeper empathy for those who are suffering.


----------



## Invictus

But I don't recommend intermittent fasting for people with preexisting health conditions such as diabetes or other diseases...They need to follow their doctors advice...But healthy people will have no problems with intermittent fasting besides experiencing the normal side effects from hunger...A healthy human being can actually go without food much longer than they realize.


----------



## Catlady

Invictus said:


> But I don't recommend intermittent fasting for people with preexisting health conditions such as diabetes or other diseases...They need to follow their doctors advice...But healthy people will have no problems with intermittent fasting besides experiencing the normal side effects from hunger...A healthy human being can actually go without food much longer than they realize.


I give you a lot of credit for doing the 3-day fast every couple of months, I would be happy to do it twice a year.

What do you take during that long fast?  I just drank lots of distilled water, sometimes with lemon juice, drank cranberry juice (it has sugar) and drank black coffee with a level teaspoon of sugar 3 times a day.  I know the sugar is a no-no, but it was the only way I could do that fast.  Better something than nothing, eh?  I don't know if that sugar negated the benefits of starving for 72 hours.  What do you think?  I'd like to try it again.


----------



## Invictus

PVC said:


> I give you a lot of credit for doing the 3-day fast every couple of months, I would be happy to do it twice a year.
> 
> What do you take during that long fast?  I just drank lots of distilled water, sometimes with lemon juice, drank cranberry juice (it has sugar) and drank black coffee with a level teaspoon of sugar 3 times a day.  I know the sugar is a no-no, but it was the only way I could do that fast.  Better something than nothing, eh?  I don't know if that sugar negated the benefits of starving for 72 hours.  What do you think?  I'd like to try it again.


When I do my 72 hour fast I drink water and that's it, nothing else, no calories...The sugar would probably take you out of ketosis, but people do different things during their fasts...I know some people who drink bone broth during their fasts...If it works for you I say go for it.


----------



## StarSong

Keesha said:


> I’ve only just realized this thread isn’t just intermittent fasting; it’s only eating ONCE a day and fasting the other 23 hours.
> Ohhh boy.



No way I would do that unless forced for medical or other reasons.  I detest being physically uncomfortable and become a woman on a mission to remedy the problem, whether hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, sleep-deprived, or in pain.  

p.s. My husband would strongly recommend my going on a self-imposed fast. Smart man. He'd be hearing, "Oh. My. God. I. Am. SOOOOOO Hungry." over and over and over.


----------



## Catlady

Invictus said:


> When I do my 72 hour fast I drink water and that's it, nothing else, no calories...*The sugar would probably take you out of ketosis*, but people do different things during their fasts...I know some people who drink bone broth during their fasts...If it works for you I say go for it.


I'm going to do the 72 hour fast in mid-January, after the holidays.  I'll try very hard not to do the coffee and juice.  What's the use of doing the fast if it takes me out of ketosis by taking the sugar.  Thanks!


----------



## Keesha

I’m also a big fan of water only fasting. Pair that up with skin brushing and / or coffee body scrubs and one can feel incredibly energized. It is great for detoxing. I used to be better at doing them than I am now. 

I’m still a fan of intermittent fasting, I’m just not sure about the once a day but I won’t rule out anything. Right now the 6 hour window of eating is working very well. 

My energy is high which I’m expending  on exercising and I’m already feeling my body toning up some. This is definitely working so I’m very pleased


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> I’m still a fan of intermittent fasting, I’m just not sure about the once a day but I won’t rule out anything. Right now the 6 hour window of eating is working very well.


The MAIN thing you have to make sure is that you fast, no food at all, for at least 16 hours a day, the longer the fasting hours the better.  You want your body to eat up the fat cells rather than rely on a constant sugar supply.  I call it once a day, but I eat during my two hours from 5-7pm.  When you read about intermittent fasting, people do it in all kinds of ways.  There's even one version where you fast for two days, not consecutive, and eat the other five days.  I prefer this way so that my body gets used to the routine.

On the 72 hour fast, both times I lost 6 lbs in 3 days, but I gained it all back when I started eating again.  But, that fast I like to do for detoxing, it's not about losing weight.  I'm going to try it again in January.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> The MAIN thing you have to make sure is that you fast, no food at all, for at least 16 hours a day, the longer the fasting hours the better.  You want your body to eat up the fat cells rather than rely on a constant sugar supply.  I call it once a day, but I eat during my two hours from 5-7pm.  When you read about intermittent fasting, people do it in all kinds of ways.  There's even one version where you fast for two days, not consecutive, and eat the other five days.  I prefer this way so that my body gets used to the routine.
> 
> On the 72 hour fast, both times I lost 6 lbs in 3 days, but I gained it all back when I started eating again.  But, that fast I like to do for detoxing, it's not about losing weight.  I'm going to try it again in January.


Great post thanks. 
I was cheating in that I was drinking water with stuff added. It’s not sugar but it’s still messing with my adrenaline and fat burning potential so I’m going to stop that. I’d also been eating mints occasionally through the day which contain sugar. 

I’m liking the fact that my body is expecting to eat at a certain time each day and I’m sticking to it. Due to this I’m starting to remember my vitamins again. 

A Food schedule. That’s what I was missing before. 
I foolishly started a habit of eating when I’m hungry.... lol ...... wondering why I’m gaining weight.


----------



## Invictus

PVC said:


> I'm going to do the 72 hour fast in mid-January, after the holidays.  I'll try very hard not to do the coffee and juice.  What's the use of doing the fast if it takes me out of ketosis by taking the sugar.  Thanks!


That's the same time that I do my winter fast, right after the holidays...One reason is because I feel kind of guilty for consuming so much great food, and the second reason is to give my organs and body a good detox and cleansing from all the delicious sugary sweets and junk that I ate from Thanksgiving to Christmas...And then it's back to mostly clean eating with the occasional cheat meal or treat thrown in.


----------



## Catlady

Invictus said:


> That's the same time that I do my winter fast, right after the holidays...One reason is because I feel kind of guilty for consuming so much great food, and the second reason is to give my organs and body a good detox and cleansing from all the delicious sugary sweets and junk that I ate from Thanksgiving to Christmas...And then it's back to mostly clean eating with the occasional cheat meal or treat thrown in.


Just curious, do you go off your diet during the holidays?  Not guilting you, I don't blame you at all, life is too short not to take some pleasure.  It's so hard to abstain when everyone else is pigging out and having fun.      January is the ideal time to get back on the wagon and start the new year right.


----------



## Keesha

Yesterday I did very well on eating one meal. I did however have a banana at dinner time but I’m feeling really good. At the moment I’m cooking a chicken dinner with mega roasted vegetables coated in olive oil. Plus I ‘love’ getting excited about making better meals. This diet is making me become much more selective about what I put in my mouth and I have much more appreciation of food in general. This is working well.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> Yesterday I did very well on eating on meal. *I did however have a banana at dinner time *but I’m feeling really good. At the moment I’m cooking a chicken dinner with mega roasted vegetables coated in olive oil. Plus I ‘love’ getting excited about making better meals. This diet is making me become much more selective about what I put in my mouth and I have much more appreciation of food in general. This is working well.


Why do you seem to be apologizing for the banana?  I'm trying to remember what you told me, to eat fruit a half hour before dinner but I keep forgetting, not a big fruit eater and I know that's bad.

I'm getting off my butt and off the internet, have a stuffed cabbage recipe that I want to try making.  Also marinara sauce and an apple pie.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Why do you seem to be apologizing for the banana?  I'm trying to remember what you told me, to eat fruit a half hour before dinner but I keep forgetting, not a big fruit eater and I know that's bad.
> 
> I'm getting off my butt and off the internet, have a stuffed cabbage recipe that I want to try making.  Also marinara sauce and an apple pie.


I’m not a big fruit eater either but I figured it was fructose on it own so wasn’t fermenting any other foods I was eating . If you are going to eat fruit you are best off eating it about 20 minutes BEFORE any other food especially meat. 

P.S. I’m often apologizing for things I shouldn’t. 
I’ve got issues.


----------



## Invictus

PVC said:


> Just curious, do you go off your diet during the holidays?  Not guilting you, I don't blame you at all, life is too short not to take some pleasure.  It's so hard to abstain when everyone else is pigging out and having fun.      January is the ideal time to get back on the wagon and start the new year right.


During the holidays we have family visiting from out of town, and everyone is celebrating and eating all day and night, so I don't want to be the Debbie downer who's sitting there saying: "Oh I can't eat for another 16 hours" so I just enjoy the moment...I do try to have some self control though...I won't just gorge myself all day, but I'll eat more than normally.


----------



## fancicoffee13

I had coffee this morning with creamer and sugar and then ate absolutely nothing until dinner.  I had fried rice with chicken and a slice of pecan pie and then a burrito.  About 900 calories.  And that will be that until tomorrow at lunch.  Drinking a lot of water.


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## Keesha

How are you feeling fancicoffee?
How are you liking this type of diet so far?


----------



## fancicoffee13

Happyflowerlady said:


> I am now into my second month with OMAD, and I really, really like it ! Since there is only ONE rule (eating only once a day), it is pretty simple to follow this eating plan.
> I kind of sneaked my way into the idea, and started by doing a 16:8 fasting window, and having an earlier dinner. My eating window was from 8am-4pm, and then I fasted after that.
> Once I saw how easy that was, I started eating only a protein shake for breakfast and then the late lunch after swimming.
> 
> After I read that it was much better to exercise at the end of your fast because you burned fat better then, I eliminated even the protein shake, and that actually started me on the one meal a day plan.
> I like that I only have to be concerned about one meal a day, and even though there are no restrictions on what you can or can’t eat during you one meal, I mostly stick to low carb foods, and only have other foods occasionally, like if we go out for lunch , or something similar.
> 
> I have also joined several facebook groups, and an OMAD forum, so I feel like I have some good support to keep following this WOE (way of eating).
> If anyone is interested in the forum, PM me and I will give you the link for it, since it is not a conflict with this forum in any way.
> 
> There are SO many health benefits from intermittent fasting that this is not just a temporary weight loss plan, it is going to be a way of life for me, and hopefully, a step into even better health.


I want this link because I just started this OMAD diet.  I fasted 19 hours yesterday.  I had a cup of coffee, drank water the rest of the day, ate a big supper and water.  I haven't completely figured this out.  I am now fasting another 16 hours, had a cup of coffee this morning and going to have a big lunch and drink plenty of water and will fast until tomorrow's big breakfast.  I don't have any health issues like diabetes, just want to eat healthy and lose about 35-40 pounds.  I just want to know if you keep this diet up daily or every other month/week?


----------



## fancicoffee13

Keesha said:


> How are you feeling fancicoffee?
> How are you liking this type of diet so far?


I stay busy and my mind is not on food so I also realize having 3 meals a day was a habit.  I am feeling fine.  I don't eat until I am full, just satisfied.  So, I am fine.  This is my second day and have lost a pound or two.


----------



## Roadwarrior

I'm throwing my 2 cents in.  I have a different approach to food.  I was diagnosed as Type II in 2015, spent a week in the hospital getting my count back to under 300.  I now maintain a 135 lb weight loss since my release.  I keep my count below 110 usually in the high 80's to low 90's.  I found through *MY* research that I do better eating a smaller meal of complex carbs at least every 5 hours.  I snack on a bag of *MY *brown bag popcorn at night before bed.  I stay pretty much to my routine as possible.  When and if my count gets below 70 I start with the shakes & confusion.  A quick induction of complex carbs (1/2 C unsweetened apple sauce) corrects the problem.  I haven't had a soft drink in 5 years, no breads/pasta at all (can't believe the labels), not one pastry,  nor anything I think has been processed.

I eat the following complex carbs, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans (mostly canned - convenience), popcorn & eggs (lots), one meal with <4 oz s of red meat.  As much coffee as I can drink, lightened with half n half (whole dairy is a must with Type II).  Yes, I can eat the same meal every day, have for 5 years, only variety is the choice of protein and bean.  My cholesterol count is 167, my A1C is 5.1, my BMI is 23, I eat a banana a day (sm) for the potassium (no leg cramps).  My PCP has lowered my insulin intake until it hardly registers on the syringe, taken me off BP meds.  Agreed that I don't need statins that I so far have avoided.  Only med I still take is Metformim, he wants me on them since they are supposedly good for many things.

The latest fad diet 'One Meal A Day', would be dangerous for me as a Type II.

The saying,* 'Eat to live, not live to eat'*.   Is my guideline.


----------



## Keesha

fancicoffee13 said:


> I stay busy and my mind is not on food so I also realize having 3 meals a day was a habit.  I am feeling fine.  I don't eat until I am full, just satisfied.  So, I am fine.  This is my second day and have lost a pound or two.


This is great news then. Congratulations. 
I started this week and it’s been going very well. 
I’m not sure how much weight I’ve lost yet as I’ve made the decision to only weigh myself once a week but hope to be below 150 by Monday.

What’s been great is that my energy level isn’t going up and down like it used to and I don’t crave sweet things unless I burn myself out with too much exercise which sometimes happens with me. 

Now that I’m eating  fewer meals I’m much more fussy about what I eat when I do eat and I’m enjoying my meals much more. 

Yesterday I didn’t jog but fast walked for 1 hour 15 minutes and did one hour of balance ball.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Keesha said:


> This is great news then. Congratulations.
> I started this week and it’s been going very well.
> I’m not sure how much weight I’ve lost yet as I’ve made the decision to only weigh myself once a week but hope to be below 150 by Monday.
> 
> What’s been great is that my energy level isn’t going up and down like it used to and I don’t crave sweet things unless I burn myself out with too much exercise which sometimes happens with me.
> 
> Now that I’m eating  fewer meals I’m much more fussy about what I eat when I do eat and I’m enjoying my meals much more.
> 
> Yesterday I didn’t jog but fast walked for 1 hour 15 minutes and did one hour of balance ball.


Well, you are doing better than me.  I had a total knee replacement, and am on my 3rd month.  Aug. 21.  I am able to walk without a cane and am walking around kinda normal.  So, no jogging for me. My exercise for the first time since Aug. 21 was line dancing yesterday.  Better not do that again for awhile.  I am making a mistake in what I am eating.  Lots of carbs.  Today I ate a whole baked potato with cheese and sour cream and butter, fried rice with chicken, and and slice of pecan pie.  Wrong choices!  I did some reading about this online rather than go by all these posts here.  Some eat for one hour and fast for 23 hours, and there is the 16:8 (which is what I do) and the 5:2.  So, I fast for 16 hours and eat a meal.  I fasted for 16 hours the first time and then had supper.  The next fast of 16 hours took me to lunch, and now I will fast and have a big breakfast before church.  Healthier meals.  I can get on the bike in the gym, and I do have leg exercises I do.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> So, I fast for 16 hours and eat a meal.  I fasted for 16 hours the first time and then had supper.  The next fast of 16 hours took me to lunch, and now I will fast and have a big breakfast before church.  Healthier meals.


Sounds like that is working for you, congrats.  

When I reach my goal, I'm thinking of having breakfast and dinner and skip lunch and see how that works and if it will help maintain my weight loss.  I've read that it is not a good idea to skip breakfast all the time.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> Sounds like that is working for you, congrats.
> 
> When I reach my goal, I'm thinking of having breakfast and dinner and skip lunch and see how that works and if it will help maintain my weight loss.  I've read that it is not a good idea to skip breakfast all the time.


Right.  I love breakfast, that is why on my third day I will be having a breakfast for sure!  Coffee, big cheese, sausage, egg croissant and hash browns.  
I found other sites on google that explain more about this diet, or way of eating.  Some seniors I know eat just one meal a day anyway.


----------



## C'est Moi

No matter what type of lifestyle changes you make to lose/maintain weight, they should be sustainable changes that you plan to continue from now on.   If you go on some crazy "diet" and lose weight, then revert to your previous habits you will gain it all back.   So make changes in your life that you know are positive and that you will be able to stick with for the long term.   

The basic rules for losing weight have never changed; eat less/move more.   That's it.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> Right.  I love breakfast, that is why on my third day I will be having a breakfast for sure!  Coffee, big cheese, sausage, egg croissant and hash browns.
> I found other sites on google that explain more about this diet, or way of eating.  Some seniors I know eat just one meal a day anyway.


I'm not religious and I love to have a big breakfast on Sunday morning.  LOL

I think what works on this kind of diet is that the body has to feel hunger for a while, that forces it to eat the fat cells rather than hang on to the fat cells and eat the carbs from frequent meals.  Of course, this diet would not work on people with diabetes type II like Roadwarrior and Win, they need to eat more frequent meals.  I'm going to research what Roadwarrior said about complex carbs and try to eat more of those.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> I'm not religious and I love to have a big breakfast on Sunday morning.  LOL
> 
> I think what works on this kind of diet is that the body has to feel hunger for a while, that forces it to eat the fat cells rather than hang on to the fat cells and eat the carbs from frequent meals.  Of course, this diet would not work on people with diabetes type II like Roadwarrior and Win, they need to eat more frequent meals.  I'm going to research what Roadwarrior said about complex carbs and try to eat more of those.


Complex carbs are like brown beans.  They are both a protein and a carb.  I think that is what he was talking about.  It takes your body longer to break them down.  Sweet potatoes, squash and pumpkin are also complex carbs.  Beans like kidney, white, black, pinto or garbanzo beans are complex carbs.  Lentils and split peas also. 
I love to add brown sugar to my sweet potatoes, but Smart Balance butter and cinnamon with butter is good too.


----------



## Roadwarrior

fancicoffee13 said:


> Complex carbs are like brown beans.  They are both a protein and a carb.  I think that is what he was talking about.  It takes your body longer to break them down.  Sweet potatoes, squash and pumpkin are also complex carbs.  Beans like kidney, white, black, pinto or garbanzo beans are complex carbs.  Lentils and split peas also.
> I love to add brown sugar to my sweet potatoes, but Smart Balance butter and cinnamon with butter is good too.


Correct! any food that doesn't metabolize to sugar rapidly is considered a complex carb.  One I found that has a lot of negative thoughts is popcorn.  Without the salt, chemicals & fake butter is best.  Whole dairy again, real salted butter but in moderation is best for II's I pop my kernels in a brown paper bag for 2 min.  Pour melted butter over it.  Works the same as oatmeal, old fashioned oatmeal, with half steel cut whole oats is best.  The quick version has all the good stuff taken off.  I use 1/4 C old fashioned - 1/4 C steel cut whole oats in a thermos with 1 C boiling hot water over night for easy peasy oatmeal next morning.  Add a little cinnamon & half n half, heat it for a couple minutes for a creamy oatmeal breakfast it will do your blood good.

Last post - I don't want to pirate this thread!  Please continue.


----------



## Olivia

Roadwarrior said:


> Correct! any food that doesn't metabolize to sugar rapidly is considered a complex carb.  One I found that has a lot of negative thoughts is popcorn.  Without the salt, chemicals & fake butter is best.  Whole dairy again, real salted butter but in moderation is best for II's I pop my kernels in a brown paper bag for 2 min.  Pour melted butter over it.  Works the same as oatmeal, old fashioned oatmeal, with half steel cut whole oats is best.  The quick version has all the good stuff taken off.  I use 1/4 C old fashioned - 1/4 C steel cut whole oats in a thermos with 1 C boiling hot water over night for easy peasy oatmeal next morning.  Add a little cinnamon & half n half, heat it for a couple minutes for a creamy oatmeal breakfast it will do your blood good.



Being that you're on insulin and metformin you can't really compare or suggest your eating choices (including other diabetics that are not on insulin or other glucose reducing medications) would have the same kind of results for others.  Maybe good for a thread about diabetics the same as what you are taking and experiencing.


----------



## Roadwarrior

Seems like everytime I have opinion, you take it upon yourself to correct or chastise me.  I have decided I don't need this.


----------



## Olivia

Roadwarrior said:


> Seems like everytime I have opinion, you take it upon yourself to correct or chastise me.  I have decided I don't need this.



I have never replied to you before. I never needed to. I am diabetic, too, which I why I replied to you this time. I really have had no interest with your posts otherwise.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Roadwarrior said:


> Correct! any food that doesn't metabolize to sugar rapidly is considered a complex carb.  One I found that has a lot of negative thoughts is popcorn.  Without the salt, chemicals & fake butter is best.  Whole dairy again, real salted butter but in moderation is best for II's I pop my kernels in a brown paper bag for 2 min.  Pour melted butter over it.  Works the same as oatmeal, old fashioned oatmeal, with half steel cut whole oats is best.  The quick version has all the good stuff taken off.  I use 1/4 C old fashioned - 1/4 C steel cut whole oats in a thermos with 1 C boiling hot water over night for easy peasy oatmeal next morning.  Add a little cinnamon & half n half, heat it for a couple minutes for a creamy oatmeal breakfast it will do your blood good.
> 
> Last post - I don't want to pirate this thread!  Please continue.


Don't quit, that was a good recipe for oatmeal.  I made steel cut oats one time with cinnamon and pumpkin in a crock pot.  Great for a morning breakfast!


----------



## Olivia

fancicoffee13 said:


> Don't quit, that was a good recipe for oatmeal.  I made steel cut oats one time with cinnamon and pumpkin in a crock pot.  Great for a morning breakfast!



All I'm saying is that if he's suggesting that the type of food/recipes he's suggesting for other diabetics (and pre-diabtics)  that are just doing diet and exercise and not on insulin and medications is just not right. 

For anyone else that follows his suggestions for food and recipes is not what I'm talking about. Do what you all like and works for you. I just don't care for being dissed (wrongly) for what I know what is good for me and others.


----------



## Keesha

fancicoffee13 said:


> Well, you are doing better than me.  I had a total knee replacement, and am on my 3rd month.  Aug. 21.  I am able to walk without a cane and am walking around kinda normal.  So, no jogging for me. My exercise for the first time since Aug. 21 was line dancing yesterday.  Better not do that again for awhile.  I am making a mistake in what I am eating.  Lots of carbs.  Today I ate a whole baked potato with cheese and sour cream and butter, fried rice with chicken, and and slice of pecan pie.  Wrong choices!  I did some reading about this online rather than go by all these posts here.  Some eat for one hour and fast for 23 hours, and there is the 16:8 (which is what I do) and the 5:2.  So, I fast for 16 hours and eat a meal.  I fasted for 16 hours the first time and then had supper.  The next fast of 16 hours took me to lunch, and now I will fast and have a big breakfast before church.  Healthier meals.  I can get on the bike in the gym, and I do have leg exercises I do.



Ok but I didn’t have a knee operation, am younger than you and have been exercising my entire life. 

It’s none of my business but did they not get you physiotherapist exercises to do after your knee operation? They usually do or recommend you see one. No line dancing would be a crazy thing to start doing right away as you have noticed. 

You may have pushed yourself too much so needed the carbs as instant fuel. Your body would have craved them until you had them so don’t beat yourself up. It happened to me once this week. After days of jogging and doing this balance ball workout I had a 1/2 a pint of dairy free ice cream and 2 bags of wine gums lol
You just enjoy them, forgive yourself and move on. 

You should really start on something much easier like straight walking or find an exercise routine you enjoy. Try going to the library and check out their DVD’s  in Pilates, Yoga, Balance Ball or something easier that includes plenty of stretches.

Give yourself credit for jumping in with both feet and committing yourself. I’m impressed there so much support here. It’s great.

Today I went out and bought a variety of healthy  nuts to go with my fruit to be used as. meal replacement. The nuts have plenty of protein and important oils to slow down the fructose going into my blood stream. 
Normally I’d eat fruit in the morning but since I’m not eating until at least 12:00 I’m saving it for late afternoon.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Keesha said:


> Ok but I didn’t have a knee operation, am younger than you and have been exercising my entire life.
> 
> It’s none of my business but did they not get you physiotherapist exercises to do after your knee operation? They usually do or recommend you see one. No line dancing would be a crazy thing to start doing right away as you have noticed. ☺
> 
> You may have pushed yourself too much so needed the carbs as instant fuel. Your body would have craved them until you had them so don’t beat yourself up. It happened to me once this week. After days of jogging and doing this balance ball workout I had a 1/2 a pint of dairy free ice cream and 2 bags of wine gums lol
> You just enjoy them, forgive yourself and move on.
> 
> You should really start on something much easier like straight walking or find an exercise routine you enjoy. Try going to the library and check out their DVD’s  in Pilates, Yoga, Balance Ball or something easier that includes plenty of stretches.
> 
> Give yourself credit for jumping in with both feet and committing yourself. I’m impressed there so much support here. It’s great.
> 
> Today I went out and bought a variety of healthy  nuts to go with my fruit to be used as. meal replacement. The nuts have plenty of protein and important oils to slow down the fructose going into my blood stream.
> Normally I’d eat fruit in the morning but since I’m not eating until at least 12:00 I’m saving it for late afternoon.


Yes, I have had physical therapy ever since the operation and am still on it.  I am going to get back on the bike and eat more reasonably once a day and drink plenty of liquids.  Here lately I have enjoyed hot chocolate once or twice a day along with my water.  And yes, I love the support here.  So far, I have fasted 16 hours and then ate lunch one day, the next lunch and today it is breakfast.  Thank you so much for the encouraging words.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Roadwarrior said:


> Seems like everytime I have opinion, you take it upon yourself to correct or chastise me.  I have decided I don't need this.


But there are others who value your input.  Just bypass those that irritate you and go on..


----------



## fancicoffee13

Roadwarrior said:


> Correct! any food that doesn't metabolize to sugar rapidly is considered a complex carb.  One I found that has a lot of negative thoughts is popcorn.  Without the salt, chemicals & fake butter is best.  Whole dairy again, real salted butter but in moderation is best for II's I pop my kernels in a brown paper bag for 2 min.  Pour melted butter over it.  Works the same as oatmeal, old fashioned oatmeal, with half steel cut whole oats is best.  The quick version has all the good stuff taken off.  I use 1/4 C old fashioned - 1/4 C steel cut whole oats in a thermos with 1 C boiling hot water over night for easy peasy oatmeal next morning.  Add a little cinnamon & half n half, heat it for a couple minutes for a creamy oatmeal breakfast it will do your blood good.
> 
> Last post - I don't want to pirate this thread!  Please continue.


When do you start losing weight and about how much on this OMAD diet?


----------



## fancicoffee13

I have picked out my 4-hour eating window.  I am going to try the 4pm-8pm window.  I will eat my meal in one hour and fast until the next day for the same eating window.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> I have picked out my 4-hour eating window.  I am going to try the 4pm-8pm window.  I will eat my meal in one hour and fast until the next day for the same eating window.


@fancicoffee13 - The whole idea of the ''eating window'' is that you can eat during those hours, no need to hurry.  You can also spread the time you eat so that you don't eat any fruit at the same time as your meal.  I don't understand the chemistry of it, @Keesha  knows more about it, but it seems you should not eat fruit too close to the meal.  Maybe Keesha can chime in and explain it.  I try to eat fruit at 5pm and then eat my meal after 5:30 and then have snack or dessert close to my 7pm deadline.  If you eat your one meal in one hour, then your eating window is one hour and your fast is 23 hours.  Which is excellent, if you can handle it, I rather have more time to eat and indulge if I want to.  

And by the way, if you like breakfast there is nothing stopping you from making your one meal a breakfast, as long as it's nutritious that is all that matters.  As to how much you lose, that depends on how much you eat during the eating window and whether you cheat.  I can usually lose 2 lbs a week if I am faithful to the diet and don't eat too much during the window.


----------



## Catlady

Just wanted to add:

This ''diet'' is really wonderful and so forgiving.  I never did the Atkins diet, but heard that if you cheated then you had to start all over with the diet from the beginning.  Considering how many times I've cheated and gone off this diet the last 13 months, I would have never gotten past the starting gate with the Atkins diet.  And it had sooo many rules like a lot of other diets.  Plus, it would have never worked for me since it depended on eating lots of meat and greasy food, anyway.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> @fancicoffee13 - The whole idea of the ''eating window'' is that you can eat during those hours, no need to hurry.  You can also spread the time you eat so that you don't eat any fruit at the same time as your meal.  I don't understand the chemistry of it, @Keesha  knows more about it, but it seems you should not eat fruit too close to the meal.  Maybe Keesha can chime in and explain it.  I try to eat fruit at 5pm and then eat my meal after 5:30 and then have snack or dessert close to my 7pm deadline.  If you eat your one meal in one hour, then your eating window is one hour and your fast is 23 hours.  Which is excellent, if you can handle it, I rather have more time to eat and indulge if I want to.
> 
> And by the way, if you like breakfast there is nothing stopping you from making your one meal a breakfast, as long as it's nutritious that is all that matters.  As to how much you lose, that depends on how much you eat during the eating window and whether you cheat.  I can usually lose 2 lbs a week if I am faithful to the diet and don't eat too much during the window.


Generally speaking, fruit should be eaten on its own on an empty stomach about 20 minutes before any other food, especially meat or dairy. Eating fruit at the same time can ferment the other foods making them more difficult to digest. 

In a low carb diet, the idea is to keep your blood sugar low so hot chocolate, fruit and other sweet foods are discouraged. They increase your blood sugar which gives surges of energy then crashes causing mood changes and cravings, making it more difficult to loose weight. 

For myself I do best mixing protein, fat and vegetables and limit or eliminate grains and sugars. 
The only fruit I use consistently without any problems are lemons. This information is based on the idea that low carbs help lose weight.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> @fancicoffee13 - The whole idea of the ''eating window'' is that you can eat during those hours, no need to hurry.  You can also spread the time you eat so that you don't eat any fruit at the same time as your meal.  I don't understand the chemistry of it, @Keesha  knows more about it, but it seems you should not eat fruit too close to the meal.  Maybe Keesha can chime in and explain it.  I try to eat fruit at 5pm and then eat my meal after 5:30 and then have snack or dessert close to my 7pm deadline.  If you eat your one meal in one hour, then your eating window is one hour and your fast is 23 hours.  Which is excellent, if you can handle it, I rather have more time to eat and indulge if I want to.
> 
> And by the way, if you like breakfast there is nothing stopping you from making your one meal a breakfast, as long as it's nutritious that is all that matters.  As to how much you lose, that depends on how much you eat during the eating window and whether you cheat.  I can usually lose 2 lbs a week if I am faithful to the diet and don't eat too much during the window.


I looked at the diet's website and it said that you eat your meal in one hour and a beverage.  Before I looked it up, it sounded like you could spend the hours in the "eating  window" to have your meal.  So, I am gathering it is up to the person?  And the window is 4 hours.  So then you are fasting for 20 hours.  I know there are variations that are up to the person, right?  I have lost 2 pounds so far and I am on my 4th day.  Thanks a bunch for the information.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> Just wanted to add:
> 
> This ''diet'' is really wonderful and so forgiving.  I never did the Atkins diet, but heard that if you cheated then you had to start all over with the diet from the beginning.  Considering how many times I've cheated and gone off this diet the last 13 months, I would have never gotten past the starting gate with the Atkins diet.  And it had sooo many rules like a lot of other diets.  Plus, it would have never worked for me since it depended on eating lots of meat and greasy food, anyway.


I am on my 4th day of the diet and I only cheated once last night.  I had breakfast as my one meal and at supper while my friend was eating, I got hungry so I drank a meal replacement.  I have lost 2 pounds so far.  Can you eat during the 4-hour eating window or do you eat during the one hour only?  The website says you eat during the one hour only?  I am a newbie at this.  Thanks for your information.


----------



## Keesha

I hope you don’t mind me answering fancicoffee. 
THIS ^^^^^ particular diet is called the OMAD which literally means ONE MEAL A DAY. If it takes you four hours to eat one meal then I highly doubt you will lose any weight at all on it. 

The window time of eating on this diet would most likely be 1 hour. In fact I’ve read many of PVC’s post where she says she’s fasting for a full 23 hours. 

Other intermittent food fasting threads aren’t one meal a day diets and I think what’s happening is that you are mixing them up accidentally. I did that at first also.


----------



## Trade

Keesha said:


> The window time of eating on this diet would most likely be 1 hour.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> I hope you don’t mind me answering fancicoffee.
> THIS ^^^^^ particular diet is called the OMAD which literally means ONE MEAL A DAY. If it takes you four hours to eat one meal then I highly doubt you will lose any weight at all on it.
> 
> The window time of eating on this diet would most likely be 1 hour. In fact I’ve read many of PVC’s post where she says she’s fasting for a full 23 hours.
> 
> Other intermittent food fasting threads aren’t one meal a day diets and I think what’s happening is that you are mixing them up accidentally. I did that at first also.



Okay, I think I know what the confusion is.   MY diet is actually called a ''time restricted diet'' but I had it confused with an OMAD diet.  My apologies to you both, Keesha and fancicoffee.   I fast 22 hours and eat *throughout *the 2 hour window.  I am still losing 1 1/2 to 2 lbs a week so it must still be working, at least for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Time*-*restricted eating* is a type of *diet* that focuses on the timing of *eating*. Instead of limiting the types of food or number of calories that people consume, this *diet* restricts the amount of *time* they can spend *eating*. A person on a *time*-*restricted eating diet* will only eat during specific hours of the day. 
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322365.php


----------



## fancicoffee13

Keesha said:


> I hope you don’t mind me answering fancicoffee.
> THIS ^^^^^ particular diet is called the OMAD which literally means ONE MEAL A DAY. If it takes you four hours to eat one meal then I highly doubt you will lose any weight at all on it.
> 
> The window time of eating on this diet would most likely be 1 hour. In fact I’ve read many of PVC’s post where she says she’s fasting for a full 23 hours.
> 
> Other intermittent food fasting threads aren’t one meal a day diets and I think what’s happening is that you are mixing them up accidentally. I did that at first also.


Keesha, you are right.  I looked on the website for the OMAD diet and that is what it says.  I have to say, fasting a full 23 hours is ok, just takes some getting used to plus saying no.  Thank you for answering.  Now, another question: do I do this on a daily basis or 5 days out of the week for a month?  I didn't see the answer on the website, however, I did ask this question and am waiting for the email to come in,


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> Now, another question: do I do this on a daily basis or 5 days out of the week for a month?  I didn't see the answer on the website, however, I did ask this question and am waiting for the email to come in,



I'm curious to know what they tell you, please post.   I think the answer will be ''depends how fast you want to lose the weight''.  If you eat normally for 2 days out of 7 you will probably regain most of the weight you lost on those 5 fasting days.  I myself eat normally on Sunday and that slows down my weight loss.  I don't mind, I just use Sunday as my day to treat myself for ''being good'' the previous 6 days.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Okay, I think I know what the confusion is.   MY diet is actually called a ''time restricted diet'' but I had it confused with an OMAD diet.  My apologies to you both, Keesha and fancicoffee.   I fast 22 hours and eat *throughout *the 2 hour window.  I am still losing 1 1/2 to 2 lbs a week so it must still be working, at least for me.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> *Time*-*restricted eating* is a type of *diet* that focuses on the timing of *eating*. Instead of limiting the types of food or number of calories that people consume, this *diet* restricts the amount of *time* they can spend *eating*. A person on a *time*-*restricted eating diet* will only eat during specific hours of the day.
> https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322365.php


22 hours. Well. I was close. 
I think all three of us had this thread mixed up with the intermittent food fasting threads.  Lol
It seems to be working for also. I’ve lost close to two pounds so far.  I think I’ve also gained muscle from exercising which I take into consideration.


----------



## Catlady

Here's a VERY LONG article by a guy who is 36 and does the OMAD and Keto diet.  The article is very informative and covers all aspects of intermittent diets and Keto diets.  He claims he lost 30lbs in 4 months (a little to fast in my book).  I found it very interesting, but chemistry goes over my head, so I intent to read it again to drum some of the info into my brain.  I don't want to do Keto, too restrictive for me.  I will continue my current diet, it's working for me like no other diet ever did.  I have no patience with counting calories, refuse to give up bread and rice etc, will just try to eat them with moderation.  I will also try to cut down on portions and will still treat myself to ''cheating Sunday'' for the sake of my soul.  

Read ALL of the article, it's worth it!   @fancicoffee13 , he also answers your question re fasting five days and eating 2 days (somewhere around mid-article, he does eat on weekends).  It's obvious to me that these fasting diets are very varied and customized by each follower.

https://medium.com/@jc2go/my-4-month-keto-diet-with-intermittent-fasting-omad-44f0e8a87e68


----------



## Olivia

The only way I have ever lost weight was by eating less, therefore my mantra "Hunger is my Friend". Didn't matter when I ate. Just cut back.


----------



## Catlady

Olivia said:


> The only way I have ever lost weight was by eating less, therefore my mantra "Hunger is my Friend". Didn't matter when I ate. Just cut back.


I tried doing that, cutting down on portions, it didn't work.  With me I've noticed that the more often I eat the hungrier I get.  By restricting the time I can eat to only 2 hours puts a brake on my eating portions.  I simply can't eat a lot at once.  I always say that the all-you-can-eat buffet style restaurants make money on me because I can't eat a lot at one sitting.  So, eating only for two hours a day is helping me lose the weight.   Your way is probably the healthiest option, but we're all different, the end goal is what is important to me.  I want to be 140lbs before the start of 2020.  Yeah!


----------



## Keesha

Once you understand the different forms of sugar and how they affect your blood sugar / insulin / metabolism, you will better understand how calories aren’t all the same and how the human body uses fuel for energy. Understanding this is important if you are striving to reduce food in order to lose weight. 

My brother in law lost over 100 pounds in less than 8 months on a keto diet and has kept it off. He did this all doctor supervised which was a wise choice but like PVC, it’s far too restrictive for me. Besides which a keto diet isn’t meant to be a lifestyle change and should only be used no more than 6 months at a time as it’s very hard on the liver & kidneys whereas a low carb diet can be used indefinitely as a dietary choice. 

People who do well on these types of diets are usually people who do well eating a variety of meats, vegetables, fats, dairy. Not everyone can. 

Restricting sugar in the diet as a way  to lose weight is far healthy than the conventional way of restricting fat and / or calories.  Low fat products actually cause more increases in weight due to the added sugars. 
The body needs fats. They are an essential part of a healthy diet.


----------



## Olivia

PVC, have you (or anyone else on this thread) lost weight using the OMAD or restricted hours for eating methods having reached their goal? I'm not asking about other folks outside of SF who have written about it. 

It's true, the more I eat the more I want to eat. I guess the body wants whatever it can get. I think it's  part of how humans evolved to survive. Restricting food does work against natural tendencies of our biology. But habits can overcome that. And that takes time and learning to eat normally but less during a day, every day, is teaching the body to be happy with less. To me, cramming oneself with food once a day or during restricted hours is just not going to do that. I'm just curious how it;s worked for anyone here and how does one maintain that.


----------



## Keesha

I lost 100 pounds on a combination of restricted time and low carb. At the time I didn’t understand about restricted time diets so didn’t realize that’s what I was doing. Between this restricted diet and walking I lost all the weight. It took me a bit over a year and up until this year I kept it off.

I was 219 pounds back in 2009 and went down to about 140 pounds then went to 115 in the summer of 2017.

Note: I was walking at least two hours a day and wouldn’t eat until I got home. After a while this became my daily routine.


----------



## Keesha

Keto  and low carb diet key points 


https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto
Restricted time diets key points 


https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting/time-restricted-eating


----------



## Keesha

Olivia said:


> PVC, have you (or anyone else on this thread) lost weight using the OMAD or restricted hours for eating methods having reached their goal? I'm not asking about other folks outside of SF who have written about it.
> 
> It's true, the more I eat the more I want to eat. I guess the body wants whatever it can get. I think it's  part of how humans evolved to survive. Restricting food does work against natural tendencies of our biology. But habits can overcome that. And that takes time and learning to eat normally but less during a day, every day, is teaching the body to be happy with less. To me, cramming oneself with food once a day or during restricted hours is just not going to do that. I'm just curious how it;s worked for anyone here and how does one maintain that.


Olivia. I get the distinct feeling that you disagree with any other ways of losing weight that don’t use the standard methods of counting calories to do so like you and trade are doing.

You don’t come directly out and say as much but your post(s) suggest as much.


----------



## Catlady

Olivia said:


> PVC, have you (or anyone else on this thread) lost weight using the OMAD or restricted hours for eating methods having reached their goal? I'm not asking about other folks outside of SF who have written about it.
> 
> It's true, the more I eat the more I want to eat. I guess the body wants whatever it can get. I think it's  part of how humans evolved to survive. Restricting food does work against natural tendencies of our biology. But habits can overcome that. And that takes time and learning to eat normally but less during a day, every day, is teaching the body to be happy with less. To me, cramming oneself with food once a day or during restricted hours is just not going to do that. I'm just curious how it;s worked for anyone here and how does one maintain that.



I was 164 when I started in September 2018 and am now 151.  During that time I cheated a lot and went for many days eating the 2-3 meals a day.  Even now I eat on Sundays as a form of treating myself after 6 days of fasting/eating for two hours.  I should not, but keeping the spirits up is just as important as keeping the weight down.  As I said, eating your way is healthier, but you must have good  willpower to do it.  I don't have strong willpower, the only thing I've done consistently and for a long period in my life is becoming a vegetarian in Nov 1984 and have never eaten animal flesh in all that time.  But, I did that ''for the animals'' and that has been a very strong incentive for me.  This diet works for me, it's very flexible and I have 11 more lbs to go.  I was 150 on Saturday and gained one lb yesterday, my cheat day, and today I'm ''back on the wagon''.


----------



## Olivia

Keesha said:


> Olivia. I get the distinct feeling that you disagree with any other ways of losing weight that don’t use the standard methods of counting calories to do so like you and trade are dining.
> 
> You don’t come directly out and say as much but your post(s) suggest as much.



It's not a matter of agree or disagree. I just never could do that and I just wonder how some folks do.  To me, it''s self torture. Seriously, even right before my scheduled next meal (one of three a day) I even feel a bit weak and starving sometimes.  But then I get to eat that next meal and then I'm fine.  If I had to eat OMAD, the next thing I know I would scarfing down anything I could get my hands on. 

Anyway, I speak for myself. Nobody else.


----------



## Keesha

Olivia said:


> It's not a matter of agree or disagree. I just never could do that and I just wonder how some folks do.  To me, it''s self torture. Seriously, even right before my scheduled next meal (one of three a day) I even feel a bit weak and starving sometimes.  But then I get to eat that next meal and then I'm fine.  If I had to eat OMAD, the next thing I know I would scarfing down anything I could get my hands on.
> 
> Anyway, I speak for myself. Nobody else.


Ok fair enough. 
Thank you.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> Restricted time diets key points
> https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting/time-restricted-eating



Thank you so much for the restricted time article, great reading.  This below shocked me, I can't believe the guy fasted that long and lived:

{{Let’s put it this way. Why would a highly obese person EVER be hungry? They have enough fat stores to last a very long time. The world record for fasting went to a 456 pound man who fasted for 382 days, consuming only water and vitamins and losing 276 pounds with no ill effects (although we don’t recommend this!).}}


----------



## Catlady

Olivia said:


> If I had to eat OMAD, the next thing I know I would scarfing down anything I could get my hands on.



BUT, you would only have ONE HOUR time on the OMAD to scarf down food on.  And when you fast the other 23 hours your body would have to find the sugar elsewhere (your fat cells).  Like I've said, you must have strong willpower to limit your food consumption, not everybody does.  I feel hungry in the afternoon, like 3 hours before my 5pm eating window and I don't feel faint or anything, so it works for me.  I feel better knowing that that hunger means my body is eating my fat cells, so I grit my teeth and put up with the hunger.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> went down to about 140 pounds then went to 115 in the summer of 2017.



Well, I hope you don't intent to get back to 115!  At 5'7'' you would look anorexic.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Well, I hope you don't intent to get back to 115!  At 5'7'' you would look anorexic.


Oh I was VERY anorexic looking. Even @ 125 pounds I was too thin looking for my height. 
I gained the weight due to ptsd and clinical depression and lost most of in just over a year (most of the weight I gained in just over a year also)

The weight I lost after 140 pounds was due to another reason entirely. I DID NOT want to lose that much weight. In fact I think 130 is the lowest I’d like to get.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> BUT, you would only have ONE HOUR time on the OMAD to scarf down food on.  And when you fast the other 23 hours your body would have to find the sugar elsewhere (your fat cells).  Like I've said, you must have strong willpower to limit your food consumption, not everybody does.  I feel hungry in the afternoon, like 3 hours before my 5pm eating window and I don't feel faint or anything, so it works for me.  I feel better knowing that that hunger means my body is eating my fat cells, so I grit my teeth and put up with the hunger.



Plus when you first start, you are famished. It takes a few days of low blood sugar from eating such a diet to stop intense food cravings but they do stop. 
The only time they come back is if I cheat or work out too much


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Thank you so much for the restricted time article, great reading.  This below shocked me, I can't believe the guy fasted that long and lived:
> 
> {{Let’s put it this way. Why would a highly obese person EVER be hungry? They have enough fat stores to last a very long time. The world record for fasting went to a 456 pound man who fasted for 382 days, consuming only water and vitamins and losing 276 pounds with no ill effects (although we don’t recommend this!).}}


You’re welcome. It’s a great article that explains the science  of why it works.  I was shocked at the guy who lost 276 pounds in one year.   Thats scary even.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> Oh I was VERY anorexic looking. Even @ 125 pounds I was too thin looking for my height.
> I gained the weight due to ptsd and clinical depression and lost most of in just over a year (most of the weight I gained in just over a year also)
> 
> The weight I lost after 140 pounds was due to another reason entirely. I DID NOT want to lose that much weight. In fact I think 130 is the lowest I’d like to get.



Yeah I went to look at the weight chart I posted (#582) and it said that a good weight for 5'7'' is 121-153, so 132 would put you in the middle and give you room to gain a few pounds before getting alarmed.  Good goal.


----------



## Keesha

There are many things you don’t think of as being complications of being obese until you are. It didn’t surprise me too much that my ring would need cutting off but I hadn’t even considered that my shoe size would increase and my feet actually change shape. Since foot size increases in all directions this can change your walking gait or the way you walk. 

That was the turning point for me. I couldn’t walk properly any more. Another surprising thing is how much more painful body joints are due to all the extra weight. Fibromyalgia symptoms were accumulating and pain was increasing. When it got to the point that I couldn’t walk my dogs properly I decided to lose the weight. 

Since I’ve never really been a breakfast eater I walked hours before eating my main meal and after months of doing this , the weight dropped off but a HUGE part of my weight loss was the walking. I did some serious walking and still do so technically I am eating less and exercising more.


Is there anything that surprised you when you gained weight ?


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> Is there anything that surprised you when you gained weight ?


My weight came on gradually, it just creeped up on me as I got older.  My top weight was 164, before that is was like 149.  I don't remember having any health problems per se, but I was disgusted how my belly area looked, that's where most of my weight went to reside.

I had one  morbidly obese friend and most of her complaints were that her inner thigs rubbed against each other when she walked and they became raw and painful and that her knees hurt.


----------



## fancicoffee13

I am trying out this diet, or way of eating.  I am settling for my eating window is supper.  I cheated only once and drank a meal replacement but it had lots of sugars and carbs.  So, we will see how it goes.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> BUT, you would only have ONE HOUR time on the OMAD to scarf down food on.  And when you fast the other 23 hours your body would have to find the sugar elsewhere (your fat cells).  Like I've said, you must have strong willpower to limit your food consumption, not everybody does.  I feel hungry in the afternoon, like 3 hours before my 5pm eating window and I don't feel faint or anything, so it works for me.  I feel better knowing that that hunger means my body is eating my fat cells, so I grit my teeth and put up with the hunger.


That pretty much says it for me.  Willpower, saying no, and just doing it.


----------



## Keesha

fancicoffee13 said:


> That pretty much says it for me.  Willpower, saying no, and just doing it.


Willpower goes a long way when it comes it comes to food choices. I need to strengthen mine as well.


----------



## fancicoffee13

I am very happy with this diet, with the window of eating.  I have not cheated but once and am gradually losing pounds!  One at a time.  I haven't done a diet recently that helped me lose ANY pounds.  While I was off healing from my total knee replacement, I ate whatever and even a size 18 got tight!  So, I am glad I found this board and the forum at the OMAD site as well.


----------



## Keesha

fancicoffee13 said:


> I am very happy with this diet, with the window of eating.  I have not cheated but once and am gradually losing pounds!  One at a time.  I haven't done a diet recently that helped me lose ANY pounds.  While I was off healing from my total knee replacement, I ate whatever and even a size 18 got tight!  So, I am glad I found this board and the forum at the OMAD site as well.


Im happy with this diet and lifestyle change also and I’m losing weight and getting toned up. While there isn’t much weight loss itself, my body IS shaping up quite nicely now. My clothes aren’t as tight and my muscle tone is showing more.

At one point in my life for a short period of time I was a size 18 and I hated it. I promised myself I’d never be that neglectful of my body again and haven’t been. I’m glad you joined this forum and found this thread. We can support each other’s progress. ❤


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> While there isn’t much weight loss itself, my body IS shaping up quite nicely now. *My clothes aren’t as tight and my muscle tone is showing more.
> *



You do have to remember that muscle is heavier than fat.  You have been working out a lot and building muscle (see highlight above) and your scale might not be going down but that's because your new muscles weigh more.  Yours is the better result than mine since I don't exercise.  Keep it up!  I wouldn't care how much I weighed if I looked slim and fit instead of looking like an apple, supposedly the worst kind of fat.

Funny story.  When my son-in-law was in the army he got a warning that his weight was above regulations.  He had been doing weightlifting and was very toned with no fat.  He pointed it out to them but they ''went by the book".


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> I am very happy with this diet, with the window of eating.  I have not cheated but once and am gradually losing pounds!  One at a time.  I haven't done a diet recently that helped me lose ANY pounds.  While I was off healing from my total knee replacement, I ate whatever and even a size 18 got tight!  So, I am glad I found this board and the forum at the OMAD site as well.


I was 149 lbs when I retired, a little heavy but not disgusting.  After I retired I became less active and the pounds creeped on until I reached 164.  I tried ALL kinds of diets.  Okinawa, Mediterranean, several others, even the 5:2.  The 5:2 was hard because I had to fast 36 hours twice a week and then go back to eating normal, that yo-yo kind of diet does not work for me.  With this diet it's steady every day, same time every day (except my Sunday cheating) and it works great.  When I reach my goal I've decided to eat breakfast, skip lunch, and eat a reasonable dinner, we'll see if I can maintain my weight loss that way.  If not, it'll be back to the drawing board, maybe even doing this diet as a lifestyle.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> You do have to remember that muscle is heavier than fat.  You have been working out a lot and building muscle (see highlight above) and your scale might not be going down but that's because your new muscles weigh more.  Yours is the better result than mine since I don't exercise.  Keep it up!  I wouldn't care how much I weighed if I looked slim and fit instead of looking like an apple, supposedly the worst kind of fat.
> 
> Funny story.  When my son-in-law was in the army he got a warning that his weight was above regulations.  He had been doing weightlifting and was very toned with no fat.  He pointed it out to them but they ''went by the book".


Oh yes I DO realize that which is why I pointed out about the muscle tone. I certainly have been working out a lot , my muscles are feeling it BUT the results of how I look and feel have to trump a number on a scale. My goal isn’t so much to be a certain weight as it is to look and feel a certain way and when clothes are no longer comfortable, that’s motivation enough for me. For myself personally I like the toned, buff look rather than rail thin.

My man had the opposite problem when he joined the military. He was underweight so had to eat a lot more to gain. On testing day he said he drank huge amounts of water just in order to pass.

I’d best not comment on the ‘going by the book.’  

Thanks PVC.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> I was 149 lbs when I retired, a little heavy but not disgusting.  After I retired I became less active and the pounds creeped on until I reached 164.  I tried ALL kinds of diets.  Okinawa, Mediterranean, several others, even the 5:2.  The 5:2 was hard because I had to fast 36 hours twice a week and then go back to eating normal, that yo-yo kind of diet does not work for me.  With this diet it's steady every day, same time every day (except my Sunday cheating) and it works great.  When I reach my goal I've decided to eat breakfast, skip lunch, and eat a reasonable dinner, we'll see if I can maintain my weight loss that way.  If not, it'll be back to the drawing board, maybe even doing this diet as a lifestyle.


I am like you, if I lose the weight I have set as my goal weight, then this will be my lifestyle.  Just may add lunch or breakfast in.  I am having no problems not eating in between and plus I love the benefits of this diet so far.  I am not experiencing them, just like what I read.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Ok, I have a new question.  I have lost 3 lbs. in 6 days.  How much weight are you expected to lose if you really do not eat ANYTHING in the 23 hours you are fasting?  I eat whatever I want, just one meal, about 1400 calories, drink green tea once a day.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> Ok, I have a new question.  I have lost 3 lbs. in 6 days.  How much weight are you expected to lose if you really do not eat ANYTHING in the 23 hours you are fasting?  I eat whatever I want, just one meal, about 1400 calories, drink green tea once a day.



The problem here is that our posts are scattered throughout THREE threads.  So, I'll just repost here.

You need to figure out how much your ideal weight should be, go to this article:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323446.php
Here's something I said about losing too much weight and too fast, you don't want to lose your weight too fast and end up needing a plastic surgeon to remove the loose skin =
You don't want to lose weight too fast, your skin won't have time to shrink along with the weight loss and you'll end up with bags of skin hanging.  My gym  trainer told me it was not healthy to lose more than 2 lbs a week, she said one lb a week is the best.   And once you lose the weight, you'll need to figure out how to maintain the weight loss. 

You are doing GREAT with losing 3 lbs in 6 days, maybe a little too fast.  I lose 1 1/2 to 2 lbs a week IF I don't cheat the whole week.   But, when you get rid of most of the weight it'll be harder to lose that fast, the less you need to lose the harder it is to lose.  See my post above, my trainer said one lb a week is the best.  I also re-read an article and the writer said your body starts to eat the fat only AFTER fasting for 12 hours.  So, when I do reach my goal I will have lunch and dinner only, that will give me 16 hours of fasting and it should maintain my weight loss.


----------



## Trade

I'm having a hard enough time adjusting to this time change where I have to wait an extra hour before my meals.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> The problem here is that our posts are scattered throughout THREE threads.  So, I'll just repost here.
> 
> You need to figure out how much your ideal weight should be, go to this article:
> https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323446.php
> Here's something I said about losing too much weight and too fast, you don't want to lose your weight too fast and end up needing a plastic surgeon to remove the loose skin =
> You don't want to lose weight too fast, your skin won't have time to shrink along with the weight loss and you'll end up with bags of skin hanging.  My gym  trainer told me it was not healthy to lose more than 2 lbs a week, she said one lb a week is the best.   And once you lose the weight, you'll need to figure out how to maintain the weight loss.
> 
> You are doing GREAT with losing 3 lbs in 6 days, maybe a little too fast.  I lose 1 1/2 to 2 lbs a week IF I don't cheat the whole week.   But, when you get rid of most of the weight it'll be harder to lose that fast, the less you need to lose the harder it is to lose.  See my post above, my trainer said one lb a week is the best.  I also re-read an article and the writer said your body starts to eat the fat only AFTER fasting for 12 hours.  So, when I do reach my goal I will have lunch and dinner only, that will give me 16 hours of fasting and it should maintain my weight loss.


Thank you, it is hard sometimes to say no and not eat but I do it.  I think weight fluctuates about 2-3 pounds anyway of gaining or losing, so I will see if it stays that way.  And I am eating whatever I want and drinking green tea, lots of water and coffee.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> Thank you, it is hard sometimes to say no and not eat but I do it.  I think weight fluctuates about 2-3 pounds anyway of gaining or losing, so I will see if it stays that way.  And I am eating whatever I want and drinking green tea, lots of water and coffee.


Whatever you do, DO NOT get discouraged.  Even if you do two steps forward and one step back you'll still be doing better than not doing anything at all.  This is a very forgiving diet with almost no rules except ''fasting for at least 16 hours'', so just play with it and see what works for you.  None of my other diets worked for me because there were too many rules to follow and I hated counting calories and hated giving up bread and rice etc.  I'll just try to cut down on those carbs but will not give them up for good, we only live once and might as well enjoy it most of the time.


----------



## Invictus

Roadwarrior said:


> I'm throwing my 2 cents in.  I have a different approach to food.  I was diagnosed as Type II in 2015, spent a week in the hospital getting my count back to under 300.  I now maintain a 135 lb weight loss since my release.  I keep my count below 110 usually in the high 80's to low 90's.  I found through *MY* research that I do better eating a smaller meal of complex carbs at least every 5 hours.  I snack on a bag of *MY *brown bag popcorn at night before bed.  I stay pretty much to my routine as possible.  When and if my count gets below 70 I start with the shakes & confusion.  A quick induction of complex carbs (1/2 C unsweetened apple sauce) corrects the problem.  I haven't had a soft drink in 5 years, no breads/pasta at all (can't believe the labels), not one pastry,  nor anything I think has been processed.
> 
> I eat the following complex carbs, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans (mostly canned - convenience), popcorn & eggs (lots), one meal with <4 oz s of red meat.  As much coffee as I can drink, lightened with half n half (whole dairy is a must with Type II).  Yes, I can eat the same meal every day, have for 5 years, only variety is the choice of protein and bean.  My cholesterol count is 167, my A1C is 5.1, my BMI is 23, I eat a banana a day (sm) for the potassium (no leg cramps).  My PCP has lowered my insulin intake until it hardly registers on the syringe, taken me off BP meds.  Agreed that I don't need statins that I so far have avoided.  Only med I still take is Metformim, he wants me on them since they are supposedly good for many things.
> 
> The latest fad diet 'One Meal A Day', would be dangerous for me as a Type II.
> 
> The saying,* 'Eat to live, not live to eat'*.   Is my guideline.


Post # 76 - "But I don't recommend intermittent fasting for people with preexisting health conditions such as diabetes or other diseases...They need to follow their doctors advice...But healthy people will have no problems with intermittent fasting besides experiencing the normal side effects from hunger...A healthy human being can actually go without food much longer than they realize.".........One meal a day isn't a new fad diet, it's how our ancestors ate, and it's been the norm for many other cultures...Our ancestors  hunted and gathered all day, and then they ate at night and slept...It's actually much healthier than eating many meals all day and night, if you don't have any preexisting diseases or health conditions.


----------



## fancicoffee13

fancicoffee13 said:


> Thank you, it is hard sometimes to say no and not eat but I do it.  I think weight fluctuates about 2-3 pounds anyway of gaining or losing, so I will see if it stays that way.  And I am eating whatever I want and drinking green tea, lots of water and coffee.


I checked it out and it said 114-144, so based on that, my goal weight is 135-140 pounds is just about right.  Thank you.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> I checked it out and it said 114-144, so based on that, my goal weight is 135-140 pounds is just about right.  Thank you.


You are my same height, 5'5''.  Yeah, my goal is 140 but if I can make it to 135 I won't complain.  LOL


----------



## StarSong

What works for one body and psyche is not necessarily helpful to another.  We really don't know how our long-ago ancestors ate, nor do we know that most clans had similar eating habits or that survival rates were similar among those with vastly different eating patterns.


----------



## Catlady

StarSong said:


> What works for one body and psyche is not necessarily helpful to another.  We really don't know how our long-ago ancestors ate, nor do we know that most clans had similar eating habits or that survival rates were similar among those with vastly different eating patterns.


All I know is that this diet is the only one working for me.  I tried a LOT of diets, even the healthiest Mediterranean diet, but they didn't work for me because they required counting calories or eating a certain way.  And also required a lot of willpower, which I don't have except to maintain my vegetarian lifestyle going on 35 years this month.   I naturally eat healthy, hardly ever drink sodas or eat chips or lots of sugary stuff, so this way of eating is not dangerous for me.  The only rule that matters to this diet is that you fast at least 16 hours, I'm fasting 22 hours and when I reach my goal will fast only 16 hours.

Everyone has to find what works for THEM.  Obesity is bad for all ages, but especially so for old people whose organs are getting older and can no longer maintain a normal body never mind one carrying excessive weight.


----------



## Invictus

StarSong said:


> What works for one body and psyche is not necessarily helpful to another.  We really don't know how our long-ago ancestors ate, nor do we know that most clans had similar eating habits or that survival rates were similar among those with vastly different eating patterns.


Everyone is different with different body chemistry and chemical makeups, and their bodies can react differently to diets and different ways of eating, this is true...But there is plenty of historical written evidence that goes back thousands of years that proves humans have been fasting for centuries for its health benefits.


----------



## Lc jones

I would get a terrible headache if I did not eat during the day. We have three meals during the day but two of those meals are very small usually just a little salad and some chicken thrown in with a nonfat salad dressing. Either that or some soup for the smaller meals at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon we will have our regular size dinner and then not eat after five. This seems to work for us as neither one of us are overweight.


----------



## win231

Just reading about "One Meal a Day" makes me scared.

And hungry.


----------



## fancicoffee13

win231 said:


> Just reading about "One Meal a Day" makes me scared.
> 
> And hungry.


It did me too, but I find something to do or watch tv, maybe get out and walk and I don't miss it.  Now when meal time comes, I am definitely ready to eat.  I drink various things during the day like flavored water, green tea and coffee or even hot cocoa.


----------



## win231

Re:  Keto diets.  High-protein is not only hard on the liver & kidneys (as previously mentioned), it's also hard on bones & can accelerate osteoporosis.  Our system is alkaline & excess protein makes it more acidic & our body responds by extracting calcium from bones to neutralize the acid & return it to alkaline.  (that's why drinking more milk to improve bone density doesn't work due to the high protein content of milk.)
Understandably, people who are losing weight on such diets don't want to hear about such risks.


----------



## Catlady

Lc jones said:


> I would get a terrible headache if I did not eat during the day. We have three meals during the day but two of those meals are very small usually just a little salad and some chicken thrown in with a nonfat salad dressing. Either that or some soup for the smaller meals at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon we will have our regular size dinner and then not eat after five. This seems to work for us as neither one of us are overweight.


After I reach my goal weight, I plan to have a regular meal about 5-7pm and not eat again until 12-1pm the next day.  That will give me 16 hours of fasting (the body starts eating the fat cells after 12 fasting hours).  For lunch I will alternate with breakfast one day or all fruit another day or a green salad with lots of goodies and homemade olive oil and cider vinegar dressing another day or a bowl of soup with a small bread slice.  I'm pretty certain that plan will help me maintain the weight loss.


----------



## Invictus

win231 said:


> Re:  Keto diets.  High-protein is not only hard on the liver & kidneys (as previously mentioned), it's also hard on bones & can accelerate osteoporosis.  Our system is alkaline & excess protein makes it more acidic & our body responds by extracting calcium from bones to neutralize the acid & return it to alkaline.  (that's why drinking more milk to improve bone density doesn't work due to the high protein content of milk.)
> Understandably, people who are losing weight on such diets don't want to hear about such risks.


High protein is not hard on the liver or kidneys if you're a healthy person...That silly pseudoscience has been debunked in many scientific studies...I've been eating a high protein diet all of my life and I'm in perfect health at 53 years of age...And most adults are deficient in vitamin D, and the body needs vitamin D, especially vitamin D3, to absorb calcium...If you're deficient in vitamin D you can take in all the calcium rich foods and all the calcium supplements you want, and you wont absorb any of it...
*"Eating a high-protein diet doesn't appear to harm the kidneys or liver unless there is pre-existing damage and dysfunction. It's possible that dramatically increasing protein intake in a short timespan can lead to adverse effects on the liver and kidneys, but evidence for this is lacking. Bone health also appears to be either largely unaffected by eating more protein."*

https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/


----------



## win231

Invictus said:


> High protein is not hard on the liver or kidneys if you're a healthy person...That silly pseudoscience has been debunked in many scientific studies...I've been eating a high protein diet all of my life and I'm in perfect health at 53 years of age...And most adults are deficient in vitamin D, and the body needs vitamin D, especially vitamin D3, to absorb calcium...If you're deficient in vitamin D you can take in all the calcium rich foods and all the calcium supplements you want, and you wont absorb any of it...
> *"Eating a high-protein diet doesn't appear to harm the kidneys or liver unless there is pre-existing damage and dysfunction. It's possible that dramatically increasing protein intake in a short timespan can lead to adverse effects on the liver and kidneys, but evidence for this is lacking. Bone health also appears to be either largely unaffected by eating more protein."*
> 
> https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/


Even if what the article is saying is true, age is a big factor & excess protein can have adverse effects on someone who is 70-80 years old, & their liver, kidneys & bones are already rather tired....along with everything else.


----------



## fancicoffee13

win231 said:


> Re:  Keto diets.  High-protein is not only hard on the liver & kidneys (as previously mentioned), it's also hard on bones & can accelerate osteoporosis.  Our system is alkaline & excess protein makes it more acidic & our body responds by extracting calcium from bones to neutralize the acid & return it to alkaline.  (that's why drinking more milk to improve bone density doesn't work due to the high protein content of milk.)
> Understandably, people who are losing weight on such diets don't want to hear about such risks.


Probably correct but not always.  Be ready for arguments unless you have facts.


----------



## Invictus

win231 said:


> Even if what the article is saying is true, age is a big factor & excess protein can have adverse effects on someone who is 70-80 years old, & their liver, kidneys & bones are already rather tired....along with everything else.


What the article said is true...I have researched this topic extensively over the years, and I have several friends who are sports doctors and physicians who all agree that high protein will not damage a healthy persons kidneys or liver...But if you have bad kidneys, or have some kind of preexisting health issues, or are in poor health, I wouldn't recommend suddenly starting a high protein diet...And there are also people in their 70's who are competitive power lifters, and people in their 70's who still workout with weights and stay very active with some kind of resistance training...These people don't suffer from the same tired or brittle bones that so many other inactive people suffer from...Lifestyle and diet is a big reason why.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Invictus said:


> What the article said is true...I have researched this topic extensively over the years, and I have several friends who are sports doctors and physicians who all agree that high protein will not damage a healthy persons kidneys or liver...But if you have bad kidneys, or have some kind of preexisting health issues, or are in poor health, I wouldn't recommend suddenly starting a high protein diet...And there are also people in their 70's who are competitive power lifters, and people in their 70's who still workout with weights and stay very active with some kind of resistance training...These people don't suffer from the same tired or brittle bones that so many other inactive people suffer from...Lifestyle and diet is a big reason why.


That is a very good piece of information.  Really good and I thank you.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> For about a week I started eating only once a day, in the evening, and I did lose some weight.  I bet if I kept it up I would have eventually reached my goal weight.  Perhaps I should try again.  It's just that most species eat small meals all through the day, and I assume that is the right way to eat since animals don't get brainwashed by research and opinions.
> 
> So, C'est Moi, when does your husband eat that one meal?  How does he manage to include all necessary foods in that one meal?  I'm very curious.  I chose the evening meal because I was afraid if too hungry then I would not be able to sleep, and at breakfast and lunch I have very little appetite.


I read where you pick a 4 hour "eating window" and out of those 4 hours you pick one hour to eat your meal for the day and fast for 23 hours.  Now, is there a eating window where you can eat for 2 hours and fast for 22 hours?  I have been fasting for 23 hours and eating my meal for one hour only.  I have lost close to 5 pounds in 9 days.  I am now going to do the diet for 5 days and eat regular for 2.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> I read where you pick a 4 hour "eating window" and out of those 4 hours you pick one hour to eat your meal for the day and fast for 23 hours.  Now, *is there a eating window where you can eat for 2 hours and fast for 22 hours*?  I have been fasting for 23 hours and eating my meal for one hour only.  *I have lost close to 5 pounds in 9 days*.  I am now going to do the diet for 5 days and eat regular for 2.


THAT is what I am presently doing.  I fast for 22 hours and take 2 hours to eat my main meal and dessert or fruit and a small snack.  I eat from 5-7 and stop eating after 7pm.

You are doing great.  You do realize, though, that once you start eating regular for 2 days your weight loss will slow down.  I eat regular on Sundays and right away gain 1-2 lbs.  I don't mind really, but I seem to have hit a plateau and not losing more weight.  I'm hoping it's just a plateau and I'll start losing again soon.  If not, I won't cheat on Sundays anymore until I reach my goal weight.  Sigh!


----------



## win231

I'm recovering from food poisoning - likely from contaminated chicken.  101 temp, and the other two adventures that go with it - vomiting & the runs.  I haven't wanted to eat for the past 3 days & I lost 6 lbs that I didn't really have to spare.

That's what I call a "Forced Fast."


----------



## Catlady

win231 said:


> I'm recovering from food poisoning - likely from contaminated chicken.  101 temp, and the other two adventures that go with it - vomiting & the runs. * I haven't wanted to eat for the past 3 days & I lost 6 lbs *that I didn't really have to spare. That's what I call a "Forced Fast."



When I did my (rare) 72 hour detoxing fast that is what I lost, 6 lbs in 3 days.  I'm going to do it again in January but only for detoxing, not to lose.  Hope you're feeling better soon.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> THAT is what I am presently doing.  I fast for 22 hours and take 2 hours to eat my main meal and dessert or fruit and a small snack.  I eat from 5-7 and stop eating after 7pm.
> 
> You are doing great.  You do realize, though, that once you start eating regular for 2 days your weight loss will slow down.  I eat regular on Sundays and right away gain 1-2 lbs.  I don't mind really, but I seem to have hit a plateau and not losing more weight.  I'm hoping it's just a plateau and I'll start losing again soon.  If not, I won't cheat on Sundays anymore until I reach my goal weight.  Sigh!


No, I didn't realize that, however, as I stepped on the scales I did notice it slowed a lot.  Ok, so I do want more time to eat my one meal so I will take more time, eat slower maybe allowing a "break" to eat more.  I am going to eat on the OMAD during the week Monday - Friday and then go back to regular meal times on Saturday and Sunday.  I will see how that goes.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> No, I didn't realize that, however, as I stepped on the scales I did notice it slowed a lot.  Ok, so I do want more time to eat my one meal so I will take more time, eat slower maybe allowing a "break" to eat more.  I am going to eat on the OMAD during the week Monday - Friday and then go back to regular meal times on Saturday and Sunday.  I will see how that goes.


Do you want to eat regular on weekends because you want to be able to socialize?  If that is the reason, one guy I read about does the ''time restricted diet''.    He fasts 18 hours and then is free to eat 6 hours, this gives him plenty of time to meet with friends and have a meal and drinks for 6 hours and still enjoy himself without feeling guilty.  He does try to not overindulge during those 6 hours of socializing.  The critical thing is that you HAVE to fast for at LEAST 12 hours for your body to run out of sugar/carbs and start eating the fat cells.  So if fast more than 12 hours you start losing weight but the longer you fast and the less you eat the more you lose.   

If you would rather eat regular on weekends and fast the other 5 days, that is okay too.  See how it works out.  Just remember, better to lose slowly than to lose too soon and too much and end up with bags of loose skin.


----------



## Invictus

I had mentioned in one of my comments that resistance training was the key to longevity...So I thought I'd leave this here for anyone who might be interested. https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/...5N7FMIGAaLnAuqfLJwxMOvgFJbtXpCGq0YgZfdsFT4cvU ...Oops I meant to post this on the aging thread...Sorry about that guys and gals...Still great info though.


----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> Do you want to eat regular on weekends because you want to be able to socialize?  If that is the reason, one guy I read about does the ''time restricted diet''.    He fasts 18 hours and then is free to eat 6 hours, this gives him plenty of time to meet with friends and have a meal and drinks for 6 hours and still enjoy himself without feeling guilty.  He does try to not overindulge during those 6 hours of socializing.  The critical thing is that you HAVE to fast for at LEAST 12 hours for your body to run out of sugar/carbs and start eating the fat cells.  So if fast more than 12 hours you start losing weight but the longer you fast and the less you eat the more you lose.
> 
> If you would rather eat regular on weekends and fast the other 5 days, that is okay too.  See how it works out.  Just remember, better to lose slowly than to lose too soon and too much and end up with bags of loose skin.


Actually, I miss eating, or am hungry.  I have been toying with this idea of this diet.  I looked on the website and they want you to fast and pick a 4 hour window to eat during one of those hours only.  I really want to be able to eat say lunch and supper during a 4 hour window, that is if you are actually allowed to eat during those 4 hours and still lose weight.  Do the calories remain the same (1400-1700)?  I usually fast for at least 12 hours and then have a small lunch or supper, drink plenty of liquids during the day.  I am losing about 4 pounds in 2 weeks.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> Actually, I miss eating, or am hungry.  I have been toying with this idea of this diet.  I looked on the website and they want you to fast and pick a 4 hour window to eat during one of those hours only.  I really want to be able to eat say lunch and supper during a 4 hour window, that is if you are actually allowed to eat during those 4 hours and still lose weight.  Do the calories remain the same (1400-1700)?  I usually fast for at least 12 hours and then have a small lunch or supper, drink plenty of liquids during the day.  I am losing about 4 pounds in 2 weeks.


When I reach my goal I plan an eating window from 12pm to 8pm.  That will give me a 16 hour fast (so that's 4 hours of my body eating fat cells).   At noon I can have breakfast or a light lunch and at 6-8pm I'll have my dinner.  I think that will work ''for me'' and maintain my weight loss.

I don't count calories, that's the biggest reason why I love this diet.  I ''try" to limit bread and other starches but am not fanatic about it.   Last night I made a focaccia and ate HALF of it (I was craving bread so badly).  I topped it with roasted peppers marinated in olive oil and cider vinegar and sprinkled it with grated parmesan and had green salad with a little cheese.  I haven't had bread in two weeks and it was heavenly.  Until I get to my goal weight I'm sticking to the 22 hours fast.  THIS time I am serious about losing that extra weight.  My health and my ego demands it!

You said = *I usually fast for at least 12 hours and then have a small lunch or supper*
You won't lose any weight that way, because at 12 hours  your body will be getting a new supply of carbs to replace the carbs it just finished, it has not had any time to enter ketosis (eating the fat cells).  You have to fast MORE than 12 hours, the longer the fast past 12 hours the greater the weight loss.


----------



## Keesha

Invictus said:


> High protein is not hard on the liver or kidneys if you're a healthy person...That silly pseudoscience has been debunked in many scientific studies...I've been eating a high protein diet all of my life and I'm in perfect health at 53 years of age...And most adults are deficient in vitamin D, and the body needs vitamin D, especially vitamin D3, to absorb calcium...If you're deficient in vitamin D you can take in all the calcium rich foods and all the calcium supplements you want, and you wont absorb any of it...
> *"Eating a high-protein diet doesn't appear to harm the kidneys or liver unless there is pre-existing damage and dysfunction. It's possible that dramatically increasing protein intake in a short timespan can lead to adverse effects on the liver and kidneys, but evidence for this is lacking. Bone health also appears to be either largely unaffected by eating more protein."*
> 
> https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/


I had a long post written out in my notes but I can no longer use my notes or any other means of adding anything to this site except for photos .

I disagree with your comments about a keto diet of high protein , high fat and the potential damage it can have on the kidneys especially newcomers.

A keto diet is based on approximately 70 to 80% calories from from fat, another 20% from protein and 5% or less from carbohydrates.

The keto diet is HARD on the kidneys. You don’t HAVE to have kidney disease for this diet to be hard on the kidneys. The diet isn’t selective. It doesn’t care whether you are young or old. It’s hard on EVERYONE’S kidneys, but especially the diseased and older ones, like seniors have.

Fatty foods like butter and animal fats increase blood pressure while the higher proteins put extra stress on the kidneys by adding more uric acid. This increases the body’s level of calcium and throws the balance off.

Diets high in protein and fats may increase the risk of gout which is a painful type of arthritis.

Something that can greatly help  this is by drinking lemons and water. The citrate breaks down the calcium molecules preventing them from sticking together .

Too much fat can raise chronic disease risk. People on high fat diets are more at risk of developing atrial fibrillation which can lead to stroke or heart failure.

It can also be a risk to type 2 diabetes. While a low carb diet is known to be beneficial, the keto diet might be too restrictive  in sugars to be beneficial. It can cause episodes of hypoglycaemia where blood sugars levels fall dangerously low.

Seasoned keto dieters might well be educated enough regarding these pitfalls but the average person doesn’t know enough about these things which is why it’s only professionally recommended for a maximum period of 6 months.

For those who wish to do this for longer periods of time you are best consulting with a professional to help you. It’s not as simple and clear cut as it may seem.


----------



## Invictus

Keesha said:


> I had a long post written out in my notes but I can no longer use my notes or any other means of adding anything to this site except for photos .
> 
> I disagree with your comments about a keto diet of high protein , high fat and the potential damage it can have on the kidneys especially newcomers.
> 
> A keto diet is based on approximately 70 to 80% calories from from fat, another 20% from protein and 5% or less from carbohydrates.
> 
> The keto diet is HARD on the kidneys. You don’t HAVE to have kidney disease for this diet to be hard on the kidneys. The diet isn’t selective. It doesn’t care whether you are young or old. It’s hard on EVERYONE’S kidneys, but especially the diseased and older ones, like seniors have.
> 
> Fatty foods like butter and animal fats increase blood pressure while the higher proteins put extra stress on the kidneys by adding more uric acid. This increases the body’s level of calcium and throws the balance off.
> 
> Diets high in protein and fats may increase the risk of gout which is a painful type of arthritis.
> 
> Something that can greatly help  this is by drinking lemons and water. The citrate breaks down the calcium molecules preventing them from sticking together .
> 
> Too much fat can raise chronic disease risk. People on high fat diets are more at risk of developing atrial fibrillation which can lead to stroke or heart failure.
> 
> It can also be a risk to type 2 diabetes. While a low carb diet is known to be beneficial, the keto diet might be too restrictive  in sugars to be beneficial. It can cause episodes of hypoglycaemia where blood sugars levels fall dangerously low.
> 
> Seasoned keto dieters might well be educated enough regarding these pitfalls but the average person doesn’t know enough about these things which is why it’s only professionally recommended for a maximum period of 6 months.
> 
> For those who wish to do this for longer periods of time you are best consulting with a professional to help you. It’s not as simple and clear cut as it may seem.


Did you read this? https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/   I never told anyone to do the Keto diet, I do and recommend intermittent fasting, not Keto...I said high protein won't hurt healthy people, and it won't...All the medical professionals I know and read about agree, and science proves this fact...But do what works for you...And healthy fats are great for you and actually improve your overall health...Plus they're so dam tasty!


----------



## Keesha

Invictus said:


> Did you read this? https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/   I never told anyone to do the Keto diet, I do and recommend intermittent fasting, not Keto...I said high protein won't hurt healthy people, and it won't...All the medical professionals I know and read about agree, and science proves this fact...But do what works for you...And healthy fats are great for you and actually improve your overall health...Plus they're so dam tasty!


The main thing I’m disagreeing with is that high protein only damages already damaged kidneys. I completely agree that healthy oils ARE great for the body.

I’m not arguing that you don’t know what you are talking about. You ‘clearly’ do. What I’m trying to emphasize is that newcomers might not know all the information needed to follow through on a low carb diet ,  in a healthy way.

Many people still think lard and olive oil are equal fats and with the new rave about low carb and keto to lose weight, it can be not only misleading, but damaging.


----------



## Invictus

Oh I'm not trying to argue, it's just a interesting discussion to me...You made some valid points...I did Keto for 90 days and lost a lot of body fat and got ripped, but being Italian I missed all my pasta and carbs.  ..So I switched to intermittent fasting so I could enjoy carbs again...It works well for me as I'm still very muscular and have low body fat percentage at 300 lbs...People just need to experiment to see what works best for them and their lifestyle, and should always have a doctor monitor their health with regular blood tests...Good discussion Keesha.


----------



## Invictus

Keesha said:


> Many people still think lard and olive oil are equal fats and with the new rave about low carb and keto to lose weight, it can be not only misleading, but damaging.


Oh and you are absolutely correct about this...When I was on Keto some people who were living on pounds of bacon everyday attacked me for eating too much vegetables. ...They call it dirty Keto...They eat nothing but bad fats and crappy foods all day and night...That's crazy!...I didn't do dirty Keto, I did healthy Keto with lean meats, healthy fats, and plenty of green veggies...And even though my vegetable intake put me way above my daily carb limit of 25 grams I still lost body fat.


----------



## Keesha

Invictus said:


> Oh I'm not trying to argue, it's just a interesting discussion to me...You made some valid points...I did Keto for 90 days and lost a lot of body fat and got ripped, but being Italian I missed all my pasta and carbs.  ..So I switched to intermittent fasting so I could enjoy carbs again...It works well for me as I'm still very muscular and have low body fat percentage at 300 lbs...People just need to experiment to see what works best for them and their lifestyle, and should always have a doctor monitor their health with regular blood tests...Good discussion Keesha.


Oh for sure. My brother in law lost over 100 pounds also. He’s not quite at the ripped stage but is doing very well. He was monitored by his doctor.

He married an Italian who is one of my best friends and I understand about Italians and their pasta. 

I agree. People need to experiment and discover what works best for them and have a qualified doctor monitor their progress. That’s great advice Invictus. 

Good discussion indeed.


----------



## Ladybj

DGM said:


> With all the worrying we do about eating all "the necessary foods" I invite you to google "neophobia".  I have a perfectly healthy daughter who has NEVER eaten a fruit or vegetable in her life.  It baffles me.


I agree..  my husband eats whatever he wants and he is only on 1 med at the age 57.  I am the "neophobic".  I try to eat healthy most of the time.


----------



## Ladybj

Invictus said:


> Oh and you are absolutely correct about this...When I was on Keto some people who were living on pounds of bacon everyday attacked me for eating too much vegetables. ...They call it dirty Keto...They eat nothing but bad fats and crappy foods all day and night...That's crazy!...I didn't do dirty Keto, I did healthy Keto with lean meats, healthy fats, and plenty of green veggies...And even though my vegetable intake put me way above my daily carb limit of 25 grams I still lost body fat.


I could not imagine eating pounds of bad fat   My body would not like me... especially my tummy.


----------



## Invictus

Ladybj said:


> I agree..  my husband eats whatever he wants and he is only on 1 med at the age 57.  I am the "neophobic".  I try to eat healthy most of the time.


Genetics also play a big part in health...I knew people who ate healthy and exercised all their lives, didn't smoke, didn't drink, and still succumbed to heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, etc...It just ran in their families and they unfortunately carried the same bad genes for those diseases...I knew people who never exercised ate too much, smoked, drank too much, and lived to be in their late 90's, and died from natural causes due to the aging process...My Grandparents were all like that.


----------



## Catlady

Invictus said:


> but being Italian I missed all my pasta and carbs.



Oh, you're Italian!  Paisano!  I was born in Abbruzzi, where are your people from in Italy?


----------



## Invictus

My Grandparents on my Mothers side were from a small village in northern Italy, and my Grandparents on my Fathers side were from Sicily...My parents were both born and raised in NYC and I was too.


----------



## win231

Invictus said:


> Oh I'm not trying to argue, it's just a interesting discussion to me...You made some valid points...I did Keto for 90 days and lost a lot of body fat and got ripped, but being Italian I missed all my pasta and carbs.  ..So I switched to intermittent fasting so I could enjoy carbs again...It works well for me as I'm still very muscular and have low body fat percentage at 300 lbs...People just need to experiment to see what works best for them and their lifestyle, and should always have a doctor monitor their health with regular blood tests...Good discussion Keesha.



HA!  You think you're ripped?  Check out my photo from yesterday:


----------



## Keesha




----------



## fancicoffee13

PVC said:


> When I reach my goal I plan an eating window from 12pm to 8pm.  That will give me a 16 hour fast (so that's 4 hours of my body eating fat cells).   At noon I can have breakfast or a light lunch and at 6-8pm I'll have my dinner.  I think that will work ''for me'' and maintain my weight loss.
> 
> I don't count calories, that's the biggest reason why I love this diet.  I ''try" to limit bread and other starches but am not fanatic about it.   Last night I made a focaccia and ate HALF of it (I was craving bread so badly).  I topped it with roasted peppers marinated in olive oil and cider vinegar and sprinkled it with grated parmesan and had green salad with a little cheese.  I haven't had bread in two weeks and it was heavenly.  Until I get to my goal weight I'm sticking to the 22 hours fast.  THIS time I am serious about losing that extra weight.  My health and my ego demands it!
> 
> You said = *I usually fast for at least 12 hours and then have a small lunch or supper*
> You won't lose any weight that way, because at 12 hours  your body will be getting a new supply of carbs to replace the carbs it just finished, it has not had any time to enter ketosis (eating the fat cells).  You have to fast MORE than 12 hours, the longer the fast past 12 hours the greater the weight loss.


Oh, I see.  Thanks for the answer.  I am back to exercising.  I was on the exercise bike for 20 minutes yesterday.  I am through with physical therapy on my total knee replacement.  I plan to do more of the workout stuff as my knee allows.  Just walking and stepping up and down off a curb or step is still a major goal.  I am at almost 3 months after the surgery.  I see my surgery doctor today, and hope what he says is encouraging.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Invictus said:


> Genetics also play a big part in health...I knew people who ate healthy and exercised all their lives, didn't smoke, didn't drink, and still succumbed to heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, etc...It just ran in their families and they unfortunately carried the same bad genes for those diseases...I knew people who never exercised ate too much, smoked, drank too much, and lived to be in their late 90's, and died from natural causes due to the aging process...My Grandparents were all like that.


And it just makes me think, is it just the medicine world that is inventing all these medications to make huge amounts of money, when we could just eat sensibly and enjoy the foods we grew up on.  Forget about going sugar free, gluten free and all that stuff.  I would really like to go back and eat all that delicious food, in right proportions of course.


----------



## Jaylee

fancicoffee13 said:


> And it just makes me think, is it just the medicine world that is inventing all these medications to make huge amounts of money, when we could just eat sensibly and enjoy the foods we grew up on.  Forget about going sugar free, gluten free and all that stuff.  I would really like to go back and eat all that delicious food, in right proportions of course.


About seven months ago, I gave up all forms of sugar for Lent. Not just sweets, or sugar in my coffee - I read labels after learning all the different names for any form of sugar so I could avoid it. It was HARD to find foods I could have. I definitely couldn't have anything with a bar code on it. 

I wasn't fat when I started, just a jiggly size 8, with a decent amount of tummy fat that I decided was simply part of the aging process. I was also sick all the time with something that I now believe was Metabolic Syndrome. Anyway, after 3 months with no sugar, I was a size 2, my energy went through the roof, I slept like a baby, and my 2-3 times per week migraines were gone. So was my tummy.  So I started researching what happened to me, and it's fascinating - the way the body will heal itself if given the chance.

In the past few months, I've gone low carb. I eat as much protein as I want, _with_ the fat, but my carbs come only from fruits and vegetables. I do allow myself some sugar in my coffee (carefully measured), but other than that, I drink lemon water. The result: Now I'm a size 0-1 and my BMI says I'm underweight, so I'm adding calories wherever I can. Things like nuts, eggs, cheese, and whole milk. I feel thirty years younger. But I also do a cheat meal every 11-14 days, because life without pizza and ice cream is just sad. 

Anyone else indulge in cheat meals? My next one is on Thanksgiving. You can bet I'm planning a really decadent (but small) dessert for myself LOL. No alcohol, though - I just don't tolerate it well anymore.


----------



## Catlady

Jaylee said:


> You can bet I'm planning a *really decadent (but small) dessert* for myself LOL. No alcohol, though - I just don't tolerate it well anymore.



For me that would be Tiramisu, what is yours?  I drink 3/4 cup Sangria with main meal, they claim red wine keeps your veins uncluttered.


----------



## Keesha

How tall are you Jaylee?


----------



## win231

There is really no such thing as being too fat.  The problem isn't weight; it's height.
I have weighed 405 lbs.  I'd explain: "I don't have a weight problem.  I'm exactly the weight I should be; if I were 10 feet tall."


----------



## Jaylee

PVC said:


> For me that would be Tiramisu, what is yours?  I drink 3/4 cup Sangria with main meal, they claim red wine keeps your veins uncluttered.


I'm making a trio of gourmet fudge: Cherry cordial, walnut, and peanut butter cup. I'll have a piece of each, topped with a scoop of ice cream. Then I'll do my best to avoid the pies and cakes.


----------



## Jaylee

Keesha said:


> How tall are you Jaylee?


5'4".


----------



## Keesha

Jaylee said:


> 5'4".


And you fit into a size 0 to 2. You must be super thin.
At 125 pounds I fit into a size 8
At 115 pounds a size 6
At 105 pounds a size 4 ( as an adult 104 is the lowest my weight has  ever been but I was deadly sick looking. )

At 95 pounds I’d fit into a size 2
At 85 pounds I’d fit into a size 0

I’m a bit shorter than 5’7”

But at 125 pounds I could easily fit into designer wear between sizes 4 to 6.

Years a go a friend of mine had a daughter who was a dancer but she was about 4’11 and a size 0 - 2

You must be referring to designer wear sizing I would think.


----------



## C'est Moi

Keesha--your sizing may be different than American sizes.   Not sure, though.


----------



## Keesha

C'est Moi said:


> Keesha--your sizing may be different than American sizes.   Not sure, though.


That’s exactly what I’m wondering about.
Imported Designer clothes I have are sized far smaller than say Walmart stuff so weight verses height is a difficult thing to gauge going by clothe size alone since they DO vary so much.


----------



## Jaylee

Keesha said:


> And you fit into a size 0 to 2. You must be super thin.


I am, and I absolutely love it. I had an athletic build when I was young, with broader shoulders and very slim hips. I'm back to that shape now.  I can't believe how healthy I am. Even my blood pressure is back to normal.  I have to admit, though, that the first few weeks without sugar were pretty difficult - especially after dinner, when my body nagged me for a sweet treat; yet when Lent was over, and I tried to have a piece of cake, it tasted so horribly sweet that I threw it out. I didn't want to never have a dessert again, so I slowly reintroduced small amounts of sugar into my diet. I never crave it anymore, but I like knowing I can have dessert with my family or go for an ice cream with my daughter.

If I could give just one piece of advice to people, it would be to watch their sugar consumption.


----------



## Keesha

I’m very athletic also with  an extra upper body from doing the breast stroke and average size hips. Finding under garments to fit is a problem since 
Since I’ve been active most of my life (except for while in a depression), I’m fairly fit and while I enjoyed being thin, it aged me and I’m only talking 125 pounds. I not sure what size I was when I slipped down to 103 but I was also showing signs of anorexia. My size 8’s were hanging off me but if I were to get to a size 2 to 4, I’d have to be 95 to 105 pounds unless you are talking designer wear.

Sooo are you talking designer sizes or not?
I’m just curious.

Eliminating sugar really does increase health drastically though. Much of our pain and arthritis is due to inflammation caused by too many sugar and starches in our diet. Even mental clarity can be achieved by eliminating sugar. While off sugar for a certain amount of time the body goes into ketosis and starts burning fat as energy instead of glucose. It IS fascinating for sure but it’s become a fad that many are doing dangerously by choosing hydrogenated and unhealthy fats. This is especially dangerous for elderly females since too much of those saturated fats increase estrogen which can lead to cancer. It’s also dangerous for the kidneys if not properly done.


----------



## Jaylee

Keesha said:


> Sooo are you talking designer sizes or not?
> I’m just curious.


I have only a few designer pieces, but all of my clothes are either a zero or a two. (I had so much fun replacing my wardrobe with form-fitting outfits LOL) My daughter is a personal trainer/nutritionist, so she watches my diet and my weight, plus she coached me on everything from posture to planks. I have actual _abs_ for the first time in my life! 
More recently, she got me hooked on avocados and fresh coconut, which - along with nuts and the other foods I mentioned - have stabilized my weight. I have a lot more muscle now than I used to, so I keep my calorie count up around 2,000-2,200 most days.


----------



## Keesha

And since we’ve discussed this I think I’m going to eliminate all my sugar sources. I’ve just poured out my drink and will replace it with hot hater coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. It helps stop cravings and while coconut oil is a saturated far it’s the helpful 12 carbon atom kind which helps decrease bad cholesterol.

You’ve encouraged me to take this more seriously.I really want to lose this extra weight I’ve gained. I’ve lost some but I figure I should easily be able to lose 2 pounds a week if I do this correctly with a more will power. Just because the husband comes home with tasty chocolates doesn’t mean I need to eat them.

I’m a retired nutritionist so I have some formal education however I’m STILL learning new things which is great . Some things I just plain forget so thanks for the inspiration.


----------



## Keesha

Jaylee said:


> I have only a few designer pieces, but all of my clothes are either a zero or a two. (I had so much fun replacing my wardrobe with form-fitting outfits LOL) My daughter is a personal trainer/nutritionist, so she watches my diet and my weight, plus she coached me on everything from posture to planks. I have actual _abs_ for the first time in my life!
> More recently, she got me hooked on avocados and fresh coconut, which - along with nuts and the other foods I mentioned - have stabilized my weight. I have a lot more muscle now than I used to, so I keep my calorie count up around 2,000-2,200 most days.


Coconuts  and avocados  - great quality food choices  
Love them myself


----------



## RadishRose

oh gosh, I just bought a box of brownie mix......


----------



## toffee

this would not suit me at all iam average size - and like my food to much for OMAD'
I look forward to my meals - if I was to just have one meal I would feel terrible …..breakfast /lunch /dinner / like most people .


----------



## Keesha

For the record, I’m NOT on this One Meal A Day diet. I love food far too much but I do wish to lose 20bs   so am going to go serious low carb until I lose them so I can enjoy Christmas treats with having that New Years regret.

Besides there’s low carb desserts I’m going to learn to make like ....
these


----------



## Jaylee

Keesha said:


> And since we’ve discussed this I think I’m going to eliminate all my sugar sources. I’ve just poured out my drink and will replace it with hot hater coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. It helps stop cravings and while coconut oil is a saturated far it’s the helpful 12 carbon atom kind which helps decrease bad cholesterol.
> 
> You’ve encouraged me to take this more seriously.I really want to lose this extra weight I’ve gained. I’ve lost some but I figure I should easily be able to lose 2 pounds a week if I do this correctly with a more will power. Just because the husband comes home with tasty chocolates doesn’t mean I need to eat them.
> 
> I’m a retired nutritionist so I have some formal education however I’m STILL learning new things which is great . Some things I just plain forget so thanks for the inspiration.


That's great! Two pounds a week is a good pace. I tried to do it slower, but once the sugar was out of my system, the pounds pretty much melted away. Let us know how it goes for you.


----------



## Jaylee

Keesha said:


> For the record, I’m NOT on this One Meal A Day diet. I love food far too much but I do wish to lose 20bs   so am going to go serious low carb until I lose them so I can enjoy Christmas treats with having that New Years regret.



Yeah, I would never do the OMAD. I love eating. Especially breakfast.


----------



## Keesha

Tonight I made some low carb chocolate pudding from coconut milk, agave syrup, avocado, baking cocoa powder , coffee & cinnamon. I first whipped it in the blender and then cooked it on the stove.
It was topped with crushed walnuts and was actually very tasty.

This is exciting.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> Tonight I made some low carb chocolate pudding from coconut milk, agave syrup, avocado, baking cocoa powder , coffee & cinnamon. I first whipped it in the blender and then cooked it on the stove.
> It was topped with crushed walnuts and was actually very tasty.
> 
> This is exciting.


Recipe or link?  Can I substitute the agave syrup, doubt I would use it much, would real maple syrup work?


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Recipe or link?  Can I substitute the agave syrup, doubt I would use it much, would real maple syrup work?


Sure let me get the link. I’m sure substitutes will work. It didn’t call for agave syrup. That was MY substitute. Here you go.
https://www.gnom-gnom.com/paleo-keto-chocolate-pudding/


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> Sure let me get the link. I’m sure substitutes will work. It didn’t call for agave syrup. That was MY substitute. Here you go.
> https://www.gnom-gnom.com/paleo-keto-chocolate-pudding/


Thanks!  That looks delicious.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Thanks!  That looks delicious.


You bet gf. Anything for you.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> You bet gf. Anything for you. ❤


I DOUBT that!  You refused to trade your age with me.


----------



## Jaylee

Keesha said:


> Tonight I made some low carb chocolate pudding from coconut milk, agave syrup, avocado, baking cocoa powder , coffee & cinnamon. I first whipped it in the blender and then cooked it on the stove.
> It was topped with crushed walnuts and was actually very tasty.
> 
> This is exciting.



When I really want a dessert, but it's not time for my cheat meal, I put 1 cup of blueberries in a small baking cup, top it with chopped walnuts and a tablespoon of oatmeal, then bake it for 25 minutes. It's delicious.
 It's a lot of fun to come up with healthy alternatives, isn't it?


----------



## Keesha

Jaylee said:


> When I really want a dessert, but it's not time for my cheat meal, I put 1 cup of blueberries in a small baking cup, top it with chopped walnuts and a tablespoon of oatmeal, then bake it for 25 minutes. It's delicious.
> It's a lot of fun to come up with healthy alternatives, isn't it?


YES. The thing is I was a perfectly happy camper on the Paleo diet which is ALL low carb and SUPER healthy plus the recipe archive is outstanding. I just got side tracked and lost focus. I’m happy to get back on track again. In fact I’m going to start a low carb category somewhere here.


----------



## Catlady

Jaylee said:


> When I really want a dessert, but it's not time for my cheat meal, I put 1 cup of blueberries in a small baking cup, top it with chopped walnuts and a tablespoon of oatmeal, then bake it for 25 minutes. It's delicious.
> It's a lot of fun to come up with healthy alternatives, isn't it?


Hmmm, it does sound delicious.  I think I need to stop reading this thread, I'm past my ''eating window''.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Jaylee said:


> About seven months ago, I gave up all forms of sugar for Lent. Not just sweets, or sugar in my coffee - I read labels after learning all the different names for any form of sugar so I could avoid it. It was HARD to find foods I could have. I definitely couldn't have anything with a bar code on it.
> 
> I wasn't fat when I started, just a jiggly size 8, with a decent amount of tummy fat that I decided was simply part of the aging process. I was also sick all the time with something that I now believe was Metabolic Syndrome. Anyway, after 3 months with no sugar, I was a size 2, my energy went through the roof, I slept like a baby, and my 2-3 times per week migraines were gone. So was my tummy.  So I started researching what happened to me, and it's fascinating - the way the body will heal itself if given the chance.
> 
> In the past few months, I've gone low carb. I eat as much protein as I want, _with_ the fat, but my carbs come only from fruits and vegetables. I do allow myself some sugar in my coffee (carefully measured), but other than that, I drink lemon water. The result: Now I'm a size 0-1 and my BMI says I'm underweight, so I'm adding calories wherever I can. Things like nuts, eggs, cheese, and whole milk. I feel thirty years younger. But I also do a cheat meal every 11-14 days, because life without pizza and ice cream is just sad.
> 
> Anyone else indulge in cheat meals? My next one is on Thanksgiving. You can bet I'm planning a really decadent (but small) dessert for myself LOL. No alcohol, though - I just don't tolerate it well anymore.


I am glad to hear of your success, but I did that for months and no change in my weight.  My body probably healed though.  I am a size 16-18 and weigh around 165.  Can't seem to get lower on the scales.  I have gone keto, no sugar, no carbs, plenty of water and coffee in the morning..


----------



## Jaylee

fancicoffee13 said:


> I am glad to hear of your success, but I did that for months and no change in my weight.  My body probably healed though.  I am a size 16-18 and weigh around 165.  Can't seem to get lower on the scales.  I have gone keto, no sugar, no carbs, plenty of water and coffee in the morning..


I didn't start out to lose weight; actually, the zero-sugar thing was for Lent last March. I was addicted to sugar, and I was just sick all the time, so it seemed like a good idea. What really scared me was the fact that I had symptoms of diabetes. Even my kidneys were being impacted.

The weight loss was an unexpected blessing, but maybe this is just where my body wants to be, you know? And maybe_ your _body just wants to weigh around 165. I wanted only to feel healthy again, and it worked. I mean, if I still had an extra 25 pounds on me, it would still be a wonderful feeling. 

I think women are too hard on themselves. I like to pursue the health benefits, because the rest will follow.


----------



## Catlady

Keesha said:


> Besides there’s low carb desserts I’m going to learn to make like ....View attachment 82280
> these


Keesha, what is that dessert, it looks good.  Link?  I know, I'm a pain in the you-know-what.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> I am glad to hear of your success, but* I did that for months and no change in my weight*.  My body probably healed though.  I am a size 16-18 and weigh around 165.  Can't seem to get lower on the scales.  I have gone keto, no sugar, no carbs, plenty of water and coffee in the morning..


@fancicoffee13 - have you talked to your doctor about it?  Maybe there's an endocrinal reason why you can't lose weight.


----------



## Keesha

PVC said:


> Keesha, what is that dessert, it looks good.  Link?  I know, I'm a pain in the you-know-what.


Yes  and I’m going to make it so it will show up in this thread shortly and you’re great just as you are. Don’t ever change.
https://www.seniorforums.com/thread...thy-lifestyle-weight-loss.44646/#post-1179914


----------



## Keesha

No. This recipe isn’t going in there. I’ll say it’s interesting but brownie it ain’t. 

I do however like the idea of using pumpkin purée.
Here ‘s a pic of my first attempt at mug brownie.

https://thebigmansworld.com/1-minute-paleo-vegan-pumpkin-mug-brownie-keto-low-carb/


----------



## Keesha

I’ve decided that this intermittent fasting isn’t really working for me. If anything it’s just slowed my metabolism down. One thing that I’ve HAD to change is my low carb strategy. Most low carb includes a lot of dairy. Unfortunately I’m sensitive to dairy , which was affecting my weight loss. As soon as I cut dairy out , the weight started melting off once more. Yayyyy. I’m finally back to losing weight once again.  It’s amazing what food sensitivities can do.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Catlady said:


> @fancicoffee13 - have you talked to your doctor about it?  Maybe there's an endocrinal reason why you can't lose weight.


No, I just tried the one meal a day diet, fasting 23 hours and eating in one hour and I did finally see results, but found out I need to wait until the holidays are over.  I did lose weight and that is motivation!


----------



## fancicoffee13

Jaylee said:


> I didn't start out to lose weight; actually, the zero-sugar thing was for Lent last March. I was addicted to sugar, and I was just sick all the time, so it seemed like a good idea. What really scared me was the fact that I had symptoms of diabetes. Even my kidneys were being impacted.
> 
> The weight loss was an unexpected blessing, but maybe this is just where my body wants to be, you know? And maybe_ your _body just wants to weigh around 165. I wanted only to feel healthy again, and it worked. I mean, if I still had an extra 25 pounds on me, it would still be a wonderful feeling.
> 
> I think women are too hard on themselves. I like to pursue the health benefits, because the rest will follow.


Well, I am comfortable around 165, but my knees aren't.  I had a total knee replacement and if I could lose about 10-20 pounds I think that would be good for my knees and my weight.


----------



## Catlady

fancicoffee13 said:


> No, I just tried the one meal a day diet, fasting 23 hours and eating in one hour and I did finally see results, but found out I need to wait until the holidays are over.  I did lose weight and that is motivation!


@fancicoffee13  =  You probably don't know this, this is PVC, I've changed my name to Catlady.  LOL  Yeah, start after the new year, there won't be so many temptations then.


----------



## fancicoffee13

Catlady said:


> @fancicoffee13  =  You probably don't know this, this is PVC, I've changed my name to Catlady.  LOL  Yeah, start after the new year, there won't be so many temptations then.


Thank you Catlady, I think so. I hope you have some great holidays, and a Merry Christmas.


----------



## Getoffmylawn

Happyflowerlady said:


> I am now into my second month with OMAD, and I really, really like it ! Since there is only ONE rule (eating only once a day), it is pretty simple to follow this eating plan.
> I kind of sneaked my way into the idea, and started by doing a 16:8 fasting window, and having an earlier dinner. My eating window was from 8am-4pm, and then I fasted after that.
> Once I saw how easy that was, I started eating only a protein shake for breakfast and then the late lunch after swimming.
> 
> After I read that it was much better to exercise at the end of your fast because you burned fat better then, I eliminated even the protein shake, and that actually started me on the one meal a day plan.
> I like that I only have to be concerned about one meal a day, and even though there are no restrictions on what you can or can’t eat during you one meal, I mostly stick to low carb foods, and only have other foods occasionally, like if we go out for lunch , or something similar.
> 
> I have also joined several facebook groups, and an OMAD forum, so I feel like I have some good support to keep following this WOE (way of eating).
> If anyone is interested in the forum, PM me and I will give you the link for it, since it is not a conflict with this forum in any way.
> 
> There are SO many health benefits from intermittent fasting that this is not just a temporary weight loss plan, it is going to be a way of life for me, and hopefully, a step into even better health.


Can you give us an update on how OMAD has affected your health?


----------



## RiverM55

Happyflowerlady said:


> I have been reading about insulin resistance, and some of the effects that it has on our bodies, and apparently one of the side-effects of insulin resistance can be muscle loss, because it is connected with low levels of human growth hormone.
> The two hormones work in sync, and when that sync is messed up, then the body suffers the results.
> When we eat carbs, we produce insulin to send the glucose to our muscles for energy, and to our liver for glycogen stores. However, when a person over eats on carbs, or lives on processed carbs and not natural Whole Foods, then we can become insulin resistant, and when that happens, the cells refuse to let the insulin come in with the glucose. Since the blood sugar can’t be allowed to get too high, the insulin ends up sending the glucose to the fat cells and stores it as fat instead of burning it as energy.
> Even worse, is that a fat person makes five times as much insulin as a slim person, when they eat the identical food.
> 
> 
> So....hypothetical scenario......two people eat a piece of apple pie, One person is overweight, one is slim. The fat person produces 5 times as much insulin as the slim person; but because of insulin resistance, he doesn’t get the benefit of using the nutrients from the food as energy like the slim person did.
> The slim person enjoys his pie, burns the carbs as energy, and happily goes on about his day. The overweight person, has no energy, because all of the sugar in his blood went into fat cells, so now his blood sugar is too low again, and he is hungry.
> He eats the rest of the apple pie.
> Of course, it doesn’t do him any good either, all due to insulin resistance, and even worse, he now has more body fat, and is still craving food.
> 
> 
> Once the body has digested food, and after we go to sleep at night, then our body goes into restorative mode, burns fat, and produces human growth hormone. This is when our muscles are rebuilt, and bad cells are burned up as food, and the body regenerates itself.
> It takes about 4-6 hours after our last meal before we finish digestion, and burning up the glucose, and start using fat ketones as fuel.
> 
> 
> Now, when we are doing intermittent fasting, OMAD (one meal a day), then during the fasting period, several amazing things happen !
> The first thing is that fasting lowers our insulin resistance better than anything else can do. A 3 day fast will lower a person’s insulin resistance by about 70%.  The good news is that about 2/3 of that happens during the first 24 hours, so simply eating one meal a day, and fasting for 16-23 hours will lower your IR almost as much as a 3 day fast, and the more you do IF, the more it lowers your insulin resistance.
> 
> 
> The other thing that IF does is increase your HGH levels. In men, it can increase up to 2000%, and about 1300 % for women.
> When HGH increases, you can build/retain your body muscle mass better, and it also helps with anti-aging.
> 
> 
> I am not done yet !
> This is only from testing with mice, but they found that when they restricted their feeding time, even though they were given the same amount of food to eat, the mice did not get old-age related dementia like the mice that were allowed to eat whenever they wanted to eat.
> Most mice started to develop dementia at about 9 months of age, but the mice who fasted didn’t start to develop this until 24 months, almost their whole life span !
> This correlates to about 20 years for a human, so this lowers the chances of Alzheimer’s , especially if a person continues in the OMAD food plan.


My question now is this, if you eat one meal a day then how are you going to get the required amount of foods off that food chart in your system in order to live a healthy life? Isn't that what they harp about with that there pyramid?


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## fancicoffee13

RiverM55 said:


> My question now is this, if you eat one meal a day then how are you going to get the required amount of foods off that food chart in your system in order to live a healthy life? Isn't that what they harp about with that there pyramid?


Wow!  I did not know that.  However, I am not diabetic.  I know those who are diabetic and whatever they want when they want.  Before I read your post, I think, " how can you eat like that and be over weight and sit all day?!"  I have been on weight watchers and lost 25 pounds, exercised, eat healthy, and am in good health-for now.  Thanks for the article!  I tried the OMAD, and found it didn't work for me as far as losing weight.


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## StarSong

I find eating too pleasurable to eat only one meal a day.  Puts me in mind of the time I saw Totie Fields on Johnny Carson.  She said she'd been on a diet for the past couple of weeks.  He asked her how much she lost.  She replied, "Fourteen days."  

I keep my weight in check by eating whole foods, plant based.  If I gain a couple of pounds I cut out everything but fruits and vegetables for a day or two to get rid of them.


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## win231

fancicoffee13 said:


> Wow!  I did not know that.  However, I am not diabetic.  I know those who are diabetic and whatever they want when they want.  Before I read your post, I think, " how can you eat like that and be over weight and sit all day?!"  I have been on weight watchers and lost 25 pounds, exercised, eat healthy, and am in good health-for now.  Thanks for the article!  I tried the OMAD, and found it didn't work for me as far as losing weight.


I've read that when you fast, your body slows down metabolism to protect you from starving.
I don't know if that's true, but one thing's for sure.  For the past 12 years, I'm ALWAYS hungry, so my longest fast is around 2 hours - and often much less than that.  That constant hunger started 12 years ago after weight loss.  Dr. can't explain it; she says, "Your thyroid is normal."


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## win231

Keesha said:


> No. This recipe isn’t going in there. I’ll say it’s interesting but brownie it ain’t.
> 
> I do however like the idea of using pumpkin purée.
> Here ‘s a pic of my first attempt at mug brownie.
> 
> https://thebigmansworld.com/1-minute-paleo-vegan-pumpkin-mug-brownie-keto-low-carb/
> 
> View attachment 82382


I just discovered something:  Windex works great for cleaning drool.


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## RiverM55

I've tried dietin and fastin and all that. Exercise and diet supplements. Nothin really worked. I became a big hangry man. Now I try to break it down into smaller meals. Plus I drink water and milk and protein shakes in between to curb some of that hunger.


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## katlupe

I have found eating only between noon and 7:00 PM, following the Ketogenic food plan, works for me. Not only am I losing weight, but I am not bloated or have swelling in my feet (which I did before). Actually my keto breakfast at noon or around that time keeps me from being hungry all day. I used to like to snack on popcorn, cookies and ice cream. Now I start making supper around 3 or 4 in the afternoon because I usually have to spend time preparing it. I have to hurry to be done by 7 but then don't eat a thing after that. I don't even want to. The key really is to motivate yourself to do it. That is what I had to do. I was hungry all the time too. Not now.

That is 17 hours without eating. But a good portion of it I am sleeping. I do have 2 cups of coffee with heavy cream in the morning. Dr. Fung says that is okay with Intermitten Fasting.


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## Uptosnuff

Intriguing post.  

Although I fall into the "eat to live" category, I don't know if this plan would work for me.  It definitely would not have in my younger years.  I have always been slim but now that I'm over 60 that is changing and I'm willing to try a different eating style.

I find I'm not as hungry as I used to be and can see gradually just eating maybe two meals a day.  I have always eaten breakfast, always been told that breakfast is the important meal of the day.  Maybe breakfast and dinner?

Would smoothies - homemade nutritious ones not store bought - count as a "meal" under this plan?  If not, I could see substituting smoothies for a couple of meals in my day.


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## fancicoffee13

katlupe said:


> I have found eating only between noon and 7:00 PM, following the Ketogenic food plan, works for me. Not only am I losing weight, but I am not bloated or have swelling in my feet (which I did before). Actually my keto breakfast at noon or around that time keeps me from being hungry all day. I used to like to snack on popcorn, cookies and ice cream. Now I start making supper around 3 or 4 in the afternoon because I usually have to spend time preparing it. I have to hurry to be done by 7 but then don't eat a thing after that. I don't even want to. The key really is to motivate yourself to do it. That is what I had to do. I was hungry all the time too. Not now.
> 
> That is 17 hours without eating. But a good portion of it I am sleeping. I do have 2 cups of coffee with heavy cream in the morning. Dr. Fung says that is okay with Intermitten Fasting.


I had thought of that, having cream and coffee in the morning and not eating breakfast.  And it would be doable, since I am really not hungry in the morning, coffee does it.  I do love sweets and lately, I have found Weight Watcher cakes to make (8 points per slice) and I think that is my downfall.  Expecially, since I am in great health, I just need to exercise more.  I was walking 10,000 steps a day and that is pleasant.


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## katlupe

fancicoffee13 said:


> I had thought of that, having cream and coffee in the morning and not eating breakfast.  And it would be doable, since I am really not hungry in the morning, coffee does it.  I do love sweets and lately, I have found Weight Watcher cakes to make (8 points per slice) and I think that is my downfall.  Expecially, since I am in great health, I just need to exercise more.  I was walking 10,000 steps a day and that is pleasant.


I love sweets too and the only way I was able to break that habit is to not have any. No sweeteners or any cheating at all. I used to make those keto fat bombs and I used stevia or Swerve in them but I wanted to eat them all. Now I am fine without sweets.


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## fancicoffee13

katlupe said:


> I love sweets too and the only way I was able to break that habit is to not have any. No sweeteners or any cheating at all. I used to make those keto fat bombs and I used stevia or Swerve in them but I wanted to eat them all. Now I am fine without sweets.


What about honey?  They say a little honey (local) is good for you.  So, I started sweetening my overnight oatmeal with honey,  and I like it just fine.  However, I can't sweeten everything with honey.


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## katlupe

fancicoffee13 said:


> What about honey?  They say a little honey (local) is good for you.  So, I started sweetening my overnight oatmeal with honey,  and I like it just fine.  However, I can't sweeten everything with honey.


On the Ketogenic food plan, I only eat 20 or less carbs a day so honey is a big no no, as well as the oatmeal. I do know if someone is diabetic that honey will raise their blood sugar. Just depends on what your health goals are.


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## fancicoffee13

katlupe said:


> On the Ketogenic food plan, I only eat 20 or less carbs a day so honey is a big no no, as well as the oatmeal. I do know if someone is diabetic that honey will raise their blood sugar. Just depends on what your health goals are.


Thank you, I am not a diabetic and I do try to eat proteins and fruits and vegies as much as possible.  I am back to exercising (getting 10,000 steps a day) and staying off the desserts as much as possible.  Got to keep those muscles up as much as possible, and the waistline and tummy!


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## ActiveLife2020

Had been a big fan of IF -> OMAD.

I am a generally healthy person but do not have an acttive lifestyle. Obviously with age, started putting on some extra pounds. For me it was extremely difficult to sustain weight loss based on calorie counting, portion control and avoiding food types.
Each time I tried weight loss, would get goal weight but fail to maintain the restrictions. 

With I-F it had been easier to adapt as we just need to stay with an eating window. IF-> OMAD was easy transition. Now follow a life style Mon-Fri on OMAD and week ends on I-F. This routine is sustainable from weight control and wellness point of view.

One nagging issue - my sleep pattern has became very unpredictable. I struggle to get full night sleep.  Most days I have to get multiple short naps to add up to 6hrs sleep.  Asked my PCP and it was no use. Will welcome any tips..


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## win231

One possible issue with sleep:
After diabetes 13 years ago, I had to learn about blood sugar.  While we sleep, our brain, liver & pancreas are not sleeping; they are very busy performing a balancing act to keep our blood sugar levels high enough without eating for several hours while we sleep.  If you're only eating once a day & that meal was many hours before sleeping, your body may be forced to work much harder to maintain sugar levels & that might account for your difficulty sleeping.  When I go to sleep hungry, I'm unable to sleep; I get short of breath, jittery & my heart pounds.  Several times a month, I have to get up & have a piece of fruit or a couple of crackers, otherwise I'll be up all night.

To Add:  People are all different.  I've had a couple of friends who can go all day & night without eating & feel fine.  Years ago, I dated a woman who would eat a candy bar for breakfast & not care about food until the next day.  I suspect such people have a blood sugar mechanism that works perfectly to maintain a consistent level around 90-100mg/dl.  For me, any time I'm under 170, I start to feel bad.  Near 100, I'm in big trouble.


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## Kathleen’s Place

Oh man....I soooooooo need to get this cataract surgery over with!  What drew me into this post was I thought it said “Intermittent FARTING” so of course I had to hop in and see what THAT was all about!


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## Nathan

For over 25 years I carried an extra 50 to 120 lb.s of extra weight, finally a couple years ago I got serious and wanted to get back to 'normal' weight', which for me at 6'1'' would be in the 170-185 range.     What worked:  *portion control*, plus changing my attitude towards what I ate.
Smaller portions, with the goal to lose 1/2 lb. a week(no hurry!!!) which meant about a 250 calorie a day deficit, barely notice it, no punishment, just _slow and easy permanent change_ in eating habits.
Exercise, but not thinking that I could pig out and then go burn it off at the gym- doesn't work that way.  Exercise is 10~20% of the equation, with what-you-eat being 80%.   A bunch of snacks & supplements is unnecessary, some decent physical activity actually *curbs* appetite.     One of the trainers at the gym suggest *Intermittent Fasting*, not too hard since by the time I got up in the morning I was already 12 hours in.   The increase in HGH production begins around hour 15, so I'd be getting like 3 hours of workout during that HGH increase, helps build muscle more efficiently.


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## win231

Kathleen’s Place said:


> Oh man....I soooooooo need to get this cataract surgery over with!  What drew me into this post was I thought it said “Intermittent FARTING” so of course I had to hop in and see what THAT was all about!


What a difference one letter makes, eh?


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## Remy

Kathleen’s Place said:


> Oh man....I soooooooo need to get this cataract surgery over with!  What drew me into this post was I thought it said “Intermittent FARTING” so of course I had to hop in and see what THAT was all about!


Have you had yours yet. I had the first, then my second was postponed due to my covid exposure at work. I sure wish I had the nerve to lie when that form is filled out prior to the procedure. But I'm always afraid of getting caught and I've never been one to get by with stuff. I would have been fine as I had tested negative. Best part: My second surgery will be next year. Reset of my deductible.  I still need this done also.


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