FloridaAngel's Journal, 29 June 2016

Great news FA, hope you see some good long term results to reward you for your efforts....You've come a long way from last fall and you are still doing great!! 

Thanks for the support Steven! 

Let's go! 

tell me more about the 18:6 fast pretty please 

@Jonesmlc, it's pretty simple. You eat to your plan during a 6 hour window each day, and eat nothing for the other 18. Some people like breakfast and lunch, others like lunch and dinner. 

GOOD JOB! Give yourself lots of grace and if it takes 2 weeks to do it exactly right, you'll be doing better than you were before. I've been doing it more like 16:8 as I'm also fasting 24 hours two days per week. Honestly, it gets easier as you go along. I am naturally not hungry until late in the morning so I just push it to around 1 and have "breakfast" with eggs, veggies and cheese in a different omelet each day. Then I wrap up eating around 8 pm to 9 pm or before that if I've eaten my allotment of calories for the day. Just make sure you have 3 hours before going to bed so your digestion is mostly completed. 

Exactly Maskestrela...so I fast from 5pm until 1am (18 hours) 

Angel, It really will get easier. the longer you practice this, the more your body will thank you by lowering inflammation and lowering hunger. Take it slow. You are doing great. 

Great work. It'll start to feel like this is the normal and the past habits just weren't you at all. Did you mistype? You fast the 18 right, not the 6? 

When I'm on maintenance or trying to gain a bit, I eat basically 5 meals a day. It takes effort to get 2800 good calories in. When I cut, the easiest way for me is first meal at 2 PM (my normal break) and 3 meals total. The last meal is right before bed because it helps me to sleep. It's also the time for carbs if you're eating them to take advantage of the backloading/cortisol response. 

I get it. So it's meal plan time from 11am until 5 pm. Lunch and dinner. I just heard on NPR a couple of months ago about how limiting the hours one eats during the day is linked to health benefits. I'll have to dig up that podcast... 

Yes, the you fast 18 hours. Honestly, I am still miserable on it. Less stomach growling but I am cranky and pretty weak. Trying just for a week to see how kind the scale is to me.  

Believe it or not, FloridaAngel, you get adapted to it and once you do you thrive on it. 

You have a lot more patience than me! I tried a fasting diet similar but was so weak, I almost passed out. Several doctor visits later, I found out I'm hypoglycemic (I'm not diabetic). I had a fast and no fast blood test and my sugar was 62 mg/dl. After eating breakfast, it only went up to 71 mg/dl. So now, I have no choice but to each a little something every couple of hours. Best wishes to you as you figure out what works for you. We're all on this journey, but not everyone can do the same thing to get where they want to be. Hang in there. :) 

Uhhh, bad news for people who do this and see low blood sugar. That's supposed to happen. Your blood sugar go's down when your body burns fat. Dr's are idiots. And the reason you get tired is because your not letting your body truly fat adapt. Its STILL trying to hold onto that last remnant of glucose burning. Your body does not like giving up sugar. I went through the exact same symptoms. They passed and now my blood sugar has gone as low as 50 with no ill effect. Because my body isn't burning sugar. Its burning fat. Not tired. Not week. Feel great. And I eat 1 meal every 24 hours. The hypoglycemia is temporary until your body fully switches to fat burning. Just go buy a tube of Glucotabs if you are afraid its going too low. Eventually you will no longer need them. 

I fasted today until 5PM, and it went fine! I did allow myself some tea with cream, but no food. I worked all day and felt energetic and focused. Maybe I'm ready for the beast challenge after all. I was nervous I couldn't do it, but now I'm excited for the challenge. Beast mode.......bring it on! 

Thanks for all the great advice! Congrats on your success with fasting after 5!