Intermittent Fasting

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Wallymo

Eighteen months ago I hit 308 pounds (I am 5'10"). I hadn't checked the scales in months, and had lived in the 270s for the previous decade. When I saw that number I freaked out and started intermittent fasting the next day.

I eat every day between noon and 8:00 p.m. My intention is 2000 calories or less each day, though I sometimes go over. While the intermittent fasting may be helping, I think a bigger factor is just not eating after 8:00. I was a constant late-night snacker and beer drinker.

Yesterday I weighed 218. I didn't lose the weight quickly, but it's been steady. I'm still losing and don't know where it will eventually bottom out. But the fasting calendar has definitely worked for me. I don't think about carbs or sugars or excercise much. I just stick to 2000 calories or less. I try not to think of it as a diet and just the way my life is now that I'm in my fifties. While I admit that vanity plays a small part, my much larger goal is to be alive when my kids start having my grandkids in the next ten years or so.

I was a morbidly obese smoker five years ago. I'm now an obese vaper. But I'm moving in the right direction! If I can do it, anyone can.

That's awesome, congrats on such great progress!

The bolded is probably the biggest factor in my general health and exercise... moving away from the p90x mentality of quick fixes or doing keto for a bit until I really started to miss beer... and thinking of it as something I need to do for the rest of my life. A missed day used to become "well, it's not a good week for this...", where as now I don't stress over it. And that mentality has helped with consistency as I'm not constantly looking for excuses (the first 30 seconds of waking up for a workout is still tough most mornings).

I've also been motivated by making it to retirement (granted, still a ways off for me), as I've seen family member's health decline just as they're getting to that point of their lives.

Keep on the steady lifelong routines.

[Wallymo]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

A missed day used to become "well, it's not a good week for this...", where as now I don't stress over it.

This was me in a nutshell too. Constant self-sabatoge. If I messed up, I made it much much worse because that day didn't matter anymore.

Now, I think of it only as a bad meal period. You can have those if you go back to your regular practice after that period ends.

[Eureka]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

These are great updates - Thanks for sharing, I've been in the dark on this for a while. The information was out there, I have been putting it off. Good to know it has some great benefits.

Thanks again for sharing. I won't eat until 7AM tomorrow. Do you think a half an toasted wheat egg sandwich is okay to come back off of fasting with?

Originally Posted by Simply Red

oh I did have about 14-16 ounces of coffee with half and half, no sugar. I know that's not ideal but I don't think it'll matter TOO terribly much for a simple 24 hour job'er.

IF it's just a 24 hour fast then toast and egg is fine. Heck even a 3 day fast it would be fine (my experience).

Coffee alone won't break your fast but adding cream will break it somewhat. Not really a biggie if it's just a little cream.

[Simply Red]

Originally Posted by Eureka

IF it's just a 24 hour fast then toast and egg is fine. Heck even a 3 day fast it would be fine (my experience).

Coffee alone won't break your fast but adding cream will break it somewhat. Not really a biggie if it's just a little cream.

I am going 30 hours - just because of my launch time was really early this AM. So I think it's technically 29 hours if i start back at 7am'ish tomorrow. So this is fine. Good info thanks you guys.