Daily Fasting Check-in!

* **Type** of fast (water, juice, smoking, etc.) * **Context** of fast (start, end, day x of y, etc.) * **Length** of fast (8 hours, 3 days, etc.) * **Why?** What you hope to accomplish with your fast * **Notes** How is it going so far? Any concerns? Insights to share? Be sure to check back often as comments get posted throughout the day. Sort comments by "new" to be sure the newer comments get some love as well.

Answer

Me again. Essentially treating this as my IF diary I guess. A couple days ago I commented saying I’d plateaued, and I hoped it was just my period increasing water retention. I think that’s the case because I dropped a couple lb over yesterday and today 🙂 I should reach my goal weight in another 2 months, which means I’ll hopefully hit my goal just in time for the new year! But um, some challenges in the way - exam, birthdays, conferences, Christmas… so we’ll see.

Some numbers about my first 40 days of IF:

Basics: 28f, 5’ 2”, initially on 16:8 but switched to 18:6, recently mostly 20:4. Starting BMI: 25 (ow), Current BMI 22.8 (n).
Fast Length: 16-17h fasts: 15; 18-19h fasts: 12; >20h fasts: 13; Cheats: 0
Weight: SW 134 (or 136, but diff. time of day), GW 110, CW 124. Can’t comment on waist/neck/thigh because I don’t have a starting reference but feeling a bit leaner and more centred. Not really any visual change yet.
Rate of Loss: 10lb over 40 fasts, or 1.75lb a week. Est. Time to GW: 8 weeks, Est end date: New Year’s Eve!
Diet Changes: Feared lack of morning lattes but americanos are serving me well. No diet changes except less snacking and dairy. Less alcohol by virtue of cutting off my window by 8.45pm. Aim for fewer carbs but absolutely fail. Just being more mindful.
Exercise: No - some evening walks, some football, but no gym or anything.

Answer

Bio: 54yo M, active, 5’11, SW: 162, GW: 155
Type: water fast
Context: 53hrs/90hrs (59% complete)
Length: 90hrs
Why: gut and metabolism reset/maintenance and shed a few unwanted but recently earned weight. I haven’t been eating well due to work stress etc. This allows me an opportunity to reset, break reliance on simple carbs and shed a few pounds.
Notes: no real issues so far; going well and I haven’t encountered any difficult periods in terms of hunger. I plan to workout this weekend (run, swim and lift). I expect the next two days (Saturday and Sunday) to be the most challenging mentally since I won’t have work to engage and distract me from thinking about food. I’m feeling determined and energized at the moment knowing that i’m over 50% of the way through the planned fast.

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I am now approaching my 3rd week of IF and so far, I really can’t complain.

I did have an odd sort of “oops” during my fast from yesterday to today: I am a creature of routine and sticking to a predefined fasting window has helped me immensely to discipline myself through the hunger pangs. Today, however, it was this hard line of breaking my fast at a specific time that unexpectedly caused me to fast for about 20h, because I accidentally forgot to eat something at the end of my eating window yesterday. As of now I have a slight headache, but that’s probably more due to the crick in my neck than any nutritional deficiency cause. Other than that, I feel perfectly fine. Still, I can’t see myself going on a 20:4 schedule just yet…

Answer

I’m in the middle of my 36 hour fast. Going well. Just read about apple cider vinegar and lemon so I’m going to drink a cup of that as the article I read says it aids in digestion. So far, no hunger or cravings.

I don’t expect to lose any significant weight with a 36 hour fast. I’m just hoping to give my stomach a break from eating so much.