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In Which I Answer All The Intermittent Fasting Questions

Greetings and good morning! We’ve had quite a weekend in our house. Most notably, C got her driver’s license yesterday!!!

She is very excited, and it will be convenient to have her driving, but of course another cause for mama to worry. Ahhh, parenting… Ain’t it fun?

And we finally got some snow! Not a lot, but it’s pretty. It snowed lightly all afternoon, and I enjoyed watching it through the big window in our family room.

I spent most of the afternoon watching HGTV, snoozing on the couch, and reading my latest book. Later on, Paul built a fire in the fireplace, and we watched the Sixers beat the Knicks in a very tight game, which was awesome.

All in all, it was a cozy but lazy Saturday, and I’m looking forward to getting out of the house for church today.

This post is mostly about IF, but first I’ll give you a quick kitchen update.

Kitchen Makeover Update

I finally got a few good “before” pictures… I love the wide angle lens on my iPhone! It actually captures the whole room.

At this point, mostly everything is picked out and tentatively scheduled. You can see our Kitchen Makeover Plans here, if you missed it last week. (Scroll down about half-way.)

Our new appliances arrive on Wednesday, and I cannot WAIT for that. At least I can start using those while we wait for the rest of the plan to fall into place.

We scheduled the template and the install for the counters for mid-February, secured painters for our cabinets, and got a design plan for the desk area. We also found a contractor to install that as well as the backsplash.

I still need to pick out new cabinet hardware and backsplash materials, but there’s time for that. Needless to say, I’m excited to see it all come together. I hope to get it all wrapped up by the first week of March.

Intermittent Fasting Q&A

I have had a lot of questions about IF this week, so I thought I’d do a Q&A format. I think that’s easier to digest than when I just ramble on for 2000 words.🤪

Q // I am interested in how you found out about this intermittent fasting. I would like more personal experience on how you got interested.

A // I was first introduced to the concept of Intermittent Fasting when I tried FASTer Way to Fat Lost back in the fall of 2018, but evidently, it’s been around since the 1960s. I found FWTFL overly complicated, but a lot of you told me at the time that you do IF without the carb cycling and macro counting, and I was intrigued by that.

Somewhere along the way, I heard about Gin Stephens’ Delay, Don’t Deny Facebook Group, and I eventually joined. I read the posts that randomly popped up in my Facebook feed, but I was just gathering crumbs of information here and there. I was craving more, and I wanted to be sure I understood the science behind IF, not just falling for the newest fad diet.

When someone mentioned Gin’s book, Delay, Don’t Deny, I ordered it and started reading right away. That’s when I got serious about IF, and almost immediately, I started noticing changes in my body, energy level, and yes, even the scale.

That’s also where I learned about the amazing health benefits that come along with practicing intermittent fasting. Let’s just say, I was sold hook, line, and sinker!

Q // What health benefits are you talking about?

A // Read about autophagy and how intermittent fasting plays a role.

Q // What hours do you usually eat?

A // I usually eat between 3 and 7PM, give or take, but I didn’t start out with such a short eating window. You should definitely build up to longer fasts.

Q // How do you go until 3PM without eating when you get up at 5AM?

A // It’s not hard, once you start to become fat adapted. I’m sure I’m not totally there yet, but I don’t usually have any issues working out while fasting, or getting shaky or lightheaded throughout the day. (I was verrry hungry when I first started fasting, but that has gone away.)

Q // What is fat adapted?

A // From keto-mojo.com: “Fat adapted” is the metabolic state your body is in once you’ve been in ketosis long enough that your body has efficiently transitioned from burning carbs/sugar for energy to burning fats from your food, body-generated fats, and your stored body-fat reserves for energy.”

You get the same results from a keto diet, but with Intermittent Fasting, you don’t have to count macros or limit your carbs and sugars. That is not to say you can binge on junk during your eating window and lose weight, but you aren’t limited to any certain food groups, and you can still have a treat here and there.

Q // I tried IF, but I didn’t lose weight, so I gave up. 

A // Okay, that’s not a question, but I hear this a lot.

Here’s the thing: You should not expect immediate weight loss with IF.

If it happens, that’s awesome, but not everyone will have that experience. That’s because IF is not just another method of calorie restriction; it actually trains your body to process food differently, and it takes a while to become fat adapted.

I like to say IF is a marathon, not a sprint. (This is what I tell myself when I see the scale moving in the wrong direction.)

Also, a lot of people will changes to their body right away, but they may not be immediately reflected on the scale.

If weight loss is your goal, you may need to tweak a few things to get the results you want. For example, I didn’t see a lot of change when I was doing 16:8, but as soon as I buckled down and started going 19:5 or even 20:4, I noticed a drop on the scale.

All that to say, there are a lot of ways to do IF, and everyone has to find what works best for them.

Q // What do you add to your coffee that doesn’t break your fast? Or do you drink it black?

A // UPDATE 4/19 — I’ve been drinking my coffee black for weeks, now. I only drink black coffee or water during my fasting hours. The more I read about it, the more I was convinced that a “clean fast” does matter. 

I’ve been adding about 1/2 tsp of heavy cream — that tiny amount takes the edge off the bitterness, and allows my calorie intake to stay under 50, even if I have several cups.

Some would say that breaks my fast, but some believe keeping total calories during your fast under 50 calories does not. I’ve also read that you can still see weight loss doing that, but not autophagy.

I expect no one really knows, and for now, that makes my super strong Nespresso coffee palatable, so I’m allowing it. (I can drink other coffees black.)

Q // What a typical day is like with the program?

A // I get up around 5AM and drink two cups of coffee.

I have my fasting app (I use Zero) set to 18:6 (UPDATE 4/19 — I have it set to 19:5) because I try to fast for at least 18 hours, as long as it works out with my social life. Once the app alerts me that my fast is over, I decide whether or not I want to eat right away.

That depends on how hungry I am, and when I plan to serve dinner. Sometimes I go another hour or two or three, and sometimes I eat something as soon as the alarm goes off.

I try to break my fast with something healthy — leftover soup or dinner, tuna salad, or a scrambled egg. Then I usually have a sweet treat — often a gluten-free cookie with a cup of coffee (and this time, I treat myself to a generous pour of heavy cream… yum!)

I may have a snack while I’m making dinner, and I try to eat a good-sized, well-balanced meal. I also take a hair, skin & nails vitamin, and I try to incorporate a scoop of collagen powder into something I’m eating along the way. I like it best mixed into soup.

After dinner, I may have another cookie or sweet treat, and then I close my window. (I actually tap Start Fast on my app, so it’s a conscious decision to stop eating.)

My eating window may be 2 hours, or it may be 6, but usually it’s around 4.

Q // Was it hard to get used to fasting? 

A // Not really. The best part of IF is how easy it is, and it was actually a relief not to have the pressure of finding something healthy to eat during the day.

I mean, sure, I was hungry at times as my body adjusted, but I’m usually too busy during the day to eat well, and I had gotten into a bad habit of snacking on junk and grabbing a sugary breakfast bar as I ran out the door, which just kept my insulin spiking all day.

On the days I’m around the house more, it’s sometimes hard to walk through the kitchen and not grab a snack, but I will get a glass of water or another cup of coffee and then just get busy with something.

Q // How do you handle social situations for breakfast and lunch?

A // IF is super flexible, and I can easily shift or expand my eating window to accommodate lunch, so that hasn’t been a problem.

I rarely have a social situation involving breakfast, but when I do, it just depends… If I’m at an event where food is around, but it’s not formal sit-down meal, I may just have black coffee and socialize.

But if we’re on family vacation, and the family is gathering for breakfast, I will join in and eat. I’ll get back to my regular fasting schedule the next day, or when I get back from vacation. Supposedly your body gets right back on track.

Q // How much weight have you lost, and what is your weight loss goal?

A // I’ve lost a solid 5 pounds, which puts me back into all of my clothes comfortably.

I went into this without a specific weight loss goal in mind, and I’m happy where I am right now, but also interested to see where the lifestyle takes me.

I wish I’d taken “before” pictures wearing form-fitting workout gear, so I have a good baseline, but I didn’t think about it.

This is the best “before and after” that I could find, but I think you can see a difference. It’s subtle, but it’s there. The picture on the left was taken on 12/23, and the one on the right was just this morning — so almost a month apart. I got serious about IF on 12/27.

Q // Can you explain more about how you think you body has changed?

A // The first thing I noticed was that my puffy belly started to deflate, and my clothes felt more comfortable — especially in the waist area, which is where they tend to get tight. That happened within the first few days of moving to a 5-hour eating window.

My chest has also gotten smaller (I can tell by the way my bras fit), and my hips look slimmer in my jeans. Basically, I feel like I look slimmer overall, and my body looks familiar to me again — not the middle-aged alien that has been inhabiting it for the past 6 months, haha!

It seems too good to be true, but only time will tell!

FINAL WORDS ON IF: If you read nothing else, read this…

I share all this because I have been getting so many questions, and I’m always happy to share what works for me when it comes to heath and wellness.

But PLEASE, don’t just start fasting because some random fashion blogger on the internet happens to think it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

Do your own research, and make an informed decision. Gin’s Delay, Don’t Deny is a good place to start, but she isn’t a doctor. She just synthesizes the information she has gleaned from her research. I recently downloaded The Obesity Code (one of the books she references a lot) and plan to read that next.

You really need to understand IF before diving in — to give yourself the best chance at success, and also to be sure it’s right for you.

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59 Responses

  1. This is great information – thank you so much!! I’ve been toying with this idea for a few months, and gathering some information, but hearing your specific personal experience is the best yet. I appreciate you being very frank. I’ve bought the book and added the audio book – will listen/read this week. We’ll see where it takes me! Thanks again – I do appreciate you!

  2. Are you able to use Splenda, Stevia or Aspartame with IF? I’m seeing various answers online and wondered if it’s addressed in Gin’s book.

    1. It depends on who you read. Gin is absolutely adamant that you should not have anything except black tea or black coffee, or plain water while fasting. She won’t even allow people to suggest otherwise in her FB Group. I want to eventually eliminate my 1/2 tsp of cream, but I figured I could ease into that.

    2. Kelly, she has a whole link on her DDD site about artificial sweeteners and is DEAD SET against them.  I just started IF’g 1/10 and am loving it, but I cut out the sweeteners after day 2.  I believe Gin when she says it spikes you up.  She battled herself for over a year trying to use it, had weight regain, finally ditched the sweeteners and lost the last 8 lbs.  There’s a FB group for DDD that is helpful, too.

      Jo-Lynn, you totally motivated me to try IF!  My girlfriend had mentioned it months ago and it seemed radical, but not obsessing about counting calories and macros and points and carbs really appealed to me.  I’m tired of dieting and ready for a lifestyle change.

      I downloaded the book on Audible and listened to it during a massive walk in that freakishly nice warm weather last weekend, and it makes so much sense.  I’m on black coffee, 18:6/19:5 so far, and -3 lbs pretty painlessly.  

      1. I’m glad you’re liking it! I know, I felt the same way about it being radical. Even as I started reading her book, I kept thinking it was all too faddish for me. But by the end, I was convinced I at least had to try it.

  3. Thank you for all the info! I finished listening to her book yesterday. This past week, I’ve been cutting back on breakfast (only having my latte, lol), and trying to expand the time when I eat again. In other words, trying to work into this slowly. It really does sound, from her book, like there is some very sound science behind all this. Yesterday I did really well. For breakfast, I only had an espresso, NOT a latte (from my Nespresso – no cream even! ;-)), until 1pm, and then had lunch. I’m not sure at this point what I’m working towards regarding my window, but if I could work successfully towards 18:6, I think I’d be okay with that. I really appreciate reading about your experience. I hadn’t even heard of intermittent fasting before.

  4. Thanks for a very interesting post. Like you, I became intrigued with IF last year but originally thought I had to join a group. My life is such that I could not be an active participant in a FB group which was an expectation. I did a lot of perusing of information available on the internet and finally decided to give it a go on my own last month. I am doing 16/8 but after reading today’s post , I am going to try fasting for another hour or two. I think that would be my limit. I had not heard of the book Delay Don’t Deny but will head out to bookstore today.  Keeps us posted on your progress.

  5. Great post – I had great success while IF and have fallen off. I just received Gin’s book to jumpstart and better understand the science. Again thank you for sharing. 

  6. Congratulations to C!  Having a driver feels so far away but I know that it will be here before I know it. A will be 12 next week!

    I’ve been dabbling in IF (16:8) but I need to really buckle down on it and plan to this week. I’m going to try 18:6 and then 19:5 or 20:4. I know Gin says that flavoring in water is a no-no but I cannot love without adding a lemon wedge to my water bottle. Maybe I can wean myself off of it…

  7. Thank you for sharing what is working for you!! & you’ve always looked great 😉 I downloaded the books & am going to get my middle-aged body healthy!!  Just curious – what time to you go to bed? & have you slept better with the IF lifestyle?

    1. I used to go to bed as early as 8pm but I’ve had more energy with IF and stay up till 9 or 10 now.

      I can’t say I’ve slept better with IF – again, with the energy. I often wake up around 1 or 2am, and then I’m in and out till I get up at 5am. I make myself stay in bed and rest, though. I understand that should even out. I’m also perimenopause and was having that issue before IF, so I’m not sure IF has made it worse or if it’s just b/c I’ve had a lot on my mind with the kitchen and everything. I tend to get hyped up when I have a project I’m working on. 🙂

  8. I am accidentally doing IF. After a stay in thehospital for bowel obstruction, my doctor advised me to change my eating habits and lifestyle. I started walking at least 30 a day and giving up read meats. I eat fruits, vegetables, fish,chicken and turkey burgers. Everything is wheat bread,pasta,etc if I eat carbs. I record all nutrional values of food..calories, sodium,sugar etc. to get a pattern to eat the right foods. Oprah mentioned stop eating after 6pm. This will give you a 16 hour fasting (you sleep for 8 hours ). This has worked for me for 4 years. I do indulge in red meats and sweets for the holidays. But 95% of the time eating healty foods. Eat basic foods without condiments, sauces,etc..eat angel food cake, drink water, green teaa,unsweetened almond milk, sherbert or sorbet…I lost weight and dress sizes. My doctor suggested go to your high school weight or close to it. I AM 5 FT 4 inches, size 6, weigh between 127 to 130 and look amazing for a 61 years young. I do color my hair several times a year. Some of my friends are taking my advice. IF and eating healthy are viable lifestyles.

    1. I don’t think I could get down to my high school weight, but I really wouldn’t mind getting down to pre-baby weight, which was like 125-128 on my 5’5″ frame. Right now I’m 135-137.

  9. Appreciate your openness to share.  I’m reading Gin’s book right now.  Very interesting.  My concern was the short 5 hour eating window.  But I’ll see how she explains the different ways to do IF.  And glad to see easing into it worked for you.  Im really curious if eating whatever you want (not gorging but not limiting carbs etc) really works.  

    Have a blessed day.  

    1. You can do a longer eating window… definitely start out that way. A lot of people do 8, and honestly, that’s not that crazy. If you break your fast at 11am and stop eating by 7pm, you can still fit in 3 meals if you want.

      One thing I’ve learned from listening to some of Gin’s podcasts is, everyone is different in what foods they can handle. some do have to cut carbs, and some don’t. But you do become more in tune to your body and what it needs, which is cool.

  10. Well ..Jo Lynne we’ve been getting all the snow you seem to want.. Lol this is the third Sunday that church has been canceled either for freezing rain or snow. Suppose to see 10 cm today so we shall see. It’s been cold the last two days felt like -22 with the windchill .There looks like a bIt of a break coming this week not as cold and finally no snow in the forecast.. You can see the difference in those pics and glad the IF is working( it’s always easier for us to see how our own body changes) I don’t really do IF but I try not to eat after 8 at night.. and I’m not a big breakfast person so usually have lunch around 12 or 1. It’s making the healthy choices during the day and cutting down on portions that helps me.. I think I’m timid to commit to the IF because I’ve heard a Doctor say it can mess up our metabolic clock? Have you heard this?  Looking forward to your kitchen makeover it sounds like fun. 

    1. Those are some crazy temperatures!

      There is a lot of misinformation out there about how our metabolisms work. I was worried about that before I read more about IF. I looking forward to reading The Obesity Code so I can get a better grasp on it, but at this point, I have seen so many success stories, I’m not too concerned.

  11. Congratulations on discovering IF and all the health benefits that go along with this lifestyle! My husband and I have been doing keto for 27 months and instituted IF about 18 months ago. We have both lost over 40 lbs and feel amazing! I had breast cancer at age 50 and am working hard to stay cancer free! I hear so much negativity about this lifestyle, usually coming from someone who has not done their homework, so your views are refreshing! My inspiration comes from Dr Ken D Berry and Dr Jason Fung and the books they have both written! As a scientist, I am so excited that people are CURING their Type II diabetes using the keto diet and IF! Thank you so much for being an educated, powerful advocate for this lifestyle!!!

  12. Loved this post. All of the questions were ones that I too have had on IF. I am giving it a try and it is far easier than I thought. I too looked into FWTFL and found it to be too complicated. Gin’s plan is so much more doable for this gal. The weight loss that some have I think is because they start out with more to lose. If you only want 5 or 10 pounds loss, it seems like regardless of what plan you are on it is a slow process. I use ZERO but have not found the alarm. Working on shortening my eating window but not easy with hubs not on the program. Any suggestions there? You have a family in the house, so you deal with this I assume. Your before and after pic shows the difference. Can’t wait to see the after kitchen pic.

    1. As far as the app, you can go into settings and set it in notifications.

      It hasn’t been an issue at all with family life because we never eat breakfast or lunch together. We are all up and out at different times. My youngest doesn’t eat before school (she catches the bus at 6:45am.) And my 17 y/o doesn’t even get up until 9 or 10 and eats on her own as well.

      Paul has oatmeal every. single. day. He eats by himself, as I am usually neck-deep in work by the time he gets up. Sometimes I’ll bring my coffee and go out to the kitchen and talk to him, but I never ate with him. I didn’t used to eat breakfast until later, and often I’d grab a sugary bar as I ran out the door – not good. Now I often break my fast in the afternoon with scrambled eggs, if I’m in the mood for breakfast. It’s been a very easy transition in that way, and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on any family time.

  13. Just ordered the book. I am ready to try anything to lose some belly fat and feel better about myself and in my clothes. Hope my students don’t mind hearing my stomach growling in the morning haha! It will be hard not to have breakfast with my husband before we leave for work, but I am ready to move forward.

    1. LOL, your belly will growl at first, but that will stop. Can you have black coffee and sit with your husband? Or will he be interested in doing it too? Paul is actually talking about trying it.

      1. Day 1 (book comes tomorrow) – coffee (with a little fat free half and half – I can’t drink it black) so I can sit with my husband. He can’t do this as he has diabetes and needs to eat at regular intervals. I am psyched to do this, lose the post menopausal middle, gain more energy. Hurray!

  14. I love your kitchen the way it is, LOL. Guess because we live in a townhouse where it is small and dark because there is no window. I look forward to seeing your kitchen when it is all finished.

  15. Your posts intrigued me about IF.  I read The Obesity Code and listened to Delay, Don’t Deny. It’s fascinating.  I’m nearing two weeks and the BEST thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t want to pass out with exhaustion at 8 every night.  I love these Coffee Talk posts.  

    1. Yes, I’ve noticed I can stay up later as well. I used to be falling asleep on the couch at 7PM and now I’ve been staying up a little later and watching sports with the family. It’s nice. I still am in bed by 9 or 10, but I’m not falling asleep on the couch first. 🙂

  16. Debbie, For me, IF has been quite sustainable. I have been doing it for almost 2 years. Unlike other eating plans, I have not had to eliminate carbs, sugar, dairy but eat them in a healthy amount. I would suggest that you read Dr Jason Fung’s book, The Obesity Code, where he discusses the connection between weight, blood insulin levels and fasting. There are many doctors who support IF as a lifestyle. 

  17. I’m one of those people that gave up after ten days of not losing anything significant. You’ve inspired me to start again and stick with it. Starting today. I did have a piece of toast for breakfast so it won’t be a true IF day but I have to put the brakes on eating now!  So I’ll wait until dinner to eat again and be on track for a 18:6 tomorrow. Thank you for this post. 

  18. I’ve been combining IF with Nutrisystem and the results have been amazing!!! IF was really difficult the first week but I am now used to a 16:8 eating schedule. Sometimes it’s more an 18:6 schedule and that works fine for me too. 

  19. Good info. You look great. I need to lose 5 lbs from holidays but know I dont have what it takes to fast. Will try cutting back on carbs and sweets.

  20. Fantastic information, thank you so much! I just ordered the book. I have tried IF on my own with some success but got off track over the holidays. And the past year has been a train going in the wrong direction. So helpfully I can get the train on the right track again.

  21. IF way of eating means you don’t count calories,carbs, weigh your food or whatever. You eat what you like in just a short period of time. You don’t graze all day. I eat brunch at 10:00 am dinner at 5:30pm , nothing after. It’s not complicated.  I’m not gaining weight but not losing either, maybe that will come. I have not noticed any difference in my energy level however. I maybe should read the book.

  22. Thanks for all your info and your insights.  You always look so pretty, but especially in light blue!! You should wear it more often;)

  23. The 15:9 or 16:8 has been a lifestyle for me for as long as I can remember. I’m 59 years old, 5’5”, 118 lbs, which is in the neighborhood of my high school weight. During my eating windows (never knew they had a name until recently!), I eat good food, no binging, enjoy dessert or wine, and stop when “it’s time.” Sensibility in choices and portions really helps; leaning towards Mediterranean really works for me also. My weaknesses are cheese and home-baked cookies. Christmas is a killer!!! So rather than beat myself up, I just check how my jeans are fitting and adjust accordingly. And I also love my coffee with cream every morning at 5:30 am. That’s a non-negotiable in my book!! Power walking is my exercise. I applaud you for seeing your need, researching it, adjusting it to your own schedule, sharing it with your team, and allowing us to make our own choices, just like our clothing (my feet do not cooperate with 3” heels and I look nasty in red!). Good luck…I enjoy your daily emails so much. 

    1. LOL! What a shame. Red is such a happy color!😂

      Funny how you say you live this lifestyle unintentionally. I was actually inspired by watching how my daughter eats. She eats everything she wants, but she never eats until she’s stuffed, and regularly turns down dessert because she just isn’t in the mood (or is too full). She also tends to wait to start eating until afternoon. We used to get on her about it, and then one day, she was like, “I don’t know why you all ride me about eating. I don’t eat unless I’m hungry, I stop when I’m full, and my weight is a normal healthy weight.” It was sort of a lightbulb moment for me. I realized she kind of does IF naturally, and that’s when I decided to try it.

      1. LOL, my son and husband are kind of natural IF’rs, and my grandmother definitely is, and she’s in her 90s and never been overweight.  She always did black coffee, late (lighter) lunch, and dinner.  I never really saw her snacking, ever, and she only walked for exercise. Her skin and hair are always gleaming and never irritated/ruddy.  

        That’s great your daughter has her own internal clock that works for her.  And she’s so good to be at a healthy weight and just maintain instead of getting caught up in the crazy fads that plagued me and so many girls throughout their lives.  I’m feeling very calm and optimistic doing IF.  I hope to be a healthy weight by next year and just maintain this forevermore and set a good example for the kids.  

        I really liked Gin’s chapter on talking to teenagers, especially girls, that at their ages they need to eat more regularly to continue growing and for health, not weight gain/loss.  No negative messages to kids.

  24. Thanks for sharing on IF! I’ve been doing a Carnivore diet since November 2018. It’s basically a zero carb way of eating. Lost 5 or 6 pounds in the first 10 months. Started IF last October, and – whoosh – 14 more lbs gone! I’ve done my research, unlike the person who ranted here. I feel good and am convinced autophagy and consistent low blood sugar are key to helping prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Looking forward to hear more as time goes on, Jo-Lynne.

  25. I haven’t finished reading through the comments but this is a great post – very interesting.  I would love to continue this discussion on your Facebook page so people can share more of what has worked for them and what hasn’t.  I practice 16:8 Intermittent Fasting since doing the FWTFL almost three years ago.  I learned of it from Cyndi and it was amazingly successful.  I was shocked how many inches I lost because I generally eat healthy, not much sugar or processed foods, lots of salads etc. I guess it was the make up of the foods and incorporating more weight training.   I stopped paying for the monthly VIP as it got expensive (for me) and have been attempting it on my own.  I have definitely gained weight back but generally I’m happy.  I’d like to find something that isn’t so rigid. If I don’t do my 2 low carb days or get the right workouts in, I feel.a little lost and feel like I’m gaining.  It’s a bit of a mental game.  I’m looking for long term sustainability.  Once you lose weight using intermittent fasting, do you just plateau and continue?  If you stop, does the weight come back?  I love hearing about different programs but am always interested in sustainability.  

  26. SO MUCH good information you have here!! You have me motivated to try this. I, too, tried FWTFL and couldn’t get the hang of the macro thing. Ordering the book today. THANK YOU!

  27. I just got the Whole 30 and read that over Christmas, but my husband started IF, so I decided to do that to support him. It was REALLY hard at first as I am a big breakfast gal. I have noticed that it is easier, but I work out at lunch and have not quite had the energy for the last couple of workouts, so I start my eating window early with a small snack an hour before my workout. I have noticed that my nose is not as runny all day – so am interested to see if that is a carb or dairy thing, as I have limited the amount of both those as well. I definitely am going to look into those other two books mentioned and see my doctor before continuing, as I have about 50 pounds to lose and want to make sure I am doing it properly. Thanks for the info and keep up the great work on your blog!

  28. Thank you for your openness regarding IF and for telling us about Delay, Don’t Deny, which I’m reading now. I ordered The Obesity Code yesterday and look forward to reading it as well.

    Congratulations on your success; you inspire me.

  29. I’ve been loosely doing IF for the past year and took off 13 lbs without much thought. It was slow and up and down. The Obesity Code is amazing. I’m a person that needs to know the “why” things work. 

  30. Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve read a number of blog posts about IF, but nothing from professionals yet. I also have a friend that did Keto with IF. My understanding from her was that she ate a day’s worth of calories in a 12 hour window (12pm-8pm).   If your fast is so short, how many calories are you consuming?  I believe I’ve read that you need at least 1200 calories for general well-being, but it doesn’t sound like you are consuming that many in such a short eating time??  Just curious. I’m interested in IF, but have a lot of research to do first. 

    1. I haven’t really counted, but I’m not too worried at this point because I eat a lot of calorie-dense foods, and I eat a lot during that eating window. If you’re interested in doing more research, take a look at Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code – he’s an M.D. I just started it, and it’s excellent.

  31. Once you started, how long did it take for you to not be hungry during your fasting window? I started a week ago and still get so hungry. 

    1. It does take a few weeks. Hang in there, or shorten your fasting window a bit. Also, pay attention to what you eat and your hunger levels the next day. You may need more carbs, or more protein… everyone is different.

  32. I am so intrigued by the Intermittent Fasting. I have also been listening to the podcast and want to try it!  Can you write another post about IF and give an update? I am curious if you are still losing weight and what your current eating window is? 

  33. I just saw this post. I started IF accidentally. Really!  I’ve all my adult life just hated breakfast. The sugary carby stuff I grew up on like French toast,  waffles, pancakes or cream of wheat gave me a huge sugar rush and crash. By the time I was in high school I had gotten very devious with this meal. I’d take it to go, please, and give it to a friend. On weekends my mom cooked fried eggs. I hate fried eggs. She served them extremely runny. I still gag recalling those. Or if they weren’t fried they were soft boiled and poured on wonder bread. Insert more gagging because, yes, they too were runny. Finally I grew up and escaped and never looked back. In 2002 I discovered the South Beach Diet. There was no way I was going to eat all those eggs, albeit cooked in a civilized manner, so I took parts of those breakfasts and parts of the lunches and made them into a sorta late brunch. No snacks for me, I hate cleaning the kitchen 5 times a day, thank you! And voila my IF diet was hatched. Granted there were lots of very unhealthy foods in that diet. Fake sugar. Fake butter. I can’t believe it’s actually food! Fake jello. That may be an oxymoron. There’s no food in jello. Fake lunch meat and fake cheese. After 3 or 4 years of that I heard about and then became paleo. Then and dare I say it aloud, the menopot arrived. Along with the menoboobs. I went up two cups. That never even happened during pregnancy. So when keto became popular I was primed. All I did was cut out the fake gluten free baked goods and the rest is history. 

    What struck me was the complete similarity to your story! I experienced the same remodeling of my body. That slovenly post menopausal frump just magically transformed in a very svelte version of myself. I only lost about 7 lbs. but the inches! The inches melted away and my size 14W pants gave way to a 8 or ten. I’m an hour glass like you, same height, but my “girls” didn’t get the memo, so button up shirts need to be a bit loose — I love Express Portofino blouses, for example — need to buy large. And my Chico’s pants are 1.5 because although I developed a Barbie doll waist, the bone structure of my hips is just what it is. I have a couple Pr of size 1 but they are not good for sitting. Or breathing. They are very tight!  

    I truly believe IF does something that reduced calorie eating can’t. I suspect it’s mostly autophagy. Glad to hear we are on the same track. It’s appalling how heavy American women get. My daughters are over 40, one is obese and the other in magnificent shape. The older one eats garbage, my word for the so called healthy American diet . The younger eats low carb paleo and trains daily. 

    Love the blog. I found you from another blogger, another God loving woman, Tania Stephens who writes 50 is Not Old. Take care and God bless you and your family. We are in trying times. 

    Romans 12:2

    Liane Claire

    1. I Liane, it is interesting that you feel into IF naturally — I was listing to a podcast by a woman who interviewed tons of “naturally thin” people, and most of them were pretty much doing IF without knowing. And they had some other eating habits that were interesting — all things I have witnessed when I’m around people who never had to diet or think about weight and somehow maintain the same size forever. I definitely think our industrial food system and the sheer amount of food that is available everywhere at all times has messed up our natural eating habits and the way we were designed to eat. I’m glad you found me. I love Tania!

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