Wagon fall: fasting solution?

[sammisatt]

I've just got back from holiday in France where I fell into a 10 day plate of mussels and chips. I have consequently gained 8 pounds and am feeling disgusting.

I would like to feel healthy and in control of my eating ASAP and am wondering whether IF combined with low carb (have been low carbing for nearly a year) is the way forward? I was thinking of fasting (soup/salad/chicken breast) today followed by strict low carb and 2 fast days per week?





Does anyone here combine low carb with IF?
Any tips for getting back on track? Wondering whether I am still keto adapted or whether ill get carb flu.

Thank you

[giraffeseatpineapples]

Maybe try low carb first for about 2 - 3 weeks to get back on track and blood sugar stabilised etc then add in IF if you still want to. This is the order reccomended in Briffa's escape the diet trap and in Sissons 21 day body solution. There is a paragraph on this page explaining why its best to low carb first (in this case its described as primal but the two are fairly similar) marksdailyapple fasting

The 5:2 diet's Michael Mowsley reccommends low carb/ higher protein only on the fast days. I tried this and it resulted in faster weightloss compared to just 5:2. I found I didn't like eating low carb twice a week and high carb the rest of the week though, it messed with my blood sugar and cravings. I don't fast now as I found low carb/ paleo/ primal easier and more effective but might try 18:6 at some point.

There is a little on IF on Briifa's blog

or try here,
mark daily apple fasting methods

[sammisatt]

Thank you. Very interesting stuff.

[TrucksAndDinosaurs]

I do IF and low carb. I think I have had a certain amount of suspicion from non LC 5:2-er people. But it works for me. I'd definitely recommend getting into a smooth high fat low carb easy way of eating and working out before fasting; much easier when your body is in fat burning mode. I am not strict about fasting either and do two or one days a week and am
flexible about it.

What works for me is leaving breakfast til
after my work out, then seeing how I feel. Quick gulp of coconut oil and often not hungry til late afternoon. Other times I AM hungry so I have protein heavy brunch ie scrambled eggs and salmon, chicken drumsticks and avocado salad.

So I end up doing 16:8 quite a few times a week ( eating within an 8 hr window) and a sub 500/600cal fast once or twice a week: those days I just eat dressed green veg mid afternoon, and big green salad with chicken, or chicken and veg soup about 7pm and early night.

I can't see how people fast if eating high carb, it must be hard as hunger is much stronger if I eat over 60g carbs a day. I think fasting works if you do it in an interested, cheerful, fine-tuning your body and resting it from digesting food way, and it doesn't work if you feel deprived, resentful, self-punishing or self-pitying. It's not meant to be a punishment, it's just a very light day of eating and getting on with other stuff.

Good luck anyway.

[sammisatt]

Trucks: Thanks for this info. I actually went straight into a fast day following my 2 week carb binge and it was actually quite bearable. It will definitely be easier now I'm in ketosis.

How you do it is exactly how I plan to do it. I want to do 16:8 a couple of times a week, (with the exceptions of post fast days) especially as it will be easier once I get in the swing of having fast days twice a week.

I've just watched the horizon doc and it's really interesting.

Your advice is brilliant, especially what you say about doing it in a cheerful, interested way.