Introducing intermittent fasting

[StuntNun]

This thread is for Bootcampers that are interested in introducing intermittent fasting. There are a myriad of health benefits from fasting and it is particularly useful for anyone who is likely to be insulin resistant (diabetes, prediabetes, PCOS). It can also be useful for reducing overall calorie intake if you are hoping to lose weight more quickly, you are in an extended stall, or are close to your goal weight and weight loss has slowed.

If you're like me and you've never skipped a meal in your life then fasting may sound daunting but it really isn't difficult. It only takes a matter of days to get used to the feeling of hunger rising and then passing again. If you already miss meals or find yourself not feeling hungry at breakfast time then it will be even easier to introduce intermittent fasting, you're just formalising something that is already happening.

You should wait until you are at least two weeks into Bootcamp to start fasting and some people may need to wait for longer. Once you are fully adapted to burning fat your hunger levels rise more slowly and you have access to your fat reserves to get you through a longer fasting period without much hunger.

The method that combines best with low carb is intermittent fasting 16:8 where you have a minimum of three 16-hour fasts per week. This is usually by missing breakfast so if you have finish dinner at 7 p.m. then you don't eat again until at least 11 a.m. the next day. You can also miss dinner and fast from lunch to breakfast instead but most people find that less convenient; it depends on your lifestyle.

The easiest way to introduce fasting is to give it a try. Make a note of what time you finish eating and see when you get hungry the next day. If you're naturally getting hungry after 12 hours then aim for 12.5 or 13 hours for your first fast and build up to 16 hours gradually. It's fine to have a cup of tea or coffee (with milk not cream) during your fast period. At your usual breakfast time you will probably feel hungry. Have a hot drink and/or a big glass of water and usually the hunger will subside and then rise again later in the day. You don't need to fast every day to get the health benefits so if you're particularly hungry one day then just have breakfast and aim to fast the next day instead.

Welcome lady are you wanting to do intermittent fasting only? Most of us are doing it alongside the low carb bootcamp so it would be worth checking those threads out too. If you have any questions there are some lovely knowledgeable people on the thread who will be along to help!

Just catching up.
Old It is hard and after trying unsuccessfully yo do 5:2 when not LCing, I have been amazed at how easy 16:8 becomes. The less I snack, the less I need to snack. Well done with the no snacking yesterday, it will help.
Welcome lady

So, had a carby Thursday, but still ate within my eating window. as I ate until 9pm, I had to fast until 1pm friday, but in fact was fine until 3pm and just ended up having a short (5 hour) eating window. Fasted again Friday through to Saturday lunchtime (17 hours). I then made a conscious decision not to fast from last night to this morning. I have two squares of 90% chocolate as a treat last night and ave had two creamy coffees this morning. Will fast again from this evening.

Thanks Captain. I have realized that I just transferred bad habits onto lchf compliant food, I am still eating from habit or emotion etc, just eating cream or cheese instead of chocolate or cake. I have also misunderstood the rules around dairy, in that while adding fat with cream and cheese is ok you still need to be careful as they have their own carbs to consider, which I hadn't quite grasped

So that has all helped, the fact is that I am still losing and I feel great which is important. Today I had an 11 hour fast again, no snacks, and I am trying the "egg fast" so have had cheese omelette for breakfast, have hb eggs with butter for lunch and will probably do goats cheese crustless quiche for tea. Hope I have the right idea in that it's egg, cheese and butter only. I will probably try to have an egg day once a week.

Next steps are to try and add a few hours to the fast, I am going to try to fast Fridays to Mondays because I can have tea at 5.30 or 6 and gain some hours there, whereas on work days (Tues-thurs) it's more like 8-9.30.

Sorry to write an essay I find it helpful to get my ideas down!

I've had a couple of good fasting days - have ended up both days going till around 3pm, but given I have my second meal late, that's not quite as impressive as it sounds! About 18 hours both days, with two substantial meals in my eating window. Tomorrow will be travelling to Spain (in fact leaving tonight as it's a long drive to the airport), so not sure how that will go. Probably just have to play it by ear a bit. Have packed emergency nuts and some 90% chocolate in case things go completely haywire with regards to food options en route. Not ideal, but portable. My husband has been concerned though about the strength of my ketone breath, and worrying that I'm overdoing it. It's not a problem though, is it (apart from not being very snoggable!)? I think it's because his brother was/is T1 diabetic, so he's grown up being watchful for symptoms of ketoacidosis, and isn't understanding the difference.

Fasted for 14 hours! Having an early tea made a huge difference

Well done OldBooks. We ate really late last night (10ish) so I'm just going to see how I go today.

OldBooks that is brilliant, well done. You will have had a benefit from that.
ilove enjoy your holiday, i'm very envious.
Stunt yes, i also ate late.

We went to an all you can eat place for lunch. I had LC - belly pork, various types of chicken, prawns, salmon and lots of different veg and green salad with olive oil. So, all good stuff, but there will have been hidden carbs in there and I did have three platefuls. Hence, i didn't want any other food until late.
I want to go to at least 1pm, which will be 15 hours, but I'll see how it goes.

Sounds great, Oldbooks Isn't it a great feeling when you discover you have managed perfectly well without eating for a good long stretch.

Have a great holiday, ilove. I'm home, on my last day before going back to work tomorrow and mostly doing washing.

I only managed 15 hours but my lunch was lovely if simple. Boil in the bag kippers with extra butter. I have some posh French cultured butter and it is luvverly. I'm going to have a creamy coffee and strawberries for dessert. Dinner will be a pan-fried chicken leg (thigh and drumstick) finished off in the oven, served with loads of veggies to get my five-a-day in. This WOE is just so sybaritic.

It did feel good, I felt peckish and thought I would tot up the fast and it was 13 hours, so I told myself to have a pint of water and wait another hour to make it 14 - and I did next challenge is tomorrow, long day at work and no snacks!

Sounds great Oldbooks

OldBooks sometimes being busy as work can make it easier. Because we aren't getting the sugar crashes with LC, I think it is physically easier to not eat than when doing IF and not LCHF.
I almost forgot to have lunch today. Had it at 3.30pm, which means a 17.5 hour fast.
I am contemplating a 24 hour fast on Wednesday as I know I will be in a situation where I won't be able to eat from between about 12.30 and 7.30 -8.00. I can't really see me wanting to eat before 12.30, so might just wait until afterwards. I will have food with me though, so if I do decide to eat before, I will be able to.

Just finished my dinner at 6 p.m. so I've only got to get to 10 a.m. tomorrow. Easy peasy!

Well done oldbooks. I've had a couple of late meals and interestingly have found I've wanted to eat earlier in the day than when I have my usual early meals. I've lost track a bit but I think there was only one day I didn't fast because I had a lump of cheese but it's been fourteeen to sixteen hours rather than sixteen to twenty. I've been really busy and am about four days behind now with Reading the other thread, just realised a new one must have started today so will go and drop in.

I've just finished an early lunch and I'm feeling pleased with myself for managing another fast. I still haven't lost any weight though! I'm blaming water retention/heat/PMT although DH is still sneaking carbs in. His latest culinary creation is green beans with breadcrumbs.

I had such a random day with food yesterday because of travelling, I assumed I'd be hungry this morning. However after a bottle of water, I felt fine, so decided to wait and see. I walked a very brisk 5km along the shore, then went for a swim when I got back to the villa. 6 weeks ago I wouldn't ever have contemplated being active before breakfast, I'd have felt awful. I took a couple of sachets of almond butter in my pocket, just in case I crashed, but I was absolutely fine. Just had grilled sardines and salad drenched in local olive oil after 17-18 hours. Really delighted. I feel like a different person.

Well done on the NSV Cherries.

I went food shopping this morning and even in the supermarket surrounded by food I didn't feel hungry. Fasting really is a revelation.

Oh ilovecherries Isn't it lovely to be on holiday without that terrible urge to eat. To enjoy delicious food when it is available and just not eat at other times. It has absolutely been my experience with LCHF, that I can go quite long periods indeed without food, and then only have a 'normal' meal when I do eat. DH is slowly becoming convinced that my previous habit, which was to declare 'a diet', not eat only to get very, very cross (mostly with him) and then eat heaps of sweets, has finally (sic) been put bed. Hurrah.

Never ( since my childhood skinny days) have i enjoyed a holiday so much, and it was all about being effortlessly in control of what I ate. Hope your hols goes well, too.

Oh, Stuntnun I feel for you, green beans and breadcrumbs? Who knew that was even a thing?

Lovely positive stories cherries and finally!

Mixed today. I did another 14 hour fast hurrah! But I am definitely hungry by then. And I have snacked today at work. 'only' 2 squares of dark choc, but still. Mind you I am really hungry today. I have nothing left to eat so will try to have a mug of stock before I leave the office to keep me going till home time.

It wasn't intentional but due to circumstance did a twenty two hour fast today. I was mainly too busy to think about food but when I did it was ok. By the time I could eat I decided it was too close to dinner and that was ok. I ate a generous dinner, especially the veg but I could have eaten more and didn't. Love the holiday successes.

Someone upthread said it is easier to fast after an early evening meal... Too right! Couldn't eat evening meal till gone 9 last night and so hungry this morning compared to yesterday!

Yes that was me I think oldbooks. Odd isn't it? Well today I got to 9 45 and felt very hungry, drinking didn't make it go away so I decided not to fast, then realised that because I'd gone back to an early evening meal yesterday the fast time had been up for over half an hour. Just had a left over burger, lettuce and hm coleslaw.

Hey guys,

Have had to knock the IF on the head for a couple of weeks until my life gets a bit less chaotic, but I'll still come and read about you lot and your fabulous IF stories :)

KOKO ladies :)

I think easing off is a good idea. I'm sorry your dad is so unwell, and hope he makes a quick recovery.