Archive for February, 2009

Intermittent Fasting Week 8

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

So the Fasting for weight loss journey continues. Today is the end of week 8 and the good news for me is I lost another 2lbs – just about 1 kilo. That is a total of 26lbs pounds lost while using I.F .

I mentioned last week that I was going to experiment and change my intermittent fasting plan to suit what I feel is more fitting with my weekly lifestyle. The longer you use intermittent fasting to help reduce weight, the more you become aware of the problems that have caused your weight gain in the past. In my case I enjoy my evening meals, all the family sit down, and I am not adverse to a second portion of anything !. In the daytime this is different. In the past I would eat at my computer, I would eat breakfast, not because I was hungry, just out of habit, I think the best way I can  describe it , is eating on autopilot.

I also think there is a pyscological part to this too. I would often be working on  a project and will have gone from eating breakfast to mid afternoon and think ” oh I missed lunch, I have not eaten anything, I need to eat ” . What I have realised over this last 8 weeks is , this was a habit, it was my head saying I needed to eat something because I missed lunch, not my body. It really is common sense, but there is nothing written that says we must eat 3 meals a day , and eat them at set times.This is what I mean by saying I am more in tune with my body and if I am hungry or not.My other problem, like most people who are trying to restrict calories is simply over estimating how many I have consumed, a problem you don’t have if you have not eaten !.

I know I have said it before, but I do feel flexibility of  intermittent fasting is what makes it work so well. My IF plan this last week has been to fast on weekdays, and eat normally on the weekend. I would estimate this has meant my fasting times is actually around 22 hrs. I have an eating window of 2hrs. I am breaking the fast between either 5 or 6.30 pm. Intermittent Fasting burns body fat once we are out of the fed state. As humans we are only ever in one of 2 states, Fed or Fasted. During the fasted state we burn most body fat between 18 and 24hrs , so even with the eating window I am using , I am  still getting a significant benefit from the time I am spending in the fasted state.

 

So what about the weekends ? .  I eat what I want, when I want on the weekend. The weekend starts Friday evening when I break my fast, so if later on Friday night  I wanted a snack, I would have one. If I am honest, I think the calories on the Friday evening are more likely to come from a glass or 2 of red wine, or a beer or 2. 

Last weekend I did eat breakfast on the Saturday morning around 10.30am.  Sunday morning I was not hungry and just had a coffee, but this was a cafe latte with sugar, so I was not fasting, I just didn’t feel like anything other than a coffee. I did eat lunch on Sunday which was a Spanish omelette with salad. Sunday evening I had roast chicken, and yes with the skin on, I had the chicken with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and a 175ml glass of red wine. I hope this helps show why I don’t feel deprived using Intermittent Fasting to lose weight. When I say nothing is off limits , I mean it. I still lost 2lbs this week, and I continue to eat the foods I want. When I did the Atkins diet, one of the biggest problems for me was the Sunday roast dinner. Atkins would say no problem with the roast chicken with the skin, but I would be passing up the Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes, sorry but long term when the rest of the family are eating those things, there is only so many weeks I am going be able to say ” no thank you “.  If I look back at the last 7 days, I have restricted, or saved calories  at times where I have not been truly hungry, and this has enabled me to enjoy the times I do eat. I will point out that I have eaten normally, I didn’t eat a whole chicken, you still have to be realistic. I eat until I am satisfied.

I am going to continue with using intermittent fasting through the week, and eating as I wish on the weekends. I have not found any problems with this plan. If you are just starting with Intermittent Fasting, I would still say to start with 1 or 2 fasts per week. Looking back, If you had told me to fast every weekday for 22 hours or more I seriously doubt I would have used I.F. I can do this now because I started slow, and started to understand what works for me. We are all different, this is one of the reasons that trying to follow a diet is not sustainable, and why diets fail. The people who write the diet books, do not know you, and what your lifestyle is like. I can’t tell you to do the same as me with I.F. because I don’t know your daily routine. What I can tell you is that using intermittent fasting to reduce body fat will work, all you have to do is find how best to make Intermittent Fasting fit your own way of living. Even after 8 weeks I am still fine tuning how I use it, but with 26lbs of fat gone in that time, I am glad I became a retired dieter.

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below for my free report

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Intermittent Fasting | 3 Comments »

Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Update

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

It is 7 weeks today since I did began to use Intermittent Fasting. I have lost 1lb this week, making a total loss of 24lb approx 11.5 kilos. As I posted yesterday, I am experimenting this week using an extended IF window on weekdays, and eating as normal on a weekend. I will document how I progress over the next week. I am writing this mid morning ( about 10.30 am )  and have no hunger at the moment.

Last nights evening meal was Spaghetti Bolognese, followed by a blackberry and apple fruit crumble, fruit was real fruit, not out of tin, before you ask !.  I do tend to eat real food,  nothing out of a box is one rule I tend to follow. I am interested to see  if I find Intermittent Fasting harder to do today with eating  , what would be regarded as quite a high carb meal last night.I ate at usual time yesterday and certainly had no desire to eat anything more before bed last night. I had  2 cups of fruit tea,  but certainly was not hungry. So as I write this I am 16hrs into the fast and I can’t say I feel any different at the moment than on other fasting days. I will see how it goes, and report any changes. Chicken casserole tonight, made with chicken thighs, looking forward to it.

I.F. Update Thursday 19th Feb 4pm.
No problems on the fast at all. I don’t know if this is because my body is used to intermittent fasting now, or simply that the carbs have not had any adverse effect. With just over to hours to go before I eat, the fast has been comfortable.

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below for my free report

Tags: , ,
Posted in Retired Dieter | 2 Comments »

Intermittent Fasting- What works for you ?

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Intermittent Fasting has proven an easy way for me to reduce body fat. As the weeks have passed, I have found my fasts have become easier to do. Other than not eating for a set period of time, there are not really any rules to follow. I have been using the intermittent fasting plan of not eating from 6.30 pm to 6.30 pm  twice a week.
The first week I started, I fasted from a Thursday evening ( this was New Years Day ) to Friday evening. I then ate normally over the weekend, and started my next fast after my evening meal on the Sunday. The fact my first fast went well for me, meant I was happy to do a second fast a few days later. I have then continued with these 2 days ( Sunday evening and Thursday evening ) as my I.F. fasting days. This works for me, but you may be different, you start with only one fast per week and build up once you get used to it. The great thing about Intermittent Fasting is you get it to fit around you, you don’t fit your life around a diet, I have certainly found this to be one of the main benefits for me. This week, because I am finding using intermittent fasting so easy, I am experimenting a little. I realise I eat more on weekends, this is because of social gatherings , visiting family etc. I also find that during the week, while working I find I am not hungry at what would be lunch time. I think with the greater understanding of hunger I have developed over the last month or so, means, if I don’t actually feel hungry at a set time , I now don’t eat.In the past I would have been concerned at missing a meal. I guess you would say I have developed a more ” eat when I am hungry ” mentality. If I am on a day I am meant to eat, I simply wait until I feel hungry. I have found that this means my first meal was getting pushed back towards mid afternoon. With this in mind I have decided to see how I get on with waiting the extra 3 hours to my evening meal.

On a weekend I am unable do this.When we visit my parents, we arrive for lunch, and eat around 1.30. Not eating at that time is not an option.The routine I have got into on a Saturday is that I just have coffee in the morning and then we set off to my Parents for lunch. I actually find that when I arrive , the smell of food soon triggers the stomach to rumble, so I can’t say I have problem to enjoy it !.

If you are considering using Intermittent Fasting to reduce your weight, I would liken the process a little to training for a marathon or a fun run. You would not just turn up on the day of the race and just run, you train for it. So is the case with Intermittent Fasting. I have in effect trained myself over the last 7 weeks to listen more to my body, and also develop my own routine for using I.F that fits around my lifestyle. The way I am using Intermittent Fasting to reduce body fat, may not be what works for you. I want to try an increased fasting period during the week because it seems to fit my daily life. I have come to that conclusion only after reviewing how I have been using Intermittent Fasting over the last 7 weeks. Again there are no rules, if tomorrow I am going to meet someone for Lunch, I will go, I will not think I can’t go because I am fasting. It just so happens that for me , and the way I work, restricting calories during the week is easier for me.

 

Intermittent Fasting does not need you to buy any special foods or supplements, if you want to try it, all you need do is pick a time to try it and then give it a go. The only thing to remember is no calories.  During my fasts, I drink black coffee, fruit and herbal teas ( I  just can’t drink normal tea without milk ! ) diet drinks such as diet coke etc. I do use 1 Splenda sweetener in my teas and coffee.

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below for my free report

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Intermittent Fasting | No Comments »

Intermittent Fasting v 6 Small Meals A Day.

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

 

Intermittent Fasting is clearly at the opposite end of the spectrum to the frequent small meals throughout the day dieting plans. It is not my intention in this post to go into the debate about the effects on the metabolism of a person following either plan. In this post I wanted to explain my own experiences with using both methods.

 I tried  the 6 small meals a day way of eating 3 years ago, back in January 2006. In the same way as I am doing now, I kept a record of following the process. I found through my own experience of trying to follow this regime that it was not practical for me at all.By the second week I had wrote that  I was finding it difficult to stick to. One occasion I was in a meeting that went on longer than I planned, and I missed one of my eating windows. I also found that food was constantly on my mind, either because I was preparing what I was going to eat next, or looking at my watch to see if it was time to eat. If I missed a meal I would fret about it, thinking I had done some damage to my regime. Looking back I just could not follow the system at all. Even if I had planned ahead and taken food with me to a meeting, I could not exactly stop half way through in order to eat half a chicken breast and rice. I found that trying to follow a system of eating 6 meals a day began to dominate my life. On Friday evenings when I would go out, I would have to break off from socialising with my friends to eat my 6th meal of the day, looking back on it now, it is clear how ridiculous it was, but at the time, the desire to lose weight meant I was happy to try it. I also found the rate of weight loss to be no different to other diet plans I had followed. I do not believe that this method of eating provided any improved results. Even if there were benefits to eating this way , what is very clear to me, is that this system is not practical for me, and indeed the vast majority of people to follow.

In contrast when I compare my notes of the last 6 weeks for intermittent fasting, I have found a way of eating that has been very easy to stick to, If I am fasting and a meeting was to take longer, instead of worrying about missing my time to eat, I take comfort in knowing I just extended my fat burning period !what a difference. In my opinion this shows that the psychological effect of a diet does play an important role. My own findings with intermittent fasting are that the psychological aspects are positive. I find during periods of intermittent fasting that my focus on food is greatly reduced. I think this is down to the fact, as I am not eating, I don’t have to think about what is the right or wrong foods to choose at a meal time, simply because there is no meal time for 24hrs. To give a real life example , last Tuesday I was fasting, I had eaten Monday evening at 6.30 so the next meal would be 6.30  Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon I was actually at my Sons school for the parents teachers evening. I should have been back home for 6.30 but as is often the case with these things, the appointments were running late, and It was over an hour later when I got home. Instead of worrying I had not eaten, I found the extra hour or so no problem at all, and was knew that the extended fasting period had only been a benefit. Intermittent Fasting for me is proving to be a practical way for me to reduce body fat, that is not something I can say about eating 6 small meals a day.

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below for my free report

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Intermittent Fasting | No Comments »

Intermittent Fasting Fat Loss

Monday, February 16th, 2009

6 weeks into following Intermittent Fasting for weight loss, here is the details of measurements and body fat percentage comparisons .

In the first 6 weeks I have lost 12% body fat. I am of course thrilled with this result, and it shows that intermittent fasting reduces body fat, the results show I am maintaining muscle while losing fat, which is the main objective. When I take into account that I have also continued to eat the foods I enjoy during this time period, I feel this is further confirmation that intermittent fasting is a simple and straight forward way of reducing body fat.

6 week weight comparison

Jan 1st 2009
Weight 105 Kilos ( 231LBS)
Body Fat 34%

Feb 11th
Weight 94 Kilos (207LBS)
Body Fat 22%

Measurements

Jan 1st 2009
Chest 115.5 cm
Stomach 115.5 cm
Thighs R 63cm L 62 cm

Feb 11th
Chest 108.5
Stomach 98.5 cm
Thighs R 57.5 cm L 59.5

The main point I want to make about these results is, they have been achieved without any special foods or supplements, no long boring sessions cardio exercise and no restrictions of the type of foods I eat.It is important to also remember that  following my intermitent fasting plan, I still eat every day, there is never a day without food. The science behind intermittent fasting is that during the fasted state the body burns fat, with the optimum period of fat burning occurring between 18 and 24 hrs. I am sure some people will want to dispute it, but all I can say is , I am following this plan to lose body fat, and the results speak for themselves.

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below for my free report

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Retired Dieter | No Comments »

Intermittent Fasting and Dietitian BS

Friday, February 13th, 2009

I read an article today on Intermittent Fasting that came into my inbox from the Sydney Morning Herald.  I don’t have a problem with the intermittent fasting article , it is well balanced and informative.I do have a problem with the quote from the dietitian. To quote the article

Dietitian Ruth Frechman says she frequently sees extreme strategies backfire. “You’re hungry, fatigued, irritable,” she says. “Fasting is not very comfortable. People try to cut back one day and the next day they’re starving and they overeat.”

This type of generalisation makes my blood boil. It is such a sweeping statement, and so clearly not based on any factual evidence. Perhaps Ruth Frechman was misquoted, or the statement was taken out of context, but remarks like this serve no purpose. I would like to ask the dietitian what research or experience she has in the use of Intermittent Fasting, what factual basis is she using to make this statement, has she tried Intermittent Fasting herself  or done any kind of study to conclude this to be the case ?. Ruth , If by any chance you happen to read this post, let me tell you that in over 6 weeks of using Intermittent Fasting as a method to reduce my weight, I have not  found any of those comments to be true, in fact quite the opposite, I find during my fasts that I have more energy, am more alert and less irritable than if I am an hour late for eating lunch. My statement unlike Ruth Frechman’s is based on personal experience of having actually done it. I would also say that following an Intermittent Fasting lifestyle has got easier as the weeks pass, not harder. I have become more aware of my eating habits, and have a greater understanding of actual hunger. As mentioned in the article I am seeing health benefits from Intermittent Fasting. I do suffer from Asthma and there is no doubt that Intermittent Fasting has resulted in an improvement in this area for me. So my own findings based on facts, are Intermittent Fasting can help you reduce weight and improve your health.

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below

Tags: ,
Posted in Intermittent Fasting | No Comments »

Intermittent Fasting Week 6

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Just a quick update on using fasting for weight loss.

Today is 6 weeks to the day that I did my first fast . I lost a further 2lb this week ( approx 1 kilo )  I have now lost a total of 23lb or appox 11 kilos during those 6 weeks.  In the past when trying to lose weight, I found following a low carb diet, produced the greatest amount of weight loss during the same time frame I have been following the Intermittent Fasting lifestyle.

The difference however between low carb dieting and intermittent fasting is that on a low carb diet, there were always times where I felt restricted. In a period of 6 weeks, I can’t honestly say there would not be times where I craved some fresh baked bread, or roasted potatoes. Sunday was always a problem,  Yorkshire pudding hardly fits the low carb lifestyle. Yes you can come up with a low carb version, but I don’t care what anybody says, it’s just not the same. In my experience, the Yorkshire pudding is perfect example of the benefits of intermittent fasting. What I mean by that is, a food that I see as essential to my enjoyment of a Sunday Roast dinner, is not off limits. Last night , our family meal was roast shoulder of pork, roast potatoes, carrots, peas, and broccoli, which i gave a liberal coating of gravy made from the meat juices.  If I was on a low carb diet, there is no doubt that I would have felt deprived, passing up the roast potatoes. We are all different and maybe for you it would not be a problem, but for me it is, that is why using Intermittent Fasting is proving to be my best way of reducing body fat.

The problem with going on a diet, be it low carb,  GI or any other current hot trend is the fact , that it is hard to stick to for any sustainable length of time, and that is why we view it that we fail. My suggestion is you should not view it as you have failed, more that the diet has failed, and the reason it failed is because long term, it simply isn’t feasibly to eat that way. If you love sushi, how do you eat sushi every week and follow a low carb diet  ? It ends up you eat is as a treat, you either have it, when you have attained your target weight, or you ” come off the diet ” but will go back on it tomorrow. I know this because I was the same, but in truth, if I want to eat sushi once a week, twice a week, or every day, it should not be I feel I am breaking some rule if I do so. I have found that many of the problems with dieting come from how we view the food we eat. The last 6 weeks I have felt strangely liberated , knowing that I can enjoy any food I choose, and there is nothing wrong in eating it.

So why is Intermittent Fasting easier to follow for losing body fat ?

In my opinion , once you have completed one fast of 24hrs you have achieved your first target. Many of your preconceived ideas about fasting are removed. You find it wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be, and more importantly , after you have done it once, you know you can do it again. I am sure for different people, fasting for weight loss will easier for some and harder for others, all I can say is, it does get easier, and with 6 weeks completed, it now is second nature for me

Want more information on using Intermittent Fasting for losing body fat ?

Then enter your name and email address in the form below

Tags: , ,
Posted in Intermittent Fasting | 2 Comments »

Fasting for Weight Loss update

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Fasting for weight loss for just over 5 weeks, I have been making some notes about my findings as I progress. Of course the fact I am losing body fat is good, I have noticed that using Intermittent Fasting as a way to reduce weight has become very easy for me to follow. I am not restricting my food choices , only the time I eat, and I have found this has meant I have not had cravings for any particular food. My view on this is , that if I have a desire for a certain food, I can look forward to eating it when my time to eat arrives. On my fasting days , I fast from evening meal to evening meal, which is  6.30pm to 6.30 pm . This way I always sit down with the family and eat the same meal. One of the benefits of using fasting for weight loss is there are  no special meals required, no problems of  I can’t eat this or that because I am on a diet. I have also realised over the last 5 weeks that, much of the way I ate, was simply habit. Intermittent Fasting has helped me notice many of my bad habits. Eating not because I was hungry, but just as a habit while doing something else.I also have started to notice health benefits from intermittent fasting. My energy levels are higher, I am not getting tired in afternoons, if anything I am even more alert on fasting days. I also have noticed an improvement with my Asthma . I am currently checking for research reports on Fasting and Asthma to see if there are any recorded benefits with it. I have read research which  has found benefits associated with Fasting and Health, such as increasing the life expectancy, but I have not read anything on Fasting and Asthma , if anyone knows of any research please let me know in the comments. With 21lbs ( approx 10 kilos ) of weight lost since January 1st, I have to say early indications are that  fasting for weightloss works. This weekend when I and the rest of the family visit my Parents I know we are having steak pie from the local farm shop, the pie is sensational, I am looking forward to it even now, I find that the most liberating thing about life as a retired dieter, instead of worrying about should I eat it, I am counting down the days, comfortable in the knowledge I have found a way to control my weight without worrying what I eat.  If you are interested on using intermittent fasting and   would like a free report on Flexible Fasting and Fasting for weight loss, then please enter your name and email in the form below.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Intermittent Fasting | No Comments »

Intermittent Fasting works for me

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Fasting for weight loss is going well for me. I started on January 1st 2009, and today is my 5th week of using intermittent fasting to help reduce me weight. Other than the fasting periods , where obviously I am not eating anything, I have not restricted the foods I eat. This means during the last 5 weeks, if there was something I wanted to eat, I have done so. The  reason for me following an intermittent fasting plan, is I did not want to have to think about what I can and can not eat, diets make us think of good and bad foods. I can honestly say that in the last 5 weeks I have not felt deprived. It is still early days, I am only following a flexible fasting lifestyle for 5 weeks, but at this point I would say it is something I will no problem to continue. I like the way I can plan my fasts around my life. In my view diets have the opposite affect, and we end up planning out lives around our diets.  Yesterday I received an offer from Pizza Express offering a meal including a glass of wine or beer, garlic dough balls, or garlic bread for £10, but I have to use it in the next ten days. I like my local Pizza Express, so this is something I will take them up on. I am not on a diet, I am not watching my carbs, so I didn’t think, oh but i am on a diet, i don’t want to blow my diet by going to pizza express. I will use the day I go as a fasting day, and I will break the fast, in Pizza Express, and enjoy it. I am not saying this is for everyone, but it certainly works for me.

In the 5 weeks of fasting for weight loss I have so far lost  21lbs.  which is 1 and a half stone, or 10 kilos. I did lose 9lbs in the first week, but remember I started on New Years Day after a week or so of serious indulgence !. The last 2 weeks I have lost 2lbs each week, a steady weight loss that I am happy with.

If you want to know more about Intermittent Fasting, go here or for my free report , fill in the form below

Tags: ,
Posted in Intermittent Fasting | No Comments »