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Flexible Intermittent Fasting - Doing What Is Best For You

Friday, March 12th, 2010

It is my Daughter Amber’s 14th birthday this weekend, and because she sings in a school gospel choir and has a concert on her actual Birthday on Saturday, we all went out to her restaurant of choice last night.  Her choice was a pizza and pasta place called Ask, there are number around the UK.

So even though I am on my get 6 pack abs quest, there was no way I was holding back last night.

2 large 660ml Peroni beers

A bowl of olives

One Peperoni pizza ( Stromboli is what Ask call it )

And to top it all off a warm Chocolate Nemesis with a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream for desert.

The only truly low calorie thing I had all night was my double macchiato

I don’t know the calories for sure, but my best guess is around  3,500 calories in total.

What I wanted to point out was I knew this meal was coming, so yesterday I did not eat before going to the restaurant so I broke my fast there, but today I got up this morning and was not hungry, and as I write this at 3 in the afternoon, I have decided to wait until dinner this evening before I eat again. I will also keep my evening meal a little lighter than usual for a Friday, which is usually one of my higher calorie days.

My point with this post is that you should fit how you eat around your life, not your life around how you eat. I enjoyed last night, I did not have any guilt about what I had to eat, I did not think about ” healthy choices ” I just had what I wanted on a family celebration and that is how it should be. At no time was I obsessing over going out for the meal, or what I should choose from the menu. As a retired dieter these are things I no longer worry about,I am aware I ate more, so now I just need to eat less to balance things up. This is what I have mastered over the last year or so, and it is very liberating to no longer worry about ” blowing the diet “. Yes I will have done more than 2 fasts this week, but as I say, for this week, that is what works best for me, it is about flexibility, there are no rules. I don’t do it every week, but today it just felt right to take a break from eating. This will mean I will have fasted for about 20 hours by the time I eat tonight. I find this  the easiest way for me to eat less, especially when I want to offset a more indulgent day.I did not plan on it this morning, but the fact I wasn’t even hungry this morning made it a logical choice.

And what about the abs you may wonder ? well I still have 3 weeks , but I do have a St Patrick’s day meal out next week too, so I better plan some low calorie days.

All of us in our daily lives have these situations, I just wanted to share how I approach mine and what works for me.

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Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss - Q&A

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

As I have  used Intermittent Fasting for weight loss and weight control, I find I am asked  a number of questions  about fasting for weight loss. It has been a while since I posted any frequently asked questions about Intermittent Fasting, so now seemed as good a time as any to post some.

As always if you have any questions that are not covered here, feel free to put them in the comments section, our you can mail me at retireddieter [@ = at] gmail.com

Q  Does Intermittent Fasting Slow Down Your Metabolism

A No, you are only taking a break from eating for a period of 24 hours. Studies show that periods of fasting for even 72 hours have no effect on your metabolism. The diet industry loves to talk about metabolism, but the truth is your base metabolic rate really does not change. I think the best example I can give here is my own weight loss success . I continued to lose body fat using intermittent fasting without any metabolism issues.  Claims that your metabolism slows down if you don’t eat for a few hours is a myth.

Q  Is Juice Fasting  The Same As Intermittent Fasting ?

A  No , if you drink a fruit juice, you are still consuming calories. I actually the find the term Juice Fasting misleading, as you are not fasting at all. It would be quite possible to drink more than your normal daily calorie limit from fruit juice, though hardly satisfying.

Q What Do You Have During Your Fasts ?

A I have black coffee, the real stuff, no instant ! I drink green tea and fruit teas,  Twinings green tea with mango is one of my favourites. I also will drink diet drinks like Pepsi Max, though I tend to mainly stick to hot drinks.

Q Do You Count Calories

A No I do not count calories in the sense of looking at every meal , but I would say I am aware of the approximate number of calories I eat. The problem with diets is we tend to underestimate the number of calories we consume, and this is one reason weight loss can be a problem. The days I fast make it easy to cover my calorie miscalculations.  I would suggest that if you are just starting to use intermittent fasting for losing weight, then keep a food diary for at least 7 days first. It will give you a good insight into where and when you use consume  most calories.

Q Do You Do Your Workouts While You Are Fasting ?

A  Yes I have done my bodyweight workouts on days when I am fasting, In my own experience I do not find any difference between working out fasted or when I have eaten, and I doubt you will be surprised to hear I don’t go in for the ” you must eat after a workout ”  advice.

Q When My Fast Is Over What Should I Eat ?

A  Just eat as if the fast never happened. For example if my fast is from dinner to dinner, then I just eat that evening meal as normal. I eat as I normally would, no special rewards because I fasted, just the regular meal.

Q  Will Intermittent Fasting Burn More Belly Fat ?

A Intermittent Fasting for a 24 hour period does burn more fat, but you can not spot target where on your body the fat is burned.

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Fasting For Weight Loss - Breaking The Fast

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

If I look at the questions I am asked, I think ones about what I eat when I break the fast, and what I eat on my normal eating days seem to be the most frequent.  I also noticed around some of the other blogs I follow, that they are getting the same thing. Brad Pilon did a post last week of a typical eating day for him . I also noticed John Barban talking about his own eating routine and morning coffee .  It fits well with what I was talking about in my Weight Loss Tips post, about not thinking of foods as good or bad, but to just enjoy what you eat.  So as I just finished a fast, I thought I will post some pictures and some information about what I had when I finished my 24 hour break from eating.

With having 2 kids, often meals in the week are based around what they will eat too, so the meals I mentioned here are a good example of that. Monday evening , my last meal before starting my fast was minced beef and jacket potato with a selection of vegetables. I did not have a desert, but I did have a 3 pieces of cadburys dairy milk chocolate with a cup of tea. Then it was into the fast.

Breaking the fast on Tuesday evening 24 hours later, this is what I ate.

I had 2 burgers in one bun ( Tesco Finest British Beef Burgers ) The bun was a malted grain bap ( also from Tesco)  There was a slice of mature cheddar on the burgers. And a  half dozen  British chunky chips ( oven baked ) Notice there is a touch of green on that plate and a bit in the bun itself, a token gesture, but it is still salad ;)  The picture may not make it clear, but the burger was large, there is 2 quarter pounders in there, and it is on a big plate, trust me it was more than enough to eat.

Fasting For Weight Loss- Breaking The Fast

Fasting For Weight Loss- Breaking The Fast

I followed that up with a cup of tea a slice of  this   Cinnamon and Nutella cake my wife baked , very nice it was too.

Cinnamon Nutella Cake

I would not normally look at the calories, but for this post I have done so as best I can.

The burgers were 185 calories each

The mature cheddar 80 calories

The Malted Bun  240 calories

The Chips     around 80 calories

Some Ketchup and Mayo on there I guess another 60 calories

That is a total of around 830 calories

The cake they say is about 360 per slice, but is for only 12 slices, and I have divided into twice that amount, which would mean about 180, but just to be on the safe side I will estimate up and say 250

So there we go, my calorie intake is somewhere in the region today of 1100 calories. As I write this  I am still feeling very full from the  meal this evening so I think the only thing i am likely to have before bed tonight is a cup of tea or 2, so I would say I am not likely to have more than 1200 calories today. As I pointed out earlier, I don’t really count calories fora meal like this normally, but if I started gaining weight, then I would certainly look more closely but I tend to have a good idea of what calories are in the foods I eat.

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Fasting For Weight Loss - Post Holiday Fast

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Happy New Year to everyone, have you become a retired dieter yet ?

Easing myself back into intermittent fasting today. I am doing  a shorter than normal fast for the first fast of the new year. I started last night at 10pm, and will end at 6.30 tonight, so a little over 20 hours.  I did wonder after the holidays if this one would be tougher than normal, but it has been very easy, I think my body is glad of the break from eating !.

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Intermittent Fasting - End Of Year Weigh-In

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

I am on my final fast for the year as I write this post.  The fast will end at around 6.30 tonight, and that will be my last one for the holidays. I also decided to check my weight today before the holiday festivities start. Even after a weekend wedding and a Sunday where I spent most of it avoiding the snow sitting in the pub, I still at my start of year  target weight of 12 stone 7lbs  or 175lbs  - 79  Kilos.

I have now stayed at this weight for  2 months, also showing that intermittent fasting will not only help you lose weight, but also be a fantastic tool to help you maintain the weight you want to be. As a retired dieter of course, even after hitting my target weight, nothing really changed. It wasn’t as if I was really doing anything different during the 10 months I was focused on losing body fat.

I have continued to fast twice per week, the only thing I would say I have done differently in the last 2 months is to be a little more indulgent on weekends.  For me that usually revolves around a beer or two, so in the last couple of months I will be more likely to have a couple of drinks on  a Sunday lunchtime than when I was looking to get the weight off.  Looking back though I have to say the eating and drinking is just not something I think about, I just do what I feel.

I know over the Christmas holidays I am likely to gain some weight, but no way am I going to worry about it. The holidays are a time to enjoy, and that is what I will do, safe in the knowledge that  fasting after the feasts will get me back to where I want to be.  I don’t know who said it, but  one phrase I like that has stuck with me is this one


It’s Not What You Do Between Christmas And New Year That Matters, But What You Do Between New Year And Christmas

I agree with that statement 100 %  , It is not about one weeks over indulgence over a holiday period, it is about 51 weeks of slightly over eating every day that causes the problem. Intermittent Fasting is now my way keeping me where I want to be, and also allowing me to enjoy food without any worries.

I will continue to write this blog as I think it is also important to show people not only can you burn body fat with intermittent fasting, but I.F. also helps you control your weight. Diets fail because they are restrictive. My first goal as a retired dieter was to show you I can  lose the weight without going on a diet, 2010 will be about showing I can keep the weight off just as easily. I have set myself a new personal goal for getting the 6 pack. I am doing this because I want to see how easy it is for a 45 year old former fat guy to achieve it. I think I need to lose about another 7lbs to get there, so that will be the first objective over the first quarter of 2010. Intermittent fasting will of course be my weapon of choice to get there !.

I hope that this blog provides inspiration for others out there to take the plunge, and become retired dieters too. Food was never meant to be as complicated as the nutritionists make it out to be.  There are no miracle diets, no new revolutionary ways to do it, if you truly want to lose weight, you just need to eat less, and find a simple way of doing it. I  can tell you after 12 months ( Yes 12 months not 12 weeks ! ) of using  I.F  that this is the way to do it.

Enjoy the holidays, and make sure you also become a retired dieter in 2010.

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Intermittent Fasting - Keeping Weight Off

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Just a quick update as I have not posted any intermittent fasting updates since hitting my target weight back in October. I am still doing 2 fasts per week, Sunday evening to Monday evening, and usually Thursday evening to Friday. I have just continued with my usual routine, and was pleased to see that not only am I keeping the weight off, but had lost another 1lb. This means I am 12 stone 6lbs or 174lbs - 79 kilos.

As we enter the holiday season, I am interested to see how my weight changes, I have noticed these days that I am more aware that when I have had a heavy couple of days socially, that I offset it with days where I eat less, and that really is what has changed for me this year. I now don’t look at the Holidays with dread of breaking a diet, because I retired from dieting a year ago. Now I will simply use my flexible eating process to help control my weight over the Holidays

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Intermittent Fasting Success Stories - My Target Reached

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

On the first of January 2009, I set a weight loss target to lose 4 stone over 12 months. I was going to do this without ” going on a diet ” I would not ban any of the foods I enjoy, instead I would simply reduce the number of calories I ate. Well this weekend , with a little over 2 months to spare, I have achieved my goal. My weight today is 12 stone 7lbs, or 175lbs - 79.5 kilos.

Over the years I have tried many different things to not only reduce my weight, but also to control it. Nothing has ever been so easy or so effective for me as using Intermittent Fasting.  In 10 months of using I.F I have not felt deprived, I have not felt at any time that I was on a diet and I think this is the single biggest reason for achieving my target.

So now I have reached my target what next ?   … Well first I am going to see if I can get the classic 6 pack,  I also want to try and reduce my body fat a little more, and continue to tone up. I do believe it is important to always set new targets, so for the end of the year, I am just going to try and improve my strength and fitness.

Update Jan 2010 If you arrived at this page without knowing my story,  You can see my weight loss before and after pictures here

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Intermittent Fasting Weeks 40 -41

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

A 2 week update, and though I have lost 5lbs, some of this will be water, not body fat , as I had the flu for a week, this despite the fact I actually have a flu jab !. I do mean the flu, not a cold, we are talking in bed with high temperature , sweating like I was sat in a sauna, and yet shivering at the same time.  I am still not fully recovered, but I am on the mend, though I don’t think I will be doing any body weight exercises for another few days at least.  I have also lost my appetite,  funny how natures way of helping the body recover is to stop us wanting food, so this last week or so it’s fair to say  I have had enforced fasting days and reduced calorie days rather than through choice.

So just to update my weight, I am now  176lbs, 12 stone 8lbs or aprox 79.8 Kilos. This leaves me only 1lb off my goal set at the start of the year, but let’s see what the next couple of weeks bring and my body gets back to normal.

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Intermittent Fasting Update Week 38 - 39

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

A  good 2 weeks for me as I lose 3lbs and go below 13 stone for the first time.  I am now 12 stone 13lbs or 181lbs or 82 kilos. This is the lowest weight I have been this year, and since i became a retired dieter. So after almost 9 months, I have  gone from 231 lbs down to 181 the magical 50lbs.

I have lost 50lbs without giving up any food or drink I enjoy, and I truly believe that is the reason for my success.  Adding Intermittent Fasting to provide the calorie restriction has been a very easy solution. I am proof that there are no good are bad foods in terms of losing weight. The solution is to just eat less. One of the worst things I hear from people on a diet is ” I am not allowed that , I am on a diet ” I was once like that, but not any more. It is really a coincidence that I lose more weight than every before and do it easily when I stop restricting the foods I eat, but just restrict how much of them I eat instead ?

Of the many ways to lose weight in my opinion it is the simplicity that makes intermittent fasting most effective

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Intermittent Fasting Week 37 Back On Track

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

So another week seems to have flown by, and the good news for me is that last weeks weight gain, has come off again this week.

Yes a 2lb weight loss recorded on the scales makes me a happy chappy. Again no change in the belt, but I actually think I do look a little leaner. I need to do a photo update to be sure.

So I am back at 13 stone 2 lbs or 184lbs which for the metric followers out there is about 83.4 Kilos.

Only other changes this week was actually reducing the days of resistance training down to 2 days. The new intense body weight exercises ( well intense for me anyway ! ) mean I using an extra day to recover . I am doing more bodyweight pull up exercises , and I certainly know about it when I have finished.

So I hope to see the scales keep in a downward direction next week, if I can move beyond 184lbs I will be at my lowest recorded weight of the year.

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