One of you wants to lose weight and get healthy, and one doesn't give a rip and just wants to eat all the things. The person who wants to get healthy better learn how to trick the other one.
I loved your interview on Gin's podcast that I listened to yesterday and am so happy to have found you on Sub Stack!
I have been IF and mostly meat based very low carb since 2017. I started with very low carb and then added IF quite by accident. I just wasn't hungry so I skipped breakfast and then started skipping lunch. I still can't believe how good I feel just by removing the sugar, grains, starches and seed oils and avoiding most ultra processed foods. My fasting window is also somewhere around 18 - 19 hours on most days.
I lost a total of 45 pounds. I went from 155 down to 118 that first summer and then dropped to 110 over the next 2 years. I have been able to easily maintain that weight loss with a 4 to 5 pound swing that I allow for myself. I wear a extra small shirts and a size 0 to 2 in jeans, depending on the brand.
Last fall I did get down to 108 due to being super busy at work and having several 24 hour fasts in a row. I felt fantastic, but was getting a little bony. LOL. For reference I am 5'2".
This way of eating is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel better at 51 than I ever did at 40 or even my late 30's. I used to suffer from severe sciatica, low back pain, hip pain, knee pain and foot pain and suffered from severe headaches. I was also diagnosed pre-diabetic.
I can happily say all those issues and pain are GONE! I wish I had known this in my 20's. It would have saved me a whole lot of grief and suffering. Sciatic pain and day ender headaches are no joke.
My lab numbers look great too. Triglycerides - 48. HDL - 135. HDL/ Triglyceride ratio .3
Fasting Insulin- 3. A1C 5.4 AST/ALT ratio .79
And did I also mention that menopause has been a breeze?
I could go on and on about this topic, but I'll stop there. I just really like talking about this stuff. It's so fascinating to me.
I really enjoy knowing people's health data and I have to say, your numbers are some of the best I've ever seen. That TGL/HDL ratio, the most important heart disease marker, is A+++. And your fasting insulin is also incredible, the most important metabolic marker. I love to hearing from people who have been doing this 5+ years and have the labs to prove how incredibly healing this way of life is to health.
My own fasting insulin was 4.1 last time I checked but I'm excited to take a new one soon and see how/if it improved.
I'm also so glad to hear that menopause was a breeze. There results are just incredible; thanks for sharing.
It is so helpful to see someone elses numbers (besides the "range" numbers)- it's motivating and actually gives me something to strive for! Thanks for sharing those. I have a ways to go - my fasting insulin was 8.5 :( A1C not horrible at 5.5 tho.
8.5 is not terrible for an American. It just shows that you have a little ways to go until you'll be at tip top metabolic health. When you get there, it will be so rewarding! I'm so glad you tested. Numbers are so motivating for me. Your A1c is fine but that's why fasting insulin is so important. Fasting insulin will elevate for years before the A1c finally begins to creep up.
You mentioned on the Gin podcast that you did that you tried Keto but didn’t work. What eating plan did you follow to lose the weight? Was it low carb? Paleo? Thanks Bec
So it's complicated, and I see how it could be hard to what I did.
So first, when I did keto with no IF, I lost a few pounds and the plateaued. I was also using artificial sweeteners and that could be part of the reason why.
Then, when I was doing my first 6 months of IF and doing 20:4 but not losing weight, I kept intending to eat low carb but never following through.
Then, when I switched to ADF and was dropping pounds, I was suddenly able to eat low carb naturally because the longer fasts cured my sugar/carb addiction so they no longer had such a hold on me.
The first few months of ADF, I just naturally tapered off of ultra processed foods. I would still eat some homemade bread about once a week and a dessert once a week. Then in February and March, I did a zero carb carnivore experiment to see how I felt. It was amazing and I loved the energy and mind clarity. I was already in maintenance at this point so I wasn't doing it for more weight loss, just health. And also because I was recommending it to several people whom I coach for health problems, and I never want to recommend something to someone that I haven't at least tried.
Where I am now is that I still eat very few ultra processed foods from a bag. I do have a few carbs but I would consider myself low carb except on special occasions and time where we are guests or having people over.
I like the idea of having people naturally transition to a lower carb lifestyle through fasting since fasting helps us to naturally crave more healthy foods. But if someone enjoys doing low carb in addition to fasting, then that is great too. The lower carb one eats, the healthier you'll be since carbs are unnecessary and have almost no nutrition.
I just listened to your podcast episode #305 with Gin Stephens and you were telling my story. I too have been fasting for almost 4 years and haven't lost any weight or inches in my waist. I hope to try some of the things you mentioned. I was so happy to sign up here and can't wait to learn more.
Insulin resistance can be stubborn and sometimes it takes something extra to shake the body up. My other advice which I didn't get a chance to mention in my interview with Gin is that those struggling with weight loss resistance sometimes respond extremely well to cutting out all seed oils (canola, soybean, etc). These unnatural oils can mess up your body's satiety signals and its ability to burn fat. However, it takes some time for the body to detox from them.
I love your interview with Gin because it mirrored my experience so far! 8 months with no weight loss. I'm terrified of ADF, but I've done it a few times. It was so helpful to hear you say that, just like you wouldn't skip a cancer treatment to beat cancer, you don't want to skip a fast if you are trying to reverse a disease. Thank you so much! Gives me hope that I can really do this!
If you've already been fasting for 8 months, the switch to ADF should be easy. I got so used to ADF, that now that I'm in maintenance doing a daily eating window, I find that I miss ADF so I've started doing at least one 40 hour each week just because I love the feeling of digging deep into the autophagy and the soaring ketones. Keep me posted.
You absolutely can do it! If you just make up your mind ahead of time that you aren't breaking your fast until "x" time, you can do it!! I find drinking sparkling mineral water REALLY helps get me through. I drink Mountain Valley sparkling water or Gerolsteiner (more $$). They have good minerals - calcium, magnesium, & potassium. Add a bit of sodium. The sparkling one really helps me feel full and not want to eat. This is my trick :)
Just heard your story on Gin’s podcast today! I too have struggled with IC and I have a nasty autoimmune condition I’m hoping to put into remission. You’re inspiring me to give this another try. It sounds like you eat keto now, is that correct? I’m thinking to jump back in to IF starting w keto, I know that’ll help me get fat adapted and making fasting easier/faster. I have a sugar issue which really angers my autoimmune condition. I’m also highly reactive to dairy and egg. Thank you for your inspiration!
I wish you the best as you restart IF and keto. I eat very low carb now. In fact, I just finished a 6-week period of eating exclusively carnivore. I did this because those of us with autoimmune and IC issues can often be sensitive to plant toxins such as lectins, oxalates, and phytic acid. I felt amazing on carnivore and would love to continue with it. We are currently in the process of moving to a new house in the same town, so this week I have not been able to stick to carnivore. But my plan is that after I get my new kitchen set up, I would like to do another month or so of strict carnivore. I definitely felt the best I ever felt on that diet--ketones were sky high, I slept the best I've ever slept, I had tons of energy.
I wish you success! Keep in touch and let me know how it goes!
Leslie
P.S. If you have a hard time tolerating chicken eggs, see if you can find any duck eggs near you. Some health stores have them. Many people who can't tolerate chicken eggs find that duck eggs work really well for them. The choline and collagen in eggs can help tissues heal that have been previously irritated by autoimmune.
I just listened to your podcast episode with Gin and it was one of my favorites of all time. You have a gift for sharing! Thank you
Hi Sonya, Welcome to my Substack. I am so glad the podcast was helpful to you. I love to get the word to as many people as possible!
I loved your interview on Gin's podcast that I listened to yesterday and am so happy to have found you on Sub Stack!
I have been IF and mostly meat based very low carb since 2017. I started with very low carb and then added IF quite by accident. I just wasn't hungry so I skipped breakfast and then started skipping lunch. I still can't believe how good I feel just by removing the sugar, grains, starches and seed oils and avoiding most ultra processed foods. My fasting window is also somewhere around 18 - 19 hours on most days.
I lost a total of 45 pounds. I went from 155 down to 118 that first summer and then dropped to 110 over the next 2 years. I have been able to easily maintain that weight loss with a 4 to 5 pound swing that I allow for myself. I wear a extra small shirts and a size 0 to 2 in jeans, depending on the brand.
Last fall I did get down to 108 due to being super busy at work and having several 24 hour fasts in a row. I felt fantastic, but was getting a little bony. LOL. For reference I am 5'2".
This way of eating is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel better at 51 than I ever did at 40 or even my late 30's. I used to suffer from severe sciatica, low back pain, hip pain, knee pain and foot pain and suffered from severe headaches. I was also diagnosed pre-diabetic.
I can happily say all those issues and pain are GONE! I wish I had known this in my 20's. It would have saved me a whole lot of grief and suffering. Sciatic pain and day ender headaches are no joke.
My lab numbers look great too. Triglycerides - 48. HDL - 135. HDL/ Triglyceride ratio .3
Fasting Insulin- 3. A1C 5.4 AST/ALT ratio .79
And did I also mention that menopause has been a breeze?
I could go on and on about this topic, but I'll stop there. I just really like talking about this stuff. It's so fascinating to me.
Hi Jeri:
I really enjoy knowing people's health data and I have to say, your numbers are some of the best I've ever seen. That TGL/HDL ratio, the most important heart disease marker, is A+++. And your fasting insulin is also incredible, the most important metabolic marker. I love to hearing from people who have been doing this 5+ years and have the labs to prove how incredibly healing this way of life is to health.
My own fasting insulin was 4.1 last time I checked but I'm excited to take a new one soon and see how/if it improved.
I'm also so glad to hear that menopause was a breeze. There results are just incredible; thanks for sharing.
It is so helpful to see someone elses numbers (besides the "range" numbers)- it's motivating and actually gives me something to strive for! Thanks for sharing those. I have a ways to go - my fasting insulin was 8.5 :( A1C not horrible at 5.5 tho.
8.5 is not terrible for an American. It just shows that you have a little ways to go until you'll be at tip top metabolic health. When you get there, it will be so rewarding! I'm so glad you tested. Numbers are so motivating for me. Your A1c is fine but that's why fasting insulin is so important. Fasting insulin will elevate for years before the A1c finally begins to creep up.
Thank you so much! 4.1 isn't to bad either. I look forward to read if it goes lower. :)
Great inspiration. Second week of intermittent fasting 20/4 here. The changes in just one week are incredible.
Congrats on your early success. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for the information!
You mentioned on the Gin podcast that you did that you tried Keto but didn’t work. What eating plan did you follow to lose the weight? Was it low carb? Paleo? Thanks Bec
Hi Bec,
So it's complicated, and I see how it could be hard to what I did.
So first, when I did keto with no IF, I lost a few pounds and the plateaued. I was also using artificial sweeteners and that could be part of the reason why.
Then, when I was doing my first 6 months of IF and doing 20:4 but not losing weight, I kept intending to eat low carb but never following through.
Then, when I switched to ADF and was dropping pounds, I was suddenly able to eat low carb naturally because the longer fasts cured my sugar/carb addiction so they no longer had such a hold on me.
The first few months of ADF, I just naturally tapered off of ultra processed foods. I would still eat some homemade bread about once a week and a dessert once a week. Then in February and March, I did a zero carb carnivore experiment to see how I felt. It was amazing and I loved the energy and mind clarity. I was already in maintenance at this point so I wasn't doing it for more weight loss, just health. And also because I was recommending it to several people whom I coach for health problems, and I never want to recommend something to someone that I haven't at least tried.
Where I am now is that I still eat very few ultra processed foods from a bag. I do have a few carbs but I would consider myself low carb except on special occasions and time where we are guests or having people over.
I like the idea of having people naturally transition to a lower carb lifestyle through fasting since fasting helps us to naturally crave more healthy foods. But if someone enjoys doing low carb in addition to fasting, then that is great too. The lower carb one eats, the healthier you'll be since carbs are unnecessary and have almost no nutrition.
I just listened to your podcast episode #305 with Gin Stephens and you were telling my story. I too have been fasting for almost 4 years and haven't lost any weight or inches in my waist. I hope to try some of the things you mentioned. I was so happy to sign up here and can't wait to learn more.
Insulin resistance can be stubborn and sometimes it takes something extra to shake the body up. My other advice which I didn't get a chance to mention in my interview with Gin is that those struggling with weight loss resistance sometimes respond extremely well to cutting out all seed oils (canola, soybean, etc). These unnatural oils can mess up your body's satiety signals and its ability to burn fat. However, it takes some time for the body to detox from them.
I love your interview with Gin because it mirrored my experience so far! 8 months with no weight loss. I'm terrified of ADF, but I've done it a few times. It was so helpful to hear you say that, just like you wouldn't skip a cancer treatment to beat cancer, you don't want to skip a fast if you are trying to reverse a disease. Thank you so much! Gives me hope that I can really do this!
If you've already been fasting for 8 months, the switch to ADF should be easy. I got so used to ADF, that now that I'm in maintenance doing a daily eating window, I find that I miss ADF so I've started doing at least one 40 hour each week just because I love the feeling of digging deep into the autophagy and the soaring ketones. Keep me posted.
You absolutely can do it! If you just make up your mind ahead of time that you aren't breaking your fast until "x" time, you can do it!! I find drinking sparkling mineral water REALLY helps get me through. I drink Mountain Valley sparkling water or Gerolsteiner (more $$). They have good minerals - calcium, magnesium, & potassium. Add a bit of sodium. The sparkling one really helps me feel full and not want to eat. This is my trick :)
Just heard your story on Gin’s podcast today! I too have struggled with IC and I have a nasty autoimmune condition I’m hoping to put into remission. You’re inspiring me to give this another try. It sounds like you eat keto now, is that correct? I’m thinking to jump back in to IF starting w keto, I know that’ll help me get fat adapted and making fasting easier/faster. I have a sugar issue which really angers my autoimmune condition. I’m also highly reactive to dairy and egg. Thank you for your inspiration!
Hi Becky,
I wish you the best as you restart IF and keto. I eat very low carb now. In fact, I just finished a 6-week period of eating exclusively carnivore. I did this because those of us with autoimmune and IC issues can often be sensitive to plant toxins such as lectins, oxalates, and phytic acid. I felt amazing on carnivore and would love to continue with it. We are currently in the process of moving to a new house in the same town, so this week I have not been able to stick to carnivore. But my plan is that after I get my new kitchen set up, I would like to do another month or so of strict carnivore. I definitely felt the best I ever felt on that diet--ketones were sky high, I slept the best I've ever slept, I had tons of energy.
I have a post specifically about my IC journey that you may want to check out: https://fastwell.substack.com/p/how-i-healed-my-interstitial-cystitis
I wish you success! Keep in touch and let me know how it goes!
Leslie
P.S. If you have a hard time tolerating chicken eggs, see if you can find any duck eggs near you. Some health stores have them. Many people who can't tolerate chicken eggs find that duck eggs work really well for them. The choline and collagen in eggs can help tissues heal that have been previously irritated by autoimmune.
Just listened to your podcast episode with Gin too! So related to you. Very similar story for me but not on the other side yet :(
Thank you for the inspiration.