Alternate Day Fasting Tips from An Old Pro...

1. Don't think of ADF or any form of intermittent fasting as a diet, regard it as a lifestyle because you WILL need to follow some form of fasting for the rest of your life. Thinking you'll need to be on a 'diet' forever is downright depressing.

2.Don't hate your fasting days, try to enjoy them as much as possible

3. Nothing is written in stone, if you want or need to swap days then do it. Don't have an extra fast day by way of 'punishment', only do it because you want to

4. If you don't want to eat anything because once started, you can't stop. Then don't ... because this is right for YOU ... added benefits to make this idea easier ... you're likely to lose weight faster.

5. Find something you really like to eat on your fasting days. There's no reason at all - other than hoping it tastes so bad you don't want it - for not enjoying these meals ... you'll be following this lifestyle for a l-o-n-g time.

6. Experiment. If you really can't cope with 500 cals or less try daily eating windows, or ... have more calories. There's no real reason to stick with 500 cals, especially in the early days when it's tough and you've got a lot of weight to lose.

800 cals of something you enjoy - and are likely to repeat - is far better than 400 cals of something that tastes like ... umm, shite - been there, done that - because this is likely to put you off the whole idea of fasting and you'll likely feel deprived.

7. Have mini goals with treats to look forward to ... if you want a ginormous pizza for your treat, have it ... but if you do, you may have to reach the same goal again a week later ... so this time have diamonds ... or is that just me?

8. Have planned holidays/vacations, if you want to minimise damage, use eating windows ... ie 16-18 hour daily fasts. Otherwise enjoy your holiday and come back happy to do a fasting day ... I'm always sooooooo relieved to get back to fasting after a week of munchy days

9. Don't feel guilty about holidays, you'll lose any gained weight in no time ... quick on, quick off.

10. If ever you find yourself eating out of control or binging, remember most of this lifestyle is a mind game. Do not punish yourself!! Forget self loathing - been there, done that, totally not worth it - just carry on eating and tell yourself you're on holiday and you'll get right back to it ASAP ... and mean it.

Any feelings of guilt at this point can make you throw in the towel permanently ... and that's not fair to you after you've already done so well ... if it makes you feel better and easier to get back into a fasting routine, treat yourself to something nice - like diamonds ... er, that's just me again isn't it? - because you're worth it.

And finally ... don't get caught up with the idea that 'fasting' 3 or 4 days a week is good so 5 or 6 must be better. It may well be in the short term, but that's when our bodies panic and hang on to every calorie for dear life ... because it needs to. It has no idea that your brain knows what it's doing - also been there and done that - and assumes you're starving. This buggers up your metabolism.

If you do find it's happened to you - because your brain thinks it's smarter than your body - then expect to gain weight when you get back to your regular routine. It isn't permanent, so don't panic and start eating less again, just ride it out...

Fasting For Maintenence

Experiment number - oh I don't know - probably 17 by now.

After trying numerous maintenance methods since last October - 6:1 ... 5:2 ... 4:3 @ 500/700/800/1000 calories ... 2:1 ... fast-5/6/7/8. I think I've found one I really love and my weight has stabilised, it only varies by about 2lbs over the entire week, depending on the previous day's munching - well, actually we're talking about my mega-munch Saturday which I'm still having.

I have to say that after 19 months of calorie counting I was starting to get fed up - of the counting - I still love fasting. Up until now the only way I'd been able to maintain my weight was to stick with 4:3 @ 500 cals, any more and I gained. I also had to find something that Mr Grumpy could get on with because I know he couldn't stick with 4:3 forever as he misses being able to eat lots of fruit every afternoon.

The way we found our method was totally by accident, we forgot breakfast on our Monday/Tuesday up/feast days - after a double down day/fast weekend - because we were busy. Didn't think much of it Monday or Tuesday - except "how the heck did that happen?". But Wednesday morning - a down/fast day - we hadn't gained any weight, which was most peculiar after two 'supposed' up days.

Hmmmm, I know I've kind of maintained before with fast-8 (16/8) when we've had friends or family to stay, but I've always eaten late into the evening - yeah, I do mean whisky and nibbles - so ended up starving next morning ... and somewhat grumpy.

So what we did on the Wednesday is start at 16/8, then gradually drop down to 18/6 - without too much effort. We've been doing this for six weeks now and we both love it.
As I see it, we're still doing an 18 hour fast every day - so hopefully getting the health benefits of the fasting, and having a once a week 'eat, drink and be merry' day, which just means extending the eating window to 9 hours ... yeah, I do still mean whisky and nibbles.

And here's the bit that suits me most, a couple of days a week I am just a little more mindful and enjoy a mostly veggie and protein day - but still no calorie counting, the other days a biggish - by my standards - dinner and tea. Which is still reminiscent of 4:3 or 5:2 but not so strict

I don't feel deprived or stuffed any days - except Sunday morning (groan) - and himself can munch away on his fruit all afternoon ... what's more, he feels quite liberated going without breakfast and if he's happy - I'm happy :)

Oh, and this doesn't mean I've given up my beloved home made Muesli with rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, fruit, nuts, Greek yoghurt and honey - dribble - I just have it for lunch or tea instead some days.

Yes, I think I've finally cracked it - until experiment number 18 of course ... when this one has gone horribly wrong ...

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1. Me and Alternate Day Fasting
2. Me and Alternate Day Fasting ... Three Weeks On
3. Five Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
4. Eight Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
5. Ten Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
6. Alternate Day Fasting Three Months On
7. Alternate Day Fasting in Winter
8. Alternate Day Fasting Over Christmas
9. Me and Zumba
10. Saying Goodbye To My Curves 
11. Eight Months Of Alternate Day Fasting And Me
12. Growing Up 
13. A Year Of Alternate Day Fasting 
14. 60 Pounds Of Blubber - Vanished
15. The Perils of Alternate Day Fasting 
16. Mr Grumpy Is Losing It
17. Mr Grumpy Has Lost It
18. Fasting For Maintenance
19. Tweaking Maintenance
20. Weight Gain 
21. Still Maintaining
22. Four Years Of Intermittent Fasting

  .....

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Mr Grumpy Has Lost It!

14th April.

Hubby has lost 19lbs of the 20lbs he gained during my first year of 4:3. Yes, I overfed him - oops - but he wasn't forced to eat the sneaky doughnuts now was he??

Anyhooo, now he's done that so quickly - git!! - we're switching to 5:2 in the form of a back to back 500/600 cals on Saturday and Sunday.

This is because I work at home - when I like - and where we are through the summer - in a caravan aka 'the tin hut' near Skegness - it's busy at the weekends so we don't go very far.

This will leave us to go out any day in the week without having to think 'up or down, have I got to swap?' ... and my GOM is the best picnic maker ever - and he prepares it while I'm still in bed :)

Of course if either of us start porking up again - by more than 3lbs - we'll add another down day midweek.

We both intend doing at least two down days or DD (fasting days) a week forever as we both feel so fit and well - not at all bad for our ages 54 and 74 ;)

Update 27th April.

Yeah, yeah. So full of good (brave) intentions. We didn't even make it one week. I'd caved in by Tuesday afternoon and told Mr Grumpy that I was slipping a DD Wednesday in, he said he would too. This wasn't as strict as our usual DDs, he had around 800 cals and I had 650.
Our weight remained the same so we'll try this for the next couple of weeks ...

Update 8th May.

Well he's lost 2 more pounds without trying so we've switched to 16:8 - which is a 16 hour fast and an 8 hour eating window ...

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1. Me and Alternate Day Fasting
2. Me and Alternate Day Fasting ... Three Weeks On
3. Five Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
4. Eight Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
5. Ten Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
6. Alternate Day Fasting Three Months On
7. Alternate Day Fasting in Winter
8. Alternate Day Fasting Over Christmas
9. Me and Zumba
10. Saying Goodbye To My Curves 
11. Eight Months Of Alternate Day Fasting And Me
12. Growing Up 
13. A Year Of Alternate Day Fasting 
14. 60 Pounds Of Blubber - Vanished
15. The Perils of Alternate Day Fasting 
16. Mr Grumpy Is Losing It
17. Mr Grumpy Has Lost It
18. Fasting For Maintenance
19. Tweaking Maintenance
20. Weight Gain 
21. Still Maintaining
22. Four Years Of Intermittent Fasting

  .....

• ADF Facebook Group ... come and join us :)

Mr Grumpy Is Losing It!

Well, the end of November isn't the best time of year - in the northern hemisphere - to start a 'diet'. First of all there's the run up to Christmas which requires testing noshing - because your wife is on a diet/down/500 cals day and she's baked. Then there's Christmas week itself which requires dedicated noshing - and boozing - simply because it's Christmas.

And we all know about making our new years resolutions and starting a 'diet' the first Monday of the New Year ... unless the 1st January falls on a Monday itself, because this day is also a munch day - it's the law - in which case the beginning of the diet gets deferred to the 8th, by which time you've changed your mind about the whole thing because who in their right mind wants to diet in winter anyway.

Anyway, our December didn't go according to plan. It was fairly normal until the 8th, when my mum took ill (she'd been sick all week actually) and was rushed to hospital from her care home. We'd just upped our care for my dad who was dying of throat cancer - and lung cancer plus COPD.

Do you know, it was at this point I lost all the above while using the blogger app on my phone, I forgot to save it before I tootled off to check something. It's a good job I've got a near photographic memory or this phone would have been through the window. As it is, I did a lot of "I'm so annoyed" mutterings, and moaned about it on Facebook - as you do, then re-typed it all.

Now where was I? Oh yes - parents dropping like flies. Christmas didn't really happen and 4:3 went out the window. I ate when I could, which was usually around 6.00pm and Mr Grumpy looked after his lonely little self - and the cat - at home.

So there wasn't as much weight loss in December, nor for much of January as there could have been. In fact things didn't get back to normal until 5th February after dad's funeral. When I say 'normal', you do know that I'm only referring to our 'diet lifestyle'.

So, back to the job in hand. My GOM, who joined me on my weight loss lifestyle - straight after dad's 75th birthday party in November - managed to lose 4lbs by January 1st - still not bad to say how we were living - another 5lbs by February 1st, and another 5lbs by March 1st. A total of 14lbs aka one stone.

Now three weeks later his weight loss has slowed right down - only one more pound lost (15lbs total) and his up day, down day gains and losses almost match the ones on my chart - but this is simply because he's only got around 7lbs more to lose.

This is far easier said than done when nearing goal weight - trust me I know - and when he's done that he'll be on maintenance with me ... although to be honest I'd still like to lose another 7lbs too.

Now it's worth mentioning that he's never once cheated on a down day, he's simply asked me in a morning ... "up or down?" Then he knows whether or not he can have a biscuit with his morning coffee. I still have to hide fruit because it's natural for him to dip into the fruit bowl a couple times a day.

He's enjoying his meals every day because I'm experimenting more now I'm cooking the same for both of us. Before he joined me on 4:3 I was often doing him a ready meal with extra veg and skinny soup or a stir fry for me. And he hasn't really noticed he's on a diet because I can do amazing things with veg that is both filling and tasty ...

.....

1. Me and Alternate Day Fasting
2. Me and Alternate Day Fasting ... Three Weeks On
3. Five Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
4. Eight Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
5. Ten Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
6. Alternate Day Fasting Three Months On
7. Alternate Day Fasting in Winter
8. Alternate Day Fasting Over Christmas
9. Me and Zumba
10. Saying Goodbye To My Curves 
11. Eight Months Of Alternate Day Fasting And Me
12. Growing Up 
13. A Year Of Alternate Day Fasting 
14. 60 Pounds Of Blubber - Vanished
15. The Perils of Alternate Day Fasting 
16. Mr Grumpy Is Losing It
17. Mr Grumpy Has Lost It
18. Fasting For Maintenance
19. Tweaking Maintenance
20. Weight Gain 
21. Still Maintaining
22. Four Years Of Intermittent Fasting

  .....

• ADF Facebook Group ... come and join us :)

Sixty Pounds Of Blubber ... Vanished With ADF

Where has it gone? It's most peculiar losing a lot of weight, I've mentioned before about feeling like I'm suspended on wires while I'm walking and that feeling is even stronger now. I walk effortlessly everywhere I go ... and I thought the tremendous effort I used to put into heaving myself from a-b was middle age catching up with me - I was wrong.

Righto ... the last time I updated my ADF bloggy bits, I'd lost 56lbs (I think) and I was fasting for longer - missing breakfast - I gave that daft idea up shortly after that post (back to bikkies in bed with my coffee on an up day, yum), because I knew I wasn't eating enough. And if lunch was particularly late on my 'eating' days for any reason - Tuesday's in particular (clothes shopping in Newark) - then I was as high as a kite and talking ten to the dozen ... and them that know best tell us that we'll be weak from hunger! Yeah, right.

A few weeks back I'd let my hair down a little when my friend came to stay. I took the whole week off. I prepared in advance for my likely indiscretions by having two sets of double down days the week before she came (naughty but heroic) and then I gained 3lbs while she was here. So I did the same the week after - with two sets of double down days - and lost 4lbs ... happy, happy.

A week later my sister - the bossy one - said she thought I'd done really well, they were proud of me, but I'd lost enough weight now. I didn't need telling twice, I decided to try maintenance with 700-800 calories on my down days. If I gained then I could soon drop back to 400-500 and if I lost - yippee!

Then last week my other sister came to stay - ooer missus - I did NOT prepare the week before having started maintenance and feeling pretty smug with myself after losing 60lbs - wadda-mistaka-to-maka - I had a whole week of eating and drinking exactly what I liked ... and this involved some heavy duty home baked stuff (mince pies, apple cake, sweet potato and butternut squash pie) that I'd done in my attempts to fatten my baby sister up so I'd be the slim one for the first time ever ... I failed by a stone (14lbs), skinny moo!

I'd gained 7lbs by the fourth morning! I almost hid the scales. It didn't go any higher - thankfully - and I'd lost a pound before the end of the week after waddling around the market a couple of times. Obviously the majority of the weight was water and food - she says hopefully - and not fat. This week I'm currently getting rid of it ... only 4lbs left to go. It should be but a bad dream by Saturday ... and a huge blip on my weight loss chart ;)

I just thought I'd mention again - on the off-chance that you'd missed it previously; having just skimmed over my blog ... trust me I know how most people read it, my statcounter tells me how briefly anyone is on a single post - my hero is Dr Michael Mosley, I saw him on the Horizon program 'Eat, Fast and Live Longer' in August last year, and without him I'd still be that tubby blob hiding away from the world in case anyone should point at me and say 'I see fat people' ... I really must stop doing that when I'm out, it's unforgivable, I'm worse than any ex-smoker with smokers.

Anyhooo, he got the idea after a few days with Doctor Krista Varady of the University of Illinois at Chicago (and other scientists in different universities). He couldn't manage a true alternate day fasting regime but liked the idea of just fasting two days a week and it worked amazingly for him and so co-wrote a book - The Fast Diet (bought it, read it).

Krista Varady on the other hand has undertaken several human trials on intermittent fasting BEFORE publishing her own book - 'The Every Other Day Diet' (this is a link to her Facebook page) - due to come out January next year.

So Krista - thanks. You are my heroine - even though you have cost me a small fortune in new clothes :D 

And we're not just talking weight loss here, but a whole host of health benefits - from reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, some cancers, a later onset of Alzheimers disease, to mention but a few. 

And after me being awake - on a very empty stomach - all last night arguing with my cat over whether or not she was going out, my brain must have grown enormously ... no? I wouldn't be too sure, apparently being hungry has an amazing affect on the brain ... and because I was so bright and alert with oodles of new braincells, this morning after approximately 100 minutes sleep, I searched the t'Interweb (OK, Facebook mostly) for any news that could annoy me - just so I could have a good old moan - it was sooooooo satisfying ...

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1. Me and Alternate Day Fasting
2. Me and Alternate Day Fasting ... Three Weeks On
3. Five Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
4. Eight Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
5. Ten Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
6. Alternate Day Fasting Three Months On
7. Alternate Day Fasting in Winter
8. Alternate Day Fasting Over Christmas
9. Me and Zumba
10. Saying Goodbye To My Curves 
11. Eight Months Of Alternate Day Fasting And Me
12. Growing Up 
13. A Year Of Alternate Day Fasting 
14. 60 Pounds Of Blubber - Vanished
15. The Perils of Alternate Day Fasting 
16. Mr Grumpy Is Losing It
17. Mr Grumpy Has Lost It
18. Fasting For Maintenance
19. Tweaking Maintenance
20. Weight Gain 
21. Still Maintaining
22. Four Years Of Intermittent Fasting

  .....

• ADF Facebook Group ... come and join us :)