Women IFers -- lets chat about protocols! page 2

[zoebird]

I find that I have options. For example, I'm hungry around 11. But, if I don't eat then, that hunger goes away and comes back around 2. And if I don't eat then, it goes away and returns around 5. And if I don't eat then, it shows up at 8.

Eating at 11, 3:30 and and 6 would probably work -- to close the window at 7. But, I usually can't eat then, but if I don't eat when I get home, I'm find, so long as I eat between 4 and 5 really (before teaching).

It seems most natural to start around 11 -- but htat's not possible every day. So, I'm thinking that I"ll do 11-7 most days, and then 2-7 on days that I can't do 11-7.

[zoebird]

So, shifted the window a bit today -- 1-8 -- which worked out nicely. and other than crankiness, i haven't had any PMS/menstrual symptoms (other than menstruating). very little bloating, if any, and no other issues. and, so far, the cycle looks solid.

Interesting process anyway.

[gopintos]

Hopefully no more crankiness than usual I am still looking at my tracking and results and thinking that during the middle of the month is a good time for me to do something in the way of fasting. Not really just delaying my window but something over the course of a few days. I dont menstruate any longer, but female stuff may have something to do with it.

I was in the mood to fast yesterday, but ended up with a few more calories than intended, but probably still within the realm of what some consider fasting. But maybe just the realm of calorie restriction. Following more this protocol. Food for a Fast | Perfect Health Diet And the scale was very good to me this morning. And that is all I can judge it on as I didnt take my measurements or anything. It just seemed like the thing to do so I went with it.

I am going to go with it again today and see how far it takes me. Maybe I dont need to do it at the middle of the month, maybe it is a few days after that, maybe that is what my body needs/wants to do, just have to experiment.

We arent doing much here on Thursday, our Thanksgiving will be on Sunday so I could go a few days this week.

[merryish]

I never really set out to, but I guess I live on a 16/8 schedule. I tend to skip breakfast (preferring to sleep till the last possible minute!), so I don't end up eating until around 12:30ish. Then I don't eat again until I get home, around 7 or 8pm.

On weekends I also don't eat until around 12:30ish, but that's because I laze around reading until afternoon. And every now and then I'll do that and then forget to grab lunch before I take off for the day, so it's more of a full-day fast on Saturday or Sunday, once a month or so.

I haven't noticed any adverse effects from it. I stay low-carb as much as I can, but I've stopped paying close attention to when I'm in ketosis or not; I think I'm pretty well fat-adapted, and still losing, so it's comfortable enough for me.

Lately I've been riding my bike to the train station and back every day, so I'm also exercising in a fasted state in the morning (and probably a semi-fasted state at the end of the day). We'll see how that goes.

[Owly]

I'm mostly a random IF person when it comes to longer fasts, but I naturally tend somewhere in a 14/10 to 16/8 rhythm without planning for it. Working from home now makes it easier to eat with my hunger signals since there's no fixed lunch hour or anything most days (unless I have meetings or appointments outside the house). Being able to eat when I am actually hungry and to choose what fits my needs best that day is a nice benefit of being at home--I tend to stop and contemplate before I eat to figure out what my body is asking for, and that's easier to do when you have the whole fridge and pantry at your disposal rather than only what's in your lunch bag.

I wouldn't suggest this to anyone who doesn't have their hunger signalling well in control and hasn't practised intuitive eating for a while, otherwise I'm sure it could be a recipe for disaster. In that case, planned and portioned meals are probably better.

[sbhikes]

I went for a few months recently just pushing my breakfast forward as far as I could. It seemed at first I could push it as far as 1pm or even 2pm once or twice. Gradually I could push it only to 11, then 10, then 9, then 8:30. Now I'm back to eating breakfast before I head off to work.

Other "protocols" I've been able to do are the "oh my, I ate too much last night so I won't eat until I'm truly hungry again" protocol. I'll go out for a big hike to make sure I am really hungry before I eat.

[gopintos]

I went for a few months recently just pushing my breakfast forward as far as I could. It seemed at first I could push it as far as 1pm or even 2pm once or twice. Gradually I could push it only to 11, then 10, then 9, then 8:30. Now I'm back to eating breakfast before I head off to work.

LOL I went through that phase too! Going through it I guess. Breakfast got later and later until pretty soon it was 24hrs. I have to say though, as far as weight loss is concerned, it pretty much stopped during that time. I was not hungry. I was high fat and very full, but not making progress on the scale. This went on for months. So once I get the weight off, might be good.

Now after shifting macros around, less fat and more carbs/starch, I can't push breakfast off as long but I am losing weight once again. And on a few more calories also. My calories have never been the problem unless it might have been too few, which I don't get either when you thinking about fasting. But anyhow, I am trying to make sure that I get a few more calories in on some of the days like 1500-1700, a few lower calorie days as well like 1200 - 1300.

Anyways, I do get hungrier sooner now. But yesterday I just reached for bone broth with some added goodies. Will do something similar today, at least try Calling it a fast

[sbhikes]

Oh, to clarify, the IF has not resulted in any weight loss. I did it only for the mastery over appetite mostly. The only time IF ever resulted in weight loss for me was early on when I first was doing Primal and was already losing weight anyway. I would fast for one 23 hour period once a week, breakfast to breakfast the next day. Eventually I quit because I would get really cold and shiver uncontrollably the days I did the fast. I actually don't really see all that much value in IF, personally, beyond having a nice mastery over appetite once in a while.

[Silvergirl]

Funny, I saw this thread and thought to myself.... not for me. Then I realized that I actually naturally IF. 16/8. Never like breakfast until around 10.30 or 11, and stop eating around 6.30 every night.

[zoebird]

I think for me, it's nice and natural. As a kid, I used to force myself to eat breakfast and had to wake an extra hour early just to eat it (if i eat when I first wake up, I feel sick). Left to my own devices, I would eat around lunch time and then a snack around 3 and then dinner around 6. That's still my preference now, honestly.

But, my schedule doesn't allow because I teach at 12-2 and then 5-7 (which includes the commute home). Which means either eating earlier (which isn't that comfortable 9-5 would probably be a fine window), or pushing it later (2-10?) or squeezing it (2-5). eh, we'll see.

We've actually seen a lot of benefits from IFing -- leaner, feeling like we have more time/space (less time spent in the kitchen, in sitting and eating when we used to have 3-5 meals a day-- it's actually a LOT of time), and overall just feeling less "attached" to food emotionally (which is good for both of us as we are emotional eaters in very different ways). so, it's not just been the health benefits, but also these side, emotional benefits have been big for us.

And no, no more crankiness than usual -- but I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately, so that's partly why i'm so cranky.