Teresa @hopeful33250 -- I think I finally have a plan that will work for me - intermittent fasting. It's easy, I like coffee, tea and water and I don't normally drink enough water even though I try. I've only fasted 2 days. The first day was a 24 hour fast and the second fasting was skipping breakfast and lunch (thanks for the tip @LeeAase) which has been what my wife is doing. One of my other big issues is constipation which sometimes explains my big losses and gains. I did a screen capture which shows my first 2 attempts at the fasting. Back to fasting tomorrow!
@kanaazpereira
Hello,
It’s always been my understanding that drastic swings and blood sugar wasn’t advisable.
Admittedly I’m not always caught up on the most advanced medical techniques. Regardless I think it would be a good idea to check with your doctor before you engage in fasting especially if you’re diabetic. Can you explain why what you’re suggesting is safe for diabetics?
Thank you for any additional information.
Jake
You’ve raised some very valid points. Conversations on Connect focus on sharing experiences to help inform and support members in the pursuit of understanding their own situation. And, it’s always a good idea to offer supportive data––something which I inadvertently overlooked in my post!
But first, please allow me to explain the intention behind sharing my personal experience with fasting.
As a Connect moderator, I often look for ways to encourage meaningful conversation, to continue to build a community of members that are learning and connecting alongside each other––and to be a clear and present community member myself.
To accomplish this, sometimes I share my own experiences. Rest assured that sharing my insights, should not mean that I’m “suggesting (IF) is safe.” I would be seriously remiss if I made such recommendations, more so as a moderator on Mayo Clinic Connect.
You are absolutely correct about checking with your doctor before starting anything new. Mayo Clinic always advises that people consult with their current care provider before making any changes to their existing medication or treatment plan. Here are a few recently published studies you might be interested in viewing:
Ultimately, much remains to be learned about intermittent fasting (various forms); however, the findings to date have certainly paved the way for future research. Does this help answer your concerns, @jakedduck1 ?
I don't think there's much to download. You just don't eat for 16 hours (e.g. between 7 PM and 11AM the next day), and then eat pretty freely from 11AM till 7 PM. At least that's what my husband has been doing for about a month. He feels quite well and is slowly losing weight, which is a difficult thing to do in one's sixties. He has one cup of black coffee in the morning (allowed) and drinks plenty of water and herbal tea throughout the day, at all hours. Our family doctor said it is a healthy diet. Good luck.
Hi @dssko, I used to believe calories in vs calories expended (exercise, etc.) was the only way to lose weight and have spent many years with different diets and Weight Watchers with limited success. I weighed about 215 pounds when I got out of the Navy and over the years my weight got up to 330 when I decided I had to do something about it and tried a few diets before joining Weight Watchers. I was able to get down to around 240 and decided I could do it on my own. For the past 10 years I've bounced between 240 and 280 but have struggled trying to stay around 240. My diagnosis of PMR in 2007 and small fiber PN in 2016 started me on my journey of eating healthier which was the start to taking control of my weight. This was after reading Dr. Terry Wahls book - The Wahls Protocol. She has an amazing story - https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/from-wheelchair-to-walking-how-this-doctor-recovered#3
Now thanks to reading how @LeeAase was able to take control of his weight I have a new perspective and think it may be the answer for a lot of people struggling with weight loss even though they are eating healthy. You can read his health journey here: https://social-media-university-global.org/my-health-journey/. Feb 25 I started using the intermittent fasting he discussed. My starting weight was 239.6. On Feb 25 I did a 24 hour fast figuring I would do it every other day but I read a tip by Lee for just skipping breakfast and lunch on the fasting day (every other day) and followed the tip until yesterday when I did another 24 hour fast. This morning I weighed in at 233.5 which is the lowest I've been in several years. I expect to be up some again tomorrow but I'm hoping to keep the downward trend going. One thing I can say is that I feel a lot better and still try to avoid sugar, fast food and snacking.
Hi @dssko, I used to believe calories in vs calories expended (exercise, etc.) was the only way to lose weight and have spent many years with different diets and Weight Watchers with limited success. I weighed about 215 pounds when I got out of the Navy and over the years my weight got up to 330 when I decided I had to do something about it and tried a few diets before joining Weight Watchers. I was able to get down to around 240 and decided I could do it on my own. For the past 10 years I've bounced between 240 and 280 but have struggled trying to stay around 240. My diagnosis of PMR in 2007 and small fiber PN in 2016 started me on my journey of eating healthier which was the start to taking control of my weight. This was after reading Dr. Terry Wahls book - The Wahls Protocol. She has an amazing story - https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/from-wheelchair-to-walking-how-this-doctor-recovered#3
Now thanks to reading how @LeeAase was able to take control of his weight I have a new perspective and think it may be the answer for a lot of people struggling with weight loss even though they are eating healthy. You can read his health journey here: https://social-media-university-global.org/my-health-journey/. Feb 25 I started using the intermittent fasting he discussed. My starting weight was 239.6. On Feb 25 I did a 24 hour fast figuring I would do it every other day but I read a tip by Lee for just skipping breakfast and lunch on the fasting day (every other day) and followed the tip until yesterday when I did another 24 hour fast. This morning I weighed in at 233.5 which is the lowest I've been in several years. I expect to be up some again tomorrow but I'm hoping to keep the downward trend going. One thing I can say is that I feel a lot better and still try to avoid sugar, fast food and snacking.
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@johnbishop Is it Ok to drink juices?
@hopeful33250 -- zero sugar or food when fasting...water is your friend and coffee and tea fill in the breaks 🙂
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1 ReactionJuices have some of the highest sugar of any drink, so they will keep your blood sugar elevated.
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2 Reactions@LeeAase Makes good sense.
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1 ReactionHi @jakedduck1,
You’ve raised some very valid points. Conversations on Connect focus on sharing experiences to help inform and support members in the pursuit of understanding their own situation. And, it’s always a good idea to offer supportive data––something which I inadvertently overlooked in my post!
But first, please allow me to explain the intention behind sharing my personal experience with fasting.
As a Connect moderator, I often look for ways to encourage meaningful conversation, to continue to build a community of members that are learning and connecting alongside each other––and to be a clear and present community member myself.
To accomplish this, sometimes I share my own experiences. Rest assured that sharing my insights, should not mean that I’m “suggesting (IF) is safe.” I would be seriously remiss if I made such recommendations, more so as a moderator on Mayo Clinic Connect.
You are absolutely correct about checking with your doctor before starting anything new. Mayo Clinic always advises that people consult with their current care provider before making any changes to their existing medication or treatment plan. Here are a few recently published studies you might be interested in viewing:
– Therapeutic use of intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to insulin https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6194375/
– Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413118302535
– Intermittent Fasting and Prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy: Where Do We Go From Here? https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/67/9/1745
– The role of intermittent fasting and meal timing in weight management and metabolic health http://bit.ly/399G0n3
Ultimately, much remains to be learned about intermittent fasting (various forms); however, the findings to date have certainly paved the way for future research. Does this help answer your concerns, @jakedduck1 ?
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3 ReactionsI don't think there's much to download. You just don't eat for 16 hours (e.g. between 7 PM and 11AM the next day), and then eat pretty freely from 11AM till 7 PM. At least that's what my husband has been doing for about a month. He feels quite well and is slowly losing weight, which is a difficult thing to do in one's sixties. He has one cup of black coffee in the morning (allowed) and drinks plenty of water and herbal tea throughout the day, at all hours. Our family doctor said it is a healthy diet. Good luck.
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1 ReactionYou’re not losing weight because the amount of calories you eat is more than the amount you expend. Cut your calories and you likely will lose.
Hi @dssko, I used to believe calories in vs calories expended (exercise, etc.) was the only way to lose weight and have spent many years with different diets and Weight Watchers with limited success. I weighed about 215 pounds when I got out of the Navy and over the years my weight got up to 330 when I decided I had to do something about it and tried a few diets before joining Weight Watchers. I was able to get down to around 240 and decided I could do it on my own. For the past 10 years I've bounced between 240 and 280 but have struggled trying to stay around 240. My diagnosis of PMR in 2007 and small fiber PN in 2016 started me on my journey of eating healthier which was the start to taking control of my weight. This was after reading Dr. Terry Wahls book - The Wahls Protocol. She has an amazing story - https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/from-wheelchair-to-walking-how-this-doctor-recovered#3
Now thanks to reading how @LeeAase was able to take control of his weight I have a new perspective and think it may be the answer for a lot of people struggling with weight loss even though they are eating healthy. You can read his health journey here:
https://social-media-university-global.org/my-health-journey/. Feb 25 I started using the intermittent fasting he discussed. My starting weight was 239.6. On Feb 25 I did a 24 hour fast figuring I would do it every other day but I read a tip by Lee for just skipping breakfast and lunch on the fasting day (every other day) and followed the tip until yesterday when I did another 24 hour fast. This morning I weighed in at 233.5 which is the lowest I've been in several years. I expect to be up some again tomorrow but I'm hoping to keep the downward trend going. One thing I can say is that I feel a lot better and still try to avoid sugar, fast food and snacking.
Lee also had a great blog entry you might want to read on a calorie is not a calorie:
https://social-media-university-global.org/2020/02/a-calorie-is-not-a-calorie/
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3 ReactionsThat's great progress, @johnbishop! Keep up the good work!
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3 ReactionsThanks @LeeAase! I'm really looking forward to seeing my blood test numbers after my March 27 blood draw for my upcoming annual checkup.
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