I love food! You? And there are some things I am not willing to sacrifice. Baking and eating cookies with my grandkids, my husband’s homemade bread topped with my daughters peach jam, and my grandmother’s clam chowder on Halloween. We love, we mourn, we celebrate with, and we live with food. There are some memories that I am simply not willing to let go of. But I have learned how to shall we say “have my cake and eat it too”
As I have shared in other videos, articles, I have recently come to understand that the weight loss game is not played by counting calories – but controlling insulin. There are number of ways to do that. Keto or low carb dieting and Intermittent fasting.
A few months of Intermittent Fasting has repaired my metabolism, corrected insulin resistance, and helped my body become fat adapted, meaning my body has relearned how to burn fat, and how to switch from storing to burning.
The eye opening – life changing work of Dr Jason Fung (The Obesity Code) has taught that humans exist in one of two states – storing or burning. Our bodies are not designed to eat all the time – We must STOP eating and allow our bodies to burn what it has stored. Our hormones are in control. When we eat insulin goes up. Its job is to store energy from the food we eat. When we stop eating for an extended period of time –glucose goes down, causing the body to search for another energy source – found in our fat stores. Then another hormone – glucagon stimulates ketone production allowing us to burn fat for fuel.
There is an abundance of science and research on Intermittent Fasting. The more we know, the more exciting it gets. Links in the handout below – but in the meantime, I would like to share with you a few things I have tried, experienced, and learned.
- Start slowly. Honestly it is as simple as STOP eating after dinner (7pm or 8pm) and eat a late breakfast. Eat nothing. (That alone is a 12 hour fast) Try that for a few days, then expand a bit. I regularly fast for 16 hours – from 8pm to Noon the next day.
- Exercise while fasting. When you first begin, as your body switches gears, you may feel especially tired, but once your body gets used to its new fuel, you’ll have more energy than you can imagine, so exercise!
- Break your fast with protein! Best practice, lots of research on why. Follow the links.
- Drink! I drink herbal teas throughout my fasting time, I also drink water with my vitamin supplement and electrolytes and sometimes caffeine. The most widely recommended drink during fasting is coffee.
- Take vitamins and supplements. I have added Magnesium, Vitamin D, and zinc to my bariatric vitamin routine. See Success Habits
I use fasting to mitigate the times when I eat sugar cookies with my kids, go out for pizza or overdo on Halloween candy. Sometimes I have a bad day, I eat waay too many carbs, and feel bloated and uncomfortable. When I find myself there, I STOP eating – I’ll fast for 16- 20 hours – eat low carbs for a few days and I’m easily right back in the game. Give Intermittent Fasting a try – it works and its free!
Download Video Handout – How and Why I Intermittent Fast
References and Recommendations
The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients
The Obesity Code, Jason Fung YouTube Channel
Dr Benjamin Bikman– Insulin Resistance – Fat for Fuel