[thoma]

Wanted to share this article here.

• If you want to get into ketosis and reap the full metabolic benefits of low-carb diets, going under 50 grams of carbs per day may be necessary.
  
• Excessive protein consumption on a low-carb diet can prevent you from getting into ketosis.
  
• A very-low-carb diet must be high in fat. Otherwise, you won't get enough energy or nutrition to sustain yourself.
  
• Low-carb diets lower insulin levels, making your kidneys excrete excess sodium. This can lead to a mild sodium deficiency.
  
• On a low-carb diet, it can take a few days to overcome unpleasant symptoms and several weeks for full adaptation. It is important to be patient and not abandon your diet too soon.

And here is something they claim about the article:

"This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers."

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by ampere

Amazing journey! You may want to pen down, the path and the story! For all here it would be an inspiration!

I did not posted here because many things i did might feel a bit extreme to some.

Initial 45 days i had done intermittent fasting, first meal of the day was lunch, between 1-2pm and then early dinner between 6-7pm. No food after 7pm, fruits being the exception. No processed sugar. This was strictly followed, no excuse, cheat days etc.

I intended to do these only for first few days but "no processed sugar" and "No food after 7pm" is something i am still doing and intend to follow as long as i can! but nowdays i am not very strict about it. I might have dinner after 7pm on weekends and once in while i will have sweets, cake, cookie etc. I was never fond of sweet stuff anyway so it wasnt difficult for me. But personally i feel avoiding sugar has changed my diet in many ways. Now i like to eat fruits more and they taste better. Cakes which i liked earlier, now if i eat cake with frosting, i feel nauseated. Plain sponge cake i can have but again i feel its too sweet.

After 45days i started having all 3 meals but reduced the quantity to 60%. Instead i started eating fruits like oranges, papaya, pineapple, banana etc. I completely stopped all the junk i was eating in office chips, biscuits, cookies, sandwiches etc. Now i keep a small box of mixed dry fruits in office and whenever i feel hungry i eat a few.

In terms of exercising i started doing 5kms brisk walk everyday, this i had done for 2 months without fail. Maybe i had missed couple of days in a month max. Nowdays i am not that regular. One of my friends gave his old cycle to me september, so i started cycling and so far have done 1300kms. I love cycling much more than walking.

I got Apple watch in April 2018 and it has helped a lot of the fitness. Nos and stuff interests me a lot and it was big motivation everyday! again it might not work for everyone but it helped me a lot. I had bought a series 2 in April 2017 and broke the screen within a month, never got it repaired.

Many other things i changed, stopped watching TV altogether, rather i go to bed early. I havent recharged DTH in last 6 months. Movies have reduced a lot, earlier i used to go to movies almost every week. last 6 months i have watch 3-4 movies max. I guess everything counts

[Ithaca]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

My weight loss journey summed up in a single pic.

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

I did not posted here because many things i did might feel a bit extreme to some.

+

Rahulkool, Congratulations on your weight loss journey posted in the earlier post.
Thanks for posting your regimen. A bit extreme as you mentioned but something for me to ponder over.
Dietwise and exercise wise.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

Many other things i changed...I guess everything counts

Similar experience, though more with exercise than diet. I've seen that one's lifestyle itself changes once you start making changes on the health front. Since I need to wake up early on weekends to get my exercise fix, I stopped the late Friday and Saturday nights about 3 years ago. Now even when I do go out (very) occasionally, I can no longer bear the 'let's-all-just-sit-down-and eat-and-drink-and-chat-for-hours' thing anymore without getting bored and sleepy!

Priorities have changed I guess, feel better and healthier these days.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by Ithaca

+

Rahulkool, Congratulations on your weight loss journey posted in the earlier post.
Thanks for posting your regimen. A bit extreme as you mentioned but something for me to ponder over.
Dietwise and exercise wise.

thanks, i had to do that because i dont have patience and slow result means i would have quit

One point i missed diet wise is that i was having almost all meals at home. earlier i used to eat out at least 5-6 times in a week, reduced it to 1 meal max in week. Nowdays i eat out 1-2 meals.

There was no restriction in home cooked meals, only thing i avoided was rice.

Originally Posted by am1m

Similar experience, though more with exercise than diet. I've seen that one's lifestyle itself changes once you start making changes on the health front. Since I need to wake up early on weekends to get my exercise fix, I stopped the late Friday and Saturday nights about 3 years ago. Now even when I do go out (very) occasionally, I can no longer bear the 'let's-all-just-sit-down-and eat-and-drink-and-chat-for-hours' thing anymore without getting bored and sleepy!

Priorities have changed I guess, feel better and healthier these days.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

I broke the above-said diet on Jan 29th, when I had to travel to Chandigarh for an Offroad Competition. The place where I stayed was not keto supportive, and I decided to eat and drink I wished for till I came back, limiting sugar though.

20 days I ate and drank whatever I got, or wished for, and "may be" because of all the physical activity before/during the event and because of all the travelling, my weight didnt increase even one kilo.

As on March 7th, I started LCHF and IF, BUT, this time, with more carbs to satisfy my sweet tooth. That will mean, one or two oranges or guava after food. Sometimes a cube of dark chocolate. And on weekends I break it.

Right now, I'm weighing 87/88kgs, and I feel I'm still on a downward spiral.

So, here's how my last year went!

Once the weight was around 88 (around March '18) and I could get off the XXL sizes or rather, I could get shirts which 'fit'(?) my size, I turned lazy again and went back to carb loaded diets. The bigger problem this time was my craving for something sweet had come back bigger than ever. Whenever in Bangalore, two scoops of the butterscotch or chocolate from Polar bear was the norm. And then it graduated to the three scoop bowl - Thanks to Uber Eats!

However, come this year, (well four days back to be specific), I decided that I'm going to stop only when I hit 75 or possibly a couple of kgs less. I'm 174cms now.

The surprising thing this time is that I could extend my IF to 24 hours on three days! Well, I exactly didn't plan for it, and happened accidentally. The first day, ie, after I finished dinner at 7 the previous day, I was out of home during the usual time I have lunch, and I thought I'll come back home and have food. Turned out I was back only at 6 in the evening. I did feel a pang of hunger and some sweating and dizziness on the first day, but when that happened I was engaged in tuning the pump of my Paj, and was in no place to have food, so had to drink water and satisfy myself. Guess, I had a low Blood Sugar episode?

Well, anyhow, from the next day it was pretty easy to eat just one meal. However, I try to make it an elaborate one with eating my favourites. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I have eat three or four cubes of dark chocolate or oranges.

I need advice on few things:

- For 24 hour fasts, or one meal a day, do I need to take supplements?
- When I'm sitting at home, I still have a coffee or tea two or three times a day. This time I've chosen Aspartame. Which apparently has a GI - 0. Since stevia is hard to find. All good, and I'll not break my fast?
- What is Autophagy and what are the factors affecting it?
- I might be able to extend the fasts to 36 hours too, advisable?

[Sheel]

^Will advise to take up something which is sustaining. Your weight loss won't be rapid, but rather will be consistent. I too had become lazy, have started approx a week back and have lost 2 kgs with just being picky about what I eat and how much I eat. I just hope, I continue this.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

- When I'm sitting at home, I still have a coffee or tea two or three times a day. This time I've chosen Aspartame. Which apparently has a GI - 0. Since stevia is hard to find. All good, and I'll not break my fast?
- What is Autophagy and what are the factors affecting it?
- I might be able to extend the fasts to 36 hours too, advisable?

Aspartame technically does not break a fast. But there is lot of opinion in the internet that aspartame is not good for health in the long run. I would recommend you to gradually get off the sweet tooth so that you don't have to look for sugar substitutes. Develop a taste for black coffee or green tea. Have sweets occasionally as a cheat meal. That would be more sustainable.

Here is an article that explains autophagy.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/renew-body-fasting-autophagy

Here is a good video where Dr. Berg explains what is autophagy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10jNZleNH9w

Watch this video on extended fasting beyond OMAD (one meal a day). The key is you need to build enough nutrition reserve before doing extended fasting. Also, extended fasting will have to be occasional, like once a month or once in two months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwTGZ27LNFQ

Originally Posted by Sheel

^Will advise to take up something which is sustaining. Your weight loss won't be rapid, but rather will be consistent. I too had become lazy, have started approx a week back and have lost 2 kgs with just being picky about what I eat and how much I eat. I just hope, I continue this.

Many times, I have friends asking me if it is enough if they do LCHF or intermittent fasting for 3 months and then go back to regular diet. I tell them to not even bother. When they go back to regular eating, the lost weight usually comes back with a vengeance and most of the time they gain more weight when they go back.

Diets like Keto or LCHF, or practices like intermittent fasting cannot be considered as means to reduce weight after which we can go back to our regular routine. They have to be considered as lifestyle changes. Only then you can sustain the results.

[Rahulkool]

Originally Posted by graaja

Many times, I have friends asking me if it is enough if they do LCHF or intermittent fasting for 3 months and then go back to regular diet. I tell them to not even bother. When they go back to regular eating, the lost weight usually comes back with a vengeance and most of the time they gain more weight when they go back.

Diets like Keto or LCHF, or practices like intermittent fasting cannot be considered as means to reduce weight after which we can go back to our regular routine. They have to be considered as lifestyle changes. Only then you can sustain the results.

Can not agree more on this, the diet change or fitness regime for weight loss has to be lifestyle change, you can not do this for few months and go back to original diet. I have done this mistake twice in past and gained more weight afterwards

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by Sheel

^Will advise to take up something which is sustaining. Your weight loss won't be rapid, but rather will be consistent. I too had become lazy, have started approx a week back and have lost 2 kgs with just being picky about what I eat and how much I eat. I just hope, I continue this.

Sheel, it isn't really an effort to reduce weight rapidly. Been hearing it since some time that fasting is extremely good for your health even if it isn't for weight loss. Hence trying it out along with weight loss.

Originally Posted by graaja

...When they go back to regular eating, the lost weight usually comes back with a vengeance and most of the time they gain more weight when they go back.

Diets like Keto or LCHF, or practices like intermittent fasting cannot be considered as means to reduce weight after which we can go back to our regular routine. They have to be considered as lifestyle changes. Only then you can sustain the results.

I was 101/102 when I started LCHF, IIRC from December '17. Come March '18 kinda stopped at 85, bounced back to 88, but spent the last year at 88/89.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

I was 101/102 when I started LCHF, IIRC from December '17. Come March '18 kinda stopped at 85, bounced back to 88, but spent the last year at 88/89.

Are you totally back to your pre-LCHF diet, or are you doing something like moderate carbs cutting out sugar etc.? If it is the former, then maybe you are one of those lucky few I guess

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by graaja

Are you totally back to your pre-LCHF diet, or are you doing something like moderate carbs cutting out sugar etc.? If it is the former, then maybe you are one of those lucky few I guess

It's very difficult for me to adapt to LCHF as a lifestyle. I live in a traditional kinda family with and with parents. To give you a context, if my parents or wife were to ask me if I had food, then they ask: 'Chorunndo' (Did you have rice?) and not lunch or dinner. So, when I'm off LCHF, its 'Chor (rice)' and 'meat' with 'varavu/upperi(sorted vegetables)'. Also, all the functions or social gatherings in my village are carb loaded. If you don't eat, then they are offended. Diet is still a fancy term in my village, while religious fasting isnt. .

However, as part of making it a lifestyle, I have found it easier and fulfilling to take over the kitchen by myself! Also, meat, eggs & dairy products are an everyday affair in the kitchen, so, I don't need to put an effort in populating the inventory. So basically what happens nowadays is afternoons around 11:30 - 12:00 when the kitchen isn't busy, I enter and do my eggs and vegetables myself. For dinner, I share the meat family has cooked and do my vegetables myself or make myself a fancy loaded salad. Takes 30 mins tops morning and evening. And I'm blessed to have a wife who cuts everything for me, and cleans up after I'm done.

The best part is I'm actually loving trying out different recipes of eggs, meat and ways of cooking vegetables.

Oh, and one more thing. How do you guys see MSG as?

[Dry Ice]

So I spent quite sometime since yesterday going through this thread and understanding terms like LCHF, IF (the no acronym rule doesn't apply to shifting gears? lol!). One thing lead to another and I ended up reading through many of the olders posts in one go (some from as far back as 2016!).

I was a firm believer of the breakfast-like-a-king camp. I am not overweight, or have any health issues, but, I always had this nagging feeling of cutting down on junk from my diet. With stepping on the wrong side of 30s, time is right to make the switch!

Like many others have already mentioned before me, it feels a little counter intuitive to be having fat to reduce fat. That is until you understand the difference between the fat we eat and the fat we store. Thanks to all the members for sharing the knowledge nuggets and raising awareness on this topic.

I am planning to give LCHF + IF a go starting next week. Have to get the supplies in order as well as plan it out a bit as I don't want to go back to the regular routine.

IF is something I feel I will be able to do as I have to often force myself to have a big breakfast. I don't usually feel hungry first thing in the morning. But yes, moving dinner from 9pm to 7pm might take some effort as I usually return home between 7 and 7.30 pm. I plan to start slow with moving my breakfast first and once I am comfortable with move the dinner timings. Both these changes at the same time may throw me off!



For the first week I am planning to have some buttermilk + cut cucumbers/tomatoes in BF. Cut/boiled veggies/eggs/cucumbers/tomatoes for lunch and boiled beans(rajma)/dal with cut/boiled veggies in dinner. Will vary the combination of veggies over the weekdays.

I am not a coffee/tea drinker, so any suggestions about what I can replace the morning breakfast/snack with if the above plan isn't right? So far, I have only been able to shortlist buttermilk, as I like the taste and can have it everyday without getting bored - essential I guess to maintain the LCHF diet. The salted variety can also help with the salt intake.

[Samurai]

If you are looking at IF, plan to skip dinner. It is the easiest. Have a good breakfast (8am) and lunch (2pm). That gives you a 18 hour fasting window.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Samurai

If you are looking at IF, plan to skip dinner. It is the easiest. Have a good breakfast (8am) and lunch (2pm). That gives you a 18 hour fasting window.

Interesting! I could definitely tweak my Saturday timings this way and do the Breakfast-Lunch on Sunday so that I can do my long ride in a fed state. And then eat lunch after my ride.



I just had a bad Saturday and Sunday in terms of rides (60 kms and 115 kms ... both fasted) where I was running on empty towards the end of the ride, and had light-headedness, weakness, nausea (though I couldn't bring anything up and out as the stomach was washed empty), and having to keep swallowing down bile (or the water with salts). On the Sunday ride, I started cramping badly in the last 10 kms as well. The inside of both thighs.


@graaja I know you suggested peanut butter sandwiches and bananas before the ride and eating during the ride, but I did not want to break the 16 hour fasted window. Need to re-think. Definitely for the weekend long ride. Where I want to go both long and hard.


I could go strong till 80+ kms (was averaging close to 24 throughut). Then started flagging, and at 100 km my average had fallen to 23.1. But the time I reached home, it had dropped further in the next 15 km to end at 22.8.



However, @samurai , most of the videos on IF specifically talk about breakfast being the meal to be skipped. Your post gives me a new perspective (and a workable one at that!). Could you opine if there is a specific / scientific reason for most experts to recommend lunch-supper/dinner for the 16:8 IF regimes?

By the way, today completes Week #2 of IF, and I've lost 4 kilos (86 from 90+).

Is that on schedule?

Cheers, Doc