Good to hear what you find suits you Nrracing. Finding a way that works for us whilst being sustainable is so important. My exercise program isn't as committed as yours Our way of life is very changeable things can be quiet or extremely physical and tiring. So I relish the quiet times to have the stamina for the busier bits.
Interesting about your eating window, there seems to be quite a bit of interest on the forum regarding that. I too try to have a 16:8. Think once I have started eating for the day I am then in the "eating mode" delaying that seems to help. Glad you are sleeping better, losing weight and probably most of all feeling better.

Hi folks, I'm still following this thread. It really corresponds to my approach although it's been some time since I've seen the scale go down rather than up. This last few months I've developed a craving for French fries. I do indulge it from time to time but it's obviously not helping me lose weight. The funny thing is I never cared much about them before. I also developed a craving for a certain dark chocolate coated raspberry ice, although I was never that keen on ice cream, especially the commercial brands. They sell them at a garage near my office, alas. It is quite small and doesn't represent an enormous number of calories in the great scheme of things but again, it's not really a good thing to have on my meal plan. I wonder if it's because something is missing in my diet. I don't eat enough fat, probably. That may partly explain the fries. Also, I should eat raspberries with heavy cream and a bit of dark chocolate rather than the ice cream. I must remember to get some. I still eat three times a day and don't normally snack. I eat breakfast at 7.00 am when I'm really not hungry so I eat a finger of hard cheese and a very fine gluten free crispbread. It doesn't spark my appetite. I have lunch in a canteen at midday where they serve meat or fish most days with a choice of veggies. There is also a salad bar. I usually manage to eat without any starch to speak of. If I can avoid getting an ice cream from the shop on the way back I'm OK. In the evening I cook. I prepare things that are low carb but I usually add a starch for my husband who avoids gluten but not starch as such, so rice or potatoes in some form. Before I managed to resist eating them myself but now I find it harder. I should do mashed potatoes some times, as I don't really like those. Also I drink a bit of wine which I'd be reluctant to give up. Anyway, all in all, I am holding fairly steady. There has been a creep of a couple of kilos over the last year or so, but I'm determined to hold it there. I have started walking more so I hope that will help.

I think more people have this same situation. Back when they were saying never skip breakfast, the reason they gave was that it jump started your metabolism. Well, it jump starts your appetite, too! It was said that you should have small meals throughout the day as it keeps your metabolism stoked. Now it is said to go longer periods without eating because every time you eat it causes a surge in insulin, and that causes weight gain. The more I hear, the more confused I become. I think we have to do whatever works for us, specifically. I try to go as long as I can before my first food.

I don't really see results, though. I have been going up and down the same 5 lbs for years.

Only eat when you are hungry.
And in the window.

I have eggs for breakfast alot just to keep the KETO hours going longer

I have bcome a 'grazer' as I live on my own. I have heavy cream in my morning 2 cups of coffee and I am never hungry till about 11...when I am hungry, I may then have 2 eggs, 2 risp bacon and a whole avocado...this holds me till late afternoon, the time I used to crave the sweets, so I have one half cup full fat greek yougurt and one half cup strawberries or blueberries. I usually find some cold chicken or salmon cakes I have prepared and I do quite a lot of vegies...instead of potatoes, I will have a wasa cracker ot two with cream cheese. thru this journey, I no longer have a 'thing' for food. I guess I am now eating to live, not living to eat so I keep things simple. I do celebrate birthdays, holidays with family and go out on occasion with friends and I enjoy those meals but am no longer fixated on the food. its taken a long time to get here, I hope I can stay here.
'

I didn't have a weight problem at all when I lived alone. It really puts a damper on your plans when other people's food is in the house or you tend to eat when the rest of the family wants to eat, hungry or not. That's probably my biggest hurdle.

I moved in with my mother to take care of her (she's 91 now and quite frail). Then my brother moved in too, after saying for years he wasn't going to. That complicated things considerably because otherwise she would have just eaten like me with maybe something extra added so she didn't lose weight (she's 95 lbs now). Instead, we have him cooking spaghetti, bringing home pizza, KFC, crappy cookies from Walmart, etc. and eating pretty much constantly. I have not done well with it all.

I don't like eating VLC anyway because I feel like crap when I do. I actually think Paul Jaminet of Perfect Health Diet, is right, at least for some of us, in saying we need some amount of starch. But being diabetic complicates things for me.

I eat "semi low carb" according to the VLC type standards that generally dominate these boards now along with intermittent fasting. It's hard to fast when I have to prepare meals for my mother, but so far, I'm finding it's easier to make that one decision to fast than to decide what to eat throughout the day while surrounded by temptation.

JL, I have the complication of diabetes, also. It really doesn't allow for many carbs, does it. That's probably the only thing keeping me low carb at all.

Sorry to hear your having problems with the food your brother is bringing around. Fasting is probably your best bet for working around it. I find that as soon as I eat my first meal my appetite swings into play and I want more, so going without for a while does help.

Just bumping this thread up! Hope you are all finding peace with your way of eating? Personally I am following my plan most of the time. Don't beat myself up so much as I used to. Accepting I'm not perfect, strangely has helped me to get right back at it, rather than thinking I'm a failure. Few health problems has thrown me a bit. Medication has not increased hunger but it has caused some fluid retention. Hey ho planning to just keep at it.

I was miserable on VLC too. I've had more success on IF this past month than I have had on the VLC/Atkins plan the previous 3 years. Now I only have one meal at midday and don't eat again til the following midday meal. This just works better for me.

That's how it is...we each have something that works for us. My main problem is adjusting my eating to mesh with DH. I like to wait until I am hungry to eat, which just makes sense to me, but so many times he wants to eat when I'm not hungry. It was so much easier when I was single, but in other ways, he's nice to have around. ha ha

I know PA - I did that too for awhile, but now he understands that I can't eat when he eats. I sit down with him and drink some water or iced tea, but I don't eat. I still make the majority of his meals, but I don't eat at night period. That way I can make the carby stuff for him and it doesn't bother me, cuz I can save some for me the next day at my reward meal. It's awesome! Did I mention? I LOVE IF!

That's good that you have such a good balance with DH.

60 lbs lost for me since April 13th, eating "semi low carb". I've been mixing things up between eating moreish carbs and intermittent fasting. I find it a little nerve wracking, but so far it's working better than trying to eat low carb all the time was working for me. I'm hoping it's more realistic for keeping weight off down the line than the either/or mentality I've always previously had. I generally burned out after about 6 months of weight loss effort previously, but this time I don't feel that way, because I'm having ups and downs all the time.

I'll be 63 this month, btw.

I was motivated this spring by a doctor visit where my blood sugar was high (no surprise there) but my liver enzymes were also somewhat elevated. I also had had a CT scan earlier that showed a fatty liver (perhaps to be expected at my weight then). I expected myself to then spring into action losing weight, but instead I was in the same old pattern of losing a little, gaining a little; I just couldn't get my head completely in the game. Then, some of my liver research paid off when I found this:

Unclog Your Liver & Lose Abdominal Fat https://www.wellnessresources.com/n...-loss-challenge

I followed the advice below, which really appealed to me because I could eat something and not just drink something as a meal. I did it for 3 days, not even completely following his advice exactly, and lost 9 lbs which I never gained back. And much to my surprise, I also found that then my head was really in the game. Off I went, losing weight every week until just recently when I stayed the same one week, gained 3 lbs the next and then lost 7 pounds the following week. I've done the protein powder/fruit combo several times since then and think it's a valuable tool.



I used some plant protein powder, some whey; some flavored (including sweeteners, oops), some not, and usually fruit (berries, melon, greenish banana or apple) on the side rather than mixed in the drink. I probably had more than a TB of fiber too. I was surprised to find it doable, to be honest. And he's right, the first day is the hardest.

Very interesting JLx. Many congratulations on your loss, you should be well chuffed with yourself. Glad you have found something that works for you. Hope your liver will also be feeling the benefit.