Congrats, Janet! You'll make a great moderator for the site. I, too, have taken a total break from the finger poking (but not from the eating/fasting).

I won’t be bored as a moderator for 3 groups. Marty did a good 2 part interview with the Ketogenic Girl, who has a half million followers across her platforms! And many other podcasts, plus Dr Naiman. So the April challenge has sailed by 1000 and members are piling on. :wave:

Seeing you admining away Janet. Big task, wtg!

I'd in maint mode the the higher trigger target going, great - not hard to make it happen and losing weight in the mean time. I'm playing with some carbs today to test post meal BG - I'm planning on strict by the meter eating upcoming session, begins tomorrow baseline.

Last day of Baselining!

. Thank goodness, I'm exhausted. I figured the first two days of baselining and the first two days of hunger training would be a many questions, many repeated questions, but they don't stop. :lol:
Glad you both are doing OK and back to chasing your trigger.
I paused for the break and in two days my trigger dropped another point. So now I don't reach it until 1 or 2pm, and there goes my two meals a day...ugh. One main meal and a yogurt, protein "dessert". See how this goes.

I’m 3.9 lbs down since day 1...unbelievable. I’m the worlds slowest loser! Hope the downward trend continues. d

WTG Iceberg!

Most shed water pertty fast concentrating on eating protein and less energy dense food. At least that's the way it works for me. Comes back just as fast - however, over the long haul, fat is being used for fuel if that's your goal. It's a ton of fun.

One of my objectives (as doing this the second time with group) is to move my first meal as far forward into the day as possible according to hunger and not drop too far below trigger.

Second objective is related to the first and that is getting second meal in earlier and eating less if it's later. My waking bg still hovering around 100 3 days after 2 high carb days at end of Maintenance - Eating early and/or light if late really works on that number for me, this also allows potential for even earlier meal the next day on account of hunger and likely lower BG to start day.

Good Morning all you Fasters! I'm sure Thud and Iceberg will ace this challenge leaderboard. Amazingly I went below my original goal weight of 160 (from 10 years ago) this morning. To keep the one pound scale difference between my regular scale and the Renpho, (yes, that one pound is critical because today I'm below 160 :lol: ) Now in a 23 BMI range, each pound is hard fought.

I am still not hitting my trigger until 1-2pm :mad: so it has been one protein and veg meal and one yogurt with Protein powder later. At this point, my intention would be to go back to two full meals but sticking with the plan for this month! See what happens.

Posted on Ted Naiman's thread too...great new podcast on Protein from DietDoctor.

I dropped nearly another pound this morning. My FBG was 86. I guess I'm doing something right.

It was easy peasy getting under my target today. It told me to add some carbs, so I did a few for my evening meal. Ate later than I would normally. So a couple small spoons of rice and beans and jumped to 121 an hr after...so now I know those are off my list of what to eat.

So if we stay below our target, like I did for most of the day, does that mean I was burning onboard fat all day? I've not eaten much fat since I started since I have tons of it to lose.

d

Most likely....if you have drained the first three of your onboard fuels..you were tapping into the big storage tank. This is in the Guides as one of the BEST articles...and it is.

https://optimisingnutrition.com/oxi...ctive-fat-loss/

Great work Iceberg and Janet, stoked for you guys. I'm getting back into my groove. I had food yesterday morning just under my "highish" trigger (for now, it drops pretty fast Iceberg in a few days if you're consistently hitting under) but it was not enough fuel for a full day on the water, I brought my meter along and measured 80 and thought crap, too far under trigger - And I was really hungry

This is not the place I want to be. Way below trigger and hungry - I ate 80g of dry roasted peanuts on the way home as part of my meal. After punching that into cronometer those were 25 percent of my energy intake for for the day and they didn't really fill me up - way to easy to eat 500kcal

I'm starting to see what Marty is talking about. I used to eat peanuts all the time. 80g is like 3oz - not a huge bunch.

If you're eating peanuts or peanut butter you better be working your ass off - There's a few interesting minerals and B3 in them so not all bad but so much energy in terms of fat.

Fat is not bad at all for energy but I have many, many grams of fat throughout my body that I'd rather use for energy... but peanuts are SO GOOD to eat. I could way more than 80g haha

Thank you for the link. All I know is this seems to be working for me. I hope I don’t jinx myself... :)

there are four website articles in a Guide, all 4 of them are very helpful.

Well, I missed the start of the current challenge because I got tired of all the finger sticks. I was doing well it getting at or below my trigger consistently before eating. Then I got my first Covid shot 4 weeks ago. My waking BG jumped more than 10 points and even if I fasted for 18 hours it wouldn't come down anywhere near my trigger so I ate anyway. It was just starting to even out again when the March challenge ended.

So today I got my final injection, and I assume the readings will be wonky again for about a week. I'm kind of planning on doing baseline again around the first of May. I pop onto the FB page from time to time to see what's new, but am not really participating.

Cheering you guys on from the sidelines for now!

OK, take care. We have had a number of posts about the CoVid impact on BG. All over the map. Yes/no based on manufacturer, age, and some where the first or second was bad, and not the other.

Good to know. I'm surprised they didn't talk about the effect on blood glucose on all the news stories. They didn't mention it to us either time when we got the injections, either. You'd think that would be a good thing to know if you're diabetic or simply watching your numbers.

Okay...my numbers for week one of the challenge -

Wt from 223.8 to 218.6, a loss of 5.2 lbs....unbelievable!!!!
Waist from 43.7 to 42.1, a loss of 1.6 inches
Fat increased from 55.3% to 55.7%...it's a BIA type, new recently...sad to see that increase...

But hey, I'm losing like I've NEVER done before. Still waiting for the new target number on the app. The spreadsheet says it should now be 96, down from 98. Guess maybe with the time change it's not ready to calculate it?

So, now on to week 2 and to kick some more of me to the curb...lol.

How'd everyone else do?

d

I've been getting under my trigger no problem, waiting for it to drop, and drop it will !

Congratulations! It's magic :lol: I paid $18 for my Renpho scale and do not expect much from it. Almost all numbers are based off a not terribly credible hydration status. If you look at the Body Water Trend, Body Fat and Weight goes down when water goes up. Yesterday my Body Fat % went down .2, when water went up .1.

But Ta-Da...the Renpho scale also slipped below 160!!! I am at the lowest weight since I can’t even remember...many many years. Lower than with LowCarb. Two pounds for this week, 30 from start. Now of course, I want to see where this takes me.

Watch out Thud, you easily post below trigger BG and that app will start cranking it down. :eek: Trigger is a 7 day average of pre-meal readings, so it should start moving now. Be glad they added the .5% max to the drop...in January the trigger was galloping down for some people.

"...Watch out Thud, you easily post below trigger BG and that app will start cranking it down. Trigger is a 7 day average of pre-meal readings, so it should start moving now. Be glad they added the .5% max to the drop...in January the trigger was galloping down for some people."

Agreed, that's why I'm paying more attention to my hunger and recording and eating before it gets to low (for me that's into the low 70's as too low) I'm looking for a nice progressive linear ride down.

Goal: practice picking up subtler signals rather than, "I'm starving" - then it's too late for me - at that point I really do think about eating shitting foods and stuff. Reversely, If I start thinking about eating shitty foods, it's fairly certain that my BG is too far under my trigger. Trying to catch that feeling as it begins, not in the middle of it.

I suppose that's how most "normal" people feel and utilize hunger. I lost that skill a LONG time ago. Here to acquire it again with diligent practice.

Gliding along nicely this session. exploring more foods and working at slowly dropping trigger, that means eating before I get too hungry - key! Finding what it feels like to be hungry and practicing pushing away from table and left overs in fridge.

I have the suspicion that "Thud" just "gliding along" means he will top the weight and body fat loss leader boards again. :lol: Thanks for sharing your answers in the groups, you are always so helpful.

I have lost another 4 pounds this challenge, but since I’m 12 pounds below my goal, that is some sort of miracle. All month though I have had a hard time lowering trigger any further (meaning it did not go down one point!) I still have very stable BG, albeit at a lower range. By the time I am hungry, it is Noon, but I am 1 or 2 points above. If I wait to get below 90 it is 1:30pm, I’m very hungry and overeat. I could simply pick the noon to 6 pm eating window and be done with it, which is what I will do in the NO MC, and maybe even the next DDF. Like taking off the training wheels..I know exactly what real hunger feels like. It's taken 9 months to "find the key"...not too hungry.

Thud, have you checked out the sample NutriBooster recipe books? As I remember some of the meals you posted way back when, think you would enjoy them. Beside all the easy "bowl" meals, I added the KetoGains PSMF Flan so I am not as dependent on yogurt…appetite killer. :yum:

https://optimisingnutrition.com/ana...pes/#more-23479

Janet and thud, great results. I'm finding that trigger and BG readings are not precise for me. If I'm in the range + or - 2-3 points, I'm going to eat as long as I've had enough time since my last meal. There are times when I'm involved in something where I go longer and below trigger before eating. Those are the times when I consciously stick with a normal meal of healthy food without increasing portions. During these times, I could easily consume a hunk of cheese or some pork rinds, as I've done in the past while preparing my meal. Those are the behaviors I'm eliminating with good results. I'm viewing BG measurements as loose guidelines, and it's working for me. I'm also getting to the point where I know what my BG is based on hunger and the time of my last meal. This is the value of DDF for me. To be able to lose the meter and rely on my awareness is the goal. I'm becoming consistently accurate with this method.

The dynamics at work here are interesting where I pull things I've learned over the course of the LC journey. I think of Westman when I resist adding unnecessary fats (onboard pantry reference), I think of Naiman when I emphasize protein over fats, and Kendall has provided the structure of DDF to enable us to learn about how we react to foods metabolically. There are many others, but these are the ones who've influenced me the most at this stage of the journey.

Good stuff Janet and Rob - No way ill I top any chart this round - and I'm glad about that, you have to be really out of sorts (metoboically) or over the moon crazy intense to "win" - I'm just happy following the guidelines and seeing what happens.

I think the neatest thing I've done so far is start using cronometer (I'm such an anti micro measurement person) but i'm really enjoying entering my food and seeing the nutritional charts and then experimenting with foods that fill other niches - Heck, I might even try to do a Master Class again at some point. I flunked out of the first one, if it would have been college I would have withdrawn haha! Now I have the tools to give it another go.

Fun foods added since:

- Collards in stuff, I just used to make big batches with lots of hog fat

- no fat Cottage Cheese and Yogurt - I seem to get along with them

- Nutriaional Yeast - who would have thunk

- Nori sheets - now a staple

- added chicken and calf liver weekly - see if I can keep this up, I'm getting accustom to the taste

- egg whites - bought first container - might do that again - I mix with whole eggs about 50/50 when using it

- got another jar of Kimchi - I used to eat that a lot back in the first part of my journey

and Rob, speaking of Journey, who would have thunk it would have changed so much over time. This is a hint to me that it will continue to change if I have an open mind and pay attention to how my body works.

Later 'taters

The next NO Masterclass starts a week from today! I hung in the last class, but think I was in the bottom half, D & F range…which does not mean Dandy & Fine. :lol:

Dr Westman, Dr Naiman, and Marty Kendall…all great resources, and now all three all over social media. Marty did 5 interviews last weekend (while he works a "real" job” :) Dr Westman has been doing at least two Live talks/interviews each week…and his Masterclass is running in the background. Dr Naiman is being interviewed everywhere ( even for Dr Westman's membership page), with a really good new one with The Emmerichs. Soon as I get some egg white protein, I’m up for trying some of Maria's PSMF recipes, starting with bread. https://mariamindbodyhealth.com/pro...g-wonder-bread/


My food finds…2% cottage cheese (0% was a bridge too far) whizzed in a food processor or with immersion blender..a high protein "Mayo" or cream cheese sub. A way to use canned salmon with added protein!

That weird nutritional yeast..I found a small jar of it in the spice section of a grocery store…now i see a bigger bag at Trader Joe's.

Egg whites…I have been going through many cartons from Trader Joe's, esp. if I try Maria's PSMF bread…but wandered into the Costco egg room…6 cartons in a box…such a deal.

Tip on the liver, you don’t need much to jack up the nutrition score. Someone lightly cooks, freezes it in the necessary amount, takes out one a day to add to a meal, mix into a ground meat meal, or pop it in your mouth like a pill :o :lol:

Taking a complete break this week, though must re-read all the NO manual, and next class will be able to totally focus on Nutrition…with a capital N. :wave:

The 2% cottage cheese as mayo or other uses is a good idea. Have to give that a try. Typically, I use Primal Kitchen mayo in egg or tuna salad, but nowadays I'm wondering how much fat energy is riding along. Bet I could add a little ACV to the cottage cheese to give it a tangy taste.

I'm still trying to understand nutritional yeast and how to use it, as I know it bumps up protein without adding fat, but I don't have specifics in any of my NO documents. I typically eat a good amount of protein; although, I had to stop adding plain Isopure powder to my yogurt and berries due to unpleasant side effects. So, I'm looking for a powdered protein to add to Greek yogurt without side effects.

As for liver and other organ meats, I love the taste and I've found it really comes down to how it's prepared. Calves liver with mushrooms and red onions with a touch of red wine is a staple for me. I typically eat one or two meals a week. The last meal I had with lamb kidneys and pasture-raised eggs is one that I'll look forward to again. I have a farm just west of me where all animals are grass-fed and pasture raised, so that's my organ meat source among other things. While I'm not OCD about having my meats grass-fed, it's an excellent source for reasonably priced organ meats.

Good stuff guys! Rob, the nutritional yeast was purchased more as a curiosity as I saw people arguing about it (was it cheating or considered a "supplement) on the first NO class I failed - A way for vegans to get some protein - tastes pretty good as a condiment on stuff. I've put in on cauliflower - even had a spoonful(s) out of the bag - put in in yogurt (not again) added to cottage cheese (ok - small amount) used it as thickening agent a few times in stirfry that was too wet, stuff like that.

I just plugged 16g (one "serving" into cronometer and highlights are:

click on this link to graphic below, not HTTPS - I still need to get an SSL certificate on my site i store files at:

http://downhaul.com/lowcarb/2021mis...tionalYeast.png

Here's the one I'm using - ordered from amazon

https://anthonysgoods.com/products/...riendly-non-gmo

Thanks, thud. Wow, I can see why yeast is popular among vegans. It gives them much of what they're not getting in their diets. Not something that's essential for me currently, but good to have an awareness of the benefits of yeast.

Very reasonably priced as well.

Well, my first week results were fab, the next 3 not so much...lol

I did manage to lose a bit more, but waist stayed the same. Per my new fancy scale, no fat loss and showing a bit of fat gain.

I’ve signed up for the next NO MC and hope this helps me dial down to macros, etc. I HATE tracking foods, but if doing so helps me in the long term than I’ll do it. So, first challenge of many in the future is done and on to the MC.

5.8 Down, 1.6 inches lost in waist, but still quite fat...lol

d

I was looking further into the propaganda on the Anthony's site and noticed it's "fortified"

"Fortified with B Vitamins including Folic Acid and B12 (produced by natural fermentation - not synthetic or animal source)"

So who knows, perhaps taking a supplement would get you those numbers as well, I wonder what the REAL yeast numbers are now ha!