Hi Turtle, just wanted to pop in and say Go for it! I'm not doing the full protocol, but have lowered FBS and. PPs by 20-30 pts, just by eliminating breakfast 3x/week. I've also lost 4-5# in a month, which i think is great considering i'm not too far from goal. I think anything you can do to extend the time period with minimal insulin release will be a help to you. Despite his apparent disdain for what he thinks Atkins represents, I think the guy is brilliant! Good luck!

Thanks, Liz. Nice to know you're having success merely from dropping breakfast three times a week. And thanks for the luck. I need it.

Hi Turtle, you can see Blue has had great success with weight loss by combining Westman and IF, while I used it as an opportunity to increase vegetables and fiber from the typical Westman meal. But I am still seeing lower BG and losing about a pound a week. At six weeks, fasting gets easier for me. Yesterday, I had 2T cream in morning coffee, skipped the CO, exercised (just wanted to see if without CO I would have energy and I did, felt fine) had 1 cup of broth for lunch, and realized to my shock, I wasn't really hungry in the evening. I ate anyway, though a smaller amount. BG was 82 and solidly in ketosis. Sure lots of things are going on; eating less protein just because fewer eating events, so lower insulin and staying in ketosis, which reduces appetite. Eating more fiber and that does appear to help lower BG by muting the reaction or because my gut needed it. Just eating fewer calories, not because I power through hunger, but am less hungry. It takes hours to watch his lectures, but worth it if you the time.

For me, combining Dr. Westman's guidelines for eating along with Fung's promotion of alternate day fasting is working very well for me. "Keto Clarity" confirmed it for me but my body was already experiencing the benefits.

This past weekend we had overnight guests that required many meals out. I was able to be part of it all without trouble, didn't gain, and went back to fasting this past Monday. I fast breakfast and lunch on alternate days. I lost .8 pounds yesterday and another .8 today. Not one gain with all the festivities either. Once my body got into the groove of ketogenic eating, it wasn't hard to be satisfied while make progress. I'd say it was a piece of cake but, well, you know.

Week Seven Update: a new (in recent times) low of 168.8. Forget standard rounding methods, calling it 168, within a healthy BMI, and down 12 pounds. Have already written fasting gets easier, my protein levels are lower, and am just eating less food. I must learn to adjust what I buy and prepare. Use to eat leftovers for breakfast and lunch, now the food sits there, which bothers my frugal side.
Simple tip I realized this week (well duh ) ....don't keep opening the refrigerator. Have always kept water in large sports bottles to keep it chilled and know I am drinking enough, which means I see food many times. I'm not hungry, but think it's time to cook that chicken or finish that leftover roast. We have an exterior freezer door ice maker, I've switched to that. And try to stay out of the kitchen Brilliant, no? After seven weeks of fasting my mind must be getting sharper

Also, if you still deep down have doubts about fasting being good for you, or just too weird, or as Dr Fung says, "it's CRAZZZY", I have finally signed up for Brad Pilon's newsletter. He's been interviewed enough over the years that I know his advice is basically fast 24 hours 2-3 times a week at whatever times you like and eat whatever you want. Since my goal is not a body like his don't think I need the book, EatStopEat. But his daily emails, with touches of Stoic Greek and Tao philosophies, are a nice adjunct to all the LC science stuff. Brad may well be too "out there", his writing style is the bodybuilder type I normally avoid, but for this period it fits. Today:

Janet- congratulations on that major loss! I'm thrilled for you. I've only 1/2 as much as you in about 5.5 weeks, but am still very pleased as this is a very do-able, comfortable approach. Yesterday I thought I "should" eat more, but easily resisted. The new protocol is not only causing a little weight loss, but changing my habits as well. No loss today, but then yesterday was a fasting day. I almost always see my losses following eating days.

ETA: a few days ago you were saying you might stop at the end of 2 months...are you still thinking that?

Funny you should ask. I just got off the phone changing appointments and annual physical appointment moved out Oct 1. Gives me more time on IF before bloodwork and headed to Charleston for a few days which required moving some dates around.

I just started this week and of course am not seeing any change as yet, but I've realized that what with the cream, coconut oil, broth, and eating a normal dinner, my calorie totals for my "fast" days are not all that low. Lower than my regular eating days, for sure, but not anything like what I'd consider a fast. Those of you who are doing the 24 hour fasts, from dinner to dinner, are your food amounts on the fast day considerably lower than on regular eating days? 25% as much, 50%, or what?

Mine are not much lower, especially not in the beginning. Although the first two weeks were not that difficult, I used every "extra", was most definitely hungry by dinner and surprised by the total calories. Would have large salads with the meal, extra veg, make some berry with coconut milk type dessert, indulging in the extra veg and fruit encouraged with this plan for fiber. On some eating days would have a MIM for breakfast, but no longer do that. My appetite has settled down, but fasting day is maybe around 80% of calories of an eating day. This was the first week I dropped the CO to see if that makes a difference.

With my weight loss, just ignore those five pounds the first week. I was way off the low carb ranch, too much wine. It was overnight water weight, so really only one pound a week. My goal is lower blood sugars so purposely adding fiber foods brings the calories up quickly (carrots, hummus, fruits, lentils) but lowers the protein. With one meal, I can only eat a slightly larger portion of protein, so my average protein has been lower, while total carbs are higher but net carbs still pretty low...so I am really doing a Ketogenic diet or an IF? Whatever, I feel great

I like that quote, JEY. What's it from?

I'm still doing well with my ketogenic eating and alternate day 24 hour fasts. I've noticed several differences between the low carb/moderate protein/high fat versus low carb only.

1. I'm getting all sorts of comments about how good I look, as if I feel well and look "glowing" as one person put it. They've also all commented on the weight loss. This is after only 3 weeks. Really?!? I didn't get any such comments after months and months and months and months on low carb. I'm not complaining but there really has been a huge difference in what others have noticed.

2. When on low carb only, my skin looked deflated and saggy. I developed a turkey waddle under my chin and just plain looked old. Not this time. My "under chin" has decreased but there aren't drooping, deflated, folds of skin. It's just smaller. My face isn't all wrinkly (more than usual) like before either. Now THAT I can live with!

Good Morning, blue!

That was from another Brad Pilon blog post, 100 Reasons to Try EatStopEat, many of them contributed by readers.

Here are a few more of his own:



Your observations are very interesting, especially those about the skin, as I was struck by something Lynne said at the last support group meeting. (Lynne has lost 200+ pounds and has kept it off, eating NK and one meal a day. Page 161 of KetoClarity ) Besides the fact she has lovely, glowing facial skin and no sagging chin, she said people ask her all the time "where did all the skin go?" and she has no idea! She has a small waist, wears wrap knit dresses that aren't holding in anything, after four years it is "just gone". Even after two years, not any sagging: http://www.awlr.org/blog/low-carb-d...t-saved-my-life

Glad to know I'm not the only one who has noticed that added benefit of NK. Not having lines all over my face and deflated folds of wrinkly skin is well worth the change.

NK = Nutritional Ketosis ?

Yes, ma'am.