Fasting to get out of the weight loss doldrums

[Subtle_badger]

IMPORTANT: DO NOT PRACTICE MULTIDAY FASTS DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS AS IT MAY COMPROMISE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!

From mid January I experienced a six week weight loss stall. I weigh daily which means there is a lot of fluctuations, so to confirm what was going on, I uploaded my data weightgrapher.com which smooths things out allowing me to confirm the trend.

Yup. I wasn't losing weight. It was flat. So at midnight 28/29 February, after a dinner party where I ate and drank whatever I felt like, I started my first extend fast. It ended up being 62 hours.

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...

And that broke the back of my stall.

Attached is the graph of my weight from weightgrapher. The lower line with all the decorations is my trend weight line over the last month - nicely sloping down. The blue line above is 28 days previously. You can see the flat line, then the dip while I fasted. The weight rebounded and then - when I got back on WOE that I had been on before - the gentle decline resumed, and is still going a month later.

Now, I still say now is not the time for extended fasts, but I decided to post this because I have the data at hand, and who knows what the future holds. I hope this will be useful for someone in the future, when we have got the best of this virus.

Note to admins, if you are around: can we add a topic for extended/multiday fasting?

[S11m Volunteer 70lb IF20]

I am glad it works for you. (I did not have any unintended plateaux, but it worked for me.)

[Sheperdess]

It’s interesting to see and hear what you did to break the stall. I’m going to wait till we move into our new normal - whenever that is - to try a fast. I just don’t feel I have the headspace to cope with it yet. I am trying a couple of days a week with reduced meal sizes now. I’m still feeling full with LCHF but trying to see if that minor change can help keep the weight loss going.

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to Sheperdess]

Yeah. Don't do this now. I've edited it to make that clear.

I've got to say LCHF has really reduced my snacking. I imagine boredom would have had me stuffing my face previously.

[Sheperdess in reply to Subtle_badger]

Me too. Am constantly amazed that I can feel so satisfyingly full between my two meals often having 18 hours without eating. Never a need to snack now.

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to Sheperdess]

I had some seeds and yogurt on Sunday, and a few hours later went for a 50km ride with only a cup of black coffee, and didn't even think about food. I was hungry when I got home, but not at all on the ride.

[S11m Volunteer 70lb IF20 in reply to Sheperdess]

I "need to snack now" because I am down to my target weight, and do not want to lose any more ....but I only snack in my four-hour window.

[OilpainterUS]

Good for you, Badger. That's fantastic to see immediate results and to take charge.

I've been thinking about doing the same. I've moved from OMAD to 20-4 or even 18-6 out of boredom and to keep BF company for lunch. 🙄 Lousy reasons to eat. My joints are swelling up and the pain is worsening.

I just can't get motivated to do a long fast when he's around and I'm cooking so much for others. Bleh.

You are an inspiration!

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to OilpainterUS]

I think you are at a hard place. Yes, fasting will reduce your inflammation, and your pain, but if you get CV19, you are going to want inflammation to fight the virus.

I think you should keep doing what you are doing for now. Better alive and creaky than the alternative.

[OilpainterUS in reply to Subtle_badger]

You're the best, S_b, always thinking of others.

Not to be daft, but help me understand "if you get CV19, you are going to want inflammation to fight the virus", please? I thought inflammation could act as an host to a virus? .

[OilpainterUS in reply to Subtle_badger]

After your response, S_b, I searched for Inflammation related to virus.

"Inflammation is your body's way of protecting itself from infection, illness, or injury. As part of the inflammatory response, your body increases its production of white blood cells, immune cells, and substances called cytokines that help fight infection. Classic signs of acute (short-term) inflammation include redness, pain, heat, and swelling."

Indeed! You are correct. I do want the process of inflammation to happen (just prefer to not have it hang on in swollen tissues. 😋 )

It's easy to focus on the bad parts of inflammation.

Thank you for reminding me of the positive aspect of this.

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to OilpainterUS]

Yeah.

I had a good example of it last summer, where something - maybe a mosquito - bit me. The next day I had a swelling on my hip, about the size of two hands, red and itching. I saw a doctor and he explained to me "Either you have an infection and your immune system is behaving in an appropriate way to fight it, or it's an allergic reaction and your immune system is overreacting. They both look the same."

(it was allergic, for the record)

[OilpainterUS in reply to Subtle_badger]

That's quite the reaction. Perhaps a spider not a mosquito? The human body is amazing.

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to OilpainterUS]

I don't know what it was. Probably not actually a mozzie, because I found several other similar spots on my body later - hence how I knew it was allergic - so presumably something crawling under my clothes. Probably not a spider, anything can trigger my immune reaction.

I have an over reactive immune system, so I have had similar reactions before though this was the worst. But there is also a sewage works near where I was bitten, and sometimes the river has untreated sewage in it. A fellow rower got bitten on the river, had a similar red mark around it and two days later she was in hospital on an antibiotic drip. Hence the urgent but unnecessary visit to the GP

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to OilpainterUS]

PS it gets more complicated: the patients struggling in intensive care might be being attacked by their own immune system, that's the theory behind Trump's chloroquine obsession. But the trick is to not end up in ICU, and you need a strong immune system for that to happen.

[OilpainterUS in reply to Subtle_badger]

Indeed.

So happy for you your fast went the well. You had a reset from the sound of it.

I've been motivated today to get back on track. If I may do anything to reduce the joint swelling, I need to take charge and just do it.

Thank you for posting this, S_b. I think you truly helped get me going again. (50 km...Still amazed, WonderWoman!)

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to OilpainterUS]

Have I not boasted to you about my longest ride? 1200km in 100 elapsed hours.

[OilpainterUS]

Btw, I ran across your rendition of nutty natterings here or LCHF earlier. It was hilarious. Encouraging you to do it again! You are a fantastic host.

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to OilpainterUS]

Thank you. I not sure which post you refer to, but I will see if I can share some nonsense later. 👍

[Stoozie Administrator]

Multi-day fasting topic added Subtle_badger

Sorry for the delay.

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to Stoozie]

Don't apologise!

How are you and you family getting on?

[Stoozie Administrator in reply to Subtle_badger]

Well, no-one has strangled anyone else yet.

But it's a close call!

[Subtle_badger 16Kg IF 72hrs in reply to Stoozie]

I was going to add "has anyone been murdered yet?" but decided to omit it.

I am very glad the answer is no.