Is IF for me?

[Fittea]

Hello! I'm new to this forum, I'm currently trying to lose weight (currently just eating healthy and counting calories) and I'm looking into various diets and programs. I'm considering both Keto / LCHF and Intermittent Fasting (IF) so I am checking out and posting on relating forums for advice and guidance. I have tried both before, for short periods of time, and both technically worked as I did lose some weight with them, but for whatever reason I stopped them. Most likely due to my typical giveupitis, lol.

Here's some info about me:

I'm a 29 years old female. Currently 25st 3lbs (as of Friday 15 October).

I'm vegetarian, lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, maybe egg intolerant.

I have a history of low D and B12 plus iron, so that may still be the case.

I literally do no exercise as I rarely leave the flat and I don't currently work.

I have depression, anxiety and social anxiety, possibly bi polar disorder.

I suffer from general pain, migraines, fatigue, malaise and sleep issues.

So as you can see I have a few... hindrances, but I'm determined to lose weight, mostly because I simply have to. For my health, both physical and mental. I feel that most, if not all, of my problems revolve around my weight. I feel tired, in pain and get depressed because I'm obese. I'm then tired, in pain and depressed so I don't exercise and eat bad. It's a vicious cycle. It's possible I may also have a hidden issue that is adding to this that is either making me gain weight or making it difficult to lose weight. As I have always felt like I'm not "that bad". You read articles where people eat 5000 calories a day, tons of chocolate, crisps, takeaways etc, and are huge etc, but I've never been like that. Yes sometimes I might have some chocolate, or crisps or a takeaway but it's never a lot in a day, let alone every day.

I started my current diet on Friday 1 October where I weighed in at 25st 3lbs, and I weigh myself every Friday. On Friday 8 October, I was surprised and saddened to see 25st 5lbs on the scale, so I had somehow put on 2lbs. Despite eating better than usual, eating things like omelettes, tofu stir fries and stuffed peppers instead of a lot of bread, processed food or takeaways. On Friday 15 October, the scales once again said 25st 3lbs, so I had lost the 2lbs I apparently gained in the first week. Which is good, but I couldn't help but feel a bit meh since a part of me kept thinking "you're back where you started", but another part of me had to remind myself "yes but at least you lost, you could have maintained or worse, gained".

I know weight loss can fluctuate and be slow but I was hoping and expecting it to be more than this, since I've been eating way better than before. Which has me thinking maybe I do have something that is making it difficult to lose weight? I haven't been exercising as I wanted to focus on making changes to my eating first, but people still suggest adding some exercise so I may start doing that anyway, even just 1 walk a week or something. So I'm also thinking of doing LCHF and / or IF.

I don't know much about IF, but I know there's different types. Can people explain these to me? Due to my weird and bad sleeping, my appetite and eating is often affected and I tend to eat at weird times (to "normal" people) and also usually eat 1 meal a day, so I guess sometimes I'm technically already fasting. I would like to fast properly though and I know that in the past when I have fasted / not eaten for half a day or a day, I have lost weight that week. Which is why I think an IF diet is for me.

I greatly appreciate any advice! Thanks

[Hidden]

Hello Fittea and welcome to F&F and thank you for introducing yourself. Firstly here’s a link about the different types of IF explained really well, please see:

healthline.com/nutrition/in...

Now I think that you’ve taken one big step in achieving your weight loss goal and what you have to look at is how you can exercise more in your flat if you make the effort. So for example you could use aerobic weights when the adverts come on tv and just introduce simple exercises and what really helps is to exercise quite hard for just a couple of minutes.

Walking in fresh air amongst nature is very good for our mental health so that might give you the incentive to get out more and help get your confidence back.

You look after yourself and remember take things one day and one step at a time and you can achieve your goal and we will cheer you on.

Jerry 😊

[Fittea in reply to Hidden]

Hello Hidden ! Thanks for the warm welcome and advice

I have just browsed that website and think I understand IF more. I made some bullet points in a note pad on 3 types that interested me - 5:2, Eat Stop Eat and Alternate Day. I don't think the 16:8 would do much good because my sleeping sometimes makes me already do the 16:8. I wake up anytime between noon - 4pm so miss breakfast. I do go to bed late though and eat late, so if I change that and go to bed earlier, maybe the 16:8 could work but it would be a lot to change at once I think (going to bed earlier and waking up earlier). While I feel the other IF diets are more suitable.

For example, with the 5:2 I could fast on Tuesdays and Thursdays. From what I understand, on those "fasting" days, I limit to around 500 calories. So I could plan ahead so that I have a meal and snack for those days. I could also try the Eat Stop Eat where I don't eat for either 1 day (Wednesday) or 2 days (Tuesdays and Thursdays). I'm thinking I could start with the 5:2, reduce the calories and see how I go with that, see what the results are like. If I still don't get much results, then try the Eat Stop Eat diet. If I then still don't see much results, then maybe see a doctor because maybe I do have something medically that's making it difficult to lose weight. As for the Alternate Day diet, maybe I could try that in the future but I read that it's not very sustainable and isn't really suitable for beginners.

As for exercise, I don't watch TV haha so you're suggestion of doing stuff during adverts doesn't really work for me I'm afraid. I'd just have to allocate time to do it. I have Ring Fit for the Nintendo Switch but have never used it. I would like to start though as hear it's good and fun. Plus the new Just Dance game actually has good music. Never played a Just Dance game before but everyone knows dancing is good for you, and can be fun lol. I definitely plan to go for nice slow walks though, as I live along the seafront and don't utilise that which seems really silly lol. I used to go for some walks and would also collect seashells so I could start doing that again. You tend to see great nature too - seagulls, ducks, swans, even the odd seal or dolpin in the sea! It's rare but they do swim by! Also going slightly off topic but it's about nature - I know there's regular beach cleans here, I'd like to start taking part, it would benefit both myself as it would get me out and moving, and doing good for the environment - win win!

Thanks again for the warm welcome and advice.

Emma

[Hidden in reply to Fittea]

Good morning Emma, you are most welcome as all HealthUnlocked communities are here so that we can support each other.

As for fasting styles you have to find what works for you

I think picking up litter and walking on the sea front is commendable so here's a link to a couple of other HU communities that you will find supportive:

healthunlocked.com/active10...

The above Active10 community is part of the couch to 5K communities which's to help get people started as there's the free Active10app that monitors how much exercise we have when walking and differentiates our brisk walking and this is a very encouraging App as is the Active10 community so here's a link to the free Active10 App:

oneyoumerton.org/moving/act...

The other group is HealthWalk where a friend of ours is admin so I guarantees a warm welcome on both of these great communities.

healthunlocked.com/health-walk

Back to aerobic weights I like to have a brisk workout before breakfast using weights and its great because my heart pumps and my body quickly wakes up and after a few minutes I'm ready to start the day so forget the tv that was just to show how we can add exercise to our daily routine effortlessly and you soon notice how quickly you can increase your workout.

So as I said before well done for joining us and I hope that you enjoy being a member of our friendly community. 😊

Active 10 App example.

[Fittea in reply to Hidden]

Good evening Jerry! Thanks for replying and more advice!

These are all great links! I think brisk walking is a step too much for me (pun kinda intended!) as normal walking tires me out at the moment, but it would be nice to get there one day! I guess I could use these forums to post my seafront walks, show the scenery especially if there's anything pretty, cool or funny. It would be nice if I find anyone local on there too. I know there's a website where you can find local walks too and I kinda want to do that but I'm terribly shy!

We do have weights somewhere so I could use those. I also have this portable exercise bike thing that you can use at a chair or sofa that I've never used, still boxed lol. So I could try using that as well.

Hopefully incorporating even some of the above with doing the 5:2 will show some results!

[S11m Volunteer 70lb IF20]

Hi, Fittea, welcome to the forum.

Have you read the FAQ?:

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...

Keto or LCHF works best in combination with IF... and exercise.

I was disabled ( and 19½ stone) when I started - and I lost some weight without exercise (I am 72).

Counting calories tends not to work, as it decreases your metabolic rate.

High Fat would be difficult as you are lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant... but cream and yoghurt are low in lactose, are they not? There are other, forms of dairy which are higher in fat.

Walking is good exercise for losing weight: I walk at least 5km each day.

It is a mental and hormonal battle - not just physical.

"weight loss can fluctuate and be slow"

The slower the weight comes off, the easier it is to keep it off.

5:2 is not fasting - and there seems to me to be little expectation that it would work any better than calorie restriction.

You could start at 16:8 and gradually move towards 20:4 - I usually fast at least 21 hours a day, and it has been a hassle-free routine for years.

Good luck

[Fittea in reply to S11m]

Hello. Thanks for your message and advice!

I haven't looked at the FAQ - I'll do that in a bit!

I think I'll try to combine LCHF with IF as from my understanding Keto is more restrictive and therefore more unsustainable for some people, at least according to this website - healthline.com/nutrition/lo... which also says you limit the amount of carbs to a specific amount, while with LCHF you don't. Sure you reduce the carbs, so that you eat a low amount, but there's not exactly a specific amount you must take, more of a guildline? I feel better doing that.

I do feel that as a vegetarian (well, sort of vegan due to the whole lactose and gluten intolerance lol) I would struggle with the high fat side of things but people say that it is possible to do and find replacements. It's just finding the correct ones and things I like.

Yeah I have read and heard that the slower the weight comes off, the more likely it'll stay off, but obviously I'd like it to come off quicker. I just have to work on my patience as well as everything else haha. I definitely plan to incorporate some walking. My boyfriend recently got into biking and bought uew both new bikes, but I don't know how to ride. He tried to teach me but there were some difficulties due to my size and I also fell off and hurt myself. We haven't tried again since, think we neutrally decided to wait until I lost some weight as it's hard for me to rotate my legs and also get balance. But if we can get me riding, that would be a great source of exercise in the future.

I guess 5:2 isn't true fasting in the sense that you don't eat, you just cut back. I plan to try the 5:2 where I'll eat normally (but healthily, calorie counting etc) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and at weekends (but be somewhat flexible on weekends maybe due to possibly having a cheat day or spending time with family or friends) then having the "fasting days" on Tuesdays and Thursdays and limiting myself to 500 calories. Depending on how that goes - what results I get and how I feel generally, if it's not great then I'll try the ESE and totally fast on those days instead. I'll start this from Friday and we'll see how it goes by the time I weigh next Friday I guess

I don't really feel the 16:8 would work for me because my sleeping isn't great. I tend to sleep a lot and / or wake up late (between noon - 4pm) so technically sometimes I feel I'm already doing that. Although, when I was doing it "properly" (although accidentally) in the past, I did notice I was losing weight so maybe I could try it? As right now it's not technically 16 hours as although I wake up late, I also go to bed late so it's more of 8 - 12 than 16. But I feel if I do 16:8 I would have to change both going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, which sounds easy enough but it's a lot for me to change at once along with all my new eating and trying to do exercise. Plus I struggle with sleeping and fatigue as it is. So I feel the 5:2 is more for me.

Thanks

[sandybrown]

Loosing weight slowly is achievable.

Before you start any diet, you need to check with your doctor if it is safe you you to do this.

First you need to get a small breakfast bowl and a small plate for lunch and dinner.

You need to set time for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the quantity of food. To start with I did not make any food measurement before or after cooking.

Say you go for measured quantity of porridge oats with milk for breakfast at 9 AM.

For lunch, green leafy soup say 1 PM. Depending where you live, some super market do sell pre cut veg, mixed salad, fry veg and so on.

Between 9 and 1 you have water, black tea green tea. 4 hours in between the two meals.

Dinner at 6 PM. grilled fish, or grilled chicken, with steamed over ground veg. Plenty of water to drink.

Nothing more to eat.!!

From 7 PM to 9 AM, 14 hours of no food. At this starting point you are fasting for 14 hours daily, give this a try for 4 week, record starting weight and waist, record this foe 4 weeks.

I did loos a lot of weight, had to buy new cloths!!!

Very had work, hunger comes in, what to do drink water.

[Fittea in reply to sandybrown]

Hi Sandy

Thanks for your message and advice!

This is all fantastic advice and I really appreciate it all, however I personally find this really specific and overwhelming personally. Although I do like to be organised, I'm not really able to do these things because of my sleeping. I honestly don't remember the last time I had "breakfast" because I'm not a morning person at all. I usually wake and get up after noon and as late as 4pm. This is due to a combination of staying up late, fatigue, insomnia and mental health. I don't currently work (haven't in years) nor do I study or anything so I don't have a routine.

It would be easy enough to say - make a routine, set an alarm, get up and do stuff, and I'm sure over time I can and will do that, but I'm already making some changes to my lifestyle so I don't want to throw in more. I'll try to gradually go to bed earlier and / or wake up earlier, but not drastically wake up at 8am or anything, my body would probably go into shock lol.

Due to all of this, I tend to have 1 meal a day, sometimes 2 - the 2nd being either a bowl of cereal or cup of noodles, something quick and easy in the evening / at night. Not ideal I know but I still weigh and / or count calories anyway for these.

I feel that once I start the 5:2, I'll try to get more into a routine, albeit a flexible one (so instead of being like "have dinner at 5pm" I'd think "have dinner anytime between 4pm and 7pm" etc. I'd rather have a window than an exact time, otherwise it feels like an appointment, and what if I'm not hungry at 5pm? also with the 5:2 I feel I have to be more organised as with the limitations of 500 calories on 2 days, I need to work out what to have on those days and it would be best to plan that before hand instead of panicking in the kitchen thinking about and trying to work out what I can and can't eat.