Fasting

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  • posted by Verano
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    Ok so there’s lots of talk of ‘fasting’ on various threads lately. I’m not a fan of extended fasting but that only comes from my ‘gut feeling’ . So I thought I should listen to Jason Fung and then judge. I watched an interview on 180nutrition.co.au from 5/3/17.

    It was an interesting interview but I must admit I only watched the first 36 minutes because I was starting to find it rather repetitive. So for my opinion……

    Dr Fung is advocating fasting for those with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and/or obesity. At the start of the interview he praises a low carbohydrate high fat diet but says despite it being a good diet it was “ … too complicated for many of his 65 to 70 year old patients”. He then stresses, several times, that his patients were “ monitored closely” , which he repeated several times in the interview, and that they were given good support via the internet etc. He says that fasting does take support.

    He then goes on to talk about the duration and flexibility of fasts. He suggests you should keep ‘feeding and fasting’ in balance. He argues that in the 1950’s people ate three meals a day without snacking and in effect this lead to a ‘fast’ of 12 hours a day. Dinner at 7pm and breakfast at 7am the following day. Thus he argues that a 16, 24, or 36 hour fast is popular. He also says that fasts can be as long as 21 to 28 days but again MUST be closely monitored.

    He sees ‘feast and fast’ as the normal human cycle as he says “ …. you don’t eat salad at a wedding”. He goes on to say he went on a cruise and put on a vast amount of weight but then fasted and lost the gain. He equates feasting with enjoyment. He argues that fasting ‘simplifies ‘ life because you don’t have to make the choices about how much of a food you should eat because you aren’t eating … full stop. Also this gives him more time in the day because he’s not spending time eating.

    So that’s my interpretation of this particular interview. My view after seeing Jason Fung in action is that he is advocating ‘feasting and fasting’ as a way of life and maybe that suits some people. I’m still not sure about the wisdom of extended fasting unless ‘it’s monitored closely’.

    I find after eating the BSD way for 17 months that I no longer fancy that ‘piece of cake’ or other ‘treat’ as he calls such foods. I am now of the opinion that for me ‘treats’ are a good steak, a plate of smoked salmon with capers and lemon juice, a really fresh fish and 90% chocolate. I don’t feel deprived.

    So to sum up, for me, if the BSD diet isn’t ‘too complicated’ to follow then it’s a better WOE in the long term, but there is no harm in 12 to 16 hour fasts and that the real enemy is ‘snacking’ , and that two or three meals a day should be the norm. I still have my concerns about extended fasting I’ve not been convinced by Dr Fung.

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    Verano – I loved your post. It totally sums up how I feel about the BSD and fasting. For me a treat is no longer a piece of cake – in fact it would now be the total opposite of a treat. A treat is a small piece of my favourite stilton, avocado and smoked salmon, steak and salad etc etc.

    I can easily fast from 4.30pm (I have to eat early because I teach pilates in the evenings) and 7am. But I cannot keep up my current activity levels if I fast longer. I teach (and practice) pilates 6 days a week plus walk my 2 Labradors and have extended walks on my only day off.

    For me feasting isn’t an enjoyment (especially if it involves eating cake) – eating lovely food to satisfy my hunger is. Longer fasts isn’t enjoyable for me either. So putting the two together would be my nightmare scenario whereas for me the BSD is like a dream come true. Lovely food and staying slim, mentally alert and full of energy without hunger – absolutely brilliant.

  • posted by Verano
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    Krysia I think we may be just a small band of people who share the same thoughts! For me, however, the proof of the proverbial pudding is in the eating, so please remind me when the date of your 1st Anniversary of Maintenance is, it must be very soon?

  • posted by Luvtcook
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    Verano, I think one of the beauties of this WOE is that it gives you options…..and not everybody will find the same options suit them. Michael Mosely offers 3 for starters….the 5:2, the BSD, and also recommends 6:1 for maintenance.

    Others like Dr. Varaday are having patients/subjects doing alternate day fasting. Fung has patients that are severe diabetics doing more extended fasts.

    Some on BSD find interjecting a day or two of fasting helps them lose when nothing else seems to be working.

    I am in awe of AllieCat who lost 164 lbs in just 10 months. That is over 3 lbs a week….I am stuggling to lose 2 lbs a week consistently.

    So for those that are doing fine on a strict interpretation of BSD, more power to you.

    For those looking for same extra help….some minimal fasting for a day or two now and then should be an option.

    Different strokes for different folks. Its all good….we are all trying to get to the same healthier place.

  • posted by KrysiaD
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    Verano – my one year maintenance is on 10th December. I can hardly believe that a whole year has almost gone by and the BSD seems to get easier the longer I am on it.

    Luvtcook – it is true that the BSD is so successful because it does give you options and we can customise it to suit us and our lifestyles. As a complete carboholic and yo yo dieter – abstaining from the sugar and bad carbs absolutely suits me and my metabolism – and for the first time (since I started dieting in 1965 at age 17) I have found a WOE that works for me and I can maintain my weight loss. Just opening my wardrobe and looking at the row of size 8 and 10 clothes makes me so happy. I just remember all the years that reaching size 12 was just an unreachable dream.

    Of course – no longer being at risk from diabetes complications does make me happy as well.

  • posted by KazzUK
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    Hello!

    I’m exploring fasting at the moment. I’ve read Fung’s book and watched the YouTube video that someone kindly posted. I’ve been doing 18/6 daily for about 6 weeks now with modest losses of around 1 lb a week. Since I started around 15 August, I’d lost 22lbs in total. So I thought I’d try a 48 hour fast. I did 2 this week. It was quite easy and in the week, not difficult. I think it can be useful when overindulgences take place or if you need a boost. Perhaps when plateauing. By yesterday morning I’d dropped 7 lbs since last Monday. Obviously this will fluctuate up by this coming Monday after the weekend and 2 meals both days. I’m experimenting right now, curious to see what happens.

    Kazzee xx

  • posted by Verano
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    Luvtocook I agree that there are different courses for different horses but Michael Moseley, whilst offering different methods, is still advocating that we change our ‘eating’ habits and basically dump carbs. I don’t think I’ve read anywhere that he advocates ‘feasting and fasting’ as a healthy way of life. I guess this way of life, and it is a way of life not a diet to be started and finished, has to be sustainable and for that to happen you have to re-educate your taste buds. There’s an old adage … if you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got…

    I find it quite odd that a physician would suggest that low carbing is ‘too complicated’ for some 65-70 year olds. I fit into that bracket and I can’t see a problem with the advice to cut out simple carbs, bread, rice, pasta and potatoes and substitute with more vegetables that grow above the ground and not to be afraid of fat. Because at it’s very simplest that’s exactly what BSD us.

    As Krysia says yo-yo dieting has been part of our lives for far too long. We all bought into the low fat myth and have suffered as a result. To me Jason Fung is saying yes you can still eat cake but then fast to ameliorate the results. I just see that as ‘yo-yo eating’. On the other hand I do think he has a point when he suggests no snacking between meals, which, if the truth be known, is probably the real cause of the obesity/diabetes epidemic of today.

  • posted by Verano
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    KazzUK I have given my opinion on fasting and Jason Fung in particular BUT it is JUST my opinion. You say that despite doing 18/6 for six weeks you were only losing 1lb a week but what you don’t say is what you were consuming in the ‘6’!! If you were sticking strictly to 800 calories with low carbs then you really should have lost more weight than that based on the assumption that you do have a reasonable amount of weight to lose. Esnecca and Alliecat are just two great examples of what can be achieved if you stick to the letter of the ‘law’. If that is the case, however, then maybe instead of eating even less you should be wondering if there is another underlying problem. If you haven’t been weighing everything you eat and logging all food and drink you may find that you are actually eating way over 800 calories a day.

    We all find our own ways to better health, and that’s the real objective, and I can only wish you well on your chosen journey.

  • posted by Verano
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    Krysia WOW just 8 days away from a whole year on maintenance. I think you must be the longest maintainer who is still posting. Great achievement!

    I have to agree with you that the longer you are ‘carb free’ the easier it gets and you really do lose the desire for cake etc. I posted elsewhere that we had an Indian meal the other night, and I went with the full intention of having onion bhajis but when it came to it, they held no desire for me. In fact when I really think about it there are very few if any, of my old ‘treats’ that I would enjoy now. So I guess we both have really re-educated our palates!

  • posted by Luvtcook
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    Verano, no one is advocating not doing low carb. Ignoring Dr. Varaday who is not trying to find an “optimum” diet but is doing research on intermittant fasting as the only variable, everybody else is advocating low carb. The “feasting/fasting” schedule concept is just days with higher calories vs days with lower.

    I think virtually everyone on these formus would agree with you that changing the way you eat is critical, and low carb is a fundamental part of that. How you arrange your calories over the course of a week is about the only thing that appears customizable. You still need to have a deficit of 7000 calories a week to lose 2 lbs (3500 cal being one lb). If most BSDs are in the ballpark of where I am, my TDEE is 1800 cal a day. So dropping to 800 a day is….amazingly….1000 off a day X 7 days = a deficit of 7000 calories. Should be a loss of 2 lbs a week. If you want any more than that, you need to up your activity significantly or omit more calories. My goal is to lose 2.5 lbs a week and given my weight, I don’t think that is too agressive.

    The big revelation for me on the BSD diet is that it takes a combination of the low (800) calories along with the low carb. The traditional low carb folks touted that if you ate low carb you did not have to worry about calories. And that looks to be true for about the first 6 months on low carb. Then (at least for me) your body “figures it out” and appears to become more efficient in using the low carb calories you eat. Even though I was doing low carb, I had stopped losing weight on it. It took adding in the low calorie side of the equation. And I do hate counting every almond I eat, but unfortunately that is what work. It certainly is easier when you do a lot of “repeat” dishes (like having a pretty fixed rotation of breakfasts that you already know the calorie and carb count for).

    I also used to lose on 30 carbs a day. No more. 20 carbs and 800 calories really do seem to be the majic combination.

  • posted by KazzUK
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    It’s true that I don’t stick religiously to 800 cals, every day and I was having around 50g carbs which I’ve now lowered to 20g which probably explains the small losses with 90 lbs to shift. I have 1600 cals sat and sun of bsd food and a couple of vodka lime spritzers followed by a couple of 24 or a 48 hr fast to even things up. I do totally believe in the bsd woe. I just like being flexible with my daily calorie intake, but the weekly total still adds up to the same as 800 per day. As I said, I’m just experimenting to see if it makes any difference to my weekly weight loss. Years ago there was something called the Wendy Plan. ‘Wendy’ had worked out that for her at least, her body got used to the same daily calorie intake and her weight loss had pretty much stopped so she Introduced higher cal days then lower days. She thought it tricked her metabolism to keep working because it never knew how many calories it was going to get each day. A lot of people seemed to think it made a difference. It’s all interesting stuff. I’m just grateful that I’ve found BSD because it is the future for me. On that note, I’m off to roast a chicken!

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend my friends.

    Kazzee xx

  • posted by alliecat
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    Hey, Kazzi! It’s extremely interesting to know that there is an actual plan, the wendy plan,
    that espouses these ideas. There was a frenchman (sorry, I don’t recall the name) that
    was wildly successful with his weight loss, and he found through personal experience that
    upping his cal. and carbs was very beneficial to breaking a plateau! I think the name
    is Jules Maigret? He was an avid poster here, and you can probably access his
    “replies created” to read of his journey? I love the way that you are researching and
    seeking knowledge through recommended books, etc., and don’t see this as a way of
    eating but a way of life. I have the highest of hopes for you to attain your goals, and
    I’ll be celebrating them all with you, my friend! Count on it! By the way, o/h left his
    computer in the office on friday, so I’ll catch up with your emails when he retrieves
    it on monday. The “absent minded professor” strikes again 🙂 Dimwit !

    Later, my sweet,

    Allie

  • posted by Verano
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    Yes Allie it was indeed JulesMaigret but not sure about his ethnicity! I must admit I think he may have hit on something by increasing rather than decreasing his calorie intake when hitting a plateau. The only issue is that he’s a ‘man’ and traditionally they don’t spend their whole lives dieting as we women tend to do, as a result I think ‘non- permanent dieters’ probably fair better when they do reduce calories and carbs. Would love to know how he’s doing now but my guess is he is still holding his own and not putting any weight back on.

  • posted by Verano
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    Luvtcook yes I agree with you that we have to look at both calories and carbs. I have never followed an Atkins type Diet because I could just never get my head around all that ‘fat’ …. see how brainwashed by the low fat mantras I was! I think maybe JulesMaigret was right in mixing things around and going up as well as down with calories to give the body/metabolism a jolt now and again.

    As we keep saying we all have to find the way that suits our individual bodies the best. I think one of my main concerns is that new people to the forums often complain about not losing two stone in two weeks, you know what I mean. It worries me that then they read about people fasting and losing 7lbs in a flash. This may be fine for those with no health issues but at the end of the day this is the BLOOD SUGAR diet so Is aimed at, and attracts, lots of people with diabetes. Fasting may really be quite dangerous for some people and I think often we hone in on ‘specifics’ ….. fast and lose weight, the longer the fast the more you lose…. but that won’t be a healthy option for all. I guess that’s where I’m coming from really.

  • posted by KazzUK
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    Allie, Verano – I shall look him up! Thanks, I’ve not come across upping when hitting a plateau. I’m getting on my own nerves with the constant use of the word ‘interesting’ all the time! I’ll have to find another word, so I’ll say sounds fascinating!

    Ahh bless his little cotton socks as they say! Don’t worry Allie, there’s no rush! Hope you’re both having a good weekend? I’ve chopped up a leek and halved some sprouts and bunged them in the roasting pan with the chicken. Smells good but don’t know if you can roast (bake) sprouts so we’ll see how they turn out!

    Xxxxxx

  • posted by Verano
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    Kazz you WILL succeed. It may, as you say, take a little experimentation, but with the people on the forums, and especially Allie, in your corner you will find ‘your way’. We all push and pull each other along. I’m sorry if I sound like a wet blanket but I only have ‘good health’ as a priority in my mind, probably because I’m a diabetic in remission!

  • posted by Verano
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    Kazz the sprouts will be fine but now you know about the carbs in leeks check out onions! It seems spring onions are really the only ‘good’ ones. Personallly I just think you should ‘enjoy’ cooking without onions is just not worth while, might as well just eat the packaging and dump the food!!!

  • posted by KazzUK
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    Verano – you certainly don’t sound like a wet blanket! 😁 I do understand where you’re coming from. I am very grateful for the concern and support that we all share here. Particularly as I still have a lot to learn – the leeks being one of them! They will be discarded! JackieM just posted about leeks on another thread. I was aware of onions and so didn’t include those in the pan. Thank you, V. Xx

  • posted by Verano
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    Don’t dump the leeks they are only 2.8g of carbs per 100g raw. I know 100g isn’t a vast amount but they are still doable especially if you have already cooked them. Enjoy!

  • posted by Theodora
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    Kazz – roasted sprouts are the BEST. Total revelation. Make sure they are gently charred.

    My family in general hate sprouts but I always served them on Xmas day as they were my darling dad’s favourite. He’s been gone for 19 years now so, in tribute to him, every single person who sits down at our Christmas table has to have at least one sprout. No ifs or buts. Simply non-negotiable. But since I started roasting them, the family can’t get enough of them. Absolutely delicious 😃

  • posted by KazzUK
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    Theodora, I’ve just got them out of the pan and you are so right! Bloody lovely! I think I could eat a plate of them on their own!

  • posted by JackieM
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    Hey Kazz, don’t dump them all! Just weigh ‘em before eating! I wish I had done that! But at least I’m getting some nutrients from them! I still eat a bit of onion when I cook a chilli con carne, say, just not a lot. It’s so good for you in other ways. Having said that once I knew the carb count I didn’t eat them on the 8 weeks.

    Your Brussel sprouts sound lush.

    Verano MFP says 14g carbs for 100g leeks! That’s why I thought they were high carb.

  • posted by Luvtcook
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    Verano….ditto for me. Your thoughts are always of value and I fully understand your concern about new folks going nuts that have ready the headlines in the tabloids lining the checkout line at the supermarket…..lose 10 lbs in 10 days. You’d have to amputate a leg to do that.

    As Allie would say: xoxo

    LTC

  • posted by Mixnmatch
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    I have lost 10 pounds in 10 days at least twice since discovering this WOE, but at least from reading on here I knew it wasn’t fat I was losing at that rate. The switch from processed food/higher carb to low carb and calorie restriction causes a lot of water loss in the initial period, including all the muscle and liver glycogen with the associated water molecules, and also that associated with the processed food tendency to cause sodium retention. In fact if I get down to my target for this Tuesdays weigh in that will be 10 pounds in 7 days technically, as last Tuesday I was at 11 stone 7 and my target is 10 stone 11. Two pounds a week is a very good result in fat burning terms, whether you are fasting or not. For what it’s worth I am a believer in fasting and the benefits of autophagy, crediting that with my almost complete lack of problem baggy skin, despite my extreme weight loss.

  • posted by alliecat
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    Hi MnM! You’ve caught my attention this evening with regard to the baggy skin question…
    Would you mind sharing your history of how , when, how often,l how many hours, etc.
    that you credit with the improvement in your skin, and if this has been a part of your
    journey to where you are today, or is it something you arrived at when in maintenance? What
    role do you think age plays in it? Thanks in advance for your reply. (I’ve just turned 69,
    have lost 147lbs, and have never fasted more than 18hrs. Do you think it might help me?)

    Best,

    Allie

  • posted by Mixnmatch
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    Hi Allie, There isn’t really a single answer to that, I have never gone beyond 42 hours, and that quite rarely, but I did a 5 day fasting mimicking diet a couple of times (800 calories a day but plant based only and very low protein as well as low carb, lots of nuts, seeds and avocado with above ground vegetables) to try to promote autophagy. I pretty regularly manage the 16:8 or 18:6 intermittent fasts as I rarely eat breakfast and my lunchtime is typically around 1:45 – 2:15. My little remaining saggy skin seems to still be improving and is really very minor. I am younger at 51 though so maybe some of the benefit is residual elasticity of the skin. I have only discovered the FMD since maintenance but the other IF patterns were there while I was losing as well. I have only started the longer fasts of over 24 hours since I was in maintenance and usually do one every couple of weeks or so. I am debating an FMD 5 days in this current challenge as I think it would make an excellent ‘detox and housekeeping for the body’ before the holidays start in earnest.

  • posted by alliecat
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    Thank you, MnM. I’m very curious about autophagy, too, particularly how it impacts on
    the aging of the brain, and dementia. Looking forward to doing some research on FMD,
    and will pursue that in the week ahead. I’m not at all troubled about my loose skin,
    no one sees it but my o/h and my doctor, after all 🙂 🙂 🙂 But if I can improve it over the
    next 2 years, why not? Thanks again, very helpful!

  • posted by Verano
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    JackieM I have just looked again and yes MFP does show a higher carb count than mine which was from Fatsecret. Just goes to show we all need to be more vigilant when using these apps. Maybe just checking ‘ Nutritional data’ for various food items would be more accurate.

    Sorry for the misinformation Kazz but hope you enjoyed the leeks!

  • posted by Verano
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    Roast sprout recipe please?

  • posted by Theodora
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    Verano, no recipe needed really, but the way I do them is to cut them in half, add some olive oil, salt, black pepper, lemon zest and a few chilli flakes, shake around to make sure sprouts are covered, then roast in oven until starting to caramelise – probably about 10 – 15 mins. Keep an eye on them. Then sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan and continue roasting for a further 10 – 15 mins til turning golden and crispy. Yum😃

  • posted by Verano
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    Thank you Theo I will give that a try. I found roasting cauliflower a bit of a trial at first it was always raw but burnt! I do now have the knack just didn’t want to go down the same route with sprouts!

  • posted by alliecat
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    Morning Theo, I love roasted vegetables in the winter! B. sprouts have alluded me in
    terms of successful execution however. Outer leaves always burn! Can I ask what oven temp you use? Thanks!

    Allie
    xoxo

  • posted by Californiagirl
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    I’ve been using the cookbook “The Roasted Vegetable” by Andrea Chesman for years. Lots of great recipes in it — her “basic” advice is oven at 425 and use a shallow roasting pan or half sheet pan — don’t crowd vegies — use olive oil or melted butter and for Brussels sprouts it’s about 15-20 minutes.
    I turn the veg once or twice with a spatula to evenly cook —
    You can add any herbs/spices/soy/sherry/garlic/sesame seed/ginger/balsamic vinegar/as you wish or feel inspired!

  • posted by alliecat
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    thanks, Julia, I can see that I was leaving them in about 10 minutes too long. Hooray.
    I have the answer! Much appreciated 🙂

  • posted by Theodora
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    Allie, I also use a shallow roasting pan and cook at about 200`C, also turning them a couple of times.

  • posted by Verano
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    Thank you girls can’t wait to try roasted sprouts but will have to wait until I get home. Just one question Theo is 200C fan oven or not?

    Californiagirl have you tried any other BSD friendly vegetables apart from sprouts and cauliflower?

  • posted by Theodora
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    Yes, V. A fan oven.

    And I adore roasted asparagus 😃

  • posted by alliecat
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    Hi everyone, I hope this isn’t an imbecilic question. It’s my understanding that a “fan”
    oven is a convection oven? That appliance is not offered in most apartment homes
    here, just a standard range. I roast root vegetables and squash regularly with excellent
    results, but is the convection feature necessary to achieve optimal results with broccoli
    or b. sprouts? I do cauliflower weekly with olive oil and red pepper flakes, and I’m very
    happy with the way it turns out. What do you think? Americans?
    Thanks!

    Allie

  • posted by Esnecca
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    My parents have a convection oven and it definitely heats more evenly and quickly than my gas oven, but so did the plain electric they had before. I suspect other than the timing, the difference is not having to stir or flip the veggies as much before there are no hot or cold spots to compensate for. That is true of the old-school electric oven as well.

    I rarely roast brussels sprouts in the oven because the outer leaves always come off the stem a little and brown far faster than the core. I prefer to brown them in a sautee pan on the stove because I can keep an eye, more importantly a nose, on them to prevent them crossing the line into charred territory.

  • posted by JackieM
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    Brussels sprouts, fried with pancetta and chestnuts – though I only have one or two of the chestnuts. We do it without the pancetta on a school night. I love Brussel Sprouts, even boiled. Even over boiled. I think they are much maligned. Yum. Going to definitely have some tomorrow.

  • posted by Verano
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    I steam most of my vegetables but I really do fancy sprouts done differently. I can’t imagine frying sprouts unless maybe if they’d been blanched first. Even with roasting I envisage them to be ‘hard but burnt’. I am going to try anyway and yes Allie what we call a ‘fan’ oven is a convection oven. I must admit although I’ve never had a problem using my fan oven I can’t cook in a straightforward electric one. Everything I tried to cook came out raw but burnt! I guess it’s just what you get used to.

  • posted by Esnecca
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    I’ve had the raw but burnt experience before too, Verano. Cutting them in half helps, but in the end, brussels sprouts are still tiny cabbages with hard fibrous cores and soft outer leaves. Pan frying/sauteeing allows for the combination of steam and frying. I start with the oil and sautee, get a little color on them, then add some water/broth and put the lid on the pan until they’re al dente all the way through. A few more minutes to brown them and cook off the liquid, a dusting of parmesan and it’s all over but the eating. 🙂

  • posted by Verano
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    Esnecca I do a similar thing with cauliflower. Now I cover it with tinfoil and put a little water in the pan before I put it in the oven. Leave until partially cooked then remove the tinfoil to let the cauliflower brown. Works best that way for me. I did try to roast a whole cauliflower once, and only once, because it came out like a burnt offering but was as solid as a rock!

  • posted by Flick
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    Hello all, I thought it might be good to revise this thread and suggest we use it for the more detailed discussion of our fasting or not fasting adventures. That way we are not a) flooding all the other threads with loads of posts and details (still note on those fasts and outcomes of course) and b) it will provide a easy place for interested bsders to find infirmation, resources and our diverse experiences etc.

    I’ll start by adding a link to Jason Fung’s book –

    https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Fasting-Intermittent-Alternate-Day-ebook/dp/B01MF8SC2X

    and a coule of interviews with him and some well known keto diet advocates (although I’m just guessing that I don’t get wildly excited by advocates generally, result of long career in public policy) –

    https://youtu.be/p6DbrsK0XT0

    https://youtu.be/n3dwizlGaRI

    Couple ofinteresting starting points :

    1. Fung uses fasting with his obese, T2D or pre or insulin resistent patients who struggle with managing low carb diets. He finds (deep sigh) that’s just too complicated for the poor old things and fastings gets and keeps them in fat burning mode,
    2. He finds that you can achieve about 70% of the benefits of intermittent fasting with a low carb diet
    3. He does not particularly recommend extended fasting for the slim and fit, those close to or below underweight BMIs, children and teenagers, pregnant women etc.
    4. He says the science of autophagy etc is still pretty slim pickings (although this may be recently changing), for example the are counter claims about fasting and cancer prevention suggesting that existing cancer cells might even benefit from the various hormone boosts achieved from fasting,
    4. He doesn’t do extended fasting himself, but does do intermittent fasting built entirely around what suits his lifestyle. For him no breakfast and when he doesn’t have a lunch date on working days, skips lunch. So at most 21-24 hour fasts. Eats brunch on weekends (I think) but sounds like he wouldn’t ever chose to skip meals with his family. This approach helps him maintain, not lose weight. Except after a holiday of much oinkery!

    That said, there does appear to be some emerging research, covered in his book, that suggests fasting may be linked to prevention of some cancers and other health probs. Whether these improvements in particular health markers lasts beyond a month or two after a fast isn’t clear to me. Other readers might be able to help us out here.

    As for me Just about to finish week 15 of fast800, I’ve intermittent fasted 16/8 since day one. 800 spread over 3 meals was just too stingy to contemplate and breakfast previously started my day with a big carb hit. Beautiful sour dough toast, or oats, or museli! I really needed to break that habit.

    I stretched this to 21-24 hours peridically throughout the 15 weeks as a way to hopefully protect my metabolism, which can take a bit of a hit with extended low calorie diets – see youtube videos, Jason Fung the aetiology of obesity. Generally speaking these did not trigger big weight drops.

    I added some 48 hour fasts just to see if I could and to keep my metabolism guessing, but not many, maybe 2 or 3.

    My weight stalled quite badly at about week 12, 13 and 14 so I’ve now completed one 60 fast and it certainly got my weight trending down again but it did bounce around quite a bit – from 63.7, down to 61.2 (pretty immediate) then seemingly stable at 62.1 for two days and now a normal drop to 61.7 all back on normal 800/20 eating.

    My plan is another 60 hour fast in each of week 15 and 16 and then I’m calling quits to weight loss and will start slowly rebuilding calorie intake. I plan to continue 16/8 forever and probably add some longer fasts occasionally to keep my metabolism ticking over as quickly as I can get it. Entirely for the purpose of maximising the amount of delicious reasonably low carb food I can eat.

    I’d love to hear other stories, MnM, Theodore, Sunny B, our champ faster Esnecca, others – what were your motivations and strategies. How were the outcomes? What lasted.

  • posted by KazzUK
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    Hi Flick
    I devoured the book over the weekend and today I am beginning a 5 day fast. Wish me luck! Like you, I’ve been doing 18/6 or 24 hour fasts which is the norm for me now.
    Kazzee

  • posted by JackieM
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    What a great idea Flick.

    I am late to fasting and am using it to nudge myself out of a rut. I lost my weight on the 8 week fast 800 and sub 20g carbs. I am now a good weight of 58kg and would like to be 56kg. But I am very stable, thus the fasting.

    During the 800 I read on here about people’s fasts and tried a longer day without fasting (my son was in hospital and I couldn’t get any decent food) but Although not eating was OK I didn’t lose much weight and it wasn’t something I felt was for me.
    I had moved to a 15/9 kind of day but then on holiday last week (so already in maintenance) I managed a 30 hour fast and then last week a 36 hour fast. And these were good and I enjoyed them and I am eager to give another one a go soon. In this I am motivated mostly by wanting to give my liver a rest as I have high cholesterol and have decided not to have statins. I feel if I am going to trust my body to heal itself it needs to be as healthy as I can make it.

  • posted by VictoriaM
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    Hi all,

    Thanks for reviving this Flick,

    I’m fasting to reduce my insulin resistance as I’m diabetic with no symptoms yet and I want to get back to normal blood sugar. I have got back to normal when I eat v low carbs, but spike as soon as I eat carbs.

    Can I ask about calories and fasting. I’m doing 800/20, and have been doing 16/8 from the start as I don’t miss breakfast at all. I have also started 24 hours which means I can have a lovely meal in the evening. If I go to 48 hours, should I make sure that I average 800 over the week, or doesn’t it matter if I go below?

  • posted by Flick
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    Hi all, how interesting and diverse we are. 5 days Kazz – best wishes from me – can’t wait to hear how it goes.

    JackieM – it’s interesting how more ready we are at different times and in different circumstances.

    VictoriaM – resting the liver and pancreas, keeping insulin super low is a great benefit of fasting. I’m nit sure what others do, but I don’t try to catch up calories after a fast. But I’m still trying to lose weight 😃 mind you if I only have dinner on the end of fast day I eat more than usual, sometmes up to 800 cals in one lovely meal!

  • posted by Esnecca
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    There’s a documentary on Amazon Prime called The Science of Fasting that is fascinating. I started watching it last night but only got 20 minutes or so in before bedtime. (It’s an hour long.) Apparently the Soviets studied fasting extensively for its health benefits and fasting sojourns in (very Spartan) spas are covered by the Russian national health service today. The first part of the documentary goes to one of those spas and interviews patients and doctors.

    Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Fasting-Sylvie-Gilman/dp/B075824XCB/ref=sr_1_78?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1519653714&sr=1-78&refinements=p_n_ways_to_watch%3A12007865011%2Cp_n_entity_type%3A14069184011

  • posted by Esnecca
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    Flick, thank you for reviving this thread. I had forgotten about it and it is a great idea to keep a lot of the fasting dicussion in a central location. 🙂

    To answer your question, my motivation was pretty much yours. I started with 16:8 IF because I never have cared to eat first thing in the morning and I preferred to have more calories to play with for lunch and dinner. From a biological standpoint, it was imperative that I keep my insulin levels as low as I could and a longer daily fasting period helps. I also found that jiggering the eating window sometimes seemed to shake me out of a plateau.

    I embarked on my first extended fast in July 2017, 11 months after starting the BSD, when losses had slowed to a crawl. No longer obese, I was still in the overweight category and 30 pounds from goal, 40 pounds from extra-super-impossible goal. I lost 6 pounds in 3 days and kept all but one of them off. From then on, I closed each month with a 3-day fast.

    Impossible goal achieved, I switched to extended fasts every two months for the insulin benefit and to enjoy the feeling of well-being I experience. Then, I started reading Dr. Fung’s book to my fella (I read him to sleep on weeknight) and he decided he wanted to try a seven day fast. I had contemplated it myself because of the insulin reduction, metabolic improvements, enormous inreases in HGH levels and possible cancer-prevention benefits, but didn’t think it would feasible while still having to cook daily for OH. When he said he wanted to do one for his own reasons, I leapt at the chance.

    I loved it so much I am genuinely mourning its passage and am looking forward to doing another one as soon as I can.

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