As much as I’d like to think there’s a bit of normalcy possible during the insane times we’re living through, it would seem that making headway with anything as trivial as weight loss is wildly optimistic as best and fairly delusional at worst. With anxiety and depression at critical levels, so much so that even Michelle Obama confessed certain a level of hopelessness, how are we mere mortals supposed to deal? Continuity helps. And perhaps that’s why no matter what happens with my food choices I still choose to stay on a 16:8 fasting schedule. It’s like my safety net.
I started intermittent fasting (IF) when six months of consistent keto weight loss started to stall. The stakes were high for me back in 2018 — ah, such a simpler time. Anyway, my son was getting married in October of that year and I just wanted to look okay in the pictures. I was pretty excited to see the first 20 pounds disappear, then it plateaued, as many “diets” do. At that point, keto wasn’t just a diet for me. It had become a way of life. But my annoying sputtering metabolism seemed to be putting up a fight. Time to pivot.
YouTube to the Rescue
As a fervent, some would say obsessive YouTube learner, I turn there for inspiration and general advice from former heavier people who had found a way somehow. Especially for anyone “over 50.” That euphemistic generalization was yet another number to deal with on top of what the scale was telling me and the size I was able to squeeze into. As someone who was bullied for being a fat kid, it felt especially ironic to feel similarly shamed now. Thankfully YouTube is full of kind people who share their successes to encourage and educate others. Thomas DeLauer is one.
Referencing a nearly 100-pound loss, 32-year-old Thomas started out with strict keto and intermittent fasting. I became a fan for keto advice, including for people in my age and gender group, and thought let’s see what he’s saying about this fasting thing. It seemed to make a lot of sense. Others (check out Dr. Berg here) were talking about it, too. Like how an unchecked insulin response might be at the bottom of bingeing and was a possible solution.
So, I gave it a whirl. As my celebratory selfie shows, adopting this strategy got me over the finish line. I finally hit my goal (30lbs) and fit in my mother-of-the-groom dress –whoo-hooo!! Better yet, nearly two years later, it’s helping me maintain that weight.
Getting off the Sugar Train
[NOTE: I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR NUTRITIONIST, JUST AN INSATIABLE AMATEUR FOOD ENTHUSIAST.] As I understand the insulin response, any time you eat just about anything some insulin gets pumped out to help store nutrients. My experience being on the “sugar train,” as I call it, is what happens after I eat too many carbs: almost immediately, I go on a carb-craving binge until I feel like bursting. Fasting helps address this situation effectively. However, everyone’s different so what works for me might not be right for you.
Also, there are IF variations. Look into eating just one meal a day (OMAD) to close the eating window more; fair warning the NIH study linked here is a lot to wade through but it’s the most science-based I’ve seen. I can speak authoritatively about my experience with two meals a day (2MAD) spaced four hours apart with 16 hours of fasting. It’s a little challenging. The one thing I’ve noticed with 2MAD is if you don’t heed the caveat to NOT snack between meals to allow your insulin level to go down hunger and cravings can come back.
When I started IF, doing it the “easy” way by waiting until noon to eat it felt a little weird. Especially while working at a corporate location. You hear other people toasting bagels on the other side of the cubicle. You smell the bagels … and it’s hard at first. But your body adapts. More importantly, it gets a break from the cycle of carbs and other nutrients needing to be dealt with by this potent hormone. Never forget that insulin is a hormone.
Fasting Times for End Times
Fasting gives your pancreas a break from pumping out insulin to break down simple or complex sugars into the components of energy — and shunt them into fat cells if necessary. That’s the simplified version of what happens when you take in more fuel than you need. It’s stored as energy for the future, aka fat. Learn more about the medical side of how it works from a major proponent of fasting, Dr. Jason Fung. He discusses disrupting the obesity epidemic and other benefits — including autophagy (basically cell cleanup) as explained by another popular expert, Dr. Axe. The basic idea is fasting (some of it way longer than I do) taps into the way humans were designed to function optimally. At least that’s what I got out of Dr. Fung’s research.
Again, I’m still figuring it out, there’s a lot to read out there and I struggle sometimes. After years of low-calorie dieting and growing up gobbling sugar-laden junk food, my system is getting very sensitive. Getting older isn’t a picnic, either. Nevertheless, I feel better overall than ever before. And, I hope a little of what I’m learning and living helps you in some small way.
Brandmoon: Words Matter 