Fitness Fellowship 2023: Week 25 Check-in

[sylvanwitch]

Greetings from the finally seasonal region of the world I call my home. The sun's out, the temperatures are moderate, and the air is breathable! Huzzah!

How has the week been for you? Have you had fitness challenges and/or successes? What are your plans for the week to come? Please know that you are always welcome to join us and to comment only as and when you'd like.



Wednesday, I hit my highest weight since 2020 and realized I had to make a change, or I would just continue to gain or, at best, hold steady at a point where I'm experiencing physical consequences for my weight gain.

So, I looked up intermittent fasting, which I'd read about before and which I know some of you have also tried/are trying, and I decided to give it a go on Thursday. So, since Thursday, I've been fasting 12:12 (12-hour fasting window, 12-hour eating window). In actual practice, it's more like 15:9. I tend to fast for longer and eat for fewer hours than 12:12. I think I'm working toward 16:8, which is the sort of "gold standard" of IF, but since I'm new to it and since I've had some unhealthy attitudes toward fasting in the past, I figured I'd start with something closer to my usual habits.

And so far, it seems to be working pretty well. I've had various intestinal discomforts as a result of the change, but those are normal and not likely to last once my body adjusts. The worst is being hungry later at night when I'm reading and when I usually reached for sunflower seeds or popcorn. Instead, I've been making decaf tea, and the hot liquid does seem to help lessen the pangs.

I haven't been "dieting", per se, during the eating window, though of course, I am still watching what I eat. I've been focusing on preparing my own food and on eating lots of high fiber content to help feel full, a sensation I'm trying to make last through those aforementioned temptation hours.

The result so far is that I've lost more than a pound since Thursday, even with having a splurge meal of Indian takeout last night. I've been eating more mindfully and not consuming nearly as much processed food and/or snacks and desserts. I've been trying to pack my meals with legumes, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and veggies.

I've also continued to exercise and hydrate as per normal, and I've found that my sleep has been better the last couple of nights. I've also practiced mindful breathing (boxing my breath) several times this week. I'm finding it very comforting.

So, for the week ahead, I'm going to continue with the intermittent fasting, continue focusing on fresh, whole foods and homemade meals, and continue with the exercise, hydration, and meditation/spiritual practices.


I'm sending you all the good vibes for health and fitness in the week ahead, my friends!

Comments

[luzula]

Best of luck with the fasting! <3

Goals for last week:
- Do not do things related to my environmental organization (or to work) after 9 pm, or 8 pm if I can.
Yes.
- Turn off computer at 10 pm every day.
Yes.
- Go to bed and turn out the light at 11 pm every day.
Sigh. I failed at this on several days because of reading page-turney books; once I stayed up until 12 and then had trouble falling asleep. /o\
- Go running twice.
Three times.
- Hopefully go hiking again. : D
Not yet! But hopefully tomorrow.
- Do workouts on four days.
Five days.
- When I eat sweet things, decide beforehand how many pieces of chocolate or whatever that I can have, and then don't eat more.
Yes, that worked well!

Goals for this week:
- Do not do things related to my environmental organization (or to work) after 9 pm, or 8 pm if I can.
- Turn off computer at 10 pm every day.
- Go to bed and turn out the light at 11 pm every day.
- Hopefully go hiking again. : D
- It's hard to set a goal for running and working out; it depends on how many hiking days I do--I might go out overnight Monday-Tuesday, and then possibly also on the weekend.
- When I eat sweet things, decide beforehand how many pieces of chocolate or whatever that I can have, and then don't eat more.

[oschun]

Fasting - yes! I was just thinking about trying to get back into it over the weekend. My mother is a big believer in fasting and it really works for her. So much of the research suggests it's good for your health overall and increases longevity. But as you say, it requires a change in your mindset, and also building up to it, especially if you're having some ill effects at first. And it's really important to hydrate while you're in fasting mode. The 24hr window works for me: from one evening meal to the next. (I can't imagine going to bed without having had supper.) One time when I was trying to do the 5:2 routine - 5 days eating normally and 2 days fasting - I hadn't eaten since the previous evening and did a 40min exercise session on my stationary bike when I came home after work with no ill effects. It was weird. I felt strong and energetic even though I hadn't eaten for about 20hrs. I do drink tea with milk during the day though.

Good luck with it!

I was reading about this new book over the weekend. The fundamental thing of course is always just to eat less and consume fewer calories. And fasting can be really useful in trying to do that. Personally, I find moderation really difficult. The ascetism of fasting suits my character better. https://nypost.com/2021/03/03/new-book-burn-claims-exercise-wont-help-you-lose-weight/

Right, that's my goal for the week. One day of fasting.

intermittent fasting

[oldtoadwoman]

I have definitely found the most success with intermittent fasting.

I also did well many years ago on a Richard Simmons diet where the focus was on trying to eat 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables a day (starchy things like corn, peas, and potatoes counted as starches and not vegetables) while limiting fat, sugar, and starch and I found that the focus on eating enough vegetables (thus staying full) helped with the deprivation mindset (because somehow eating enough vegetables was harder than avoiding junk food).

For me, having a diet that works mentally is as important as physical. I originally resisted intermittent fasting because I thought it would be a deprivation mindset, but it actually worked out quite well that I could tell myself "later" and not feel particularly deprived. (I lose weight successfully on a keto or keto-ish diet, but I can never maintain it for more than a couple of weeks because it's too rigid and I can't deal with a "never" kind of diet.)

So I am currently trying to combine these. More veggies, fewer starches, and cut back on the constant nibbling.

I do think I may have to re-think the timing though. When I was living alone, I did well by having a small eating window early in the day (since I start work in the afternoon, I'd have a good breakfast and then a really big late lunch as my last meal of the day and just not eat after work). However, now that I have a roommate and there is someone here eating food in front of me late in the day, I find I just can't resist the urge to eat late.

Anyway, I'm a pound up from yesterday for no obvious reason. ::sulk:: But I consider a one-pound wobble in either direction the same as staying steady so ... could be worse.

[sylvanwitch]

Thank you for the luck! I appreciate it. :-)

I hope you get to go out hiking as planned and that you continue to do well with your goals! (I completely empathize with staying up too late reading; that is something I do too.)

We got to go out for a dayhike yesterday, and it was wonderful, so I am sending you all that good energy!

[sylvanwitch]

I think you and I are alike in the feast or famine mindset. If I am all-in, mentally, on a program, I'll stick to it diligently, but once I am off it, forget about the moderation. I'm coming to understand that that's just the way I am, and if I can find a system that allows me to stop resenting what I'm "not allowed" to have and instead allows me to lose weight and still eat certain things, then that's the system that's going to work for me in the long run.

I hope the fasting works well for you and that you enjoy it!

I have trouble imagining myself going a full 24 hours without eating, but maybe I will be able to do that? I'll have to see how it goes. I have to be a little careful because in middle school I was borderline anorexic and played games with myself to see how long I could go without eating. I remember feeling such accomplishment from my self-discipline, which feeds into my sort of martyr-complex personality (I often think that I'm a martyr in search of a cause worth dying for--and then I roll my eyes at my thirteen-year-old self ;-).

Sorry, that was a ramble. I just meant to say that I'm really impressed by your discipline at going 24 hours, and I hope the fasting is good for you. :-)

Re: intermittent fasting

[sylvanwitch]

I SO understand where you're coming from here, particularly when you talk about the deprivation mindset. I'm the same way--I get resentful when there are things on the "don't" or "can't" menu (which is funny given that I am voluntarily a vegan, but then, that's a choice I made for myself, and I haven't had meat in more than 20 years, so it doesn't feel like I'm missing anything at this point). And I also have difficulty if, say, my husband brings home something good from work for the two of us, and I can't eat it right then. He's already started asking about my "eating window," though, so I shouldn't have that problem often. It's not the same as having a roommate, of course, and I empathize with your struggles. If he was eating something delicious right in front of me, I'd have a hard time not eating too, for sure.

I agree about the one-pound wobble, too. Weight is so unpredictable, re: water, for example.

I hope you have a great week!

[oschun]

played games with myself to see how long I could go without eating

Aah...yes, that's not a good mindset. I hadn't actually considered the negative ramifications of fasting as a practice. I hope you find a good balance with it. Have a great week, hon.

Re: intermittent fasting

[oschun]

the focus was on trying to eat 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables a day

That sounds like such an excellent way of viewing your daily food intake! I really like the idea of having *more* of something rather than just less of everything else.

Re: intermittent fasting

[oldtoadwoman]

I really like the idea of having more of something rather than just less of everything else.

Exactly. And it's actually hard to eat five daily "vegetables" as defined by that old Richard Simmons' diet without a lot of planning. Corn, peas, and potatoes count as "starch" not vegetables. Beans could count as either "protein" or "starch" (it was optional which of those two categories you counted them in). Cucumbers and lettuce count as "freebies" (eat as much as you want, but they don't count toward your daily veggie intake). So I'd find myself eating a lot of extra carrots and tomatoes late in the evening when it would dawn on me that I'd made it to dinner time (again) without being close to my veggie target.

(I've been eating so unhealthily lately, that my current goal is just anything healthy, but maybe I'll be able to work myself back up to the 5-veggie-a-day goal.)

I made a pot of bean soup today and have enough leftovers for at least two more days. I'm pleased that I've got something that actually tastes good that is cheap to make.

Re: intermittent fasting

[oschun]

Yes, planning ahead is part of the issue. I guess it's about having healthy snacks and lots of vegetables in the fridge so you're not tempted by other things. And just trying to change habits. My man and I have cut out having chips with hummus as a snack and just have carrot, pepper and cucumber sticks instead with it. I forget how genuinely good a sweet and crunchy red or yellow pepper tastes.

Making a pot of tasty soup or a veggie lasagne or veggie curry or something is a good way to way to get around that issue of being too tired to cook the next night and also increasing your vegetable intake. Those sorts of meals always taste better on day 2 anyway. They're cheap to make too.

I feel for you and the struggles you're having. Good luck with your 5-veggie-a-day goal. It's a good goal. I've got a vegetarian cookbook called Vegetable Kingdom, which I think is such a great title. There really is a kingdom of vegetables. I'm not vegetarian myself but since my partner turned vegetarian it's changed the way I cook and think about food. I don't try to *be* vegetarian, just to eat more vegetables and beans and pulses.