The FastDay Forum

[Tracieknits]

The ice cream might actually be less bad for the diet than the maple syrup. You need some fat to cut through all of the sugar in the crepes and berries. Have you read anything about reducing carbs? There's a lot of groups on this forum that can talk about that.

I'm not low carb at all, but if I ate crepes with berries and syrup, I would feel awful. I would need some protein and fat in there to not get the shakes. I would say cooking them in butter is a good thing!!

Have you talked to anyone in the eating window tent? They might have a lot of great support for your eating window approach

Thanks for the advice @Tracieknits. I have reduced the carbs. Mostly I've been eating the bloody crackers after having decided not to buy bread anymore. I eat the occasional bagel or bread roll which I buy singly. I tossed out the crackers and that is a huge step for me. I don't understand why I need fat with the sugar. It is my understanding that that combination causes weight gain. Don't know where I read that.

I hadn't really thought I was doing the eating window approach but I guess I am. It isn't consistent though. Some days I eat at 2 ish and stop before 10. Other days I eat at 3 or 4 and stop at 8. Does consistency matter? I will check with the eating window thread. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Tracieknits]

In the 1970s, the sugar industry basically funded some studies showing dietary fat was the problem. Dietary guidelines were changed to lowfat, high carb. And we all gained an awful lot of weight. There was no real science to ever back up the notion that dietary fat was what made us fat.

There have been a lot of scientists and others saying the carbs are a much bigger problem than fat. There are a lot of people on this forum doing a low carb/high fat diet and losing significant weight doing so.

Thing is, if you're going to reduce your carbs (and most people really should), you have to increase fat and protein. There's only so much protein you can and should eat - about 0.8g per kg body weight per day, or 20 to 25% of your calories from protein. I personally aim for 30% of my calories from carbs, 25% from protein and 45% from fat. 30% of my calories from carbs is about 182 grams of carbs per day. That's not easy for me to do, and I know I could never join the 20g carbs per day club.

I don't know how old you are, but I'm 48 and I'm old enough to remember that a diet plate at a restaurant was a hamburger patty or small steak, a bowl of cottage cheese and some salad. I'm old enough to remember that weight watchers severely limited carbs back when they did exchanges (before the "points" system). So this all rings true to me. Younger people don't remember a time when people were told to watch their starches and sugars to lose weight.

But there's a lot of science out there saying it's not the fat making us fat, it's the carbs. The butter isn't the bad part of your crepes tonight, it's the flour and sugar.

[Tracieknits]

I don't really know about the eating window thing. I personally don't think a 4 hour window on a daily basis sounds healthy, but I've never seen the science on that. I know that to me, it sounds hard, and I've been doing 5:2 for the better part of over two years. I would think that if someone is doing a four hour eating window and eating enough during that time to not lose weight, they might be having trouble with binge eating. I can't imagine eating enough in a four hour window to maintain my body weight.

[Tracieknits]

It's not a fast day today, and I really want to binge on sugar. I'm holding myself back, but barely. Sigh.

I actually have the calories left to eat one of the real UK Dairy Milk bars I bought when it was announced that UK Cadbury could no longer be imported to the US. But I really want to get back down near/to my low weight before my doctor visit next week.

Hey, Tracie, I'm resisting (so far) the croissants in the kitchen...why did I buy them??? Buttery flaky YUM...

[Tracieknits]

I ate two sections (1/3) of the candy bar and gave the rest to a family member >.<

Then I had a yogurt, which was a smarter choice. And I'm happy, and still below my TDEE for the day.

I now only buy the Trader Joe's frozen croissants. You have to actually plan ahead to eat them, as they must rest for 8 hours before they can be baked. I don't know how you're resisting croissants!

Love TJ's croissants - really like the almond - but they are all yummy - I agree, its a planned thing and we only have them once a month or so

I don't really know about the eating window thing. I personally don't think a 4 hour window on a daily basis sounds healthy, but I've never seen the science on that. I know that to me, it sounds hard, and I've been doing 5:2 for the better part of over two years. I would think that if someone is doing a four hour eating window and eating enough during that time to not lose weight, they might be having trouble with binge eating. I can't imagine eating enough in a four hour window to maintain my body weight.

Please define "binge". I have seen this word used a lot. I have seen definitions of it which mention controlling food intake by not eating outside a certain time period. If that is all it means, then yes, I "binge". But I never eat to the point where I am sick, I never eat to the point where my stomach hurts, and I never devour huge bags of crisps, or entire cheesecakes or anything like that.

So far today about 600 calories, 16g carb, 22g protein. Aiming for 1500 cals overall. Even trying to count my steps with my phone app. The good news is, after first week back at 5:2 I'm 2lbs down, hurrah!

[Tracieknits]

I don't really know about the eating window thing. I personally don't think a 4 hour window on a daily basis sounds healthy, but I've never seen the science on that. I know that to me, it sounds hard, and I've been doing 5:2 for the better part of over two years. I would think that if someone is doing a four hour eating window and eating enough during that time to not lose weight, they might be having trouble with binge eating. I can't imagine eating enough in a four hour window to maintain my body weight.

Please define "binge". I have seen this word used a lot. I have seen definitions of it which mention controlling food intake by not eating outside a certain time period. If that is all it means, then yes, I "binge". But I never eat to the point where I am sick, I never eat to the point where my stomach hurts, and I never devour huge bags of crisps, or entire cheesecakes or anything like that.

Dictionary definition of Binge: noun 1. a period or bout, usually brief, of excessive indulgence, as in eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, etc.; spree.

I'm just thinking that there's a chance you might be like my husband, who can't really do eating windows because completely unfettered eating makes him consume too many calories, even in just a short window. He doesn't make himself sick, or eat a whole bag of chips. But he eats enough to gain weight or not lose weight.

[Tracieknits]

That's fantastic, @Azureblue!

@tracieknits, I am at goal weight. Since July last year I have never been more than 5 lbs over. My appetite and my eating window are in accord. I am at BMI 20. My range is 118 - 122 lbs. If I drop below 118 I will definitely extend my eating window. I know it is a much less popular choice of IF but it works for me and many others in the Fast-5 group.

By the way, as I am not gaining weight, I cannot be "excessive" can I. Is 4 hours brief? It feels like a long time to me.

[Tracieknits]

@tracieknits, I am at goal weight. Since July last year I have never been more than 5 lbs over. My appetite and my eating window are in accord. I am at BMI 20. My range is 118 - 122 lbs. If I drop below 118 I will definitely extend my eating window. I know it is a much less popular choice of IF but it works for me and many others in the Fast-5 group.

By the way, as I am not gaining weight, I cannot be "excessive" can I. Is 4 hours brief? It feels like a long time to me.

SO SORRY!! I got you confused with Steph, because I didn't sleep well at all last night and I am completely inadequately caffeinated. I was talking to her about eating windows and her problems with things like crackers with butter or the junk food her son brings home. I didn't mean YOU. I was trying to help someone struggling with eating too much of the wrong thing and eating windows. FWIW she used the word binge first, to describe her eating.

I do think eating windows can certainly work well FOR SOME PEOPLE. But I think some people, like my husband or possibly StephD can't really get a whole lot of success with eating windows.

Quite understand @tracieknits, I don't handle sleeplessness well. Rare for me but when it happens I am a total wreck the next day. I've got a long drive and an early start tomorrow, so let's hope we both have a good night tonight.