The FastDay Forum

Welcome back @janeg and @JennyH10 I sincerely hope that 4:3 is going to work now for you! I also hope you have a great evening janeg..I am quite envious.

I've been back on the 4:3 wagon for 2 (actually I think it's 3, poor memory LOL) weeks now and it was all going so well. I feel like it is controlling my appetite better on my feed days than 5:2 did other than at the very beginning. At the end of last week I saw a new low on the scales which, after months of hovering around the same weight, was a brilliant boost.

However. Yes, you knew there was going to be a "but" didn't you ??

Since my new "low" last week I have gained weight at every weigh in. I always weigh the morning after each fast, so now that's 3 times a week and this week it has gone up by 1lb each time! So, one day of eating followed by one day of fasting = 1lb weight gain. Not just once but 3 times!!! I thought maybe my body was just playing silly beggars so jumped on the sales the other morning after a feed day and another 1lb gain!! I know for certain that I have not gained 4lbs of fat in one week when I fasted 3 out of the 7 days but COME ON, what gives??????

Sometimes it happens because your body is holding onto water. It will let go, just stick with it. It has happened to me, annoying but it goes.

It must be the dreaded carbs causing water retention, Auriga. I've had homemade pizzas twice in 10 days (thin base, loads of veg, 1/2 ball of mozzarella) along with loads of other carbs and I'm feeling pretty bloated. I'm just gutted because I love my food and if I wanted to cut carbs I'd be doing Atkins or something mad like that but 5:2 was so perfect for me at first.

I don't wish to bang on too much about it, but...I have found that cutting out all refined carbs (anything with wheat flour in it basically) has helped my weight loss a lot and stopped the water retention too. It isn't Atkins, because I still get carbs from loaves made from seeds,quinoa flakes and nut 'flour' and of course vegetables. You have to be a bit inventive with food...it's a bit challenging, but worth the effort. I LOVE food too, but it can get you into trouble if it's the 'wrong' food for you.
I wouldn't blame 5:2...it DOES work.

Thanks Auriga. I think you're right and it's something I need to consider. I'm a pastry chef though so I'm pretty stuck!!
I think a combination of a carb heavy diet and the mirena coil is spoiling the effects of 5:2/4:3 for me. Still keeping on keeping on though.

Did 4:3 last week

Exercised 6 days out of 7

Jumped on the scales this morning.....

Not full of hope, but full of bloat........

As was pre-menstrual.......

Sure enough......was punished with a 0.4lb GAIN

Arrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oooooh, next week had better be better..............

(Am sure it will be!)

Am in it for the long haul.....as I have been over-eating for many years

Onwards and downwards........

I've been thinking @Hazelnut20....when my weight got stuck I began 16:8 everyday and that made a big difference.....I think it's something to do with stopping any leptin/insulin resistance or at least improving it and in fact I think it can stop it altogether. You'd have to ask @carorees about that one. I might be rambling about something that isn't quite true but my brain is telling me I read it somewhere. I also think that 16:8 by itself helps too. I know some members just do that for maintenance. I hope this is useful?

Ooh, thanks for that @Auriga - very helpful. It's really good to understand the science behind things!

I must admit, I haven't really dabbled in 16:8 on other days. Generally, I don't like to eat first thing in the morning anyway, so perhaps I should give it a go & see where it takes me! If I really commit to it, it might also help me with the little evening "snacking" issue I sometimes have on non-fast days!!

Will PM Carorees & ask her to check out this thread.

Thanks again!

[carorees]

Hi @hazelnut20

Regarding 16:8, I think that by at least keeping the fasting momentum by having a longish period with no food even on feast days it helps to keep the body in fat-burning mode by allowing insulin levels to fall. If you are insulin resistant (which is a good bet if you carry your fat around your middle), this is due to the cells that should respond to insulin by taking up glucose from the blood (the fat, liver and muscle cells) becoming resistant to the effects of insulin. Because the body needs to keep blood glucose tightly controlled it increases the amount of insulin it produces. Allowing insulin levels to fall by not eating and specifically by not eating carbohydrates means that the cells become more sensitive to insulin. This means that blood glucose levels fall faster after a meal and the body can then switch to fat burning mode more easily. Fasting on two days a week allows the drop in insulin to happen twice a week but by fasting for 16 hours on at least some days as well as 5:2 you can give things a boost.

There is also some evidence that fasting can help leptin sensitivity too. Leptin is a hormone produced by the fat cells to tell your brain that they are full up and would you kindly stop eating! So high leptin should mean reduced appetite. However, in obesity there is also leptin resistance in which leptin levels are high but the appetite is not decreased the way it should be. Fasting seems to allow leptin levels to fall enough so that the brain becomes more sensitive again and this may be the reason why the day after a fast we are not all that hungry. Again, having a good long overnight fast of 16 hours will help with this.

You don't have to do 16:8, but the concept of having a good period with no food each day (so no night-time snacking essentially) is, I think, beneficial for our bodies.

@Auriga:
Where do you buy your loaves made of seeds, quinoa, etc. or you make them yourself?

@Auriga:
Where do you buy your loaves made of seeds, quinoa, etc. or you make them yourself?

I make them myself. Do you want the recipe? I am back on later in a bit of a rush at the moment @benchurki.

Thanks so much @carorees for your really detailed post. Very helpful x

@Auriga,
If you have time, please give recipe and if possible, not very difficult one.LOL
Thank you in advance!

Here's the recipe @benchurki.....
Almond, quinoa & pumpkin-seed bread.
Ingredients:
• one cup ground almonds
• one cup quinoa flakes
• one and a half cups of pumpkin seeds
• half cup of sunflower seeds
• two tbsp chia seeds
• three heaped tbsp of psyllium husks (I bought these on line from Amazon)
• two tbsp dried mixed herbs.

Method:

Blend almonds, quinoa and one cup of pumpkin seeds in a blender for a few minutes until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, psyllium husks, dried herbs & a little salt. Stir well. Add to this two and a half cups of cold water. Leave to stand for an hour until the mixture is very stiff and firm. (The psyllium husks do this and it doesn't work without them!)
Heat oven to 180*C (that's 350*F). Place the mixture in a greased loaf tin. Press the mixture down firmly. Cook in the oven for about an hour. Leave to cool in the tin. Then either eat it as it is with a topping of your choice or toast it!
It keeps in the fridge well.


I hope you like it.