Yes, my sweet tooth and the wrong carbs is what gets me in trouble.
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Fasting for Health and Weight Loss
- Thread starter Huntn
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Couldn't agree more. When sweet goodies become rewards for completing difficult tasks, that's when I get into trouble.
Started Fasting protocol in March 2025, weighing 228LB. Rate loss weight is minimal now, but still happening.
9Sep- Weight: 181LB, (-47lb). Waist 37" (-7), Hips 38" (-6), Thigh 21" (-2), Upper Arms 12" (no change despite a lot of weight work and consuming protein powder. It has to do with age. The Goal is 175LBs or when the damned HIGI station at the Grocery stops telling me I'm overweight...
Per week: 1 Day in gym 90min doing mat and resistance weight training, and 2 days a week in the pool swimming approx 2000 yards per session.
9Sep- Weight: 181LB, (-47lb). Waist 37" (-7), Hips 38" (-6), Thigh 21" (-2), Upper Arms 12" (no change despite a lot of weight work and consuming protein powder. It has to do with age. The Goal is 175LBs or when the damned HIGI station at the Grocery stops telling me I'm overweight...
Per week: 1 Day in gym 90min doing mat and resistance weight training, and 2 days a week in the pool swimming approx 2000 yards per session.
Started Fasting protocol in March 2025, weighing 228LB. Rate loss weight is minimal now, but still happening.
9Sep- Weight: 181LB, (-47lb). Waist 37" (-7), Hips 38" (-6), Thigh 21" (-2), Upper Arms 12" (no change despite a lot of weight work and consuming protein powder. It has to do with age. The Goal is 175LBs or when the damned HIGI station at the Grocery stops telling me I'm overweight...
Per week: 1 Day in gym 90min doing mat and resistance weight training, and 2 days a week in the pool swimming approx 2000 yards per session.
2000 yards is a great lap swim workout. I'm now at 100 laps (25 yard pool) 5 days a week. But it's my main and only exercise as I don't do the gym (I should). Swimming is the only thing that keeps weight under control. But long walks occasionally in the neighborhood too. Apple Watch exercise apps help motivate and keep track.
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I am not an expert by any means, but the only way to tell-for certain- if you are "running low" on vitamins and minerals is by a comprehensive blood analysis. Some health insurances cover most of the cost for the lab tests once per year. As for understanding how vitamins and minerals affect your health, there are numerous medical videos that relate to how vitamins and minerals affect your health available at YouTube.
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Fasting is truly beneficial. I'm a Muslim. We fast for 30 days, from Ramadan to Ramadan. During Ramadan, we don't worry about food, weight gain, or exercise. I lose 7 kilos (15 pounds) every year during Ramadan. I also get rid of the swelling in my face. You gain self-control. It's not just about eating and drinking. You also stay away from adult-oriented things
I knew Muslim’s fast during Ramadan, but I did not know this… 30 days, 24/7 fasting? Catholics do a symbolic fasting (I’m agnostic);but I don’t want to veer into a religious discussion. But I’m interested if everyone participating in Ramadan is actually expected to, and actually goes 30 days without eating? You still drink right?
My update, hit 177lb last weekend. The weight is coming off slower, mostly because I’m conditioned and 2Lb from my target weight. Also I’m working towards building some muscle on this old frame (taking protein powder and low dosage of testosterone), and exercising, as I have been all along.
It’s interesting how quickly you can put 5lb of food in your digestive track, which means your only accurate weight on the scale is at the end of the a long fast period.
lol - they'd all die.
They fast (food and drink) during daylight hours, and if my Muslim friends are representative, they stuff themselves at sunset 😁
Obviously, Ramadan falling in summer is harder (longer days!) than winter.
We wake up before sunrise, have breakfast, drink 3-4 glasses of water, and go back to bed. We wake up in the morning, go to work, leave work early, and go home or out around 5:00 p.m. After the evening call to prayer, we break our fast with water or black olives, then inhale the delicious food. We only fast during Ramadan and certain holy days. Ramadan is currently shifting to winter. Before 2030, it will be Ramadan along with Christmas, and we will eat turkey for iftar 🥰
Ok, understood. You are doing a form of fasting that seriously restricts calories, which works, and I understand it’s not for specifically weight loss. I’d call this Muslim or Religious fasting.
From the Health Fasting standpoint, if you want to gain the metabolic advantages, you have to go to at least Stage 2, but 3 and 4 have distinct benefits. If you are interested, with this kind of fasting A LOT of liquid, water, tea, coffee must be consumed along with electrolytes.
Stage 2 Fasting (12-18 Hours): Ketosis, Fat Burning, and Mental Clarity
After 16 to 18 hours of fasting, you should be in full ketosis[*]. Your liver begins converting your fat stores into ketone bodies — bundles of fuel that power your muscles, heart, and brain.This stage of fasting has a few benefits:
Appetite suppression
Fat Loss
Mental clarity
Stage 3 Fasting (24 hours): Autophagy and Anti-Aging
After a full-day fast, your body goes into repair mode. It begins recycling old or damaged cells and reducing inflammation. If you’re looking for anti-aging or anti-inflammatory benefits, a 24-hour fast may help.Stage 4 Fasting (36-48 hours): Growth Hormone and Recovery
I was thinking in terms of my kind of fasting without breaks, 😳 the longest fast I’ve done is 72 hours, no problem other than not having a lot of energy. Hunger is zero issue for me, in fact when I’m eating a little as on a diet, I am much more hungry. During this time of fasting, I’m drinking many gallons of liquid.
Don't take too much sugar, like my coffee. I like Black coffee without sugar.
I too prefer black coffee without sugar nor any other sweetener. Just plain black coffee, although mine is a little on the strong side, but it's delicious. I just pour hot water over the roasted ground coffee in a cotton colander. Well, I am not as picky if buying a cup of coffee from the stand, but most times it tastes just tolerable.
While I enjoy coffee, my wife dislikes its taste unless it is loaded with sugar and chocolate 😁
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I enjoy coffee too but have it with soy creamer, which contains just a gram of sugar per serving. To me it improves the taste like a dairy creamer would. But being lactose intolerant that's a no go.
Coffee is very acidic, and a small amount of creamer takes the edge off the bitterness and helps neutralize the acidity (not great for stomach or teeth). But I understand the appeal of just black to avoid any sugar and calories. It's really a balance and what you prefer.
Coffee is very acidic, and a small amount of creamer takes the edge off the bitterness and helps neutralize the acidity (not great for stomach or teeth). But I understand the appeal of just black to avoid any sugar and calories. It's really a balance and what you prefer.
Yes, coffee is acidic, so I prefer to not drink it in the afternoon. Worst of all, I drink lemon water, enjoy home-made Italian dressing with lots Apple cider vinegar in my salads, and enjoy eating various forms of tomato too. Have to rinse my mouth quite often I guess
If any sugar, I would prefer a taste of the locally available raw honey generated from fireweed and other wild flowers in the interior of Alaska, and "on a blue moon" I may pour in a tad of almond milk, although I don't like the taste of soy and almond milk in my coffee. I tried oat milk, but it too does not have a flavor that I like.
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my parents say I drink black coffee without sugar like drinking water. I don't have fix cup of coffee per day.
I've read, and one of our good posters over in the espresso thread agrees with this, that drinking sparkling water with an espresso takes away the bitterness.
I think it's horrible 😁 I either make sure my beans don't make an espresso that's too bitter or acidic, or I add a drop of milk.
I have a soy milk maker, which simply cooks and mashes soy beans up. A very cheap way to make pure soy milk. Frothed with a steam wand it's great for cappuccinos/lattes etc. It took me a few drinks to get used to drinking it sugar free, but I'm used t it now and prefer it that way.
When I was young(er), I always drank both (English) tea and coffee with milk and sugar. Someone told me to drink both without sugar and that, after two or three days of hating it, I'll then never want sugar in them again. He was right! I was surprised, as most other stuff he said was wrong.
I think it's horrible 😁 I either make sure my beans don't make an espresso that's too bitter or acidic, or I add a drop of milk.
I have a soy milk maker, which simply cooks and mashes soy beans up. A very cheap way to make pure soy milk. Frothed with a steam wand it's great for cappuccinos/lattes etc. It took me a few drinks to get used to drinking it sugar free, but I'm used t it now and prefer it that way.
When I was young(er), I always drank both (English) tea and coffee with milk and sugar. Someone told me to drink both without sugar and that, after two or three days of hating it, I'll then never want sugar in them again. He was right! I was surprised, as most other stuff he said was wrong.
I enjoy ice coffee with half and half and stevia, but when traveling by car, I drink only black coffee, which holds up better and I’m not temped to drink it down quickly.
Along with fasting, I’ve also focused on some muscle building, and supplementing my diet with protein (whey) powdered in skim milk (when not fasting) and starting to take some creatin powder, also when not fasting. On the 24+hr fasts, I don’t want to interfer with autophagy, which this article does not definitively says creatin does, but it inserts some doubts.
supplementinstitute.org
Does Creatine Break a Fast? Here’s What the Science Actually Says | Supplement Institute
Does creatine break a fast? Here’s what science says about calories, insulin, autophagy, and the best time to take creatine while fasting.
supplementinstitute.org
I haven't read all the post here, so maybe this has been stated. Weight loss will not be permanent after a temporary fad diet. If old habits resume, the body will return to the previous weight. Permanent weight loss will only come from permanent lifestyle and diet changes. Maybe no one has stated this because it's so obvious.
Recently discovered cardamom as a spice to add to coffee. It makes for a bit zestier, citrusy, and richer coffee flavor. Apparently popular for coffee as a tradition originating in the Middle East. Reduces coffee acidity and makes the need for sweeteners and creamers much less. I've been using ground cardamom and sprinkling a little in the coffee grounds before auto drip brewing. Apparently has health benefits as well.
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That sounds very interesting! I will have to give it a try, since I do enjoy the taste of black coffee with a tad of cinnamon and even sweet cloves. I have no idea what "cardamom" is, but I will try it unless it would poison me ~Just kidding!
There is a company in Alaska that produces sound coffee infused with Alaska wild blueberries, and it tastes quite good, at least to me. Sometimes I pour into my coffee a few drops of pure vanilla extract, too.
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I have links to the middle east, and I know people who add cardamom to their morning Arabic coffee (which, for context, is like a Turkish or Greek coffee).
It's made in one of these:
Dallah (coffee pot) - Wikipedia
How to Make Arabic Coffee, or Boiled Coffee with Cardamom
A simple step-by-step tutorial on making traditional Arabic cardamom coffee, boiled on the stove-top.
bintrhodaskitchen.blogspot.com
I've tried making it myself but it really needs a gas hob for heat control and to get the crema (as you need to bring the coffee almost to the boil, reduce, almost to the boil, reduce etc). I have a ceramic/electric hob, gave up, and went back to espresso 😁
The Turkish supermarket near me sells ground coffee (it's more like powder - think of the consistency of flour) mixed with cardamom, but apparently it's better just to crush a fresh one and add it to the dallah.
Alaskan wild blueberry infused coffee sounds geeat! I try to include blueberries in my diet whenever possible (especially in season), and that sounds like an excellent combination. Will look for it locally here (if I can find it).
I've heard about vanilla extract and cinnamon, as well as nutmeg, allspice, and cloves as interesting flavor enhancements for coffee. All have great health benefits as a plus.