tltate-makeover

Well, I can’t believe there was not more interest in the last post. Anywho, I’m down 28 pounds as of today! That’s another 18 pounds since the last time I reported. But it is definitely not because of medication now. I did it on purpose.

Intermittent fasting has been helping a lot. I am still doing the ketogenic diet for the most part. I have found that if I deviate from that with higher carbs or add sugar to my diet, I don’t feel so well. I don’t know if this happens because of fasting or not.

I have been fasting for 20 hours and eating during a 4-hour window. Sometimes if I eat too many carbs or add sugars during that time, the next fast is more difficult. And sometimes it is just difficult. Most of the time though, the fast is fine. I don’t feel hungry and I have plenty of energy.

Why is this not the same as calorie restriction? The way I understand it calorie restriction means to restrict calories at every meal, eating less all day. Eating in this way the body releases insulin every time you eat. However, insulin is a hormone that tells the body to store energy. So restricting calories doesn’t work after a while because it signals the brain that there is a lack of food and the body adjusts by using fewer calories for energy. The result is that the insulin being release all day is storing everything you eat in your fat cells.

With fasting, the longer time without food lowers the levels of insulin in your body after it has done its work of dealing with your blood glucose levels. Once the glucose is gone and insulin levels are back where they belong, the body can then begin to use your fat stores as energy. That’s the way the body is supposed to work. There is very little hunger being felt during this time.

During the fast, I have to be careful not to do anything that will signal the brain to release insulin. The book (Delay, Don’t Deny) refers to it as clean fasting. Water and black coffee are your only beverages. You can’t use diet sodas or anything with artificial sweeteners. When something sweet touches your taste buds, whether it has calories or not, triggers the brain to release insulin in response. Artificial sweeteners trick the brain into thinking that calories are being consumed. This ruins your fast because of the presence of insulin in the blood. This stops the process of fat being used for energy. Then, of course, you get hungry and eat at the wrong time.

Sometimes this happens. So, I just have a meal and then begin a new fast. And sometimes I only fast for 16 hours leaving myself an 8-hour window of eating time. Sixteen hours is plenty of time for the body to clear itself of blood glucose and lower insulin levels and burn some fat for energy. However, being a type 2 diabetic, I want to give my body more time without higher levels of insulin. Apparently, lowering levels of insulin give the body a chance to reverse insulin resistance by giving the receptors a break from the bombardment of insulin release.

So, I am very excited. I am losing weight. I feel better. I’m pretty sure my inflammation is decreasing. I have less back pain; less pain in general. And in general, I feel pretty damned good. Unless I eat too many carbs or sugar. I suspect that will change once my body is able to heal itself a bit more.