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As other posts said before me, fasting, Intermittent Fasting, or what I call "just not eating."
Have you tried just not eating? You have. You do it all the time. You stop eating between the last bite of a meal or snack and the first bite of the next meal or snack. You were literally fasting during that time, even if it was only 5 minutes. So now, just do it consciously and for much longer with regards to your physical goals.
What do you think body fat is? It's food energy stored for when there's no food. And if you're insulin resistant, then your body is essentially a super efficient fat storage machine. You are almost constantly in fat storage mode.
If you have a lot of fat on your body, it's like being a doomsday prepper who doesn't know when to start using up the stores of food already present, but just keeps buying more.
It's really not helpful to listen to CICO advice if you're insulin resistant. And most people who are overweight have some kinds of insulin resistance, and especially those who say "I"ve tried everything and I can't lose weight." I believe you! But if you get your insulin sensitivity back, you WILL lose fat. The idea is to keep your insulin low. If you're eating all day but small amounts, you may be within your CICO guideline but your insulin will be high all day. You do not want that for fat loss.
Have you ever seen what is called "Skinny fat"? Skinny fat people are often CICO people. They get their mass smaller, but they still have a high percentage of body fat relative to their size. That's probably not something you want. Which is what insulin resistance + CICO will get you.
You don't have to do low carb or keto, but I always think it's an excellent idea to eat a relatively unprocessed food diet. If you start fasting, I'm certain you will start changing your diet anyway. Fasting works well but when you combine it with lower carb it's pretty amazing for people who have tried everything else. Also after you fast, if you break your fast with high carbs, like ice cream, you will literally FEEL what happens to your body when it's flooded with insulin and you will not enjoy that experience as much.
Lots of information on the web on fasting. Dr. Fung is someone to start with. Remember, you already fast. You know how not to eat. So now "just don't eat" in a way that will be highly beneficial to your goals.
I just want to add, when you have insulin resistance, you can feel like you're starving even though your body has plenty of fat to feed you for a couple of months. Once your insulin goes lower, the feelings of hunger will be much more normal and manageable, you will understand how normal weight people who never had a weight problem feel all the time. At that point, you may find out that you eat for emotional reasons, which would be good to know, too.
I wish you the very best outcome!
Thank you for such a great advice. My next thing now will be fasting 16-18 hours a day with 20-30 grams of carbs, with high protein in that small eating window.
Guess I'm kinda old-fashioned. No special diet. No fasting. I like to keep my blood sugar even through the day. No spikes or highs or lows. Keeps me not being hungry.
But I learned portion control (read the labels and measure/weigh your food). Once you've mastered that, you don't have to do it anymore. I was surprised to learn some of my portions were more than double what the portion size was supposed to be.
I eat three meals a day of solid nutrition. I found that having a big salad (no gloppy high calorie dressing, make my own) or a vegetable based soup helps control the over-eating of higher caloric foods...bulk fills you up without the calories when the bulk comes from vegetables.
I put down my fork or spoon between bites. Before I was shoveling in the food without really enjoying it...
No junk food. None in the house. Snack foods are unsalted nuts. Or sliced apple.
If I really have a craving for something, I will have it. Last week I wanted pumpkin pie--so I made one. And it was our lunch. Nothing else. A good slice each--very satisfying. For any bakers out there, I've learned to halve the sugar called for...still turns out fine.
To drink? Plain water, unsweetened tea...
Lots of water throughout the day. Thirst often masquerades as hunger...
My one cup of morning coffee still has 2 tablespoons of half and half.
See what I'm saying? It's not about diet or deprivation--it's about nutrition, portion sizes and balance. Nutrient-dense foods are satisfying in a way junky foods are not...
Guess I'm kinda old-fashioned. No special diet. No fasting. I like to keep my blood sugar even through the day. No spikes or highs or lows. Keeps me not being hungry.
But I learned portion control (read the labels and measure/weigh your food). Once you've mastered that, you don't have to do it anymore. I was surprised to learn some of my portions were more than double what the portion size was supposed to be.
I eat three meals a day of solid nutrition. I found that having a big salad (no gloppy high calorie dressing, make my own) or a vegetable based soup helps control the over-eating of higher caloric foods...bulk fills you up without the calories when the bulk comes from vegetables.
I put down my fork or spoon between bites. Before I was shoveling in the food without really enjoying it...
No junk food. None in the house. Snack foods are unsalted nuts. Or sliced apple.
If I really have a craving for something, I will have it. Last week I wanted pumpkin pie--so I made one. And it was our lunch. Nothing else. A good slice each--very satisfying. For any bakers out there, I've learned to halve the sugar called for...still turns out fine.
To drink? Plain water, unsweetened tea...
Lots of water throughout the day. Thirst often masquerades as hunger...
My one cup of morning coffee still has 2 tablespoons of half and half.
See what I'm saying? It's not about diet or deprivation--it's about nutrition, portion sizes and balance. Nutrient-dense foods are satisfying in a way junky foods are not...
Deprivation results in binges.
I have two cups, so I record four tablespoons of half and half in Myfitnesspal. I'm getting to the point where eyeballing is pretty accurate as far as portion control, but I will continue to monitor myself for a while until the weight gets down somewhat further.
I am not "on a diet". I changed my way of eating.
I wanted to point out how important I felt this to be:
Quote:
I eat three meals a day of solid nutrition. I found that having a big salad (no gloppy high calorie dressing, make my own) or a vegetable based soup helps control the over-eating of higher caloric foods...bulk fills you up without the calories when the bulk comes from vegetables.
I came to realize that there was a mindset in my brain that was working against me. I was hungry. I COULD have a salad or something else like low-fat plain Greek yogurt or vegetable soup (I make a good lentil spinach soup) but I always thought, "Nah, but that won't fill me up the way a sandwich or slice of pizza does."
But it does. When I eat the salad or soup or vegetables or plain yogurt with a few berries, I am no longer hungry. It didn't take a heavier meal to stop the hunger pangs. That was a revelation to me.
I've put back on about 25 lbs since I broke my arm/wrist 6 months ago. Now I'm not able to really lift any weights but that is no excuse because I can still do cardio. I've tried to go running outside, I've tried to eat less. Recently I've tried to go for walks and bike riding which is so low intensity it doesn't do nothing to my weight. I have no idea how to help myself get back in the groove of hitting the gym and stop eating food. I've tried every diet in the book. My blood work was really bad that I was turning borderline diabetic eating all the ice cream and carbs every night and not being able to hold myself back.
Looking for help!!!!
This is a long post, but I think you'll find it very helpful if you read it all the way through. I'm in Texas. I feel your pain. I am on a weight loss journey myself. Being in Texas does not make it easy. What is there to do here? Go to fattening Mexican restaurants by driving 30 minutes in gridlock traffic after your 45 minute commute to work Anyway, 85% of losing weight is nutrition. There's no shortcut, there's no easy way out.
I'm slowly losing weight, which is ridiculously hard for me being 43, short, female, and on weight gaining drugs. Work on your nutrition and do an exercise plan. You need to count calories. How do you figure how many calories you need? There are a million calorie calculators out there but the two equations scientists use are the Harris-Benedict equation and the Mifflin-Jeor equation. If you're not a math person, you can plug in your nunbers and have the website do it for you, but it's important to use one or the other of those formulas. They are by far the most accurate formulas out there, and they have been compiled by obesity researchers/statisticans. Random websites can give you inaccurate figures and if you don't have the right numbers, you won't lose weight. This is a free Mifflin-Jeor calculator that does the work for you.
Now comes the hard part. Count calories, measure everything, write your food down, all day every day. Make it not a diet, but a nutrition plan, something you can stick with forever. Don't stop eating food. Food is the fuel that keeps you going each day. Eat good foods. And you don't have to cut out the sugar either. I'm a sugar person too and I use a tablespoon of honey in my yogurt midday and a few cinnamon candies to help me avoid the temptation to binge on sugar. Choose a food plan that works for you, whether it is vegetarian, keto, flexitarian, whatever, something you can work with forever.
As for my exercise plan, I'm doing ATHLEAN-X. The guy is a physical therapist and he offers more than a thousand free strength training videos on YouTube, many that are bodyweight only. His advice is amazing. He concentrates on good form. He also offers paid programs, but I'm starting with his free ones. Here is the link to his stuff. Try his lower body strength training. It will help you burn the fat and burn more calories every day. Of course there are millions of trainers out there. Feel free to use anybody you click with. I've just tried tons of them and I like him the best. Also, many trainers will drain your bank account dry on that goofy online training and oftentimes it is not necessary. And remember the wise words of Yoda: "Do or do not, there is no try." Just do it, and do it consistently. Half measures won't get you anywhere. Good luck!
I have two cups, so I record four tablespoons of half and half in Myfitnesspal. I'm getting to the point where eyeballing is pretty accurate as far as portion control, but I will continue to monitor myself for a while until the weight gets down somewhat further.
I am not "on a diet". I changed my way of eating.
I wanted to point out how important I felt this to be:
I came to realize that there was a mindset in my brain that was working against me. I was hungry. I COULD have a salad or something else like low-fat plain Greek yogurt or vegetable soup (I make a good lentil spinach soup) but I always thought, "Nah, but that won't fill me up the way a sandwich or slice of pizza does."
But it does. When I eat the salad or soup or vegetables or plain yogurt with a few berries, I am no longer hungry. It didn't take a heavier meal to stop the hunger pangs. That was a revelation to me.
So happy that you, too, discovered this! This is the "secret" the multi-billion dollar diet industry would rather we didn't know!
Eating nutrient-dense food gives our bodies what they crave. And prevents "yo-yo" dieting. Eating smart ends that kind of dieting forever.
Before, I could eat an entire bag of potato chips and still be unsatisfied. And feel queasy to boot. All that cheap grease. Salt.
Lots of sugar and/or white flour products would make me starved an hour later.
But when I eat the good stuff, it's almost like I can hear my body sing out "thank you..." There's a feeling of well-being that's hard to describe--but very pleasant. I bet you know what I mean...
try keto diets, the results may take time to get, but its good for ur health and there are no side effects from following a diet plan, however if non of diet plans are working for u better find pills to lose weight which made up from natural ingredients
So happy that you, too, discovered this! This is the "secret" the multi-billion dollar diet industry would rather we didn't know!
Eating nutrient-dense food gives our bodies what they crave. And prevents "yo-yo" dieting. Eating smart ends that kind of dieting forever.
Before, I could eat an entire bag of potato chips and still be unsatisfied. And feel queasy to boot. All that cheap grease. Salt.
Lots of sugar and/or white flour products would make me starved an hour later.
But when I eat the good stuff, it's almost like I can hear my body sing out "thank you..." There's a feeling of well-being that's hard to describe--but very pleasant. I bet you know what I mean...
I do. I started on March 7, and I feel so much better. The reason I even got serious is that I went to my six-month checkup with the endocrinologist (I have a weird, rare thyroid disease that he has to keep an eye on) and I'd gained weight and my blood sugar and cholesterol levels were high. He wanted to put me on meds and I said NOOOOO, give me a chance to fix it with changing my diet. It doesn't make sense to me to start taking meds for something that's directly a result of my eating badly and being fat.
He knew that I had been a vegetarian for a couple of years and no longer am but still eat a lot of vegetarian foods I learned to like, so he suggested that a Mediterranean-type diet might work well for me. There's no one Mediterranean diet, but in general, it's more fish and vegetables, limited dairy and meat, and also for me, limited breads. And watch the sugar intake. That works for me. I cook and eat a lot of vegetables, plus I have salads. I eat fish about three times a week and I usually have two or three days that are vegetarian. I really like rice and beans and make different combos of them. I'm down 18 pounds as of this week. It's hot out today, and I'm wearing a new pair of shorts, a size smaller.
I know what you mean about the white flour products. I could eat a whole bagel (and I am in NJ so we have real bagel shops around here and the bagels are big) and an hour later I'd be hungry again.
Tonight I am going to make a lentil shepherd's pie. It's vegan, and it's really good, and of course it is topped with mashed potatoes, which is my favorite food in the whole big world.
He wanted to put me on meds and I said NOOOOO, give me a chance to fix it with changing my diet. It doesn't make sense to me to start taking meds for something that's directly a result of my eating badly and being fat.
Yep, that's the ticket.
I read somewhere that genetics load the weapon, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.
That really hit home for me...
Makes sense that garbage food equals garbage health. Exercise is like a tune-up.
Just like our cars don't run well on crappy fuel. And pour sugar in the gas tank and watch what happens..lol...And a car that's never run and just sits and sits may not run at all...
He wanted to put me on meds and I said NOOOOO, give me a chance to fix it with changing my diet. It doesn't make sense to me to start taking meds for something that's directly a result of my eating badly and being fat.
Yep, that's the ticket.
I read somewhere that genetics load the weapon, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.
That really hit home for me...
Makes sense that garbage food equals garbage health. Exercise is like a tune-up.
Just like our cars don't run well on crappy fuel. And pour sugar in the gas tank and watch what happens..lol...And a car that's never run and just sits and sits may not run at all...
Yup. My father was Type 2, and he wasn't overweight, so I may be predisposed. But even if that is the case, I have to do what I have to do to lessen the impact.
You cant outrun a bad diet
You do not need Keto or intermittent fasting, calorie restriction is the only method that works.
Calorie restriction long term has shown to have negative effects , such a slower metabolism. One of the things I always address when coaching a new client, is developing a healthy metabolism. What this would do for you is burn body fat 24\7 ( even as you sleep. How do we speed up the ole’ metabolism? I’ll give you a few ways:
Weight Training; The more muscle you have , the more calories we burn around the clock.
H.I.I.T : training twice / week can also rev up the metabolism. the best this is it can be done in as little as twenty minutes.
Sleep : is OFTEN overlooked but so important when it comes to weight loss. Not getting enough sleep at night is like half charging your cell phone at night ( no bueno). This means that your body is not only tired, but may feel stressed and this can increase cortisol levels. When cortisol is spiked- so is insulin. so getting 7–9 hours ( depending on the individual) can prove to very beneficial and effective when achieving your weight loss goals. I hope this helps.
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Anyway, 85% of losing weight is nutrition. There's no shortcut, there's no easy way out. 
