Ha! Yes I was thinking of camping and I know the burrito problem (in fact it's feeling like a burrito that's the worst problem!). Even our unnatural twentieth century camping food attracts large and small animals, so freshly-killed game or fish back when the world was wild must have been a big attraction. It's easy to imagine that you would eat it as quickly as possible.

I'm just about to read a book called 'Down Among the Wild Men' by John Greenaway about time he spent with traditional Australian Aboriginal people (about 50-60 years ago). I'm thinking there will be interesting stuff about diet - I'll report back if there's anything relevant to IF.

Ah, that feeling cannot be duplicated by any other situation! Especially when you're nice and cozy inside a tortilla (oh, I mean a sleeping bag!). I'll be backcountry camping on the Appalachian Trail this summer, and it's the ONLY qualm I have - feeling like food, that is .

I think you may be right. We tend to eat so late in the evening here, that I may not worry so much about counting hours as skipping meals - something I've been doing some of already. It would be less disruptive if I skipped breakfast only for a few days first, just to see how that goes, then try breakfast and lunch. How did you begin doing it?

I'm gradually getting into it again, just postponing breakfast by 20 minutes each day (most days). I'm up to about 10:30.

You go girl! Slow and steady wins the race.

I don't ever eat before noon, but I've eased into a 20h fast every other day and so far, I like it! I enjoyed the Eades' version too when I did it, but this suits me more. I do have some coconut milk during 'fast' time, so I am getting some cals in. Not much.

I can't see breakfast being troublesome as the main meal...personally, I prefer to eat in the evenings. Feels more natural to me.

Proteus, I agree to take it slowly. Just extend non-eating time by a bit more each day and see how you feel. I was surprised when I just stopped feeling hungry before noon - it happened suddenly.

I completed my 24 hour fast this evening and feel great. I ended the fast with a lc tuna wrap with mayo and cheese and a handfull of pecans. I had no weak spells and never felt hungry during the fast. Induction has decreased my appetite so much I feel that made the fast much easier and I plan on doing it at least once a week.

That's sounds great shaeintx!. Maybe regular 24 hr fasting without a slow 'ramping up' of the fasting time works best on a weekly rather than alternate day basis.

Anyway, keep us informed .

Thank you all so much for this thread. I have been dabbling with this WOE and like it very much. When I eat anything, I tend to want more. I have portion control issues. This frees me from having to stuggle all day. Then in the late afternoon and evening, I can eat freely. It is hard to overeat in a 4 hour window.
I was afraid of the hunger, and thought I couldn't exercize, but the fear has been unfounded.
I have no idea if it will help with weight loss, as my weight has remained constant since February.

I want to talk about how things went with my versoin of IF. Well, not bad. I am still dealing with TOM which I was hoping that it would be shorter ( perhaps next time ). I am able to last, physically until time eat my first meal at 10:30. THis makes for a 16 hour fast. When school is out for the summer, I will push my first meal time to noon. Now I am truly eating 3 meals a day instead of 4 meals. My weight bounced up during TOM but it began coming down before TOM was over. This is different and I hope it contines. I hope that I lose more before the dreaded aunt comes to visit again. I have come to realize that if you eat enough food, you won't go hungry during the fasting period.

I was surprised to see how much more had been written on this thread since I last posted abiout 2 months ago. One reason I wanted to try fasting was something I read in Protein Power. Dr. Mike said that in order to "awaken" the growth hormone in an older body is to exercise on an empty stomach. When you are done exercising then don't eat for an hour afterward. That seemed so hard to do at the time. Now I am strong enough to do this. This will give muscles more staying power. There are photos in the PP book of a man who used to be a runner. His body was thin and emaciated. After he retired from running he put on weight. Then he began weight lifting with the method of using the growth hormone. He really became quite muscular. Then he stopped lifting weights and lost the muscular girth without losing lean muscular body. Whenever he decided that he needed to buff up a little then he would lift weights to build up his strength. What was interesting was that he kept a lean body form even when he was not exercising.

I am thinking that with IF, I would have more power over when I am going to eat and when I am not. I was afraid to mention to DH that I was IFing. I was sure that he was going to say "Not another cockimamy diet idea." But when I mentioned it to him he said that he does something similarly. He just never thought of it as fasting. He just didin't like to eat so early in the AM and doesn't like to eat his first meal until later in the day.

Interesting stuff Black. IF (like LC, I suppose ) is definitely one 'cockamamy' diet idea that I've decided is a keeper. Particularly the benefits of exercising fasted. Who would have thought? We have been so indoctrinated to believe that immediate pre or post fed exercise was more effective.

Well, the scale was very cooperative today. I hope that I lose more before my next TOM. Plus, I am eating well. I am not eating more than 2-3 meals a day and I am not hungry.I feel like I am digesting more completely ( sp?) I don't feel any insulin spikes. I am a very healthy eater and I am sure that helps me to be a successful faster.

I am going to try for 16 hours tomorrow. We shall see.

This is such a learning process. I am determined to understand my body and the hiuman body in general. Oh, if I had the stamina, and the money, I would go to med school. I believe our brains are our best medicine. Read and be willing to learn and make the adjustments.

I did not understand what fasting was. I only knew it as not eating for a day. I couldn't conceive it as being a healthy part of living. There was a thread about 6 months ago that asked if it were possible to gain on Atkins, indeed it is. I am proof that you can gain weight on low carb food. As we get older, food becomes tastier. I found myself eating 4 meals a day. The mindset that you should eat if you are hungry is probably what causes many to "fall off the wagon". I love my low carb food. I love the healthiness and the wholeness about it.I have to be able to be in control of my diet without abandonning it and without it controlling me. I turned fifty this year and I can tell you that the body I am living in now, is not the body I lived in 15 years ago. It is like every 15 or 20 years you become someone different. I am now getting to know the stranger that lives within me.

I'm proof too, Black. I over-enjoyed the dairy foods on Atkins. I've done a lot better since giving them up.