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BACKGROUND
I am forwarding this info to you, as it is new to me but seems to be working. I first heard Dr Fung talking with Dennis Prager on KABC 790 am in December 2018. I found his take on diabetes interesting, I hadn’t heard of intermittent pasting as part of treating diabetes or weight loss really, and I thought of “fasting” as more of a religious kinda thing that I’d heard about in the Christian church years ago.
Being a standard issue, one each, Mexican-American, brown in color, I immediately dismissed any thought of NOT having 3 meals per day with all food groups represented, for gods sakes! However, during our last vacation in France & Spain in 9/2018, I found that I lost approx. 5 pounds.
VACATION IN EUROPE 2018
I knew we were eating well in both countries, but we were walking 3-8 miles per day sightseeing. We ate whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. In Europe dinner is a 3-hour ordeal which includes, charcuterie, a meal, bread, dessert and wine. Lots of wine
Breakfast, however, is generally croissants, yogurt or pastry with coffee. Lunch, if we had time was usually a snack of some kind while we were on vacation. So, basically, we were skipping breakfast and lunch in the traditional American sense and eating well for dinner, walking 3-10 miles per day for 14 days and Patricia and I both lost weight. I think I lost more because I was carrying more!
BACK IN AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL!
I went to see my doc in early 10/2018, just after we returned from vacation to find that I weighed 206# with A1C 6.2 and all my numbers where they need to be. The Nurse Practicioner asked me what I was doing to control my weight and I told her my vacation story. She told me to keep doing what Im doing.
Note 1: However, by the end of the year (and after the holidays) I was back up to 210# even though we were still walking, although not as many miles as when we were on vacation.
I didn’t really understand what was happening in my body but I thought it was simply the walking; “must be the cardio," I thought! I told Patricia that I planned to continue our walking regimen in the evening with she and Randa, but that we would try to hit 2 miles per day during the week and more on weekends.
We’ve been doing that since 10/2018 upon return from vacation and I found that I after the holidays I plateaued at my post-vacation weight 210#’s. Coming from police academy & military training background, I thought, I must train harder to make more weight loss gains! No pain, no gain! Run, Forrest, run! But I was wrong!
Before vacation I was eating;
• 0700 hrs - whole grain bread and cold cereal for breakfast
• 1030 hrs - piece of cake for break w/coffee
• 1300-1400 hrs - A sandwich w/chips for lunch
• 1700 hrs - mixed nuts on my way home
• 1900 hrs - dinner with Patricia after our evening walk with Randa.
Note 2: This is exactly why my weight plateaued at 210#’s, I was burning new fuel (food) continuously and not giving my body a chance to burn it all before I put more food in my system. This prevented my body from burning stored fat, hence, the plateau. What I understand now is that there should be at least 18 hrs btwn my last meal and the time I “break-my-fast” or, have my next meal.
Gil Starts Intermittent Fasting
Then, in January 2019, I heard Dr Fung on the radio again. I looked him up on YouTube and found the answers I was seeking. I found the key to reversing diabetes is weight loss, not blood sugar control.
While sugar intake control is critical to controlling blood sugar levels, Dr. Fung asserts the key to treating & reversing diabetes is weight loss using intermittent fasting, which is what we were kinda doing by accident while on vacation.
Dr. Fung also asserts that current medical treatment of diabetes patients is based on old theory which sought to control blood sugar with medication. And, while most doctors will refer their patients to a nutritionist, doctors have little training or experience in weight loss and control and still believe and advocate diet & exercise as the way to go.
January 15, 2019, I decided to try intermittent fasting by eating one meal per day, which I have chosen to be dinner. Patricia and I generally eat together after our walk with Randa usually around 7 pm.
So, on January 15, 2019, I changed my eating program to this; if Patricia and I eat dinner at 7 pm together, my next full meal will be 7 pm the next day.
· 0700 hrs - Morning started with no breakfast (black only coffee)
· 1030 hrs - Snack (piece of cake)
· 1400 hrs - Yogurt
· 1700 hrs Mixed nuts on the way home
· 1900 hrs - Dinner with Patricia My Love!
Note 3: In my first week of doing this I lost 5 pounds by cutting out breakfast & lunch
Note 4: However, the snack & yogurt was too much sugar
My Body Reacts
I’ll tell you, the first week I decided to only eat one full meal per day, my body got scared and started to react! My body said, “hey mother*kr, what the hell are you doing, feed me?!"
But, I exerted control over my thoughts and my body settled down. I am adjusting to my new food reality and trying to have it make as small an impact on mine and Patricia’s life as possible because she is not diabetic. And, it seems to be working.
I have found that eating differently made my body try to fight back to regain its old weight. At times I felt a little shaky, sometimes I felt light headed, but after a week, my body finally began to settle down and I can go 18-20 hours btwn meals. This is critical to the weight loss.
By February 16, 2019, I lost 10#’s and could really see the difference btwn my vacation photos above and a February 2019 photo of me and my son Chris & grandson Tyler at Ty’s high school graduation dinner.
My Body Plateau’s…Again...
March 1, 2019 Eating Pattern
Started this eating pattern on March 1, 2019 because I had plateau’d from February 16 through March 1.
All Weekday Mornings
· 0700 hours – up and out of the house by 0730 hrs
· Black coffee as I drive to work
· Decaf Green Tea & water the rest of the day
Monday Wednesday Friday
Black coffee Black coffee Black coffee
Decaf green tea Decaf green tea Decaf green tea
and water and water and water
· 1700 hrs – break-fast: mixed nuts on the way home
· 1900 hrs – dinner with Patricia! Whatever we want!
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Tuesday Thursday
Black coffee Black coffee
Decaf green tea Decaf green tea
and water and water
· 1500 hrs: break-fast low carb salad no dressing. Oil/lemon juice only
· 1700 hrs: mixed nuts on the way home
· 1900 hrs – dinner with Patricia! Whatever we want!
JULY 2019 Eating Pattern
WEEKEND FOOD & CARDIO SCHEDULE
Saturday
· 0930 hrs - go out to breakfast to our favorite spot!
· No lunch
· 1400’ish - Afternoon snacks: tortilla chips/ a cookie/jalapeno potato chips (I know, so sue me!)
· 1800’ish – 3 mile walk with Randa
· 1900 hours – go out for dinner – whatever we want
Sunday
· 0930 hrs – I cook breakfast at home. Bacon, eggs, potato’s & toast
· No lunch
· 1400’sh - Afternoon snacks
· 1800’ish – 3 mile walk with Randa
· 1900’ish - Patricia cooks dinner at home – whatever we want
CURRENT WEEKDAY FOOD & CARDIO SCHEDULE
Monday - Wednesday – Friday
0700 hrs – no breakfast – black coffee enroute to work
1700 hrs – break-fast with mixed nuts on my way home
1800 hrs – walk with Randa
1900 hrs – dinner with Patricia My Love! (whatever we want)
Tuesday – Thursday
0700 hrs – no breakfast – black coffee enroute to work
1700 hrs – mixed nuts on my way home
1800 hrs – walk with Randa
1900 hrs – dinner with Patricia My Love! (whatever we want)
SUMMARY
On January 15, 2019, I had originally set a goal of 181# at 17% body fat which is what I weighed when I graduated from the police academy in 1985. I reached that goal in May 2019 and have continued to lose 1-2#’s per week.
I lost a lot of weight initially as my body adjusted to intermittent fasting and now my body has settled down, I feel great, and I continue to lose weight. Once I get to my goal weight of 170#’s I will reassess my eating pattern and make necessary adjustments to maintain the weight.
UPDATE: In March 2020 I was 175# at 23% body fat. I had surgery in June 2020 and I have had to retsrat my OMAD and bike riding routine as my gym is closed!
I know this is probably more info than you wanted, but I thought it was important to explain how it all happened and why it continues to work.
My A1C has gone from 9.4 to 5.7. Im including a couple links for you to watch and I have ordered Dr Fung’s book from Amazon. Let me know what you think of this and happy eating!