Need some help/your thoughts...

[NancyLeeIL]

Hi everyone.

I will try not to make this a novel and get to the point.

I was "doing" JUDDD for awhile and doing well but really struggling with the down days. I had headaches, felt icky. I am a diabetic on Metformin (which is supposed to be ok for JUDDD).

I also was struggling with keeping track of calories on fitness pal. I think what I did was kind of overwhelm myself trying to be "perfect" rather than seeing it As a learning curve. After a lifetime of dieting, JUDDD is definitely a different approach and Just thought, I cant do this right now. But, I'm 5 pounds heavier again and I'm feeling like..."No! You can't give up. There's an answer. You've just got to learn what works for you."

I just read the post of being in a zone of calories on DD. Which make sense. I had also read (before I threw in the towel) about someone who struggled like I did with DD and who would have their days spread out...I.e..she did her days from 12 pm to 12 pm. So that in essence a part of every actual day had a shift.

I've tried not eating at all...and shakes do help somewhat as Dr. J said but I'm struggling with feeling icky and making it work in real life. I understand that many of you have been so successful and I cant be that weird that I can't find ways to manage...I just need others wisdom.

So..any wisdom? How do you guys feel about the 24+ hours way of doing it rather than actual all day all night way? What do you do when it's a DD and hubby wants to order pizza or you have cook for your families? since the "diet" is based on activating the gene...is this affected by when you do the 24/30 hour DD? Do any of you get shaky, feel headachy and tired on DD?

I can't help but believe that JUDDD is the way to go after reading the book..and by a reading other studies. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Peace,
Nancy

[adillenal]

I am not diabetic so my experience probably won't help you at all. I was feeling tired, shaky and headachey on DD's until someone suggested I up my carbs on those days. I now start my DD with oat groats and that has made the difference for me. I had been doing basically all protein and the coconut oil used to cook my morning egg in. I am one of those that does not do well on high protein so take my experience with a grain of salt since we are all so different.

BUT good luck finding your solution since I am a JUDDD believer.

[mykidsteacher]

I got headachy and shaky at first, so had to spread my cals out on my dd's, and keep them around 500. Now, I can fast until lunch with no problem, so it may get better for you over time.

Start out with dd's around 500, but keep 100-200 calories "in reserve" in case you need them. Give yourself permission to have them, but don't use them unless absolutely necessary. Sometimes, just knowing you CAN, frees up your mind so you don't need to. It's definitely ok to start out a bit higher and work your way down.

The counting gets easier once you get a couple weeks logged in ***, because we tend to eat the same things over and over, so your favorites will be saved and you can just click on them, or even save whole meals to use over and over.

I've not used the MUDDD'ing (the 24 hour day) so can't speak to that--maybe someone who has will chime in.

[zipp2play]

I'm like Tina, I have to spread my calories out through the day. I am not able to fast until lunch though as I get too shakey at work and can't think. On the weekends I tend to be able to fast till lunch. I also have very rarely eaten just 500c. Most of my DD's are at 600 and I started at 700c and have worked down from there.

If fitness pal isn't working for you, try something else. There are tons of calorie trackers out there. Find the one that you like. I use livestrong app for my phone. LOVE IT!

[b_lou_who]

If you look at the whole intermittent fasting experience as a process, and make incremental changes you can handle (not what other people can handle) I feel like you might have better success working with your body. We each have health challenges to take into account and that takes time to work out.
I use ********* for food tracking, it is easier for me on pc and phone. Plus you can change the columns of info on the food page to always show you your total sugars, carbs, and protein (the big 3 in my opinion).
Why don't you try a week at a nice maintenance level of down days, then re-evaluate. I have to make miniscule goals for myself. Tiny baby steps.
Breakfast is an absolute MUST for my body. I have extreme insulin resistance. I start just about every day of my life with a cup of unweetened vanilla almond (or coconut) milk with 1 Tbsp organic chia seeds soaked in it, maybe three drops of liquid stevia, and now I am adding 1 Tbsp hemp hearts for more protein. I mix up half-full pint jars a couple times a week and throw them in the fridge to grab for breakfast. It's just over 100cal and will really level out my blood sugar and keep me going all morning, if not well into the afternoon. The energy from the seeds, the good balance of omegas all does good things for my blood and brain chemistry. Some down days that is all I have.

[NoWeigh]

I've been wondering for awhile, how nutrient levels might affect us. I overheard a Dr. Oz show on Monday in which he and another doctor were discussing symptoms very much like you describe in people who are dieting. This is what the guest doctor (Fuhrman) says about it,

"Instead of true hunger, people get detoxification or withdrawal symptoms that they mistakenly consider hunger. They feel shaky, head-achy, weak, fatigue, get abdominal cramps or spasms and other symptoms which they consider manifestations of hunger symptoms because they are relieved by eating. I call this “toxic hunger.” Toxic hunger is the symptoms a person experiences that are due to toxic wastes being mobilized for elimination. It occurs after a meal is digested and the digestive track is empty, and it could make us feel very uncomfortable.

Generally, we eat to get rid of these withdrawal symptoms and it works. In fact, this is one of the most important contributors to our population’s overweight condition. We eat the wrong foods and just a few hours later we feel ill, stressed out, shaky, weak, mentally dull, and we are driven to eat again to relieve the discomfort. Did you ever hear someone saying they needed to eat because they feel so shaky? The question is, are these symptoms “true hunger,” “hypoglycemia” or something else? I claim that these symptoms occur simultaneous to our blood sugar decreasing but they are not caused by “hypoglycemia.” Rather, they result from sensitivity to mobilization of waste products which is enhanced when most active digestion is finished.

When we eat a nutrient-dense diet, rich with lots of colorful vegetables, we will better meet the nutrient needs of our body and reduce free radicals and other toxins that build up in our tissues from a diet of poor quality. When we have a lower level of waste on our tissues as a result of micronutrient adequacy people no longer feel those (withdrawal) symptoms of “toxic hunger” leading to overeating behavior."

I've been wondering for awhile now if being in a nutrient-deficient state can contribute to weight-loss stalls or plateaus.

[vilanteira]

Just to offer another possibility (but sort of similar to what you mentioned, NoWeigh), at the beginning I used to get shaky and headachy on DDs when I tried to fast as long as possible before eating, and it turned out to be electrolyte imbalance (potassium and magnesium in particular, but sodium as well--I have low bp). My first attempt to fix it was to drink V8 around lunchtime on DDs and that helped a lot, but nowadays I like to fast until dinnertime on DDs so I just make sure my meals on UDs are as nutrient dense in vitamins and minerals as possible, and if I still feel headachy on the rare DD, I toss an electrolye packet into my water. Shakes and headaches go away very soon after.

But there are a lot of reasons for shakiness and headaches on DDs. Could be related to blood sugar, blood pressure, or any other issues particular to one's body and health situation, so you may have to try different approaches to figure out what works for you. Good luck and please don't hesitate to come here for support!

[vanilla_latte]

Originally Posted by mykidsteacher

Start out with dd's around 500, but keep 100-200 calories "in reserve" in case you need them. Give yourself permission to have them, but don't use them unless absolutely necessary. Sometimes, just knowing you CAN, frees up your mind so you don't need to. It's definitely ok to start out a bit higher and work your way down.

Exactly what I was going to post. Start out with a higher calorie DD and work your way down. Once that Sirt gene kicks in you'll be surprised at how relatively easy DD's can be - 95% of the time.

[piratejenny]

Hi there--I am diabetic on Metformin, too, and I'm the one who posted about 24-hr "shifts". I will try to pm you about that later...my son needs the computer for homework soon.

What has really helped me lately is L-Glutamine. It helps with glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. I have found since I started taking it that I can go longer periods without eating, and even when my BG is low (for me...normal for non-diabetics lol), I don't feel weak or terrible.

What do you do when it's a DD and hubby wants to order pizza

Try to get DH on board, and ask him not to get pizza on DDs!
Or, only eat the toppings (pizza bad for us diabetics!!!). Or, eat a big salad and only one piece of pizza. Or, save your portion for your lunch (or breakfast!) the next day.

or you have to cook for your families?

Fast all day and only eat dinner (if you can work up to fasting).
Or, try to eat a small serving/lower-fat version of whatever you're serving the family.
Or, make something simple that they can add butter/cheese/sauce to while you eat it in a lower-calorie way.
For example:
--Tacos. Don't use the shells, make yourself a taco salad, skip the sour cream, cheese, guacamole (or use low-fat versions, or smaller amounts) and have lots of salsa as your dressing.
--Make steak/fish/chicken & steamed veggies & baked potatoes. Have a different sauce/no butter with your food.

And I'm usually not a tough love person, but:
DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF.
This isn't a punishment...you are doing something GOOD for your health!!!
And, whatever it is, you can (probably) eat it the next day--if it's ok for diabetics!!!

I take magnesium & potassium a couple times a day (for blood pressure and other issues, but I think it helps with generally-not-feeling-crappy).
When I feel "out of it", I take 1/8-1/4tsp unrefined sea salt--either in water or lemonade, or dissolved on the tongue and followed by a glass of water.

If you are dehydrated, salt will help the water get into and stay in the cells where it is needed.

[Kissa]

PJ

[piratejenny]

I meant to say--TRY not to feel sorry for yourself!
I know from experience that it makes DDs much, much more difficult, especially when you have diabetes & everybody is talking about how they're getting through their DDs by knowing they can have cupcakes, pasta, etc tomorrow.

I hope you can find a way to feel healthy & strong on your DDs (subliminal message: l-glutamine....l-glutamine....l-glutamine.... ) Most people struggle with hunger, but you shouldn't feel ill.

Also, how much metformin do you take? I just remembered, I've tried JUDDD both with and without it, and it definitely made DDs more difficult for me. It's not *supposed* to cause hypoglycemia, but maybe sometimes it does. I took a break from JUDDD (did Fast5), started JUDDD again but stopped taking metformin for 2 weeks, and now I take 750mg (half my former dose). I get certain benefits without the side effects at this dose. YMMV, talk to your doctor!

[rosehip]

PirateJenny

I also had DD headaches this week - it felt like sinus headaches for me and I was VERY irritable. Anyway, electrolyte imbalance was the cause - as soon as I took a potassium pill, no more headache and feeling great.

Regarding meals - I usually plan DD meals as something I can bulk up for my BF. For example, grilled chicken and veggies + garlic bread or a baked potato for him; Shrimp and veggie stir fry with rice for him, and also I second the suggestion to turn your version of the meal into a salad - yum!

[Muffabuff]

The only advice that I can offer is for you to do as I do. Explain to you DH that he is not allowed to order a pizza on your DD.

[Spank'd]

I would suggest throwing a bottle of Powerade Zero down for the first drink of the day.

Then, depending on how you tolerate it and what your carb needs are, a protein drink to start off. I use Isopure Zero Carb, and only half the dosage (supposed to be 2 scoops, I use 1), which is a bit over 100 calories. It's filling, and tasty. But it's expensive and hard to find unless you order it online.

I am also not a diabetic, but do get some major league migraines. Sometimes the electrolytes help. Sometimes not, but I use the Powerade Zero to keep my those things balanced, because drinking all that water will flush out some of the good stuff too.

Regarding pizza, I can have just about anything in the house or cook a special meal, as long as I don't start while I'm hungry. Then I put a piece aside for myself, for "tomorrow".