intermittent fasting | Donna Reish

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #31: What I Already Know

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I present ten things that I know for sure! (And I encourage you to consider what you already know for sure as well!)

We know more than we think we know!

This is what I tell my sixty kindergarten through twelfth grade students every day! It is only in realizing what we know that we can see how that information can help us. And so it is with weight management, health, fitness….all of it.

In this episode, I discuss ten things that I know for sure—and elaborate on how these things are helping me reach my goals.

Here are a few of them!

1) I know for sure that when I have sugar more than a couple times a week, my eating is way harder to control.

2) I know for sure that when I fast under seventeen hours, I have too many eating hours.

3) I know for sure that I can’t beat myself up down to my goal weight. (See Think Feel Eat #2 and #3 for details on this one!)

4) I know for sure that my Thoughts cause my Feelings….and my Actions are based on those Feelings. Bottom line: Control my Thoughts, control my Actions! (See Think-Feel-Eat #1 for details on this one!)

5) I know for sure that I can’t outrun a fork. It takes unbelievable amounts of exercise to counteract overeating.

6) I know for sure that I only lose weight by eating less food than my body size currently needs/eating the amount of food that is closer to my goal weight. Period. How I make this happen is still somewhat unknown as I get closer to goal (the exact protocol that makes this happen consistently).

Let’s know what we already know…and use it. Let’s learn more so that we can reach our goals!

Join the Drop 8 Pounds by Christmas challenge today—we start on October 1st!

a. Join at the blog to get all of the email updates and training

b. Join the FB group!

Watch the short info video here

Find all of my episodes, outlines, and articles for my two weekly broadcasts:

(1) Weight Loss Lifestyle broadcast (formerly Donna’s Intermittent Fasting Broadcast)

(2) Think-Feel-Eat broadcast

Sign up for my free webinar: https://intermittentfastingwebinar.com

Think Feel Eat Outline 31 What I Already Know

A. Things I Already Know for Sure!

I know for sure that when I have sugar more than a couple times a week, my eating is way harder to control.
I know for sure that when I fast under seventeen hours, I have too many eating hours.
I know for sure that I can’t beat myself up down to my goal weight. (See Think Feel Eat #2 and #3 for details on this one!)
I know for sure that my Thoughts cause my Feelings….and my Actions are based on those Feelings. Bottom line: Control my Thoughts, control my Actions! (See Think-Feel-Eat #1 for details on this one!)
I know for sure that I can’t outrun a fork. It takes unbelievable amounts of exercise to counteract overeating.
I know for sure that I only lose weight by eating less food than my body size currently needs/eating the amount of food that is closer to my goal weight. Period. How I make this happen is still somewhat unknown as I get closer to goal (the exact protocol that makes this happen consistently).
I know for sure that 80/20 eating only works when it is REAL and measured (not estimated). (See Think-Feel-Eat #15 for more on this!)
I know for sure what it takes to maintain my 100 pound loss from the last decade. I’ve been doing it for months—it isn’t easy, but I know how to do it!
I know for sure that certain foods trigger me to overeat. I know what these are.
I know for sure that when I plan my food ahead of time each day, I am more likely to stay on it!

B. NEW! Free Weight Loss Challenge Group! Starting October 1^st!

1. Drop 8 Pounds by Christmas!

2. Continual trainings!

a. Weekly formal videos sent via email

b. Live Q and A Sessions in the FB group

c. Pop up video trainings in the FB group

d. Weight loss coaching

e. Tools, tricks, and more!

f. Help with emotional eating

g. Thought work- Think-Feel-Eat!

h. Accountability threads in the FB group

3. Join today—we start on October 1^st!

a. Join at the blog to get all of the email updates and trainings

b. Join the FB group!

4. IF Course for October! Starts October 6th! Intermittentfastingcourse.com

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #29: Over-Hunger vs. Over-Desire Part I (of II)

by Donna Reish

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I present the first of two episodes about Over-Hunger and Over-Desire.

Most of us who have battled with excess weight our entire lives understand that eating too much leads to being overweight. What we often do not fully understand is what causes us to overeat. (I’ve described many aspects of what causes us to overeat in TFE episodes found at donnareish.com/perfectstorm)

There are two over-arching causes of over-eating: over-hunger and over-desire. We often get the two confused, and we often think they are one in the same.

In this two part series, I explain the differences and similarities of the two—and how we can take some steps to counteract both of them.

In this episode, I focus primarily on over-hunger (after a brief introduction to both of them).

Over-hunger is any time we experience hunger that causes us to exceed the amount of food our bodies need at our current weight. (Or when we can’t control our hunger while we are attempting to eat at a lower weight/goal weight.)

Hunger is controlled, in large part, by a hormone called ghrelin. I describe what ghrelin is, how is released, its part in our hunger (and somewhat in satiety), and more.

Then I move into ways we can counteract hunger. There is a long list of these, but one of these is Intermittent Fasting. I describe how we can actually train hunger through a daily time of no food at all and a shorter time in which we eat.

Join me next week as we look at over-desire—and then we learn the things that affect both of these (since there are some overlapping elements).

Think Feel Eat #29: Over-Hunger vs. Over-Desire (I of II)

I. Over-hunger vs Over-desire

A. Differences

1. Over-hunger is when we have true stomach hunger—the “growling ghrelin gremlins” are telling us our food is low. (See later.)

a. At end of our fast

b. When we eat a small amount when we open our eating window and then have hunger soon after.

c. When we haven’t regulated hunger during the fast yet.

d. When we haven’t figured out our best fasting time and we can’t sleep at night because of hunger.

2. Over-desire is when we desire food, often without hunger and usually certain types of food.

a. Has nothing to do with hunger.

b. Can eat these desired foods even if we are full.

c. Usually created by giving in to cravings so frequently or by not controlling seductive foods.

d. Not as affected by fasting as hunger is.

3. Each one affects a different part

a. Over-hunger is affected by satiation—when we are not sated or satiated (i.e. full), we can have more hunger

b. Over-desire is affected by satisfaction—when we are not satisfied with our food choices, we have more desire for certain foods

B. Similarities

1. They both cause the same final outcome: over-eating resulting in weight gain.

2. They can both be controlled quite a bit through strategic actions. (See The Perfect Storm of Weight Loss!)

II. Over-Hunger

A. Growling Ghrelin Gremlins

1. What is Ghrelin?

a. Hormone produced in/released from the gut (and also in smaller amounts from the pancreas and brain)

b. It controls appetite!

c. When stomach is empty, ghrelin is released to tell you that you are hungry

d. Stomach growling is associated with ghrelin

e. Also has roles in growth hormones, insulin secretion, GI motility, blood pressure, and more

2. When is it released?

a. Low blood sugar, low weight (i.e. needing to gain weight), and fasting (or long time since last meal) all cause ghrelin to be released

b. Stomach distension—or food in the stomach—can cause ghrelin to NOT be released

c. Sometimes ghrelin overrides stomach distension!

d. Rises before meals and falls after meals

e. Very sensitive to food intake, so it is increased with dieting

f. Also released in response to stress—which is why people overeat when stressed (and can become a vicious cycle that is hard to stop)

g. Released at typical meal times—clock hunger

h. Released about three hours after last meal (waves of hunger)

i. Not released more and more as time goes on

j. Ghrelin is low in the mornings, so fasting will likely be easier in the mornings than the evenings

B. How can we control hunger?

1. Water—fill that stomach up!

2. Sparkling water/carbonation—bubbles trick ghrelin into thinking we are putting food in it (some have opposite effect with sparkling water)

3. Stomach distensibility—as we shrink our stomach, it will be smaller and less ghrelin will be released

4. Fill stomach with the recommended 6 cups of veggies at or near the beginning of eating window! 3 F’s—fluidy, fluffy, and fibrous

5. Don’t overly restrict calories (increases ghrelin automatically)

6. Eat more fiber (again, filling up the stomach)

7. Eat more protein—research shows it is a satiating macro, empties from stomach over longer period of time, and prolongs feelings of fullness

8. HIIT exercises help manage it

9. Exercise fasted—shown to regulate appetite more than later in the day

10. Sleep—seriously, it helps all hormones level out! 7-9 hours is a good number to shoot for

11. Reduce or control stress (mediation, prayer, journaling, yoga)

12. Eat more real foods—feedback to ghrelin doesn’t work as well with processed foods

13. Since it comes in waves that last about ten minutes, you can time them and watch them disappear with the time!

14. Fast!

i. Eventually, you will solve the hunger problem for at least 15-18 hours a day!

ii. You won’t need to use willpower for hunger!

15. Over-hunger and macro-nutrients+

i. Protein most satiating macronutrient

ii. Fat next to the most

iii. Carbs least—but quick energy

C. Steps

1. Intermittent Fasting Course—first Monday of each month; use code SAVE20 to get $20 off– see you in September!

2. Private online coaching

3. Perfect Storm of Weight Loss

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #28: Eight Fasting Experts on What Breaks a Fast

by Donna Reish

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I present some much-needed information on what “breaks the fast”—from eight fasting experts I studied, watched, and listened to.

In lieu of an outline for this episode, I have created a chart that shows what the eight fasting experts that I have studied say about breaking the fast. This is a special episode that I did for my free private FB group and decided it was so needed that I put it into my Think-Feel-Eat episodes for you!

The chart is extremely helpful and thorough (I hope you will print it and study it and follow along with the episode!). But here are some super important points about this topic:

1) All 8 experts say that at the very least an oil (even if it is just CBD oil, which has calories and is a fat) can be consumed, at least in small quantities, during the fasting time. (One says only CBD oil—no other oils?)

2) The research for “breaking the fast” is sketch at best. I have taught about this many places. (Here is one: https://donnareish.com/logical-fallacies-broadcast-54/ ) As a teacher and former high school debate coach, I can’t let this go unmentioned. We have to learn how to discern small, self-reported, short studies from more reliable and robust research! A study that says when sucralose is injected into a mouse’s stomach, this happens, can’t automatically be applied to a person drinking a sweetened drink. (And I do fast pretty clean myself!)

3) The best experts to listen to in this episode are the ones who tell what results you are after through fasting. Period. If you are after weight loss, different things interrupt the fast than if you are after cell rejuvenation/autophagy. It really isn’t accurate to even say “this breaks the fast” without saying “when you are going for…..”

I want so many good things for you! Intermittent fasting has changed our lives. I can’t imagine my husband 120 pounds bigger than he is today (how much he has lost) if I had told him that he couldn’t lose weight or wasn’t really fasting if he continued to drink a non-caloric, sweet-tasting drink during his fast. It breaks my heart that people are giving up on fasting because zealots in FB groups tell them they aren’t really fasting if they have this or that in their coffee! (This all has no bearing on me—diet drinks make me want to eat, and I don’t like coffee!) There are very few fasting experts who say black coffee, plain tea, and water only in the fasting window—surprisingly enough!

So listen and learn what different experts say about consuming drinks during the fast. Very eye opening!

(Don’t forget to get your chart here!)

Blessings!
Donna

P.S. Take my incremental, month-long fasting course to get your fasting on strong! We’ve been at it for 18 and 12 months each—and have lost a LOT of weight and feel great! Intermittentfastingcourse.com

Find all of my episodes, outlines, and articles for my two weekly broadcasts:

(1) Weight Loss Lifestyle broadcast (formerly Donna’s Intermittent Fasting Broadcast)

(2) Think-Feel-Eat broadcast at

Sign up for my free webinar: https://intermittentfastingwebinar.com

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #25: Self-Sabotage in Weight Loss Part I (of II)

by Donna Reish

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I shed some light on that common term, self-sabotage. In weight loss terms, this is used to say that we thwart our own efforts at losing weight.

But what does it mean? Is it helpful to use that term? (Language Arts Lady says that words and thoughts DO matter!)

I start out defining self-sabotage then explaining what the term really is—a euphemism for little quits, giving up, giving in, choosing something besides our goals in that moment, etc.

Euphemisms are words that help soften the reality of that moment. They are helpful for us in dealing with crises, loss, and more—and should be used in those instances. However, when it comes to what we call deviations from our plan, euphemisms are not very helpful.

We would do a lot less self-sabotaging if we called our deviations what they really are—going off plan or choosing a food in the moment rather than our long term goals during that moment. AND extending grace to ourselves as we do it (as opposed to “beating ourselves up” for our deviations).

Next I move into what “self-sabotages” start with—a Thought. They start with a Thought such as “this won’t matter” or “a bite won’t hurt” or “I’ll start Monday.” I teach the importance of capturing that Thought in the moment and how we can replace it with a Pocket Thought (a thought we have prepared ahead of time and store in our “pocket” for a “rainy day”!).

Another anti-self-sabotage tip I teach is that of learning how to “sit with urges” rather than trying to use will-power or white knuckling through them. If we know they are coming, and we are ready for them, we can sit with them more easily. (Find more about this in “10 Ways to Sit With Urges” in Think-Feel-Eat Episode #9.)

Finally, the last two tips have to do with two of my favorite weight loss strategies: Deciding Ahead of Time and Creating a Protocol. (More on both of these can be found at donnareish.com/perfectstorm)

Join me next week in Episode #26 for Part II of the Self-Sabotage two parter—specific food and daily tips to stay on—and stop “obstructing your own weight loss efforts.”

Find all of my episodes, outlines, and articles for my two weekly broadcasts:

(1) Weight Loss Lifestyle broadcast (formerly Donna’s Intermittent Fasting Broadcast)

(2) Think-Feel-Eat broadcast

Sign up for my free webinar: intermittentfastingwebinar.com

Think Feel Eat 25 Self-Sabotage Part I (of II)

A. Definition

1. According to Psychology Today: Behavior is said to be self–sabotagingwhen it creates problems in daily life and interferes with long-standing goals. The most common self–sabotaging behaviors include procrastination, self-medication with drugs or alcohol, comfort eating, and forms of self-injury such as cutting.

2. Language Arts Lady—take it apart

a. Self—me; myself; done by me

b. Sabotage—deliberately destroying, damaging, or obstructing

3. For our purposes, we will call it “when I deliberately (or unknowingly—more on that later) obstruct my weight loss/maintenance or health progress.”

B. Euphemisms in Weight Loss

1. Euphemisms are words we use to soften the blow or lighten the real thing that is happening.

2. We use euphemisms to make something seem or feel less severe than it is

a. Left me or doesn’t want to see me—instead of dumped me

b. Passed on, we lost him—instead of died

3. The problem of doing this with weight loss

a. Makes it seem like it is typical behavior

b. Makes it seem like it isn’t very serious or important

c. Makes it seem commonplace

d. Makes it seem inevitable

e. Makes it seem like it is outside of our control

4. Euphemisms in weight loss that are not serving us

a. Fell off the wagon

b. Got off track

c. X overtook me (cravings, etc.)

d. Lost my willpower

e. I always self-sabotage

f. The cupcakes were calling my name

5. Say exactly what is happening—without beating ourselves up or tearing ourselves down

a. Not I always self-sabotage but instead I always CHOOSE

b. Not I fell off the wagon, but instead I DECIDED

c. Not I lost my willpower, but instead I gave up my goals and did X

d. Not something overtook me, but instead I wanted X more than X

e. State it as a fact—not as a personal defect!

C. Self-Sabotage Starts With a Thought

1. The Thought right before we engage in the behavior that sabotages or obstructs us from our goals

2. This “right before the behavior” thought is the one we need to take hold of and change

3. Ways to end self-sabotage

a. Call it what it is: little quits, giving up, giving in, choosing, deciding, going off plan….use the pronoun I…

b. Work on Thoughts ahead of time

c. Make decisions ahead of time with your pre-frontal cortext

d. Have firm protocol in place so you know when you are going off and what that will look like

e. Have a mechanism in place to end self-sabotaging behaviors before they get out of hand

f. Don’t ever have “screw it” times again—instead plan exactly what you will do in unusual circumstances

g. Use “tricks” to keep you on the protocol you have chosen

D. Ways to End Self-Sabotage (or Ways to End Giving Up!)

1. Call it what it is

a. Little quits, giving up, giving in, choosing, deciding, going off plan

b. Use the pronoun I

c. Don’t use euphemisms

d. Don’t adopt typical diet slang

2. Work on Thoughts ahead of time

a. Obstructing your progress starts with a Thought

b. What is that Thought right before you obstruct your progress?

i. This won’t matter

ii. A bite won’t hurt

iii. I’ll start tomorrow

iv. I’ll start Monday

v. I’m not losing now anyway

vi. Doesn’t matter what I eat—you can lose weight eating anything (true….but can you STOP eating just anything?)

c. Get a Thought or two ready!

i. Every bite DOES matter

ii. I can choose to do something different tomorrow; today is already planned

iii. Starting later has never worked for me

d. Use one of the 10 Tips to Sit With Urges (TFE #9)

3. Make decisions ahead of time with your “adult brain”—pre-frontal cortex

a. This keeps you from having to use willpower to so much (WLL 60 and WLL 61)

b. This allows you to plan the day ahead of time (Get your freebie journal sheet here!)

i. TFE: The One BIG Decision to Make Ahead of Time

ii. TFE: The Daily Decision to Make for Weight Loss

c. This allows you to decide something different on another day. “There’s always tomorrow!” is a helpful thought when you have already decided ahead of time.

4. Have firm protocol in place so you know when you are going off and what that will look like

a. People who are successful at weight loss/maintenance aren’t perfect; they’re just on way more than they are off!

b. 80/20 works—it’s 70/30 or 60/40 that doesn’t work

c. When protocol is firmly in place, it is obvious “I’m going off for this wedding”—or “I’m staying on protocol completely even when we got out for dinner this week”

d. You don’t “fall off a wagon”—there will be no wagon to fall off of…this is your way of life 80% of the time…more often than not…how you live.

E. Next Steps

1. Tools for Self-Sabotaging Behaviors next week! TFE 26!

2. Intermittent Fasting Course—first Monday of each month; use code SAVE20 to get $20 off: intermittentfastingcourse.com

3. Private online coaching

4. Perfect Storm of Weight Loss

Think-Feel-Eat Episode #18: Pick-a-Protocol III (of III)

by Donna Reish

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 220 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I guide viewers and listeners in creating an Eating Protocol that works for them—and that fits into The Perfect Storm of Weight Loss for YOU!
In the first few protocol episodes (13, 14, 15), I taught the Foundations of Creating an Eating Protocol.

In this three-part episode, I teach about six different protocols and how they may or may not work for you—based on the three pillars of The Perfect Storm:

1) Eating Protocol (time, type, amount of food)
2) Hormones, brain chemicals, neurotransmitters
3) Thought and emotional management

Yep—it takes all three of these working in concert with each other to create the Perfect Storm!

In Episode #16 (Part I of Pick-a-Protocol), I taught about the first two of six on the Pick-a-Protocol chart: Keto and Calorie Counting With 80/20 (80% real food).

In Episode #17, I taught the next two popular (and effective) protocol options: Macro-Nutrient Counting and No Flour/No Sugar.

In this episode, I pick up on the next two protocols from the chart: Calories With Low Carb (not Keto) and WW Point System.

I explain how these protocols stack up in a number of ways—and how you can know if they would be good choices for you!

Find all of my episodes, outlines, and articles for my two weekly broadcasts:

(1) Weight Loss Lifestyle broadcast (formerly Donna’s Intermittent Fasting Broadcast)

(2) Think-Feel-Eat broadcasts

Sign up for my free webinar: intermittentfastingwebinar.com