What Did We Learn From the Data-Driven Fasting 30-Day Challenge?

I learned why prolonged fasting stopped working.  My body enjoys protein and I am following my own plan according to my BG.  I have a long way to go, but glad I started.  (Faith)

I learned I can’t just eat something constantly, that I needed to eat a lot more protein than I was eating, and that how much control I can have of the process of improving my body/health is most important!  (Cathy)

I feel like I have learned a lot.  Just this week, I learned that in order to eat more than one meal a day I need to keep my portion sizes way smaller than I would like to.  (Cindy)

I learned I need to prioritise my first meal in the morning to see good blood sugar control and feel good all day.  I learned that my blood sugar is a lot higher the final week before my period.  Finally, I learned that if I have had a hard CrossFit workout, I am not going to reach my trigger – and that is okay.  (Oddný)

I learned to listen to my hunger signals, so I avoid overeating – Lizard brain!  I learned how freeing it was not to have a midday meal and know I was not cheating my body of nutrition.  I’ll be even better after the Masterclass!  And sadly, I learned that tomatoes have some fat nutrients in them – my garden is just madly producing them at the moment!  (Cindy)

I’ve learned that heat affects my blood glucose drastically.  I’ve learned the physical symptom of a dull headache I experience sometimes and used to relate to my blood pressure becoming elevated–even though I haven’t had high blood pressure for over 8 years–is a sign that my blood glucose is running higher than average after a meal.  But it’s the same dull headache I used to experience on days when my blood pressure was elevated!  (Terri)

I learned that it’s not always when I feel hungry that I should eat.  I can always wait till when my glucose fuel tank is empty.  (Lilian)

I JUST learned to eat my main meal early.  Like breakfast early.  It also must be protein-dense.  Then, boom, trigger at dinner with the hubs and all the good stuff.  Repeat.  Looking forward to the next challenge.  (Allison)

I learned that you don’t have to eat three meals every day.  Eat only when you are hungry, below your trigger (or close to it).  Also, protein is more important than I realised.  (Johnny)

It’s been fascinating to note how stress can elevate my BG.  I’ve begun learning about optimising my intake, and I’ve had so much more energy.  (Theresa)

Fats really affect my blood glucose – it drags it out.  My body seems to respond better to low fat.  High protein 40%+ is definitely the way for me to go!  I feel like I have control over things now and it’s less guesswork.

I’ve learned that stress, sleep, heat, and exercise seriously do my affect BG.  I don’t worry about testing around exercise and just eat to perform and have a recovery meal.  I made progress in ways I never thought I would.  I am the leanest I have ever been in my life and I’m so excited for what’s to come!  I’ve lost 8.5 lbs. since starting DDF.  (Holly)

Intermittent fasting really worked well for me and I dropped 50 lbs in about 6 months.  But maintenance was much harder.   I realise now that I was stuck in a little bit of magical thinking – if I just found that perfect window or fasted in just the right way then I would remain at my new and proper weight.  Now after Data-Driven Fasting Challenge and one Masterclass, I feel empowered by nutritional knowledge and understanding.  I know what foods make me feel healthy and vibrant.  I know if I choose to indulge in some carbs + fat that I will need to fast a little longer and wait for my BG to drop because I have plenty of fuel onboard already.  I know the difference between real hunger and boredom.  I know just how much food I need to eat to be satisfied.  It is so very simple and that is profound and amazing.  (Denise)

I learned my body likes to eat way more protein and way less fat!  I also learned my body prefers a larger lunch (below trigger) and a lighter dinner.   I’ve been sleeping way better with a lot less acid reflux/GERD.  (Loreta)

While I was eating okay, it wasn’t optimal for my body or my BG.  Slowly making changes and feeling a ton better!  (Angie)

I have learned that you can do it ALL right and still not lose weight.  I thought for years that if I ate whole vs processed foods, counted macros, could find a way to measure my BG as an individual and keep it in a normal range that there would have to be weight loss – not necessarily!!  This has helped me know how to track my BG with the DDF.  So, there is another piece to the puzzle.  (Karen)

That my Sunday brewery outings affect my BG for DAYS, especially because……pizza with the craft beer! But now I know and can adjust.  (Michelle)

I have learned so much!

• You can have major metabolic issues and not see them externally.
• The “healthy” foods and diet one follows may be negatively impacting metabolic health.
• Eating 6x per day does not “fire up your metabolism”. 
• Everyone’s different.  (Jeanette)

During these 30 days, I figured out how to go from OMAD to something more like TMAD.  I have learned how empowered I feel, knowing that I can have more control over my blood glucose simply by paying attention to when I eat.  I have learned that all those “healthy” snacks that I thought I needed are not required.  I have also learned what a big help hydration is for me.  (Jona)

I didn’t realise just how my late-night eating was affecting me.  Setting a time to end eating has been hard because I often am awake very late, but my waking BG has been great this week (for me in the low 90s).  I am learning what foods cause my BG to stay high longer and which ones help bring it back to normal.  (Jen)

I have learned how vital protein is to my first meal of the day, especially if I want to eat again.  I don’t need to snack.  I’ve also discovered how little I need to eat in one day.  (Elizabeth)

I have learned it is possible to arrest weight creep, which I thought I was doomed to accept.  (Carolyn)

I’m learning so much but have so much more to learn!  I feel I’ve just scratched the surface.  I’ve learned I can eat more variety of things than I thought I could.  My blood glucose is the best indicator of when to eat and how foods affect me.  It’s up to me, not a “diet” plan.  I can choose health – I just have to use the data!  (Christie)

My body was not metabolically healthy.  Seeing the blood glucose numbers slowly decrease while visualising fuel storages ‘emptying’ helped me better connect the pieces.  I hated having to add more protein.  But hallelujah, I’m down 10 pounds, and it’s working!!  #theprickdiet (Alese)

I’ve learned that if I’m trying to implement too many or very drastic changes, it’s hard to get into a good routine, and if my routine is broken, I tend to lose focus and momentum.  I also learned that knowing & doing are VERY different things.  I need to follow the program and analyse how I feel after each meal to inform my food choices moving forward.  (Kristen)