Hi Lyle,

First of all well done on your loss.

What and when do you eat on FDS and what do you have on non FDs? Telling us might help someone to work out what the problem is and what you can do to solve it.

Have you taken a close look at what you are eating?
Cranky on fast days and ravenous on non FDs sounds to me like too many carbs/sugar in your diet.

@lyle. Your set point is mostly governed by the food you eat and your weight. I cant see how spreading the weight loss out over a longer period will achieve what you want it to. Your body is governed by your endocrine system (hormones). The major players in weight control are insulin, ghrelin, leptin and then there is CCk and GLP. Also T3/4 and TSH from the thyroid. There are probably dozens more hormones.

Insulin spikes under the influence of glucose, a little due to protein and virtually no response to fat intake. Insulin directs excess glucose to be absorbed by the cells. When this is not possible because the cells are full (stored as glycogen) then the body directs it to be stored as fat. In the presence of insulin you will not be able to access stored fats. So you want to minimise insulin spiking foods. Most processed foods will spike insulin. Try not to have processed foods.

Ghrelin is your hunger hormone. When you stomach is empty ghrelin production is increased. Ghrelin production is also a learnt response, it goes up 30 minutes before your nominated meal times!! With long term training and eating healthy foods this response is diminished. I almost do not suffer from hunger pangs during my fast days as my body knows it will not be fed every Monday (my water fast day) so I suspect my ghrelin production has greatly ben reduced. Eating foods with lots of fibre means the food intake reaches the small intestines faster. Fibre, protein and fats entering the small intestines releases CCK and GLP which triggers a feeling of satiation. Glucose inhibits the production of CCK and GPL.

Leptin is produced by you adipose cells (fat). If you are overweight the leptin signal should be huge. It tells your brain not to panic if you don’t have a meal as you have lots of spare food available in the form of stored fat. Fructose (which is in everything) inhibits the leptin signal from reaching the brain. So glucose supresses CCK and GLP and fructose inhibits lepton. Double whammy!! As far as your brain is concerned your skinny and starving, and that’s probably not the case.

Short story. If you want to change your set point, eat healthy unprocessed foods. No sugar, no processed grain based foods. Eat veggies with lots of fibre.

For breakfast try 2 boiled eggs, no bread – fewer calories, no carbs & you will likely fell full longer (protein & fat). 2 eggs keeps me satisfied until dinner if I drink lots of water/herbal tea in the afternoon.