Intermittent Fasting Strategies / Better Nutrition for United Inflight?
Apr 17, 2019, 9:52 pm
#1
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Intermittent Fasting Strategies / Better Nutrition for United Inflight?
Most ex-USA flights have lousy tasting and overly salty food. I find Ex-Asia catering has better tasting and less salty food. There is separate thread on nutrition value of airline food, and many opinions of eat or don’t eat airline food.
As I fly so much over the years, I have suffered nutritionally from bad airline food. For weight control and healthier diet, I now try to eat better at restaurants before-after flight, and have begun intermittent fasting inflight. I have done this on many midcons and 5hr transcons, to a few times 13hr ex-USA transpacific flights. This week I struggled for first time to achieve the 16/8hr intermittent fasting goal on sfo-Singapore flight, but the tasty Singapore food upon arrival really helped me get through.
Anyone out there with similar experience?
As I fly so much over the years, I have suffered nutritionally from bad airline food. For weight control and healthier diet, I now try to eat better at restaurants before-after flight, and have begun intermittent fasting inflight. I have done this on many midcons and 5hr transcons, to a few times 13hr ex-USA transpacific flights. This week I struggled for first time to achieve the 16/8hr intermittent fasting goal on sfo-Singapore flight, but the tasty Singapore food upon arrival really helped me get through.
Anyone out there with similar experience?
Apr 17, 2019, 10:04 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Fan of IF. Did a 38-day water fast last year and am closing in on being ~100lbs less than when I started about nine months ago and just finished a 48hr fast a few hours ago. Good stuff. ^
Depending on how long a fast I'm doing I'll back into what, if any, food I'll eat onboard. If I am eating onboard my preference is to either pick up veggies or legumes (e.g. beans) from a restaurant at the airport. Yankee Pier + Priority Pass is a good example of this and the last time I flew to HKG ex SFO I had two sides of black beans, two sides of spinach, and one side of their Brussels sprouts. If I'm fasting I'll aim to take Keto drops or SnakeJuice concentrate with me and mix it in with a bottle of water post-security.
Another useful trick is to request vegan/raw-veg special meals. Generally, it's just a pile of veggies or something similar and is a welcome change to the normal fare UA passes off - again assuming you're eating.
Domestically it's the same. If I'm hungry in flight I'll opt for the Tapas, eat the almonds/humas/craker things and then give the rest to the crew. If not, I'll just stick to my water + electrolytes.
Depending on how long a fast I'm doing I'll back into what, if any, food I'll eat onboard. If I am eating onboard my preference is to either pick up veggies or legumes (e.g. beans) from a restaurant at the airport. Yankee Pier + Priority Pass is a good example of this and the last time I flew to HKG ex SFO I had two sides of black beans, two sides of spinach, and one side of their Brussels sprouts. If I'm fasting I'll aim to take Keto drops or SnakeJuice concentrate with me and mix it in with a bottle of water post-security.
Another useful trick is to request vegan/raw-veg special meals. Generally, it's just a pile of veggies or something similar and is a welcome change to the normal fare UA passes off - again assuming you're eating.
Domestically it's the same. If I'm hungry in flight I'll opt for the Tapas, eat the almonds/humas/craker things and then give the rest to the crew. If not, I'll just stick to my water + electrolytes.
Apr 17, 2019, 10:35 pm
#3
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Apr 18, 2019, 6:38 am
#4
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Sorry, I'm not familiar with this. You went 38-days withing drinking any water and 48hrs without eating any food? How did you survive that long without becoming dehydrated and under nourished? Also, doesn't that make it really easy to over-eat afterwards and gain back the weight?
Apr 18, 2019, 6:56 am
#5
Join Date: May 2010
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Sorry, I'm not familiar with this. You went 38-days withing drinking any water and 48hrs without eating any food? How did you survive that long without becoming dehydrated and under nourished? Also, doesn't that make it really easy to over-eat afterwards and gain back the weight?
Apr 18, 2019, 8:06 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Found several things:
1. I kicked a food addiction and rebalanced how I view eating (my big - no pun intended - problem was what I wanted to eat was not what I should be eating. The long fast meant when I did start eating again good-for-you food I once thought was boring suddenly tasted amazing and what I use to eat strikes me now as sickeningly sweet);
2. Figuring out how to place myself in sustainable ketosis and then take myself safely out of it;
3. Weight loss became incredibly easy and discounting the initial water weight loss/gain back (~8lbs for me as a 6' mid-thirties male) I lost ~1.14lbs a day during deep ketosis and ~˝lb daily if I'm doing OMAD...your body's actually really good at healing itself if you can just give it a chance;
4. Became a closeted vegan - I'll still eat cheese from time to time and meat on rare occasion, but as I mentioned in my 1st point I've discovered I really like (roast) vegetables, legumes (black / kidney / navy / pinto / garbanzo beans), and nuts.
Think about it like this: before we had civilization our ancestors would go long periods of time without food, right? Fasting is normal for us as a species, we've just seem to forget that it is. Moreover, we still retain this fasting genetic legacy today and can still access its benefits.2. Figuring out how to place myself in sustainable ketosis and then take myself safely out of it;
3. Weight loss became incredibly easy and discounting the initial water weight loss/gain back (~8lbs for me as a 6' mid-thirties male) I lost ~1.14lbs a day during deep ketosis and ~˝lb daily if I'm doing OMAD...your body's actually really good at healing itself if you can just give it a chance;
4. Became a closeted vegan - I'll still eat cheese from time to time and meat on rare occasion, but as I mentioned in my 1st point I've discovered I really like (roast) vegetables, legumes (black / kidney / navy / pinto / garbanzo beans), and nuts.
What's not normal is the stuff we assume that is: being fed constantly, eating "processed' food designed to hit all the high notes and make us feel good while also bypassing all the bodies normal satiation mechanisms. Fiber stripped, sugar bombed, hormone riddled, GMO perverted, cancer-promoting, pleasure-inducing orgastic "food" had me - and I fear many others
- addicted to poison masquerading as nutrition. Going cold turkey for 38 days helped me heal the damage I had done to myself, rebalance my food pleasure center dynamic, kick the sugar addiction, and rebuild the foundation of how I view food...and this is the answer to your last question:If you're interested in knowing more the book I read that got me started on it was and as well as a smattering of YT videos and 4ch/fit threads. Always happy to share my story with the hope it may help others but since the topic of this thread really should be IF / better nutrition as it pertains to UA, let's try to stick to that and if you've got more questions on fasting in general please feel free to shoot me a PM.
The Pleasure Trap" />
Apr 18, 2019, 8:12 am
#7
Join Date: May 2010
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38 days without eating anything, still drank water with fasting drops. Since then I'll do 24-72 hour fasts regularly as I've still not quite at my target.Still drank water with fasting drops (i.e. water with added sodium and potassium plus a little magnesium) but yes, no food, zip, nadda, nothing beyond that.
To bring this back to the United forum: with current cutbacks, and meal-quality decreases, the idea of a water-only-fast seems more and more appealing once again!
Apr 18, 2019, 8:35 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2000
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I've been doing a Bulletproof coffee Keto with IF for several months. Resisting the crappy food in the lounges is my biggest issue I travel with Keto friendly snacks that get me through the flights as well as Bulletproof coffee mix that I can add to my onboard coffee. (I carry my own travel mug) Managed to loose 50 pounds in 6 months.
I travel with Keto friendly snacks that get me through the flights as well as Bulletproof coffee mix that I can add to my onboard coffee. (I carry my own travel mug) Managed to loose 50 pounds in 6 months.
Apr 18, 2019, 8:52 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2004
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I've been doing a Bulletproof coffee Keto with IF for several months. Resisting the crappy food in the lounges is my biggest issue I travel with Keto friendly snacks that get me through the flights as well as Bulletproof coffee mix that I can add to my onboard coffee. (I carry my own travel mug) Managed to loose 50 pounds in 6 months.
I travel with Keto friendly snacks that get me through the flights as well as Bulletproof coffee mix that I can add to my onboard coffee. (I carry my own travel mug) Managed to loose 50 pounds in 6 months.My go to in the PL lounge are the tomatoes from the Caprese salad. Always feel slightly guilty about leaving a small mound of mozzarella balls behind but after a glass or two of the Prisoner or SLH I seem to get over it. Also, I will say the mushroom polenta I had last time in the EWR PL was good too.
Again let me call out the special meals on UA, particularly the raw-vegan or raw-vegetarian ones. Good alternative.
Likewise, check out the sides out restaurants too if you don't trust UA's catering. If you're just looking for something simple (veggies, beans) you can generally find some solid options there.
Apr 18, 2019, 9:37 am
#10
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Apr 18, 2019, 9:48 am
#11
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Personally I think the food is the best part of air travel. There's nothing like dining at 30000 ft!
In my personal life, I actually end up IFing a few days a week since I skip breakfast and lunch and sometimes work til 9 PM (eat dinner at 9:30 PM). So that works out to be about 24 hours total. I don't really get hungry since I'm so busy. I haven't noticed any benefits (energy, weight loss, etc.) aside from saving the time that would have been spent eating. lol
In my personal life, I actually end up IFing a few days a week since I skip breakfast and lunch and sometimes work til 9 PM (eat dinner at 9:30 PM). So that works out to be about 24 hours total. I don't really get hungry since I'm so busy. I haven't noticed any benefits (energy, weight loss, etc.) aside from saving the time that would have been spent eating. lol
Apr 18, 2019, 11:00 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2008
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38 days without eating anything, still drank water with fasting drops. Since then I'll do 24-72 hour fasts regularly as I've still not quite at my target.Still drank water with fasting drops (i.e. water with added sodium and potassium plus a little magnesium) but yes, no food, zip, nadda, nothing beyond that.
Apr 18, 2019, 11:33 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2014
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When doing every week PDX-PVG ( PDX-SFO-PVG, PVG-LAX-PDX ) always went in with good well balanced meal before departure and a stop at the market for a good carry-on snack. Agreed that Economy food is worse than dog food and business/first while tasty looking and maybe tasty to some equally unhealthy, amazed at the lack of health and fitness I saw on those flights mostly skewed to westerns and have my own theory of why that is, LOL
Once arrived always religiously up at 4am for exercise and early to bed , two years 50 trip, and in better shape then when I started.
Diet w/o exercise is only one half of the health equation, exercie w/o diet is equally not balanced nor really healthy. Once can be fit and not healthy and vice versa, best to be both fit and healthy and diet and exercise are both required.
I see fasting as probably an interesting and required for some medical, but beyond that a fasting for days while interesting, not required for health. I'm a believer that as part of evolution we've developed the capability to live on little to nothing, but in those days we didn't have the schedule or used our bodies and brains we do know, skeptical long term fasting with just liquids is a optimum choice for health living in today's crazy world lifestyle, especially if one is traveling as a road warrior or vacation, nothing could be worse than the double shock of travel and shocking your whole energy processing system.
Once arrived always religiously up at 4am for exercise and early to bed , two years 50 trip, and in better shape then when I started.
Diet w/o exercise is only one half of the health equation, exercie w/o diet is equally not balanced nor really healthy. Once can be fit and not healthy and vice versa, best to be both fit and healthy and diet and exercise are both required.
I see fasting as probably an interesting and required for some medical, but beyond that a fasting for days while interesting, not required for health. I'm a believer that as part of evolution we've developed the capability to live on little to nothing, but in those days we didn't have the schedule or used our bodies and brains we do know, skeptical long term fasting with just liquids is a optimum choice for health living in today's crazy world lifestyle, especially if one is traveling as a road warrior or vacation, nothing could be worse than the double shock of travel and shocking your whole energy processing system.
Last edited by chipmaster; Apr 18, 2019 at 11:45 am
Apr 18, 2019, 11:37 am
#14
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Apr 18, 2019, 12:13 pm
#15
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Most ex-USA flights have lousy tasting and overly salty food. I find Ex-Asia catering has better tasting and less salty food. There is separate thread on nutrition value of airline food, and many opinions of eat or don’t eat airline food.
As I fly so much over the years, I have suffered nutritionally from bad airline food. For weight control and healthier diet, I now try to eat better at restaurants before-after flight, and have begun intermittent fasting inflight. I have done this on many midcons and 5hr transcons, to a few times 13hr ex-USA transpacific flights. This week I struggled for first time to achieve the 16/8hr intermittent fasting goal on sfo-Singapore flight, but the tasty Singapore food upon arrival really helped me get through.
Anyone out there with similar experience?
As I fly so much over the years, I have suffered nutritionally from bad airline food. For weight control and healthier diet, I now try to eat better at restaurants before-after flight, and have begun intermittent fasting inflight. I have done this on many midcons and 5hr transcons, to a few times 13hr ex-USA transpacific flights. This week I struggled for first time to achieve the 16/8hr intermittent fasting goal on sfo-Singapore flight, but the tasty Singapore food upon arrival really helped me get through.
Anyone out there with similar experience?
