Intermittent fasting

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What do you consider IF? And for how long do you do it for? I am considering trying this. I just want to know how much time this consist of. I am up at 4 am and I already do not eat until after 11 or 12. Do I need to wait longer for it to be fasting?
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  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
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    Depends on the last time you eat the night before. You're probably close to a 16:8 schedule.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
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    @FIT_Goat I try to eat no later than 7. So I guess that's about right.
  • Buildingit3157
    Buildingit3157 Posts: 145 Member
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    I do this as well. 6 or 7 pm until about noon the next day. I hope there's some benefit.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
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    Do I have to do it everyday?
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
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    Do I have to do it everyday?

    I don't. If I'm hungry in the morning or later after dinner, I'll go ahead and eat. Some days are just like that.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
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    @Sunny_Bunny_ it's always good to know it is not an all or nothing. I already have that mind set but this way if I don't follow it everyday I won't feel like I failed.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
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    @Sunny_Bunny_ it's always good to know it is not an all or nothing. I already have that mind set but this way if I don't follow it everyday I won't feel like I failed.

    Yeah. I like it if it happens more naturally.
    I don't like to force it. I don't even wait til an exact time to end. I just wait until I'm for real hungry. That naturally makes me IF most days. But I don't pay close attention to the time.
    Dinner is always 6:30. When hubs gets home.
    It's rare I want anything at night. Especially since I'm trying to go to bed earlier.
    Then I have coffee with my MCT and butter and usually am good until about 2:30-ish after I pick my son up from school.
    Some days I want to eat before picking him up, closer to 1:30. Some days I want actual food within an hour of waking. I just let it be a natural thing.
    I'm a fan of low stress. :wink:
  • Buildingit3157
    Buildingit3157 Posts: 145 Member
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    @Sunny_Bunny_ it's always good to know it is not an all or nothing. I already have that mind set but this way if I don't follow it everyday I won't feel like I failed.

    I agree. I do it some days and others I'm hungry and eat like Sunny said. Keeping insulin down for any extended period of time is beneficial is the way I view it.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
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    Doing it every day can help regulate ghrelin which will make maintaining the fast easier. You can break it here and there, but when trying a new IF protocol I'd give it at least 3 weeks by the clock before you start to deviate, just to set yourself up for success. The time to play with the protocol and tweak to your individual preferences should be after you've adapted to the eating pattern.

    Some people do well with a daily shortened eating window, some people do well with calorie cycling during the week, and others find success in a longer fast at some point (or two) during the week. Lots of options to try, so if one particular protocol doesn't seem like a good fit, I recommend at least giving another one a try. I think the potential benefits of IF are great and so while I get that it's not for everyone, I think it's worth putting in a good effort.
  • kmn118
    kmn118 Posts: 313 Member
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    When i was reading about the benefits of fasting on Dr. Jason Fung's blog, posters talked about water only fasting for 5 days with 2 days of LCHF eating. The purpose, I believe, was to release/lose the visceral fat around internal organs. However, these posters talked as if it was a lifestyle... to only eat 2 days each week. Sounds so very extreme and not sure that's very sustainable.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    kirkor wrote: »
    Doing it every day can help regulate ghrelin which will make maintaining the fast easier. You can break it here and there, but when trying a new IF protocol I'd give it at least 3 weeks by the clock before you start to deviate, just to set yourself up for success. The time to play with the protocol and tweak to your individual preferences should be after you've adapted to the eating pattern.

    Some people do well with a daily shortened eating window, some people do well with calorie cycling during the week, and others find success in a longer fast at some point (or two) during the week. Lots of options to try, so if one particular protocol doesn't seem like a good fit, I recommend at least giving another one a try. I think the potential benefits of IF are great and so while I get that it's not for everyone, I think it's worth putting in a good effort.

    Thanks for this. I'm playing around with IF and this was informative.
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
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    I always wonder how long the break has to be between eating to be considered "fasting" - there are plenty of days that I'm over 12 hours (I'll eat something at say 9pm, and then I don't eat again until 11:30am the next day - so that is about 14 hours). It's not something I put any effort into; sometimes I'm just not hungry for breakfast, so I don't eat. I do have coffee with some half and half, though - so maybe that counts.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
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    kmn118 wrote: »
    When i was reading about the benefits of fasting on Dr. Jason Fung's blog, posters talked about water only fasting for 5 days with 2 days of LCHF eating. The purpose, I believe, was to release/lose the visceral fat around internal organs. However, these posters talked as if it was a lifestyle... to only eat 2 days each week. Sounds so very extreme and not sure that's very sustainable.

    That is indeed pretty extreme, even among most fasters I've met online. You can get a lot of benefit from fasting using other protocols.
    Deena_Bean wrote: »
    I always wonder how long the break has to be between eating to be considered "fasting" - there are plenty of days that I'm over 12 hours (I'll eat something at say 9pm, and then I don't eat again until 11:30am the next day - so that is about 14 hours). It's not something I put any effort into; sometimes I'm just not hungry for breakfast, so I don't eat. I do have coffee with some half and half, though - so maybe that counts.

    The liver is emptied of glycogen after around 16 hours of no food, so I'd aim for that. You'll sometimes see 14:10 recommended for women, but that number comes from Martin Berkhan's female clients, who are also weight training heavy, and cycling both calories and macros, so I think for your average person it's still probably best to hit at least 16 hours fasted.

  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
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    If I have coffee with half and half or heavy cream during the period that I'm fasting count as not fasting?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Deena_Bean wrote: »
    If I have coffee with half and half or heavy cream during the period that I'm fasting count as not fasting?
    Most sources I've read have said that under 50 calories is still fasting. I've been playing around with it and sometimes have a cup of broth.
  • Buildingit3157
    Buildingit3157 Posts: 145 Member
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    kmn118 wrote: »
    When i was reading about the benefits of fasting on Dr. Jason Fung's blog, posters talked about water only fasting for 5 days with 2 days of LCHF eating. The purpose, I believe, was to release/lose the visceral fat around internal organs. However, these posters talked as if it was a lifestyle... to only eat 2 days each week. Sounds so very extreme and not sure that's very sustainable.

    Yeah, I've watched hours of his informative vids. I've shared a couple on my page. I really love all the graphs and facts he displayed over time in one. Well actually another keto/low carb forum participant introduced me. Plus he's a nephrologist so he deals with people battling diabetes and obesity hence his knowledge about weight loss and what works doesn't and why. He mentioned in the video that I recently watched and posted that if you could tack on some time before bed, and some time in the morning (except having say coffee with coconut oil or water) that a 16-18 hour fast is really going to keep insulin at bay, kind of recalibrate one's self as well as burn from your own fat stores. Pretty cool stuff to add into your daily regiment if you can.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    I never really got my head medically wrapped around IF until I watched Dr. Jason Fung's Therapeutic Fasting - Vail 2016 36:09 minute video last week. Currently I am working on watching his six part series on youtube that drills down deeper to the science behind weight loss and keeping it off by developing a body that has full health. I posted in the main discussion forum today about diabetes from WHO. france24.com/en/20160406-number-adults-with-diabetes-has-quadrupled-1980-who

    Some in the medical world have been saying what Jason is now saying for 50 years and perhaps the world is finally going to start getting the message and within the next 50 years will implement the known science as to how to eat to prevent premature death.

    IF is so simple yet so powerful. I am one who is eating 2500+ calories daily without gaining weight that supports the science that Jason teaches.
  • Buildingit3157
    Buildingit3157 Posts: 145 Member
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    I never really got my head medically wrapped around IF until I watched Dr. Jason Fung's Therapeutic Fasting - Vail 2016 36:09 minute video last week. Currently I am working on watching his six part series on youtube that drills down deeper to the science behind weight loss and keeping it off by developing a body that has full health. I posted in the main discussion forum today about diabetes from WHO. france24.com/en/20160406-number-adults-with-diabetes-has-quadrupled-1980-who

    Some in the medical world have been saying what Jason is now saying for 50 years and perhaps the world is finally going to start getting the message and within the next 50 years will implement the known science as to how to eat to prevent premature death.

    IF is so simple yet so powerful. I am one who is eating 2500+ calories daily without gaining weight that supports the science that Jason teaches.

    Oooh Bravo!! Yes that series is Awesome. Towards the end of it I believe is the one about all the facts and charts. Real life studies. One had 68k people included it it. It covered mortality rate comparisons, stroke, sodium, cholesterol, comparison of countries and who's doing what over many years. Great series. Thanks for sharing that initial video with me @GaleHawkins . He did mention people being about to eat thousands of calories and still lose weight. Geez I just keep thinking every time I add butter or coconut oil to foods 'wow that's a bigger portion than I would have ever used before'. I do have times during the day I question the science and healthiness of it. I have seen both sides though. The facts In that video are the facts. I think there were over 12 studies as well.
  • Twibbly
    Twibbly Posts: 1,065 Member
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    I never really got my head medically wrapped around IF until I watched Dr. Jason Fung's Therapeutic Fasting - Vail 2016 36:09 minute video last week. Currently I am working on watching his six part series on youtube that drills down deeper to the science behind weight loss and keeping it off by developing a body that has full health. I posted in the main discussion forum today about diabetes from WHO. france24.com/en/20160406-number-adults-with-diabetes-has-quadrupled-1980-who

    Some in the medical world have been saying what Jason is now saying for 50 years and perhaps the world is finally going to start getting the message and within the next 50 years will implement the known science as to how to eat to prevent premature death.

    IF is so simple yet so powerful. I am one who is eating 2500+ calories daily without gaining weight that supports the science that Jason teaches.

    Here's the Vail video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIuj-oMN-Fk&list=PLrVWtWmYRR2BYjk-oQTlAtGCjnly3J7LB
  • ShootingStar72
    ShootingStar72 Posts: 183 Member
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    I have recently started IF. I would naturally fast for about 13/14 hours just because of not being hungry in the morning, but have just bumped it up to about 16/17 hours to see if I can reduce the fat on my belly and thighs (my first place to gain and last place to lose). Funny how I really don’t feel the need to eat much at the 17 hour mark. Just been having some yogurt and a few pieces of bacon and I am good for a while. But by dinner I am ready to fill up. I would like to do IF 5 days a week, with a break on the weekends and see how it goes.

    I am drinking tea, broth, and coffee during the fasted hours. Only issue I have had so far is scattered thoughts. No biggie unless I have a conference call scheduled toward the end of the fast, and I don’t feel like I can totally engage in the conversation (and risk sounding like an idiot… lol). Hope this gets better over time.

    I've been watching Dr. Fung’s video series as well, IF makes so much sense!