Intermittent fasting? who's tried! :D

mtvstaff

coffeeislife18

18-F-5'9 here. I've done it before.. I like it a lot. It's nice because I feel like it's one of the few "diets" you can start eating "normally" again after you reach your goal weight and it doesn't make you gain everything back. The key is still remaining in a deficit. Even being semi-sedentary, if I consume 1500 calories a day I lose a solid amount of weight. I like my eating window to be 11:30am-7:30pm. It feels like just having a late breakfast and a normal dinner and keeps me from snacking late at night. Definitely reccomended. I gained a kilogram from going out for a lot of beers and just generally eating recklessly so I think the next 5 days I'll switch to this eating style to regain some control. Its also great for when you're ok vacation and are eating more or indulging more, at least you're controlling the times you're eating and at at least control calories that way. It's also scientifically backed according to recent studies, and is supposed to boost your immune system and allow you to consume more calories without gaining weight. The only trouble is morning workouts, exercising in a fasted state isn't for everyone, but you can definitely get used to it. Studies show fasted workouts actually burn more fat because your glycogen stores are depleted, as well.

geraldaltman

I think fasting, unless you are having some sort of medical procedure done is ill advised for general fitness purposes. I will fast if I have to have certain blood tests drawn and I have had colonoscopy procedures done on me twice so far in my life and the prep and fasting required ahead them was not exactly pleasant.

PeachyCarol

I naturally did a 16:8 protocol and didn't even realize it was a thing until I joined MFP.

I started having some hunger issues on my small calorie allowance and did some things to manage it. One of them was to change my eating to an 18:6 protocol. It works really well for me.

I eat 4 smallish meals at noon, 2:00, 4:00 and just shy of 6:00 pm. This timing of eating works very well for my lifestyle, keeps my hunger in check, and leaves me feeling satisfied with my intake.

I've always been somewhat nauseated in the morning, but I don't seem to have any problem working out on an empty stomach. I tend to have more energy in the mornings anyway, and usually hit the gym first thing.

jnv7594

I do a form of it because it works for me, and it's basically how I've always eaten even before I lost weight. I'm not a breakfast person. So I often don't start eating until around noon, and then I have my last meal around 9 or 10 p.m. So I have about a 10 or so hour window when I eat, and then a fasting period of about 14 hours. I do this daily. I'm not one to do the 24 (or more) hour fasts, but I know some do with IF. It's really a personal choice. For me, I find this way of eating has eliminated binging. I do have days where I go over my calories like yesterday when i went out with friends, but most of the time I stay within my calories. I've lost 85 pounds and have eaten this way nearly the whole time. I've not seen any adverse effects from it, but have seen benefits in terms of feeling satiated, not feeling restricted, and not having the urge to binge.

mz_getskinny

I do it. I love it. Tried not doing it...hated it! That being said, I don't do alternate day fasting. Just 16:8 or 20:4. Or a combination of the 2

74Brian74

I aim to have two days a week (not back-to-back) with very low caloric intake - aim for under 700 vs. target of 2070 normally. I then allow myself to go a few hundred over on another couple days. There have been studies suggesting this helps your immune and stem cell systems renew themselves. I think that cycling your calories up and down like this also helps your body from becoming too efficient and lowering its BMR on you. This article discusses a more extreme version but is worth reading:

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=news.nationalpost.com//health/fasting-for-three-days-renews-entire-immune-system-protects-cancer-patients-remarkable-new-study-finds

Another good one:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/14/intermittent-fasting-longevity.aspx