Intermittent fasting for women

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  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
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    so if you were to do 1 of these how do you decide ratios? ie 20;4 , 16:8 ect? are these the only ratios? and is one better that the other? can you make up your own ratio ect? this is just curiosity if anyone can enlighten me :)

    Depends on you and how well you do with fasting/eating bigger meals.

    5:2 can be pretty mild. The idea is that you eat 5 days at maintenance then 2 days (usually non-consecutive) at a deep deficit. Usually on the deep deficit days people skip breakfast, sometimes lunch too.

    16:8 is a sixteen hour fast with an 8 hour eating window. I can do this one if I really want to and it did previously help me lose that last 10 pounds. With an 8 hour window you can still eat 3-4 meals, which works for me.

    20:4 is a 20 hour fast with a 4 hour eating window. So you likely have maybe 2 meals. My blood sugar/eating is such that this doesn't work for me. I'm usually good with 300 - 400 calories and can be satisfied with less if I eat less calorie dense foods. So I would feel bad with low blood sugar and would have a tough time getting all the calories in unless I went for some serious high calorie stuff...super nachos and ice cream maybe. Not sustainable for me.
  • MissCaroline71
    MissCaroline71 Posts: 24 Member
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    I started 16:8 about 3 weeks ago.

    I had previously been trying to fit in 6 small meals a day, or 3 average meals with a couple of snacks - but I found once I started eating I couldnt stop, and I dont think my meals were "small enough".

    With the 16:8, I have been stunned by the results, and how easy "I" have found it (Its absolutely not for everyone).
    Here are things Ive discovered:

    - I am 100% okay not eating breakfast - Ive spent the last couple of years "forcing" myself to eat breakfast - Its not something I need first thing in the morning. I drink coffee and water through the morning until lunch

    - I eat a normal lunch/dinner - about 400-500 cals for lunch, about 700-800 cals for dinner (or less - note: Im only 5'1 - dont freak about about 1200cals) - if I get peckish in between - I will grab a granola bar or something similar

    - For my brain - its very easy to say "Dont eat before lunch" or "Dont eat after dinner". This is an easy rule for me to follow

    - Ive instantly stopped snacking just before bed......

    - Its nice not feeling "guilty" about eating. I am really enjoying my lunch and dinner.

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