Intermittent fasting, anyone try it or does it??

cubanasusana

Keep hearing about this type of fast where you eat only in a 7 hour window and last meal must be 3 hours prior to bedtime.

zoeysasha37

Some people say it helps them keep to a calorie deficit so it works for them.

Others naturally eat like this . for example my father doesn't eat breakfast ever. He eats lunch and then dinner and a evening snack all between 12pm-7pm daily. He has done this his whole life because it is what he likes. He still has weight issues.

Weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit. If you eat less then you burn, you will lose weight. If you eat at a calorie surplus then you will gain weight . the time of your meals and snacks makes no difference for weight loss because it comes down to calories.

You can eat 1500 calories all at one meal or could break it up throughout the day and it still wouldn't make a difference as far as weight loss is concerned.

With any way of eating there must be a calorie deficit for weight loss to happen. I could do a keto / low carb diet and if I ate at a surplus I would still gain weight. I could do I.F. and if I ate at a surplus I would still gain. And the list goes on. For weight loss it is going to come down to calories . if I.F. is a way of eating that you enjoy then go for it. If I.F. helps you keep to your deficit then go for it. But like any way of eating the cico rule still applies.

saralthrash

I tried it. It wasn't for me. I was hungry! I did lose a little weight but it wasn't sustainable. Also if I am hungry I am unproductive at work and school. So it was better for me to just eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day under a calorie goal. Good luck!

darrensurrey

If you can get used to the hunger, then you're fine...

ames105

I didn't like it. I found that I was suddenly starving after my time cutoff and it lead me to overeat. I find that the more complicated the 'diet' is, the less likely I'll stick to it. The best solution to weight loss is to eat smaller portions (within your calories), eat healthier (better choices have less calories and usually more fiber) and move more (I walk).

momoftwins985

It works great if you feel like you are forcing yourself to eat breakfast or if you have a busy schedule in the mornings. I did it for awhile just to try it and it was ok. I *felt* like I got to eat more when in reality I ate the same, so that was interesting. I do it once a week so I can skip breakfast and hit up Starbucks in order to not go over my calories.

ki4eld

I do keto with 17:7 IF. My eating window is 12-7p with a few variations, usually earlier to accommodate brunch with hubby or friends on the weekends. I eat this way naturally, as I'm just not an early morning eater. It helps me manage my calories, because I just have less time to eat. I'm one of those that once I start eating, I'm hungry. If I eat at 8a, I want to eat all day. If I start at 12, I've had fewer hours to ingest calories. It's helpful for me.

Try it. You can't hurt yourself. If you find it works for you, great. If not, ok. I will say you'll need to give yourself a full 2-3 weeks of doing it daily to get the fullest benefits. It takes a few days for your brain and stomach to get on the same page.

If you want more info, try this group... http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

MarziPanda95

I do it, but I'm not particularly strict about when I stop eating. I don't eat until 4-5 hours after I wake up, sometimes longer. I typically eat at 4pm, 6pm and 11pm, but since I don't go to bed until 2 or 3am, sometimes I'll eat again around 1am if I'm hungry and have the calories.
This works for me. I like to eat later because it keeps me full late in the night and there's less time for me to go over or binge. It might not work for you. Some people do better eating many little meals throughout the day, some can't get through without breakfast (breakfast has always made me feel nauseous) and some do better with more traditional meal times. That's totally fine too! Meal timings are personal preference and don't make a difference to whether or not you lose weight, or how much you lose. The only thing that matters is calories, though proper nutrition (hitting your macros and micros) is very important to health.

cubanasusana

Thank you, I am usually not hungry in the morning and was thinking of eating 12-8 since I am in bed by 11pm and up by 6am.
I may try it 2-3 times a week.

cubanasusana

thorsmom01 wrote: »

Some people say it helps them keep to a calorie deficit so it works for them.

Others naturally eat like this . for example my father doesn't eat breakfast ever. He eats lunch and then dinner and a evening snack all between 12pm-7pm daily. He has done this his whole life because it is what he likes. He still has weight issues.

Weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit. If you eat less then you burn, you will lose weight. If you eat at a calorie surplus then you will gain weight . the time of your meals and snacks makes no difference for weight loss because it comes down to calories.

You can eat 1500 calories all at one meal or could break it up throughout the day and it still wouldn't make a difference as far as weight loss is concerned.

With any way of eating there must be a calorie deficit for weight loss to happen. I could do a keto / low carb diet and if I ate at a surplus I would still gain weight. I could do I.F. and if I ate at a surplus I would still gain. And the list goes on. For weight loss it is going to come down to calories . if I.F. is a way of eating that you enjoy then go for it. If I.F. helps you keep to your deficit then go for it. But like any way of eating the cico rule still applies.

cubanasusana

Thank you all!! I agree that calories still count and I will try it 2-3 days but stay in my calorie allowance. I guess from what I have read that I.F helps your body start to burns it own fat when it has been in a fasting mode after 12 hours.
I have read a few articles and youtube videos from Dr.Mercola who advocates it for help in resetting your metabolism.

ew_david

I do it because I am a volume eater; I'd rather have 2 large meals and a snack than 5 small meals. It helps me stick to my calorie deficit, there for I lose weight. I'm not really hungry in the mornings anyway.

cubanasusana

Same

100df

cubanasusana wrote: »

Thank you all!! I agree that calories still count and I will try it 2-3 days but stay in my calorie allowance. I guess from what I have read that I.F helps your body start to burns it own fat when it has been in a fasting mode after 12 hours.
I have read a few articles and youtube videos from Dr.Mercola who advocates it for help in resetting your metabolism.

I eat this way now and when I gained the weight I am losing now. I am losing because of the deficit, not because there's any extra fat burning. Wish there was a magical trick for extra fat burning but it's all about CICO.

tara_means_star

I personally love it. I eat between 12-8pm. this used to be a natural way for me to eat but then I heard that I had to eat every 2-3 hours to keep my metabolism up. then I realized that was rubbish and went back to eating the way that felt more natural to me. IF helps me easily stay in a deficit and can be really helpful to do if you go out to parties or out to eat a lot--you can save up the majority of your calories and maybe better able to keep your deficit since restaurant foods tend to be calorie heavy. You still have to count your calories because its too easy to eat all the calories you should have for the day plus some in a single meal (especially at a restaurant). But IF isn't for everyone. My husband, for instance, eats every 3 hours or so because otherwise he starts feeling shaky and uncomfortable. Experiment with it and see how you like it. That's what I did and found that I really like it.

cubanasusana

Thank you, I am doing it today and Sunday and will see how i feel and take it from there , also drinking lots of lemon water & green tea

overfences

_dracarys_ wrote: »

I do it because I am a volume eater; I'd rather have 2 large meals and a snack than 5 small meals. It helps me stick to my calorie deficit, there for I lose weight. I'm not really hungry in the mornings anyway.

This is me, exactly. Plus, I just feel better if I have that longer gap between dinner & lunch.

I also find that it helps me budget better for unexpected meals out-- I have more calories available to me so I don't go as far over.

tara_means_star

I went to visit friends for a week over thanksgiving and they are overweight and eat a lot. Using IF and not being able to determine calorie content in their food I was still able to lose a little that week. I used my same window of eating, tried to find the best choices ( none of which were calorie friendly) and ate intuitively. I was so proud of myself. It made me realize how useful IF will be for maintenance too.

joey4014

I do it and it works for me.
At the end of the day the main benefit is you can enjoy bigger meals because you have a smaller window of time to eat them in. For me 1800 calories a day is much more enjoyable in two decent sized meals then 3 small ones or even worse - 6 bites.
The same with Bullet Proof Coffee, it's cool but I prefer to eat those two or three hundred calories.
As long as you track your calories and stay within your goals you're going to progress; although, there are other biological benefits from IF as well.
Either way stay within your calories (or macros - whatever you're into).

brb_2013

Its all about your own style and using whatever little tricks you need to help you maintain a deficit.

I do a 16:8 fast, where I fast for 16 hours (it's not a magic number, just works for me) making my 'eating window' about 12-8pm. This works because it helps me spread my calories between two meals versus three and that helps me feel a higher level of satisfaction with my meals. Smaller meals more often make me cranky because I didn't get the whole "meal" experience I was used to. I miss leaving a table full more than I miss any other "poor habits", I'll keep this need for larger meals If I don't start eating until my window, my hunger is manageable in the mornings but I do have coffee with a small amount of creamer before noon. Usually I sip it until about 11

bobshouse

I tried 5:2 and had no problem going all day without food and having an evening meal no more than 300 calls for two days. My problem was I overeat on the food days as I am so hungry. I also had lots of migraines whilst on it and found hunger was a trigger. I am happiest counting calories and eating regularly.

shabaity

16 8 has always worked well for me in the past it just doesn't fit my schedule right now. I'm enjoying 5/2 so far

courtniekrebs

I love IF.. I usually do 16:8 but have recently adopted fasting days in the mix. It helps me a lot

Kitnthecat

I do Keto and my normal eating pattern is one meal per day, so 23:1, with extended water fasts regularly, of 36-72 hrs. I love fasting!

robertw486

I've eaten on a slightly modified 16:8 for much of my life, even before I heard it called IF. I just don't eat much at all during the day, then eat at night. I have 200-500 calories through the day, then eat the balance later in the day. I've made attempts to modify that some lately, since on workout days I just have too much left to eat late in the day.

muscleandbeard

I've done one for a few months and liked the results but wasn't crazy about the long gaps in between. I did a modified 20:4 where I only ate in a 4 hour window without a calorie restriction. Lost around 20 lbs in just under 4 months but it's not sustainable in my opinion

RodaRose

cubanasusana wrote: »

Keep hearing about this type of fast where you eat only in a 7 hour window and last meal must be 3 hours prior to bedtime.

Here is a group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

amusedmonkey

It's just a strategy that makes it easier for some people to manage their calories. Some people don't mind a little bit of hunger as a tradeoff to be able to eat larger meals on a diet. Think about it like this: if your maintenance is 2000 calories and you usually consume roughly 500 for breakfast, skipping breakfast would help you eat your lunch and dinner in familiar portions while still keeping a 500 calorie deficit. It works for some, but not for others, because some people don't function well when hungry and some people already skipped breakfast (consuming the majority of their calories at lunch and dinner) while overweight, so putting a label on their usual routine and calling it IF doesn't do much for weight loss.