Intermittent fasting

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  • tryin2die2self
    tryin2die2self Posts: 207 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I use IF and it work well for me. I also incorporate a 24 hour fast about three days every two weeks.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2016
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    RidaKhalifeh wrote: »
    Please don't do that to your self. It's unhealthy :)

    Intermittent fasting is not unhealthy, or at least it shouldn't be. But people can abuse any diet method they want too.

    Intermittent fasting is just another way of reaching a calorie deficit. There are different protocols 16:8, 18:6, etc. All this means is you have an eating window of 8 hours, or 6 hours.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/discussions/49-intermittent-fasting

    This is not typically the longer fasts (which are not new by the way) you see people do. People all around the world will fast for religious reasons.

    Another form of intermittent fasting is 5:2. Eating at maintenance for 5 days, eating at 500 (women) and 600 (men) for 2 days. This means you get your entire deficit for the week in 2 days.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

    Neither of these are crazy fast weight loss. They are simply a method for achieving a HEALTHY calorie deficit. But some people will always choose fast weight loss, sacrificing a larger percentage of existing lean muscle mass in the process.
  • dub05
    dub05 Posts: 21 Member
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    I incorporate IF last year when I was looking to build lean muscle. It took on a whole new outlook when it came to eating and even spiritual aspects. It works for me and I'll start again after I decease my macros.
  • TJH2
    TJH2 Posts: 22 Member
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    is there a reason you should save your calories for the end of the day rather than eating them in the morning?

    I ask because I heard it is better if you eat earlier in the day to give yourself more energy and keep your metabolism up. In my mind I would consider eating my calories between 8am and 4pm but I would like to understand it a little better
  • T0M_K
    T0M_K Posts: 7,526 Member
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    TJH2 wrote: »
    is there a reason you should save your calories for the end of the day rather than eating them in the morning?

    I ask because I heard it is better if you eat earlier in the day to give yourself more energy and keep your metabolism up. In my mind I would consider eating my calories between 8am and 4pm but I would like to understand it a little better

    Yes. same question here. I've read that starting the day with protein is beneficial for weight loss.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited March 2016
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    TJH2 wrote: »
    is there a reason you should save your calories for the end of the day rather than eating them in the morning?

    I ask because I heard it is better if you eat earlier in the day to give yourself more energy and keep your metabolism up. In my mind I would consider eating my calories between 8am and 4pm but I would like to understand it a little better

    No, there is no advantage to eating early as opposed to later, meal timing doesn't matter especially when you are doing IF. Your metabolism will rise slightly when you eat no matter when you do it but your body doesn't just drop it's metabolism because you eat later in the day, that's a myth. If you prefer to do it earlier than that's up to you and a personal preference.
  • brisingr86
    brisingr86 Posts: 1,789 Member
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    The IF group has a lot of really knowledgeable people, but to answer questions from TJH2 and Tomk, no reason you couldn't eat your calories 8am-4pm instead of 12-8pm if that works better for you. Most people that I've heard from doing 16:8 (the form of IF mostly referenced by other posters) have an easier time delaying eating after they get up rather than starting the day with food and then not eating all evening.

    In general, timing of food means nothing for weight loss, it's the quantity. IF helps some people better keep their calories within targets when they have an eating window than if they spread out those calories over the whole day (it does for me; I usually eat about 2-10pm). There is somewhat controversial data on whether fasting (not eating for 16 consecutive hours) has additional health benefits; you can make your call on what to believe. For me, it's a mental structure that helps me stay within my calories and learn to really recognize hunger (rather than boredom eating) rather than consideration for the supposed benefits from fasting.

    TeaBea has it right. Whatever you choose, do your research and do it in a healthy way.
  • jkquinn13
    jkquinn13 Posts: 203 Member
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    Hey group, I stumbled across IF from reading 'The Obesity Code' and have been doing twice a week fasts from dinner to dinner. On one day after dinner I do not eat again until dinner the next day. I'm finding my weight goes down quite a bit.
    The only thing I consume is coffee and then water. When I break my fast I usually go back to eating to my macros. Ie, on the dinner I break the fast it's just a normal dinner in ratio of 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat, but only a third of my daily grams of those macros.
    I have been reading about the effect on insulin and find it fascinating...very excited to continue doing this.

    Also...the effect on my energy (having more) and on my sleep (getting more and deeper) has been an added side affect.
    Happy to share strategies and stories...would love to hear more from folks and the effect it's had on their weight loss goals.

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