Intermittent Fasting experience

sunnyeuphoria

I am not wanting to start a debate, I am just wanting to know personal experience with intermittent fasting. Have you been able to stick with it? What protocol are you following? Are you losing weight and noticing other health benefits? How much have you lost over what time period? I have been eating this way off and on for years without realizing it had a name. Thanks!

TeaBea

I tried 5:2. 2 days at 500 / 5 days at maintenance. I was not able to make that work. Now I zig-zag my calories differently, still leaving a decent number of calories for the weekend.

I read the book by Dr Mosley. Not buying the so called medical benefits. All the evidence is anecdotal. "I went on this diet, my blood tests before, my blood tests after....I wrote a book and made tons of money"

The real benefit of eating windows, or zig-zagging calories (not a new concept.....look up Rotation Diet).....is that it helps some people stay consistent.

Here are links to a couple of groups: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

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

brb_2013

I do a 16:8 fast daily, and on weekends I adjust the window. Weekdays I eat between hrs of noon and 8pm, weekends it's more like 10-6.

I haven't been successful at weight loss but that's due to everything else I do. I overeat and I haven't exercised as much as I need to.

Maxematics

I do a range of 14:10 to 16:8 IF. 14:10 is recommended for women but I do 16:8 just fine on most days. I feel like IF controls my hunger a lot better because the whole small meals throughout the day just kept me hungry for the most part. I'm now less food focused and can enjoy a bigger meal at night which helps me sleep better. I started at 139 pounds and got down to 119. After IF, I got down to 109. Now I'm bulking so weight loss no longer applies.

murp4069

I've been doing 16:8 apparently just about my whole life lol. I also didn't know there was a name for it until I started on MFP. I eat from 1-9pm and only have coffee for breakfast. Since I started counting calories in December I've lost 18 lbs (170 to 152). IF fits my lifestyle and my natural hunger patterns, and it allows me to have a larger meal at night, when I most enjoy it. My weekends are a bit different, I tend to eat lunch earlier and very occasionally I have brunch. But for me it's a great way to keep a deficit particularly during the week.

plusnomore

I'm on day 31 of IF and have lost 14 pounds so far. I fast from 5pm til 9 am (16:8) and eat low carb, low sugar, lots of fresh fruit and veggies, fish, very little meat. I consume around 1400 cals a day. I do 16:8 daily, not exercising yet. This has worked great for me, wasn't very hard to do at all. Haven't lost my period.

CollieFit

I do 16/8 (11am-7pm). I've never been much or a breakfast person and find that if I delay my first meal I am generally less hungry during the day. It generally also stops me from pointless after-dinner snacking while watching TV. I do one 24h fast a week and on that day I always have heaps of energy.

Generally though I don't think my weight loss (15lb since 10th Jan) is the result of fasting or how/when I eat but the result of calorie reduction making different food choices and more activity.

I know the jury is out about the medical benefits to humans as all the studies I am aware of are based on animal studies and the effects can't necessarily be inferred, but I know it makes me feel good and gives me energy.

Phrick

plusnomore wrote: »

I'm on day 31 of IF and have lost 14 pounds so far. I fast from 5pm til 9 am (16:8) and eat low carb, low sugar, lots of fresh fruit and veggies, fish, very little meat. I consume around 1400 cals a day. I do 16:8 daily, not exercising yet. This has worked great for me, wasn't very hard to do at all. Haven't lost my period.

Um if you eat lots of fruit you're probably referring to low ADDED sugar - fruit is chock full of sugar. Fool yourself however you want, "natural sugar is good for you" but sugar is sugar is sugar.

thankyou4thevenom

I use the 5:2 diet and I love it.
It suits my lifestyle right now. I have a few very busy days where finding time to eat can be hard. So I fast on two of those and eat sensibly on the others.

I've lost 40lbs this way and its not been too hard. Some fasting days are harder than others. It's taken me with slip ups and weeks off (holiday etc) a year to do it.

dollydiva2

I'm doing one 500 cal fast day a week to give me more leeway with my calories at the weekend. I tend to 16:8 most days anyway.
I've lost weight well before with 5:2 though I just haven't been able to keep it up long term.

JagZag

I started out with the 16:8 January 1st this year. I lost 7 lbs. in that month. The 16:8 was so easy for me I decided to add 2 days of 24. So now I rotate 16:8 and 24 hr. I've lost 11 lbs. so far. At first I was walking 5 miles a day, just to get in the habit of moving around again. Now, I walk (not 5 miles), do 30 minutes at 17mph on my stationary bike at max resistance, 30 minutes on the treadmill at 3/4 max incline, and just started lifting 3 days a week. I really like IF, it fits my natural inclinations for eating. I have much more energy through the day (I exercise fasted and it doesn't bother me at all). IF takes a lot of the focus off of food. It's amazing how much more time I have to do other things now that I don't have to think about what I'm going to eat every few hours. Just plan what to have for dinner in the am and forget about it til time to cook. It's so relaxing it's not like DIETING at all. I have found that even on my 16:8 days I push my fast further out so it's more like 18:6. I'll most likely stick with IF from now on. It just fits for me.

100df

sunnyeuphoria wrote: »

I am not wanting to start a debate, I am just wanting to know personal experience with intermittent fasting. Have you been able to stick with it? What protocol are you following? Are you losing weight and noticing other health benefits? How much have you lost over what time period? I have been eating this way off and on for years without realizing it had a name. Thanks!

I do follow a IF schedule. I can stick to it 95% of the time. I usually follow 16:8. The time of day changes depending on what is going on. I am losing weight. I have not noticed any other health benefits. I have lost almost 60 pounds in 7 months. I too have been eating this way for years. I have gained, maintained and lost weight eating this way.

DivaDog01

I've been following a 16-8 schedule for the past 6 months and am very happy with it - it seems to be a natural fit for my metabolism. My goal was to maintain 20 lbs. I had lost over 1 1/2 years and IF has been perfect for that (maintenance). I'm not sure if I would be able to actually lose weight on it because at the end of the 16 hour fast, I'm really hungry. It also works best for me Mon-Fri when I'm at work and the options for snacking are not around. Like JagZag above, I do my cardio (running, spinning) in the morning. One downside is that I feel like I can't really tell people about it - it seems to evoke negative reactions. So I just keep quiet even when I'm asked about my weight-loss success. I don't like having to justify something that works for me but definitely isn't for everyone.

tiffkittyw

I've been doing a 16:8 schedule ever since I started taking thyroid medication so nothing would interact with the meds. I stop eating at 7:00pm and start eating again at 11:00 am M-F and 12:00 on weekends. Sometimes during the week I only make it until 10:30 because I workout at 5 am and get hungry. I like being able to eat the majority of my calories later in the day. It works for me. I'm like a lot of other people that once I start eating I get more hungry and want to eat all day.

VeryKatie

I did 5:2 for a while - I got ridiculously close to my goal weight (which is actually 3 lbs under my new goal weight) - it was amazing. I felt great. I looked great.
Until I couldn't make myself do it (mental aspect).
And until my period totally got screwed up (again. that seems to happen to me a lot. Too low fat? period all the time. 5:2? Period all the time. So clearly my hormones are picky).

I read a study later on the effects this type of diet had on rats. Interestingly, male rats lost weight and reacted fairly well. Female rats became more nervous/hyper almost, thin and had reproductive issues. I know rats are not human, but it was still interesting.

So basically - I would think if it's working for you, then it's working for you. It worked for me but also didn't. Different people will "react" differently to it.

ASKyle

16:8 comes naturally to me because I never really eat breakfast anyway. If it comes naturally to you it may be a good way to control your intake.

ew_david

I do something like 16:8. I don't think there's anything magical about it though; it's just a way to help me stick to my calorie goal. I'm not a breakfast eater, so waiting until 11-12 to eat isn't a huge deal for me. I prefer to have 2 large meals with a snack in between than eat small meals over the course of the day. I lost the bulk of my weight eating this way.

5:2 was a different beast entirely. I couldn't do it.

filovirus76

Been doing the 5:2 now for six weeks. Down 19 lbs. Started at 223. Am a 5'10" male. Been also doing cardio 3x weekly and weights 3x weekly. Thought I may have side affects (dizziness, tiredness, weakness) and I was willing to adjust, but instead feeling better than ever. Fast days 600 cals. Maintenance days 2000 cals.

oolou

16:8 It works for me as it fits my natural hunger pattern to eat in a shorter space of hours near the end of the day. I find if I start to eat early on, that wakes up my appetite and I end up eating more overall by the end of the day. I didn't realise this way of eating had a name either until I joined MFP (and I was relieved to know I wasn't messing my body up by skipping breakfast)!

canadianmom1975

I do 16/8 ..my goals right now is to loose weight and its helping..i lose 1.5 to 2 pounds a week...the reason because IF helps me control my eating...i staynunder my aloud 1800 cals a day...iam not as strict on weekends but i naturally still follow noon to 8pm eating...ive been doing it since feb 1st..and LOVE IT

nlashb

I've been doing what's typically called 16/8, but it's really more of me skipping lunch and breakfast and eating one large meal at a caloric deficit around 6pm for dinner.

So far so good, just making sure it fits my macros. Down 8 pounds in 3 weeks (from 175lbs at 5'11"), looking to lose only maybe 8 more or so.

I definitely recommend it if you're an over-eater, like I was. It really trains you mentally, and if you drink green tea/black coffee, you won't feel the hunger much. I switched from coffee to green tea, barely feel any hunger. I usually do a 3 mile run on my lunch break, too.

flumi_f

Will be ending my third year on 5:2 soon. It is a way of life for me. After losing 29kg in about 18mth, I have more or less maintained since then. Because I'm short, the low days offer a little more wiggling room on the other days as my TDEE is only about 1600 before exercise. It also get's rid of any retained water after an indulgent weekend for example. And I like that alot.

5:2 is not for everyone, but if my mind plays along, two fast days a week are easier for me than daily restriction. I prefer it to 16:8, because I don't want to skip breakfast everday for the simple reason, I LIKE BREAKFAST! ;-) On fast days or when I know, dinner will be cal intense, I actually do 16:8.

@VeryKatie - I don't think your period problems were only due to 5:2. I lost my period about 8mths into weightloss with 5:2. After maintaining for about 6-8mths while continuing with 5:2 (higher cals on non fast days) it came back with the same regularity I had before losing weight. At the beginning I also thought the fasting was messing up my cycle, but now I believe it was due to the weightloss in general and had nothing to do with the cal cycling. Just my opinion though....

VeryKatie

flumi_f wrote: »

Will be ending my third year on 5:2 soon. It is a way of life for me. After losing 29kg in about 18mth, I have more or less maintained since then. Because I'm short, the low days offer a little more wiggling room on the other days as my TDEE is only about 1600 before exercise. It also get's rid of any retained water after an indulgent weekend for example. And I like that alot.

5:2 is not for everyone, but if my mind plays along, two fast days a week are easier for me than daily restriction. I prefer it to 16:8, because I don't want to skip breakfast everday for the simple reason, I LIKE BREAKFAST! ;-) On fast days or when I know, dinner will be cal intense, I actually do 16:8.

@VeryKatie - I don't think your period problems were only due to 5:2. I lost my period about 8mths into weightloss with 5:2. After maintaining for about 6-8mths while continuing with 5:2 (higher cals on non fast days) it came back with the same regularity I had before losing weight. At the beginning I also thought the fasting was messing up my cycle, but now I believe it was due to the weightloss in general and had nothing to do with the cal cycling. Just my opinion though....

The thing is though, I didn't have problems when on Weight Watchers, and they had me at 1100 calories a day (and once I found out I left). I've tried 5:2 a second time and the same thing happened. I don't know why, but it did. That being said, I really don't know. It's not something my doctor at the time cared too much about. But it was something I wanted to mention, just in case. And to clarify, I didn't lose my period. I had my period for 1 year straight nonstop...

flumi_f

@VeryKatie - Ah, I got it. :-) Strangely interesting, how differently bodies react. I also think, it is important to mention the good, the bad and the ugly about different ways of eating. ;-) It does sound, like your body didn't 'like' it. Mine does. And as you say, if it works it works, if it doesn't it doesn't.
Important is that you know your body and how it reacts. My irregularity didn't bother me as I'm 46. If of course I had constant bleeding....that would be a whole different ball game.

srujana_kanneganti

I like it. I like having a huge meal at the end of the day. And not eating in the morning keeps me from grazing all day. I felt more focused and energized.

Only problem was I had a hard time getting my protein goal within the short window. (16:8)
Now I just have protein powder in the mornings and it similarly doesn't affect my appetite

Also, I noticed I had very painful ttom cramps when I was doing 2 months 16;8 IF... Which was weird..not sure if it's correlative though.

Sumiblue

I do 16:8 daily since Oct 1. I went from 130-116 lbs. lost a lot of fat but I was lifting weights 4x week, too. I'm maintaining now but still doing IF.

JennieRay74

I've tried it and it definitely works, but it's hard. The problem is once you have a day where you eat a lot more, it's hard to go back to eating next to nothing. Your stomach expands. On the fasting days, try espresso in the morning, lean protein and salad for lunch, steamed veggies and tea for dinner. Replace your usual late night snacking with attari tea and a handful of blueberries if you are still hungry - attari tea tastes like fruit and has no calories or sugar. Good luck!

evivahealth

I do 17:7(ish) because that's what fits my schedule. I'm not too rigid about it - some days I go to yoga classes and can't eat dinner until after 7pm. Usually though I try to stop eating at about 6:30-7pm and will start eating the next day around 12-12:30pm. I'm not too strict with the timing and I also drink coffee and tea with milk in it during my "fast".

I've found it has made a huge difference to my weight loss. I had plateaued for a while at the end of last year but since starting IF about 6 weeks ago, I've lost 3kg (or about 6lb). For the sake of comparison, I lost 5kg in 12 months last year.

I think the thing I have enjoyed the most is being able to eat two big meals that actually fill me right up. I can also eat things that had previously been off the menu because they were too high cal - bigger portions of meat, or adding a bunch of nuts and seeds to yoghurt etc. Not a huge difference but I've really enjoyed it compared to the barren wasteland of 1300 cals spread over 5-6 meals!

StealthHealth

I have followed 5:2 for weight loss and currently follow a 10:14 (more relaxed version of 8:16) nearly every day. I still track calories and pay close attention to macros.

I occasionally, intentionally drop out of IF for social reasons (or just because I feel like it).

Have you been able to stick with it? - Yes, I've been on some form of fasting regime for years now.

Are you losing weight and noticing other health benefits? - I consider IF to be a tool in my eating/exercising toolkit but not one solely for weight loss, I use it when losing, gaining and maintaining. Other health benefits? Difficult to say. The health benefits associated with fasting (and there are several) not the type of health benefits that you can easily feel or easily measure (you can't for example feel an increase in autophagy).

How much have you lost over what time period? - I've lost what I wold have expected to have based on my CICO. What IF does when I'm losing is it helps me to stay compliant. I like big meals and IF lets me have that when on restricted calories.

mstammie02

I have been doing 16:8 for 1 week now and have lost 7 lbs. One lb a day exactly. My eating window is from 1pm to 9pm. My calories are set to 1600 but I don't meet it because I skip breakfast. Also I'm doing low carb high fat so I'm not hungry before lunch. I am going to stick it out and see what the possibilities are.

feisty_bucket

sunnyeuphoria wrote: »

Have you been able to stick with it?

Yep. Been doing IF for about a year and a half now.

What protocol are you following?

Mostly full-day stuff, either 6:1, 5:2 or ADF depending. I'm generally in recomp and maintenance but sometimes I try just a straight extra cut. I prefer to bunch up my eating in small windows (4-6 hrs are ideal) but that's not a big priority.

Are you losing weight and noticing other health benefits? How much have you lost over what time period?

I did 5:2 last year for about a month and a half and lost about 15 lbs and then have been staying around there. I overeat on lifting days and eat at maintenance or less on rest days.

Health benefits: dunno, but I'm 45 and don't have any health problems AFAIK (and I get checked up yearly). Blood work is great. High-fat macros too, for, five? years? A while now.