Intermittent Fasting. Yes or No?

Lowerklass1
Lowerklass1 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I do intermittent fasting and I honestly don't see my self stopping. I enjoy it so much. I don't create an eating window as I just find that too restrictive. I simply push my first meal about 5-6 hours into the day. I often eat late at night and wake up lighter and more toned. What's your experience? My strength has increased significantly. Were you able to keep it up? Do you want to get back in to it? Dare your experience, good or bad ;)
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Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2016
    Here's a link to the group....lots of like minded folks there.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I tried it a couple different ways as research for a book, but really, my body does best with small meals evenly spaced during my waking hours. I need to keep my blood sugar balanced or I turn into that grumpy lady down the block who always yells at the kids to stay off her lawn.
  • Lowerklass1
    Lowerklass1 Posts: 19 Member
    Thank you for discussion link
  • Huera629
    Huera629 Posts: 12 Member
    I do intermittent fasting. My eating window is 12-8. Like you, i love it too. I'm doing 1200 cals. I'll have a low cal lunch and a satisfying dinner. I try to have my last bite b4 7 tho just becuz I workout around 8 or 9. So far so good. 15 lbs down in 6 weeks.
  • Lowerklass1
    Lowerklass1 Posts: 19 Member
    Nice, good progress. I like to eat before I go bed. I workout fasted in the morning. I sometimes have a protein shake before and after training which adds to 300cals, if I feel strong I'll just have BCAA's. Even though I've been intermittent fasting I've ate abit much lately so no loss, but I'm building good muscle. In taking it serious for the next 6-8weeks, looking to get to drop another 10lbs of fat. If I lost 15lbs in 6 weeks is be buzzing!!
  • clpensinger
    clpensinger Posts: 10 Member
    I love it too!!! I'm going to join that discussion group ASAP! :)
  • tiffkittyw
    tiffkittyw Posts: 366 Member
    I love it. I eat from 11am until 7pm and workout in the morning fasted. I love being able to eat every hour or two in the 8 hour timeframe. I get a little hungry in the morning but it's worth feeling full the rest of the day. I just stuff myself with black coffee and tea in the morning.
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    I am like you, in that I am not strict about it, but most days I start to eat around 12:30pm and then finish around 8pm, except for my one morning coffee that includes a tbsp or two of half and half.
  • Fitnessfreak80
    Fitnessfreak80 Posts: 17 Member
    I love it. Down 5 lbs in 2 weeks and that was with a trip away for Easter and lots of food and booze. My training is better and work is better. Not thinking about food all day is great I eat from 1.30 to 9.30 every day and stay under 2000 cals.
  • Lowerklass1
    Lowerklass1 Posts: 19 Member
    I'm too sensitive to caffeine so I stay away from from tea or coffee. I'm used to the 10minute hunger pang in the morning. It's nothing. Walking to the gym takes my mind totally off it.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited March 2016
    I couldn't keep it up when I started losing weight, honestly. I mean, it was fine to have my first meal at 11am or noon when I was eating 1400 calories snacks at 10pm, but when I stopped that... not so much. Starving by 8am, typically, and I can't workout as soon as I get up so working out on an empty stomach 3 hours after waking up would just not work out for me (I've tried).

    Everyone is different though. I usually eat whenever I'm hungry (so anywhere between 7am and 9am) and stop eating after 6pm.

    ETA: I guess I realize that it's the same 12-13 hours window either way so it's not really that surprising. IF is 14 or 16 hours right?
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited March 2016
    I did alternate day IF for my weight loss phase, 5:2IF as I transitioned into maintenance and now 16:8IF as part of my maintenance plan. I'm neutral on 16:8IF-by itself it's not a weight loss/maintenance program (unlike JUDDD/5:2, which have calorie deficits built into them). I've actually gained a few pounds over the winter, while still doing 16:8IF, because I wasn't paying attention to portion sizes and calorie intake.

    I'm debating right now about ditching IF all together. Kind of over it and while JUDDD/5:2IF were great for weight loss, 16:8IF isn't rocking my world (I've been doing it since 2014). There's interesting research out/coming out about IF and long term health/longevity of life but the longer I do IF, the less excited I am about it.
  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
    I've been doing it for 2 weeks now & it seems to agree with me. I have heard that it can news with female hormones so am considering stopping.
  • cate320
    cate320 Posts: 130 Member
    I had my best weight loss success ever eating whatever I wanted on alternate days, and then nothing in between. That was during a time in my life when I was working at a restaurant though, so it was made easier by just not keeping food in the house. I find I lack the willpower now.

    I still only eat one big meal a day though. I never want to eat when I wake up, so I really only have a few hour window during which I am hungry before I eat dinner.
  • courtniekrebs
    courtniekrebs Posts: 79 Member
    I love it I do 16:8 and low carb. Have been having tons of success now that I've experimented with different things.
  • eeejer
    eeejer Posts: 339 Member
    sonnyshoker wrote: »
    Nice, good progress. I like to eat before I go bed. I workout fasted in the morning. I sometimes have a protein shake before and after training which adds to 300cals, if I feel strong I'll just have BCAA's. Even though I've been intermittent fasting I've ate abit much lately so no loss, but I'm building good muscle. In taking it serious for the next 6-8weeks, looking to get to drop another 10lbs of fat. If I lost 15lbs in 6 weeks is be buzzing!!

    um that is not fasted if you are drinking shakes... IF means nothing but water or black coffee or tea for at least 12 hours.
  • Crisseyda
    Crisseyda Posts: 532 Member
    I think IF is great, but it's not something I initially set out to do intentionally. However, I found that eating a ketogenic diet, I'm often not hungry for breakfast or lunch and often not until closer to 3pm. I just forget to eat.

    I would imagine IF would be much harder if you are not in ketosis and fat-adapted. Before I started the ketogenic diet, I used to be starving every 3 or 4 hours. I used to have to pack snacks. If I worked a 12 hr shift (as registered nurse), I had to eat something at least 3 times during that time period or I would be cranky.

    Of course, when you are in a fasting state, you do shift into ketosis anyway. However, there is a transitional phase where you feel icky. At least staying in nutritional ketosis means there is no transition :p

  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    edited March 2016
    aqsylvester wrote: »
    I think IF is great, but it's not something I initially set out to do intentionally. However, I found that eating a ketogenic diet, I'm often not hungry for breakfast or lunch and often not until closer to 3pm. I just forget to eat.

    I would imagine IF would be much harder if you are not in ketosis and fat-adapted. Before I started the ketogenic diet, I used to be starving every 3 or 4 hours. I used to have to pack snacks. If I worked a 12 hr shift (as registered nurse), I had to eat something at least 3 times during that time period or I would be cranky.

    Of course, when you are in a fasting state, you do shift into ketosis anyway. However, there is a transitional phase where you feel icky. At least staying in nutritional ketosis means there is no transition :p

    For myself personally, I've never focused on macros/a specific way of eating-just IF/calories, and after I got used to my IF rotations (back with I was doing alternate day IF for my weight loss phase), I never really experienced issues with hunger.

    My eating window technically closed 35 minutes ago and I've eaten a grand total of 774 calories today, and I have absolutely no hunger right now. I am planning on having a beer later tonight, so that will put me 969 calories for the day, which means I have to force myself to eat 330 of calories yet, just so I hit my calorie goal.

    I've also had no issues with feeling icky going in and out of my IF window, and I've been doing IF in one form or another since 2012.

    If anything IF has taught me what real hunger is, vs eating for other reasons (time on the clock, habit, social settings, boredom etc).
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    yes
  • henry4399
    henry4399 Posts: 2 Member
    Ya man, been doing 19:5 for almost two weeks now, probably the easiest thing ever!i usually eat from 1-6, as i have no apetite in the morning anyways...
  • Lowerklass1
    Lowerklass1 Posts: 19 Member
    When you sleep your in a fasted state. I think with fasting like every other way of dropping fat, you have to be consistent. If you have a few days where you eat abit too much just reduce intake for the next few days and get back to that sweet spot. Dropping 1/2 - 1 lb is fat a week. I understand that protein shake breaks fast, but it is a light break an body still has fasted feelings. However, shakes actually effect insulin levels more than white bread so I'm stopping it now. I'm just going to stick to BCAA's for the Leucine to stop muscle breakdown.
  • MsVino
    MsVino Posts: 78 Member
    Yes I have been for two weeks now on a keto diet, my window is 20/4 first meal straight after gym at 4pm then another by 7pm. Have not had much of an appetite and seem to train well fasted also enjoy the large meals :-)
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Cant see the appeal of starving myself....
  • edwinhalo2016
    edwinhalo2016 Posts: 11 Member
    While i don't have anything to contribute yet...this is something I've been hoping to explore. So happy to see this topic on here! Happy Friday everyone!!
  • Crisseyda
    Crisseyda Posts: 532 Member
    I think it's really neat how fasting has been a spiritual practice for centuries, and now research is showing us that there are very real benefits--cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, etc. It's a very tangible example of the mind-body connection.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    Cant see the appeal of starving myself....

    I use IF.

    Do you think me eating almost 1700 cals a day is starving myself?
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    12by311 wrote: »
    Cant see the appeal of starving myself....

    I use IF.

    Do you think me eating almost 1700 cals a day is starving myself?

    Not really fasting then is it?
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    Not really fasting then is it?

    lol.

    Maybe you are confused? You've been on here since 2013 have made 2,518 posts but don't know what IF is?

    Here's a beginner's guide to IF from nerd fitness, JIC you are interested:

    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/08/06/a-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting/
  • Cookiecanwin2013
    Cookiecanwin2013 Posts: 13 Member
    I been doing this about a month now. I eat between 5 am and 12 N, I have breakfast and lunch sometime a snack around 2 or 3 pm. I don't get hungry to much and by me been on the short side, I really have to watch how much I eat. I am on 1200 cals a day. Lost 10 lbs..4 lbs first week but gain back but when I start doing cardio workout.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    I can't do it. I've tried but had to hard of a time getting enough calories in without gorging.

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