Intermittent fasting - 30 pounds lost

acmorris77

In February, My doctor told me I had high triglycerides and needed to be on medicine unless something changed. Losing weight was one of the things I needed to do in order to get my levels in line. She gave me the list of foods to avoid such as red meat, fried foods, and processed carbohydrates. Also, she told me that she recommends intermittent fasting as part of my daily eating habits and gave me an 8 hour window to eat every day. She said that the longer your body fasts (within reason) the longer it stays in fat burning mode. The Triglycerides live in the fat and will therefore be reduced.


So, I took the advice, started cutting back on red meat and processed foods and only eat within 7-8 hours. I usually eat from 11am to 6 at this point. Obviously, you have to stay within your calorie goal and can't eat 10,000 calories during your eating window. It's still calories in and calories out. But, IF has definitely played a role in me losing 30 lbs. since March 1st. I used to eat breakfast even when I wasn't hungry and be starving 2 hours later. Now, I eat breakfast/lunch around 11 and I'm not hungry until dinner. I have not been too strict with my foods meaning that I still drink wine, eat carbs, etc., but make sure my calories are at a WEEKLY deficit and follow my IF window. If I go over on the weekends, I just eat a bit lighter 2 days during the week. I haven't felt hungry or deprived at all and lost a good amount of weight and I attribute this to IF.

I realize that there are extreme ways to use IF such as 5 normal days and 2 very low calorie days, but that's not what I've done here. Every BODY is different, this may not help others, but if you're not a breakfast person, or a dinner person, trying to shorten the window of when you eat each day can be beneficial.

My triglycerides are normal now and I'm feeling great!

pedraono

thanks for sharing!

I also don't feel hungry in the morning, so I usually don't eat until 12-13. Then dinner around 19.
I'll try shifting the lunch to an hour earlier and create some more time in between.

And don't you eat absolutely anything in between?
I usually eat (a small amount of) fruit if I feel hungry in between. Would this totally ruin the "fasting" ?

acmorris77

@pedraono I do not eat anything before or after my window. I do drink coffee in the morning and water. But that's it.

cmriverside

pedraono wrote: »

thanks for sharing!

I also don't feel hungry in the morning, so I usually don't eat until 12-13. Then dinner around 19.
I'll try shifting the lunch to an hour earlier and create some more time in between.

And don't you eat absolutely anything in between?
I usually eat (a small amount of) fruit if I feel hungry in between. Would this totally ruin the "fasting" ?

Intermittent Fasting - when it is said to "eat within an eight hour window," it means, eat all your day's calories between X'oclock and XXo'clock. How you break that up is up to you. If you want to eat six little snacks within those eight hours, that's good. If you want one big meal and one small meal, fine. Two medium meals, yes. One monster meal only, three meals, whatever, etc.

It's about the 8-hour eating window, and the 16 hour fast - not anything more complicated. And it isn't a magical thing, it is just more convenient and leads to easier diet adherence for some people. I've been doing IF for years, but only because that's how I naturally eat anyway. Late breakfast/brunch, early supper. Sometimes a snack midday, sometimes not.

2011rocket3touring

3 days a week I'll do a 13 hour fast, which ends up being 3 hrs post cardio.

rjbrown434

I started doing this before I read your post. I stopped eating breakfast and eating my first meal at 11 or 12. I found myself eating 400 calorie breakfasts everyday even though I was not hungry in morning. My mom always told me to eat breakfast or you will snack on bad food before lunch. I just motivate myself to wait and it works! I lost 3lbs in 3 days! I also have been working out and eating right. Tracking my caloric intake, ect...Thanks for your motivating post. Nice to see someone else's success!

Cheesy567

Great work!

You have an awesome Doctor, ahead of her times. Keep her!!

shaunte92

Nice! Congrats! I started IF last week. I'm hoping the structure of it will help me lose the last 5-10 pounds I want to lose.

acmorris77

@shaunte92 One tip: Always have your food or a snack ready if you're at the end of the 8 hours and starving. That way, you won't just grab any crap that's in front of you! Good luck!

CharleezAngel1

@acmorris77 What is your calorie goal during your 8 hour period?

acmorris77

@CharleezAng... about 1350 per day. But, that can be spread out over the week. I may not eat 1350 each day, sometimes 1200. I'm not as hungry most days and I save the calories for the weekends. But, I'm also not exercising. I have a desk job. The gym is next on my list.

pleasurelittletreasure

acmorris77 wrote: »

@shaunte92 One tip: Always have your food or a snack ready if you're at the end of the 8 hours and starving. That way, you won't just grab any crap that's in front of you! Good luck!

Ugh. So true with the 'have your food ready' because last night I ended my fast at 5:00 and while cooking I was listening to my Glass Animals cd. As soon as he started singing about "peanut butter vibe", it took all my will power to stay on track and not grab a spoonful (or more!) of peanut butter while I was cooking.

roseym10

This is awesome! I just started this form of IF this week. If I may ask, what is your age and starting weight? I'm 53 and need to lose 20-30 lbs but my metabolism is not what it used to be because of my age. I'm hoping IF will help me as well as it is working for you.

acmorris77

@rosemy10 I am 38, 6' 2" and was 228

acmorris77

@Cheesy567 I agree!

acmorris77

@pleasurelittlet... That happens to me too! I try to brush my teeth and drink water when I'm done eating. It starts my body into the going to sleep mode and curbs my hunger.

DarrellHodgeLog

I do IF also. I am doing a 19/5 cycle. I was stuck at around 16% body fat. Things are in motion again with IF.

Reinventing_Me

@acmorris I'm on day 4 of the 16/8 cycle. The first three days were a breeze, but today did not go so well. I was about 2 hours out from my eating window when I got a bit queasy and light-headed and felt like I needed to put something in my stomach. I drank some water and tea, but they didn't help at all. I'm not sure if it was my morning workout, low blood sugar, or what. I'm disciplined enough to do IF, but decided to listen to my body...especially since I didn't feel hungry...I felt bad. I know there's an adjustment period and all, but I don't want it to feel like a struggle. Anyway, how did you handle situations like this? Do you allow for small adjustments in your fasting schedule, or are you pretty strict?

I know I addressed the OP, but if anyone else has suggestions or experience, please feel free to chime in.

acmorris77

@reinventing_... Yes! You have to listen to your body. The first couple of weeks I was eating about 10 to 7...and then slowly brought the window to a smaller hour amount. Your body needs time to adjust. Now, I'm hungry around 11:30, but not starving. Some days I'll be hungrier earlier and so I eat earlier. Then, I just eat dinner really early. It's easy for me because I get home and don't have to cook for kids or a husband. I pretty much eat right at 5:30 and then go to bed early. I found my overall hunger was reduced and I have a lot more energy. If you feel lethargic or sick, it may not be for you. Also, cutting carbs is big. They only make you more hungry. Processed carbs that is! I still eat chips and bread almost every day, but only half a small bag of potato chips and one piece of bread on an open faced sandwich at lunch. I feel satisfied with a smaller amount.

mkramarz

I like the 8am to 4pm time frame for eating.... Although the it's 9 30 now and I'm hungry but heading to bed... I wake up early and the little exercise I do is in in the am so need the calories then to motivate myself... Only been doing this a week or so but your success motivates me... Thanks!

JustaJoe00

thanks for posting. I've talked to many guys here that have said that limited fasting helps you get where you need to be. I've found it to be really hard but i do it at times also to get my mind back on track...Good work!

Barrett9835

I just began this process 2 days ago and already see a difference on the scale. I didn't know that there was a name to my method! I am just not hungry in the morning and it seems once I start eating I am even more hungry. So now I eat some cottage cheese at 1 for lunch and save the rest of my calories for nigh time. I eat a normal portion for dinner and a snack later on....I eat from 1pm to 8 pm and go to bed at 9pm. I feel better, less bloated during the day and have more energy. I drink plenty of water and walk 1-2 miles each day. I know they say to eat several small meals all day long but not all bodies are the same and for me, this works for now!

bmayes2014

Thank you for sharing. I am starting IF today so I searched the boards for a few threads to read. I am planning to use IF at the same caloric level set in MFP, and as a tool not to exceed my deficit which I do quite often. I have fasted for spiritual purposes, so I am confident in my ability to do it. I have never done it for weight loss, however. I am going to give this a try for 2 weeks to see how it goes. I have been stuck at the same weight for far too long and I need to shake things up a bit. I love breakfast, but I am often not hungry. I often have a 10am snack as well. I work out in the mornings fasted - always have. I am doing 12-8pm eating and the rest fasting.

email4jenp

I had a terrible stall for the month of May and first part of June. Did IF 18:6 and all of a sudden that stall became a whoosh aND I've lost quite a bit in the last week and a half. I do Ketogenic diet, so I'm no longer hungry and to do a 16 or 18 hour fast is not a problem at all (I even exercised during those fasts and felt amazing, no low blood sugar issues and my muscles recovered nicely, no pain, no weekness). I even had a 19 hour fast one day! I'm completely sold!

singingflutelady

I usually do 20:4 or 21:3 with my eating period being 12 or 1 to 4. The only time I deviate is if I am at my parents house visiting and eat tat their lunch and supper times. I eat 1 meal a day so if I go out for supper or am busy I might eat later than the window but won't eat during that window those days.

misschip1983

I started doing this about 3 months ago and so far I've lost 28lbs. My eating window is 12pm until 8pm and all I drink is water. I've not felt hungry at all and I seem to have more energy.

n2gardens56

I am doing this too. Good to hear from others on this site that are having success with this method. My son has done this off and on for a year and lost over 80+ pounds. He is doing maintenance now. I have been doing IF for a week... just could not seem to get several days together before binge eating prior to IF. I was trying to eat breakfast in the morning because I thought I needed to in order to lose the weight. But after reading this, tried delaying my first meal until 11 or 12 pm, and have not found myself hungry until then with no problem, my cut off in the evening is 6 pm or 7 pm(if I have do not eat until 1 pm). The scale is finally moving and I am full of energy. Not eating anything past 6 pm has stopped my binge eating and I always have enough calories for my two meals. I am also eating super healthy to prevent the binge eating urges too, that has helped. Thank you to everyone that has posted... will be keeping up the IF for a while.

jhabeck1

@lhabeck23 Read the top message and those that follow. I think this would really help you achieve your goal... I'm going to start following this too!

carrie197618

I can see such a difference in my belly. My eating window is 8am-5 pm(ideally it should be 4 but I just can't seem to have supper by 4) I can't skip breakfast coz I wake up with a headache otherwise. I have seen majority of people skipping breakfast. But for me it's easier to skip dinner

Rebekah_89

acmorris77 wrote: »

@pedraono I do not eat anything before or after my window. I do drink coffee in the morning and water. But that's it.

Is it okay to drink coffee before you allotted times? Like if you add cream and sugar, isn't that still calories consumed?

acmorris77

@Rebekah_Washington I do drink coffee, black with a little splenda. I also drink other diet soft drinks, but mostly flavored seltzer water. And, I take probiotic and fish oil.