Intermittent Fasting!

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Just wondering if anyone would recommend this? Heard so much about it, maybe thinking about trying it. Are there any additional benefits of IF along with a caloric deficit? Or is it to simply make sure you're in a caloric deficit?

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  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    It helped me stabilize my blood sugar. And it's more convenient than cooking/thinking about breakfast.
  • bvttercvp
    bvttercvp Posts: 18 Member
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    I'm just recently learning about this as well. I know someone who lost 60 pounds in a couple months doing this, but their window for eating was only noon-5pm, which seems a little extreme to begin with. The hours you're fasting are supposed to keep your body in fat-burning mode longer (or at least that's how this has been explained to me).
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I've lost almost all of my weight on an IF schedule because I prefer to meet my deficit with larger meals. The smaller eating window is an easy way for me to stick to my deficit and feel full on my meals. I have heard there are additional health benefits and have experienced an improvement in my health markers, but I feel these improvements could also be attributed to my weight loss. If IF has additional health benefits that'd be great, but that's not why I'm doing it.
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
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    It works as long as your willing to loose weight. If you are trying to gain muscle and stay at low body fat than it won't work to well. If all you want to do is loose weight than go for it man. Best and fastest way to loose fat.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    well i was doing IF 16:8 (still do most of the time)and it didnt make my weight loss any quicker and I saw no additional health benefits either.my weight is coming off slowly and I weigh my food and log properly.so I would say it doesnt work for everyone
  • niniundlapin
    niniundlapin Posts: 327 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I was practicing this without noticing it for many years (12-hr without food intake; usually no food after dinner until the next morning) but my weight didn't change much until I started counting my macros/ calorie intake. I still like it though... It helped my bowel movement (empty stomach--> food--> bathroom!!) and I like to feel hungry when I wake up in the morning.
    In my opinion it won't help weight-loss if you still overeat (that won't justify my additional 300 kcal from chips consumed before 5PM, for instance), which was exactly what I did before logging my food... It's more like a lifestyle choice rather than an effective tool for weight-loss.
  • llbrixon
    llbrixon Posts: 964 Member
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    I love IF. I wish I had known about it years ago. I have 1600 calories to eat each day. My window for eating is from noon to 8pm. I love how I can eat more calories at 2 meals and snacks compared to 3 meals and snacks. It seems like when I ate a breakfast I was hungry all day.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I start eating at 1 and end before 9. I usually still eat three meals, but it certainly makes skipping breakfast for a larger lunch easier. It's more for the sake of satiety than anything, really.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I'm assuming you guys only drink black coffee/tea or water or other calorie free fluids before your window opens, right? No milk or creamer or anything like that in your fasting time.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    I'm assuming you guys only drink black coffee/tea or water or other calorie free fluids before your window opens, right? No milk or creamer or anything like that in your fasting time.
    Water. Tea. (I don't drink coffee).

  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
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    I'm assuming you guys only drink black coffee/tea or water or other calorie free fluids before your window opens, right? No milk or creamer or anything like that in your fasting time.

    That's correct in my case. I have heard others say that they keep any caloric consumption under a small amount like 60-70 calories during the "fasting" time. I know there are plenty of folks out there who have a bit of cream in their coffee during the fasting window, but keep an eye on the overall intake. I prefer my coffee/tea black and my soda diet, so it works out well.
  • dmariet116
    dmariet116 Posts: 530 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I have always "sort of" done this, lol! Never been a breakfast person as it always makes me want to go back to bed... But now for the past week I have been drinking 2T Bragg vinegar, dash of cayenne and dash of cinnamon in a 12 oz glass of water each morning after coffee. I don't want food till around noon.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    I do it because it helps me to control my calorie expenditure easier.
  • dmariet116
    dmariet116 Posts: 530 Member
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    tw807278 wrote: »
    Just wondering if anyone would recommend this? Heard so much about it, maybe thinking about trying it. Are there any additional benefits of IF along with a caloric deficit? Or is it to simply make sure you're in a caloric deficit?

    This is a good article explaining benefits of IF https://authoritynutrition.com/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/