Intermittent fasting

jordan_bowden

So I've been intermittent fasting for several months now and not seeing results anymore. I started of doing 24 hour fasts (Wednesdays and Sundays) and it basically evolved from there. I am now fasting 16/8 on a daily basis, (sometimes a few hours longer) in addition to the 24 hours twice a week. I shuffle the times I break my fasts, in order to prevent adaptation but I still don't see results?? Does anybody have any ideas as to why this may be ?

rsclause

I do better with several smaller meals and snack. I like to call it grazing. Starvation is something that I am just not cut out to do.

ew_david

You are consuming more calories than your body burns.

jordan_bowden

I generally stay under 800 calories a day, occasionally I reach 1000 but not often. I know it's really disgusting but I do gym and exercise several times during the week as well. How much would you recommend reducing my intake by then ?

singingflutelady

jordan_bowden wrote: »

I generally stay under 800 calories a day, occasionally I reach 1000 but not often. I know it's really disgusting but I do gym and exercise several times during the week as well. How much would you recommend reducing my intake by then ?

Do you use a food scale?

jordan_bowden

Unfortunately I do not have one yet, but I do meticulously measure quantities. I am a raw till 4, hclf vegan and I don't use salt or condiments so I know that I don't have any issues with unknown calories

jemhh

What are your height and weight?

colors_fade

rsclause wrote: »

I do better with several smaller meals and snack. I like to call it grazing. Starvation is something that I am just not cut out to do.

Same. Four to six meals per day for me. I can't imagine fasting. I'd die.

Fasting would lead me to binge, or at the very least, make some really fattening food choices.

jordan_bowden

I'm 161cm (5'3 I think) and 50kg (110lb)

jemhh

jordan_bowden wrote: »

I'm 161cm (5'3 I think) and 50kg (110lb)

BMI = 19.5

What is your goal? You say that you are not seeing results. What results are you looking for?

jordan_bowden

My goal is to lose as much body fat as possible and tone overall. I would still like to lose a couple more kg's, I just can't seem to manage it

rsclause

800 calories a day? That is probably less than my breakfast.

jemhh

jordan_bowden wrote: »

My goal is to lose as much body fat as possible and tone overall. I would still like to lose a couple more kg's, I just can't seem to manage it

Being "toned" requires muscle mass. At your stats if you are not completely shredded, you are lacking muscle mass and would be better off eating more to build muscle mass. You do not even have enough fat to recomp successfully IMO. Eat more and get on a progressive resistance program. I'd say a long slow bulk (a year or more) would be your best option and get you much closer to the look you want than would losing any more weight.

jordan_bowden

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! This is really helpful!:)

elisa123gal

I'm doing 16:8 ..just started. But I wonder what you're end game is? you want to live your life fasting two days a week and intermittent periods during the other days ...eating 800 calories a day and work out like crazy to weigh what? 100 pounds?

Think about that. You can do that forever?

with the 16:8 I feel this could be an eating pattern that I can manage forever. But I'm eating healthy not restricting calories during my 8 hour eating period.

trigden1991

You still need to be in a caloric deficit for this to work!

workinonit1956

trigden1991 wrote: »

You still need to be in a caloric deficit for this to work!

Very true, IF is a great tool (I love it and practice it daily) but the key is to eat at a deficit.

distinctlybeautiful

jordan_bowden wrote: »

I generally stay under 800 calories a day, occasionally I reach 1000 but not often. I know it's really disgusting but I do gym and exercise several times during the week as well. How much would you recommend reducing my intake by then ?

What's disgusting? I'm genuinely curious because when I read all your posts in this thread, I felt concerned about the possibility of some disordered eating behaviors. I don't know you, so obviously I may be completely wrong. It just sounds to me like you're super restrictive, with the amount you eat, what you eat, and when you eat.

RoxieDawn

To much focus on fasting (24 hour fasts, alternating food timing to avoid body adaptations etc..) the real goal should be to eat the right amount of calories to lose fat and add in some strength training. Logging 800 calories without a food scale can very much be "consuming" a lot more than 800 calories..

jordan_bowden

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

jordan_bowden wrote: »

I generally stay under 800 calories a day, occasionally I reach 1000 but not often. I know it's really disgusting but I do gym and exercise several times during the week as well. How much would you recommend reducing my intake by then ?

What's disgusting? I'm genuinely curious because when I read all your posts in this thread, I felt concerned about the possibility of some disordered eating behaviors. I don't know you, so obviously I may be completely wrong. It just sounds to me like you're super restrictive, with the amount you eat, what you eat, and when you eat.

I don't really struggle with sticking to my fasting, I just don't have much of an appetite and even on days that I do have higher caloric intake, I still battle to consume that much purely because I can't eat that much food (800 is the average in general)

RoxieDawn

jordan_bowden wrote: »

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

jordan_bowden wrote: »

I generally stay under 800 calories a day, occasionally I reach 1000 but not often. I know it's really disgusting but I do gym and exercise several times during the week as well. How much would you recommend reducing my intake by then ?

What's disgusting? I'm genuinely curious because when I read all your posts in this thread, I felt concerned about the possibility of some disordered eating behaviors. I don't know you, so obviously I may be completely wrong. It just sounds to me like you're super restrictive, with the amount you eat, what you eat, and when you eat.

I don't really struggle with sticking to my fasting, I just don't have much of an appetite and even on days that I do have higher caloric intake, I still battle to consume that much purely because I can't eat that much food (800 is the average in general)

There is quite a lot wrong with this.. You cannot reach calories on normal eating days? I would say you need to drop all the 16:8 and 24 hour fasting and get back to eating a normal amount of calories each day.

This fasting sounds like it is not for you in the least bit and perhaps leading to (and I hate to say this) disordered eating patterns and thinking.

VLCD (800 calories.. even below 1200 calories) is very very unhealthy. You are not seeing results any more because you are eating way way too little. I might entertain the idea of speaking to a professional, start with your primary doctor for some help. You truly need to drop dieting all together to help your metabolism IMHO.