Intermittent fasting anyone??

bitsyybabyy

Hi! So next week Im going to start intermittent fasting. Kind of nervous but I have been reading up on it a lot! Anyone who is doing this or have done this? I will take all the tips and suggestions I can get!

inertiastrength

I do a bastardized version in that I only skip breakfast and don't follow a window but I advise you to fast when you are least hungry vs filling an arbitrary timeline.

bitsyybabyy

Thank you! @mrsnattybulking

Ironandwine69

Yep. 4-5 years now

bitsyybabyy

@Ironandwine69 how did you start out? What do you eat? Do you do the full 8 hrs w/o food? I have so many questions!

Ironandwine69

I do mostly 18:6. I eat noon to 6pm. But I change it sometimes based on what's going on. Yesterday I had all my calories noon to 2 pm so I fasted until 11am today. But most days I fast 6pm to noon. I don't remember how I started to be honest. Add me. I am the worst food logger but my diary is open.

kimothy38

I've been doing 5:2 for the past 6 weeks. I noticed that fasting had negative impact on training so I've started taking BCAAs capsules to compensate and changed a fasting day. It's working well though. I eat dinner 6pm the night before then fast for 16 hours, have 800 calories (usually eggs, fish, greens, oats, protein drink, fruit) during an 8 hour window, then fast again for another 16 hours.

bitsyybabyy

@kimothy38 hows your body handling the fasting? Have you seen results?

polvo71

I do 5:2 and follow my colories very carefully on the non fast days. it works for me. Since you have been reading up on it then you probably have some good tips in your toolbox. Protein and green veggies is the way to go. I have to skip coffee on fast days because even a tiny bit of milk will suck up precious calories. Stock up on shritaki noodles (tofu). They are a godsend on fast days. Just make sure you rinse them befor you add them to your veggies or protein. It smells awful but they don't taste like they smell at all.

amy3cc

I do 16:8, been on intermittent for a few years. Love it--helps me sleep, makes it easier for me to manage my calorie intake. I stop eating at 8pm, start back up at noon. It's easy breezy, IMO. I just drink a ton of water, tea, black coffee. The first week I had headaches, now it just doesn't phase me. I run and/or lift early morning, it's still good.

crazyycatladyy1

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

Yep. 4-5 years now

Same-been doing IF in its various forms for around 5 years now (through the weight loss phase and now in maintenance).

MileHighFitness

^^Agreed

bitsyybabyy

@amy3cc @polvo71 thats awesome! Thanks for sharing I really appreciate it. I'm offcially starting next week. Been prepping myself haha

RedheadedPrincess14

I use an app called zero to track my fasting. I started with a 10 hr feeding window and now I usually eat in a 6-7 hour window. I love it. It actually makes me feel less hungry cause I get to eat big meals

bitsyybabyy

@RedheadedPrincess14 thank you! Will def be checking that out.

jovacheresse

I tried it for three weeks ( I ate only between 12:00noon to 8pm). No results. So I went back to eating 5 smaller meals per day and it's working for me. I guess it all depends on an individual's body.

jamezbond

I have done a 12 hour IF (eat 11 am, post workout, to 10 or 11 at night) for a few years. Great for me.

bitsyybabyy

@jovacheresse were you incorporating workouts as well?

ravengirl2014

Hi! I started at a new gym in November, I met with a trainer for the first time...he gave me a program to do but I didn't embrace the way of eating he recommended. Fast forward to now...I had lost 12 pds but then stalled...and believe me...I have way more to lose! So I met with him again...I am vegetarian so his protein/veggie plan is a learning process! I am ready to listen to him...he has 6% body fat right now...he might know a thing or two...

kimothy38

bitsyybabyy wrote: »

@kimothy38 hows your body handling the fasting? Have you seen results?

I lost 1.5kg in the first week then it slowed down then stalled for a few weeks then another 1.5kg loss. Lost 8kg over 6 weeks I think. The thing I like about fasting is that it's only 2 days a week which I can cope with way better than dieting every day. I try to eat sensibly on the other days but I'm not strict and I don't log on those days. This will need to change as I lose more weight.
I recommend the blood sugar diet book by Michael Mosley - very inspiring. I'm doing it not just for weight loss but I also have a sibling with type 2 diabetes.
What I didn't anticipate was the negative effect on training. I do 30 mins circuit at 6am the day after fasting (don't break fast yet till mid morn) and I'd feel so weak it was a real struggle. So now I take BCAA powder and it's really helped with endurance.

rybo

Unless you are doing 5:2, intermittent fasting isn't a weight loss protocol unless you are consciously eating fewer calories. Many people can adjust as needed to lose, maintain or gain weight while IF. especially the 16:8 form and it's variations. I have been following it for years now and love it for the simplicity, but make no mistake, just eating within a certain window isn't going to make you magically lose weight.

lilysillycat

I started doing intermittent fasting about three weeks ago. I just eat one big meal per day. Love it so far. Eating one meal a day just save so much time and effort on cooking. And meal planning is so simple. Life is so much better this way.

Crys8021

I'm glad to see so many have had great results with fasting. I've thought about 5:2 and think it would be perfect for me. My husband works a 24/48 shift and duty days would be perfect for me since we're not eating together.

toxikon

Yup, I skip breakfast. I drink tea all morning then eat lunch around noon. Then dinner around 6pm. Sometimes I'll throw in a little snack between my 2 meals if I'm really ravenous, but not too often.

Don't be surprised if it takes some time for the hunger pains to go away. If your body is used to eating at 8am every morning, it's going to be upset when you switch up the schedule. After a week or two it'll become much easier.

sunfastrose

kimothy38 wrote: »

I've been doing 5:2 for the past 6 weeks. I noticed that fasting had negative impact on training so I've started taking BCAAs capsules to compensate and changed a fasting day. It's working well though. I eat dinner 6pm the night before then fast for 16 hours, have 800 calories (usually eggs, fish, greens, oats, protein drink, fruit) during an 8 hour window, then fast again for another 16 hours.

Please tell me you eat more than 800 calories a day.

SeikoMonster

16:8 faster here. I eat breakfast at 11am, lunch around 2pm then have dinner around 6:30pm.

Been going since January, once in a while its a challenge to make it to breakfast. Recommendation, keep busy, don't complain to friends/coworkers about how hungry you are, it will only make it worse. If you have free time in the morning do something like dust the house, get the shopping done whatever.

Once you get into the routine its easy to keep at it. 99% of the time I don't even think about food till about half hour before its time to eat. In fact couple days a week Ill be busy and not get a chance to eat till after noon.

As to benefits, I am doing it to keep meal times locked in. It helps me knowing it is only x number of hours till I can eat dinner, and stops me from going and having a bowl of chips.

sargeanthartman

After years of trying to lose weight and not succeeding, I can honestly say the 5:2 has been life changing for me.
IT WORKS!
I am now 4lbs off my target weight of 8st then I will maintain that weight with a fast once a week.
I do intermittant fasting of two days a week of 500calories and I can eat what I please on my non fasting days.
Nothing is set in stone and if you go over your 500calories it's no big deal - if you go way over, just chill out and try again tomorrow.
I have lost all the blubber round my waist that I thought would never go and am now starting to partake in sports that I thought were closed to me, swimming, running and cycling.
I literally could not even walk uphill before.
My doctor has been amazed by the success of this diet and has even started recommending it to her more challenging patients.
There is now evidence to show that intermittant fasting also has other health benefits other than weight loss.
I read Michael Moseleys book after this diet was shown on the Horizon program on BBC tv. It is fascinating and informative.
PLEASE NOTE..type 1 diabetics should not practise the 5:2diet.

bitsyybabyy

Wow thank you guys for sharing!

endlessfall16

I support fasting.

I follow fasting/light eating but it's not intermittent or random. I synch it with my light activity days.

Tips: don't be afraid to incorporate some fun alcohol drinks in your fasting. You'll find you have a lot of free time when you don't cook a full meal, and some nights go very slowly. Alcohol helps and it doesn't take a lot to feel the buzz obviously, but drink responsibly.

jdog022

bitsyybabyy wrote: »

Hi! So next week Im going to start intermittent fasting. Kind of nervous but I have been reading up on it a lot! Anyone who is doing this or have done this? I will take all the tips and suggestions I can get!

Just know it's not magic. if you put down 8k calories in your eating window you won't lose an ounce.

I lost all my wieght without IF. now I do it just to help deal with hunger in maintenance and because I like big meals. Point is, IF in itself is not a "diet". it's an eating strategy.

Also rule number 1. don't tell to many people you are doing IF. people really still think breakfast is critical thanks to years of commercials and they'll think your crazy and hurting yourself.

EmotionalEater84

I only eat two meals a day, kinda .. my coffee unfortunately counts as my "third meal" because I put coffee mate and honey in it. I will eat my first food meal at 12-1pm. Then supper at 5-6pm. Water after that! I'm not sure if it helps me lose weight exactly, but I feel better and can control my calorie intake a lot easier!! Good luck to you with whatever you do .. and remember what works for one, doesn't work for all. Find something that works best for you and stick to it!!