Has anyone tired intermittent fasting ?

Nimbkar

I want to try intermittent fast and was looking for support group . I want to try 16:8 window . Is there anybody out there who has used the technique and would like to share tips.?

HarlemNY17

Yes intermittent fasting is working great for me!! The first few days you gotta keep trying to force yourself not to eat after your window lol but that's only because your body has to adapt . 1 month and I've already lost 14lbs of course some was water but I'm so happy I see a change in my stomach . And my legs and hip area has gotta smaller so I definitely suggest it . Also make sure you get your protein in to keep you full from not feeling hungry after your window also Fiber is great too it really helps my food digest so much faster while I'm fasting

HarlemNY17

Also intermittent fasting is the fasting way I've started losing weight . I've lost weight in the past but it wasn't as fast as doing intermittent fasting because while your fasting your insulin is low so your body digs into your fat stores for energy

SisepuedeLinda

Sounds interesting. Are there only specific times like 9-6 or 10-7? What's the latest or earliest time to do it? I'm assuming it's different for everyone due to schedules and such. Is it something to start off with when beginning a diet or incorporate it later?

kommodevaran

I'm eating according to the 16:8 or 18:6 protocol, and it's really, really not a big deal. (I want to say "for heaven's sake!") It's just a meal schedule. A good meal schedule is personal, it's easy to stick to and makes it as easy as possible to stick to a way of eating that corresponds with your day, your goals and your values. All other variables are independent of your meal schedule. You still have to get in all the nutrition you need. You still have to not eat too much. You can still eat the food you like. You can still exercise, if you want to.

livingleanlivingclean

lsanchez910 wrote: »

Sounds interesting. Are there only specific times like 9-6 or 10-7? What's the latest or earliest time to do it? I'm assuming it's different for everyone due to schedules and such. Is it something to start off with when beginning a diet or incorporate it later?

Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. IF can be a useful tool to help you stick to your calorie goal, but as long as you stick to your calorie limit it really makes no difference when you eat the calories. I do IF because I like eating a lot at night - not eating early in the day means I have more calories to use in the evening. I've eaten like this to lose, but also to maintain and gain.

StealthHealth

I use IF - have done so for 99% of my days for a few years now (I occasionally break the pattern for very special family occasions and the like).

My advice:

• Continue to track your calories - it is easy to eat over your calorie goal in the feeding window
• Black tea and coffee and zero cal drinks are not considered to be breaking your fast so use them liberally throughout your fast hours
• Exercise is possible when fasted - I see no drop off in my gym performance (weights) when fasted but any running/cardio for longer than 45 mins is hard and my hunger afterwards is intense
• There is no magic in the 8:16 ratio - if another ratio fits your day better then don't be afraid to do that - I often run a 10:14 schedule

Silentpadna

I've done 16:8 for about a month, with 3 or 4 days not in plan. It's not a panacea by any stretch. What it is for me is a helpful way to control intake, a way to eat bigger meals - which I enjoy more, and to have more flexibility if something comes up for later in the day.

Some of the claims out there, specifically relative to when your body burns more fat, supposedly while fasting, are dubious at best. Even if they are true, I'm not sure if the benefits are that significant when compared to the deficit itself.

16:8 won't make you lose weight. A calorie deficit will do that. 16:8 (or other methods) may help you lose weight if it specifically helps you stay in a deficit.

loongway2go

I'm starting it for the first time today as well. I'll send you a friend request and we can use each other for support if you'd like. I'm going to use the 18:6 protocol. It definitely depends on the person and their timing. This works best for me because I work in the evenings and that's when I tend to get hungry. So after my last meal (around 9/10pm) I digest on my way home then head to bed.

ImmortalFire

yeah I've done 16:8 and its worked pretty well for me - you do adapt and your appetite cues do change over time. I found the timing worked really well for me initially purely cause I was more of a late breakfast person (ie around 9:30-10am) and prefer going for runs on an empty stomach.

As off late, I;ve moved away from IF purely cause I got into the mindset of eating when I wasn't hungry because if I didn't then I'd miss my eating window.

Tips:
Go hard on the water/tea/coffee (0cal), staying hydrated is key especially at first when your body's adapting to the meal schedule.

Monklady123

I have just started this also, based on recommendations from a friend who is a medical doctor. She looked into the research and said it really makes sense, especially for people who may be insulin resistant. I had a high a1c last time I was at the doctor...not quite high enough for her to call me a type 2 diabetic but high enough that she mentioned it to me and said I need to lose some weight.

For me the fasting works first of all because I've never been a breakfast eater. Usually I force myself to eat something but then I'd eat lunch, snacks, and dinner also. By cutting out morning eating I'm immediately cutting out all those calories. Then I eat a normal lunch, mid-afternoon snack of some kind, and dinner.

I definitely feel better in the morning...no more tiredness or shaky hunger, both of which are caused by glucose ups and downs (according to my doctor). I make sure to eat some good protein with lunch and dinner, along with lots of vegetables. I usually eat fruit with yogurt as my afternoon snack.

We will see how it impacts weight loss which hasn't been great up till now.

Nimbkar

Thank you all for the support! I am looking forward to putting all that insight to work!!

Nimbkar

@Monklady123 - How long have you been at it?
I am the same , I don't need to have breakfast as i never cultivated the discipline to prepare something healthy in the morning and still make it to work on time so I don't miss breakfast too much ..
My friend lost 55 pounds on this but he is going on long periods without food .. i think it is 2 days without food and dinner on day 3, then start the fast for 2 days again.
I don't think i will be able to do that but I would be happy with 16:8

Nimbkar

Silentpadna wrote: »

I've done 16:8 for about a month, with 3 or 4 days not in plan. It's not a panacea by any stretch. What it is for me is a helpful way to control intake, a way to eat bigger meals - which I enjoy more, and to have more flexibility if something comes up for later in the day.

Some of the claims out there, specifically relative to when your body burns more fat, supposedly while fasting, are dubious at best. Even if they are true, I'm not sure if the benefits are that significant when compared to the deficit itself.

16:8 won't make you lose weight. A calorie deficit will do that. 16:8 (or other methods) may help you lose weight if it specifically helps you stay in a deficit.

Yeah makes sense! If nothing else it will stop me from eating at all hours and help create a deficit!

havesomejoe

I've been doing it for over 5 years now and consider it to be one of the biggest things that has helped me get fit and keep it off. It's not for everyone but I absolutely think you should give it a good 1-month trial (less than 2 weeks you'll deal with hunger and won't adapt to it.)

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OliveGirl128

Nimbkar wrote: »

I want to try intermittent fast and was looking for support group . I want to try 16:8 window . Is there anybody out there who has used the technique and would like to share tips.?

I did alternative day IF for my weight loss phase, 5:2IF for the transition period between my weight loss phase and maintenance, and now 4 years into maintenance I do 16:8IF as part of my maintenance plan. IF fits well with my lifestyle and helps me with my calorie adherance

mnalsa83

I 16:8. Basically from 9pm tonight until 1/2 pm tomorrow, I only have my coffee. My Lunch is between 1/2 and dinner around 6. If I decide on a snack, it's gotta be before 9pm. I do this Mon-Sat. Sunday is the only day I actually make a breakfast, because it's the only morning my Hubby and I have together with our work schedules.

lalepepper

Yep, I lost 100 lbs on it my last round of weight loss with IF, and have lost 25 this time so far. I eat about 20/4 each day. It helps me feel more satisfied from a limited amount of calories, and I make better decisions when I am eating at home and not trying to eat on the road, as I spend my whole day driving and visiting patients in their homes.

I'm one of those people that tends to keep eating once I start, so eating in morning/lunch time just results in creeping hunger/sleepiness later in the day and makes it harder to keep a deficit. Eating breakfast/lunch does not positively improve my hunger, and I ultimately wound up eating more calories like others have mentioned above.

I also have a GI absorption problem that requires taking medication 2 hrs before eating (even a few raspberries can set it off, as I learned today...), so eating in a smaller window helps avoid the negative side effects that this med can result in in higher doses, and keeps me from impulsive eating.

I drink black coffee/water/diet drinks during my fast. I eat from about 6/7 to 10/11 each night.

For more support/information from other IF practitioners, we have an IF group here on the message boards: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

mmgabr123

I recently started doing intermitent fasting and it's been a huge eye opener to my mindless eating in the morning and late at night. I do the 8:16 and chose my eating window from 12-8 or 1-9 (if I'm at an event where lunch is earlier than that, I will adjust accordingly). The only down side that I've found to IF is that I'm more likely to binge during my eating window. That being said, in my opinion, meal prep is key to staying on track with this diet because with meal prep you have already portioned out what your going to eat and don't subject yourself to overserving or overindulging.

Nimbkar

i can totally empathize!