Intermittent fasting

tomjennings2716

Have just started the 8/16 and wondered if others are trying it and what are the results?
Anything I should look out for?

2011rocket3touring

No idea. Started a few weeks ago. The only thing I've really noticed is that when I finally eat my appetite has rabies.

cmriverside

What kind of results?

I eat with that schedule, too. It helps me to push back my first meal and it helps me to stay out of the kitchen after a certain hour. Other than that - it's just a schedule.

ew_david

You should look out for eating too many calories, just like with any other diet.

Thr33N1N3

I just started. I'd also like to see the comments. I hear good things from the internet forums.

LilyGetsFitNow

Think the biggest thing for me with this is I squish all my food to a short time frame. So, I'm not eating like a rabbit all day. Instead, I get to eat larger meals and more frequently within that 6 hour window. I also believe it helps get your body to start using its fat reserves like its supposed to. Working out while in IF window isn't always easy but it definitely burns your fat (versus food in your stomach). Yes, as with any diet if you are wanting to lose weight you will still need to watch your calories. IF alone won't make much of a difference. It's IF with dieting that doubles that weight loss.

tomjennings2716

Have you found it hard to exercise during this way of dieting?

gtm197

I've been on a 19:5/20:4 Intermittent Fast for 2 weeks. Best move I've ever made. People need to realize that it is NOT a diet, but an eating schedule. At 263 pounds I am consuming 2000-2100 calories at day and losing weight overall and inches from my belly. I am more focused, I strength training during my fasting period with success, and have lost cravings to snack. I eat 2 meals a day usually from 12 noon to 4PM and that's it. It is obviously not for everyone, but it is the plan I chose to use and it is working. Too many other benefits to ignore other than weight loss. Do your research.

cmriverside

tomjennings2716 wrote: »

Have you found it hard to exercise during this way of dieting?

Some people like to work out fasted, some don't. So eat before you exercise, or the other way around. Doesn't matter. Find your groove. It's still calories in < calories out for weight loss. Intermittent fasting is a meal schedule, nothing more - so it shouldn't affect your energy levels if you are eating enough in general.

If you are using Myfitnesspal to set your daily calorie goal, then you are supposed to be eating more on exercise days. This site is set up to be used that way.

Take a look at this thread in the Stickies (short video)

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

With this in mind, it is strictly a matter of preference and macros (as far as exercise.)

blambo61

Started IF 27-months ago. I've lost 54-lb (SW 252 CW 198) and kept it off.

I lost most of the weight doing a 20:4 schedule and I maintained doing a 16:8 schedule.

I can work out in the mornings without issues but in the evenings, I need a little something before the workout or I will have issues after fasting 20-hrs.

It is still about calories (I don't count) but fasting helps me control calories and is sustainable for me due to:

1. My stomach shrinks fasting for 20-hrs over time and I don't eat as much in the evenings.
2. I get to eat tell full and I graze after that in the evenings and I still lose. Eating tell full is extremely important for long-term sustainability for me. Eating a bunch of small meals and stopping before I'm full is a non-starter for me.
3. I don't get hungry in the mornings if I just drink a glass of water. If I eat something and awaken the "beast", I will be hungry the rest of the day. Fasting is an appetite suppressant for me and helps to keep the calories in check.

Just make sure you get in your protein and don't try to get too low of a deficit or the next days fast will be real hard. Good luck! See Intermittent Fasting and OMAD (one meal a day) forums.

tomjennings2716

Thanks everyone.

jordandills

I find that once I start eating, I get hungry again every 2-3 hours regardless of what time I start, unless I stuff myself and massively overeat. So I have sort of morphed into IF. I do have sugar free sodas or energy drinks and some coffee with a tiny splash of milk in the morning so not sure if it can be called a "proper" fast, but I try not to eat until sometime between 12:30 and 2:00pm. It helps me keep my calories under control.

When I'm home on the weekends, I do fasted cardio in the morning and do fine. During the week I workout after work so not fasted, though if I eat within about hours before going to the gym I feel too full.

blambo61

Some tricks to working out fasted:

The bodies main fuel sources are glucose and keytones (from fat metabolism).

If your running after fasting and need to eat something so you won't "bonk" it can't upset the stomach or you will have a hard time running.

I found that I can eat a tsp of coconut oil immediately before a run (about 100kcals), I can run hard for maybe up to an hour and be well fueled. That kind of fat has a lot of medium-chain-tryglycerides (spelling?) and is digested really quick and provides fuel immediately. Does not upset my stomach or make me hungry.

I also found that simple corn starch (or you can use the expensive UCAN superstarch sports supp) about 30-min before a workout (150kcals) will also fuel me without upsetting my stomach or making me hungry. These starches are a slow release starch and provides fuel for an extended time and doesn't spike insulin a lot like other sugars will. They are used for treating glycogen storage disorders so those people can take some and sleep through the night and not go hypoglycemic and die.

I've found the coconut oil to be short term in proving energy and the starch longer term. I've used both and that really fuels me.

What is cool about taking this stuff is that I can eat about 150-kcals of it and then go do a 1000kcal run no problem. If I don't take it, I will "bonk" after about a 400-kcal effort or maybe even sooner. What I believe is going on is that the liver gets depleted of glycogen after the long fast and can't keep up with the brain's energy demands while I run but if I take those things, then the brain is provided the fuel it needs and then the stored glycogen in the muscles provides the energy to get the work done. The brain has to be fed first or it won't allow the higher level intensity exercises due to the liver not being able to keep up with the brain's energy demands (muscles can't share glycogen with the brain, just what is in your blood stream and what the liver can provide through gluconeogenesis and the keytones it can produce through fat metabolism). If I just walk, I can go for a long time while fasted because the liver will keep up with the brain's energy needs (and maybe the muscles needs too). If I try to lift heavy while fasted, I can't even do a single high set, I think due to the brains perception of the rate of energy usage is way higher than what is sustainable to it just shuts down the effort. Taking the supps I mentioned does allow me to lift heavy while otherwise fasted.

Those are some hacks I've read about and experimented with and have hundreds of personal data points to confirm the effects.