Questions about Intermittent Fasting

Wilhellmina

I have heard it a lot about lately and would like to ask the following:

Can everyone do it?
How often should it be done a week / month?
What is the best time frame and when in the day? At least for you...
What are the pros and cons?

And please no reactions about how stupid I am. I know I am

lynnerack

5:2 intermittent fasting is eating normally or maintenance for 5 days a week then restricting your calories to 500 cals for a woman, 600 for a man on the other 2 days which can be consecutive or non consecutive. There is a lot of misunderstanding about the concept of 5:2 on MFP. All I can say is it works for me and it is THE most sustainable diet I have ever done. Google Dr Michael Mosleyand if possible read his book. There are 5:2 groups on here. Health benefits too.

Wilhellmina

Yeah, I hear you. Even thoguh there are far worse diets around, the ketoers also have to deal with much missunderstanding I have noticed, hence the last sentence. Thanks I will have a look on the net for his name.

Helenca76

I also do the 5:2 diet. I usually choose a Sunday and a Tuesday and it's the only thing that is working for me.
I have just got back from a holiday in the UK (26 days) and decided I wasn't going to diet! I did attend the gym 3 times while I was there just cause I needed to get out.
I ate what I wanted and counteracted the days of rubbish eating with fasting. I have come home, feeling no different and actually weighing 1lb less.

Fasting works for me, I don't choose a time frame, just start it when I get up. The other 5 days a week I eat pretty much what I want, I eat ok and cook from scratch but limit my calories to 1550 a day.

Everyone can fast as long they have no major health issues like diabetes etc
Fasting can be done in different ways from a juice fast that can last as long as 4 days once per month or like the 5:2 diet.
Cons can be headaches, weak feeling and dizziness but in the case of the 5:2 diet, you are eating but only 500 calories so as long as you find things like hummus with peppers/cucumbers or blackberries and greek yoghurt.....lots of foods that are low in calories, you can over come the hunger pangs and the fasting gets easier as the weeks pass.

Am sure you will find a plan that works for you. Good luck and if I can help with any questions, let me know

Wilhellmina

So but what I understand it's not only in a short time frame but also less calories that day? That has to be, eating way less calories?

jlclabo

i am on a version of intermittent fasting. my schedule is 7 days a week and its 15/9. so from 11am til 8pm i eat my full days intake(2000 cals) and from 8pm til 11am i fast. nothing but water. it dont always work out 100% that way, but that is my normal routine. i am on my 6th week since starting and i am down 15+ lbs and a total of 23lbs from when i started on may 5th. it works for me this way and i never eat my first meal til after i go to the gym.and i never, NEVER, eat back my calories from exercise.

Wilhellmina

Yeah that I have been wondering as well if you really need to eat back all the calories you have burned. Could be wrong way of thinking but makes me wonder what's the use of it when you eat everything up what you have worked off?

SJVZEE

There's different versions of IF-

Eating windows (most commonly 8:16IF), does NOT restrict calories, you just eat your normal calories during a certain time of day. In order to lose weight you still need to adjust your calories down.
More info: google leangains

5:2IF-this one has a calorie restricting component built in, where you have two 'fasting' days a week (non-consecutive) and eat low calories on those two days. The other 5 days you eat your a maintenance calories/around 2,000ish a day.
More info: read Dr. Mosley's book, The Fast Diet, or watch his BBC documentary

Alternate Day IF (also called JUDDD) This is a stricter version of the 5:2 plan-you have low calorie 'fasting' days every other day. The other days you eat close to your maintenance calories. This is the plan I used for weight loss and it worked brilliantly for me.
More info: read Dr. Johnson's book, The Alternate Day Diet or google JUDDD and his website pops up towards the top. You can also message me for more info if you want.

Wilhellmina

So about that eating window. I ate today between 10 AM and 5 PM, that is kind of IF already?