Intermittent Fasting

Andia15

Has anyone done intermittent fasting? If so, how did you find it in terms of fat loss? Do you recommend it? And while doing your fast, how did you do it? Was it all day fast or just certain hours during the day?

sijomial

There's many different versions of IF.
I've tried two versions (5:2 & 16:8).

Be clear what you are expecting to gain from it - making adherence easier to a suitable calorie goal is the thing that will make a (potential) difference to your weight loss.

Remember you can lose, maintain or gain weight while doing IF and it's your long term calorie balance that determines that.


ETA - 5:2 is specifically a weight loss IF protocol, 16:8 is just an eating schedule which can be used for your chosen calorie level.

LW3380

Search on here for IF and you'll see plenty of threads on it...loads of helpful (and some not so much) information.

Andia15

I was considering doing the 5:2 fast with 1 day of high calories in my 5 days of eating and then the other 4 either maintenance calories or a little bit under.

I will search through, thank you.

catherineroberts87

Been doing IF past week 16:8, 9am-5pm, I’ve also cut down my calories to 1200-1300. I’ve lost 3 pounds since Tuesday, mostly water weight I’m sure. It helps me keep within my calorie limit so I’d say it’s worth a shot

Andia15

Oh well done, I'm seriously considering giving it a go.

jjpptt2

There's nothing special to it... it's just another method/structure for trying to help manage calories. If your calorie intake is what it should be, you'll lose weight. But that's not specific to nor enhanced by IF. Alternatively, if your intake is NOT what it should be, you can still gain weight while on IF. That, too, isn't specific to IF.

psuLemon

I found that IF was a terrible fit for me; I was doing 16:8 with an eating window from 11-7. But I always woke up starving and could never workout fasted. I didn't lose any additional weight above what I did previously, so I decided to go back to eating 3 or 4 meals.

livingleanlivingclean

IF did nothing for my fat loss when I ate in a calorie surplus... And at maintenance.

I like saving my calories for later in the day, which can help when you're in a deficit. Other than that, IF isn't magical. If it suits you, go for it

GottaBurnEmAll

I've done IF naturally for years, and I did it even when I was 210 pounds. It has nothing to do with fat loss on its own.

An eating schedule like 5:2 or 16:8 (or some other ratio of hours) can help people stick to their calorie goal for various reasons. For me, I find I eat less throughout the day when I skip/delay breakfast. It's honestly that simple. Other people do best when they eat in a regular meal pattern.

The answer is whatever eating pattern makes it easier for you to adhere to eating your calorie goals is the one for you. Nothing magical involved.

TeaBea

Andia15 wrote: »

Has anyone done intermittent fasting? If so, how did you find it in terms of fat loss? Do you recommend it? And while doing your fast, how did you do it? Was it all day fast or just certain hours during the day?

Intermittent fasting doesn't target fat loss any better than other calorie deficit plans do. It's just a way to schedule your meals/snacks.

If intermittent fasting helps you maintain a consistent deficit you will lose weight. Here are links to a couple groups.........
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/8628-5-2-diet

Andia15

Thank you all for your inputs. Much appreciated. Still on the fence about whether or not to do it. I might give it a try for a few weeks and see how I get on and how I feel energy wise.

catherineroberts87

Andia15 wrote: »

Thank you all for your inputs. Much appreciated. Still on the fence about whether or not to do it. I might give it a try for a few weeks and see how I get on and how I feel energy wise.

Give it a go and see how you go:) if it helps you stick to your calorie limit and you choose a time frame that works for you and you see results then it works. I can’t stand the thought of skipping breakfast so 9-5 works great for me but you can choose whatever fits your routine. Good luck!

DanaDark

I naturally fit the 16:8 set up given when I feel hungry and when I actually get time for my meals. So it works well for me to keep my weight decent provided I don’t break it with late night snacks.

5:2 gave me wonderful weight loss results a couple years ago. Managed to get me down below my lowest barrier.

cebreisch

I’ve heard of people who swear by it. I’ve never liked fasting. Probably because I’m a total food addict.

However, I will say that the bariatric doctors I’ve asked about whether things like intermittent fasting or things like cleanses where worth considering all said the same thing. If they were worth considering, the doctors would have suggested them at some point. To date, none of them have.

OrdinaryAnytime

I prefer crescendo fasting to help keep my hormones balanced (a lot of research I've done says that IF every day can wreak havoc on a woman's hormones). I fast three non-consecutive days a week, 18 hours fasted, 6 hours fed. And I always consume a bulletproof coffee on my fasted days.

Honestly I can't say much for fat loss, but for me the protocol has significantly lifted my brain fog and I feel more energy, like my energy burns cleaner if that makes sense.

Diego_uy

ok, i did 16:8 with a restricted calorie consume untill 1500 and at least 30 minute excercise every 6 days a week.

I've lost 24 libs in 70 days.

I would recomend you to do it but for shorts periods of time, then back to the normal life and then repeat. This is because we the objective should be to have healthy habits and not to live in a stressing situation for our bodies.

Also if you have an intense training you shouldn't restrict your calories, only try to manage yout macros in an eficient way.

Andia15

Thank you all. @Diego_uy I don't have too intense a workout routine. I'm doing the 30 day fitness challenge at the minute which doesn't seem to extreme. I'll give it a go for a few weeks and see how it goes.

kds10

I started it about three weeks ago...I do an 18 6 schedule. Basically I skip breakfast and do not eat after supper. I have lost 4 lbs since March 27th. I am happy with it and it keeps my eating in control. I find I feel hungry for sure during the morning but it is not that shaky starving feeling more just manageable hunger feeling. I drink an extra large plain green tea thru the morning.

When I talk to people that have no weight issues I find that what I am doing now is something they do regularly...they do not eat after supper and if they do not skip breakfast they just have a smaller breakfast.

I used to eat about 500 or 600 calories for breakfast at around 6:30 a.m. (couple of pouched eggs, high fiber toast) but by 9 am I was hungry again so I would have a snack and then by lunch time I was hungry again anyway. So for me I am just saving about 500 calories per day.

I should add I do not count calories and allow myself treats (ice cream, chocolate, chips) BUT in moderation. I still get my calcium in, at least 5 servings of fruit & veggies, fiber, protein, etc.

Grich1234

I’ve lost 47 lbs since January 15th. I’m still new at it and am still learning. Solid rules helped me have success. I’m 6’6” and 400 when I started.
I do use a food scale.
I weigh in once a week.
I do log everything that I eat.
I do not eat after 8 pm
I do intermittent fasts. Eat 4pm- 8pm The fasts haven’t bothered me like I thought they would.
I limited carbs which was kind of tough to eat around.

YvetteK2015

I do 16:8. My window is between 2-10pm. It helps me stick to my calorie goal because if I eat before 2, I am so ravenous for the rest of the day. So this has been perfect for me.