Intermittent fasting

drd715

I know everyone’s body is different. I just wanted some your opinions on intermittent fasting. I want to start fasting slowly 12/12 then move to 16/8 Monday-Friday

Muscleflex79

what kind of opinions do you want? it is simply an eating schedule that may help you to stay in a calorie deficit (if that is what you are looking for?)

Panini911

what is your goal? what are you hoping to achieve by doing it?

Many people already ate "IF" before it had a name. they called it skipping breakfast. and/or not eating before bed. so it's a schedule that worked for them naturally. Others find it easier to not have to think about food outside their window and this helps them stay in their calorie goal.

i do the opposite, i eat every 2-3 hrs!

WholeFoods4Lyfe

Do you find yourself starving when you wake up in the morning? Or are you more of a nighttime eater? I was never hungry in the morning but got in to a bad habit of snacking every night. Just by virtue of dropping my late night snack and pushing my first meal of the day back a few hours, I was easily able to get to a 16:8 schedule. IF has worked great for me because the smaller eating window allows me to easily stay in my calorie deficit while eating bigger and more satisfying meals. I also regularly add 1-2 23:1 fasting cycles to my routine just to mix things up.

NovusDies

Ultimately it only matters what is sustainable for you. I don't eat breakfast but that is natural for me so it is highly sustainable. If you enjoy larger meals there is a definite upside to eating 2 instead of 3. If you have a hard time mentally or physically going many waking hours without any food there is a significant downside.

It is not for everyone. The best way to know what will work for you is to experiment. Decide how long you want to try it and then determine what constitutes success or failure. There is no reason to commit to something and be miserable. An experiment can end at any time if you can tell it will fail.

knosti

I love intermittent fasting (IF). I also do keto and IF enables me to burn more stored fat throughout the day when I'm not in eating mode. i do 18/6 7 days a week, I only eat from noon - 6 pm.

sijomial

My opinion is that it's helpful for some, a PITA for others and neutral for some.
Until you try it you won't know how it suits you.

My experience is that I didn't like daily time restricted eating despite being someone who mostly skips breakfast and eats the majority of their food later in the day - it was the rigid clock based rules that meant I felt more restricted and more hungry for the same calorie allowance compared to eating in a less structured way.

What are you hoping to gain from it OP?

drd715

My goal is to lose weight especially around my mid section. I exercise 3x week and with my job I’m always running around. I haven’t seen much change in the scale.. and I have heard of IF and thought maybe this would help during my lifestyle change

Phirrgus

drd715 wrote: »

My goal is to lose weight especially around my mid section. I exercise 3x week and with my job I’m always running around. I haven’t seen much change in the scale.. and I have heard of IF and thought maybe this would help during my lifestyle change

It could help sure. Some folks find that using IF helps them to fit their calories in, stay in a deficit. You still need to eat enough to get proper nutrition, lessen muscle loss etc. It's not going to magically make the weight go away, but if it helps (it does me when I do it) to keep things structured for you then by all means jump in.

The weight will come off where it does though. That's just our genetic makeup, so be patient, fuel that body properly and enjoy your food. You'll get there.

Panini911

drd715 wrote: »

My goal is to lose weight especially around my mid section. I exercise 3x week and with my job I’m always running around. I haven’t seen much change in the scale.. and I have heard of IF and thought maybe this would help during my lifestyle change

You can absolutely give IF a try and see.

But weight loss still comes down to calories in calories out. Some may not NEED to track as closely with smaller eating windows. but others will just eat more/as much when the window is open. yet others will over eat!

get a food scale, weigh your food, stick to your calorie deficit regardless of what eating schedule you opt for

Scottgriesser

IF is an eating schedule to fit one's lifestyle or help control intake by enforcing a time limit. That is all. There are no magical weight loss properties to it.

I do it, because for some reason it is easier for me to hit my goals by eating two larger meals rather than 3 (or more) smaller meals.

As was noted above, your CICO will determine your weight loss. Doesn't matter how/when those calories are consumed.

amfmmama

I do 16:8... It works for me. I don't think its magic, but it does help me stay within my calories, and in turn, helps me lose weight. I am sometimes hungry in the morning, but it is usually that I am dehydrated, so water will do the trick and get me to 11:45.

sijomial

drd715 wrote: »

My goal is to lose weight especially around my mid section. I exercise 3x week and with my job I’m always running around. I haven’t seen much change in the scale.. and I have heard of IF and thought maybe this would help during my lifestyle change

Not seeing any benefit or reason for you to switch to a different eating pattern in that statement at all.
Losing weight is a function of calorie balance not when you eat.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't try it but none of those goals seem to have a direct relationship to your eating pattern.

rickfit73

For me there's a mental benefit. Hitting my daily calorie target on 2 meals in 8 hours gets me 2 generous meals. I don't feel deprived. Plus my urges have gone down as my brain has relearned that it's ok to go for longer periods without food. I used to want to eat all the time.

RelCanonical

It didn't work for me because I started feeling hungry in the morning, but can't go to bed on an empty stomach. It helps some people because sometimes it's easier to not have to think about food most of the day and then be able to have bigger meals. It has no impact on weight loss from a physiological standpoint - you still need to eat in a deficit. It's more a psychological tool to manage appetite and to improve overall satisfaction after a meal.

Silentpadna

I do IF sometimes. I eat every 2-3 hours other times. It's my calorie balance that matters. If I eat 2000 calories per day, I'll lose weight slowly over time, whether I eat them in a smaller window or a bigger window. Time of eating has virtually no bearing on source of energy. When my body runs out of regular fuel, it will burn fat (and some muscle). If my body is not in need of fuel and there is excess, it is stored as fat.

If I do IF and eat 2 1500 calorie meals (which I can easily do - especially on vacation), I'll guarantee you that IF won't help me lose weight. When I do use IF, I do it to control intake....nothing more.