Mixing IF & Calorie Restriction

nopizzamakesmecry
nopizzamakesmecry Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone.

Multi-step question here.

1. What intermittent fasting (IF) schedule do you suggest? (16:8 is what I'm aiming for)
2. I'm limiting myself to 1,600 calories a day currently. Do you know if calorie restriction paired with IF is that much more effective, or does one take away from the other? I can't find any research on pairing the two. IF mostly just states "eat whatever you want", but a full little caesar's pizza is what I want, and I can't imagine that's a great idea haha.

I appreciate everyone's help/knowledge. Thanks!

Replies

  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    IF is just a specific window in which you eat all of your meals.

    Losing weight is created when you are in a calorie deficit.

    MFP will have given you your calorie allotment when you filled out your profile information. Where did you get the 1600 number from?
  • nopizzamakesmecry
    nopizzamakesmecry Posts: 3 Member
    Oh I made the 1600 up myself, I wanted to lose more than 2 pounds a week haha. It's a bit extreme, but I don't go hungry or anything.
  • snapshotstacy
    snapshotstacy Posts: 23 Member
    edited October 2019
    1) I was doing 16:8 for a while, but just switched it up to a 5:2 (Circadian). -That's a 24 hour fast 2xWeek and 5 days a week of "regular", and my regular being not eating between 8pm and 9am at a minimum (usually run 13-16 hours fasting on my 5xWeek days). I do it mostly to keep my weekly CICO in check easier. I like larger meals, so two large meals a day is more satiating for me than 3+ smaller ones.
    Honestly, the schedule that works best is the one that works best for YOU. :smile: What works with your body? What works with your daily habits? And don't be afraid to adjust/modify for yourself as you learn what your body responds to.

    2) This really depends on why you're IFing. Many of us do it to make our CICO easier. If your goal is to lose weight, then the only thing that truly works is calorie restriction (yeah, I know there are people who argue otherwise... but...) They don't take anything away from each other. At least from my experience, they pair _perfectly_.

    Hmm... on the pizza... A whole Little Ceasars is 2000+ calories, so if you REALLY want to do that, just be aware of the calories. :wink: Having pizza (a few slices, of course) can totally fit in your calories. No point in denying yourself if you don't have a bad reaction to it.

    Feel free to friend me if you like, I've got an open food diary for friends to see.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    IF is usually used as a tool to create the calorie deficit, especially when nutrient density is the focus of food during your eating window. There's no optimal timing other than what fits your schedule and hunger pattern.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    nopizzamakesmecry wrote: »
    Oh I made the 1600 up myself, I wanted to lose more than 2 pounds a week haha. It's a bit extreme, but I don't go hungry or anything.

    If you want to do this safely and sustainably, stick with the calorie allotment mfp gave you.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    nopizzamakesmecry wrote: »
    Hi Everyone.

    Multi-step question here.

    1. What intermittent fasting (IF) schedule do you suggest? (16:8 is what I'm aiming for)
    2. I'm limiting myself to 1,600 calories a day currently. Do you know if calorie restriction paired with IF is that much more effective, or does one take away from the other? I can't find any research on pairing the two. IF mostly just states "eat whatever you want", but a full little caesar's pizza is what I want, and I can't imagine that's a great idea haha.

    I appreciate everyone's help/knowledge. Thanks!

    The main idea behind IF is that if you are someone who eats throughout the day and you limit your eating time to a smaller period, you will naturally restrict calories. That doesn't happen for all (especially if you aren't mindful about what you eat), so it can be a very good idea to limit cals too. For some people, they feel more satisfied and find it easier to limit cals when doing IR, so for them they work well together. Others just aren't hungry until later in the day, and for them it's a waste of cals to eat when they aren't hungry.

    So to answer the questions:

    (1) Experiment to see what feels easy and good for you. 16:8 seems to be a common one.

    (2) It's good to combine the two if you are IFing, but 1600 seems way too low for you if your goal is still a 200 lb loss. Use MFP's goal to start and then adjust based on results. You can lose faster than average (1% of current weight, typically), but 1600 is for a smaller man, not someone who still has a lot to lose (and I have no idea of your height, way low if you aren't on the shorter side). What does MFP give you for 2 lb?
  • kiddycat73
    kiddycat73 Posts: 67 Member
    IF will not bring about weight loss unless you are in a calorie deficit.
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    IF16:8 and 1750 cals here. 50+ lbs lost and going strong. I find 16:8 + diligent calorie couting works beautifully and consistently. Getting two full sized "non diet" meals everyday, as IF makes possible, satisfies me and has killed off my desire to binge. I think it's one of the easier ways to comply with a calorie target. Good luck. Reminder: calories first, everything else second in importance.

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