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The Latest Trend is Fasting: What say you?

Peppegal
Peppegal Posts: 32 Member
edited January 2022 in Debate Club
The idea of fasting kind of scared me because I experience low blood sugar. But since I have been eating more fiber I find my blood sugar levels allow me to go further without food or fuel.
Remember those days when the experts said, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." What happened to that!

Eight hours of sleep count towards your fasting. What do you think about this idea and have you tried it? Feel free to leave resources to support your claim when necessary. Personal experiences are always welcomed.

Also include how you have been feeling versus the claims from the pros, including; moods, hunger, weightloss, or that you just think it's another trend.

I'm anxious to know!!! ;)

~Resa
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Replies

  • MaggieGirl135
    MaggieGirl135 Posts: 1,026 Member
    @paperpudding I am in complete and total agreement with you on this!
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    I've used intermittent fasting throughout my life generally because I'm often not hungry early in the day. It didn't really help me stay at an acceptable weight as I can just eat too much at night.

    I've also used 5:2 at times when I knew I would need extra calories for an event. It's okay but not something I want to do often. I get grouchy when my calories are too low.
  • Peppegal
    Peppegal Posts: 32 Member
    By experts and pros I mean doctors and qualified people not magazine articles by opinion writers. I've done a lot of research on it and for sure, it's not for everyone. My son is a doctor and we discuss a lot of topics. The biggest problem is so many studies change what previous study said!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I lost almost 40 pounds in 11 months last year fasting on a 12:12 schedule.
  • QuokkaQueen
    QuokkaQueen Posts: 1 Member
    I'm doing 16:8 Intermittent Fasting and so far it's working for me. I've lost a few kilos since starting, whereas I'd found it hard to shift anything in the months beforehand.

    Previously I'd thought I'd hate any form of fasting because I used to feel hungry and snack all the time. Paradoxically, I've found myself less hungry since starting IF so I snack less - even in my eight-hour eating window. It's helpful for stopping me snacking mindlessly in the evenings if nothing else.

    The weight loss approach that works is the one you stick to. Some people love IF, some hate it. It's a good idea to get clearance from your doctor first if you have any medical conditions that could be complicated by fasting.
  • Peppegal
    Peppegal Posts: 32 Member
    I'm older now and I have trouble losing weight but I have to say I've added fiber and some fasting and I lost 10 lbs!
    I always had an exercise routine so that was never the problem.
    And I do eat my largest meal in the afternoon, not at dinner.
    I love my new routine and I will stick with it.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,735 Member
    Whatever works as long as you're not harming yourself in the process.

    With that 10 lbs, tho, I *am* curious how long it's been since you've lost weight or if you're just starting out or if you also suddenly went low carb or something. :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited January 2022
    Talking of studies.....
    This is an interesting one that seems well designed, good size sample and duration.
    It was also run by a fasting enthusiast (time restricted eating version) .

    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2771095

    Highlights:
    Time Restricted Eating....
    Showed more moss of lean mass compared to eating in a more time-balanced way.
    Showed a spontaneous reduction in activity
    Showed no advantage (or disadvantage) as regards resting metabolic rate. The common claim of boosted metabolism doesn't seem evidence-based.


    Here's a review of the study including some suggestions that might mitigate or avoid the lean mass and activity issues.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o_Qd7tcB3E

    (What say I? Personally I will continue mostly skipping breakfast as it makes my weight maintenance easier and more enjoyable.)
  • Xellercin
    Xellercin Posts: 924 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    For starters, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was coined by the Kellogg corporation, there weren't any experts involved. It was just a marketing slogan.

    IF is just a tool which may help people better maintain their calories. Studies on the health benefits of IF, if any are pretty inconclusive and more or less in their infancy. I have done IF at various times throughout my life and have gained weight, maintained weight, and lost weight depending on my overall calorie intake. For most of my weight gain years I inadvertently practiced IF as I never used to consume anything before my lunch except black coffee...but my lunches, snacking, and dinners were large. My personal preference now is 3 meals per day with an afternoon snack. I do tend to skip breakfast if I know I'm going to have higher calories later in the day...like if we're planning to go out or we're attending some kind of party or something as it helps keep calories in check.

    This is also true.

    As much as I love IF, it's also kind of how I gained weight in the first place...sort of.

    During med school, we were going 100hr work weeks and I never had time to eat. So I would get home from the hospital, eat way too much pizza from the place in my building, and then wash it down with 3-4 glasses of wine most nights.

    I gained only a pound or two a month, but over 4 years, that adds up to obese.

    IF can't compensate for a terrible diet and too much alcohol. It's not magic. Granted, it was never actually IF, because I was drinking coffee all day long with cream in it. But still, black coffee 16 hours a day wouldn't have miraculously saved me from gaining weight on a diet of pizza and wine.

    I love IF now, because it's just a really great refinement of an already on-point diet.

    That said, on fasting forums, many people have reported that their appetite and food choices have gotten healthier since starting IF. That they've eliminated sugar cravings, binge episodes, and start craving a lot more vegetables.

    So that effect for some people alone would be a massive benefit, and have a huge impact on weight.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    For me personally, IF just ain't my thing. I usually train first thing after I wake up and I perform much better with at least a couple hundred calories in me before I am out the door to head to the gym. Most of my meals are on the small-ish side (then again, I am in a cut, so take that with a grain of salt!), with one larger meal (usually dinner), and then a small bedtime meal/snack just before turning in, so generally 4-5 meals/snacks throughout the day. But once again, that's just me and how I do things.
  • HelPur25
    HelPur25 Posts: 23 Member
    I've done IF, alt day, and a longer water fast in the past, each for different reasons. I like 16:8 IF in general on a regular basis because otherwise I snack too much in the evening. Keeping all my meals in an 8 hr window helps me control total calories. It's also taught me to recognize true hunger vs. boredom or stress eating. I've used alt day fasting to get through a weight loss stall. The longer water fast was for other health issues, but in general, I feel like I lost muscle and my metabolism decreased, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a really specific reason for doing it besides weight loss. I gained back all that I lost once I started eating again, only it's not muscle now.
  • carlorie_deficit
    carlorie_deficit Posts: 4 Member
    Personally I like it, its not superior to any diet because all diets require a deficit to work if we are talking weight loss

    I like IF because it tailors well to my lifestyle and I just find it easy, I think some of the benefits that people claim you get from IF is true, like I feel mental clarity, less brain fog, less hunger, more control over calories etc, but again, its down to the individual

  • Peppegal
    Peppegal Posts: 32 Member
    I started the fasting and more fiber the end of December. I started losing more weight because it was so slow I half a pound a week before Christmas. It was so frustrating I just said I have to make a change somehow so my son directed me to fasting. Honestly, I just didn't think I could do it.
    When I check my nutrition I realize I was having enough protein and probably still don't but my fiber content is way up. The fiber is allowing me to go longer without eating. For me it goes hand-in-hand.
  • amfmmama
    amfmmama Posts: 1,420 Member
    IF is not magic for me, but it does help me stay on track, and provides structure. I am a teacher, an rarely have time to eat anything until at least 11 am on a weekday anyway... so why not. 16:8 is also really just the old "do not eat after 7" with a different name, and people still swear by that.