Does calorie counting and fasting work?

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jackharky
jackharky Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, recently I've been calorie counting and feel its going very well, I have been fasting hand in hand, I'm on the 12:12 system but can sometimes fast up to 16 hours, I tend to find I run out of time to eat my calories by the time I start fasting, is it worth while continuing both? Any tips

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    Keep counting calories.

    The fasting isn't a hack. . .weight management is about eating fewer calories. That's it. Eat whenever you want, it doesn't matter for weight.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    Keep counting calories.

    The fasting isn't a hack. . .weight management is about eating fewer calories. That's it. Eat whenever you want, it doesn't matter for weight.

    yep. :)
  • jackharky
    jackharky Posts: 3 Member
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    I thought eating late at night was bad for your metabolism? Or have I made that up 😂
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,845 Member
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    jackharky wrote: »
    I thought eating late at night was bad for your metabolism? Or have I made that up 😂
    totally untrue. Your overall weekly calories matter and not meal timing.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
    edited May 20
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    jackharky wrote: »
    I thought eating late at night was bad for your metabolism? Or have I made that up 😂

    No, it's not bad for your health. The premise for the whole TRF (time restricted feeding) is really linked to our bodies molecular repair processes. The trigger is in the metabolic switch from glucose to fat metabolism (anabolism to catabolism) that occurs most efficiently after about 12 hours of fasting and it's independent of calories restriction or weight loss, it just happens every night, basically. In other words TRF has nothing to do with calorie restriction or weight loss, but it can be an effective way for some to restrict calories. There's a whole area of science behind this and you could do some research if you want to do more but I'll just leave it at that.

    Basically this molecular repair process begins at around 12 hours and longer could ensure a more effective event, so yeah longer can be advantageous but the effect of TRF is really long term and effects our health over decades with the last years of life where any benefit might have facilitated a little better overall health, so unless a person does this for life there really is no benefit to do it at all other than if it helps someone consume less calories, which seems to work for many.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    jackharky wrote: »
    I thought eating late at night was bad for your metabolism? Or have I made that up 😂

    Yes. You bought a grocery store magazine at some point, did you? That's a myth.

    Timing or the time makes no difference.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,845 Member
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    When someone says their metabolism has slowed what really happened is they're moving around less during the day and burning fewer NEAT calories. After 60 metabolic rate drops by about 1% a year so not really much of a factor.
  • jackharky
    jackharky Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks all, guess it's time to pack the fasting in, keep exercising and stick to my cals!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,082 Member
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    I think the eating after x time myth probably started with some kernel of truth for many people - in that, for many people, stopping eating after dinner time meant cutting out on extra TV snacks and thus they reduced their calories and probably improved their nutrition
    (who eats broccoli and carrot sticks watching a movie??)

    However if you are calorie counting you can see if this applies to you and adjust accordingly.
  • kngddmbppx
    kngddmbppx Posts: 20 Member
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    I fast so my body can digest everything and it helps me with that for sure. I’ve always had digestion issues though. My body needs that time to heal. It also helps me from snacking at night so of course I eat less. If doing it just to lose weight all that matters is eating at a calorie deficit in a 24 hour period. Good luck!
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 889 Member
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    There's no magic to fasting/IF. Some people's experience is that it is easier/more manageable to stay within their caloric needs (or in a deficit) when they have designated eating hours. It's simply that they are not eating more than they need by doing that.

    You can IF if you like, or you find it helps you but there is nothing specific to that that makes you lose weight.

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