Intermittent Fasting

Question

Hey All! I wanted to hear your stories if you have used intermittent fasting. Has this worked for you? Do you workout before/during/after your fast? What are obstacles for you

For context, I started fasting at the start of 2025 using a 16:8 fasting app and workout in the middle of my fast. I typically don't eat breakfast, so I just used dinner to lunch to be my fasting time. I typically workout at 6AM and break my fast around 11. I'm down over 30 pounds as of 3/27/25!

lgfrie · Answer

I did IF from 2019 to around early 2022. I found it quite helpful as a way to structure my eating day, making it much easier to hit and not exceed calorie targets. The most useful part for me was knowing, from accumulated experience, that I really would eat my last bite at 7 pm, thus allowing me to lavishly love and savor every single calorie in my quota up until that moment. No guit or question as to whether I was entitled to that last piece of chocolate or if it would lead to binging - I rarely binged after 7 pm and so the whole IF thing gave me confidence and a track to run on to truly enjoy all my food and not wonder, for instance, if I'd be hungry later because - yes - I'd be hungry later but it didn't matter, because I wouldn't eat LOL And after a month of IF, I started waking up with no hunger pangs and rarely felt hungry at all - it was paradoxical. THe more time-restricted my eating window was, the less hungry i was the rest of the time.

Eventually I found that I did not need (or enjoy) morning restrictions, so IF gave way to a simpler approach: no more food after 7 pm until the next morning. I have now stuck with that for years and found it effective. I think people just differ a lot as to how much structure they need. Having that structure fits me well.

In addition to the basic calories in - calories out formula, I do think there is some incremental increase in weight loss from IF. This is a controversial topic. Others believe differently; they're entitled to, but I'm also entitled to my view, and I have 6 years of IF or IF-like experience to back it up. It seems to me that going to bed on a truly empty stomach has incremental weight loss beneifts in addition to calories. Small difference - not like losing 50 pounds instead of 30, maybe more like losing 32 instead of 30. But the difference is there. imho. I've come to believe that going to sleep on a truly empty stomach has lots of real benefits that people who don't schedule-eat don't really know about.

cmriverside · Answer

It's still and always about calories in < calories out.

If intermittent fasting helps you by making up some Rules To Follow, then by all means use it. We all make some rules around food when we are losing weight. Intermittent fasting isn't magic. Eat less than you use and lose weight.

totameafox · Answer

yeah i don't pay attention to the time between meals. If i can swing it i eat at noon and 5pm. but I will eat if i feel the need or I am going out to eat with family. My aunt's nickers got into a twist when I told her intermittent fasting doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. If it helps you, fine. but life requires a bit of flexibility.