Intermittent fasting

1a1a

Who has done it? Is it workable? Does it have a negative effect on metabolism? Do you indeed get health benefits from it?

Considering trialing the 2 5 thing where you eat only 600 calories 2, non consecutive days of the week. I'm thinking breakfast and lunch, I get bad headaches if I skip lunch but seem to be ok if I eat less at night, so maybe dinner can be missed without repercussion.

(This is more so for health than weight loss although I do have a lot to lose.)

StormyDingo

I have done alternating day fasting since October.. I have lost 12 pounds and 5 inches off my waist.. I am 52 and going thru menopause. Before trying this I was having several hot flashes a day.. After a week on ADF I noticed a huge reduction and now I get hot flashes about once a week. I still have a lot to lose so it's not just the weight lose.

buttonblue

I practice intermittent fasting five days a week, using the 16/8 hour method. I eat all my calories in an eight hour window and I fast for the remaining 16 hours of the day, not consuming more than 50 calories in that time. The 8 hour window that you eat in is flexible, so you can decide when that would work best for you. The theory is that the body doesn't enter a fasting state until about 12 hours after your last meal and that at this point it works best at burning fat. I found this article to be a good primer: http://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting

For me that means I eat my first meal of the day at lunch (12pm) and I finish eating for the day by 8pm. This fits in well with my what my body asks for and with my lifestyle, since I'm often not hungry for breakfast on weekday mornings, especially after I go for a walk. I am however hungry for breakfast on weekends, so I don't fast then. I find eating this way is quite flexible, for example, I'll break my fast if I'm super hungry or have an out of the ordinary activity on a weekday. I also have a lot of social activities in the evenings, so I can 'save' my calories for dinner rather than eating them at breakfast time.

I have a hungry spot in the middle of the morning, but I just pick up my water bottle and keep drinking, and it's gone in half an hour. I've found that I'm clear headed and able to focus just fine while fasting, which was my main concern. And I'm consuming more water, not just in the morning but also throughout the day.

Potentially I could slip up by overeating at lunch, but I take a measured, packed lunch with me to work (salad and a tin of fish), plus a piece of fruit, so that lets me eat well at my first meal of the day.

I've been doing this for three weeks so it's difficult to tell whether there will be long term benefits, but I've lost a bit over two kilograms (4+ pounds?) in that time and I'm hitting my calorie goals more easily these days.

I have not tried the minimal calorie method that you're suggesting so I can't comment on how well it works. I considered it, but it doesn't fit with what I need to get into my day.

Hopefully you find this helpful!
H.

twixlepennie

I did alternate day intermittent fasting (JUDDD) for most of my weight loss, which is a stricter version of 5:2 (you have low calorie 'fasting' days every other day, instead of just twice a week). Loved it and it worked great. As I got close to goal weight I switched to 5:2 and continued to lose weight, at a slightly slower pace. Then I transitioned into maintenance and decided to try a different version of IF, the 16/8 format, where you eat in an 8 hour window. I did this while eating at maintenance calorie levels. Then I decided to lose a bit more weight so I continued 16/8IF but restricted calories. And lost weight easily. Now I'm in maintenance and I don't do anything, including not counting calories as the moment

I loved all the versions of IF I've done and will always have it as a fall back in case I start gaining weight again. I had no issues/side effects of doing it.

TamTastic

I have done it and do it here and there. I think I may do it the next few days as part of my post-Christmas detox. I also do the 8/16 hour method. I am not a fan of trends necessarily but I will do a cleanse sometimes and the intermittent fasting when I feel a need to jump start my system. And right now, I feel a need!

tigersword

It's personal preference. It has no negative health effects, but no real benefits, either. It's just another option for meal planning. Meal timing is irrelevant, so it doesn't matter if you fast and then eat a huge meal, or eat tiny meals every hour on the hour. Plan to eat whichever way you can stick to eating.

JesterMFP

I do (a relaxed version of) Lean Gains. I tend to eat within an 8 hour window, and don't start eating until about 1 pm. It suits me as I prefer to eat more later in the day. I have tried 5:2, and I like the idea of it, but up to now it hasn't suited me as well because even though the fast day is ok, I usually feel too drained the day after.

There is a dedicated forum on the subject here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/66-intermittent-fasting

Alehmer

Great article by Dr. John Berardi on this subject. Dr. Berardi has a PhD in nutrition, is the nutrition guy for many top Canadian Olympians and professional sports teams. He's my favorite nutrition guy ever. Anyway, he experimented with this himself, using several different modalities and did a great write-up.

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting

buttonblue

That's a really interesting article, thanks for sharing it.