What's the deal with intermittent fasting?

honeylissabee

I've been seeing a bit about intermittent fasting online, and I'm a bit intrigued. I have been struggling a bit with my eating plan and feeling deprived because it is hard to fit in some of my favorite meals into 300-400 calorie meals. The idea of eating within an 8-10 hour window and having 800 calories for a meal appeals to me, but what is the real deal behind IF? How is it any better than distributing calories throughout the day?

The only thing I can see on the top of my head is that on Mondays (the day I eat my high calorie cheat meal) I do not need a bedtime snack. On any other day, I eat a snack after dinner because I am hungry.

Off the top of my head, I think I would do a 14:10 cycle where I can eat between 12 and 10pm, but that may also depend on my new work schedule. Some days, however, I may end up on a 15:9 of 16:8 cycle, and there may be days (like Wednesays) where I don't eat dinner until after 10.

But I'm not sure if it is just hype or if there's actually any benefit to IF. The info I have seen out there is pretty conflicting.

YorriaRaine

I've seen two different forms of intermittent fasting on these forums. One is where you eat like insanely low some days and higher other days. However, you keep the same weekly average as anybody else.

The other is when people link this: http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

All I can gather from that calculator is that on rest days you do TDEE -20%, eat lots of protein to retain muscle. On workout days you eat +20%, I'm assuming to bulk up?

I would like to know too. I probably got it wrong.

edit: After reading your post again I realize you put a lot of emphasis on time. It doesn't matter when you eat, only how many calories you eat throughout the day. The only time you have to be concerned when you eat is if you have acid reflux or something and you shouldn't eat before bed if you have that.

akshil

Check this website it is where all the magic of IF started. And yes it does work, helped me maintain my weight for more than a year allowing me to eat all my favorite foods after the weight loss.

www.leangains.com
www.rippedbody.jp

Jestinia

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/66-intermittent-fasting That is the IF subforum. If you want to check it out, it's open to join. Or click groups and type intermittent fasting and join that way.

I'm a week into a 22/2 schedule after having tried and failed 5:2 and Alternate Day Fasting. So far so good, but as always with these things, your results may vary.

tmauck4472

I do IF. Right now I'm eating in a 3 hour window so basically one large meal a day and before 2pm. It's just what I need to do to kick start this again. I've kind slumped off the last two months and I'm done with it. I'll do this a few weeks then get back to a more normal routine once I get the cravings under control. I love IF. Read Eat, Stop, Eat.

fitandfortyish

I did eat-stop-eat for about a year....One 24 hour fast per week. It's challenging but I didn't suffer at all.

Makoce

I recently switched to 16:8 fasting.
So I dont start eating till 1PM and stop eating at 9PM no exceptions.

I find Im always full now vs always hungry when I eat 6 - 7 meals a day and my binging has stopped since Im physically not allowed to due to time restrictions.

I also feel a lot better emotionally but I dont know if thats because I recently stopped eating as much sugars / desserts / processed stuff at the same time I started.

dnamouse

I fast one day a week (6:1 is the maintenance form of 5:2) and eat to a 16:8/15:9 window the rest of the week.

Why? Well, for one thing, it's how I naturally like to eat. I'm generally just not hungry in the morning. The other reason, I can pretty much eat whatever I want (within reason!) the rest of the time. And have absolutely no issues hitting my minimum macros.

acogg

It works because of rolling averages in weekly caloric intake. I did it for a couple of months and it did work. It helped my motivation to never be very far from a big food day, but still lose weight. I stopped doing it when I started taking in more protein, which helped me to not need big food days.

ETA: I still use it on occasion in order to fit in a special treat. I might cut back some calories the day before, the day after or some from both. I like to think of it as banking calories.

geebusuk

This has a reasonable bit of info in:
http://www.leangains.com/search/label/Leangains Guide
If nothing else, it helps me limit my eating - I can easily eat 9am-11pm AND still eat the same amount of food between 1pm-9pm. So if I force myself to just eat between those hours I don't eat as much.

It doesn't negatively impact me doing this.
The only time where I've found it does is doing serious exercise in the morning - I've fine with an hour and a half light social run, but make it an actual race (which I only do for the fun of it, but will be trying harder) and I really NEED some food before, definitely when the two times I've tried I've been on a 1400 calorie day the day before (which I suspect in reality is more than a 1000 calorie deficit on that day.)

OverDoIt

Works for some and not for others. The only way you will know is to give it a go !! I only fast when bloated, or know it is time to give my digestive system a rest. I have seen research supporting and detracting. If something sounds right to you, then that is more than likely the path you should take. you have alot of support here from people who care. You are in good company, take advantage of the opportunity to educate yourself.

Snow3y

IMO, pointless.

Why not just eat what you want when you want, under your caloric allowance?

Mischievous_Rascal

Off the top of my head, I think I would do a 14:10 cycle where I can eat between 12 and 10pm, but that may also depend on my new work schedule. Some days, however, I may end up on a 15:9 of 16:8 cycle, and there may be days (like Wednesays) where I don't eat dinner until after 10.

But I'm not sure if it is just hype or if there's actually any benefit to IF. The info I have seen out there is pretty conflicting.

This is exactly my eating window. I used to do 16:8, but it messed with my hormones. I read up more on it and this can happen for some women past the 14 hour mark, so I'm careful with that now, but it may not happen to you. (I'm 45, so that may play a factor.) I was on a "normal" 3 meal, 2 snack low cal diet for a while and I lost a bit, but couldn't really get my BF to lower. I've lost almost 10% BF in a little under a year doing IF and I'm maintaining now at a fairly large calorie allowance.

FindingAmy77

IMO, pointless.

Why not just eat what you want when you want, under your caloric allowance?

that is what I think about it too. your metabolism is working no matter if you eat or not. you need a certain amount of calories for basic metablic functions regardless. eat when you feel hungry and drink water. why deprive yourself? I don't see how starving yourself of food will help you have the energy needed to function at work, home or at the gym. I just don't get it. My body seems to respond to six small meals a day. I aim for that.

geebusuk

IMO, pointless.

Why not just eat what you want when you want, under your caloric allowance?

Because I find it much harder to keep to my calorie allowance that way.

jimmmer

IF isn't magic.

If it helps with compliance to a calorie deficit, then it's good.

If you have to go through contortions to get it to fit around your lifestyle, you'll probably last 2 weeks on it.

It makes cutting bearable for me, but I can see that it would be a pain in the *kitten* for other people.

LoveAthena

I don't really get that huge eating window when it comes to IF and many people end up gaining doing a 16:8 fast. Honestly, getting your meals in an 8 or 10 our window is what most people do anyway. Skip breakfast, lunch at 12, dinner at 6, all you're cutting is a snack.

I do IF and it usually helps me control binges but I do have a smaller eating window from 10 am to 3 pm. I find that that window allows my last meal to keep me full through dinner. It also makes eating whole meals and not a bunch of junk much easier for me.

Helloitsdan

I love it but at this point in my journey, its muscle wasting.
Not a magic bullet.
works for some but not all.
Solely based on macro distribution thorough the day/week.
If you don't lift weights, don't IF.

jimmmer

If you don't lift weights, don't IF.

Yeah, this^

tigersword

There's no deal. It's mostly marketing. Meal timing doesn't matter at all, just stick to calorie goals. If you need to put arbitrary "start" and "stop" times to stick to your calorie goal, go for it. Otherwise, don't bother.

geebusuk

I should note I DO lift weights and I DO work my calories/macros etc around that.
No idea if actuallly really helps or not, but I know it DOES help me not over-eating.

janicelo1971

IMO, pointless.

Why not just eat what you want when you want, under your caloric allowance?

Because I find it much harder to keep to my calorie allowance that way.

THIS

fitandfortyish

IMO, pointless.

Why not just eat what you want when you want, under your caloric allowance?

Because I find it much harder to keep to my calorie allowance that way.

THIS

....plus... IF proponents also suggest is those who maintain a healthy eating pattern and IF once or twice a week *may* see better fat burning results. For people who are at or near their goal weight and now want to tone and drop some of the subcutaeous fat (be "lean" if you will), IF seems to assist in that area.

weightywarrior

Why not just eat what you want when you want, under your caloric allowance?

Because "What I want when I want" and "Under my caloric allowance" don't go together. Ever.
That's just me. And maybe others too.

That why cutting out a few extra hours of eating can help. And that's why cutting out certain (non-essential) foods also helps me.

Just saying.

honeylissabee

Why not just eat what you want when you want, under your caloric allowance?

Because "What I want when I want" and "Under my caloric allowance" don't go together. Ever.
That's just me. And maybe others too.

That why cutting out a few extra hours of eating can help. And that's why cutting out certain (non-essential) foods also helps me.

Just saying.

I can see this.

Suppose I want an egg baked in avocado with some whole grain toast for breakfast. It's a fairly calorie dense meal, and that may mean I cannot manage dinner at Cheesecake Factory later- especially when adding in lunch and maybe a couple snacks in between. I can have macaroni and cheese for lunch now (made with whole milk and butter). On my 15 minute breaks, I've been having things like milk and a Lara Bar because it's easier to fit them in, and I've had days where between 10 and 4pm, I've only had 15 minutes to eat. I don't feel guilty about eating a 300 calorie snack because I know I can afford it, and I know it will be more satisfying than a string cheese and an apple.