Intermittent Fasting

Apazman

Here is my experience with it and my observation.

First and foremost.... Do what works for you. Some people like to eat a little, often. Some don't. If you are struggling to find something that works for you, this may be worth a try. Always consult your doctor before beginning any diet program.

I have lost weight on IF pretty quickly .. there are a lot of benefits for ME Personally (Not based on science article, just my personal experience) DO NOT expect to have the same experience or changes. These are OPINIONS based on my observations.. nothing more. Even when I state things I researched, I inventively found 1 or 2 articles that disagree with those findings. I can't state what is absolute scientifically 100% confirmed truth, just what I learned.

When eating one meal a day I (again, just me) Feel:
- Its a real easy rule "DON'T EAT' -
don't have to worry about scheduling or planning the day of food so I don't go over. Not counting points or filling out spreadsheets

-With Only 1 meal a day, I naturally want to make it an excellent one
I look forward to eating, and plan a great home cooked meal. I stop at the store and get fresh ingredients, try new recipes more often. I don't have to plan/prep/cook 3 meals a day .. just one, the effort is lowered and the satisfaction is raised.

- I feel a lot more open to new foods and veggies I previously didn't like
I hated onions really hated them. When a recipe called for them, i would as little as possible. When fasting I could really taste the sweetness of the onion like never before. Now I add them all the time, same with broccoli and peppers. Food does seem to taste a lot different when fasting (again, FOR ME)

- If I eat a big meal at night, I can fall right to sleep
I am not super hungry at night as I used to be. I eat that one big meal and I am good for the rest of the night. I don't know if anyone else tends to go over calories especially in the evening, but I used to all the time. I would do well all day and then mess it up at night.

- Super easy to track
Because its one big meal its pretty easy to enter into MFP and be totally accurate. I didn't forget to add a snack or extra side of ranch with lunch salad.

- Naturally become more resilient to temptation
I found once I could fast for a few days, I became more confident about saying no to food I used to eat all the time, that I really loved.

- Blood sugar lower for longer
Please note: The following is what I have learned on my own internet research, as such it may or may not be true, please take it with a grain salt
I found that fat oxidization levels are at a mere 10% - 20% percent after eating, at about 4 hours after eating they jump to 50% and after 6 hours its up to 80%. The Idea being I want to burn more longer and as efficiently as possible. The moment you eat food, your blood sugar goes up and fat oxidization level drops to nearly nothing and has to restart that climb back to the top. You could probably accomplish a similar result with a low glycemic index diet as well.

The list goes on and on... I have tried a lot "Diets" but this simple rule of DON'T EAT seems to have lead me to healthier eating habits not through a program or rules or policies but through my own inner-personal desire.

ogus1

Agree on all points. Leangains changed my life immediately.
Kidneys, gall bladder, energy, focus, blood pressure, strength all improved within three weeks.

First time in my life I KNOW when I am hungry and I eat what I need.

philsy1

What I do is only borderline fasting. On Mondays and Thursdays, I don't eat until 5PM or later. Some call this 5-2 fasting. The other 5 days of the week I just keep it under 1800 cals, which is significant because I'm nearly 6'3 and male. The combination allows me to lose 2 or 3 lb a week, and I'm happy with that. Believe me, I'm not criticizing any other weight loss plan,but I do favor some moderation in all things. Best of luck.

ljb304

I do Fast 5. My eating window is 5:30-10:30. I love it. I get to eat until I'm full and satisfied. I'm on my 3rd month and I couldn't be happier. A lot of people use it to get fit and cut, but it works great for weight loss too!

Showcase_Brodown

I enjoy IF. I like the simplicity of eating twice a day (in my case) instead of 3+. And of course, larger meals. Yup, I like those.

kirkor

Lovelovelove IF!

For those thinking about it, just try it!

Give yourself 3 weeks to adjust before deciding a verdict. The first couple weeks can be challenging depending on how your mind and body are wired.

Kikilarue59

Interesting Observations. You know I heard that David Letterman does that. He eats one meal a day. after he tapes his show.
He's been doing this for years. seems to work well for him.

boxingfun75

How do you Intermittent Fast?

marybeth9999

I just started fast 5 too...and love it! So simple...nothing to guess, and I can eat whatever I want during the eating window. How much are you losing a week on it?

ljb304

How do you Intermitten Fast?

There are several differents ways. It's about finding what works for you. There is Leangains, Fast 5, Eat Stop Eat, etc. Some call The Fast diet (5:2) IF, not sure I would, but it is out there. There is probably a few I am forgetting.

ETA: I don't know much about the Fast diet, so someone else might be better to help with that one.

marybeth9999

Look up the words "fast 5" on google....there is a free e-book. It outlines everything.

kirkor

>I can eat whatever I want during the eating window

Careful of this, especially as you adapt to eating in that small window. You can definitely blow past your calorie goal even in 5 hours with calorically dense stuff.

mscleo1115

A previous boss of mine who is in his mid-60s does this. He's very lean and competes in marathons regularily. I tried it and failed miserably. I'm an all day grazer. He even told me once before "Do you ever not eat?!" Ha ha ha. Do whatever works for you to stay fit and healthy.

ljb304

>I can eat whatever I want during the eating window

Careful of this, especially as you adapt to eating in that small window. You can definitely blow past your calorie goal even in 5 hours with calorically dense stuff.

Kikor - The Fast 5 diet actually recommends eating what you want in your window and your appetite will kinda reset itself. I agree with you though. I don't trust my appetite, that's how I got here in the first place. :happy: So I still count calories and I still love Fast 5.

marybeth9999

so no banana splits?.... No...really....thanks for that reminder. Those high calorie foods can add up fast. How much are people losing per week doing it? I haven't heard any concrete numbers for weight loss?

ljb304

I was doing a 14 hour fast and lost about 8 lbs with that. Then I changed to fast 5, I'm up to a total of 27.4 lbs so almost 20 lbs in two and a half months. I've been averaging about 2 lbs. a week.

marybeth9999

Way to go! You are doing terrific!

Apazman

Because My weight is so high (450+ lbs when I started) I lose about 3-4 a week.

marybeth9999

Apazman

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Thanks for the feedback. That is great that you have found a plan you can stick with and works for you.....you will definitely lose the weight and will get to write your success story! I'm sure of it!!

Romyarts2014

O how i love you guys

Day 3 for me. I eat at 5pm and thats it..
I feel very satisfied.
do you guys add alot of excercise with the fast or just regular walkinge etc?

Apazman

when I started .. I wasn't doing any exercise.. then as I lost more weight .. I started to believe.. and got myself a free weight set. weight training and started doing squats, if anything 50 squats a day to start... get up every morning do as many as you can, hold on to a door sill if you need to. Squats are the very best workout you can do for your body. That's why they suck and make you sore.

amberlykay1014

I think the most important thing I learned doing IF is that I can now tell the difference between when I'm really HUNGRY and when I just want something because I can have it. I learned to control my hunger and that, to me, is huge.

I also have found that I enjoy training fasted. I lift heavy at 11am-noon and I don't eat my first meal until 2-4pm. I have read that training fasted encourages your body to use stored fats for energy rather than what you just put into your body (breakfast). I enjoy the concentration and focus I get from being fasted + some coffee.

marybeth9999

Romyarts--sounds like you are off to a great start. A big plus of IF to me is learning that it's ok for my stomach to be empty. I know that may sound crazy....but I am so used to keeping it full all the time...I didn't know what normal hunger actually was...and it is a good feeling to be very hungry--then eat! To answer the exercise question....I am doing a 20 minute a day weight training DVD and love it. One day is upper body and the next is lower...very basic and is a dumbbell workout using 3 sets of weights....or pyramid system. Also doing a stationary recumbent bike...but not real regular with that. I figure as the weight comes off....the muscles are getting toned!!

Apazman

Romyarts--sounds like you are off to a great start. A big plus of IF to me is learning that it's ok for my stomach to be empty. I know that may sound crazy....but I am so used to keeping it full all the time...I didn't know what normal hunger actually was...and it is a good feeling to be very hungry--then eat! To answer the exercise question....I am doing a 20 minute a day weight training DVD and love it. One day is upper body and the next is lower...very basic and is a dumbbell workout using 3 sets of weights....or pyramid system. Also doing a stationary recumbent bike...but not real regular with that. I figure as the weight comes off....the muscles are getting toned!!

It does not sound crazy AT ALL. I always ate just to eat .. and not because I was hungry. IF shows you what really being hungry and eating is like.

I will say I will probably not be doing IF during vacations. When I am on vacation, I am ON vacation. other than that I will be doing IF every day. Even the holidays.

970Mikaela1

My window is noon to about 8. normal lunch huuuge dinner. works for me very well. I like going to bed feeling full.

tlmcint

I've just started reading about this way of eating and most of what I"m reading also mentions heavy lifting. Is this intermittent fasting designed for lifters or can it work for the rest of us also?

Jess__I__Can

I think the most important thing I learned doing IF is that I can now tell the difference between when I'm really HUNGRY and when I just want something because I can have it.

I've only been doing IF for a week and I can already start to tell the difference.

HobbitSithLord

I think that if IF suits your natural eating habits you can have a ton of success with it. There's so many people just naturally AREN'T HUNGRY until later in the day. I'm one of them. When I started out, I was forcing myself to eat breakfast and sometimes having to choke lunch down. Then I'd hit dinner, my 'natural' big meal and I'd go over or close to it and I was always on edge about eating.

Now I do 5/2 but I also don't feel obligated to follow the eating schedule you think you have to (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) you think you have to for losing weight because I've seen a lot of people lose plenty on the daily IF (sorry, bad with official terminology). I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but I stopped tracking calories, started just being aware of what I was eating, taking in more water and eating proper portions . . . and from the plateau I'd been stuck at for 4 weeks I started losing again.

I think anyone who is by nature not hungry in the early part of the day might want to consider IF.

Apazman

I think that if IF suits your natural eating habits you can have a ton of success with it. There's so many people just naturally AREN'T HUNGRY until later in the day. I'm one of them. When I started out, I was forcing myself to eat breakfast and sometimes having to choke lunch down. Then I'd hit dinner, my 'natural' big meal and I'd go over or close to it and I was always on edge about eating.

Now I do 5/2 but I also don't feel obligated to follow the eating schedule you think you have to (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks) you think you have to for losing weight because I've seen a lot of people lose plenty on the daily IF (sorry, bad with official terminology). I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but I stopped tracking calories, started just being aware of what I was eating, taking in more water and eating proper portions . . . and from the plateau I'd been stuck at for 4 weeks I started losing again.

I think anyone who is by nature not hungry in the early part of the day might want to consider IF.

THIS! - "I think anyone who is by nature not hungry in the early part of the day might want to consider IF."

makingmylifebetter

Thanks for posting your experiences-- very helpful.

HLindsayA

Hey everyone,

So, as someone earlier mentioned, for those of us that are typically not hungry until later in the day, this way of eating normally works for me. The caveat to that being, I MUST have my coffee in the morning, and I absolutely can not drink it black. Does anyone have this issue?

Thanks!