Limiting your eating window

Gunnerslove

Hi I've only just started delaying when I begin eating... For example I begin my 'food window' at 12pm or 1pm and eat roughly 1600 calories a day...(female/5ft9) more if I exercise..and I finish eating at around 7/8pm.... Has any one else done this or similar and found their normal 'over hungry' apatite has disappeared Or diminished? Is it healthy to fast for 16 hours each day?? Am I doing myself harm ? Cause I'm finding it helpful not to be hungry 100% of the day like I was before by doing this! Advise/support would be nice!!! Thank you.

tiptoethruthetulips

A lot of people have had success with IF, some haven't.

If its working for you and you are losing fat as opposed to lean body mass its all good.

KarenJanine

You may find more answers in one of the Intermittent Fasting groups, e.g. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/66-intermittent-fasting

Some people find having a shortened feeding window to be beneficial to their goals, others do not. There is some evidence that IF can interfere with hormone regulation in women, but the research is limited. This article is worth a read:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/#

Hikr56

I'm also 5' 9" and have been using your same eating window for months now. It's made a tremendous difference in my weight loss and I feel like I have FINALLY found the magic potion for my body. I've never felt better! Good luck to you. :drinker:

Gunnerslove

Thanks for all the links...How many calories should I be aiming for.....is 1600 good???

jimmmer

Hi I've only just started delaying when I begin eating... For example I begin my 'food window' at 12pm or 1pm and eat roughly 1600 calories a day...(female/5ft9) more if I exercise..and I finish eating at around 7/8pm.... Has any one else done this or similar and found their normal 'over hungry' apatite has disappeared Or diminished? Is it healthy to fast for 16 hours each day?? Am I doing myself harm ? Cause I'm finding it helpful not to be hungry 100% of the day like I was before by doing this! Advise/support would be nice!!! Thank you.

It's fine.

A bunch of people do it without issue.

I too do the 12pm-8pm thing and it fits with my job and my life. It's also an easy way for me to cut since I like big meals. Previously I have found myself miserable cutting and eating 3 weenie meals a day.

Basically, your hunger response is trained. After a few weeks of changing your eating patterns your ghrelin levels spike in accordance with your new pattern and you get hungry according to your new pattern. I don't get hungry before 12pm. When 12 rolls around, I start getting hungry. A year ago I would have punched you if you made me go a couple of hours without breakfast, now it's my most productive time of day. There's a mental clarity that comes with it.

But yeah, google 16/8 or leangains or check out chrisdavey's fasting group on here.

xcalygrl

Thanks for all the links...How many calories should I be aiming for.....is 1600 good???

Did you put your stats in MFP honestly? If you did, MFP should give a goal to eat everyday.

As for IF, I did it for awhile. I liked it ok, but it got to the point that it didn't fit with my lifestyle and training needs anymore so I stopped following it. If it works for you, keep it up.

earlnabby

Thanks for all the links...How many calories should I be aiming for.....is 1600 good???

Probably, but what is your starting weight and activity level?

For reference, I am 5'7", currently 260 lb, sedentary, and I eat 1770 calories to lose 1 lb a month. I eat back about 1/2 of my exercise calories.

Gunnerslove

Today I weighed in at 188lbs (13st.6) last year I was (206lbs) have yo-yo'd an awful lot this year.... I'm not very active.... Walking is basically it....

jimmmer

Today I weighed in at 188lbs (13st.6) last year I was (206lbs) have yo-yo'd an awful lot this year.... I'm not very active.... Walking is basically it....

If you cut too hard, without some resistance training you'll lose more bone density and muscle tissue than you should.

You should do some full-body progressive resistance orientated stuff 2-3x a week and get adequate protein to mitigate lean tissue loss. Keep the walking. Walking is good.

Gunnerslove

Ok.... I know I need to move my butt.....will dust off my fitness DVDs ....or google some fitness routines on YouTube... Or I will at least think about it thanks sound advise....but How many lbs losed each week is 'pushing it' ??

jimmmer

This comes from Lyle McDonald, I think (although I'm not sure how he worked it out now): your maximum calorie deficit can be your fat mass*31. Of course you need to know what % of your bw is adipose tissue to know what this value is. Also, I think the assumption is that you are getting adequate protein. I wouldn't even try to go near the maximum possible deficit (although with adequate resistance training and protein, he's said somewhere you can exceed it)

However, slow and steady wins the race. Aim for something like a 1lb-1.5lb a week loss and as you get closer to your goal weight taper it down. The leaner you get, the less rapidly you can lose. That's just the way it is I'm afraid...

But don't get too overwhelmed by trying to nail everything perfectly on the first day. Get your protein right, stay active and nail your deficit for a few weeks and see how you go. Adjust on the fly and err on the side of losing conservatively to preserve as much of the good stuff as possible while shedding fat. Plenty of protein, plenty of fluid, good resistance training routine.