Intermittent Fasting. Anyone tried it?

MeMyCatsandI

I started IFing about 6 weeks ago. It broke my 3 month plateau and I'm down 7 pounds. For the first time since I started counting calories 2 .5 years ago, I'm not hungry all the time. I eat a big lunch that holds me until dinner. Then I eat a big dinner. No hunger pains. It's easier to stay within my calorie goals and I no longer think about food constantly. It works for me!

*Edit: BTW, I do not take BCAA and I do not lift weights. I do yoga, walking, and stationary bike only. And it still works for me.

Sidesteal

I don't know that there's enough evidence to support a distinct physiological advantage to adopting an IF style of eating.

That being said, I ENJOY it for personal preference/adherence reasons specifically when eating at a deficit.

I'm not aiming this at anyone in this thread, but I think there's some risk in claiming that IF is physiologically superior than any other meal frequency given we are comparing equal calories and macronutrients.

It's just another way to eat.

Unless you combine it with Paleo style of eating, then it's vastly superior to all known forms of dieting

I actually tried combining the two but I ended up with an erection lasting 31 hours. I had to stop.

stephl81

I fast at night. Is that long enough to go without food???

aftergypsies

Did it last week, loved it. Doing it again today.

Sarauk2sf

Tagging, not only for the highly amusing erection comment but because there are some good links here.

LeggyKettleBabe

Very confusing to a newbie.

Can someone explain how this would work for someone that works from 8-5? My workout opportunity is either 4-6am or 8-9pm.

I can not work out mid day .

Barbellerella

Very confusing to a newbie.

Can someone explain how this would work for someone that works from 8-5? My workout opportunity is either 4-6am or 8-9pm.

I can not work out mid day .

http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

hazelovesfood

Can I just say, I am now trying this, but not necessarily doing exercise before food, anyway. Im wondering why this should work, when really you see so mnay people who go all day without food and there fat coz they eat all there cals in one go. Most nutritionalists will say that you should kick start your metabolism as soon as you can as this is what helps you burn calouries, ie you need to eat to start burning cals.

TheFitFireman

Can I just say, I am now trying this, but not necessarily doing exercise before food, anyway. Im wondering why this should work, when really you see so mnay people who go all day without food and there fat coz they eat all there cals in one go. Most nutritionalists will say that you should kick start your metabolism as soon as you can as this is what helps you burn calouries, ie you need to eat to start burning cals.

You're not going all day without food, you have 10 hours of the day to eat since you're a woman. If you were to begin eating at 10am you can eat all the way till 8pm, I'm not sure what time of the day you wake up but waiting till 10am isn't that long of a wait regardless. People who are fat become fat because they over eat, you do not become fat because you consume your daily calories in one go. As long as you're in a caloric deficit you will lose weight, how many calories you consume at once and when you consume those calories simply does not matter as long as it doesn't exceed your caloric maintenance level. The whole concept of needing to eat the second you wake up to "kick start" your metabolism is complete broscience which I'm sure you heard from people putting out falsified information. If it was necessary to eat breakfast to lose weight, then the thousands of people who intermittent fast like myself wouldn't be seeing weight loss.

Sarauk2sf

Can I just say, I am now trying this, but not necessarily doing exercise before food, anyway. Im wondering why this should work, when really you see so mnay people who go all day without food and there fat coz they eat all there cals in one go. Most nutritionalists will say that you should kick start your metabolism as soon as you can as this is what helps you burn calouries, ie you need to eat to start burning cals.

Then most nutritionalists would be wrong. The is no study that shows an impact on your metabolism between eating once a day and six times a day or at 6am v 6pm (calories being equal).

ThatsNotMine

oh how funny, I'm doing this anyway! I didn;t know it had a name!

I only eat between 9-5 at present and it's helped me make heathier choices and stopped the late night pop tart grab.

iris8pie

*bookmarking*

graelwyn

I have toyed with the idea of this, but I think for someone who is prone to binge eating, it could go one of two ways, and I fear for me, it would increase the urge to binge, as I tend to binge when my blood sugar gets low. I also, on a day I did just about go 16 hours without food, experienced the most intense hunger pains.

Nataliaho

I have toyed with the idea of this, but I think for someone who is prone to binge eating, it could go one of two ways, and I fear for me, it would increase the urge to binge, as I tend to binge when my blood sugar gets low. I also, on a day I did just about go 16 hours without food, experienced the most intense hunger pains.

For me the hunger pains have passed, I don't really get them any more. In relation to binging, I guess it depends if you are truly prone to extreme binging at night, i.e. 500+ calories or if you just snack. Intermittent fasting has had the opposite effect for me, I generally have 300-500 cals left after dinner to have dessert or fruit or a snack or whatever I want. I find that is more than enough to satiate my desire to snack at night.

I think in the past when I really overdid it at night it was because I felt like once I had snacked a bit, I'd already ruined my day and may as well keep going. Knowing that the snack is all part of the plan and nothing to feel guilty about, helps keep me in line.

jodycoady

I think it's good to do a little fasting at times. Keeps your body guessing. Besides I'd prefer for my body to feed off the damn fat I already have stored