Intermittent Fasting

WGageK

First of all this is my first post (use the app for tracking but never actually posted on the forums) so I should probably introduce myself. My names Gage, just an average 19yo. On june 18, 2012 I woke up and decided I was tired of being over weight. I weighed 205 and I'm 5 foot 11 inches tall. So I was extremely overweight, just a bit chubby. Since that day I have been going low carb. I'm good at sticking to the diet its not even a problem for me. No cravings or anything. I have lost 30 pounds in this month and a half and I feel great. Two days ago I started the intermittent fasting. I have lost 1 pound. For the last 2 weeks my weight loss had stalled out. I chose to do this because people seem to be having good results AND I absolutely hate eating 6 small meals a day. Its frustrating. So I've lost those 30 pounds and I'm looking to lose around 10 more putting me at 165. I'm just wondering if anyone else on here is just starting intermittent fasting. Losing weight is fantastic but having others to talk about your progress each day and maybe even motivating others is even better. Sorry for the incredibly long post but ill end it now. Thanks to anyone who reads (:

DanaDark

Hi Gage,

Any low carb diet will offer significant "weight loss" initially. Do not be fooled. This is mostly all water weight. Fat is simply burned through calories in vs calories out. ANY variation in your carb intake will greatly affect your weight on a low carb diet.

If you can see yourself eating that way for the rest of your life, then you'll be able to maintain the lost water weight, as well as lose some fat weight along the way.

Intermittent Fasting is a tool to aid in limiting calorie intake. Eating 6 small meals a day vs eating 2 a day or 3 a day is really irrelevant. What matters is which helps keep you eating fewer calories overall throughout the day. If you have the will power to simply say "I will not eat anything, ever, between X and Y time), then it may be a tool to aid you in reducing your eating. However, if you gorge yourself on McDonald's and other unhealthy foods, even eating in an 8 hour window cannot save you.

Members on MFP have many different ways of losing weight and fat. You will find ample support in any diet plan and exercise plan you choose. However, remember that here, we promote the idea of a life style change, and not a get rich quick scheme.

If you wish for my personal dieting recommendations, you can freely message me anytime here. I will not be insulted if you don't. There are THOUSANDS of us here with the same goals and desires, and we are all eager to help each other achieve healthy, effective, long term weight loss.

nicole9008

There is an intermittent fasting group here that you can post in that will probably greatly reduce the amount of "junk" replies you will receive. Many people like to preach in the forums so in the groups it is easier to get useful feedback on what you are actually asking.

As far as IF, I have done a more drastic version of it called JUDDD (also a group here for JUDDD), in which you eat only 500 calories one day and normal non diet calories the next day. Many people have had success on it, and it is a great way to transition to mainteance from being low carb without gaining any weight back. My own experience with it is that it worked great for me though I don't need to lose weight, I was full of energy, and even with being at a low weight already I was able to get the last stubborn few vanity pounds off within a couple weeks.

The con of it is if you have a lot of social events it isn't easy to do especially if they are EVERY day like mine. I can't do it long term for that reason but I think other people might be able to.

Good Luck.