Intermittent Fasting Works...

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Replies

  • red_road
    red_road Posts: 761 Member
    Hey everybody

    A couple weeks ago i saw a program on BBC called Eat,fast, and live longer, the very next day i started trying one of the diets featured on the show ( intermittent fasting, every other day eat no more than 500 calories and in between eat whatever i want).
    I was just wondering if anyone else is doing this and what their results have been? So far I am happy with my results from this form of eating. The first week was really hard, i would basically just binge on my "feast" days but now my eating is alot more controlled and i am no longer starving on my "fast" days.
  • clobercow
    clobercow Posts: 337 Member
    I do daily fasting and extended fasts on weekends.

    I eat close to maintenance on weekdays usual around 1-2 meals within about 4 hours of each other.

    I create my caloric deficit on the weekends when I fast for 48 hours. I'm having great success with it.
  • internationalmf
    internationalmf Posts: 38
    IF leangains style- and many IF type diets are not about FASTING, per se-- it gets a lot of crap because a lot of people see the word "fasting" and they get freaked out like you're anorexic.
    It is a type of distribution of meals. You can follow any type of diet, low fat, low carb, macro, etc- it is about distributing your meals within 4-8 hours of the day instead of eating small meals throughout the day.

    This is a type of dieting that will work for some people and some lifestyles similar to eating 6-8 small meals throughout the day only works for some people and somelifestyles.

    I'm starting to get on the IF bus since it is something I did naturally last year anyway (heat wave + hyper busy schedule meant that I only ate in the evenings when the weather cooled down and I was done work- and I lost weight without even knowing it!).
  • internationalmf
    internationalmf Posts: 38
    I would also like to say that, unless you are combining it WITH other methods (i.e. low cal, low carb), IF seems to work best for people who are losing the last 10-15 lbs and are just trying to lean up- get over the plateau.

    Working out at a fasted state makes sure you use your extra fat storage and eating after workouts (when you break the fast in the afternoon) ensures that you feed your muscles post-workout.
    If you eat before workout you will burn what you just ate. The "always eat breakfast" adage is only if you are at your desired weight and you are trying to maintain.
  • clobercow
    clobercow Posts: 337 Member
    I would also like to say that, unless you are combining it WITH other methods (i.e. low cal, low carb), IF seems to work best for people who are losing the last 10-15 lbs and are just trying to lean up- get over the plateau.

    Working out at a fasted state makes sure you use your extra fat storage and eating after workouts (when you break the fast in the afternoon) ensures that you feed your muscles post-workout.
    If you eat before workout you will burn what you just ate. The "always eat breakfast" adage is only if you are at your desired weight and you are trying to maintain.

    I was shedding fat so quickly, I had to buy clothes every week. I was doing Warrior Diet/Fast Five style with a shart 1000 calorie per day deficit. I was dropping tons of weight quickly. I think my deficit was more than 1000 calories though consider I dropped 30 pounds of it in a month. Thankfully the goodwill store has a good selection or I would be broke! Of course as I become learner it slows down, but it doesn't stop.
  • LadyFlux
    LadyFlux Posts: 7
    I read into this and you are supposed to eat normally, as if you weren't on a diet, subconsciously you will eat as if you are on a diet though. But you are supposed to dig into the normal foods you eat, as long as you don't go over board, so high fats, high carbs... essentially you aren't supposed to deprive your body... you are tricking it into "thinking" it's not on any diet.
    I think however for it to work effectively you are supposed to eat less protein.
    This diet helps with a number of areas, even decreasing cholesterol and slowing down ageing... so there's added health benefits too!
  • jillebean60
    jillebean60 Posts: 78 Member
    Just started 5:2 yesterday and I was surprised how easy it was. Aside for 3 hours after I ate my protein bar/yogurt for breakfast, I felt little to no hunger. Today I've eaten my normal target and haven't craved beyond that. Hoping to see a loss at the end of week #1. I will say that yesterday during fast I had greater mental clarity than I've had in awhile and bursts of unexpected energy.
  • BaileyBoo13524
    BaileyBoo13524 Posts: 593 Member
    So when you do IF and aim for 500 cals per day is there a specific time frame you eat them in? Or does it not matter?
  • rm830
    rm830 Posts: 531 Member
    I love intermittent fasting...helped me break through a plateau! I do eat more than 500 calories on those days tho...around 800. Other days I eat at TDEE or just a little under!
  • jillebean60
    jillebean60 Posts: 78 Member
    So when you do IF and aim for 500 cals per day is there a specific time frame you eat them in? Or does it not matter?

    check this out......guidelines at the bottom of the article

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9480451/The-52-diet-can-it-help-you-lose-weight-and-live-longer.html
  • Skych123
    Skych123 Posts: 96
    interesting...
  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
    This actually looks quite doable and something I might try because there has been days where I don't eat an awful pile anyways...i'm just wondering how exactly people do it....like what makes up your 500 calories?..Is it supposed to be 500 calories for 2 days a week and then you usual daily intake for the rest?..
  • viad25720
    viad25720 Posts: 57 Member
    I'm confused lol are you only putting 500 cals in your mouth or just netting 500?
  • mdelcott
    mdelcott Posts: 529 Member
    I want to look at this later when I have more time
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I'm confused lol are you only putting 500 cals in your mouth or just netting 500?
    You're supposed to only put 500 cals in your mouth - i.e. you only eat 500 cals on fasting days (600 cals if you're a man). Net calories don't come into it on this diet.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    This actually looks quite doable and something I might try because there has been days where I don't eat an awful pile anyways...i'm just wondering how exactly people do it....like what makes up your 500 calories?..Is it supposed to be 500 calories for 2 days a week and then you usual daily intake for the rest?..

    That's the idea - you just eat 500 calories (or 600 if you're a man) on two separated (not consecutive) days in a week and eat normally - whatever is normal for you - on the other 5 days. It's up to you how you "spend" your 500 calories - it's not a lot so you need to get best value from them. I often skip breakfast then have a salad with a little protein for lunch and then fish or chicken and lots of low cal veg for dinner. Others have a higher protein breakfast and the same sort of dinner.
  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
    This actually looks quite doable and something I might try because there has been days where I don't eat an awful pile anyways...i'm just wondering how exactly people do it....like what makes up your 500 calories?..Is it supposed to be 500 calories for 2 days a week and then you usual daily intake for the rest?..

    That's the idea - you just eat 500 calories (or 600 if you're a man) on two separated (not consecutive) days in a week and eat normally - whatever is normal for you - on the other 5 days. It's up to you how you "spend" your 500 calories - it's not a lot so you need to get best value from them. I often skip breakfast then have a salad with a little protein for lunch and then fish or chicken and lots of low cal veg for dinner. Others have a higher protein breakfast and the same sort of dinner.

    Ok that makes sense!:)..Think i'd be more likely to go for the lunch/dinner myself...thanks for clarifying this. May give IF a go.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    This actually looks quite doable and something I might try because there has been days where I don't eat an awful pile anyways...i'm just wondering how exactly people do it....like what makes up your 500 calories?..Is it supposed to be 500 calories for 2 days a week and then you usual daily intake for the rest?..

    That's the idea - you just eat 500 calories (or 600 if you're a man) on two separated (not consecutive) days in a week and eat normally - whatever is normal for you - on the other 5 days. It's up to you how you "spend" your 500 calories - it's not a lot so you need to get best value from them. I often skip breakfast then have a salad with a little protein for lunch and then fish or chicken and lots of low cal veg for dinner. Others have a higher protein breakfast and the same sort of dinner.

    Ok that makes sense!:)..Think i'd be more likely to go for the lunch/dinner myself...thanks for clarifying this. May give IF a go.

    The 5:2 diet we were discussing above where you only eat 500 calories on 2 days a week isn't the same as Intermittent Fasting. On that plan you eat all your calories for the day (a lot more than 500) in a time slot of 4,6 or 8 hours, depending what plan you're on. Have a look at http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

    You may find this interesting too http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting
  • balancedbrunette
    balancedbrunette Posts: 530 Member
    ^Thanks for the above information, i'll check them sites out
  • imtriagain
    imtriagain Posts: 104 Member
    Bump - interesting.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    ...for me.

    I watched this program on BBC Iplayer a couple of weeks ago http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lxyzc it discusses fasting as a necessary means to good health and maintaining a sharp brain in old health. Anyway the presenter explorers a number of differing fasting techniques and lost a stone in 5 weeks by REDUCING his calorie intake for two days out of seven, so I thought I'd give it a go.

    Monday net calorie intake 600, same again Thursday. Now remember net calories is your daily calorie figure after exercise.

    Weighed in this morning and 2ibs lost, whoa.



    i meant this lady

    on the days u don,t fast at 600 cals do u follow your normal cals on mfp say 1500 or do u eat at maintanance .




    im sorry im not interested in people who eat at 500 cals daily on a regular basis

    You sound likable.

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