Intermittent Fasters

So you're a doctor? I have seen people get ill and pass out from not eating. I have gotten sick from not eating in over an 8 hour time period. I mean so scary to me that I almost called an ambulance for myself because I found it difficult to drive my car and I was in an unfamiliar city.

And I made no assumptions about your habits.

The first time I lost weight I drop from 191.8 pounds to 160 eating around 1200 calories a day and not even working out. So if someone can loose weight and eat every day why would you want to go with out eating? It makes no sense.

you go 8 hours without eating everynight when you sleep.................so you wake up like that everyday??? If you have some sort of ill effect from not eating for 6-8 hours there is something medically wrong with you and you should see a dr.

Lots of times I dont eat before a run...my running partner would eat and get sluggish and I could go five miles or more without food. Depends on the day. I take the cue from my body on when I need to eat - not a clock or time of day. I dont think fasting a bit is bad for you if your body is doing okay. I always have a protein bar or gu with me if needed.

"The first time I lost weight I drop from 191.8 pounds to 160 eating around 1200 calories a day and not even working out. So if someone can loose weight and eat every day why would you want to go with out eating? It makes no sense"

Please read more on IF Frameworks and Methodologies because you obviously still dont understand IF, Leangains or ESE.

You've used that before as a defense in this thread. Besides getting angry with someone simply said I don't understand why anyone would do it, you really haven't offered anything else. I did read up on it. And after reading up on it. I still don't understand why someone would do it.

I did discuss my instances with a doctor and he told me I was hypoglycemic and albin I never said it was everyday. Though if I woke up and didn't eat I wouldn't be thinking straight by lunch time.

None of you have stated why you would go with out food when eating food every day still results in weight loss.

No ones getting angry here especially not about your redundant comments. I do IF so i can eat big meals and still hit macros and hit calorie deficits. That is why WE do it. Again IF and IF variations are dependant on frameworks and the individuals preferences and health needs.

IF you can eat 1200cals between 6am and 9pm - more power to ya, instead i think I'll wait a little longer in the day and eat 3 'decent' meals.

In the UK a lot of interest was triggered by a BBC program that looked at restricted calorie diets, alternate day fasting etc. The presenter advocated a less extreme version of alternate day fasting which is referred to as the 5:2 diet - five "normal" days and two (non-consecutive) 500/600 calorie days.
Link to program can be found in my profile if you are interested.
It's working for me and my wife.

I have been doing alternate day fasting for over 11 months now. I love it. It's how I've lost over 90 of my pounds. It's NOT unhealthy. There is so much science and research supporting just how healthy it is. I'm healthier than I've been in 15 years, and it's the only thing I've been able to stick with for more than 3 months.

With alternate day fasting, you do NOT consume an insane amount of calories on your non-fasting days. I get 1915 calories on my "up" days and stay below 500 calories on my "down" days. This is based on age, weight, gender, and height (I'm tall for a woman, so I get more calories--yippee!). I have had no plateaus, even losing when I took maintenance breaks with higher calories.

I exercise in a fasted state and don't really see any difference in my performance fasted v's non-fasted. I am not an avid exerciser though, and am just starting out, so that might be different for someone who does prolonged or intense exercise.

Of all the IF programs I've read/heard about, this is the one that works for ME, and that I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. I think they all have merit, and you just need to experiment to see what you're the most comfortable with, and can sustain.

Thanks for sharing - bumping later to read. I just started this 5/2 this week (Tuesday & Thursday) and hoping it will get me out of my 5 month plateau! thanks. x

I wish I could do the lean gains way, but I have to lift/exercise really early in the am. I work 12 hour days shifts. If I wait till lunch to eat that would be 4-5 post work out.

My CrossFit class is at 6:30am and I do an IF everyday from 8:30p - 12:30p the next day. If you read leangains, he recommends that you take a BCAA before and after your workout. It helps your performance but won't break your fast. I did the IF for about a month and stopped for a few weeks (personal reasons), but have been back on for 2 weeks now. I feel really good and my performance has not suffered at all. As a matter of fact, I feel better and am getting stronger. I am rarely hungry in the morning, and I never feel like I am starving.

I love the fast not only for performance, but for the 'mental' aspect of it. I am controlling myself and nourshing my body when I eat. I am not emotionally eating or eating for 'pleasure.' I control the food, it does not control me.

I am by no means a nutritionist or similar. I have tried to educate myself by reading and personal experience. leangains is the website that has guided me and helped me understand why and how this works. And, IF does works for me. I'm losing fat and gaining muscle. What more could I ask for?!

Thanks, BTW, I didn't know there was an IF group on here.

Bump

I like how I can not count calories and not worry about consumption. I like how on my fast days I do not feel hungry or the need to eat. This is a lifestyle, not a fad diet. I don't care to worry about calories vs calories out.

You can definitely gain weight IFing, it's just harder. Cals in vs out still matters.

I have been using intermittent fasting for almost a month now with some pretty awesome changes. First off, I have so much more energy in the morning, which I would have never thought. Also, I am more committed to exercising after I break my fast, I seem to want to eat less and lastly I am more regular. I was wondering if anyone else with success or difficulty would share their experiences or expertise. I've read up on it but I would like to know more.

Thanks for your time! (=

I have a non MFP buddy tell me and show me results from his inter fasting, WOW. I've done fasting, never inter fasting, and I didn't exercise, it was for a different purpose, but I definitely plan a inter fast sometime. The only down side from what I saw/ was told, when you stop, the results do to. Just from what I've understood and seen. Still something I'd love to try. Good Job!

The only down side from what I saw/ was told, when you stop, the results do to.

Not true. If you ate the same number of calories/macros in a 24hr feeding window as a 6hr window for example the results would be very similar.

If you ate the same as you normally do in your eating window and added a breakfast meal then obviously your cal intake will increase and you are more likely to maintain/gain weight.

After a LOT of internet research, I've decided to give IF a try- I'm the type of person who just never feels full or satisfied unless I'm stuffed, and I have two small kids, so sometimes I don't even realize I've put a handful of goldfish/cereal/carby snack in my mouth... I had been drinking a protein shake for breakfast, but gave it up and stopped eating after 6:30. My lunch period is at 12:15, so it is pretty easy for me to maintain a lean gains-ish 18/6 window- I read the Juliette Morris kindle book and my biggest takeaway was that for women with a lot of belly fat over 16 hours is better (I think it was 16-18.)
The best part for me is that I'm not anxious about snacks and food all day. I didn't realize how preoccupied I was before, but I definitely have some issues and often ate when stressed or as a reward.
I am seriously not hungry. Not craving food is probably a better way to put it. I haven't had any negative effects like light headedness or anything, but I used to be AWFUL if I was a couple hours without a meal. You know- the hunger induced bad mood. But now it is gone- I think because I reframed how I thought about meals and hunger.
It's been less than a week, and I don't even have a weigh in to share, but I feel really positive so far, and the science is very encouraging.
Maybe it's because I kind of have an all or nothing personality, so a bunch of compromise meals weren't doing much for me... will follow up if I learn anything else interesting!!