Intermittent fasting for women?

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taylorwaylor
taylorwaylor Posts: 417 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What do you think about IF?? How did you feel while fasting??

I thought this was very dumb at first.. but after reading more about it I really want to do it. I think it would be a great lifestyle for me... However, i've heard a few people say how it's not good for women....?

What was your fasting period and what were some good and bad side effects???

Replies

  • pineygirl
    pineygirl Posts: 322 Member
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    I used to do it unintentionally, just never ate breakfast and often skipped lunch too due to my work schedule. Most of my daily calories were consumed from 7pm to 10pm. I didn't really lose weight doing this. I did gain but I think it was more due to a lessening of my anxiety (which makes me lose weight), and binging on weekends.

    One thing I did notice was how it affected my blood pressure. I have to take my blood pressure 3 times a day, and my blood pressure was always higher at night when I went without eating for most of the day. My readings when I get home from work were typically much higher than on days when I'd had at least a big lunch that day.
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,677 Member
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    I'm on a strict eat-whenever-hungry diet, and it often ends up as IF.

    I feel normal on those days. There are no changes in my energy, and I spent a couple weeks checking my blood sugar to see if my "erratic" eating schedule made a difference:

    it didn't. I stayed within a healthy blood sugar range whether fasting during the day or not.

    also

    inb4 STARVATION MODE OMG YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!
  • nicosuave2013
    nicosuave2013 Posts: 42 Member
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    i had a co-worker do this....she was in a weight loss competition and thursdays was weigh in day...she started "NO EAT WEDNESDAYS" and didnt eat until after her weigh in. Some accused her of manipulating the scale but each week she would be down and overall she lost over 30lbs and won the competition!!!

    That doesnt really give an answer, was more of an example....i dont think i could do it but she did and it seemed to work overall for her.
  • Athena125
    Athena125 Posts: 102 Member
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    I tried it and got a GIANT headache. I'm going to try again but more slowly - go 10 hours no food for a few days, then 11, then 12, etc. until I'm 8 or 9 hours eating and the rest not. I workout in the morning, so I notice I feel really lightheaded if I don't eat a small amount before the gym. I would suggest have your last meal have lots of protein in it. And drink a lot of water.
  • mjswalters
    mjswalters Posts: 38 Member
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    I lost my first 20 pounds doing IF and only recently transitioned to a general calorie counting diet. I liked IF and it was a good fit for me during the time I used it. I never felt deprived, which was really important to me in the first few months. I was a bit more tired on my low cal days (I used the JUDDDD method, so one day I ate 500 calories and the next day between 2000 and 2200), but I found I could still workout just fine and push through it. I lost at a slow steady pace; it took about 5 months to lose the 20 pounds.
  • alaskaang
    alaskaang Posts: 493 Member
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    The downside is that it can affect your hormones, and women don't seem to gain the same benefits as men. I think the recommendations are to keep your fasting period to a maximum of 14 hours for women instead of 16+ for men. I've done it, and have also done longer up to 36 hour fasts. IIt did not have any impact on weightloss. The primary benefit I saw was a better understanding of hunger cues and moving away from the need to eat every three to four hours. The other benefit was being able to work in the public during a competition for several hours a day on camera without having to worry about eating or using the restroom. I'd simply have my coffee in the morning and wait until we were done for the day to eat.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    I fast every day--from about 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. when I have breakfast.
  • S_U_M_M_E_R
    S_U_M_M_E_R Posts: 220
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    I have done it. LOVED the way it made me feel. I fasted doing the Master Cleanse for 14 days and lost 17 lbs. I have gained 9 lbs of it back over a 7 month period, but it included the holidays where I ate like crazy, bc I visited my parents for a week out of town for those holidays. Had i not had the holidays in there, I am calculating a 4 lbs gain vs 9 lbs. I really want to do it again. I had so much energy I was bouncing off the walls and could sleep only about 3 or so hrs a night. The first three days are rough though and that is what is holding me back. Additionally, doing the cleanse has made me kick my RedBull addiction. I used to drink two extra large ones every single day. I haven't had one since so this experience had helped me to improve for the better.
  • ilene_ree
    ilene_ree Posts: 1 Member
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    Hey everyone I've been doing IF for a few months now, fairly regularly but paused over Christmas holiday. After reading up almost all the articles there are to read on the internet, some PDF books, and self experimentation, these are my personal conclusions:

    Alternate day fasting: 36/12
    Eat stop eat: One or two 24 hour fasts per week
    Leangains: 16/8
    Warrior: 20/4

    1) Following the Leangains method, I found that IF was good because it helped me to control what I was eating (only being allowed to eat in the space of 8hrs makes you much more conscious of what you're eating)
    2) My schedule meant that I was skipping breakfast, which gave me more time to sleep and meant I was not as rushed
    3) It was much easier to work out when fasting, you didn't feel "full" or "heavy", you felt keen to exercise, no distractions or excuses
    4) I tried the Eat Stop Eat method, and while it gets tough somewhere around 20-22hrs into the fast, if you stick it out, it's really cleansing and feels rewarding.
    5) DEFINITELY THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE: the psychological effects. You realize how much you overeat normally, and you recognize what REAL hunger feels like, not the hunger caused mentally "Oh, it's 1pm, which is time for lunch, I must be hungry". Also - it keeps you disciplined, mentally focused and you feel as if you've accomplished something everytime you complete a fast. You appreciate the food you eat more when you have the window to eat it, and that leads to better choices.

    I hope this helps, I'm not a scientist or professional so I have no idea about the arguments of raised cortisol levels and blood sugar etc, but based on what I've read I wouldn't try this if you're a diabetic unless reading up more consulting your doctor first. I'm definitely open to any questions if you have them, here to help =)
  • berniea
    berniea Posts: 1
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    I have just started this and today is my fast day. I am doing the 5:2. Can have up to 500 calories on my fast days then (so it says) eat normally on the others and hopefully lose weight. I really am hoping this will work for me as I find it so hard sticking to a diet.

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