Intermittent fasting (IF)?

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  • tgdineen
    tgdineen Posts: 12
    Having done lots of reading online about IF and long fasts over the last months, there doesn't seem to be a scientific/medical consensus on the long-term effects of fasting. But its positive aspects are definitely being looked at more deeply.

    I tend to be immoderate about food by nature. Since last fall I've been focused on weekly weigh-ins and have tended to eat less as they've approached. This is not to say that I've pigged out right after weigh-in and fasted for days before, but there has been an imbalance…that's just my "eating rhythm." This tends to work better for me that daily moderation, and I've kept off 20 pounds for the last four months by following this approach.

    Several years ago I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers (where I got used to weekly weigh-ins), but, after my wife got pregnant, I stopped going to meetings, stopped paying attention to my weight, and put it all back on within a year or so. Constant vigilance is crucial for me.

    Over the last weeks, I've done some 3- and 4-day water/black coffee fasts and I haven't found them painful or distracting as long as I drink lots of water and take a multivitamin. As anyone who's read about fasting knows, hunger becomes less of an issue after 2-3 days and you feel as if you can continue fasting for a long time. You definitely sense your digestive system "cleansing itself" in various ways. Often, I feel more energetic...only downside is occasional lightheadedness, but this comes and goes and isn't chronic.

    When I’ve broken my fasts, I’ve done so gradually and haven’t had problems. As many of you know, it doesn’t take much to satisfy your hunger after 3 or 4 days with no food. Pigging out is out of the question. You just don’t want to after a fast.
  • tgdineen
    tgdineen Posts: 12
    Captain: I see from your profile that you've done tris. Has weight loss affected your performance? Do you find it challenging to balance your training and nutrition? I'm signed up to do an IM-distance race this fall and have to find this balance myself. Thanks.
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    Below is a link to a study on a modified ADF (on the fast days, the subjects ate 25% of their daily needs...which is where the 500/600 a day on the 5:2 comes from.) In this case the fast day began at midnight and their fast day calories had to be consumed between Noon-2pm to give a 12hr total fast and make sure the results were consistent.

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/90/5/1138.abstract


    The bottom line is that there are many forms of IF so it's futile to say that skipping breakfast is THE right one and all the rest are dumb - it's especially futile because the research studies done on IF certainly don't say 'the only way to IF is to skip breakfast alone' and, in fact, they try out different methods.

    Personally, 2 (sometimes 3) fast days a week on 25% of calories works for me. I don't binge on the other days, I eat to my TDEE. I have no problem going 22-24hrs between my last feed day meal and my first fast day meal - it just works for me and I'm not 'staving myself'.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Captain: I see from your profile that you've done tris. Has weight loss affected your performance? Do you find it challenging to balance your training and nutrition? I'm signed up to do an IM-distance race this fall and have to find this balance myself. Thanks.

    can't really say. i never did them at heavy weight, but i wasn't really lean and skinny either. my exercise and eating habits were different last year when i did the races.

    this year i'm going to be preparing for the races and pretty much giving up my lifting routine for a lot more cardio.
  • Lt_Starbuck
    Lt_Starbuck Posts: 576 Member
    Captain: I see from your profile that you've done tris. Has weight loss affected your performance? Do you find it challenging to balance your training and nutrition? I'm signed up to do an IM-distance race this fall and have to find this balance myself. Thanks.

    can't really say. i never did them at heavy weight, but i wasn't really lean and skinny either. my exercise and eating habits were different last year when i did the races.

    this year i'm going to be preparing for the races and pretty much giving up my lifting routine for a lot more cardio.
    this year i'm going to be preparing for the races and pretty much, but not completely, and very reluctantly, giving up my lifting routine for a lot more cardio, temporarily.

    fyp
  • fatsnacker
    fatsnacker Posts: 209 Member
    its working for me - I eat 2000 calories 5 days per week and 1000 calories each day on the other 2 consecutive days. I feel fitter already and find it easy to restrict my intake on Friday and Saturday
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    Hey i am doing the Eat Stop Eat version of this

    because i think its the most sensible and the one that seems to include a proper fast

    So i eat an evening meal on day 1 and then from the end of that meal i begin my fast

    I fast totally for 24hrs and have my next day evening meal (and whatever else i fancy afterwards eg cups of tea and fruit) afterwards.

    I dont calorie count anything. I dont find having a daily calorie deficit suits my lifestyles. I have two young children and attend coffeee mornings where i might have a slice of cake if i feel, I eat only wholesome homecooked foods 99% of the time and being bothered to input every last red lentil/cashew nut/dollop of soy sauce into a machine to tell me how much i am eating, is just not suitable for me.

    I also HATE being hungry, i hate it, it drives me up the wall, it means i think about food constantly, so calorie counting i am always hungry and i know people will say 'if you eat the right foods you wont be hungry' but i think there is a lot ot be said for high protein diets not necessarily being the most healthy diets.

    Something resonates with me about fasting, it makes sense to give your body a break fron food, the health benefits seems magnificent and the reported weight loss has been fantastic. I never go a day without food because i split my 24hrs up into dinner-dinner, i could have a 500 calorie meal during that time according to some diets but I can't see why breaking your fast would be helpful.

    My aim is to get to a point where i am comfortable to do 2 days of fasting in a row, so the fast being broken once at the evening meal and then continuing with a new fast.

    I dont have success calorie counting every day. I dont enjoy looking at food as 'could have' 'shoulnt have' i dont like feeling hungry. When you fast (I am a good 19 hours into my second fast now) you are hungry but your are not 24 times more hungry than when you get hungry on a daily basis so it is easier.

    I just hope it has the effects i want, i expect to feel healthier and i expect my stomach size to shrink too.

    We will see :)
  • FeebRyan
    FeebRyan Posts: 738 Member
    Coming up to my second week of IF now, I will feed well tomorrow and then fast from Thursday evening until Friday evening.

    I have certainly had less food during the days than i would normally, i think my stomach has srunk a bit and its been such a relief to not calorie count every single day. I know people say that something like IF is not sustainable, but i really think it depends on who you are and what you eat. I can't calorie count every day, it drives me absolutely bonkers and i hate it.

    Tomorrow i plan on having a nice day out with the family, a walk into town and a guilt free lunch

    i will eat a meal at around 5pm and then fast all night and all day until 5pm the following day.

    I am hoping this fast is easier than the last ones, I will then eat as usual on Friday - Saturday and then fast saturday - sunday.

    I'll do a weigh in monday morning and see how i feel in myself.

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