intermittant fasting

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  • Fairlieboy
    Fairlieboy Posts: 84 Member
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    Question- not at all interested in fasting, but I'm curious-
    Look up the forum group on JUDD or what is really taken the UK by storm is the 5:2 Diet. (also on MFP as a group). Or facebook www.facebook.com/groups/the52diet/ (22,000 members)
    The reason that the 5:2 is extremely popular is that your calories over a week are down by 10% or more. So that gives a net calorie deficit and you loose weight.
    Plus the 500 calories per day appears to give as much physiological benefits as a alternate day fast.
    Plus it appears to be sustainable longer term, as you do not need to calorie count on the 5 days; and there is no "falling off the diet days".
    Most who try the 5:2 discover that hunger is temporary.
    I lost 12kg by adopting the 5:2 dieting, but now restrict calories on only 1 day per week to avoid more weight loss, but keep the health benefits (fasting sugar, cholesterol reduction.)
  • sarahcav123
    sarahcav123 Posts: 128 Member
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    The idea of fasting was originally found to have health benefits, with weight loss as a side effect (in general). At a basic level, when your body is deprived of food, chemicals are sent around your body so that your cells move away from 'growth mode' (i.e. where mutations occur) and instead go into 'repair mode'. In this way, the studies showed a decrease in the likelihood of dementia, cancer, cholesterol levels (among other things). While these results have not been taken to human trials, I believe they are rather promising,
    If you're interested in the documentary, its here:

    I fasted for one month last year and I lost a significant amount of weight. Although, I stopped fasting because it was around Christmas time - which I suppose says a lot about the sustainability of fasting in people like me, who like to eat lol! However, during the time I did fast, I found it rather manageable and looked forward to the days when I could eat freely (how sad, I know!)

    Anyway, hope this helps!

    When you say you fasted for a whole month, do you mean you didn't eat at all? Just wanting to clarify.

    Haha, I mean I fasted every alternate day, for a month. Oh my goodness, I couldn't fast continuously for 30 days, I need my food lol :) I have fasted since that one month stint but not every alternate day - instead a few times a week.
  • ginnyntonic
    ginnyntonic Posts: 28 Member
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    Yeah I've been doing a fast day two or three days a week for the last three or four weeks and I have been honestly surprised how much easier it has gotten. I almost feel a little freaked out by it. I woke up this morning (after a fast day) and wasn't even hungry for breakfast. I kind of felt like, is this how people can become anorexic? But over all it has been a nice tool in my weight loss belt. I was able to go on vacation with my kids and indulge a bit without gaining too much and then get back on track easily once we were home. I don't go crazy on my normal eating days and have a big salad with turkey, egg and crumbled bacon for diner on my fast days. It is the best tasting salad ever :-)
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Question- not at all interested in fasting, but I'm curious-
    do you fasters just put off your hunger until meal time? Like, drinking lots of water/coffee when it's not eating hours? Or are you guys generally not hungry (therefore deciding, "hey, might as well wait until __ o'clock to start eating every day.")

    Because I'd have cold chills, bad mood, loud rumbly stomach haha, etc if I didn't eat. Can't imagine shoving my meal times into a time frame! I'd be thinking about food constantly before and after food time...
    Sugar free gum works wonders. Some days I am just not hungry, and other times I am. I do 24 hour fasts. 24 window to eat, 24 hour window to fast. Works great for me, like today, I am fasting until 7pm tonite. If I get hungry today I know in a few hours I can eat what I wish pretty miuch.
    I do get chills, but that is good and tells you that it is working, plus the weather should warm up and take care of some of that.
  • fificrazy
    fificrazy Posts: 234
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    Question- not at all interested in fasting, but I'm curious-
    do you fasters just put off your hunger until meal time? Like, drinking lots of water/coffee when it's not eating hours? Or are you guys generally not hungry (therefore deciding, "hey, might as well wait until __ o'clock to start eating every day.")

    Because I'd have cold chills, bad mood, loud rumbly stomach haha, etc if I didn't eat. Can't imagine shoving my meal times into a time frame! I'd be thinking about food constantly before and after food time...
    Sugar free gum works wonders. Some days I am just not hungry, and other times I am. I do 24 hour fasts. 24 window to eat, 24 hour window to fast. Works great for me, like today, I am fasting until 7pm tonite. If I get hungry today I know in a few hours I can eat what I wish pretty miuch.
    I do get chills, but that is good and tells you that it is working, plus the weather should warm up and take care of some of that.

    Chills aren't good- it's a sign your thyroid is slowing down.... What you want is an increase in body temperature. Keep the furnace burning!
  • Maverick_22
    Maverick_22 Posts: 3
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    I did not say that fat is more important. I said what our body uses for energy after fasting. I was wrong about the 12 hours. It is 16 hours of fasting. IF is only one way to trim fat. It's just one way. I know it works for Huge Jackman.
  • lautour
    lautour Posts: 89 Member
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    Question- not at all interested in fasting, but I'm curious-
    do you fasters just put off your hunger until meal time? Like, drinking lots of water/coffee when it's not eating hours? Or are you guys generally not hungry (therefore deciding, "hey, might as well wait until __ o'clock to start eating every day.")

    Because I'd have cold chills, bad mood, loud rumbly stomach haha, etc if I didn't eat. Can't imagine shoving my meal times into a time frame! I'd be thinking about food constantly before and after food time...

    If that happened to me I don't think I could fast. A lot of people seem to start needing to eat from the time they wake up. I have always been someone who doesn't get hungry until later in the day, so fasting is a natural fit (only been doing it about a week but I'm finding it easy and I don't get hungry). I only fast every other day though, otherwise I wouldn't get enough calories.
  • tech_kitten
    tech_kitten Posts: 221 Member
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    I like to do IF when I can. I tend to boredom binge in the evenings, and while I'm working on that, minimizing the amount of calories consumed earlier in the day helps to reduce my total calories because my stomach will only hold so much for one meal, so even if I fail and eat til I'm stuffed, it won't be such a setback in my weight loss effort.

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