Intermittent Fasting advice much needed please!

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maddystella23
maddystella23 Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi :)
I am looking to give IF a go - the one where you eat in an 8 hour timeframe. I am wanting to lose around 30lbs/15kg and I'm female and 21 years old.
I've read IF is better suited to men rather than women but I have also read great success stories in women so am not sure what to believe!

My plan is to eat between 12pm and 8pm but am more likely to eat dinner closer to 6:30pm. I'm not sure the go calorie wise though. 1500 calories in 8 hours seems like a lot but I've read 1200 can be too little and you risk gaining weight back if you have the slightest relapse. I u understand this is a lifestyle change but I also understand I'm only human and live with a boyfriend with a massive appetite (and fast metabolism..boo unfair) so don't want to risk any regain.

As it stands I don't often eat breakfast anyway as I sleep in every morning.. Oops! So this won't be a massive change to me but I do eat a lot of processed foods so I aim to cut this down and stick to fresher, healthier options. But to eat 1200-1500 calories worth of healthy food in 2 meals seems like a lot!

I have joined a few intermittent fasting groups on here but they appear to be long since abandoned. I am also researching online including YouTube videos which is very helpful, but I'd love some specific answers to my questions and there are a lot of experienced people here so thought it was worth a shot!

-What is the recommended calorie intake for a female my age who has a desk job? ( I am 5"7 and 80kg by the way).
-is it best to eat 2 large meals or a few smaller meals/snacks during the 8 hours? I understand it'll be personal preference but does anyone know if either is better?
-how long does it take to see/feel results? I know it varies from person to person but as a general what would you think? Do you think I'd be able to lose 15kg in around 6 months? Or is this not that kind of 'diet"? I have summer in December so would love to lose the majority by then!

Thank you very much xx

Replies

  • JG762
    JG762 Posts: 571 Member
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    Why?
    I don't understand the reasoning behind this "diet".
    Why not just make good food choices and eat your 1500 calories throughout the day and exercise a little?
  • Grrrrleo
    Grrrrleo Posts: 25
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    I'm interested too. as a woman with just a few kg to loose I'm doing IF at the moment and would be glad to hear a few more peoples experiences, I've noticed forums are abandoned too.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Have you researched the Leangains website?

    I follow a different IF protocol so can't help with specifics on 16:8 but IF isn't a weight loss diet - it's just a different eating pattern which can be used to lose, maintain or gain weight. Your calories determine what happens to your weight.
  • bnhilliard
    bnhilliard Posts: 5
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    I've been following IF for years, long before it was popular. It's a lifestyle change yes, but once you're adjusted to it and start seeing the benefits you will be hooked. IF is as or more effective than calorie restriction in improving metabolic syndrome markers in overweight women, and it’s a whole lot easier to stick with. How did you calculate your calories? Booth seem too low. On what little information I have about you I'm assuming your maintenance is around 2,200 calories. Start slow with cutting calories, if you cut them too low to fast it's not a good thing. Start with a simple 10% reduction off maintenance so around 1,900 calories. Keep protein and fats high and consistent. Around 150-170 grams of protein. Around 60-70 grams of fat, the rest carbs, around 125-150.
  • bnhilliard
    bnhilliard Posts: 5
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    Yes, definitely! Go to lean gains.com and read, you will get tons of info.
  • littlekitty3
    littlekitty3 Posts: 265 Member
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    I don't understand IF. Just eat when you are hungry and eat healthy foods. To me it just sounds like a starvation diet with two giant binge meals or something shoved into the day.
  • bnhilliard
    bnhilliard Posts: 5
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    No starvation and it doesn't have to be any set number of meals. You just fit your daily calories in the 8 hour window. It's not a magic fix, it just helps people that are in a calorie restriction not feel starved all the time by eating eating like a bird all day. If you don't feel hungry and below or at your calorie goal you're more likely to stick with it
  • Jess__I__Can
    Jess__I__Can Posts: 307 Member
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    No starvation and it doesn't have to be any set number of meals. You just fit your daily calories in the 8 hour window. It's not a magic fix, it just helps people that are in a calorie restriction not feel starved all the time by eating eating like a bird all day. If you don't feel hungry and below or at your calorie goal you're more likely to stick with it

    This is why I IF.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Genuinely curious and not aimed at the two people in this thread I'm quoting but IF threads always seem to get quite a few people who seem fearful of the concept without actually knowing much about fasting
    "I don't understand the reasoning behind this "diet"."
    "I don't understand IF."
    And then go on to attack it based on their misconceptions or fears.

    Bearing in mind that hundreds of millions of people fast for either religious, dietary or spiritual reasons I'd like to understand why IF gets such a strong reaction. I'm sure IF isn't for everyone but it does seem to suit some.

    ______________________________________

    For anyone that does want to know more out of curiosity or interest a quick Google of the following might be of interest:
    Leangains
    Eat-Stop-Eat (Brad Pilon)
    5:2 (Dr Michael Mosley)
    The Eat Every Other Day diet (Dr Krista Varady)
    JUDDD
  • DameonMacleod
    DameonMacleod Posts: 10 Member
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    Iv been doing IF for about 3 years. It has worked for me. I still do it to this day if u take a look at my food log in. I log in the time i eat my first meal to my last. Iv adjusted it to work even better for me by eating my last meal at about 6pm on certain days and some times if im feeling up to it ill eat my last meal at 3pm. The next meal i eat to end my fast is about 10am. trust me when i say that u will drop the fat like crazy. i still deal with people talking bad about how i eat but im getting my calories in. and i usually eat 2 meals per day 10am then again at 3pm or 6pm. people say why dont u just eat 6 small meals a day then i laugh and say thats how i got fat by eating 6 small meals. i keep my cals to around 1300 a day. see the way i do my IF i lose the fat with in weeks like about 4 to 5 lbs in 7days rather than doing the regular diet that takes u about 2 months to lose 10lbs. doing those slow diets and u give ue self more time to fall off the wagon. IF is quick and easy. Just get in there and get the fat off quick no time to bull**** around ha ha. TIP: stay away from fried foods and sodas. ohh and on days where u feeling really motivated make a dinner with some fish and broccoli. its low cals and it will fill u up, so that way u take in less cals for the day and it helps drop more body fat. u will litterally see the fat on ur face drop off in just a few days if u stick with it. now it just the way i eat everyday. dont forget to drink a ton of water especially at night when u crave food. if u have any questions just hit up my time line.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
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    @maddystella23:
    You've gotten some great replies so far. Definitely check out leangains.com --- Berkhan has all kinds of scientific studies to back up his research.
    Also John Berardi has a great resource on his page: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting

    Berkhan uses a 14:10 ratio for his female clients btw (instead of 16:8) ... someone on his site (or maybe in an offsite interview?) he talks about why ... something about hormones?
  • DT10Z
    DT10Z Posts: 2
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    I heard from the quote unquote fasting experts that women generally do better on the 14 hours Fast 10 hour eating window. You will probably have to do some experiments to see what works best for you.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    16:8 didn't work for me if I don't watch the calories during the eating window...
    24 hours or longer seems helping to drop body fat more than other methods...but that's just me. wasn't saying who's righ and who's wrong.
  • marybeth9999
    marybeth9999 Posts: 11 Member
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    I really like the "Fast 5" plan, which is a free e-book online, written by an MD, outlines reasons for IF, benefits and how to gradually work into this plan. Sometimes people can't just start it cold turkey and there may be an adjustment phase, especially if you are used to eating every 3 hrs or so. Anyway....if interested, just look up the book, easy quick read.
  • ChocoOne
    ChocoOne Posts: 4 Member
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    Have you looked up Renegade diet? Lose fat and gain muscle at the same time with IF
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    I don't understand IF. Just eat when you are hungry and eat healthy foods. To me it just sounds like a starvation diet with two giant binge meals or something shoved into the day.
    Well obviously most people cannot do that if you look at the obesity epidemic.


    It is not a starvation diet at all.


    I dont subscribe to the 16:8 as to me that is just like skipping breakfast and still having to eat at my daily deficit and only eat 1550 according to MFP.

    I prefer the ADF fasting, or 4:3, where every other day is 500 calories and the other days it is 2200-2500.
  • ogus1
    ogus1 Posts: 3
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    Berkhan states 14:10 works better for women

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