Intermittent fasting

There are some positive effects of IF if it's done correctly, however, it's, basically, another hype weight loss method based on limited information. I tried it for a little and not having to eat all day was nice, but eating the right amount of healthy food at night was a challenge and I would generally just throw unhealthy food in there. At the end of the month it really didn't improve my body composition or fitness level. Some people have had great success with it but the vast majority of people who have had success in weight loss - that is taking it off and keeping it off - have followed a tradition calorie deficit, 40 protein, 40 carb, 20 fat (or some variation of that). Why not just do this?

OP, diets that cut out all of one thing (no carb/no fat) are not going. Yes they work temporarily because of the calorie deficit. But wants to end your diet and you resume eating whatever was off limits (in your case, carbs) then you body stores it not knowing when it's going to have that type of fuel again. Most people gain back even more weight than they lost when their diet is over.

Has any tried a diet involving intermittent fasting, and more importantly had any success with it?

I've been doing no carb for a while, came off awhile ago and managed to gain a ridiculous amount of weight back, so now I'm back on no carbs (Y)
But I'm really lazy and can never be bothered to cook in the evening. So thinking that a big breakfast and lunch is perfect for me, providing it's a viable method.

EDIT: The type I'm looking at doing is to have all my kcal between 9am and 3pm

I am getting close to 40 lost since mid march fasting 3 days a week (4:3). There are many other benefits other than weight loss.

You seem to be considering a varied version of fasting by eating 6 hours a day. It will work, but you still have to stay at a deficit and watch your calories or it wont work at all.

The point of fasting plans is you go a cycle of 24+ hours of 500 calories, and 24 hour cycle of eating at your maintenance. Some fast every other day, some 2-3 days a wek. What you are proposing really is just counting and eating at a def each day and no diff really than any other diet if you someone who is doing a traditional fasting program.

There are 16:8 and what you are wanting to do, 18:6 versions of which to me just seem like skipping one meal and making sure you eat at a def each day.

I eat 500 one 24 hour cycle, 2300-2600 the next cycle. That is a big selling point to fasting as you really only have to limit yourself big time on the fasting cycles...the other cycles you eat to mainain which for me is better than having to eat 1500 each day.

Has any tried a diet involving intermittent fasting, and more importantly had any success with it?

I've been doing no carb for a while, came off awhile ago and managed to gain a ridiculous amount of weight back, so now I'm back on no carbs (Y)
But I'm really lazy and can never be bothered to cook in the evening. So thinking that a big breakfast and lunch is perfect for me, providing it's a viable method.

EDIT: The type I'm looking at doing is to have all my kcal between 9am and 3pm

Unless you have some kind of a medical condition where your doctor has told you to eat low carb, then there is no reason to limit them. It wasn't the carbs that made you gain weight, it was eating more calories than you burned.

Intermittent fasting is not meant to be for losing weight, it is meant to be as a tool for working out in a fasted state, or perhaps because some people don't like to eat during certain hours. When done properly, it's very beneficial.

I would suggest just finding your calorie goal, cutting back by 10% or so, and eating all the foods you love. Food type restriction, such as no carbs (and, by the way, you were most likely eating low carb because no carb is nearly impossible) is not sustainable in the long run. Finding a food plan that includes your food with a reasonable calorie restriction is how people make that smooth sail into maintenance.

Its great for cutting weight but its a temporary thing, ask yourself with any "diet": Can I see myself doing this in 30 years? If the answer is no, then you need to realize that its temporary and what you really need is a sustainable way of eating/living for the rest of your life. Intermittent Fasting is a tool to be used by those who already have a handle on a sustainable way of eating for life.....I use it for a week or two max if I want to cut some quick weight but I am still eating a healthy diet the majority of calories I eat even when I am doing the Intermittent fasting.......I actually did a one day Intermittent fast yesterday to clean myself out after eating and drinking too much over the weekend....I may do it a few days this week as needed but in the end I realize this is a commitment for life, not just the diet of the month.

Its great for cutting weight but its a temporary thing, ask yourself with any "diet": Can I see myself doing this in 30 years? If the answer is no, then you need to realize that its temporary and what you really need is a sustainable way of eating/living for the rest of your life. Intermittent Fasting is a tool to be used by those who already have a handle on a sustainable way of eating for life.....I use it for a week or two max if I want to cut some quick weight but I am still eating a healthy diet the majority of calories I eat even when I am doing the Intermittent fasting.......I actually did a one day Intermittent fast yesterday to clean myself out after eating and drinking too much over the weekend....I may do it a few days this week as needed but in the end I realize this is a commitment for life, not just the diet of the month.

Agree! Realistic, attainable and sustainable.
My opinion... fasting is great after a day or weekend of bad choices (overeating), I used to fast every Monday and honestly can't say that I noticed any difference in my weight. I was good to flush out the toxins, salt, water or whatever but that was about it. All it really resulted in was me being a ***** and wanting to eat everything in sight at night. What has worked for me is consistency, planning and eating small meals as well as small snacks throughout the day. That a long with exercise and as much movement as you can get. Again, this is what has worked for me and it's something I can do for the rest of my life.

Although if you look at my diary you'll see that the last couple of days I've been holding a negative net.. Not a long term solution but a quick way to drop some lb's and/or ounces in a week. Then back to maintenance.

For some people fasting makes them feel better and if that works that's cool. But remember... it might work for a while and you'll eventually have to change things up once your body gets used to your process.

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Has any tried a diet involving intermittent fasting, and more importantly had any success with it?

I've been doing no carb for a while, came off awhile ago and managed to gain a ridiculous amount of weight back, so now I'm back on no carbs (Y)
But I'm really lazy and can never be bothered to cook in the evening. So thinking that a big breakfast and lunch is perfect for me, providing it's a viable method.

EDIT: The type I'm looking at doing is to have all my kcal between 9am and 3pm

Have been doing Intermittent Fasting (LeanGains protocol) since Aug 2013
I feel like I have had success with it.

And I have enjoyed it.

did you find it hard to transition from a "regular" eating schedule to IF?
any difficulties with hunger over the course of practicing IF?
also what is your time window for eating?
thinking of slowly moving towards IF for the fall but im not sure yet

did you find it hard to transition from a "regular" eating schedule to IF?
any difficulties with hunger over the course of practicing IF?
also what is your time window for eating?
thinking of slowly moving towards IF for the fall but im not sure yet

Took about 7 - 10 days to get used to it. Takes time to get ghrelin under control...and for your body to adjust/relearn a new eating pattern.

The first 7 - 10 days were a little tough...so I would do a few almonds. But in time it worked out. Sometimes I do get "hungry" in the morning....usually if things were hectic the day before and I didn't get my calories in....or I mistimed my food, and hit my goals like an hour or two before my window closed. :laugh:
So drink a lot of water

My eating window is 12 - 8, but usually works out more like 1245 or 1pm - 8pm

Worth trying....so give it a shot.
I have been able to get my appetite under control, and have not been this lean in years.
And I enjoy working out in the fasted state.

^^THIS^^ IF does not have to be a "diet" it is very easily a style of feeding your body that can be done for the rest of your life. People that think it is a fad are usually the people that have either never tried it, taken the word of someone that did it wrong, or just never did the research on their own. With IF you still need to hit your macros and the tried and true method of losing weight still exists calories in vs. calories out.

did you find it hard to transition from a "regular" eating schedule to IF?
any difficulties with hunger over the course of practicing IF?
also what is your time window for eating?
thinking of slowly moving towards IF for the fall but im not sure yet

Took about 7 - 10 days to get used to it. Takes time to get ghrelin under control...and for your body to adjust/relearn a new eating pattern.

The first 7 - 10 days were a little tough...so I would do a few almonds. But in time it worked out. Sometimes I do get "hungry" in the morning....usually if things were hectic the day before and I didn't get my calories in....or I mistimed my food, and hit my goals like an hour or two before my window closed. :laugh:
So drink a lot of water

My eating window is 12 - 8, but usually works out more like 1245 or 1pm - 8pm

Worth trying....so give it a shot.
I have been able to get my appetite under control, and have not been this lean in years.
And I enjoy working out in the fasted state.

awesome, thanks
one last question regarding IF; if say you have a night were you know you'll be drinking, how do you alter your eating schedule in terms of timing, or do you?

The big thing there is plan ahead.

If you know you are going to head out to do the drinking thing....
The most important thing for long term goals, will be over all calories consumption.

So if you are heading out for the night to drink, then bank your calories, because you will want to stay at or below your caloric goal.

So take the time to plan ahead, then you have less regret the next day.
Only takes a few min to pre-fill your diary....
And you can suck it up eating fewer calories earlier in the day....try to hit fat and protein macros as well, if possible.
But keep fat low on the day, due to how the body will oxidize alcohol over fat

I do.

The last 80lbs or so I've lost doing IF. That's with no calorie counting, logging, or weighing.

I don't do any prescribed program or plan. I fast when I want, eat when I want. I do full fast days, not low calorie "fast" days. I am so adapted to fasting at this point that it presents no challenge at all. I actually enjoy my fast days and spiritually fasting is important to me, so that's awesome too.

Once I hit my goal range my maintenance plan is 5:2 for life, with two full fast, water only days. That allows me a wonderful caloric catch and allows me an almost obscene amount of calories on my 5 eating days, even at my relatively low goal weight (for a man) range. In fact I'm more concerned about being able to meet my maintenance caloric allotment so I might have to up shift to a 6:1 plan.

Looking back, when I was at my smallest adult weight, and maintained that for years, I was actually only eating when hungry and ended up doing some version of intermittent fasting without even knowing it. IFing works for me because it plays extremely well to my natural eating patterns. I'm not a person who is enticed at all by the notion of snacking all day or having several small meals throughout the day. So getting my deficit through timing feels natural and very maintainable.

Oh and OP, I did low carb off and on for years. I lost the first couple dozen pounds this go round on low carb. I actually really enjoy eating a low carb lifestyle and would do so easily if it wasn't for my enjoyment of sweets. IFing allows me to have the best of both worlds; most of my staple diet consists of meat, veg, good oils/butter, with some fruit and dairy. But IFing allows me to enjoy sweets, pretty much till my heart's content. I just don't have them every day or even every week. It's the only system that has helped me successfully marry my wicked sweet tooth with my enjoyment of a low carb WOE.

I started IF the end of September 2013. I even went through Thanksgiving, Christmas and a 3 week cruise and still lost weight. I am a believer in this process. It works for me and that is what every person has to do... find out what works for them.