anyone try a water fast, or intermittent fasting?

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harleymama11
harleymama11 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm considering trying one of them, would like some thoughts on it though. if you've tried it, did you like it? how long did you do it, etc I am trying to lose 70lbs, preferably at least 3lbs a week... I've been drinking only lemon water, and green tea with mint, making better selections for snacks, meals etc. And on average I work out between 25-60+ minutes a day depending on what I do. I do kickboxing some days, treadmill, and my gazelle, go on walks around the neighborhood etc Even if you don't have anything to say on the fasting topics, any kind of advice is welcome!

Replies

  • Tilran
    Tilran Posts: 626 Member
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    I'm confused. You mention a fast (which I don't recommend) but then talk about "making better selections for snacks, meals etc."

    So are you eating or not?


    In my opinion, you should be eating clean lean proteins such as chicken breast with simple seasonings, or say Salmon. Find out your TDEE, subtract about 750-1000 from that number (to achieve the weight loss you want) and eat to that number.

    So if you TDEE is 3200, eat at about 2000 calories per day without going over and make the majority of that 2000 clean.

    You will see results.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,068 Member
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    i started IF last week, mornings are a bit of a pain since i eat in a 4 hour window but nights are awesome, i basically stuff myself in the time i get to eat. im sure mornings will get easier with time

    i did strictly calorie counting for 8 months previously and had great results (65 lbs down). just stick to a decent deficit and you'll do fine. exercise is for retaining muscle and general health, so its not necessary but obviously highly recommended. try to eat healthy but like i said as long as you are eating less energy than you are expanding then you will lose weight, the quality of food just pertains to your general health, and what the point of being skinny and unhealthy?

    supplementing with a multivitamin and fish oil probably isnt a bad idea just to make sure your getting all your vitamins and minerals
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    or you could go to the getting started section of the forum and read the first two stickies. (the ones with the red pin next to them)

    eta:
    read everything and adjust as needed
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
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    I'm considering trying one of them, would like some thoughts on it though. if you've tried it, did you like it? how long did you do it, etc I am trying to lose 70lbs, preferably at least 3lbs a week... I've been drinking only lemon water, and green tea with mint, making better selections for snacks, meals etc. And on average I work out between 25-60+ minutes a day depending on what I do. I do kickboxing some days, treadmill, and my gazelle, go on walks around the neighborhood etc Even if you don't have anything to say on the fasting topics, any kind of advice is welcome!

    Just my thoughts:
    1. Fasting is a bad idea and unhealthy
    2. 3 lbs a week is much too fast to lose the weight. Do you want to lose fat or muscle? 2lbs a week is the max that MFP (And I recommend). Stick with a healthy weight loss of 2lbs a week and you will be at your goal weight in 35 weeks (By next spring).
    3. Eat back your workout calories. You do not want more than a 1000 calorie a day defecit (7000 cal a week = 2lbs).
    4. I like the fact that you are not drinking your calories. Lemon water and green tea is awesome, as is your exercise.

    I have lost 35 of 90 lbs. I don't want the fast fix, I want the permanent fix. It will take some long term dedication but its better to do it at the proper pace. My fat acumulated over my whole life.........dropping it is one year is fine by me.
  • harleymama11
    harleymama11 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks, your answer was pretty awesome!
  • harleymama11
    harleymama11 Posts: 4 Member
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    I mentioned that I was considering a fast. Not that I am currently fasting. I've seen a lot of pros and cons on it, and was curious if anyone here had tried. As of now, i'm just eating better and getting exercise.. thanks!!
  • annenhie
    annenhie Posts: 91 Member
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    I did IF when I first started my weight loss journey. It was great for me and I lost a lot that way but stopped coz I was losing at an alarming rate. It yielded good results but just make sure you're getting enough calories, vitamins and minerals.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    I'm considering trying one of them, would like some thoughts on it though. if you've tried it, did you like it? how long did you do it, etc I am trying to lose 70lbs, preferably at least 3lbs a week... I've been drinking only lemon water, and green tea with mint, making better selections for snacks, meals etc. And on average I work out between 25-60+ minutes a day depending on what I do. I do kickboxing some days, treadmill, and my gazelle, go on walks around the neighborhood etc Even if you don't have anything to say on the fasting topics, any kind of advice is welcome!

    Just my thoughts:
    1. Fasting is a bad idea and unhealthy
    2. 3 lbs a week is much too fast to lose the weight. Do you want to lose fat or muscle? 2lbs a week is the max that MFP (And I recommend). Stick with a healthy weight loss of 2lbs a week and you will be at your goal weight in 35 weeks (By next spring).
    3. Eat back your workout calories. You do not want more than a 1000 calorie a day defecit (7000 cal a week = 2lbs).
    4. I like the fact that you are not drinking your calories. Lemon water and green tea is awesome, as is your exercise.

    I have lost 35 of 90 lbs. I don't want the fast fix, I want the permanent fix. It will take some long term dedication but its better to do it at the proper pace. My fat acumulated over my whole life.........dropping it is one year is fine by me.


    Fasting is not unhealthy.
    Look it up before you give out false information.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Intermittent fasting and fasting are extremely different. One involves eating taking in no calories for a prolonged period of time (days to weeks) and will cause losses in weight, fat, and lean body mass. Intermittent fasting is more of just a rearranging of when you eat. Most people consume all their calories within an 8 hour window (some choose a smaller window). It will function the exact same as a more typical eating pattern (3-4 meals a day spread out over 16 hours). If calories and food choices are the same then IF and a regular eating pattern will net the same results. People choose IF because it helps some with satiation. It will not give you enhanced results compared to a normal eating pattern. All it will do is allow some people to stick to their calorie limit better. I'm not a big fan of an all out fat for a bunch of reasons but there really is no harm at all in trying IF. If it works for your lifestyle and you find it helps you to stick to your diet better then by all means go with it. Just know that IF in and of itself will not do anything unique in the way of results. That's all about calories and macro nutrients consumed.
  • Menix8
    Menix8 Posts: 210 Member
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    I do 36 hour water fasts a couple times a year. It's usually on a Sunday, a rest day where I'm not doing any strenuous activities, and can keep myself busy so as to not think about food. They're nice to plan after a food-filled Friday and Saturday where I don't want to limit myself too much, but want to minimize the damage. I don't use them for weight loss; more for weight maintenance.

    Intermittent fasting is more of a commitment. You have to give it a few weeks to adjust to not eating during your familiar times of the day, and it works much better with some lifestyles than others. I tried it for a good month or two last year, and found it actually made dieting harder. I would be so ravenous by the end of my fast that I wouldn't make good choices, and I wound up eating close to maintenance anyway. IF is really just meal-timing, which could or could not help you eat less. It's not a magic bullet by any means. It works really well for some people, and not for other people.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Intermittent fasting is not unhealthy. It's been the way humans have been eating for eons -- as times of plentiful, consistent food supply is relatively modern.

    Generally, it is just a different way of creating your weekly calorie deficit, but there are some specific benefits to IFing as well that you won't get with a calorie deficit created other ways. For example, IFing in certain ways has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity. So for people that have insulin resistance issues, this is a very good thing. Also, it shows a beneficial shift in IGF-2 levels promoting cellular repair.

    I personally opt for 5:2 or occasional 4:3 where you IF for 2 or 3 days a week, depending on your preference. On those days you eat 500 calories or 25% of your TDEE. I personally save mine all for dinner and it works well for me -- in fact, I found it way more manageable than I thought it would be. The other days you eat at your TDEE.

    You get the benefits of the weekly calorie deficits and the benefits of increased insulin sensitivity and cellular repair via the shift in IGF-2 levels.
  • DerekVTX
    DerekVTX Posts: 287 Member
    Options
    I'm considering trying one of them, would like some thoughts on it though. if you've tried it, did you like it? how long did you do it, etc I am trying to lose 70lbs, preferably at least 3lbs a week... I've been drinking only lemon water, and green tea with mint, making better selections for snacks, meals etc. And on average I work out between 25-60+ minutes a day depending on what I do. I do kickboxing some days, treadmill, and my gazelle, go on walks around the neighborhood etc Even if you don't have anything to say on the fasting topics, any kind of advice is welcome!

    Just my thoughts:
    1. Fasting is a bad idea and unhealthy
    2. 3 lbs a week is much too fast to lose the weight. Do you want to lose fat or muscle? 2lbs a week is the max that MFP (And I recommend). Stick with a healthy weight loss of 2lbs a week and you will be at your goal weight in 35 weeks (By next spring).
    3. Eat back your workout calories. You do not want more than a 1000 calorie a day defecit (7000 cal a week = 2lbs).
    4. I like the fact that you are not drinking your calories. Lemon water and green tea is awesome, as is your exercise.

    I have lost 35 of 90 lbs. I don't want the fast fix, I want the permanent fix. It will take some long term dedication but its better to do it at the proper pace. My fat acumulated over my whole life.........dropping it is one year is fine by me.


    Fasting is not unhealthy.
    Look it up before you give out false information.

    Hey ThaVoice (Without a Face). Wouldn't really say that I am giving out false information......as my statement was "JUST MY THOUGHTS" and those are my thoughts pal.
  • Rmenifield
    Rmenifield Posts: 11 Member
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    go to leangains.com


    or youtube to see those who have tried it
  • lovecaiti
    lovecaiti Posts: 2
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    Fasting is not unhealthy. It is actually very good for your body (if you are in good health) to fast once a year, or every other year. It cleans all of the toxins out of the body and heals it.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
    Options
    I'm considering trying one of them, would like some thoughts on it though. if you've tried it, did you like it? how long did you do it, etc I am trying to lose 70lbs, preferably at least 3lbs a week... I've been drinking only lemon water, and green tea with mint, making better selections for snacks, meals etc. And on average I work out between 25-60+ minutes a day depending on what I do. I do kickboxing some days, treadmill, and my gazelle, go on walks around the neighborhood etc Even if you don't have anything to say on the fasting topics, any kind of advice is welcome!

    Just my thoughts:
    1. Fasting is a bad idea and unhealthy
    2. 3 lbs a week is much too fast to lose the weight. Do you want to lose fat or muscle? 2lbs a week is the max that MFP (And I recommend). Stick with a healthy weight loss of 2lbs a week and you will be at your goal weight in 35 weeks (By next spring).
    3. Eat back your workout calories. You do not want more than a 1000 calorie a day defecit (7000 cal a week = 2lbs).
    4. I like the fact that you are not drinking your calories. Lemon water and green tea is awesome, as is your exercise.

    I have lost 35 of 90 lbs. I don't want the fast fix, I want the permanent fix. It will take some long term dedication but its better to do it at the proper pace. My fat acumulated over my whole life.........dropping it is one year is fine by me.


    Fasting is not unhealthy.
    Look it up before you give out false information.

    Hey ThaVoice (Without a Face). Wouldn't really say that I am giving out false information......as my statement was "JUST MY THOUGHTS" and those are my thoughts pal.

    You can think the sky is green, it doesn't mean that your thoughts aren't wrong or false information.
  • michaeldowns3133
    michaeldowns3133 Posts: 3
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    I fast for 24-32 hours about once a months. Not sure if it's true but I feel like it gets all the toxins and crap out of my body..even tho I eat pretty well and try to eat as organic as possible. Like I said, it seems to work for me, at least mentally.
  • lovecaiti
    lovecaiti Posts: 2
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    With fasting you need to decide if you are going to do a water fast or an intermittent fast. An intermittent fast will help you lose weight because you are only eating in a short time frame of the day and the rest of the day you will be burning those calories. If you do a water fast, which is only water (not even flavored water), it will cleanse you completely and heal you. However the most healing and detox comes around days 15-20 of a water fast. You will lose about 3 pounds a day with water fasting (depending on your weight of course) and eventually it will lessen to a half of pound to 1 pound a day. You will know when to break a fast because you will feel hungry (true hunger is sort of like a tickle in the throat, it does not come from your stomach) and the tongue will no longer be white and filmy.. I haven't actually participated in a prolonged water fast but I have been researching it for months on end. I hope to one day, solely so I can cleanse my body.. as of now I have only done 24 hr fasts.

    If you are thinking of fasting I would be more than willing to direct you to some wonderful blogs and other resources that i have used!

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