Intermittent fasting?!?

I've had success with it in the past and have just started it again yesterday. I dropped my calories down and it's the only way I will be able to stay at or under 1250. I will fast for 15 hours and eat during a 9 hour window (splitting the difference between the recommended 14 for woman and 16 for men). I won't fast on the weekends, but still be sure to be within my calorie goal. Weekend fasting just doesn't fit my lifestyle. M-F works for me. Give it a try for two weeks and see if it's something you can maintain.

I have only be IFing for about 3 weeks but in those three weeks I have broken my plateau and lost 4.6 pounds. I do the 16:8 and it works for me. I am no longer feeling hungry all the time, except when I exercise. Even then I only eat a small snack and try to make sure I get all may calories in.....that's been difficult the last day or so...not as big of an appetite. I attribute that to the heat because it is very humid here. I plan on continuing to do intermittent fasting until I reach my weight loss goal. I have also recently started zig zagging my cals also. Good luck to you on this journey. Need some support just send me a friend request.

How do you like zig zagging your calories. This is my second week and I am more happy with it than when I tried 5:2 (had serious constipation). As someone who goes twice, sometimes three times a day, 5:2 was not for me.

I was down 2 lbs last week after zig zagging, will definitely stick to it and see where it takes me. I find it a lot better than eating the same calories every day. I do not eat back my exercise calories.

I haven't been doing the zig zag very long but so far I like it. Some days are harder than others when my calories are really low...like today. But I just keep myself busy and drink lots of water. lol

You can start at an 8 or 10 hr feeding window and then scale back.....

Important thing to keep in mind, is to keep your calorie intake on point.

IF is not a magic bullet......u still have the Calories In vs. Calories Out equation that is in play

Starting IF today. A couple of questions:

Do you eat anything during your fasting window? I am reading conflicting info.

Is it better to start with a bigger eating window?

Any other advice?

Generally speaking, no.

However, there are some people who partake in a "fat fast." That is, they consume only a source of fat (the prime one usually being bulletproof coffee, though some will eat coconut oil straight). This isn't considered breaking the fast, because a fat-only "meal" doesn't raise insulin levels, so the body stays in what's generally considered the "fasted" state.

There are also some people who will consume branch chain amino acids (BCAA) for workout performance reasons. I don't know much about that one, though, so I can't really comment further.

Whether it's better to start with a larger eating window depends largely on where you're starting and where you want to end up. If you're starting with eating 5-6 meals a day and feel like you're starving at each, then you'll probably want to wean yourself slowly by removing meals every few days. However, if you're already only eating 3 meals, and especially if you eat on the lower-carb end of the spectrum, then you might be able to dive right in to a 16:8 routine.

I do BCAAs pre-workout
More of an insurance policy, to protect the muscle I do have.

But if you consume enough protein...on the order of 1.0 - 1.25 gr / lb of body weight....then you can go either way with them

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I never understood the whole 16:8 as a fasting thing. To me, calories during that 8 hours is pretty much the same as just eating at a deficit each day but with some of the benefits that fasting gives, but not to the fullest extent. eating in an 8 hour window for me is sort of like a normal eating pattern so alll I would be doing is having to eat at a deficit during those 8 hours.

The point of the 16:8 Window was to be able to have a work out in the fasted state, in a time frame where the body is more apt to target stubborn body fat.....

I'm doing it in the hopes of giving my body a rest from insulin for a few hours per day. If the system clears the insulin out, it can help reverse insulin resistance (the primary cause of type 2 diabetes).

IF is the only way to cut imo, eating 6-8 tiny unsatiating meals spread throughout the day is MISERY

this is what i do

it allows me not to feel deprived in that eating window because i take in all my daily calories within that time

IF is fantastic for your health anywayz, ive been doing it for 2 years, every other day fasting, or 4-6hr feast windows, 18hr fasts..ect

Calorie counting mixed with IF is the healthiest way of life a person can do for themselves.

I do a 16 hour fast and 8 hour feed from noon - 8:00 pm but I'm really flexible with the times. If I'm hungry, I'll eat earlier, If I get home late, I'll eat later.

For me, the amount of weight loss has been about the same as with the traditional 5-6 small meals a day with the same macro totals for each. I like it because it is SO MUCH EASIER to prep. I do all of my cooking and prepping on Sunday. Having to only prep 2 meals and 1 snack is WAY easier than 3 meals and 3 snacks. Less time in the kitchen is a winner for me!

Ariel. I love your enthusiasm. Congrats on your consistency. I have tried this IF before and it did work. I go 24 hours drinking only water and tea. Plus I allow for one or two small pieces of fruit . Next day I try to meet my calorie amt with 3 sensible meals. Only time I mess up is if I get too stressed to stay on target. I am an emotional eater. This keeps me on track.

i have never done this or even heard of it but i know when i start eating earlier i feel hungry all day and i feel like i cant get enough..but i also notice it more when im around "that time of the month" but when i start eating later i dont feel as hungry...i dont usually stay up late and im not a late night snacker - my problem is when im at work and slow with nothing to do....but snack...

ive always been taught if i dont eat within 60 minutes of waking then ill have a slow metabolism all day and store more fat than if i had eaten when i got up..i havent looked into it but thats how i was raised so i didnt know any better...anyone have research on this?

not sure if this helps at all..

If you already find yourself obsessing about food, I highly recommend against IF!!! I tried it too for about 4 months and was not successful. I would obsess about food all morning until my "eating window" opening at 1 p.m. When my window closed at 8 p.m., I couldn't stop eating. I would binge and binge and binge, and it actually worked against me. Results I had from normal calorie counting went away, and then I had to start over again. I find I do much better eating a large breakfast, and then smaller meals throughout the day. Calorie counting already made me food-obsessed, but I'm telling you IF just made it much worse. Of course others have been successful, but for me it just didn't work.

Check out this article too: http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/#comment-1362

i have never done this or even heard of it but i know when i start eating earlier i feel hungry all day and i feel like i cant get enough..but i also notice it more when im around "that time of the month" but when i start eating later i dont feel as hungry...i dont usually stay up late and im not a late night snacker - my problem is when im at work and slow with nothing to do....but snack...

ive always been taught if i dont eat within 60 minutes of waking then ill have a slow metabolism all day and store more fat than if i had eaten when i got up..i havent looked into it but thats how i was raised so i didnt know any better...anyone have research on this?

not sure if this helps at all..

No truth

If you already find yourself obsessing about food, I highly recommend against IF!!! I tried it too for about 4 months and was not successful. I would obsess about food all morning until my "eating window" opening at 1 p.m. When my window closed at 8 p.m., I couldn't stop eating. I would binge and binge and binge, and it actually worked against me. Results I had from normal calorie counting went away, and then I had to start over again. I find I do much better eating a large breakfast, and then smaller meals throughout the day. Calorie counting already made me food-obsessed, but I'm telling you IF just made it much worse. Of course others have been successful, but for me it just didn't work.

Check out this article too: http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/#comment-1362

I find it totally the opposite.
Whatever was going to be my next meal was always on my mind before I tried fasting. I would go to bed thinking what to eat for BF, then all Am what to eat for lunch, and then what to eat for dinner. It was like the whole day was consumed with what the next meal was going to be.

When I started to do the fasting where one 24 hour cycle was up to 500 calls it totally freed me from that thinking. I simply made me some sort of sandwich, or some leftovers from the day before, and it was a done deal and didnt have to think about food all day.

Then in my 24 hour UP cycles my body was programmed to not need a whole lot of food and I would maybe get two meals in, or just one large one, because I no longer was a slave to food. Today is a fast cycle until 8pm tonite and I started to marinade steak and chicken for dinner this evening for the family. I dont have to worry about a BF or lunch so it just escapes my mind.

I was the same way.

I generally do more of a 16:8 cycle, so skipping breakfast and not having a late night snack, basically, but even that killed the obsession with food that I had previously. The whole "eat every 2-3 hours" type of thing is what triggered me to obsess over food constantly. It made me constantly think about what I was going to eat next.

Now? I've gone back to eating 3 meals a day, usually (though sometimes I'll skip one, depends on hunger levels), but I don't obsess over the food. I find something to eat when I'm hungry, and that's that.

Well, I new to Fast-5, late to this topic!! Just found out about it 2 weeks ago and I've GAINED 3lbs. I started right out with 19:5 because I'm fine with skipping breakfast. My window is 3-8..I have to wait longer to have my lunch. I'm trying to do it 7 days a weeks. I don't have a problem sticking to my window, but I have found that I do slip up and overeat. So, in the last 14 days following this WOE I have slipped up and overeaten probably 6 times. And when I say overeaten, I mean over my TDEE. So, my questions are:

1) For those losing weight, are you fasting every day? Are you calorie counting? ( I do because otherwise I will easily eat over my TDEE and I'm trying to lose 14lbs).

2) Is it normal to gain at first before you start losing?

3) Am I not losing because I've had these slips? I hope so because I want to believe this will work. It seems to fit the best for me. I've tried 5:2 and trying to only eat 500 calories on fast days was a struggle for me.

4) Any other advice you can give me would be great!! I'm getting back on the horse tomorrow after having a 3-day vacation with the family. So hoping to start fresh and avoid the slip-ups.

And please feel free to add me as a friend if you like!! TIA :smooched: