Success Story * IF * intermittent fasting with some PALEO in the mix.

Options
maria_antoinette
maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have not logged in for months, no weighing myself, no charting anything until the past few days... This IF thing WORKS everyone.. I finally have some proof...

i got on the scale today 131.... i have been eating WHATEVER i want for months now, i have gone to europe, nyc, chicago, orlando....traveled like crazy and i have not counted my calories or obsessed about my weight etc..... I have just kept to some strict IF rules..

in the past, I have starved myself on 1200 calories a day just to maintain 131 lbs... and when i would stop logging or weighing myself for a period of 3 months i would go back up to 145... not anymore.. i think i finally found a way to just LIVE and stop worrying about all this.. even if i just ate alot on weekend, i would go up 5 lbs. just being bloated....

for months now i have been doing the following:

I fast for at least 18-20 hours.. ( I never eat before 1pm.. i never eat after 6 ) or i just calculate another 5 hour window if i have an event..
i try to drink alot of water..
I also adopted some PALEO rules because of food allergies.. so i try and eat ALOT more fat, less carbs, more whole food...... but someties i only eat carbs.. it does not even matter. its up to me whatever my body can be ok with..

i have cheated and eaten up to 2000+ calories a day sometimes.. but never OUT OF MY 5 hour window......

my metabolism is fast, i am NEVER EVER hungry... now i would love to weigh 125... and now it should be eisier..... the point is i have been able to maintain with DOUBLE almost in calories.. which means i was just wasting my time and energy being hungry before..

I could not be happier.

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Options
    sigh ...

    congrats on your progress..

    however, if you are not tracking calories then how do you know that you are not just eating less with IF since you have a smaller eating window to eat?

    IF, Paleo, Keto, etc are not magical fat burning diets, the Calories in calories out equation still applies..

    I am posting this so that others do not think they can just start doing an IF/Paleo combination, eat 10,000 calories a day and still lose weight.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Options
    oh.. yes you are right.. SORRY.. listen everyone I am not eating over 2000 calories a day... I know this because even though i am not tracking it on my phone. i have been dieting for over 30 years and i know how many calories everything has down to the last ounce..

    when i go to restaurants, i know for a fact i ate over 2000 calories.. but not over 3000

    i am watching what i eat... i just use to WATCH it obsessivly more.. down to every grape i put in my mouth and i swear that if i ate 300 calories extra i would gain weight..

    eating 5 small meals a day under 1200 calories WORKED to keep me at 131.. but it ruined my metabolism and i could not budge from that.... and now i eat double the amount..

    now i eat 2 large meals a day or whatever i want (controlled of course) and i dont gain weight... and i can cheat ( as long as its in my fasting window )
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Options
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    sigh ...

    congrats on your progress..

    however, if you are not tracking calories then how do you know that you are not just eating less with IF since you have a smaller eating window to eat?

    IF, Paleo, Keto, etc are not magical fat burning diets, the Calories in calories out equation still applies..

    I am posting this so that others do not think they can just start doing an IF/Paleo combination, eat 10,000 calories a day and still lose weight.

    you are right.. i am sorry, read my post below.. i added info
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Options
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    sigh ...

    congrats on your progress..

    however, if you are not tracking calories then how do you know that you are not just eating less with IF since you have a smaller eating window to eat?

    IF, Paleo, Keto, etc are not magical fat burning diets, the Calories in calories out equation still applies..

    I am posting this so that others do not think they can just start doing an IF/Paleo combination, eat 10,000 calories a day and still lose weight.

    Calories in/out still count.. i agree with that...i did that my whole life.. thats why i am 131.. my issue was maintaing it... so i am just doing it differently. instead of eating 5-6 times a day 150 calorie meals which made me upset and hungry and would not allow me to eat more...
    .i am now eating 2 (700) calories meals which keeps me less hungry more satisfied.. and for some reason, eating more calories in a short amount of time then fasting is helping my metabolism not be slow.. also the part in paleo about FAT making you more satiated compared to like just carbs.. makes sense..

    its working.. the fasting makes me less hungry and its easy to follow..just choose a 5 hour window and dont go over your calories by too much.

  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,117 Member
    Options
    Great New! Congrats!

    I've been trying the IF 16:8 sometimes 14:9 depending. I haven't weighed yet (2 months) but, I Have been able to keep my deficit and feel satisfied with my meals. YAY!

    It's awesome to hear things that work from people within my age range.

    Best wishes.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Options
    spicy618 wrote: »
    Great New! Congrats!

    I've been trying the IF 16:8 sometimes 14:9 depending. I haven't weighed yet (2 months) but, I Have been able to keep my deficit and feel satisfied with my meals. YAY!

    It's awesome to hear things that work from people within my age range.

    Best wishes.

    I am 45 and have been dieting my entire life.. My normal weight is like 160 and i go up quickly when i stop eating my 1200 regime.. and then go back down because i was always so strict..but not anymore... The IF diet (and it does not matter how you do it) works.. i even did the 5:2 day thing while in airports in europe and i was great.. its just about eating your calories in a shorter amount of time.. so 16:8 or 14:9 or 20:4 or 19:5 or 5 days on 2 days off.. they all work in the long run...

    What bothered me the most at this age was the hunger and thats gone..and it also bothered me if i went to a dinner party for just 1 day and i would come out of it bloated and weight gain etc... that does not happen anymore.. i have stabalized my weight by eating this way... i also dont eat junk, i eat whole foods etc.... i read alot of paleo forums and it all makes sense.. also the eating more fat made sense... i mean i have a great life, i am blessed beyond.. but when i tell you that TODAY IS A MILESTONE in my life.. you have to believe me.. of all the great things..

    this today, weighing myself after MONTHS of being not hungry, is the a HIGHLIGHT>.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    Options
    maria_antoinette wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    sigh ...

    congrats on your progress..

    however, if you are not tracking calories then how do you know that you are not just eating less with IF since you have a smaller eating window to eat?

    IF, Paleo, Keto, etc are not magical fat burning diets, the Calories in calories out equation still applies..

    I am posting this so that others do not think they can just start doing an IF/Paleo combination, eat 10,000 calories a day and still lose weight.

    you are right.. i am sorry, read my post below.. i added info

    thank you for clarifying..:)
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,117 Member
    Options
    maria_antoinette wrote: »
    spicy618 wrote: »
    Great New! Congrats!

    I've been trying the IF 16:8 sometimes 14:9 depending. I haven't weighed yet (2 months) but, I Have been able to keep my deficit and feel satisfied with my meals. YAY!

    It's awesome to hear things that work from people within my age range.

    Best wishes.

    I am 45 and have been dieting my entire life.. My normal weight is like 160 and i go up quickly when i stop eating my 1200 regime.. and then go back down because i was always so strict..but not anymore... The IF diet (and it does not matter how you do it) works.. i even did the 5:2 day thing while in airports in europe and i was great.. its just about eating your calories in a shorter amount of time.. so 16:8 or 14:9 or 20:4 or 19:5 or 5 days on 2 days off.. they all work in the long run...

    What bothered me the most at this age was the hunger and thats gone..and it also bothered me if i went to a dinner party for just 1 day and i would come out of it bloated and weight gain etc... that does not happen anymore.. i have stabalized my weight by eating this way... i also dont eat junk, i eat whole foods etc.... i read alot of paleo forums and it all makes sense.. also the eating more fat made sense... i mean i have a great life, i am blessed beyond.. but when i tell you that TODAY IS A MILESTONE in my life.. you have to believe me.. of all the great things..

    this today, weighing myself after MONTHS of being not hungry, is the a HIGHLIGHT>.

    Love to hear this.

    I'm not as a "clean" eater as I should be. But this is working, even with my daily cheats (skinny cow ice cream sandwich).

    I'm curious, because you look fantastic. Do you do mostly cardio or weights?



  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Options
    I incorporate this in my lifestyle. Currently instead of the restricted window, I do two 36hr fast and eat maintenance the rest of the days of the week to lose almost 2lbs a week. Works for me. I eat anything I want. I've been IFing for 2 years, basically weightloss is still all math, however the restricted window makes people not eat as much or have room to splurge because we hold ourselves accountible in that window. Still works. Great post.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Options
    I do cardio and weights. but very little.. i have all sorts of knee issues and wrist issues... one a side note... LAST YEAR i decided in order to maintain my weight i should work out more.. i was spinning 2 hours a day 7 days a week and i gained 15 lbs.. lol...

    so being normal in the gym is better and definantly the diet is what helps you lose weight.. i was under the impression before that 5 small meals was the way to go.. and so it worked right? but i was starving and miserable.. i feel like i am cheating all the time now.. and i am really not. i am actually eating correctly now.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Options
    I like IF as well....it has helped me do better with controlling my calories....
    Downside is now I am trying to bulk, but I enjoy working out fasted, so I don't want to stop doing IF. :D
    Congrats with your progress
  • mabug01
    mabug01 Posts: 1,273 Member
    Options
    When you are fasting, do you drink any calories? Like protein shakes or tea, coffee, or juices?
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    Options
    I started doing IF two weeks ago, 16:8, and I am loving it. I am having a much easier time controlling my intake.

    I still am having some issues with the fast in the AM, but that is in my head, not my actual physical appetite. In my research though, that should start letting up in the next week or so as my mind readjusts to the fact, we do not break our fast till after 12:00 PM. I am pretty sure, for the most part, the only reason I ate AM breakfast was because that is what we are supposed to do, according to the experts.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Options
    mabug01 wrote: »
    When you are fasting, do you drink any calories? Like protein shakes or tea, coffee, or juices?

    Water and Black Coffee.. and rarely some grapefruit juice..
  • marlovs78
    marlovs78 Posts: 75 Member
    edited October 2014
    Options
    This would have probably been better posted in the Maintaining thread, as it is not an Introduction - where people post to make friends.
  • maria_antoinette
    maria_antoinette Posts: 239 Member
    Options
    marlovs78 wrote: »
    This would have probably been better posted in the Maintaining thread, as it is not an Introduction - where people post to make friends.

    yeah mistake.. since last time i logged in this entire panel has changed and i could not find any of my old groups.. itsl ike everything i ever did was erased.

Categories