Intermittent Fasting?
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aksteve777 wrote: »i fasted once for 20 days...i don't think quick fixes work. I had quit some prescription meds and was trying to get clean. I had broke my back and knees, head injury...needed a fresh start.
So, you didn't actually intermittent fast, and you figured that was what was being asked.
Intermittent fasting is fasting for a period of time (usually not more than 24 hours), then eating again, or using a smaller eating window in which to eat your calories.
The 24 hours once of twice a week is done while eating normally on the other 5 or 6 days, so basically it is how a person is creating their calorie deficit. This approach has various benefits, and for more information the e-book Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon is the best resource on it. He works through a bunch of research that shows the benefits of this sort of approach.
The other approach of a smaller eating window is usually fasting 14-16 hours, then eating all your calories for that day in the remaining hours of the day. This is the approach put forward by Martin Berkin at leangains.com and has many followers here.
My personal preference is one or two 24 hour fasts a week, although I have done the 16/8 approach as well.
To the original poster, I suggest you read Eat Stop Eat as it will answer many of your questions. Also join the Intermittent Fasting group here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting0 -
From my understanding IF doesn't actually do anything, it's more of a way to help you not eat. I know for me, I IF for 19 hours and have 5 hours to eat, personally for me, it's easier to say "After this time I can't eat until tomorrow" and then have to not think about it. So instead of being like "Well I could eat..[insert food here]" it's "I might have that tomorrow." It gives me a framework on which to build off of. I also think of my calories as money, where I have a budget that I can't spend more than I have.0
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I am female and eat in an 8 hour window. I have never liked eating early in the day, but forced myself because of family pressure and the untrue "this is best for you" mantras. Finally, I read enough to know that it isn't harmful in any way, may have benefits, and supports my body's natural hunger signals. It's easier to maintain my deficit and I like to feel full after a meal, so my satiety is triggered with two large ones. I also eat high fat for satiety (and a possible benefit for a chronic condition). I eat sometime around noon, may have a snack, dinner, and I love to have an ounce of mixed nuts and a little dark chocolate a few times a week in the evening. All fit easily within my chosen macros and calorie limit.
Am I losing weight faster? Debatable. If so, I don't think it's enough of a difference to recommend it to people who don't tend to eat that way naturally. It's a great option to try for those interested.
As to what's best for men and women, I don't think it's as easily quantified as some articles would have you believe. I see anecdotes only. I'm going to continue to use my own experience to judge what works for me. I advise you to do the same.
I've lost 24 lbs since Jan 1 with deficit and exercising (lifting, yoga, walking). I eat high fat/low carb, use 16/8 IF, and feel great. I believe I've found what helps me stick with it and that was my priority. Everyone is going to have to find those elements for themselves and there is nothing wrong with experimenting, or even changing things up as time passes. Took me a lot of trial and error to hit on this combo and I assume there will be adaptations as I age and to help with fitness goals.
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mz_getskinny wrote: »I did this from August until about a month ago...I have lost 43 lbs and felt sooo great when I was doing IF. I only stopped because I started working out early in the morning and had to adjust my eating times! Feel free to message me if you have any more questions
Hi..
I am thinking about starting IF as well.. i have done a lot of research on it and it seems like a real good idea..
However.. I am addicted to my morning tea.. wud my body be still in fasting mode if i take my tea at 8 in the morning and then eat my first meal at 1 like suggested in 16:8 breakup.
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Liquids are fine and keeping any additions lower in calories (~100), like cream, seems to work. Insulin response is a factor. Do some reading on the net for the basics.0
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TheHumanMachine wrote: »From my understanding IF doesn't actually do anything, it's more of a way to help you not eat. I know for me, I IF for 19 hours and have 5 hours to eat, personally for me, it's easier to say "After this time I can't eat until tomorrow" and then have to not think about it. So instead of being like "Well I could eat..[insert food here]" it's "I might have that tomorrow." It gives me a framework on which to build off of. I also think of my calories as money, where I have a budget that I can't spend more than I have.
That is not quite true. IF will not magically make a similar calorie deficit more effective, so in terms of weight loss it is the old, meal timing makes no difference except in terms of compliance to one's caloric deficit.
However, there are benefits beyond that. There are hormonal things that are benefited by IF. Eat Stop Eat gets into that. Basically, humans were not meant to eat all the time. Yet, in our current cultural setting we generally do. Periods of true fasting are rare to non-existent for most people in developed countries. Even the over night fast we all have, if generally just enough time for the food in your belly to just about finish digesting. That is where ESE is helpful, as are most IF protocols. They allow for times where you are in a truly fasted state which is beneficial for your body beyond simply fat loss.0 -
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rileysowner wrote: »aksteve777 wrote: »i fasted once for 20 days...i don't think quick fixes work. I had quit some prescription meds and was trying to get clean. I had broke my back and knees, head injury...needed a fresh start.
So, you didn't actually intermittent fast, and you figured that was what was being asked.
Intermittent fasting is fasting for a period of time (usually not more than 24 hours), then eating again, or using a smaller eating window in which to eat your calories.
The 24 hours once of twice a week is done while eating normally on the other 5 or 6 days, so basically it is how a person is creating their calorie deficit. This approach has various benefits, and for more information the e-book Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon is the best resource on it. He works through a bunch of research that shows the benefits of this sort of approach.
The other approach of a smaller eating window is usually fasting 14-16 hours, then eating all your calories for that day in the remaining hours of the day. This is the approach put forward by Martin Berkin at leangains.com and has many followers here.
My personal preference is one or two 24 hour fasts a week, although I have done the 16/8 approach as well.
To the original poster, I suggest you read Eat Stop Eat as it will answer many of your questions. Also join the Intermittent Fasting group here http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting
So sorry. It just reminded me of a time I fasted long term...I then asked for an explanation as I was curious and learned some things about intermitant fasting and nice people answered questions without feeling the need to kick me. If your point was to condemn me and try make me feel stupid for just sharing something from my memory...well good for you..I will feel properly ashamed to say or ask anything from now on. Sheesh...
Now you can say something else rude so you can feel even more superior I suppose?
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FinalWtloss wrote: »mz_getskinny wrote: »I did this from August until about a month ago...I have lost 43 lbs and felt sooo great when I was doing IF. I only stopped because I started working out early in the morning and had to adjust my eating times! Feel free to message me if you have any more questions
Hi..
I am thinking about starting IF as well.. i have done a lot of research on it and it seems like a real good idea..
However.. I am addicted to my morning tea.. wud my body be still in fasting mode if i take my tea at 8 in the morning and then eat my first meal at 1 like suggested in 16:8 breakup.
Liquids are actually required! I drank water, green tea, English breakfast tea, iced tea, etc all day long! Definitely stay hydrated! Plus it helps keep your digestive system moving.0 -
For those who eat this way (IF) when do you workout? Before your first meal, in the middle of your eating window? After your eating window? And why do you work out at that time?0
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coreenbarlow wrote: »For those who eat this way (IF) when do you workout? Before your first meal, in the middle of your eating window? After your eating window? And why do you work out at that time?
At the moment, I'm fasting between 9pm and noon (15 hours). I eat something with carbs the night before (pasta, rice, potatoes etc) and then I work out between 9am and 11.30. I like to work out before eating, and sometimes I'll have coffee before working out. I feel much more energised, although I start to flag around 11:15, which gives me time to go home and shower. On the days I work out later, I go for a jog in the mornings.
It just feels much better to me.
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I do similar but my window is five hours. Possibly the easiest thing I've done as I'm usually so busy during the day anyway. Won't work for everyone but fits my lifestyle.0
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lesliereloaded wrote: »Contemplating on wether to try this or not...I've heard that your body will go into "starvation mode", but I have done some research online and many sites have said it is just simply a myth? What are your thoughts on it? ... And for those who don't know what this is, it's fasting for 16 hours and eating for only 8 hours of the day, this supposedly helps your body burn fat much better/faster.
Do your research either in the specific IF groups here, or other places online. Otherwise very few people here have any relevant knowledge to share. Ignore everyone who dismisses it that have never personally tried it. There are a lot of those types here.
My personal experience has been very positive. I generally do 16:8, my life & eating have been greatly simplified. I know others that have tremendous success with the 5:2 variation and have dabbled in that one some myself. It involves a little more planning ahead than I am able to commit to, but for some, it works great.
@coreenbarlow I generally work out between my 2 meals. I eat lunch at work, workout after work, eat a big dinner after that. However if its a weekend... that can vary. If I am doing low intensity cardio/hiking, I will always workout before my 1st meal. If I am doing strength, that sometimes will come before my first me, sometimes between meals just depending on how I feel that particular day.
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I just recently switched up to doing 18:6, between noon and 6:00 pm. I work out at 6:00 am.0
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I LOVE Intermittent Fasting. I do 16/8. It stops food cravings and it doesn't even feel like a diet; I plan to do this for the rest of my life because it's simply an awesome lifestyle. Workout before eating if you can, and afterwards have plenty of carbohydrates, like a smoothie with fruit.0
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lesliereloaded wrote: »Contemplating on wether to try this or not...I've heard that your body will go into "starvation mode", but I have done some research online and many sites have said it is just simply a myth? What are your thoughts on it? ... And for those who don't know what this is, it's fasting for 16 hours and eating for only 8 hours of the day, this supposedly helps your body burn fat much better/faster.
i've done it. it worked for a while, when i was trying to learn how to control my hunger. it also allowed me to eat bigger lunches and dinners, which i liked.
but after a while, my weight was stagnant. now i'm back to eating about 6 times a week, eating something for breakfast (within 2-3 hours of waking up). and the weight has been coming off again.0 -
I sort of eat this way without "trying". I try to not eat until after 11, usually 12, and I try to stop eating around 8. Maybe not quite 16:8 every day, but I go to bed feeling a little hungry and postpone eating as long as I can in the morning just so I can not stress about having snacks and staying on track.0
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I have tried fasting. I didn't find that it had any special weight loss magic. I didn't have more energy after 3 or 4 days. Nothing magic happened. I slept more and was unable to exercise with any intensity. Never again.
My results were in line with what one would expect to happen metabolically to the body with fasting. The muscles and brain which rely on carbs for energy don't function as well.
There are a lot of kinds of fasting. I am talking about eating nothing for several days at a time.0 -
snowflakesav wrote: »I have tried fasting. I didn't find that it had any special weight loss magic. I didn't have more energy after 3 or 4 days. Nothing magic happened. I slept more and was unable to exercise with any intensity. Never again.
My results were in line with what one would expect to happen metabolically to the body with fasting. The muscles and brain which rely on carbs for energy don't function as well.
There are a lot of kinds of fasting. I am talking about eating nothing for several days at a time.
That isn't really Intermittent Fasting, though. So it isn't the same thing at all.0 -
coreenbarlow wrote: »For those who eat this way (IF) when do you workout? Before your first meal, in the middle of your eating window? After your eating window? And why do you work out at that time?
I usually work out at night just because that's when I like to do it. Once in a while, though, I'll work out during the day just because that's when it fits in better. (I'll be doing that today, actually.) I have energy although I haven't eaten; the time of day I work out as compared to when I eat doesn't seem to make a difference, for me.
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