Intermittent fasting?

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Has anyone had any success with intermittent fasting? If so, how long do you fast and what have been your results? I've been trying it for a few days to try and break me out of this 2 year long plateau. I would like to hear of others' successes and/or failures.

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  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,215 Member
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    xp from IF group...

    I love it. I'm on 17:7 and eat 12-7p. I have tea with a little Fairlife in the mornings and a tisane before bed, but no food. It'll take a while for you to find the schedule that works with your life. My preferred schedule is 1-7p, but hubby comes home at noon and I cook, so 12-7 works better.

    Be consistent. Pick a time frame and stick to it for at least 2 weeks to see if that's the right one. Don't dabble. Do it or don't. It does take some time to get used to it, but that's true of any change. Don't be afraid to drink liquids and stay hydrated. Being dehydrated guarantees I'll feel nauseous when I do start eating. And stick with it. It can be hard at the beginning, but most of us find happiness with fasting.

    I truly love it. Between keto and IF, I rarely feel hungry. I also don't feel like I'm on a diet even though my portions are tiny and my calories are abnormally low (doctor ordered). I stuff myself for 7 hours a day, so I don't feel deprived.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
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    It works for me because I do not have to change what or how much I eat. It is not so much a system for me as just not eating after 4-5 pm a few days a week. The results typically come pretty fast now that my leaky gut (main cause of obesity I think in my case) is healed and I have been fat adapted for over a year.

    I have started testing heavy usage of Wobenzym systemic enzymes which some claim encourages weight loss so that may be a factor this time in my case. Wobenzym is used in pain management by some so I am testing to see if will clean up some some pain that remains after most of it left 30 days after I left all grains and most all sugars cold turkey over a year ago.

    Keep us updated.
  • totaloblivia
    totaloblivia Posts: 1,164 Member
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    Join @DittoDan s water fasting group. I am on a 34 hour fast today. Has really helped me break stalls and today I'm trying to erase a carb laden weekend.
  • DittoDan
    DittoDan Posts: 1,850 Member
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    Click on link in my signature below.

    I hope this helps,
    Dan the Man from Michigan
    Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
    Current weight: 194.9, 119 pounds down, 16 to go. 14 months on diet
  • Kitnthecat
    Kitnthecat Posts: 2,056 Member
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    My typical daily routine is 23:1, eating supper only. I do like to have extended fasts a couple of times weekly of 36 - 48 hours, and have gone as long as 72 hours on a fast. I might have one day where I eat two meals instead of one, when coming off a fast. I have done one 48 hour fast this week already and started another one last evening.

    I love the feeling of freedom from food, lack of hunger, increased mental clarity and physical energy, and the amazing feeling of well-being I get when fasting.

    I use fasting as a way to lose weight, but also to connect with myself as a way of cleansing my body and emotions...cleaning house.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
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    I did a little "dabble" a couple of times with 18-20 hour fasts. I would only have coffee or tea and I did use the tiniest amounts of stevia with it, which I think is generally not recommended to use AS. But I did break a month long stall during that week I fasted twice. Then I pretty much went back into stall mode. Then I tried egg fasting for 3 days. I didn't follow any particular egg fast plan. I just ate mostly eggs with cheese cooked in butter. But I did still have Keto coffee with coconut oil, HWC, butter and sugar free coffee syrup. I also ate some meat one a day, but not a lot. That was a good loss week too. But right back into stall again. My carbs were basically a lot lower with both methods I used. Lowest with the egg fast. I'm not sure if that's what really helped or the fast itself...
    But I am a dabbler and not as knowledgeable as many others that use it regularly.
  • robosphere
    robosphere Posts: 66 Member
    edited November 2015
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    While we're on this - how do you guys handle entering foods here? I'm up to 31 days in a row, And I'd hate to break my streak, but MFP won't let you complete if you have too few calories.
  • Kitnthecat
    Kitnthecat Posts: 2,056 Member
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    You won't lose your streak by being under in calories. I either complete my entry and it gives my that warning, or I don't bother to complete. But as long as you log on daily, your streak will remain intact. I've had many days under 100 calories and haven't lost my streak.
  • robosphere
    robosphere Posts: 66 Member
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    Thanks for the tip!
  • fastforlife1
    fastforlife1 Posts: 459 Member
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    I like the Every Other Day Diet by Dr Varaday. 500/600 on Fast Days (keep it under 10-20 carb grams) and her version is eat anything you want of eating days - I prefer under 2000 calories and 100 grams of carbs. I also like limited time window for eating - usually 8-9 hours a day. Experiment there are many protocols out there. There is also an intermittent fasting group on MFP.