Intermittent fasting, anyone try it or does it??

Some people say it helps them keep to a calorie deficit so it works for them.

Others naturally eat like this . for example my father doesn't eat breakfast ever. He eats lunch and then dinner and a evening snack all between 12pm-7pm daily. He has done this his whole life because it is what he likes. He still has weight issues.

Weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit. If you eat less then you burn, you will lose weight. If you eat at a calorie surplus then you will gain weight . the time of your meals and snacks makes no difference for weight loss because it comes down to calories.

You can eat 1500 calories all at one meal or could break it up throughout the day and it still wouldn't make a difference as far as weight loss is concerned.

With any way of eating there must be a calorie deficit for weight loss to happen. I could do a keto / low carb diet and if I ate at a surplus I would still gain weight. I could do I.F. and if I ate at a surplus I would still gain. And the list goes on. For weight loss it is going to come down to calories . if I.F. is a way of eating that you enjoy then go for it. If I.F. helps you keep to your deficit then go for it. But like any way of eating the cico rule still applies.

If you can get used to the hunger, then you're fine...

It works great if you feel like you are forcing yourself to eat breakfast or if you have a busy schedule in the mornings. I did it for awhile just to try it and it was ok. I *felt* like I got to eat more when in reality I ate the same, so that was interesting. I do it once a week so I can skip breakfast and hit up Starbucks in order to not go over my calories.

I do it, but I'm not particularly strict about when I stop eating. I don't eat until 4-5 hours after I wake up, sometimes longer. I typically eat at 4pm, 6pm and 11pm, but since I don't go to bed until 2 or 3am, sometimes I'll eat again around 1am if I'm hungry and have the calories.
This works for me. I like to eat later because it keeps me full late in the night and there's less time for me to go over or binge. It might not work for you. Some people do better eating many little meals throughout the day, some can't get through without breakfast (breakfast has always made me feel nauseous) and some do better with more traditional meal times. That's totally fine too! Meal timings are personal preference and don't make a difference to whether or not you lose weight, or how much you lose. The only thing that matters is calories, though proper nutrition (hitting your macros and micros) is very important to health.

I do it because I am a volume eater; I'd rather have 2 large meals and a snack than 5 small meals. It helps me stick to my calorie deficit, there for I lose weight. I'm not really hungry in the mornings anyway.

cubanasusana wrote: »

Thank you all!! I agree that calories still count and I will try it 2-3 days but stay in my calorie allowance. I guess from what I have read that I.F helps your body start to burns it own fat when it has been in a fasting mode after 12 hours.
I have read a few articles and youtube videos from Dr.Mercola who advocates it for help in resetting your metabolism.

I eat this way now and when I gained the weight I am losing now. I am losing because of the deficit, not because there's any extra fat burning. Wish there was a magical trick for extra fat burning but it's all about CICO.

I went to visit friends for a week over thanksgiving and they are overweight and eat a lot. Using IF and not being able to determine calorie content in their food I was still able to lose a little that week. I used my same window of eating, tried to find the best choices ( none of which were calorie friendly) and ate intuitively. I was so proud of myself. It made me realize how useful IF will be for maintenance too.

Its all about your own style and using whatever little tricks you need to help you maintain a deficit.

I do a 16:8 fast, where I fast for 16 hours (it's not a magic number, just works for me) making my 'eating window' about 12-8pm. This works because it helps me spread my calories between two meals versus three and that helps me feel a higher level of satisfaction with my meals. Smaller meals more often make me cranky because I didn't get the whole "meal" experience I was used to. I miss leaving a table full more than I miss any other "poor habits", I'll keep this need for larger meals If I don't start eating until my window, my hunger is manageable in the mornings but I do have coffee with a small amount of creamer before noon. Usually I sip it until about 11

16 8 has always worked well for me in the past it just doesn't fit my schedule right now. I'm enjoying 5/2 so far

I do Keto and my normal eating pattern is one meal per day, so 23:1, with extended water fasts regularly, of 36-72 hrs. I love fasting!

I've done one for a few months and liked the results but wasn't crazy about the long gaps in between. I did a modified 20:4 where I only ate in a 4 hour window without a calorie restriction. Lost around 20 lbs in just under 4 months but it's not sustainable in my opinion

It's just a strategy that makes it easier for some people to manage their calories. Some people don't mind a little bit of hunger as a tradeoff to be able to eat larger meals on a diet. Think about it like this: if your maintenance is 2000 calories and you usually consume roughly 500 for breakfast, skipping breakfast would help you eat your lunch and dinner in familiar portions while still keeping a 500 calorie deficit. It works for some, but not for others, because some people don't function well when hungry and some people already skipped breakfast (consuming the majority of their calories at lunch and dinner) while overweight, so putting a label on their usual routine and calling it IF doesn't do much for weight loss.