Intermittent fasting?

I curious to hear about others' experiences with fasting/intermittent fasting. I have been trying to "dabble" over this past week- I'm trying to break this unbreakable plateau that I've been in for the past 2 years. What have you done and what kinds of results have you had??

Replies

  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,215 Member
    edited November 2015
    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.
  • DittoDan
    DittoDan Posts: 1,850 Member
    Click on link in my signature. I started a discussion group for Keto and Fasting. Be sure to read all the discussions.

    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
  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
    I do 16:8... I'm a natural faster (not hungry in the mornings) and I like being able to have 1 or 2 big meals instead of 3-5 small ones throughout the day. I have a decent lunch around 2pm and a big dinner around 7/8pm and a snack or smoothie before bed, depending on my calorie and macro goals.

    I also like that IF allows me to be more flexible and spontaneous. Like, if my husband suggests we go out to dinner, I don't stress it... I just fast beforehand, order whatever I want, and then make up the difference later if necessary. Easy peasy.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    I also like that IF allows me to be more flexible and spontaneous. Like, if my husband suggests we go out to dinner, I don't stress it... I just fast beforehand, order whatever I want, and then make up the difference later if necessary. Easy peasy.

    I like fasting before a buffet.
    Book.foodbycookiemonster.jpg
  • prairieprana
    prairieprana Posts: 71 Member
    I've done fasting and love the results (but I only use it for breaking a plateau myself). Whatever you decided do with IF may I no so bold as to suggest you plan to fast during the week? I find fasting Tues- Thursday are my best days for fasting since I'm usually so busy with work and what not that I'm just happy to get some small bits of food in my mouth that I'm not even tempted to let carb creep happen nor notice hunger if any.

    Best of luck!
  • eatingfatbeingfat
    eatingfatbeingfat Posts: 41 Member
    I found for myself that maintaining my sodium levels throughout the day were very important when I fasted.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
    I curious to hear about others' experiences with fasting/intermittent fasting. I have been trying to "dabble" over this past week- I'm trying to break this unbreakable plateau that I've been in for the past 2 years. What have you done and what kinds of results have you had??

    After about 4 months on keto, I started to follow my inclinations as to when I would eat. Turned out my pattern is: substantial lunch, little snack at about 8PM and that's it. It's something I feel very comfortable with.
  • 110challenge
    110challenge Posts: 195 Member
    I eat once a day and love it. I do one fast day one the weekend, as well. Keto is amazing with fasting, since you don't feel hungry and you don't crash.

    I dropped down to eating twice a day and a morning bulletproof coffee pretty quickly after starting keto (maybe 2 weeks or so), then dropped lunch, then dropped the coffee and stuck with only dinner. I've been doing that at least 3.5 months now, but only added in the weekend fast probably just shy of 2 months now :)
  • ncprice1
    ncprice1 Posts: 20 Member
    I plan to start IF next week for 5 of 7 days. My natural inclination is to have my first meal around noon or 1pm, and my last meal around 9pm so it shouldn't be hard. Not exactly 16:8, but close. I plan to break the fasts on Thursdays and Sundays (for family harmony).
  • lleimbach1
    lleimbach1 Posts: 3 Member
    I naturally IF whether I'm keto or not, the thought of eating anything in the morning (unless I'm hungover ;) is nauseating. I just drink my fatty coffee until about 3-4pm and then eat but sometimes I won't eat anything until 6-7. Technically I guess it wouldn't be fasting since I have a few Tbsp of cream and 1-1.5 Tbsp of coconut oil over the course of a few hours but it's pretty close.

    Maybe you could try an egg fast to get over your plateau. I think it's just 6 eggs/day and lots of water over the course of 1-4 days.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    lleimbach1 wrote: »
    Maybe you could try an egg fast to get over your plateau. I think it's just 6 eggs/day and lots of water over the course of 1-4 days.

    Close: http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2014/07/egg-fast.html
  • kimbo8435
    kimbo8435 Posts: 129 Member
    I accidently tried IF on Saturday (woke up late and we had to run to a class so I missed breakfast). I had no energy to make lunch and I ended up being a blob on the couch the rest of the day. I gave myself the excuse that I was keeping my sick kiddo company, but really I didn't even have motivation to think of getting food. I am now sure that I need at least 2 meals per day. Sunday, I had my usual egg breakfast and had tons of energy- and got tons done.
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    > I am now sure that I need at least 2 meals per day. Sunday, I had my usual egg breakfast and had tons of energy- and got tons done.

    It can take at least 3 weeks to "get used to" a new feeding window using IF ... we're like Pavlov's dogs in that sense.
  • dottiedj
    dottiedj Posts: 52 Member
    I am so glad others do this. In college (first time on my own) I found that I liked eating one meal a day. I would eat a good dinner around 5 or 6 PM and if I wanted anything else, it was usually a light snack in the evening. Most of the people I have known think this is crazy, but it is what makes me most comfortable.
  • meggic
    meggic Posts: 14 Member
    I try to IF on days I don't work out, except I do drink a cup of bulletproof coffee on the mornings I fast. Then I try to pack in 1000-1300 calories or so into 12pm-8pm. I've been doing this for 5 weeks and the scale keeps moving down, so whether it actually helps or not, I'm happy with it. I have read that IF is not as effective for women due to hormones so it's possible my weight loss is just from normal Keto'ing, but if you're happy doing it, then why not?
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    >I have read that IF is not as effective for women due to hormones

    Usually that's because a calorie deficit often accompanies IF, and having too steep of a deficit can screw you up. Running a sustainable deficit within an IF system shouldn't pose any issues.
  • DAM5412
    DAM5412 Posts: 660 Member
    kirkor wrote: »
    >I have read that IF is not as effective for women due to hormones

    Usually that's because a calorie deficit often accompanies IF, and having too steep of a deficit can screw you up. Running a sustainable deficit within an IF system shouldn't pose any issues.

    Krikor, any opinion or links to information which outlines what would be considered too steep of a deficit? Not being a smart *kitten*, just curious as I've been experimenting with IF and find those days very difficult to eat enough. So I'm taking in about 500-600 calories less then the deficit that I already have set to lose 1.5 - 2 lbs based on my TDEE. I've only done 2 weeks of IF, so I'm learning as I go and appreciate your help!

  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
    Some of it depends on how much you have to lose ... those with more fat stores can afford a heavy deficit since they've got more to burn off. But "in general" I think for sustainability you're going to want to stay under a 2lb/wk deficit, and probably keeping it closer to 1.5lb/wk max is better. To support this, think about 2 of the most popular IF protocols: ESE and 5:2 ... even at the top end of both of those methods, a person with a 2000 TDEE is only going to be running a deficit of 1-1.5lb/wk.

    >I've been experimenting with IF and find those days very difficult to eat enough

    You either need to lengthen your feeding window while you adapt, eat more calorically-dense foods, or just get used to eating bigger meals and feeling fuller. That last point is actually why a lot of people enjoy IF: they get to feel that fullness/satiety even under a caloric deficit.

    That being said, IF isn't necessarily for everybody. Give it an honest go (i.e. run a given protocol for long enough to adapt, *while* keeping a responsible deficit) but if it never quite clicks, that's okay too.
  • wishfullthinking79
    wishfullthinking79 Posts: 322 Member
    I am really curious about this fasting. I do not think I really understand what it is your doing. So i typically do not eat anything until like 530-630 unless I force myself to do so. I just do not get hungry throughtout most of the day. So if I I do that then I need to eat a 1000 calories in that one meal? That is like impossible for me right now. I have been only averaging like 600-800 calories since I started the low carb diet. But I only get to that amount if I force myself to eat something before I eat my dinner. Can someone tell me the steps I would take to do this intermediate fasting the right way? Thanks
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
    I am really curious about this fasting. I do not think I really understand what it is your doing. So i typically do not eat anything until like 530-630 unless I force myself to do so. I just do not get hungry throughtout most of the day. So if I I do that then I need to eat a 1000 calories in that one meal? That is like impossible for me right now. I have been only averaging like 600-800 calories since I started the low carb diet. But I only get to that amount if I force myself to eat something before I eat my dinner. Can someone tell me the steps I would take to do this intermediate fasting the right way? Thanks

    If it is only the calorie deficit that concerns you, look at adding a nutritional punch to that meal. A pat of butter is 100 calories. A handful of nuts is typically several hundred. Add a smaller snack a few hours AFTER dinner... I don't believe you should force yourself to eat unless your body's hunger signals are totally broken (this does happen in some folks).

    But if you do well with just water up until that point, you're probably a shoe-in for this process.

    There is no one way to intermittent fast. There are a lot of factors you can change up. Try one thing for a week. Have a contingency plan if it really makes you sick. Otherwise, follow that for a week, see how you like it. If you don't like that, try something else.

    The main focus is and always should be on nutrition. You need enough protein to save your muscles - you need to limit carbs in general, and fats only fill in to satiety... Getting the vitamins and minerals you need from food is important.