Never realised I would get so hungry from intermittent fasting!
Options
Replies
-
You never thought you would get hungry while not eating?0
-
stevencloser wrote: »There really isn't any huge benefit to it.
Maybe, maybe not. The tentative hope is for autophagy in humans. I think the situation looks pretty good, so I'm running with it.
0 -
Maybe reserve 100-200 calories for between midnight to noon and eat the rest of your calories later in the day. If you know you can eat a bit then you probably won't obsess or feel as hungry.
I am not doing a fasting program but I don't eat from midnight to 8 AM and then have around 200 calories and am fine until noon. If I eat before 7 AM I tend to get hungry before noon so 7-8AM is the right time to eat for me.
0 -
caffeine helps, as does ephedrine if you choose to go that route.0
-
Hmm...IF wouldn't work for me. Having regular meals seem to work best for me. In fact, since I started eating lunch consistently at 11:30am instead of anytime between 11:30 and 2:30, I control my food intake better and don't overeat just because I am hungry. I actually try not to let myself get to the "really hungry" point. I see lots of folks who say it works within their body's natural rhythms though.
I have to admit I do something like IF on the weekends though. I typically have social outings where I need to budget a lot of calories. So I have something very tiny for breakfast (one day it was 2 oz of turkey breast lol) and just let that satisfy me until my bigger meals.0 -
feisty_bucket wrote: »beautifulsparkles wrote: »I am now thinking that my hunger is mental not physical, and wondering how many times in my life I've actually experienced real hunger. My stomach never growls or makes noises
That's a very big deal when you start IF, especially if you do full-day fasts. It's educational. There's a difference between mental hunger (habit, and blood sugar dips, ie: when people usually say "I'm starving!") and actual hunger. Real hunger is when your stomach's empty. You'll learn to recognize that too, and realize you won't die either way.
It also makes the realization that bodyfat is like a battery, or fuel tank more obvious and everything food-related becomes much simpler.
If you start to feel dizzy or get headaches, should you eat or just drink some water? I'm wondering if its part of the adjustment period, because I felt like that, but I still didn't get the signs you are supposed to get when you are genuinely hungry.0 -
CassidyScaglione wrote: »You never thought you would get hungry while not eating?
Not in the way I was0 -
CassidyScaglione wrote: »You never thought you would get hungry while not eating?
That was my first thought too!
0 -
stevencloser wrote: »beautifulsparkles wrote: »Accept fasting is not for you and stop? It is not something that works for everyone. It would never work for me.FitGirl0123 wrote: »
So if something is hard you just give up?
the benefits seem worth it to me, since I started this thread, I've done some research, and it sounds like you need to ease your way into it.
I am now thinking that my hunger is mental not physical, and wondering how many times in my life I've actually experienced real hunger. My stomach never growls or makes noises, and I'm usually choosy about what I eat (I can't imagine eating fruit bread if it was the only thing available to satisfy my hunger).
If there is other, equally valid ways, yes. That is a sensible thing to do.
There really isn't any huge benefit to it. The main benefit is, ironically, not being as hungry. Which obviously doesn't work for you. Try something different that might not leave you hungry.
agreed. why force it? find a schedule/way of eating that will actually HELP you to achieve your goals. when I started IF, it came quite naturally and immediately helped with my hunger.
good luck!
0 -
i agree with what everyone else is saying. I think it totally depends on your lifestyle. I don't eat from 5 pm-10 AM because I don't like to eat as much at night. I couldn't survive waiting until noon to eat.0
-
IF can begin anytime you need it to. If you stop eating at 9:00 p.m. and want to go 16 hours before you eat then that makes you "breaking fast" at 1:00... or do a 15 hour and break it at noon.
I actually stop eating at 5:30 p.m. and break fast at 11:00 or 12:00, I have been eating like for years and years just did not know there was a name for it until I came to MFP.
This is not a diet to loose weight, it is only an eating schedule. And this is not for everyone.
For me, I am the opposite, I am not hungry until I start eating. Once I start eating it is on, like popcorn! I can drink water through a couple of rumbles and delay it, but after years of this my body is used to it.. The other variable is I exercise fasted so I cannot eat before lunch, I do not enjoy tasting food through my workouts.
Again it is NOT for every one. So you may need to reassess this idea and just consume your calories you need through out the day as you are used to.0 -
beautifulsparkles wrote: »If you start to feel dizzy or get headaches, should you eat or just drink some water?
In my experience, the usual reasons for headaches:
1. lack of fat
2. caffeine withdrawal
3. dehydration
A big spoonful of peanut butter fixes #1.
Have you checked out the IF groups on here? They're helpful with details like this too.
EDIT add:
Also, Mosley's 5:2 documentary and book as starters.
General advice: Just practice not eating for periods of time. You can lengthen them as you get used to it. The particular timing of those windows, you can worry about later. I've been doing IF for a year and half now and it's really easy for me now, but it was worrisome at the beginning.
0 -
If you decide to stick with it, good luck. Perhaps changing your fast window would be beneficial. I've always sort of followed a 16:8 schedule, and now that I count calories I find it easier to stay in a deficit this way. But it doesn't work for everyone - it really only works for me because I've never been a breakfast person. I stop eating at 9pm, and I don't eat again until 1pm, except for coffee in the morning. Ultimately IF is just a tool that helps some people stay in a deficit, IF doesn't itself create a deficit. If it doesn't work for you, then you just have to find a different way to stay in a deficit.0
-
If you decide to stick with it, good luck. Perhaps changing your fast window would be beneficial. I've always sort of followed a 16:8 schedule, and now that I count calories I find it easier to stay in a deficit this way. But it doesn't work for everyone - it really only works for me because I've never been a breakfast person. I stop eating at 9pm, and I don't eat again until 1pm, except for coffee in the morning. Ultimately IF is just a tool that helps some people stay in a deficit, IF doesn't itself create a deficit. If it doesn't work for you, then you just have to find a different way to stay in a deficit.
Thanks. I never used to be a breakfast person, but I guess I just got into a habit. Some people feel unwell eating breakfast, but I feel fine. It's more like, I didn't always feel hungry without breakfast and I don't enjoy that many typical breakfast foods.
My dad took me out for breakfast about a year ago and got cross with me because there was nothing on the menu I wanted. I was like, why pay for this when I can make it in five minutes at home? I ended up getting bacon, eggs, toast, mushrooms, tomatoes and hashbrowns, lol.0 -
beautifulsparkles wrote: »Accept fasting is not for you and stop? It is not something that works for everyone. It would never work for me.FitGirl0123 wrote: »
So if something is hard you just give up?
the benefits seem worth it to me, since I started this thread, I've done some research, and it sounds like you need to ease your way into it.
I am now thinking that my hunger is mental not physical, and wondering how many times in my life I've actually experienced real hunger. My stomach never growls or makes noises, and I'm usually choosy about what I eat (I can't imagine eating fruit bread if it was the only thing available to satisfy my hunger).
If I remember correct your profile, then this is something to be discussed with your psychiatrist. An all or nothing mentality and trying to follow things that do not seem to work because you started, might be a source of extra stress, leading to the opposite results than expected.
0 -
beautifulsparkles wrote: »Accept fasting is not for you and stop? It is not something that works for everyone. It would never work for me.FitGirl0123 wrote: »
So if something is hard you just give up?
the benefits seem worth it to me, since I started this thread, I've done some research, and it sounds like you need to ease your way into it.
I am now thinking that my hunger is mental not physical, and wondering how many times in my life I've actually experienced real hunger. My stomach never growls or makes noises, and I'm usually choosy about what I eat (I can't imagine eating fruit bread if it was the only thing available to satisfy my hunger).
If I remember correct your profile, then this is something to be discussed with your psychiatrist. An all or nothing mentality and trying to follow things that do not seem to work because you started, might be a source of extra stress, leading to the opposite results than expected.
How is this all or nothing? I've tried and failed, so I'm going to keep trying, even if it means cutting back how many hours I fast, then building up to my goal. I have failed at weightloss for the last six months so I am trying a few new things that have worked for other people. I don't see how that's a problem.
If you think this thread is bad, you should have seen some of my earlier ones. Not everyone that tries fasting fails at it, and I bet most people that have success with it struggled at first.0 -
What @gia07 said, it's a schedule not a diet. I used to do 5 meals a day and was never full so I was hangry all the time. I switched to IF and love my two +1000 calorie meals. Let you body help dictate when you eat, I fell into a 18:6 really naturally
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting
Above is also a really good group for support/questions/research for IF. Swing by if you want to.0 -
What @gia07 said, it's a schedule not a diet. I used to do 5 meals a day and was never full so I was hangry all the time. I switched to IF and love my two +1000 calorie meals. Let you body help dictate when you eat, I fell into a 18:6 really naturally
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting
Above is also a really good group for support/questions/research for IF. Swing by if you want to.
Thanks 0 -
IF doesn't work for everyone. That being said, it is actually recommended that women do 14/10 instead of 16/8 due to our hormones. Plenty of women function well on 16/8, 18/6, or greater splits, but if you find it's not working for you, you can try 14/10 and see if that helps. If not, you should eat the way that works best for you.0
-
I would say I've had success with fasting in the past. It's a learning experience, for sure. You are probably just freaking out over the new restriction. If you just pay attention to what you're feeling and remain calm and realize hunger isn't an emergency, you'll get past the panicky feeling and learn from it. It's good to be patient and noon is never that far off. I think it teaches you discipline and a better understanding of what true hunger feels like vs. just that mental urge to eat. Good luck!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.8K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 396 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 968 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions