Never realised I would get so hungry from intermittent fasting!
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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I do 16/8 and my eating window is 11am-7pm. That works well for myself as well as my other half, as he comes home about 6:30pm and then we have dinner. I think I settled into it really easily as I'm not much of a morning person and am quite happy having breakfast at 11am. Much like @gia07 I don't get hungry until I start eating...
Some days are harder than others and just keeping busy helps me.
I totally second what @WalkingAlong said about it teaching you to recognise proper hunger. Maybe get some IF friends. Support helps. :-)0 -
They're not doing 'eating windows', they're doing 'every other day modified fasting' but the JUDDD forum at lowcarbfriends.com is a good source of ideas and support.
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/forumdisplay.php?f=890 -
WalkingAlong wrote: »They're not doing 'eating windows', they're doing 'every other day modified fasting' but the JUDDD forum at lowcarbfriends.com is a good source of ideas and support.
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/forumdisplay.php?f=89
Oh, cool, thanks. Sounds about the same as Varady's Alternate Day Fasting deal. Looks like they've got a lot of chatter and tips going on there.
ADF is my go-to system now for cutting. Very effective, doing it right now.
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Yeah, Johnson's (JUDDD) and Varady's plans are pretty similar. I like ADF too. It's tough but I hate the incessant focus on calories 24/7 so I'll do about anything to avoid that noose.0
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Accept fasting is not for you and stop? It is not something that works for everyone. It would never work for me.
I have to agree with everyone what Aggelikik and everyone else is saying. If it doesn't work well now, it won't work long-term and it will be too easy to go back to old ways. Personally, I like just having a coffee first thing when I wake up and then I don't even think about food until 12-1pm.
It does NOT matter WHEN you eat your food. It matters how MUCH your average caloric intake is each week compared to the energy you're putting out.
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Just hopping in here so I can benefit from the same advice. I'm starting IF as well, but I'm starting my fast around 7 PM and keeping it until 7 am the next morning. I know that's only a 12 hour cut, but it works well for me so far because I used to consume a huge amount of calories late at night and now I'm not. I decided to keep breakfast in though, and lunch, because I'd rather have the energy to hit the gym in the morning and fuel back up post-lifting, and then not get hungry at work and be tempted to hit the vending machine. Usually I eat breakfast, hit the gym, eat my post workout snack, have lunch, and have one more snack before starting the fast. It's worked well for me so far, I've lost almost 11 pounds in 3 weeks.
I will point out though one guy mentioned ephedrine and I expected him to ripped to shreds for it, but no one really said anything. I don't think you seem to have this problem but I'll throw it out there in case others like me pipe up and follow the advice. I take phentermine (adipex) with a prescription under doctor's supervision because I have binge eating disorder and I was a compulsive overeater, and I never had the energy to exercise. If you need help controlling your appetite to relearn how to eat normal amounts at normal times, there is no shame in it at all. Keep that in mind. Appetite suppressants can be a wonderful thing if you don't/can't suffer through it on your own.0 -
beautifulsparkles 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 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.
I do not think you are doing something "bad". But, you might be adding stress in an already stressful situation, plus IF might not something that works well with all personalities or all meds. And if you keep trying and getting discouraged, maybe a different approach, assisted by a professional is needed? Maybe a more concrete plan by a dietitian, along with a plan on what to do if you have days this is not working for you? Or even a more structured plan for your entire day, not just food-wise?0
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