Intermittent fasting

Hi I'm not new to the fit life and the gym but I have just started using intermittent fasting and I am seeing phenomenal results. I have been using it now for 6 days and I have lost about 4 pounds so far. Has anyone used or is using intermittent fasting and can share their tips and stories?

Replies

  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    Four pounds in six days? Some of that is most likely water weight. If it isn't and you continue to lose at that rate, you're going to want to eat more unless you're 300+ pounds, as you're sacrificing lean body mass which is the exact opposite of what you want. I've been doing a 16:8 IF split for the past six months and I love what it's done for me. It definitely changed my relationship with food, my cravings, and my hunger levels. Are you doing a 16-20:8-4 daily split or a 5:2 weekly split?
  • StoryOfBella
    StoryOfBella Posts: 3 Member
    In the past I have lost 90+ lbs using IF. I didn't realize that was what I was doing at the time. Because of life/work schedule I was only eating one meal a day. I didn't change what I ate. I ate whatever I wanted. At the time I wasn't actively trying to lose weight so I never really figured out that it was technically IF that was causing the weight loss. Now I'm back at it and using the same method.
  • fry5150
    fry5150 Posts: 34 Member
    It really depends on if IF fits your lifestyle or not. IF I'd great for me because I work 12 hours a day 5 days a week so I sometimes forget to eat and those are my low days. My wife works out 6 days a week and it's a hard core workout. When she tries IF she usually ends up in a binge because she's so hungry. So it contradicts itself.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    I'm not a morning eater or evening depending on what's going on I have days where my first meal is noonish and last meal is at 5ish today will likely be one of those days other days it's after 3 when I first eat and I'm eating till 11ish.
  • melstolte
    melstolte Posts: 1 Member
    For Kavesh and all the non-morning eaters who want to see big results. Get a copy of Jennifer Jolan's 1-Day Diet. it has good information about protein waters when you fast to avoid muscle wasting.. if doing intermittent fasting. I agree, you will see big results if you follow her plan.
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    synacious wrote: »
    Four pounds in six days? Some of that is most likely water weight. If it isn't and you continue to lose at that rate, you're going to want to eat more unless you're 300+ pounds, as you're sacrificing lean body mass which is the exact opposite of what you want. I've been doing a 16:8 IF split for the past six months and I love what it's done for me. It definitely changed my relationship with food, my cravings, and my hunger levels. Are you doing a 16-20:8-4 daily split or a 5:2 weekly split?
    Ok thanks for the warning. It does look like water weight and neither has my muscularity or strength decreased. But I will keep monitoring. I don't understand your question but I'm around 220 lbs and I'm doing 17:7 split because of lifestyle pattern (I wake up at 4 everyday).
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    In the past I have lost 90+ lbs using IF. I didn't realize that was what I was doing at the time. Because of life/work schedule I was only eating one meal a day. I didn't change what I ate. I ate whatever I wanted. At the time I wasn't actively trying to lose weight so I never really figured out that it was technically IF that was causing the weight loss. Now I'm back at it and using the same method.

    Wow that's pretty interesting. Well done, that's an incredible result.
  • Jazzykatt
    Jazzykatt Posts: 38 Member
    I do the fast 5 and average a loss over just over 2 lbs. a week. I ate the same amount of calories when I wasn't in a fasting plan and loss less. It works wonders for me since I find small meals throughout the day increase my hunger. My muscles are toning up nicely as well.
  • nikkithefatmodel
    nikkithefatmodel Posts: 154 Member
    How does this work
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    How does this work

    Basically eating all of your calories within a certain window of time (e.g., eating all of your calories between 12:00 noon and 8:00 p.m., or something similar).

    It helps some people to stay within their goals.
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    Jazzykatt wrote: »
    I do the fast 5 and average a loss over just over 2 lbs. a week. I ate the same amount of calories when I wasn't in a fasting plan and loss less. It works wonders for me since I find small meals throughout the day increase my hunger. My muscles are toning up nicely as well.

    Nice...maybe you can put up a picture...
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member

    How does this work

    Basically eating all of your calories within a certain window of time (e.g., eating all of your calories between 12:00 noon and 8:00 p.m., or something similar).

    It helps some people to stay within their goals.
    Couldn't have said it better myself
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    When you reach a plateau does anyone how to manipulate to reduce further fat? I have heard that you should reduce your eating window or increase the fasting window. I also heard that you must reduce your calorie intake. I'm a bit confused. Can anyone help with this...
  • NATURE_OUTDOOR_GIRL
    NATURE_OUTDOOR_GIRL Posts: 14 Member
    Kavesh93 wrote: »
    When you reach a plateau does anyone how to manipulate to reduce further fat? I have heard that you should reduce your eating window or increase the fasting window. I also heard that you must reduce your calorie intake. I'm a bit confused. Can anyone help with this...



  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Kavesh93 wrote: »
    When you reach a plateau does anyone how to manipulate to reduce further fat? I have heard that you should reduce your eating window or increase the fasting window. I also heard that you must reduce your calorie intake. I'm a bit confused. Can anyone help with this...
    If you have been at the same weight for two or three weeks, do not worry about it. Sometimes the scale does not cooperate the way we want it to. Be patient.
    Look at your other metrics like measurements.
    If you really are at a plateau, you need to reduce calories. (tighten up on weighing food and logging).
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    Kavesh93 wrote: »
    When you reach a plateau does anyone how to manipulate to reduce further fat? I have heard that you should reduce your eating window or increase the fasting window. I also heard that you must reduce your calorie intake. I'm a bit confused. Can anyone help with this...
    If you have been at the same weight for two or three weeks, do not worry about it. Sometimes the scale does not cooperate the way we want it to. Be patient.
    Look at your other metrics like measurements.
    If you really are at a plateau, you need to reduce calories. (tighten up on weighing food and logging).

    Thank you for the advice RodaRose.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2016
    How does this work

    A couple methods. Eating windows, 16:8 would be eat your calories in an 8 hour window. 5:2 you would eat 500 calories (600 for men) 2 days a week and then eat maintenance 5 days a week. Your entire deficit is from 2 days......perhaps 3 days if you are very overweight (alternate day diet).

    Here's more info:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    Kavesh93 wrote: »
    When you reach a plateau does anyone how to manipulate to reduce further fat? I have heard that you should reduce your eating window or increase the fasting window. I also heard that you must reduce your calorie intake. I'm a bit confused. Can anyone help with this...

    It is ONLY about calories. Making your eating window shorter just helps you stop eating based on a rule you created for yourself. I only eat between 12-8pm, if I were "allowed" to eat from 6am-8pm I would consume much more I'm sure.
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    brb_2013 wrote: »
    Kavesh93 wrote: »
    When you reach a plateau does anyone how to manipulate to reduce further fat? I have heard that you should reduce your eating window or increase the fasting window. I also heard that you must reduce your calorie intake. I'm a bit confused. Can anyone help with this...

    It is ONLY about calories. Making your eating window shorter just helps you stop eating based on a rule you created for yourself. I only eat between 12-8pm, if I were "allowed" to eat from 6am-8pm I would consume much more I'm sure.

    Thank you. I never saw it from that angle.
  • mrs_madison_keane
    mrs_madison_keane Posts: 45 Member
    I've been on an intermittent fasting schedule (only eating from 11am - 7pm) for over a year now, and I'm never going back! I know that with eating right and exercising, I would have lost the same amount of weight eventually, but I KNOW that IF has sped up this process a ton! Plus, my energy levels have increased majorly and I can tell a huge difference in my mental alertness from last year when I hadn't started IF yet.
    Keep going! It really works! :smiley:

    For reference, in case you were wondering... I've lost 67 pounds in the past year!

    5'7''
    SW: 186
    CW:119
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
    I've been on an intermittent fasting schedule (only eating from 11am - 7pm) for over a year now, and I'm never going back! I know that with eating right and exercising, I would have lost the same amount of weight eventually, but I KNOW that IF has sped up this process a ton! Plus, my energy levels have increased majorly and I can tell a huge difference in my mental alertness from last year when I hadn't started IF yet.
    Keep going! It really works! :smiley:

    For reference, in case you were wondering... I've lost 67 pounds in the past year!

    5'7''
    SW: 186
    CW:119

    So, you were not "eating right and exercising" while intermittent fasting, but still lost weight and faster than you would have? How do you "KNOW" this?

    And don't you think energy levels and alertness would come from losing weight, not when you ate the food?

  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
    I've done both IF and normal dieting/workout routine and found myself losing the same amount of weight each week. At the time, IF just worked for me because it fit into my daily schedule and I never ate breakfast much anyways until later in the morning.
  • hamelle2
    hamelle2 Posts: 297 Member
    I found that I was not hungry after waking until 3 pm or so. If I ate breakfast because "it is the thing to do" I was hungry from that point on. Now I don't start eating my calories until late afternoon. My body tells me when most of the time. Most of the time I eat my calories between 5pm and 9pm. I am very happy to have found what works for me! It is still all about CICO. IF is about controlling my hunger and feel satisfied each and every day. B)
    I will probably do this forever.
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    I've been on an intermittent fasting schedule (only eating from 11am - 7pm) for over a year now, and I'm never going back! I know that with eating right and exercising, I would have lost the same amount of weight eventually, but I KNOW that IF has sped up this process a ton! Plus, my energy levels have increased majorly and I can tell a huge difference in my mental alertness from last year when I hadn't started IF yet.
    Keep going! It really works! :smiley:

    For reference, in case you were wondering... I've lost 67 pounds in the past year!

    5'7''
    SW: 186
    CW:119
    hamelle2 wrote: »
    I found that I was not hungry after waking until 3 pm or so. If I ate breakfast because "it is the thing to do" I was hungry from that point on. Now I don't start eating my calories until late afternoon. My body tells me when most of the time. Most of the time I eat my calories between 5pm and 9pm. I am very happy to have found what works for me! It is still all about CICO. IF is about controlling my hunger and feel satisfied each and every day. B)
    I will probably do this forever.

    Wow great insight. Yeah I also found that when I started IF (3 weeks ago) I have had better energy levels and just feeling great. I also think this is something I will use forever. It works and is sustainable.
    However I have a doubt that maybe you guys can answer. What exactly does reducing the eating window do?
  • Kavesh93
    Kavesh93 Posts: 13 Member
    xSPICYx wrote: »
    I've done both IF and normal dieting/workout routine and found myself losing the same amount of weight each week. At the time, IF just worked for me because it fit into my daily schedule and I never ate breakfast much anyways until later in the morning.

    You lost the same amount with IF and regular diets??