Intermittent Fasting

Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)
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Replies

  • Day_knee
    Day_knee Posts: 85 Member
    I know a lot of people who do IF. I don't personally, I would rather create my deficit on a daily bases and eat up to my calories then on or two days at 500 calories. I realize 16/8 means that you only eat in the 8 hour window but I feel anyone can still over eat their calories in that 8 hour window. I know I could lol. I think it's fine as long as you are creating your weekly deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound a week. (obviously that number would vary if you want to lose more or less).
    I don't see anything wrong with it and I have read there are benefits to fasting. I know a lot of people who have lost weight steadily by doing 5:2. I tried it but was way too hungry lol.
  • empmmurray
    empmmurray Posts: 24 Member
    Hey!
    I have been doing IF for a month now. It is keeping up my water intake so I know I'm taking in enough fluids every day which is good. I love it. It is all a matter of getting into it and seeing if it works for you and so far it is working great! It is a bit hard when you are out and about and going on vacations will be more difficult to do, but nothing is impossible :) I am on an 18:6 day via my trainer. I have noticed getting hungry in the morning but having tea or water has helped with that. I am never hungry after my last meal and am so excited to see where this all takes me.
    Good luck and keep up the awesome work!
  • acmorris77
    acmorris77 Posts: 80 Member
    I do 17/7 and have lost 30 pounds since March! My doctor put me on it because I have high triglycerides. I'm rarely hungry and If I go on vacation, or have dinner plans later, I just adjust my schedule. I obviously still eat at a deficit, but I find I'm so full when I eat within a smaller window rather than spread it out through out the day. Great job!
  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
    I'm glad it works for you guys. I can't imagine doing it with a family though. Even though I don't always eat the same meals as my kids, I like to sit down with them at the table to eat together. Plus, I do add stuff to my coffee in the morning, so that would require my eating window to start around 7am. I would murder someone by 8pm. Lol
  • iangelab
    iangelab Posts: 42 Member
    I am doing 14/10 and really like it so far. It has done a couple of things for me-created a time that I eat versus the constant grazing I was doing previously which has really let me see some of my habits and to learn whether I am really hungry or it is another issue. I like being able to eat more food and a bit higher calorie food during my window and it makes me feel like I am not really dieting. I can adjust as needed for schedule changes but I did relax it for vacation last week. I was worried getting back to it would be difficult but so far no issues. I am too new to give you long term weight loss yet.
  • PTSDUK
    PTSDUK Posts: 276 Member
    edited June 2016
    I've been doing leangains style for about a year. All my workouts are fasted, and l have gained size and strength. it works for me, but l agree it might not work for everybody. Never know until you try!!
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    I periodically use IF and find it a useful tool. There is nothing magical about it: You still need to pay attention to the calories to ensure that you are not eating too much or too little. But, for me at least, it helps me stay compliant and fits in well with my lifestyle.

    It's worth noting that I seem to suffer no problems maintaining decent strength work outs and sub 45 min runs whilst fasted.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    It goes to show that any meal timing plan is fine as long as it works for you.

    IF, grazing all day, anywhere in between - doesn't matter for weight loss. What matters is your comfort level with that spacing of eating times.

    Pick an eating pattern that keeps you most comfortable with calorie deficit compliance.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.
  • dcresider
    dcresider Posts: 1,272 Member
    So what is everyone calorie intake within your eating window? Do you guys still track and count your exercise calories?
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    Why wouldn't he? He's still eating the same amount of calories a day?

  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    Alluminati wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    Why wouldn't he? He's still eating the same amount of calories a day?

    That's exactly my point, so why do the fasting in the first place if you get the same results.
  • OfficialDSXIII
    OfficialDSXIII Posts: 91 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Alluminati wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    Why wouldn't he? He's still eating the same amount of calories a day?

    That's exactly my point, so why do the fasting in the first place if you get the same results.

    Stomach filling meals that leave you feeling satisfied.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Alluminati wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    Why wouldn't he? He's still eating the same amount of calories a day?

    That's exactly my point, so why do the fasting in the first place if you get the same results.

    Stomach filling meals that leave you feeling satisfied.

    All my meals fill me and leave me satisfied and I eat around 1200-1300 cals a day whenever I want, without having to starve myself for 16 hrs.

    I'm guessing that fasting is more a personal thing that may work for some people and not others. Though when you go back to normal eating what would happen then? Would you be so used to eating in an 8 hour window would you always eat like that? or would you overeat again when your not following that 16/8 hr window?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I think it's great that you've found something that's working for you! The most important aspect of a good diet is exectly this, that it makes you feel like you are not on a diet :D For me, that includes eating four meals spaced out through the day, whenever I'm hungry and have time to eat. For others, it can be eating one meal a day, or grazing, or 5:2.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    I eat around 1200-1300 cals a day whenever I want, without having to starve myself for 16 hrs.

    If you've been doing 16/8 for a few days, you're not starving during the 16 hours. Your body (if it's one that functions close to normally) adjusts to the eating times and releases hormones/digestive cues at the appropriate times.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    dcresider wrote: »
    So what is everyone calorie intake within your eating window? Do you guys still track and count your exercise calories?

    I still track calories and macros when running IF. I don't track exercise calories whether I'm using IF or any other eating protocol.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Alluminati wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    Why wouldn't he? He's still eating the same amount of calories a day?

    That's exactly my point, so why do the fasting in the first place if you get the same results.

    Stomach filling meals that leave you feeling satisfied.

    Agree - My evening snack (after dinner, I'll eat it at about 9:30pm) is a PB&J sandwich, 607 cals. Dinner, at about 8pm is nearly 600 cals. I couldn't eat 1200 cals (on a cut) in the evening if I'd had a breakfast and morning snack.

    But, I'm not claiming, that IF is a requirement, or even a recommendation for anyone else. If you like it, and I do. go for it. But it is calories that drive loss/gain whether those are eaten throughout the day or in a restricted eating window.
  • noodlynoods
    noodlynoods Posts: 4 Member
    Are you guys drinking water or tea during your fasting periods?
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    edited June 2016
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Alluminati wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    Why wouldn't he? He's still eating the same amount of calories a day?

    That's exactly my point, so why do the fasting in the first place if you get the same results.

    Stomach filling meals that leave you feeling satisfied.

    All my meals fill me and leave me satisfied and I eat around 1200-1300 cals a day whenever I want, without having to starve myself for 16 hrs.

    I'm guessing that fasting is more a personal thing that may work for some people and not others. Though when you go back to normal eating what would happen then? Would you be so used to eating in an 8 hour window would you always eat like that? or would you overeat again when your not following that 16/8 hr window?

    re: stuff in bold.

    I've used an IF protocol off and on* for about 5 years now. I consider it my "normal" eating protocol.

    I use IF when cutting (losing weight) but I also have periods where my intention is to bulk (eat at calorific surplus in order to gain muscle). In these periods I sometimes find that I have to add in breakfasts so that I can cram the required number of calories in without feeling sick. Having said that, I also sometimes, fast during the day and then have a truly epic 3000-3500 calorie meal in the evening.

    edited to add...

    when in a calorific surplus switching between a full day eating window and a restricted eating window is very easy - to be honest you are never hungry so having the restriction is not an issue. Switching between bulking and cutting can be hard but that is not a factor of the IF but of dropping ones calories by 750 per day!
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    IF helps control the appetite, so it makes it easier to stay within your calorie limit.
    I used to never eat breakfast, and was never really hungry during the day, except at meal times.

    I was lured into the 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' mantra, and the '6 small meals' thing.
    This was a disaster for me. I was ravenous ALL THE TIME. For me, breakfast is an appetizer, I want more!

    When I first heard about IF, it was like a light bulb going off. I returned to my more natural way of eating (skipping breakfast, and just having two good-sized meals), and suddenly my hunger was under control.

    If you like grazing, this method is not for you.

    And yes, you can drink water and tea while you fast. (for me, I'm sleeping most of my fast)
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    Are you guys drinking water or tea during your fasting periods?

    Water, black coffee, occasionally zero cal soft drinks. I take some vitamins and supplements which add up to 20 -25 cals first thing in the morning but stress that these are not because of the IF - I take them when not fasting also.
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    Are you guys drinking water or tea during your fasting periods?

    Water, black coffee, occasionally zero cal soft drinks. I take some vitamins and supplements which add up to 20 -25 cals first thing in the morning but stress that these are not because of the IF - I take them when not fasting also.

    Vitamins on an empty stomach are bad, you know. I delay my vitamins til I eat..
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Alluminati wrote: »
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    Why wouldn't he? He's still eating the same amount of calories a day?

    That's exactly my point, so why do the fasting in the first place if you get the same results.

    Stomach filling meals that leave you feeling satisfied.

    All my meals fill me and leave me satisfied and I eat around 1200-1300 cals a day whenever I want, without having to starve myself for 16 hrs.

    I'm guessing that fasting is more a personal thing that may work for some people and not others. Though when you go back to normal eating what would happen then? Would you be so used to eating in an 8 hour window would you always eat like that? or would you overeat again when your not following that 16/8 hr window?

    Take me for instance, I don't starve myself for 16 hours (I don't feel starving and I have a better work out on an empty stomach). I'm quite comfortable with eating one large 1200-1500 calorie meal a day during the week and have since 2013. There are some weekends with family breakfasts and parties that are out of the norm but I I lost 50+ lbs and have kept if off. I'm quite comfortable eating this way and could do it indefinitely. Isn't that what is more important...adherence?
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    annaskiski wrote: »
    Are you guys drinking water or tea during your fasting periods?

    Water, black coffee, occasionally zero cal soft drinks. I take some vitamins and supplements which add up to 20 -25 cals first thing in the morning but stress that these are not because of the IF - I take them when not fasting also.

    Vitamins on an empty stomach are bad, you know. I delay my vitamins til I eat..

    That is not true and you need to be careful about the types of food that you eat when taking some vitamins.

    For example eating a milky breakfast cereal when taking a supplement containing iron will hinder iron absorption (and similarly if you're taking a calcium sup alongside a spinach omelette you will get decreased calcium absorption). Some vitamins are fat soluble and so require fat to be fully absorbed but they are often supplied in soft gel form where the bulk of the capsule is oil. In this instance some fat is always present when taking these sups.

    The recommendation to eat when taking vitamins seems to be mainly to avoid potential stomach upsets. But, luckily for me, this has never been an issue.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I have been eating IF all my life - dont eat breakfast, and eat lunch and dinner between 12 and 6pm. I got fat that way, and now I am learning to lose weight that way. Timing doesnt seen to have an impact on weight loss - its all about the number of calories consumed. So instead of consuming 2000+ calories in that time frame, I now consume 1200 calories, thus a deficit, thus weight loss. Easy peasy.
  • tropicotropico
    tropicotropico Posts: 6 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    Hi everyone i wanted to share my experience with IF. I think IF is an amazing way to stay in deficit because in that small hour frame when you eat you can eat big meals and it feels like you are not on a diet. First week was kind of hard but after it your body will adapt and you will feel no hunger. Im using the 16/8 but most often it ends up 17/7 but its amazing.I lose 1kg every week without problem. I will recommend IF to everyone whio can do it, i didnt have any side effects and i love it. Whats your thoughts on Intermittent Fasting :)

    It would be interesting to see if you still ate exactly the same amount of food, but in a larger time window (say 10 hours) would you still have lost the same amount of weight.

    I eat in a 10 hour window and I can't imagine what difference 2 hours less would make. I would still eat the same amount of calories.

    In 10 hour i would eat probbaly 500 calories mlre because when i eat once i cant stop snacking and eating, so for me this is amazing :D
  • tropicotropico
    tropicotropico Posts: 6 Member
    Are you guys drinking water or tea during your fasting periods?
    Are you guys drinking water or tea during your fasting periods?

    I find somewhere that if you eat anything less then 35 calories you will still be in fasted state, and water, sugerless coffe is all 0 calories so why not :smiley:
  • BeadDiva1
    BeadDiva1 Posts: 27 Member
    I'm currently doing IF. I like to workout fasted using my fat stores as fuel. So yeah, A lot of people just talk about eating habits but fasting does something to the body during its fasting mode. Mentally, it helps me with snacking after dinner. I'm down 4 lbs in one week. I've been stuck at my current weight since January doing paleo and gym 5 days a week. The body stops responding and gets used to the routine so I am giving IF a try. Glad I did so far.