Anyone else intermittent fasting?

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shawnaleigh210
shawnaleigh210 Posts: 118 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Any other intermittent fasters here? I've decided to give it a try this week. I'm down 44 lbs so far this year, but my weight has slowed down dramatically. Some weeks it doesn't move at all. I still have about 20 lbs to lose, so thought I'd give this a try. Gonna mix things up a bit and try something new!

I'm starting out with the 16/8 (16 hours fasting/8 hours eating). It's only day 2, and so far I seem to be doing ok with it. I'm a big breakfast person. I normally eat right after I get up, so this is definitely a change for me. I end my fast at 11 a.m. and eat until 7 p.m. So far, I'm surviving. We'll see how the rest of the week goes, lol.

I would love to have more IF friends, so feel free to add me if you'd like! ;)
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Replies

  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
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    Hi, I've been practicing 16/8-actually most days it's 17/7. I love it, helps me so much with appetite. It seems to normalize it and I have no problem keeping to my calorie goals. Best of luck with it!
  • shawnaleigh210
    shawnaleigh210 Posts: 118 Member
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    workinonit1956 wrote: »
    Hi, I've been practicing 16/8-actually most days it's 17/7. I love it, helps me so much with appetite. It seems to normalize it and I have no problem keeping to my calorie goals. Best of luck with it!

    Thank you! I'm excited to see how this week goes!
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Yes, I loosely do 16/8. I say "loosely" because I do have about 100 calories of coffee sugar and dark chocolate in the morning, and then 200 liquid calories after the kids go to bed. Other than that, My real eating window is 1pm to 8 or 9pm. I love not eating breakfast! It keeps my appetite down, whereas if I do eat a real breakfast I'm "hungry" all day. Good luck with it!!

    ETA: I've lost weight before by counting calories, and it is MUCH easier this time around with IF, and my daily calorie goal is even a little less than it was before. Also, I think I got burned out counting calories in the past, and I couldn't see myself having to eat at maintenance for the rest of my life. With IF, since my "losing weight" calorie goal is easy, I don't worry too much about maintenance. Intermittent fasting + MFP is where it's at for me!
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
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    I'm following a form of IF without being aware of IF. LOL. This article could have been written by me :). It lays out a lot of good points.

    http://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting

    "Diets are easy in the contemplation, difficult in the execution. Intermittent fasting is just the opposite — it’s difficult in the contemplation but easy in the execution."

    Keep up the good work, fellow IF'ers.
  • shawnaleigh210
    shawnaleigh210 Posts: 118 Member
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    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    Yes, I loosely do 16/8. I say "loosely" because I do have about 100 calories of coffee sugar and dark chocolate in the morning, and then 200 liquid calories after the kids go to bed. Other than that, My real eating window is 1pm to 8 or 9pm. I love not eating breakfast! It keeps my appetite down, whereas if I do eat a real breakfast I'm "hungry" all day. Good luck with it!!

    ETA: I've lost weight before by counting calories, and it is MUCH easier this time around with IF, and my daily calorie goal is even a little less than it was before. Also, I think I got burned out counting calories in the past, and I couldn't see myself having to eat at maintenance for the rest of my life. With IF, since my "losing weight" calorie goal is easy, I don't worry too much about maintenance. Intermittent fasting + MFP is where it's at for me!

    Thank you! I'm excited to see how it works for me! I'm a breakfast lover, so I'm not giving up my breakfast foods, I'll just have them at lunch time. ;)

    I think I'm gonna like it. Just have to let my body get adjusted.

  • shawnaleigh210
    shawnaleigh210 Posts: 118 Member
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    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    I'm following a form of IF without being aware of IF. LOL. This article could have been written by me :). It lays out a lot of good points.

    http://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting

    "Diets are easy in the contemplation, difficult in the execution. Intermittent fasting is just the opposite — it’s difficult in the contemplation but easy in the execution."

    Keep up the good work, fellow IF'ers.

    I actually just shared that link on another post! lol

    It was the first article I read about the subject. Very informative! Thanks for sharing!
  • Habiteer
    Habiteer Posts: 190 Member
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    16/8 here. Works well for me. I've been taking a huge meal to break my fast around 1 pm, and possibly a smaller meal a few hours later. I usually add a couple of vegetable smoothie concoctions to drink throughout the day too. I think IF is the way to go for me.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    My natural hunger patterns follow the 16:8 schedule most days so I've found IF to be great for me. Snacking earlier was more just because it was there and cutting that out made sticking to goals easier. Lately I'm skipping my afternoon snack for one large evening meal.
  • YvetteK2015
    YvetteK2015 Posts: 653 Member
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    It's been good for me because I find that if I eat breakfast, I'm hungry all day long. If I put off eating until 1 or 2 in the afternoon, my hunger is much much less, and I use my calories much better. And once I do eat, I'm not as hungry for the rest of the day.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    shawnaleigh210 wrote: »
    Any other intermittent fasters here? I've decided to give it a try this week. I'm down 44 lbs so far this year, but my weight has slowed down dramatically. Some weeks it doesn't move at all. I still have about 20 lbs to lose, so thought I'd give this a try. Gonna mix things up a bit and try something new!

    I'm starting out with the 16/8 (16 hours fasting/8 hours eating). It's only day 2, and so far I seem to be doing ok with it. I'm a big breakfast person. I normally eat right after I get up, so this is definitely a change for me. I end my fast at 11 a.m. and eat until 7 p.m. So far, I'm surviving. We'll see how the rest of the week goes, lol.

    I would love to have more IF friends, so feel free to add me if you'd like! ;)

    You're surviving? If you don't really enjoy it, why are you doing it?
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    I'm basically 20:4, 22:2 depending on the day. It is for more practical reasons (I have crohn's and get extreme pain from eating and other side effects) I work out in the morning so I eat after that at around 1 plus I want to be able to sleep so I don't eat in the evening. I was never a morning eater anyways.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    I have done this from time to time. It has always been the only way to get my appetite under control and my diet back on track.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
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    shawnaleigh210 wrote: »
    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    Yes, I loosely do 16/8. I say "loosely" because I do have about 100 calories of coffee sugar and dark chocolate in the morning, and then 200 liquid calories after the kids go to bed. Other than that, My real eating window is 1pm to 8 or 9pm. I love not eating breakfast! It keeps my appetite down, whereas if I do eat a real breakfast I'm "hungry" all day. Good luck with it!!

    ETA: I've lost weight before by counting calories, and it is MUCH easier this time around with IF, and my daily calorie goal is even a little less than it was before. Also, I think I got burned out counting calories in the past, and I couldn't see myself having to eat at maintenance for the rest of my life. With IF, since my "losing weight" calorie goal is easy, I don't worry too much about maintenance. Intermittent fasting + MFP is where it's at for me!

    Thank you! I'm excited to see how it works for me! I'm a breakfast lover, so I'm not giving up my breakfast foods, I'll just have them at lunch time. ;)

    I think I'm gonna like it. Just have to let my body get adjusted.

    I also love breakfast foods, I just have them at dinner time instead. In fact, we just had "breakfast for dinner" last night! Blueberry pancakes, Jimmy Dean sausage, scrambled eggs. It was awesome!! And the kids love it, too!
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    Options
    stevencloser wrote: »
    shawnaleigh210 wrote: »
    Any other intermittent fasters here? I've decided to give it a try this week. I'm down 44 lbs so far this year, but my weight has slowed down dramatically. Some weeks it doesn't move at all. I still have about 20 lbs to lose, so thought I'd give this a try. Gonna mix things up a bit and try something new!

    I'm starting out with the 16/8 (16 hours fasting/8 hours eating). It's only day 2, and so far I seem to be doing ok with it. I'm a big breakfast person. I normally eat right after I get up, so this is definitely a change for me. I end my fast at 11 a.m. and eat until 7 p.m. So far, I'm surviving. We'll see how the rest of the week goes, lol.

    I would love to have more IF friends, so feel free to add me if you'd like! ;)

    You're surviving? If you don't really enjoy it, why are you doing it?

    I think what the OP means is that she loves a big breakfast, but she's surviving the switch to eating it later in the day. It might take a little time to adjust, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't try it. I would imagine anybody could say "I'm surviving" for any kind of dietary restriction or change. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. Am I missing something?
  • corazombie
    corazombie Posts: 84 Member
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    I started last week, i needed a change because eating smaller portions throughout the day just didnt feel right. Im doing 16/8 but have accidentally done 20/4 and even 22/2. So far I love it. I still have to learn how to fit in all the nutrients I need but I will get better at that with time. Keep up the great work everyone. Feel free to add me.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I sorta do it but I'm not that strict about it. Like if I get really hungry in the 16 hour fast part, I'll snag a few Doritos to help me sleep. On the plus side, I usually feel very full after eating 1600-1800 calories in 8 hours. So generally effective but not foolproof in my experience.
  • shawnaleigh210
    shawnaleigh210 Posts: 118 Member
    Options
    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    stevencloser wrote: »
    shawnaleigh210 wrote: »
    Any other intermittent fasters here? I've decided to give it a try this week. I'm down 44 lbs so far this year, but my weight has slowed down dramatically. Some weeks it doesn't move at all. I still have about 20 lbs to lose, so thought I'd give this a try. Gonna mix things up a bit and try something new!

    I'm starting out with the 16/8 (16 hours fasting/8 hours eating). It's only day 2, and so far I seem to be doing ok with it. I'm a big breakfast person. I normally eat right after I get up, so this is definitely a change for me. I end my fast at 11 a.m. and eat until 7 p.m. So far, I'm surviving. We'll see how the rest of the week goes, lol.

    I would love to have more IF friends, so feel free to add me if you'd like! ;)

    You're surviving? If you don't really enjoy it, why are you doing it?

    I think what the OP means is that she loves a big breakfast, but she's surviving the switch to eating it later in the day. It might take a little time to adjust, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't try it. I would imagine anybody could say "I'm surviving" for any kind of dietary restriction or change. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. Am I missing something?

    Thank you! Exactly! ;)

    It's definitely a change for me, but I'm doing ok with it. That's all I meant. I also just started this yesterday, so it's rather new. I'm not gonna just give up on something after only one day. It takes a little time to see if something is going to work for you or not.
  • jeanri
    jeanri Posts: 22 Member
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    Hi all, I originally lost 30lbs with Atkins over a 6 month period, then gained half of that back when I went off atkins. I decided I needed to find a healthy way of living and balance my calories, so I started 5:2 last week, which I increased to 4:3 for the first month or so...so far I've lost 4lbs this week, so not too shabby. Will see how it goes...my aim is to get to my goal weight but all keep it off and find an eating lifestyle I can keep to.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
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    I guess I kind of do IF. I eat my last meal at 6pm, and my next meal at noon the next day. I am just not hungry in the morning, plus it gives me more calories to eat better tasting food.

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