INTERMITTENT FASTING - A LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER

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  • luvmyresqpups
    luvmyresqpups Posts: 2 Member
    I did some "light" fasting several months ago ... several days in a row I ate a snack (protein bar or apple and cheese stick) at 11:00am, lunch at 1:00pm, dinner at 7:00pm ... it really wasn't planned, but I got in the habit of eating lunch at 1:00 or 1:30 and dinner at 6:00 or 6:30 ... The trouble is - I get hungry at night around 8 ... O_O Yikes! ... But, yes, I feel more ENERGY eating less throughout the day and avoiding heavy carbs that I love like BREAD. Anyway ... saw this board and wanted to post my 2 cents. I am going to try this starting tonight - give it a week and see where I am at. I'm rejoining MFP for a 3rd or or 83rd time lol - not lol :neutral: ... but really trying to CHANGE my life this time ... no diets ... ready for a new LIFESTYLE! If you're interested in being friends, I'm looking for a few good ones ... Have a great day fasting or not fasting! #fastingisgood4yoursoul :O)
  • mysteps2beauty
    mysteps2beauty Posts: 494 Member
    I've been an intermittent faster for about 35 years. I came to practice it organically because I noticed in high school if I ate breakfast I had trouble staying awake during my first two classes, so I first stopped eating breakfast, then later stopped eating lunch. My family thought of me as a skinny big eater because I was thin but ate a big dinner, and then snacked while watching tv.

    I didn't have a name for it back then but later in life (around 2000,I think) someone told me they read a book that was about how I ate.
    It was "the warrior diet" by Ori Hofmekler.

    I read it, and I'm not sure if his science or premise is correct, but it's how I've always eaten.
    I've never been overweight as far as BMI, but have yo yoed up and down 15 or so lbs. at 5'9".
    I'm currently at about 150 with a goal of 140ish.

    I do believe that I lose weight with it for 2 reasons. It gives me more energy during my daily fast, I do a daily 16:8, and therefore I move more in general and workout more. Plus, the compacted time frame makes a deficit easier.

    The times I have gained back the weight has still been about not watching my calories though, not some "magical" IF science. At least that's what I believe.

    It does make it easier for me to eat at a deficit, but I don't know if it effects my weight loss in any other way other than calorie goal compliance.

    I had a problem with sleep earlier this year and was sleeping no more than 2-3 hours per night and I found it impossible to fast at that time.
    But now that my sleep is back to normal Im back on IF and am working on losing the last 10 lbs with it.

    It's not for everybody, that's for sure.
    But if it seems to be working for you I encourage you to continue OP.

    I never had any kind of problems with it, but I've read that some woman do.

    Good luck to you!

    I just started IF a few days ago.....I'm gonna try it for the rest of October, then reassess it's viability for me at this stage in my life.

    I will say that as a 5'10 female, I was always skinny (to the point they called me bones) all my life until I had my child at 38. Size 0, 2 and a size 5 right when I found out I was pregnant. In my early years, I was never hungry for breakfast, I would eat lunch and dinner. That's it.

    I only started eating breakfast due to pregnancy, and then eating sometimes with my family including my child. It became a habit, though on weekends we usually had a late breakfast, almost a brunch then an early supper, maybe a snack before 9. So, I feel like this is suppose to be the way I eat. Black coffee in the morning, water, tea then my first meal at 12:30 or 1, a snack, then dinner when I get home, all done before 9 or 10 p.m.

    I use to marvel at the thin women I would meet throughout life who never seemed to eat much. Maybe this is their method too.

    So, let's be friends and support each other and see where this leads us.
  • Bsp120167
    Bsp120167 Posts: 66 Member
    I am trying IF now and in my first week. I am doing it a little different in that 2 days a week I only eat 500 calories and the rest of the week I try to follow a moderate diet with exercise. After the first week I am down pounds probably mostly bloat. Also gave up drinking during the week as that leads to snacking. Not sure how this will go long term but with my busy work schedule I figured controlling weight by diet is a better avenue than just trying to burn off the calories after a binge session. Interesting to see how this works out long term.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,581 Member
    Bsp120167 wrote: »
    I am trying IF now and in my first week. I am doing it a little different in that 2 days a week I only eat 500 calories and the rest of the week I try to follow a moderate diet with exercise. After the first week I am down pounds probably mostly bloat. Also gave up drinking during the week as that leads to snacking. Not sure how this will go long term but with my busy work schedule I figured controlling weight by diet is a better avenue than just trying to burn off the calories after a binge session. Interesting to see how this works out long term.

    How many calories per day are you ingesting on your 'regular' days?
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Bsp120167 wrote: »
    I am trying IF now and in my first week. I am doing it a little different in that 2 days a week I only eat 500 calories and the rest of the week I try to follow a moderate diet with exercise. After the first week I am down pounds probably mostly bloat. Also gave up drinking during the week as that leads to snacking. Not sure how this will go long term but with my busy work schedule I figured controlling weight by diet is a better avenue than just trying to burn off the calories after a binge session. Interesting to see how this works out long term.

    This is known as Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), not IF. Although arguably you are fasting intermittently.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Bsp120167 wrote: »
    I am trying IF now and in my first week. I am doing it a little different in that 2 days a week I only eat 500 calories and the rest of the week I try to follow a moderate diet with exercise. After the first week I am down pounds probably mostly bloat. Also gave up drinking during the week as that leads to snacking. Not sure how this will go long term but with my busy work schedule I figured controlling weight by diet is a better avenue than just trying to burn off the calories after a binge session. Interesting to see how this works out long term.

    This is known as Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), not IF. Although arguably you are fasting intermittently.

    I believe 5:2 and ADF are forms of IF. (They are the first examples of IF I ran into, although I am now aware of the meal timing versions.)
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Bsp120167 wrote: »
    I am trying IF now and in my first week. I am doing it a little different in that 2 days a week I only eat 500 calories and the rest of the week I try to follow a moderate diet with exercise. After the first week I am down pounds probably mostly bloat. Also gave up drinking during the week as that leads to snacking. Not sure how this will go long term but with my busy work schedule I figured controlling weight by diet is a better avenue than just trying to burn off the calories after a binge session. Interesting to see how this works out long term.

    This is known as Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), not IF. Although arguably you are fasting intermittently.

    I believe 5:2 and ADF are forms of IF. (They are the first examples of IF I ran into, although I am now aware of the meal timing versions.)

    As per the second sentence of my response, I did acknowledge that one would be fasting intermittently however I was providing the most commonly used name in case the OP wanted to find more information.

    I think we are agreeing on the same point although reading back my answer was a bit unclear.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Bsp120167 wrote: »
    I am trying IF now and in my first week. I am doing it a little different in that 2 days a week I only eat 500 calories and the rest of the week I try to follow a moderate diet with exercise. After the first week I am down pounds probably mostly bloat. Also gave up drinking during the week as that leads to snacking. Not sure how this will go long term but with my busy work schedule I figured controlling weight by diet is a better avenue than just trying to burn off the calories after a binge session. Interesting to see how this works out long term.

    This is known as Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), not IF. Although arguably you are fasting intermittently.

    I believe 5:2 and ADF are forms of IF. (They are the first examples of IF I ran into, although I am now aware of the meal timing versions.)

    As per the second sentence of my response, I did acknowledge that one would be fasting intermittently however I was providing the most commonly used name in case the OP wanted to find more information.

    I think we are agreeing on the same point although reading back my answer was a bit unclear.

    Yeah, I don't think we are really disagreeing.
  • 82jeh
    82jeh Posts: 53 Member
    I've been trying to do as much research as I can. ...and I found dr. Jason fung and IF. He explains really well why and how it works and how it cures type 2 diabetes as well. Here's a link to YouTube. I tried fasting for more than a day and couldn't do it. It's so hard. :/ anyway, here's the link, and if anyone has tips on willpower I'm all ears! https://youtu.be/ETkwZIi3R7w
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    82jeh wrote: »
    I've been trying to do as much research as I can. ...and I found dr. Jason fung and IF. He explains really well why and how it works and how it cures type 2 diabetes as well. Here's a link to YouTube. I tried fasting for more than a day and couldn't do it. It's so hard. :/ anyway, here's the link, and if anyone has tips on willpower I'm all ears! https://youtu.be/ETkwZIi3R7w

    I'm doing IF and Fung is a quack who spouts *kitten* to promote the things he sells.

    Fung has pretty much killed my desire to do IF, and that's a shame, since I still think I might like it. Luckily I always get over that kind of self-defeating reaction!
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    82jeh wrote: »
    I've been trying to do as much research as I can. ...and I found dr. Jason fung and IF. He explains really well why and how it works and how it cures type 2 diabetes as well. Here's a link to YouTube. I tried fasting for more than a day and couldn't do it. It's so hard. :/ anyway, here's the link, and if anyone has tips on willpower I'm all ears! https://youtu.be/ETkwZIi3R7w

    I'm doing IF and Fung is a quack who spouts *kitten* to promote the things he sells.

    Fung has pretty much killed my desire to do IF, and that's a shame, since I still think I might like it. Luckily I always get over that kind of self-defeating reaction!

    Do it, it uh.. it makes your fur more shiny.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
    82jeh wrote: »
    I've been trying to do as much research as I can. ...and I found dr. Jason fung and IF. He explains really well why and how it works and how it cures type 2 diabetes as well. Here's a link to YouTube. I tried fasting for more than a day and couldn't do it. It's so hard. :/ anyway, here's the link, and if anyone has tips on willpower I'm all ears! https://youtu.be/ETkwZIi3R7w

    There's no cure for diabetes. When you have it, you have it. It may go into a remission where symptoms are under control, but it is not curable.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
    I was going to make a new thread, but my question fits well here.

    Why do people believe IF means no "breakfast" (aka a morning meal)? Is it because that's what most IFers do?
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I was going to make a new thread, but my question fits well here.

    Why do people believe IF means no "breakfast" (aka a morning meal)? Is it because that's what most IFers do?

    That's exactly it. Last year I did it by having no dinner because I'm not really hungry in the evening anyway and it was really easy. That would still count as IF. Most people wouldn't find that convenient though. It didn't work well for me long term because it was socially crippling, so I just stuck with my alternate day fasting every now and then and random meal timing.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I was going to make a new thread, but my question fits well here.

    Why do people believe IF means no "breakfast" (aka a morning meal)? Is it because that's what most IFers do?

    It is easier to drop breakfast because you have already been fasting while sleeping. Some people skip dinner and do eat breakfast, however our culture primarily eats dinners with families so it is easier to keep dinner, IMO.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I was going to make a new thread, but my question fits well here.

    Why do people believe IF means no "breakfast" (aka a morning meal)? Is it because that's what most IFers do?
    Its easier for some people to withhold breakfast. Personally, I won't eat it if lunch is higher in calories and on fast days.

  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I was going to make a new thread, but my question fits well here.

    Why do people believe IF means no "breakfast" (aka a morning meal)? Is it because that's what most IFers do?

    I don't "believe" it means that you don't eat breakfast. I understand the definition of intermittent. However skipping "breakfast" is the easiest way to implement IF if you have a normal 9-5 work schedule. To be even more pedantic; if you skipped break-fast you would remain fasted for eternity ;)
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I was going to make a new thread, but my question fits well here.

    Why do people believe IF means no "breakfast" (aka a morning meal)? Is it because that's what most IFers do?

    I have never understood that! Never! Your first meal is still breakfast, it doesn't matter when you eat it.

    I guess some people consider breakfast to be the time of day you eat rather than the fact that you're eating your first meal of the day.