Intermittent fasting - thoughts?
kirstendawm
Posts: 101 Member
I've recently discovered that I have high cholesterol so I have been researching different ways to lower it because that scares me quite frankly. I stumbled across intermittent fasting and have read so much success about it - and not just weightloss related. Just wondering if others have tried it and what success or failure they had? There's several different approaches to intermittent fasting, so if you could explain what method you used and how it worked, I'd love to know!
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Glad you did an extensive amount of reading first! Congrats on gaining some insight before jumping to conclusions. So many people flip out when you mention fasting, just because they're not educated in that method, so seriously well done.
I have done most of the methods, but I generally stick to 5/2, or 5 feed days and 2 fast days. I've done EOD or every other day fasting also called ADF, I've done 4/3 which I really like and favored, and also the eating window with variations of times- 17/7, 16/8, etc.
They all work great! Just have to find the one that fits your lifestyle and doesn't seem like a hassle to you. My health has benefited immensely. My only personal issue is I tend to get insomnia, which might seem weird that it increases my energy that much. So I make sure I get more than enough daily activity and exercise so I can finally sleep. Others however report sleeping better at night, so it varies from person to person.
Let us know what you decide and how it goes!
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I'm not sure how IF would help your cholesterol issues. I have familial hypercholeterolemia and I practice IF by doing something like 18:6, which is fasting for 18 hours (I drink coffee with milk during my fasting window) and eating during a six hour period.
I lowered my cholesterol with diet, losing weight, and becoming active, though. Fiber, low saturated fat, and activity are pretty important. I also have really good ratios.
Again, I stress the importance of exercise for cholesterol issues.5 -
My brother in law had a lot of success with IF, as far as weight-loss is concerned. I wouldn't know the effects it would have on cholesterol, however any type of diet that makes you healthier couldn't hurt.0
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I only fast when medically necessary. IF is not for me. I get cranky when I can't eat.1
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The past week has been rough due to the holidays lol. But I usually fast from 7pm to at least 12pm every day with only some MCT oil and tea during that period. So I do kind of a 17:7. It's become so routine that in order to gain some benefits and help with weight loss I'll do close to 24 hour fasts here and there.
Some people don't seem to like it very much. Give it a try. First few days might be rocky.0 -
I try to stick with a 16:8. I eat my daily calories between 12pm and 8pm. It seemed the easiest for me because I typically skip breakfast anyway.0
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I personally like IF because it's easy and I like to eat big when I do eat. Right now i'm 20/4 (20 hours of fast and 4 hour eating window). I started with 16/8.
I like it because I don't have to drag a bunch of food to work, worry about lunches, snacks, etc....just one big azz meal when I get home. I eat whole foods that are high fat moderate protein and most of the carbs are from vegetables and fruits. Sometimes I have potatoes, beans, etc if I feel like it. I just make sure it all fits in my caloric goal for the day.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, eating every 3-4 hours left me constantly checking my watch to see when the next time was that I could eat and I was always hungry. Good luck on whatever style of eating you choose, there are a lot out there0 -
@madelinecamille , curious about your energy level with skipping breakfast. I run A LOT and have wondered about fasting methods (during non-training periods) and how it would affect my energy .0
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I have actually read several places that exercise doesn't lower your bad cholesterol, but it does lower your good levels. Food is the most important thing when it comes to lowering it. Beans are a great source, so I've been trying to eat more of those, which also helps keep me full if I am going to try IF. I'm thinking I may start with 16:8 and see how that goes first and then once I'm used to that, try to bump it up a little. I've already cut red meat and try to stay away from dairy and butter as much as possible. Hoping between all these changes, it will help!0
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kirstendawm wrote: »I have actually read several places that exercise doesn't lower your bad cholesterol, but it does lower your good levels. Food is the most important thing when it comes to lowering it. Beans are a great source, so I've been trying to eat more of those, which also helps keep me full if I am going to try IF. I'm thinking I may start with 16:8 and see how that goes first and then once I'm used to that, try to bump it up a little. I've already cut red meat and try to stay away from dairy and butter as much as possible. Hoping between all these changes, it will help!
Here's the MFP group for this type of IF
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting0 -
sydnisd183 wrote: »I personally like IF because it's easy and I like to eat big when I do eat. Right now i'm 20/4 (20 hours of fast and 4 hour eating window). I started with 16/8.
I like it because I don't have to drag a bunch of food to work, worry about lunches, snacks, etc....just one big azz meal when I get home. I eat whole foods that are high fat moderate protein and most of the carbs are from vegetables and fruits. Sometimes I have potatoes, beans, etc if I feel like it. I just make sure it all fits in my caloric goal for the day.
IN MY EXPERIENCE, eating every 3-4 hours left me constantly checking my watch to see when the next time was that I could eat and I was always hungry. Good luck on whatever style of eating you choose, there are a lot out there
My experience also and that is the regime I've followed mostly. I lost about 40-lbs and my blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol all improved a lot. I never restricted any types of foods but did try to eat healthy foods first.0 -
Coming from India (Asia) makes it so much easier to fast. Most Indians fast at least 1 day a week. During the fast, we eat just one meal for the day. Either Lunch or Dinner. That single meal necessarily needs to be vegetarian. The rest of the day we eat fruits / yogurt (unsweetened), or drink tea, coffee, or water.
This is called "UPVAAS", which essentially means a day of prayer / meditation. (Loosely translated, it means living with the Supreme Being / GOD, by whichever name known). That doesn't mean we can laze around. It means we go about our daily work, (including farmers toiling away from dawn to dusk at their farms). For those of us at desk jobs, we're a bit more fortunate / unfortunate, depending on how you look at it. The requirement for the fasting also includes abstinence.
Such fasting is usually done on any one chosen day of the week except Wednesdays and Sundays.
Some farmer / farm labour communities fast similarly for four months at a stretch.
The science behind this is ancient, but today it is known as Ketogenic with Intermittent Fasting. (Keto + IF).
Good luck either way you choose.1 -
johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@madelinecamille , curious about your energy level with skipping breakfast. I run A LOT and have wondered about fasting methods (during non-training periods) and how it would affect my energy .
Do you run in the mornings or later? I ran up to an hour after a 19-20 hour fast and usually was fine but could bonk after about 40-min or so sometimes. I could get around it usually by eating a little bit of coconut oil a little before I would go running. Same story with an hour of weights after the same fast.1 -
Been doing IF in some form for several years now and it helps me hit my calorie targets
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kirstendawm wrote: »I have actually read several places that exercise doesn't lower your bad cholesterol, but it does lower your good levels. Food is the most important thing when it comes to lowering it. Beans are a great source, so I've been trying to eat more of those, which also helps keep me full if I am going to try IF. I'm thinking I may start with 16:8 and see how that goes first and then once I'm used to that, try to bump it up a little. I've already cut red meat and try to stay away from dairy and butter as much as possible. Hoping between all these changes, it will help!
Apple Cider Vinegar is supposed to help with Cholesterol.1 -
kirstendawm wrote: »I have actually read several places that exercise doesn't lower your bad cholesterol, but it does lower your good levels. Food is the most important thing when it comes to lowering it. Beans are a great source, so I've been trying to eat more of those, which also helps keep me full if I am going to try IF. I'm thinking I may start with 16:8 and see how that goes first and then once I'm used to that, try to bump it up a little. I've already cut red meat and try to stay away from dairy and butter as much as possible. Hoping between all these changes, it will help!
Here's the MFP group for this type of IF
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting
Also
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting
and
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/20634-omad-revolution
omad stands for "One Meal a Day"0 -
kirstendawm wrote: »I've recently discovered that I have high cholesterol so I have been researching different ways to lower it because that scares me quite frankly. I stumbled across intermittent fasting and have read so much success about it - and not just weightloss related. Just wondering if others have tried it and what success or failure they had? There's several different approaches to intermittent fasting, so if you could explain what method you used and how it worked, I'd love to know!
IF is a good dietary approach for many people...not so much for others...I don't think it will have any impact on your cholesterol levels...your nutrition and fitness and possibly losing some weight is going to be what matters most.
I could never do IF because, while I can eat a pretty high volume of food, I can't do it in one sitting or a 4 hour window or whatever...I hate that feeling. I took my LDL from the 160s to 93 by eating more nutritiously, exercising regularly, and dropping about 40 Lbs...I pretty much eat three meals per day with a couple of snacks in the afternoon and early evening.4 -
kirstendawm wrote: »I have actually read several places that exercise doesn't lower your bad cholesterol, but it does lower your good levels. Food is the most important thing when it comes to lowering it. Beans are a great source, so I've been trying to eat more of those, which also helps keep me full if I am going to try IF. I'm thinking I may start with 16:8 and see how that goes first and then once I'm used to that, try to bump it up a little. I've already cut red meat and try to stay away from dairy and butter as much as possible. Hoping between all these changes, it will help!
Exercise does help some in lowering bad cholesterol and is very beneficial in lowering triglycerides (all part of the puzzle)...exercise actually ups your level of good cholesterol, not lower it.6 -
@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.0
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johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@madelinecamille , curious about your energy level with skipping breakfast. I run A LOT and have wondered about fasting methods (during non-training periods) and how it would affect my energy .
My energy levels in the morning feel fine, but I prefer to exercise in the late afternoons or evening. I wake up pretty early for work so to wake up earlier than that just to work out seems unholy to me
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johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
You should have plenty of energy in the morning but it will make you hungrier sooner after you run than if you hadn't run (while fasting). I actually find that a run will kill my appetite for a couple of hours, even after a 19-hour fast. I think you will be fine for a couple of hours after your morning run and then you will get hungry. Let the hunger work on you a little and then eat. Sounds like a good plan to me! You should be able to make it tell lunch without eating and then you will probably be doing a 16:8 type of fast which has worked well for a lot of people. Give it a try and see how it works. One trick I use to get me to the end of my fast is if I'm getting really hungry, I will eat a little coconut oil and it satisfies my hunger, doesn't set me off on wanting to eat more, and only contributes about 50-100 calories. I can go another hour or so off of 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil. Also, fasting itself is an appetite suppressant and it is easier to fast than eat small meals (my experience).1 -
johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
I have no issues running up to an hour (that's as long as my longest run because of joint issues) on an empty stomach without bonking. Blambo low carbs which might be why he bonks.
I don't low carb, and have plenty of glycogen for fasted morning runs. I am fine not eating for a very long time after those runs.3 -
johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
You should have plenty of energy in the morning but it will make you hungrier sooner after you run than if you hadn't run (while fasting). I actually find that a run will kill my appetite for a couple of hours, even after a 19-hour fast. I think you will be fine for a couple of hours after your morning run and then you will get hungry. Let the hunger work on you a little and then eat. Sounds like a good plan to me! You should be able to make it tell lunch without eating and then you will probably be doing a 16:8 type of fast which has worked well for a lot of people. Give it a try and see how it works. One trick I use to get me to the end of my fast is if I'm getting really hungry, I will eat a little coconut oil and it satisfies my hunger, doesn't set me off on wanting to eat more, and only contributes about 50-100 calories. I can go another hour or so off of 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil. Also, fasting itself is an appetite suppressant and it is easier to fast than eat small meals (my experience).
This is not true for me. I run around 7:00 in the morning and am fine until around 2;30 or 3:00 in the afternoon.3 -
I do it occassionally when i feel the foods I've been eating are too toxic. To understand that sensation, you have to go vegetarian for a few months. Whats important is that you change your habits to a more healthy one, and that at the end, you feel a change strong enough to make a part of it permanent. I also fast occassionally to remind myself of how toxic (and intoxicating) food (actually, gluttony) can be.0
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madelinecamille wrote: »I try to stick with a 16:8. I eat my daily calories between 12pm and 8pm. It seemed the easiest for me because I typically skip breakfast anyway.
+1, I do this also!1 -
didn't mean to hi-jack the post, but thanks for the input. Will give the 16:8 a shot, that might work. @GottaBurnEmAll na, low carb isn't the issue, its either the 12 mile run or the 7 mile speed work that kill me. I am usually good for a few hours but by lunch I am starving! lol0
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I have used both 5:2 and 14:10 IF. Both worked well for weight loss because they allow me to stay within my calorie allotment. However, the 5:2 was harder for me to maintain long term while a 14:10 protocol actually works with my natural hunger cues. I really wouldn't be able to comment on how it affects cholesterol.1
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
I have no issues running up to an hour (that's as long as my longest run because of joint issues) on an empty stomach without bonking. Blambo low carbs which might be why he bonks.
I don't low carb, and have plenty of glycogen for fasted morning runs. I am fine not eating for a very long time after those runs.
I've not been low carb, with the exception of this week, I usually topped off my eating by eating a desert. I also do not limit things like bread, potatoes, rices, fruit (no juices or very little, etc). What I'm trying now is low to no re-fined sugar. It will be interesting to see how I operate during exercise doing that (I'm just building back up after getting over some gout issues).
Also, all my runs were done at the end of about a 19-hour fast (4:00 p.m.) and were not done in the morning. I could have easily run for an hour in the morning without eating. I would get hungrier sooner running early though.0 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
I have no issues running up to an hour (that's as long as my longest run because of joint issues) on an empty stomach without bonking. Blambo low carbs which might be why he bonks.
I don't low carb, and have plenty of glycogen for fasted morning runs. I am fine not eating for a very long time after those runs.GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
You should have plenty of energy in the morning but it will make you hungrier sooner after you run than if you hadn't run (while fasting). I actually find that a run will kill my appetite for a couple of hours, even after a 19-hour fast. I think you will be fine for a couple of hours after your morning run and then you will get hungry. Let the hunger work on you a little and then eat. Sounds like a good plan to me! You should be able to make it tell lunch without eating and then you will probably be doing a 16:8 type of fast which has worked well for a lot of people. Give it a try and see how it works. One trick I use to get me to the end of my fast is if I'm getting really hungry, I will eat a little coconut oil and it satisfies my hunger, doesn't set me off on wanting to eat more, and only contributes about 50-100 calories. I can go another hour or so off of 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil. Also, fasting itself is an appetite suppressant and it is easier to fast than eat small meals (my experience).
This is not true for me. I run around 7:00 in the morning and am fine until around 2;30 or 3:00 in the afternoon.
Everyone is a little different. You won't know until you try. I'm hoping that by cutting sugar, I will be able to run a solid hour without any bonks. I will find out.
When I was in my late teens and early 20's, I ran track and cross country and I could barely manage a 5-mile easy morning run without eating a piece of toast before I ran (I would run later in the day also). My metabolism was sky-high then and I could and did force-feed myself all the time trying to gain weight but couldn't. I think I would burn through all my glycogen just from sleeping.0 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
I have no issues running up to an hour (that's as long as my longest run because of joint issues) on an empty stomach without bonking. Blambo low carbs which might be why he bonks.
I don't low carb, and have plenty of glycogen for fasted morning runs. I am fine not eating for a very long time after those runs.GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »johnnylloyd0618 wrote: »@blambo61 morning runner, thus my concern. I am used to running on an empty stomach. My concern would be after the run, not refueling, how that would affect the rest of the day.
You should have plenty of energy in the morning but it will make you hungrier sooner after you run than if you hadn't run (while fasting). I actually find that a run will kill my appetite for a couple of hours, even after a 19-hour fast. I think you will be fine for a couple of hours after your morning run and then you will get hungry. Let the hunger work on you a little and then eat. Sounds like a good plan to me! You should be able to make it tell lunch without eating and then you will probably be doing a 16:8 type of fast which has worked well for a lot of people. Give it a try and see how it works. One trick I use to get me to the end of my fast is if I'm getting really hungry, I will eat a little coconut oil and it satisfies my hunger, doesn't set me off on wanting to eat more, and only contributes about 50-100 calories. I can go another hour or so off of 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil. Also, fasting itself is an appetite suppressant and it is easier to fast than eat small meals (my experience).
This is not true for me. I run around 7:00 in the morning and am fine until around 2;30 or 3:00 in the afternoon.
Everyone is a little different. You won't know until you try. I'm hoping that by cutting sugar, I will be able to run a solid hour without any bonks. I will find out.
When I was in my late teens and early 20's, I ran track and cross country and I could barely manage a 5-mile easy morning run without eating a piece of toast before I ran (I would run later in the day also). My metabolism was sky-high then and I could and did force-feed myself all the time trying to gain weight but couldn't. I think I would burn through all my glycogen just from sleeping.
I have low carbed in the past. For 10 years. It's not for me, I didn't really find it sustainable, and that was without exercise.
I'm glad you're finding what works for you, though!1
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