Should I drop Intermittent Fasting?
BogdanB84
Posts: 17 Member
Hi all,
I finally reached my weight goal: 69,5 kg. I lost almost 20 kg since July 2016. I was on a calories reduction (under 2k cal) throughout that time. Intermittent Fasting (IF) helped me a lot with that. But here comes the question: Now that I am no longer on calories deficit and I want to maintain my weight, should I drop IF?
Any suggestions are welcome :-)
Thanks,
Bogdan
I finally reached my weight goal: 69,5 kg. I lost almost 20 kg since July 2016. I was on a calories reduction (under 2k cal) throughout that time. Intermittent Fasting (IF) helped me a lot with that. But here comes the question: Now that I am no longer on calories deficit and I want to maintain my weight, should I drop IF?
Any suggestions are welcome :-)
Thanks,
Bogdan
3
Replies
-
Which kind of intermittent fasting are you doing? If eating at maintenance feels easy to you without intermittent fasting, then yes, you can drop it if you wish. If you find yourself struggling to keep to your maintenance calories then adapt your previous plan to maintenance (like making your eating window longer or taking fewer "fast" days). Keep experimenting until you find something that will allow you to maintain comfortably.5
-
Yea! Try a regular and healthy meal program as far as meal times are concerned. Use your I.F. For only when you feel you need it. That way you don't get burnt out on an o'l plateauing routine down the road.
Congrats on your loss BTW it's a significant number. Pretty freaking awesome.1 -
You can gain, maintain or lose weight with IF, or without IF.
What do you think will work for you in terms of long term adherence?
Really depends on where/how you want to add in the extra calories needed to get you up to maintenance levels. Bigger meals or more meals/snacks for example.
What version of IF did you do?
I liked 5:2 for weight loss, didn't like 6:1 to maintain, didn't like 16-8 to maintain but still skip breakfast a lot of the time....5 -
If IF helps you to maintain weight by keeping your portions in control and you cope well with it then continue to do it. If it is something you can not do indefinitely then don't. The only right answer here is do what works for you.1
-
I don't know which protocol you are using, but try different eating patterns and see what works for you.
As for me, I maintain very nicely eating all of my calories in a window of time everyday. It's a habit now. I just extended my window or eat larger/more calorie dense meals compared to when I was losing.
I know others who add in an extra snack or two during the day to help them meet their calorie goals.
Congrats on your weight loss!3 -
Thanks all!! Some really good insights here. I'm currently eating in 12-8 windows and so far it worked really well for me.1
-
If you want to live longer and reduce your risk of cancer, in a word, no. Don't quit.
If you'd like a lengthier explanation, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696814/5 -
If you want to live longer and reduce your risk of cancer, in a word, no. Don't quit.
If you'd like a lengthier explanation, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696814/
1. Time restricted feeding has not demonstrated the ability to "kick off" the process mentioned above. Most of the studies demonstrate something to this effect in cases of severe caloric restriction or complete food abstinence for longer than 16 hours.
2. There is little evidence that it works without caloric restriction or isolated from overall lifestyle.
3. Most of the studies were preliminary, speculative and on mice.
4. From your own link:The activation of autophagy, however, is not without potential risks. Autophagy may help keep alive those cells that should die, such as chemotherapy-treated tumor cells, or, if present in excess, kill cells that should live. If the lysosomal clearance of autophagosomes fails, the activation of autophagy results in a cellular traffic jam that may lead to increased pathology—a scenario that may in fact occur with aging, Parkinson’s disease, and other neuro-and myodegenerative disorders. Yet, in most diseases, we still do not fully understand how the potential risks of autophagy are weighed against its numerous adaptive physiological functions. The preponderance of currently available evidence from Drosophila, C. elegans, and mouse models does suggest that the primary function of autophagy may be to promote health and longevity. Nonetheless, further research is needed to define the precise determinants of whether autophagy is beneficial or pathological in more specific disease contexts.
4 -
Well, I don't have chemo-treated tumors. Gonna keep on keeping on.1
-
I've done various IF protocols going on 5 years now, 4 of those while being in maintenance. IF helps me stick to my calorie goals, which is just as important during maintenance, as it is during the weight loss phase
3 -
So you adjusted your life style to reach your goal and now you want to go back what was not working?5
-
I'm in maintenance and have continued IF (16:8) past my weight loss phase. I'm rarely hungry in the morning, so it seemed counterproductive to force myself to eat breakfast when I wasn't hungry. Then *or* now.
My advice? If it ain't broke...
5 -
drop it or don't - it's mainly a personal preference.
It fits may lifestyle and eating preferences (I'm not much of a grazer, I prefer big meals) and so use IF when maintaining. I've even run it whilst eating at a calorific surplus.1 -
I did 16:8 to lose the weight and partly because I just don't feel hungry in the morning and coffee holds me over until noon. But there are some days where my stomach would rumble around 10 or 11 and I just can't make it until noon so I've started adding a small snack to hold me over for an hour or 2. I'm thinking of quitting intermittent fasting because I have more room for a small breakfast. But since it fits my lifestyle with work and everything I'm not sure I will quit 16:8. It's just habit now plus a couple hundred more cals to play with later in the day. In conclusion, intermittent fasting should really just be a way of eating to fit your schedule.2
-
Interesting... it all makes sense to be honest. I think all of you are right. It all depends on the perspective. Personally the only reason why I am even thinking about dropping IF is that I reached my weight goal and I think I can keep within my calories limit without IF. That said, weekdays are easy enough as I'm busy working. Weekends are the challenge so I might drop IF for those 2 days a week. Just not sure how my body reacts to that. Time will tell I guess :-)0
-
Interesting... it all makes sense to be honest. I think all of you are right. It all depends on the perspective. Personally the only reason why I am even thinking about dropping IF is that I reached my weight goal and I think I can keep within my calories limit without IF. That said, weekdays are easy enough as I'm busy working. Weekends are the challenge so I might drop IF for those 2 days a week. Just not sure how my body reacts to that. Time will tell I guess :-)
Weird i do the opposite and try to stick to IF on the weekends since Im most likely to eat out at night or go for a big brunch. I like saving my calories for eating out/wine/beer.2 -
That's a personal choice. I like intermittent fasting as a way of life, it is not a temporary tool that I use. You may not feel that it is something that you want to keep doing for whatever reason, and i so then by all means stop doing it. Or just do it when you eel like you want or need to. I you ind that you are slipping back into old patterns of overeating you can always go back to it.2
-
The difference between losing and maintaining is literally one serving of peanut butter. I wouldn't make any drastic changes until you're maybe 6 months in. I "relaxed" after comfortably maintaining for 7 months and BAM, up 5 pounds.4
-
The difference between losing and maintaining is literally one serving of peanut butter. I wouldn't make any drastic changes until you're maybe 6 months in. I "relaxed" after comfortably maintaining for 7 months and BAM, up 5 pounds.
^^Truth. Maintaining is a big learning curve.
1 -
Yea! Try a regular and healthy meal program as far as meal times are concerned. Use your I.F. For only when you feel you need it. That way you don't get burnt out on an o'l plateauing routine down the road.
Congrats on your loss BTW it's a significant number. Pretty freaking awesome.
IF is not an unhealthy meal program... And it's regular in its own way.
OP, stick with what you like - if you were only doing it because of your restricted calories, stop doing it. If you were doing it because it works for you, you enjoy eating that way and feel good eating that way, stick with it!4 -
If you like IF, just make sure you're getting enough calories later in the day to maintain rather than keep losing.1
-
The difference between losing and maintaining is literally one serving of peanut butter. I wouldn't make any drastic changes until you're maybe 6 months in. I "relaxed" after comfortably maintaining for 7 months and BAM, up 5 pounds.
Same as you, I found the scale creeping back up after getting too relaxed wihout IF and on calorie intake so I'm back on IF and logging to get back down to my goal weight.
3 -
Folks, you convinced me to stick with IF. I quite like that feeling of my first meal at 12pm/1pm. I appreciate it more. I guess I'm just not 100% sold on IF being a healthy method/lifestyle. It sure works though! :-)1
-
Is there a modified IF? I like to have soy milk in coffee for breakfast which fills me up, and then I have bigger lunches and dinner, plus room for evening snacking, which is a way of managing my sweet tooth.1
-
starfruit132 wrote: »Is there a modified IF? I like to have soy milk in coffee for breakfast which fills me up, and then I have bigger lunches and dinner, plus room for evening snacking, which is a way of managing my sweet tooth.
Why not just do what you do because it works for you? How you eat doesn't need a label!3 -
starfruit132 wrote: »Is there a modified IF? I like to have soy milk in coffee for breakfast which fills me up, and then I have bigger lunches and dinner, plus room for evening snacking, which is a way of managing my sweet tooth.
I don't eat breakfast, but you will have to pry my morning cup of coffee out of my cold, dead hands. 2 -
Folks, you convinced me to stick with IF. I quite like that feeling of my first meal at 12pm/1pm. I appreciate it more. I guess I'm just not 100% sold on IF being a healthy method/lifestyle. It sure works though! :-)
What do you think may be unhealthy about it? That old "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was debunked years ago. 2 -
Folks, you convinced me to stick with IF. I quite like that feeling of my first meal at 12pm/1pm. I appreciate it more. I guess I'm just not 100% sold on IF being a healthy method/lifestyle. It sure works though! :-)
It's not unhealthy, no. It can be unhealthy if it triggers unhealthy behaviors just like any other approach, but on its own it's just an eating schedule which can be great if it helps you achieve your goals and feels sustainable to you. Ultimately, you do what you need to do to maintain your lost weight. As long as you catch any weight regain tendencies early on, you should be fine regardless of the approach you choose.1 -
starfruit132 wrote: »Is there a modified IF? I like to have soy milk in coffee for breakfast which fills me up, and then I have bigger lunches and dinner, plus room for evening snacking, which is a way of managing my sweet tooth.
Really depends on how much soy you are having in your coffee, minor cals wont really matter. I do 16:8 and have black coffee in the morning. In http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html Martin Berkhan suggests 10g BCAA before training fasted and doesn't see it as a problem.
Nothing wrong with having a substantial amount of soy, but then you arent really fasting if thats what you are aiming for.
Remember a protocol that you can stick to is a better protocol than one you cant stick to.
1 -
Yes, I agree. Do what works and not get hung up on the protocol. I use 1/3 cup soy with super dark coffee. So, I will try not to get hung up on "breakfast is most important meal of the day". I'm not really fasting - just delaying my caloric intake to make sure I don't run out of calories in the evening when I like to have a few snacks.awinner_au wrote: »starfruit132 wrote: »Is there a modified IF? I like to have soy milk in coffee for breakfast which fills me up, and then I have bigger lunches and dinner, plus room for evening snacking, which is a way of managing my sweet tooth.
Really depends on how much soy you are having in your coffee, minor cals wont really matter. I do 16:8 and have black coffee in the morning. In http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html Martin Berkhan suggests 10g BCAA before training fasted and doesn't see it as a problem.
Nothing wrong with having a substantial amount of soy, but then you arent really fasting if thats what you are aiming for.
Remember a protocol that you can stick to is a better protocol than one you cant stick to.
2
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.2K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 421 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions