Should I drop Intermittent Fasting?

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  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
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    If you like IF, just make sure you're getting enough calories later in the day to maintain rather than keep losing.
  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
    edited March 2017
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    nowine4me wrote: »
    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.

  • BogdanB84
    BogdanB84 Posts: 17 Member
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    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! :-)
  • starfruit132
    starfruit132 Posts: 291 Member
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    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.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    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!
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    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. ;)
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    BogdanB84 wrote: »
    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. :)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    BogdanB84 wrote: »
    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.
  • awinner_au
    awinner_au Posts: 249 Member
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    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.
  • starfruit132
    starfruit132 Posts: 291 Member
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    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.
    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.

  • BogdanB84
    BogdanB84 Posts: 17 Member
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    So to summarise, are there any real benefits from doing IF apart from delaying the calories intake? I mean if that's the case then I can eat 2 bananas in the morning and then I'm sorted until lunch time.
  • awinner_au
    awinner_au Posts: 249 Member
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    BogdanB84 wrote: »
    So to summarise, are there any real benefits from doing IF apart from delaying the calories intake? I mean if that's the case then I can eat 2 bananas in the morning and then I'm sorted until lunch time.

    https://authoritynutrition.com/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/

    You are going to have to make your own assessment on the studies out there. I don't IF for delaying caloric intake. My own sample n=1experiment leads me to believe there are tangible benefits. In my experience I stay leaner (lower bf%) when I bulk if I do IF.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited March 2017
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    BogdanB84 wrote: »
    So to summarise, are there any real benefits from doing IF apart from delaying the calories intake? I mean if that's the case then I can eat 2 bananas in the morning and then I'm sorted until lunch time.

    There are theoretically some benefits (the ones related to the circadian rhythm are interesting), but they are too similar to the benefits of caloric restriction which makes it hard to know if they're related to the fasting itself or the caloric restriction because most studies include both, and are mostly sighted for time restricted feeding when most of these studies handle actual or modified fasting, plus most are extrapolative because no long term studies have been done on the topic to my knowledge.

    The benefits of maintaining a healthy weight and reducing chronic stress, including food related stress, are far more established, so that should be your main focus. If not having something in the morning makes it stressful and unsustainable for you, you are miles better off just doing what feels easiest to you to give yourself the best chance you can not to regain or worry unnecessarily.

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