Intermittent fasting... 20:4 too much?
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Posts: 11 Member
I've been intermittent fasting recently, fasting for 20 hours and having a 4 hour window to eat. I've been stressed recently and don't have much of an appetite anyways, so I usually don't get hungry until about 5pm. Is fasting for 20 hours too much? Is it Unhealthy?
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It's only too much if you can't get adequate nutrients and calories. Also, it should be something that will allow you to achieve your goals (both weight loss and other).
So how much are eating? What are your goals? And do you exercise? How much protein do you get?4 -
As long as you are able to get adequate nutrition and calories, it shouldn't be a problem. However, if you have a lot of other outside stresses, it may be a good idea to take a break from IF here and there, or reduce the number of days per week that you practice it.1
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As long as you're not resorting to binging during those 4 hours...2
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I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.2
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I went through a stage of stretching the standard IF (16:8) to (20:4) and then eventually 1 meal in the evening.
I find it easy to consume large volumes of food so I had no issues. However as others have pointed out, there are no magical benefits to fasting.2 -
Fasting doesn't do anything good for you. Eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Eat enough every day. The body is designed to normally have adequate amounts of food every day. You will not burn any fat from short fasts.
Wrong on so many counts...
Intermittent fasting while eating a sensible and nutritious diet is perfectly fine.
Fasting is practiced by hundreds of millions of healthy people.
Your body hasn't been designed, it also has plenty of energy reserves.
You burn fat if you are in a deficit over a time period irrespective of whether you are fasting or not.8 -
lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
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Fasting doesn't do anything good for you. Eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Eat enough every day. The body is designed to normally have adequate amounts of food every day. You will not burn any fat from short fasts.
Gonna have to disagree with you on that. Studies show that there are many benefits but the most common is detoxifying the body.
Ramadhan starts tomorrow - 30 days of fasting from Dawn till dusk. Depends on where you're situated, for me it's roughly 12 hours a day2 -
A 12 hour fast is easy, I don't know why people make such a big deal about it5
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lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.1 -
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lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..3 -
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It's fine.1
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lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..
that is because I didn't add any tbs of cooking oil. I never know how to add cooking oil as some oil usually stay in the cooking pan. Like when I use 4 tbs of oil + butter to cook my steak, I have no idea how much of that I actually consumed.1 -
Fasting doesn't do anything good for you. Eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Eat enough every day. The body is designed to normally have adequate amounts of food every day. You will not burn any fat from short fasts.
Biggest bs I've ever read. I do agree with you that to lose weight, you do need to be in a caloric deficit, that point you are right, but saying that fasting doesn't do anything good for you is wrong in so many levels. I can tell you by experience when you are fasting, your mind is more clearer and you are more focused on the task in hand. I am not the only one who experiences it. There are many proven scientific studies showing the benefits of doing IF, I would suggest that you read a few articles from Martin Berkhan for example and even Alan Aragon has done research on that and has given many proven studies on benefits from IF.
indeed
There is a great sense of accomplishment too. The first times I went 24 and 48 hours I was almost euphoric. Most of the negative things people say about fasting are hogwash. You don't lose muscle going a few hours without food. Think about it. If humans shriveled up and got weak after skipping a meal we would have died out a long time ago. Be mindful if you take medication for type II diabetes and high blood pressure. Fasting adjusts your body so you don't need nearly as much medicine. If you feel weak or fuzzy you are likely low on sodium. A simple test is to drink a glass of water with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If you feel great in 5 minutes, you were low on sodium.4 -
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This thousand calorie a day thing is hogwash too. If a person eats 500 calories a few days a week and 2000 calories the other days it all adds up fine. Eat when you're hungry. I had to relearn what hungry was.2
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First off: Although there may not be "direct benefits" to intermittent fasting (IF)... despite what people say... it works for people. It helps people control urges, avoid insulin spikes which might cause them to want to eat more, etc.
I honestly have a very rollercoaster type of eating schedule throughout the year. For a few months I'll be like 16:8 and then sometimes I'll just always be hungry and have much less time on an empty stomach. It just depends how I am working out, what I am training for, and I think the seasons certainly have their play in it.
IF for 20:4 to me sounds like pure torture especially as I am training for endurance events and pushing strength numbers simultaneously (like an idiot), but I don't see why you can't as long as it works for you. One thing I'd be concerned about is if you're actually trying to build muscle you're seriously neglecting providing your body the building blocks in adequate time after a workout unless you're eating directly after. No, I'm not one of those people who is like "omg you need protein right after workout" because it's not that simple, but if you workout and wait say 8-12 hours, you're giving up some great time to feed the muscle with for rebuilding.
Honestly, do the schedule you want, just keep in mind it depends on YOUR goals. If you're purely trying to burn weight, technically, a deficit and 20:4 would work just fine. If you're trying to burn weight, but training for something or trying to build muscle for strength, I'd recommend eating a bit more often or you're gonna start burning out.
This is from personal experience and although not everyone is like me, I think we can all agree our food is fuel and if we're working out hard, without that fuel, we're gonna suffer.1 -
lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..
that is because I didn't add any tbs of cooking oil. I never know how to add cooking oil as some oil usually stay in the cooking pan. Like when I use 4 tbs of oil + butter to cook my steak, I have no idea how much of that I actually consumed.
Unless you are like 100 lbs, you are barely getting enough protein which would be the area I'd be concerned with. Low protein and lack of resistance training will increase muscle loss and further decrease metabolism.2 -
lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..
that is because I didn't add any tbs of cooking oil. I never know how to add cooking oil as some oil usually stay in the cooking pan. Like when I use 4 tbs of oil + butter to cook my steak, I have no idea how much of that I actually consumed.
Unless you are like 100 lbs, you are barely getting enough protein which would be the area I'd be concerned with. Low protein and lack of resistance training will increase muscle loss and further decrease metabolism.
I'm not sure about the protein. I think too much is a bad thing. I was sedentary for a long time and ate high protein low-fat diets to lose weight. I think this killed my metabolism and I'd always gain the weight back. I try to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein now. Much better and very sustainable. I agree that adding resistance training is super important.0 -
lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..
that is because I didn't add any tbs of cooking oil. I never know how to add cooking oil as some oil usually stay in the cooking pan. Like when I use 4 tbs of oil + butter to cook my steak, I have no idea how much of that I actually consumed.
Unless you are like 100 lbs, you are barely getting enough protein which would be the area I'd be concerned with. Low protein and lack of resistance training will increase muscle loss and further decrease metabolism.
I'm not sure about the protein. I think too much is a bad thing. I was sedentary for a long time and ate high protein low-fat diets to lose weight. I think this killed my metabolism and I'd always gain the weight back. I try to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein now. Much better and very sustainable. I agree that adding resistance training is super important.
Youd have to eat a substainal amount of protein for it to be excessive. In fact studies support increased protein during weight loss.
And if anything it supports metabolism.3 -
This thousand calorie a day thing is hogwash too. If a person eats 500 calories a few days a week and 2000 calories the other days it all adds up fine. Eat when you're hungry. I had to relearn what hungry was.
No one is saying it's bad to do some kind of 5:2 or ADF program. The issue is whether it's a good idea to eat below 1000 every day.
Anyway, OP, I think what everyone said is right -- if you can eat adequate calories and get adequate nutrition in 4 hours, no reason at all not to do it. People who can (and enjoy) eating big meals would do well. I'd struggle (and never be able to hit my vegetable or protein goals), but many would not.0 -
lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..
that is because I didn't add any tbs of cooking oil. I never know how to add cooking oil as some oil usually stay in the cooking pan. Like when I use 4 tbs of oil + butter to cook my steak, I have no idea how much of that I actually consumed.
Unless you are like 100 lbs, you are barely getting enough protein which would be the area I'd be concerned with. Low protein and lack of resistance training will increase muscle loss and further decrease metabolism.
I'm not sure about the protein. I think too much is a bad thing. I was sedentary for a long time and ate high protein low-fat diets to lose weight. I think this killed my metabolism and I'd always gain the weight back. I try to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein now. Much better and very sustainable. I agree that adding resistance training is super important.
If anything messed you up from a high protein, low fat diet, it was the low fat - not the high protein. Fat is essential to proper bodily functions and hormones.1 -
lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..
that is because I didn't add any tbs of cooking oil. I never know how to add cooking oil as some oil usually stay in the cooking pan. Like when I use 4 tbs of oil + butter to cook my steak, I have no idea how much of that I actually consumed.
Unless you are like 100 lbs, you are barely getting enough protein which would be the area I'd be concerned with. Low protein and lack of resistance training will increase muscle loss and further decrease metabolism.
I'm not sure about the protein. I think too much is a bad thing. I was sedentary for a long time and ate high protein low-fat diets to lose weight. I think this killed my metabolism and I'd always gain the weight back. I try to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein now. Much better and very sustainable. I agree that adding resistance training is super important.
Youd have to eat a substainal amount of protein for it to be excessive. In fact studies support increased protein during weight loss.
And if anything it supports metabolism.
Not necessarily. LCHF is a ketosis diet. If you are eating for ketosis, excess protein turns right into glucose and has a negative effect. So if ketosis is your goal, moderate protein is the best. Intermittent fasting gets's you into ketosis fast and can help keep you there too.2 -
lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »lilysillycat wrote: »I have been doing one meal per day for the past month. just one big meal at around 11:30 am. 8 oz of meat + 8 oz of green leafy vegs + 2 cups of bone broth. no hunger. no craving. losing weight. so far so good. simple and easy life.
This not meeting your calorie needs or nutritional needs and is quite unsustainable and unhealthy.
OP the question is are you able to get in all your calories in this one meal and meet adequate nutrients and calories? If so, no harm. If not, may want to reassess this method.
I'm on a keto diet. most of my calories came from fat. I use fat to cook the meat and vegs. 8oz of meat and 8 oz of green leafy veg and 2 cup bone broth have enough nutrients for any adult.
Diary entries I saw were less than 1000..
that is because I didn't add any tbs of cooking oil. I never know how to add cooking oil as some oil usually stay in the cooking pan. Like when I use 4 tbs of oil + butter to cook my steak, I have no idea how much of that I actually consumed.
Unless you are like 100 lbs, you are barely getting enough protein which would be the area I'd be concerned with. Low protein and lack of resistance training will increase muscle loss and further decrease metabolism.
I'm not sure about the protein. I think too much is a bad thing. I was sedentary for a long time and ate high protein low-fat diets to lose weight. I think this killed my metabolism and I'd always gain the weight back. I try to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein now. Much better and very sustainable. I agree that adding resistance training is super important.
If anything messed you up from a high protein, low fat diet, it was the low fat - not the high protein. Fat is essential to proper bodily functions and hormones.
Maybe. And restricting calories. I think your body adjusts. You eat less and your body conserves. You eat more and your body stays in conserve mode and packs on the pounds. Doing this over and over again is what kills your metabolism....I think. Who really knows. If people really knew about this there would be no fat people. I eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein now and toss in some intermittent fasting. But, what works for one person may not be ideal for the next. No dietician that looked at what I eat would ever think it induces weight loss. But it does, fast at first, slow and steady after 6 months. They would tell me to stop eating healthy fat and eat six tiny meals a day. This is just bad advice, imho and experience.2
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