Intermittent fasting question

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Mirelle242
Mirelle242 Posts: 63 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone. I'm trying intermittent fasting right now. And I'm wondering how long did it take your body to adjust to fasting. I'm doing 12pm-8pm fasting because I'm a teacher. I'm a big breakfast person so I haven't felt to hungry in the morning but I'm wondering does it get better as time progresses or will hunger strike harder later?

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Here's a link to an active group.....
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

    I don't know the answer, but adjusting your menu should help a bit. Protein, fiber, and fat are going to be filling components but it's a different combination for everyone.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I've been IF for a couple years now, it gets easier over time, not harder, and for me it's way easier to fit my calorie goals into 2 meals than 3...plus, I'm just not hungry in the mornings.
  • court_alacarte
    court_alacarte Posts: 219 Member
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    It definitely gets easier. I used to wake up completely ravenous, but now it's not so bad at all and when I drink some tea or coffee, it helps to hold me over until lunch. I as well like keep my pattern to 2 meals.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Intermittent fasting isn't fasting, it's just not eating all the time. You can eat any time you want, so your body doesn't have to adjust to anyting, and you'll be eating the same amount and types of food, so hunger shouldn't strike harder (or softer). I never intended to IF, I just started gravitating towards three meals all eaten within 6-8 hours, and I actually think it's a silly term. A good meal structure, but a silly name.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Intermittent fasting is nothing more than a strategy to help with compliance/adherence and satiety. It works for some and not for others. If skipping breakfast doesn't work for you, there's no sense trying to do intermittent fasting, as there's no magic to it in regards to weight loss or health. Eat on whatever schedule works best for you personally, don't let fads push you into suffering unnecessarily.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,943 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Intermittent fasting is nothing more than a strategy to help with compliance/adherence and satiety. It works for some and not for others. If skipping breakfast doesn't work for you, there's no sense trying to do intermittent fasting, as there's no magic to it in regards to weight loss or health. Eat on whatever schedule works best for you personally, don't let fads push you into suffering unnecessarily.

    Bears repeating.

    It shouldn't be a struggle. Some of us like skipping breakfast because eating early in the day makes us feel hungrier throughout the day. It's really that simple.

    For other people, eating first thing makes them eat less throughout the day. If you're one of those people, There's nothing to be gained by doing IF.

    I do it so that I can have two good sized meals and small dessert(s). I eat a late breakfast and an early dinner. I like breakfast - about three hours after I get up.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Intermittent fasting is nothing more than a strategy to help with compliance/adherence and satiety. It works for some and not for others. If skipping breakfast doesn't work for you, there's no sense trying to do intermittent fasting, as there's no magic to it in regards to weight loss or health. Eat on whatever schedule works best for you personally, don't let fads push you into suffering unnecessarily.

    Bears repeating.

    It shouldn't be a struggle. Some of us like skipping breakfast because eating early in the day makes us feel hungrier throughout the day. It's really that simple.

    For other people, eating first thing makes them eat less throughout the day. If you're one of those people, There's nothing to be gained by doing IF.

    Exactly. I more or less do a 16/8 pattern because I like it and it works for me. I find that eating an early breakfast makes me eat more throughout the day and it's harder to adhere to my calorie goal. Beyond that, I don't ascribe any magic or wizardry to IF. And I say I "more or less" because I don't consider it a hard and fast rule which should never be broken. If I'm hungry outside that 8 hour window, I eat.

    If skipping an early breakfast made me hungry and miserable, I'd change my eating pattern to one that suited me better. It's not necessary to suffer and deprive yourself to lose weight, and there's no magic to meal timing.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I'd say it took my body 3 or 4 weeks to get used to going without food for 16 hours at a time. I was definitely hungry at times, although what is hunger anyway. Mostly a social construct perhaps, at least what we call hunger in this culture of abundance. Anyway, IF got easier for me after 3-4 weeks. I don't do it religiously these days, but it's still my default. It basically amounts to skipping breakfast and not snacking at night, which isn't that radical at all. I feel like IF has helped me a lot in my relationship to food, how I view it. I feel way more in control these days. And I'm 100 pounds down since February 2016 and feeling great, so thumbs up on IF for me.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Intermittent fasting is nothing more than a strategy to help with compliance/adherence and satiety. It works for some and not for others. If skipping breakfast doesn't work for you, there's no sense trying to do intermittent fasting, as there's no magic to it in regards to weight loss or health. Eat on whatever schedule works best for you personally, don't let fads push you into suffering unnecessarily.

    Bears repeating.

    It shouldn't be a struggle. Some of us like skipping breakfast because eating early in the day makes us feel hungrier throughout the day. It's really that simple.

    For other people, eating first thing makes them eat less throughout the day. If you're one of those people, There's nothing to be gained by doing IF.

    I do it so that I can have two good sized meals and small dessert(s). I eat a late breakfast and an early dinner. I like breakfast - about three hours after I get up.

    I like eating two larger meals and a small dessert too. I just delay that first meal.

    I think IF is ideal for people who like larger meals.

    Other people prefer frequent smaller meals. For them, it wouldn't be a good fit.
  • Mirelle242
    Mirelle242 Posts: 63 Member
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    Thank you guys! I think IF may work for me but I'm just wondering about consistency. But I guess that's when I have to push
  • cepiotrowski3
    cepiotrowski3 Posts: 21 Member
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    Can I chuck a IF question in here please...
    I'm doing 16:8 or 7pm-1pm fasting. I am reading different posts about people having a bullet proof coffee in the morning and others only having a black coffee or tea. I
    I was under the assumption that "bullet proof coffee" would "break a fast" as its calories or too many ... ??? And being at 6-7 am would make the 16 hr fast void!...
    But I have also read that as long as it's NOT carbs only fat it's ok??...
    can someone please help me here ..

  • tjucan
    tjucan Posts: 12 Member
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    cepiotrowski3 wrote: »
    Can I chuck a IF question in here please...
    I'm doing 16:8 or 7pm-1pm fasting. I am reading different posts about people having a bullet proof coffee in the morning and others only having a black coffee or tea. I
    I was under the assumption that "bullet proof coffee" would "break a fast" as its calories or too many ... ??? And being at 6-7 am would make the 16 hr fast void!...
    But I have also read that as long as it's NOT carbs only fat it's ok??...
    can someone please help me here ..
    I'd say that's like a weird IF version that some keto-people use to make their life easier. Anything with calories breaks a fast.
    Said that, if you feel like you need a bullet prooff coffee in the morning - go for it. There's no point in making yourself miserable.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited August 2017
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    cepiotrowski3 wrote: »
    Can I chuck a IF question in here please...
    I'm doing 16:8 or 7pm-1pm fasting. I am reading different posts about people having a bullet proof coffee in the morning and others only having a black coffee or tea.
    I was under the assumption that "bullet proof coffee" would "break a fast" as its calories or too many ... ??? And being at 6-7 am would make the 16 hr fast void!...
    But I have also read that as long as it's NOT carbs only fat it's ok??...
    can someone please help me here ..
    If you're fasting 7pm-1pm, you're following 18:6, not 16:8.

    Fat, protein and carbs all have calories. If you take in calories, you are not fasting. All calories count, regardless of when they are taken in. You're breaking your fast when you take in calories, but you're not making it "void" unless the fast is for religious purposes or in preparation for surgery.

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