Anyone here do intermittent fasting?

Tell me about it. I'm thinking of trying it out a few times a week.

Replies

  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    I do, but only because it fits my natural eating tendencies. IF doesn't prevent over-eating, and I've gained and lost weight IFing... so ultimately it's still up to me to keep my calories/intake where it should be.
  • Calichusetts
    Calichusetts Posts: 100 Member
    Live by IF...great way to build willpower as well.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    What kind are you interested in?
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    if you are losing fat then you are in a deficit of calories. you cannot lose fat if you are not in a deficit unless you are doing whats called a recomp. IF doesnt burn body fat any faster or quicker than not doing IF. I have had the same rate of fat loss doing both. you can overeat doing IF and gain weight(I have done that too). its only when Im in a deficit that I lose. and yes a deficit is proven to work for everyone,scientific fact.
  • mgalsf12
    mgalsf12 Posts: 350 Member
    In my experience, fasting leads to binging and just makes people neurotic about food. Just eat healthy.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    mgalvin12 wrote: »
    In my experience, fasting leads to binging and just makes people neurotic about food. Just eat healthy.

    Depending on the type of fasting the OP is looking into, it's either a shorter amount of time to eat or two days of low calories/the remainder at maintenance
  • tashygolean730
    tashygolean730 Posts: 92 Member
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    Then you have been eating in a deficit. IF is nothing more than a timing tool. Your body is always burning and storing fat regardless of fasted or fed state. If it's not you need medical attention. Studies have also proven that a IF has no weight loss advantage over a normal all day eating pattern when caloric consumption is the same. It also proven to have no additional benefits to a normal diet with the same calorie consumption. There is not magical fat burning access window.
  • BettyDares
    BettyDares Posts: 1,498 Member
    Kind of! After reading about IF and realizing that was how my eating habits used to naturally align (starting in middle/high school) I stopped worrying about eating breakfast during the week and started eating at lunch time instead.

    This approximately fits a 16:8 IF schedule most days but I'm not terribly strict. I like it a lot better since I always felt with 'breakfast' my cals at lunch and dinner had to be more limited. Any more I'm not even hungry until noon or after.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    mgalvin12 wrote: »
    In my experience, fasting leads to binging and just makes people neurotic about food. Just eat healthy.

    For you maybe. I've done 16/8 or 18/6 IF for years and the opposite is true. I helps control my appetite and hunger / satiety signalling, calories and eat the way I prefer with a good size dinner. It works this way for lots of people. For those, it is eating healthy. I suggest you do you.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    mgalvin12 wrote: »
    In my experience, fasting leads to binging and just makes people neurotic about food. Just eat healthy.
    @mgalvin12
    That actually seems back to front.
    The usual advice is that people who are prone to binging or other eating disorders shouldn't do IF.

    I did 5:2 for weight loss and maintained with 16:8 for a while. Neither protocol changed my relationship with food, neither changed the healthy diet I always have. They simply changed by eating pattern - that's all.

    From the 5:2 Fast Diet website:

    Who is advised not to do IF?

    People who are underweight or have an eating disorder
    Children (under 18 years old)
    Type 1 diabetics and diabetics taking medication for their diabetes (other than Metformin)
    Pregnant women or breast feeding mothers
    People recovering from surgery
    Those who are frail or have a significant underlying medical condition should speak to their doctor first, as they would before embarking on any weight-loss regime.
    Those who are not sure about whether it may affect their prescribed medications should to speak to their doctor first.
    People feeling unwell or have a fever
    People taking Warfarin as the variation in food intake may alter their INR.
    People with a history of serious mental health problems.


  • mgalsf12
    mgalsf12 Posts: 350 Member
    I don't fast because my blood sugar levels drop and I get hangry. I have read posts by so many people on this forum write about eating little or fasting and find themselves binging as a result. People who normally don't binge find themselves famished and eat everything in sight. I'm not against fasting if it works for you, I'm just saying that is most certainly not for everyone.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    mgalvin12 wrote: »
    I don't fast because my blood sugar levels drop and I get hangry. I have read posts by so many people on this forum write about eating little or fasting and find themselves binging as a result. People who normally don't binge find themselves famished and eat everything in sight. I'm not against fasting if it works for you, I'm just saying that is most certainly not for everyone.

    It isn't for everyone but nobody ever claimed that it was. It has become somewhat of a fitness industry marketing hype thing. But for those that have the blood sugar drop thing, it is not the right solution. If it leads to binging, it is definitely not the right solution.

    For some people, and I am one, we can delay eating indefinitely without issue. I've pretty much never felt hangry. I can wake at 6 am and not eat for the first time until 2. No problem. Once I start eating, I want to keep eating. Also, I like one good size meal. It works for me very well. I am not alone in this. Some function best this way. Some function best eating 3 meals plus 2 snacks.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    edited August 2017
    Tell me about it. I'm thinking of trying it out a few times a week.

    I'm trying it again. For the last two weeks, I haven't eaten before 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I'm not overly concerned with my eating window or calories for now, I'm focusing on creating the habit. There are several threads here. You also can Google:
    • Intermittent Fasting (IF)
    • Leangains
    • Fast-5
    • Alternate Day Fasting
    • 5:2 Diet
    • Rapid Fat Loss Diet

    I'm usually not very hungry but I do have to deal with the boredom of not eating. If I don't have a structured schedule I find my mind wandering and I end up wasting time. But it's only been a couple of weeks. I'm also not sure I could do IF if I had to be extremely physically active.

    I love the simplicity of it. I'm often in situations where I'm surrounded by food I would never buy. The fasting window provides some discipline.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    mgalvin12 wrote: »
    In my experience, fasting leads to binging and just makes people neurotic about food. Just eat healthy.

    Depending on the type of fasting the OP is looking into, it's either a shorter amount of time to eat or two days of low calories/the remainder at maintenance

    Some people do it every other day: that's the Alternate Day Diet.
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
    I eat 20/4 and find the smaller eating window makes it easier to feel satisfied on a limited amount of calories.
  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    Then you have been eating in a deficit. IF is nothing more than a timing tool.

    I've read that it works as a timiing tool and because of the hormonal effect of not spiking insulin.

  • Verdenal
    Verdenal Posts: 625 Member
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    if you are losing fat then you are in a deficit of calories. you cannot lose fat if you are not in a deficit unless you are doing whats called a recomp. IF doesnt burn body fat any faster or quicker than not doing IF.

    Some people do IF in conjunction with a Protein Sparing Modified Fast (PSMF), which promotes fat burning. It requires a lot of planning and is quite strict. There are threads here and a good amount of info about it on the web. The Cleveland Clinic PSMF diet is on the web.
  • tashygolean730
    tashygolean730 Posts: 92 Member
    Verdenal wrote: »
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    Then you have been eating in a deficit. IF is nothing more than a timing tool.

    I've read that it works as a timiing tool and because of the hormonal effect of not spiking insulin.

    Insulin does not cause fat gain or prevent fat loss in a calorie deficit. Insulin spikes only matters if you're diabetic. There are people who "cheat" on IF and use 50 or so calories of creamer/milk/sugar in their morning coffee and still lose weight just fine.
  • tashygolean730
    tashygolean730 Posts: 92 Member
    Verdenal wrote: »
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    if you are losing fat then you are in a deficit of calories. you cannot lose fat if you are not in a deficit unless you are doing whats called a recomp. IF doesnt burn body fat any faster or quicker than not doing IF.

    Some people do IF in conjunction with a Protein Sparing Modified Fast (PSMF), which promotes fat burning. It requires a lot of planning and is quite strict. There are threads here and a good amount of info about it on the web. The Cleveland Clinic PSMF diet is on the web.

    PSMF doesn't do anything special for fat burning. It's a very low calorie crash diet. Most followers even recommend multiple meals per day instead of the one or two that most IFers have per day because it can be difficult to take in that much lean plain protein at one time.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    Verdenal wrote: »
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    Then you have been eating in a deficit. IF is nothing more than a timing tool.

    I've read that it works as a timiing tool and because of the hormonal effect of not spiking insulin.

    My understanding is that any benefits of IF related to hormone manipulation (for lack of a better term) require some VERY specific conditions and are pretty minor when viewed in the bigger picture of diet and exercise.
  • TammyL8
    TammyL8 Posts: 47 Member
    I've got six meal labels for my diary, each split into four hour windows. Midnight to 4am, 4am to 8am, and so on. I do this because my days are not uniform. One day my supper can come at 3am and bedtime be around 7am while the next day my supper can be closer to 7pm and bedtime be 2am. I know my digestive system well enough to know that if I eat anything within 2 hours of going to sleep, I get nauseous. IF results are as individual as anything else related to weight loss.
  • Verdenal wrote: »
    The information given by GBTA is actually incorrect. IF is not mere caloric manipulation. It's success lies mainly on the hormonal manipulation and it's implications on both body fat access and use, as well as the resulting health benefits.
    I'm on the 16:8 protocol for a while now and I have seen really great results, despite the fact that my caloric intake has remained the same (if not a bit higher). I'm still losing body fat eating between 2200 and 3000 calories (depending on my activity levels on the day), on high carb vegan diet. Bliss!
    Give it a go.. You have nothing to lose!

    if you are losing fat then you are in a deficit of calories. you cannot lose fat if you are not in a deficit unless you are doing whats called a recomp. IF doesnt burn body fat any faster or quicker than not doing IF.

    Some people do IF in conjunction with a Protein Sparing Modified Fast (PSMF), which promotes fat burning. It requires a lot of planning and is quite strict. There are threads here and a good amount of info about it on the web. The Cleveland Clinic PSMF diet is on the web.

    you are only going to burn so much fat and its done in a deficit or a recomp. IF is not going to make the fat loss any faster
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