Intermittent Fasting

AISIGO
AISIGO Posts: 44 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,
I have been gone from FP for way too long. Need to get my act together. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in almost exactly 1 month!
Need to lose 15-20 lbs before the big day. BTW, I have a very hard time losing weight.
I have been reading quite a bit about "intermittent fasting."
Anyone have any advice for me or success stories after using "intermittent fasting.:
I desperately need motivation!

Replies

  • AmberRiche4
    AmberRiche4 Posts: 21 Member
    Hi - am thinking about doing IF and do not have probs with Cal restriction a few days a week. Would like to connect with others doing it as do not want to mess up my metabolism by overdoing it. My daily goal worked out with a pro is 1660 cal per day so how do I work out what I need to do if I change to IF? Have Gluten Intolerance (not Coeliacs) so need to factor that in too. Would appreciate constructive input please. Many thanks
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    AISIGO wrote: »
    Hi everyone,
    I have been gone from FP for way too long. Need to get my act together. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in almost exactly 1 month!
    Need to lose 15-20 lbs before the big day. BTW, I have a very hard time losing weight.
    I have been reading quite a bit about "intermittent fasting."
    Anyone have any advice for me or success stories after using "intermittent fasting.:
    I desperately need motivation!

    Motivation won't help you lose that much weight in that short of time.

    If you need to lose 15-20 pounds, then by all means do that, but do it healthy or you'll fight the same battle again, probably with more to lose. Not to mention if you try to lose that much in that short of time, the failure to see those kinds of results is likely to demotivate you. Don't be unrealistic here.

    I don't know what 15-20 pounds means in context (i.e. how much you weigh now), but if that is a "goal weight" for you in general, it will probably take 4-6 months instead of 4 weeks (or "almost exactly 1 month!")
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    AmberRiche4 wrote: »
    Hi - am thinking about doing IF and do not have probs with Cal restriction a few days a week. Would like to connect with others doing it as do not want to mess up my metabolism by overdoing it. My daily goal worked out with a pro is 1660 cal per day so how do I work out what I need to do if I change to IF? Have Gluten Intolerance (not Coeliacs) so need to factor that in too. Would appreciate constructive input please. Many thanks

    There are various methods/timings - you can simply squash your normal daily cals in to an shorter eating period (so, <8 hours for eating, leaving >16 hours of fasting)

    Or 5:2 is another common way - restricted cals on 2 days, with 5 days of more cals. You could simply drop cals on 2 days and add them to other days. That's kind of like calorie cycling, and just seeing your calorie goal as a weekly goal rather than a daily goal. I typically eat less on non training days, and more on training days.

    It doesn't change the food you eat, so whether you're eating gluten or not is irrelevant
  • macmonkey2015
    macmonkey2015 Posts: 1 Member
    I did a 5:2 diet when I was trying lose some stubborn baby weight and didn't have the will power to keep up a "full time" diet.
    After the first few weeks I found the fasting days no trouble at all and noticed I was subconsciously keeping an eye on what I was eating on normal days without feeling bad if I indulged occasionally.
    I'm back on it again - it would be useful for MFO had a fasting day option.
  • AISIGO
    AISIGO Posts: 44 Member
    Wow! Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my post. Trust me, I know 15-20 lbs is a lot to lose in this period and is a completely unrealistic goal. Wishful thinking on my part - lol
    I would like to ideally lose 10 lbs in the next month. Should I try the 16:8 method?
    Thank you again!! Keep the advice coming!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    AISIGO wrote: »
    Wow! Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my post. Trust me, I know 15-20 lbs is a lot to lose in this period and is a completely unrealistic goal. Wishful thinking on my part - lol
    I would like to ideally lose 10 lbs in the next month. Should I try the 16:8 method?
    Thank you again!! Keep the advice coming!

    You should get a calorie goal for weight loss at a sensible rate and log accurately to meet that goal, using a food scale. Do this, and you'll get results whether you do IF or not. IF is not going to make you lose more weight, or lose weight more quickly.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    AISIGO wrote: »
    Hi everyone,
    I have been gone from FP for way too long. Need to get my act together. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding in almost exactly 1 month!
    Need to lose 15-20 lbs before the big day. BTW, I have a very hard time losing weight.
    I have been reading quite a bit about "intermittent fasting."
    Anyone have any advice for me or success stories after using "intermittent fasting.:
    I desperately need motivation!

    OP: You don't have enough time to lose that amount of weight unless you are seriously obese right now. That amount of loss should've started months ago, I'm afraid. Does your bridesmaid dress fit you? If not, that's what you need to focus on. Making the dress fit you and not the other way around.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited September 2017
    AISIGO wrote: »
    Wow! Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my post. Trust me, I know 15-20 lbs is a lot to lose in this period and is a completely unrealistic goal. Wishful thinking on my part - lol
    I would like to ideally lose 10 lbs in the next month. Should I try the 16:8 method?
    Thank you again!! Keep the advice coming!

    16:8 isn't what's going to make you lose weight. The amount of caloric deficit you create is.

    If you only have 15 pounds to lose, it's not realistic to expect to be able to lose weight without dangerously low caloric intake.

    I want a time machine to go back and go into the office of whoever thought putting The Biggest Loser on the air was a good idea and hit them in the head for giving people the idea they can lose weight at ridiculous rates like this.
  • AISIGO
    AISIGO Posts: 44 Member
    For those of you who wanted to know. I am 5'4" and 152lbs. Really need to get down to 115-120 eventually. For the next few weeks, I would love to see atleast 5-7lbs disappear! I have been steadily exercising and eating less calories. Didn't mean to cause an intermittent fasting uproar! Just curious how well it worked for other people!
  • ourmamros
    ourmamros Posts: 21 Member
    I'm only recently come back to MFP. I have been doing intermittent fasting for a few months now. I think of it as a light food day and ordinary food day (as eaten by thinner people with an off switch). I aim for 500 Cala on light days-home made veg soup if I'm desperate and the remaining Cals on dinner. Not lost much weight which is why I'm back to keep of cals on my ordinary days. I usually do Monday And Thursday as light days. I started it for health benefits as it is supposed to put your body in healing mode. I have trouble with an inflamed bladder. Just had blood tests and everything is normal! My bladder is behaving itself and blood pressure is normal. All for the first time in years. All I need to do now is get rid of one hundred pounds and I'll be great!
  • Antaste
    Antaste Posts: 20 Member
    I'm really confused by what people mean by "intermittent fasting/fasting" these days...
  • okohjacinda
    okohjacinda Posts: 329 Member
    edited September 2017
    Unless you are morbidly obese, 15lbs is extreme. I lost 15lbs in my first month but it was mostly water weight and because I am morbidly obese.

    A more realistic goal would be 8-10lbs in a month and that's if you are a little overweight. If you are at or near your ideal weight, unless you basically starve yourself, you will not lose much in a month.

    IF is a tool to help with CICO. If I still go over within my window, I will gain weight. The reason why I do IF is because its a lifestyle change that works with my body not something to help me lose weight fast.

    I lose an average of 2.5lbs a week and that's about right considering I am 120+ pounds overweight. I know as I lose more and more weight it will go down to 2lbs a week to 1.5lbs a week to 1lb a week and then eventually .5lbs a week.

    You may however be able to look a bit slimmer if you strength train and do a lot of cardio within that month and eat at a deficit. Even if you are only able to lose 5-8lbs, by doing a good bit of exercise, your body will look like you lost a whole lot more.
  • StellaMA20
    StellaMA20 Posts: 31 Member
    edited September 2017
    I pursue IF sometimes, mostly because I don't enjoy having breakfast and I do much better on timed meals than on eating throughout the day. If that helps regulate your eating habits, you should totally do it. But on its own, the schedule can help with regulation, but not with weightloss. I frequently have my dinner at around 8:00pm and some days don't eat anything till 12:00pm - so that's usually a 15-16 hour fast. On other days, I eat a snack around 10:30am or 11:00am - usually a piece of fruit. This way, I am not starving by lunchtime. This kind of scheduling fits better with my work life and puts me in control. Good luck on your journey!

    Also, to the lady that's fasting with three mochaccino's and a glass of red wine, I've had several days of three healthful meals (salads with fruits and nuts and smoothies/soups) and a snack (a fruit) with fewer calories. And I don't call those days fasting! Maybe, its better to just eat nutritious food than call a strange diet fasting?
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