Intermittent fasting

Hi all,
I'm just wondering everyone's thoughts on fasting and if it really helps with weightloss.
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Replies

  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    If it helps you stay at/under your calorie goal, then yes it does. If it doesn't help with that, then no it doesn't.

    How much you eat determines your weight loss. Tools and approaches that help you control your intake are good, ones that don't are bad.
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
    As I can see has been pointed out already, timing is completely irrelevant to weight loss. That is probably not what you wanted to hear. New people rarely do, but it's the truth nonetheless so you should know this from the get go.

    That being said, IF can be used as a tool to help you maintain a deficit if having an eating window helps you restrict calories. However, you are not going to lose any more weight than you would if the calories were identical only spread out over the day like normal. So it basically all comes down to what your personal preference is.
  • Calichusetts
    Calichusetts Posts: 100 Member
    16:8 here for about 5 years. Its been amazing for me. Lost 60 pounds. I am literally the healthiest and fittest I've ever been in my life. It will help you develop will power and make better eating choices. And yes, you still need to track calories and eat healthy. I basically do a 1500 calorie breakfast and much on another 1000 over the work day.
  • cargotrailer
    cargotrailer Posts: 62 Member
    I started in February of this year. For me it is a way to control my calories for the day. (As others have stated)
  • notreallychris
    notreallychris Posts: 501 Member
    As people above said, it's a way of eating, and not a diet. When I switched to IF, I kept my calorie goal the same. It's just a better way to eat for me. But has had no affect on me losing weight. But my calorie deficit has :)
  • kierrakins
    kierrakins Posts: 16 Member
    I have only been doing IF for about a month. The main reason I started IF was to help keep within my calorie deficit due to the change in my diet to the keto lifestyle. When I ate throughout the day, I struggled to stay within my calorie limit, but once I narrowed the eating window, it became much easier! I do the 16:8 IF and will never be able to go a whole day without eating as with other IF plans. I'm just not wired that way, I have tried haha.

    I haven't seen any extra "boost" in my weight loss from implementing IF. My weight loss has remained steady due to the calorie deficit. It's just been easier with IF. In the beginning, I read a lot of reviews and watched videos related to IF in hopes that it would be a magical way to increase my weight loss progress, but that just isn't so.
  • Aint2Proud2Meg
    Aint2Proud2Meg Posts: 193 Member
    I'm losing with IF because it's much easier for me to "put off" eating until later. If I snack all day I'm just hungry all day, no matter what those calories are comprised of.
    Whatever floats your boat, my friend!
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Didn't work for me because I got too hungry and overate when my "window" opened. But try it. What's the worst that can happen?
  • notreallychris
    notreallychris Posts: 501 Member
    richb178 wrote: »
    If you are interested in IF, keto/low carb, or anything that is not CICO & exercise, you will get a lot of bad advice on the general forums. If you want to learn more about these taboo subjects and get some useful advice, then you should look into the private groups.

    In the meantime, you may want to look into this series on fasting by Dr. Jason Fung. I believe there are about 14 parts, so just keep clicking.

    https://idmprogram.com/fasting-a-history-part-i/

    He will show you it's not just about calorie reduction. I've personally done IF (one meal a day) for a while and have lost a lot of weight and feel great and never have hunger. As I'm only eating once a day, my calories have gone down (I won't say how low because someone will say how dangerous it is). My body is burning body fat for most of my energy needs. My metabolism has not gone down to match my lower calorie intake, so I continue to lose weight.

    Anyway, believe what you want, but I believe in low carb and IF, not in CICO (or CRaP - Calorie Reduction as Primary).

    I would disagree with seeking out a private group for information as opposed to general forums. If I go to a group of "900 calories only" and ask information, they're going to tell you it's the only way to lose weight, and perhaps give false information.
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
    I don't believe IF has much of an impact exclusive of the caloric deficit. However, since I'm mostly just hungry at night, I do IF and don't eat breakfast or lunch, and it works pretty well for me as a meal scheduling protocol.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    richb178 wrote: »
    IF, keto/low carb, or anything that is not CICO & exercise,...
    My body is burning body fat for most of my energy needs. My metabolism has not gone down to match my lower calorie intake, so I continue to lose weight.

    Everyone's body burns mainly fat as energy source for vast amount of day, unless they just eat all day long and mainly burn what they ate (which includes fat too), or their activity level is so high it requires more glucose as energy source, like 24 hr endurance races.

    And sure metabolism, but more likely TDEE, can lower and you can still lose weight.
    Unless you did some double-labeled water study on you before and after the change - you'd never know what the amount of change was though to be able to make the claim metabolism didn't go down.

    And IF is eating window - CICO still applies.
    And Keto is eating style - CICO still applies.

    Both those strategies, and others, may allow someone to not have to count calories and naturally cause CI to be under CO and lose weight.
    Then again, many have proven it's not always the case they must still log CI to be sure less than CO.
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    Hi all,
    I'm just wondering everyone's thoughts on fasting and if it really helps with weightloss.

    I have become a believer. It works for me. I think people's "engines" are different, give it a try. For me it works with low carb/Keto because of how my body reacts to sugar. No sugar, fats because they are satisfiying, leaves me not in hunger, very sustainable. Good luck