Intermittent fasting
dws00
Posts: 159 Member
Has anyone tried, trying or have any negative or positive reviews of intermittent fasting? Thank you!
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Replies
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My review is that no one can tell you what will work well for you and what won't. It won't help you lose weight any faster so the only reason to do it is if it helps you in some other way.8
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My review is that no one can tell you what will work well for you and what won't. It won't help you lose weight any faster so the only reason to do it is if it helps you in some other way.
This. I tried it for about 4 months. Made 0 difference in weight loss for me at all. Then again, I really wasn't trying to lose weight, I was trying to build muscle a bit faster and possible reduce some body fat and just wanted to see how IF would affect me if I used a very slight deficit. It actually gave me some digestion issues because I was trying to cram too many calories into that 8 hour period. I'm very active and my TDEE is usually at least 2500 calories a day if not much more some days. I spent that 4 months bloated and with indigestion issues that had gone away long ago. I've switched off of it now for about six weeks and feel much better moving back to splitting up my meals throughout the day. Maybe it works better for people who eat less calories a day, or those who eat more calorie dense foods.
Some people swear by it, and I'd have to agree 100% with @NovusDies, if it works for you great! But don't expect to lose weight without a calorie deficit no matter which eating schedule you choose.
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I skip lunch or EFE. Eat fast eat. Nothing magical, it helps with staying within my calorie intake. I like bigger meals.3
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It's just an eating schedule. I like it because if I eat food in the morning, I am hungry all day long. I just can't shove enough food in my mouth. If I wait until 1 or 2 pm, I don't have those hunger pangs. So my window is usually 2-10pm and I'm able to have 2 meals and maybe a small snack in between and something before I go to bed. It's just what I found works for me. It doesn't work for everyone.7
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I absolutely love IF but there isn't any magic to it. The reason I like it is because if I wait until 2 or 3 pm to eat, I can still have what I consider a "huge" dinner while maintaining a calorie deficit. I also feel that it helps my energy levels during the day because I avoid insulin spikes.8
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Agree with all of the above. I'd been off the forums for like a year, and was surprised to see how trendy IF (and keto) has gotten.
It happens to be how I eat, because I've never been a breakfast (or lunch) person. I also like that I have plenty of calories for a large, substantial dinner, even when I'm cutting. However, it's very easy to not lose weight, or even gain, on IF if that is ALL you're doing; you still have to be eating at a deficit and that requires being cognizant of your calorie intake and expenditure.7 -
I absolutely love IF but there isn't any magic to it. The reason I like it is because if I wait until 2 or 3 pm to eat, I can still have what I consider a "huge" dinner while maintaining a calorie deficit. I also feel that it helps my energy levels during the day because I avoid insulin spikes.
how does it help you to avoid insulin spikes by helping energy levels? your insulin spikes as a normal body response when you eat., in a person who is say diabetic spiking insulin can be a bad thing.7 -
I started doing it years ago before I joined this site and learned it was a thing. I am small and don't have a ton of calories even at maintenance so it's easier for me to wait to eat until 11 a.m. and then have supper around 6 p.m. and then a snack around 8 p.m.. Having larger meals, than I would be able to have if I ate an extra early meal, satisfies me better. Plus, having an early meal, regardless of macros, make me hungry all day long. So, it works for me. Still had to have a calorie deficit though. That's what matters.5
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CaffeinatedConfectionist wrote: »Agree with all of the above. I'd been off the forums for like a year, and was surprised to see how trendy IF (and keto) has gotten.
It happens to be how I eat, because I've never been a breakfast (or lunch) person. I also like that I have plenty of calories for a large, substantial dinner, even when I'm cutting. However, it's very easy to not lose weight, or even gain, on IF if that is ALL you're doing; you still have to be eating at a deficit and that requires being cognizant of your calorie intake and expenditure.
Yep. Gained almost all of my weight eating this way. I had no idea what IF was or that I was inadvertently doing it. I still don't call what I do an IF thing. It is just a ME thing.1 -
If intermittent fasting helps you to stick to your calorie goals then great. but I have done IF 16:8 most of my life. some days I do 18:6. I have also not fasted just to see if there would be any difference. and There isnt . the only difference I seem to have is if I dont fast I want to eat everything in the house. when I fast I am less hungry. I dont have any insulin issues or anything like that so I dont know why that should make a difference but it does.3
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Absolutely hated it. Spent 3 months trying to eat this way and was always starving.2
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I liked 5:2 for weight loss.
Like is probably too strong a word, disliked less than every day calorie restriction is more accurate. Suited my high exercise volume very well (training fully fuelled 5 days a week) and also my personality - determined short term/bored by routine.
My weight loss was in proportion to my weekly calorie deficit.
I disliked 16:8 for maintenance.
Felt more restrictive than the same calorie allowance without a designated eating window although I'm a regular breakfast skipper. I don't respond well to arbitrary rules.
Maintained on same calorie allowance as when I ate "normally".
Learned something about myself from both approaches, worth a try but beyond being potentially being an easier way to adhere to a goal for some people it's not magic.
A lot of the reported wondrous benefits are hyped out of all proportion, based on rodent studies or simply taken massively out of context.
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I've been doing it for years. I noticed way back in the 90's that when I was too busy with the kids and skipped breakfast, I was less hungry throughout the day.
There's nothing magical about it by itself, though. I still reached my highest weight ever while skipping breakfast.
Now I find that combining it with eating an appropriate number of calories works just fine for me, but it's just a tool that works for some people to help regulate appetite. Others do better eating regular meals. Overall calorie consumption and whatever makes dietary compliance easier for you is what matters.3 -
My review is that no one can tell you what will work well for you and what won't. It won't help you lose weight any faster so the only reason to do it is if it helps you in some other way.
I agree with this advice. It works very well for me, because I'm one of those people who just isn't hungry before 3:00 pm or later. I find, on days I don't eat until dinner, I more than make up for waiting by eating more than I normally would, so it doesn't really cut my calories much. It does, however, help me manage my measly 1385 calories a day a little easier. #shortgirlproblems3 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »If intermittent fasting helps you to stick to your calorie goals then great. but I have done IF 16:8 most of my life. some days I do 18:6. I have also not fasted just to see if there would be any difference. and There isnt . the only difference I seem to have is if I dont fast I want to eat everything in the house. when I fast I am less hungry. I dont have any insulin issues or anything like that so I dont know why that should make a difference but it does.
Just curious, how sure are you that you don't have insulin issues? I do, my insulin levels are too high. I know this because I had a glucose tolerance test. Otherwise, I might not have ever known.
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I do 14/10 doe appetite control. Helps me some. Still track my macros though.2
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I don't do a strict intermittent fasting regime but I've kind of fell into a pseudo-IF way of eating in that I tend to skip lunch. I'll have a light breakfast (and coffee!!) when I first get up in the morning at 6am then my next meal is dinner at 8pm. I will sometimes have a very light snack at about 4pm if I feel like it.
I started doing this for a couple of reasons.
Firstly I realised that I really wasn't very hungry at lunch and was only going out and getting something to eat because it was "lunch time". So I stopped and didn't feel any worse for wear (and it saved me money buying lunch).
The second reason is I realised that no matter how much I ate at lunch I was always wanted a large dinner when I got home. While eating lunch I'd have to consciously restrict my dinner in order to keep within my calories. Skipping lunch means I have the calories left over that I can have the big nighttime meal that I enjoy.
Yeah, so not really IF but it's been working for me
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »If intermittent fasting helps you to stick to your calorie goals then great. but I have done IF 16:8 most of my life. some days I do 18:6. I have also not fasted just to see if there would be any difference. and There isnt . the only difference I seem to have is if I dont fast I want to eat everything in the house. when I fast I am less hungry. I dont have any insulin issues or anything like that so I dont know why that should make a difference but it does.
Just curious, how sure are you that you don't have insulin issues? I do, my insulin levels are too high. I know this because I had a glucose tolerance test. Otherwise, I might not have ever known.
because I have testing done every 3 months due to a genetic condition that if not treated can result in type 2 and other health issues.my insulin levels are always in the normal ranges.5 -
It will work man. But you don't need to do it to lose body fat.1
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I do 16/8 or 18/6 as my digestive system was shot to hell and it's the only thing that's calmed it down and made me stop feeling gassy all the time. It also balanced out my insulin levels as all my sugar cravings have eased off. I still eat three times a day, just between 12 - 8pm now, shutting my eating window immediately after dinner means less snacking and therefore it's easier to stay in my calorie allowance.3
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The goal is for your body to use fat for energy rather than giving the body a fresh supply of food aka glucose. Generally speaking for wt loss to happen you need a calorie deficit eating plan, so you are going to be hungry. Might as well burn fat while hungry! Bullet coffee (no creamer/sugar) and drinking water helps stave off the pangs so i fast in the mornings. I eat around 2p to 7pm. All calories add up to roughly 1400, don't over eat. Secondarily you may discover the psychological aspect of eating and your relationship with food. This is not a set in concrete eating plan, adjust it to you. And hey it's free, no expensive shakes or food to buy!!
24 days: 11lb lost, 7.5 inches lost.16 -
I've been skipping breakfast for years now. IF definitely doesn't have any magical qualities, but it does help me control my calorie intake. I don't start getting hungry until around 11am, so it makes sense for me to save my calories for lunch and dinner. Lots of little frequent meals just makes me hungrier. Two large meals is the more satisfying option for me.3
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Bettypjones wrote: »The goal is for your body to use fat for energy rather than giving the body a fresh supply of food aka glucose. Generally speaking for wt loss to happen you need a calorie deficit eating plan, so you are going to be hungry. Might as well burn fat while hungry! Bullet coffee (no creamer/sugar) and drinking water helps stave off the pangs so i fast in the mornings. I eat around 2p to 7pm. All calories add up to roughly 1400, don't over eat. Secondarily you may discover the psychological aspect of eating and your relationship with food. This is not a set in concrete eating plan, adjust it to you. And hey it's free, no expensive shakes or food to buy!!
24 days: 11lb lost, 7.5 inches lost.
You are mixing up Bulletproof coffee with black coffee. Obviously black coffee is with no creamer or milk and if you are fasting you probably don't want to put sugar in there. But bulletproof coffee is a high fat coffee that one mixes in butter or some kind of fat like coconut oil, and would not be recommended to use while fasting.7 -
Bettypjones wrote: »The goal is for your body to use fat for energy rather than giving the body a fresh supply of food aka glucose. Generally speaking for wt loss to happen you need a calorie deficit eating plan, so you are going to be hungry. Might as well burn fat while hungry! Bullet coffee (no creamer/sugar) and drinking water helps stave off the pangs so i fast in the mornings. I eat around 2p to 7pm. All calories add up to roughly 1400, don't over eat. Secondarily you may discover the psychological aspect of eating and your relationship with food. This is not a set in concrete eating plan, adjust it to you. And hey it's free, no expensive shakes or food to buy!!
24 days: 11lb lost, 7.5 inches lost.
Hate to break it to you, but dietary fat is a primary fuel source, just like glucose. So eating fat, isn't fasting. And just for semantics, in general, a person is burning fat when they are doing daily activities. Glycogen is used when your body becomes more anaerobic. It will also burn off glucose after a meal if you consume carbs.
If your goal is to drive the used of fat stores (not dietary fat) than you must be in a deficit.8 -
Bettypjones wrote: »The goal is for your body to use fat for energy rather than giving the body a fresh supply of food aka glucose. Generally speaking for wt loss to happen you need a calorie deficit eating plan, so you are going to be hungry. Might as well burn fat while hungry! Bullet coffee (no creamer/sugar) and drinking water helps stave off the pangs so i fast in the mornings. I eat around 2p to 7pm. All calories add up to roughly 1400, don't over eat. Secondarily you may discover the psychological aspect of eating and your relationship with food. This is not a set in concrete eating plan, adjust it to you. And hey it's free, no expensive shakes or food to buy!!
24 days: 11lb lost, 7.5 inches lost.
As mentioned if you ingest any protein or fat you are no longer fasting. Also, the goal is NOT to be hungry. If you are hungry you are wasting your time doing IF.
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Intermittent fasting doesn't make your body magically only use fat.
Body fat is used for energy regardless of when you eat or when you fast - as long as you are in a calorie deficit.9 -
I only do 16:8 and use it to help keep me in a deficit. I make sure it is nutrient dense food, it is just easier to help keep under 1200 when I'm only eating 2 meals a day and maybe a snack or two rather than waking up and eating all day.0
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I did IF last year and lost 25 pounds. I just started back last week. I want to lose 20 more. I do 16 hours of fasting and 8 hr eating window. I eat breakfast at 12, lunch around 3 and dinner around 7:30. Last years go round made a hugh impact on my health. I didn't gain, but was able to maintain the weight loss, and I stopped IF. So now it's time to begin again. I don't crave or graze. If I want to eat something in between I'll have some pecans or almond milk or a piece of fruit. Since I am trying to lose weight I do watch what I eat and caloric intake. I also do walking aerobics at home and take a yoga class. I like Thomas DeLauer and Dr. Berg on YouTube for IF tips. I do not do KETO. dws00. Read as much as you, listen to other people's stories. Get informed. Don't let others discourage you. You'll know if it's not for you. Talk to your dr. I didn't know anyone that did it, but many who felt I shouldn't. However, my Doctor was very happy!9
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I did IF last year and lost 25 pounds. I just started back last week. I want to lose 20 more. I do 16 hours of fasting and 8 hr eating window. I eat breakfast at 12, lunch around 3 and dinner around 7:30. Last years go round made a hugh impact on my health. I didn't gain, but was able to maintain the weight loss, and I stopped IF. So now it's time to begin again. I don't crave or graze. If I want to eat something in between I'll have some pecans or almond milk or a piece of fruit. Since I am trying to lose weight I do watch what I eat and caloric intake. I also do walking aerobics at home and take a yoga class. I like Thomas DeLauer and Dr. Berg on YouTube for IF tips. I do not do KETO. dws00. Read as much as you, listen to other people's stories. Get informed. Don't let others discourage you. You'll know if it's not for you. Talk to your dr. I didn't know anyone that did it, but many who felt I shouldn't. However, my Doctor was very happy!
you lost because you were in a deficit of calories.5 -
I love it. Just posted on another IF thread.
I do 20 hr fast & 4 hr eating window.
Personally I see HUGE benefits mentally and physically. Sharper focus and cognitive function, better mood and energy level, physical training is optimal in faster state (I’ve run my personal best 19 HRs into my fast & pushed my limits further strength training while fasted). My mind is clearer, no brain fog. It’s really great. I stopped tracking calories this past month but still lost inches. I’m small so I don’t do scales for weight, as I am trying to lose fat gain muscle and you can’t see that on a scale. I’m back to tracking calories this month to try to hardcore cut. I want a 6 pack & really defined muscles. My calves & thighs have remained the same size, I do a lot of squats and sprints. I am def stronger and see a difference in definition. But I want them cut and tight. I really enjoy IF and will not ever go back to a typical eating pattern. It’s easy and fits me & the benefits far exceed physical, I’m happy IFing.3
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