Intermittent Fasting??

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kk_a99
kk_a99 Posts: 5 Member
edited June 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone done intermittent fasting to lose weight?? Successful or not really? Thoughts? I would love any and all insights on this!! Thank you

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I made sure I was in a calorie deficit to lose weight. For a while I was doing 14:10 based on my work schedule, but it wasn't for weight loss.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    It can be successful if it helps you stick to your calorie goal. Other than that, there's no magic to intermittent fasting. Calories are what matter for weight loss, not what time or how often you eat them.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,492 Member
    edited June 2018
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    Yeah, I think intermittent fasting is worthwhile & (although I might get flamed here / a risk I'm willing to take) there have been some recent and powerful clinical trials in regards to this approach.

    I actually have an approach of TRE (time restricted eating) and the results have been quite favorable.

    To the OP: I'll PM you a link to some clinical trials.
    It's definitely not Bro-Science and there is a lot to wade thru, but it's worth the time.

    (look up Satchin Panda, Ph.D. of the Salk institute in San Diego; he's doing a lot of very, very interesting work on the subject.)

    Here's some light reading, from the NIH, on the subject:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3491655/

    Best of luck
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    A clinical trial regarding intermittent vs. continuous energy restriction: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561417301255
    Conclusions

    The technique used to achieve energy restriction, whether it is continuous or intermittent, does not appear to modulate the compensatory mechanisms activated by weight loss.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    I found 5:2 to be useful to help me adhere easier to my weekly calorie goal, personally I found it much easier than an everyday calorie deficit.
    Unlike the more popular 16:8 style of IF it is purely a weight loss protocol, 16:8 can be used to lose, maintain or gain weight depending on your calorie balance.

    It was successful for me and the transition to maintenance was easy. YMMV of course, many people hate it.
    I tried 16:8 at goal weight but found it irritating and restrictive although I regularly skip breakfast.
  • deadlift555
    deadlift555 Posts: 18 Member
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    I LOVE IF. I fast moderately - from 7 or 8pm until 12pm. I find eating all my meals in a smaller window more satisfying and I get to eat larger meals (same cals just a shorter timeframe). I don't get hungry during my fasting window now that i am used to it (coffee and plan sparkling water do the trick) It has been a miracle for me in terms of controlling cravings. When I used to eat at 8am I would be hungry alllll day.
  • JaxxieKat
    JaxxieKat Posts: 427 Member
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    IF doesn't do anything magical, in terms of making your body burn calories faster. It can help people stay in their deficit, because you can eat more at meal times. It can also help with digestion, but that's more about comfort than weight loss.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    kk_a99 wrote: »
    Has anyone done intermittent fasting to lose weight?? Successful or not really? Thoughts? I would love any and all insights on this!! Thank you

    For weight loss purposes, IF isn't any better than any other diet out there. Eating less calories than you burn is what matters most when it comes to weight.

    With that said, if IF helps you stick at a caloric deficit and you enjoy that style of diet, go ahead. Just remember that no diet directly causes you to lose weight. Only a caloric deficit does.

  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    I IF for two reasons -- 1) I only eat when hungry, so following my hunger cues leads me naturally many days to an 18:6 schedule, some days I do 23:1 and 2) and this is my "woo" reason, but I've been researching the benefits of IF and autophagy, and since I'm losing a lot of weight hopefully (nearly 60lbs so far with another 80lbs to go) I'm intrigued by the autophagy process and figured, hey, if it's true, great, if not, I haven't really lost anything except the excess weight so :::shrug:::
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    A calorie deficit is what causes weight loss. How you achieve/manage/sustain the deficit is up to you. If IF helps with that, then it can be a great way to go. If it doesn't, then it isn't.

    Personally, I've had mixed results.
  • jennacole12
    jennacole12 Posts: 1,167 Member
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    I love it but I still have to count my calories... if you don’t have a deficit fasting alone won’t help.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    Fasting has been around for thousands of years, mainly for spiritual reasons and enlightenment. The issue I have with fasting is sustainability—meaning, can you maintain this way of eating, and, more so, should you? Many people find they feel great while following an IF plan but struggle when they try to stick with it for a prolonged period. Figuring out how to fit those fasting and eating periods into your work and social life, and fuel and refuel appropriately around your workouts, can be a logistical nightmare and also a health challenge. This is especially true if you work long days, wake up really early, or go to bed very late. It can also be tricky for people who lack a sense of routine in their day-to-day life. While some people have found it motivates them to get into a more consistent schedule, many have gotten frustrated for not being able to keep it up. When your self-esteem takes a hit like that, it can trickle into other areas of your life. If you're only goal right now is to lose weight, I would recommend simply calculating your calorie target and staying within your macro range daily. Don't be restrictive.

    I've seen many people who hop on and off the IF bandwagon start to feel out of touch with their hunger and fullness cues. This mind-body disconnect can make it difficult to establish an overall healthy diet for the long haul. For certain people, this could lead to or resurface disordered eating behaviors.

    No actual scientific evidence presented here, just my two cents.
  • kds10
    kds10 Posts: 452 Member
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    To me IF is successful because it has me eating less calories and I have been very diligent with it for three months. I have lost 21 lbs. I weighed 181 on March 27th and now weigh 160. Yes I do get hungry at times but I know I will not die from starvation and just push thru it. To me it just ensures that I stay disciplined to not eat after supper. My way is no eating after supper (usually done by 5:30 or 6:00) and skip breakfast. I find it easy to do and have done it on days where we have family functions, etc. No more of that all or nothing type eating I used to do.

    I do a 6 hour feeding window on average...there has been the odd day where I have lengthened that but 90% of the time it is 6 hours.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    It works great for me as a tool to control hunger.

    When I stick to a 2-meal-a-day schedule, it's waaay easier to stick to my calorie goal. I just have lunch at 1pm and dinner around 7pm. When I have breakfast, it actually makes me hungrier throughout the day!
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    I practice IF and I have "used" it to both bulk and cut because that's my eating preference. Like others have mentioned your deficit determines fat loss.

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