IF questions and suggestions please
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laneybird
Posts: 532 Member
I have a question for those who intermittent fast or are well-informed about it. I have been doing 16:8 pretty much every day, with exception of occasionally on my weekend off work. I am trying to boost loss because I am getting married in 2 months, however still plan to IF after that until I eventually reach my goals. I have lost 48 lbs and will be halfway to my goal at 66lbs lost. So, I have a lot left. This isn't a race, I understand that completely.
(I also have pretty intense workouts usually 5-6x a week, and I realize the pounds won't drop as fast since I am adding muscle. While I love changes on the scale, I am more focused on how I feel and look and look to continue improving my health and fitness.)
I mentioned to my fiance that I would like to incorporate 24hours fasting and maybe more than that on occasion. He doesn't like the idea and says that I would be starving myself. I have tried to explain to him that it's not starving myself, but can't find the right info to share with him so that he understands the benefits.
I also welcome any advice for doing a longer fast. I realize I must push the water and make sure I get salt in, that's about all I really understand and I don't want to do anything without understanding how it all works.
Thanks in advance!
(I also have pretty intense workouts usually 5-6x a week, and I realize the pounds won't drop as fast since I am adding muscle. While I love changes on the scale, I am more focused on how I feel and look and look to continue improving my health and fitness.)
I mentioned to my fiance that I would like to incorporate 24hours fasting and maybe more than that on occasion. He doesn't like the idea and says that I would be starving myself. I have tried to explain to him that it's not starving myself, but can't find the right info to share with him so that he understands the benefits.
I also welcome any advice for doing a longer fast. I realize I must push the water and make sure I get salt in, that's about all I really understand and I don't want to do anything without understanding how it all works.
Thanks in advance!
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Replies
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Since no one has answered I'll give a couple of leads.
Dr. Jason Fung MD has either staunch followers or total disbelievers. Oh ok. There are people who fall in the middle too. He has written a couple of books. 1 is The Obesity Code the other is The Complete Guide to Fasting. He also has several youtube videos.
Dr. Valter Longo PhD. has several you tube videos and a book titled The Longevity Diet. I find his work the most interesting but if you were to follow his routine non fasting diet suggestions your diet would be mostly vegan with a little bit of fish.
I'll tag some individuals who do some routine fasting (I think) and may share their expertise:
@retirehappy
@tcunbeliever
@kirkor
@paulchasindreams.
Also there is a group "Intermittent Fasting" in MFP. I'm on my phone and not cell savvy enough to link it but a group search should get you there.
Fasting is not my bag. It would be highly convenient and easy.
No money for food? Fast.
No time to shop? Fast.
Can't decide? Fast.
Too busy to cook? Fast.
Not feeling well? Fast.
Just plain tired? Fast.
It's a little paraphrase from one of Fung' s videos. He is very entertaining.4 -
I practice IF, but not really on purpose. Most days I’m just not hungry. I’d say to just start out making your eating window smaller and smaller. I like to do at least 1 - 24hr fast per week, I feel great doing it and because I have so much weight to lose (60lbs down, 80lbs to go) I’m hoping for a helping hand from Autophagy so that hopefully I don’t have too much in the way of loose skin when I’m done.2
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I personally would do a few days of PSMF which is protein sparing modified fasting.
You basically eat a few days at very low calories where you still eat a decent amount of protein. So figure you’d eat say 800 calories but get 100 to 150g protein and max 30g total carbs. Whatever fat it takes to reach that minimal calories is allowed too. Usually maximum of 50g.
It’s meant to be done that way for short periods of time and offset with other days eating maintenance calories. Not more low calorie data in top of PSMF low calorie days. Unless you’re out to wreck your metabolism.
Another way I’ve seen done which is what I am doing myself right now is eating at a calorie deficit but not super low. Normal calorie deficit. Like 1200-1400 kind of thing where fat is still limited to around 50g. Protein is a bit higher to allow getting more calories from something other than fat. I’m basically eating the same protein I always plan to eat though which is 120-150g. I just cut fat back to create a calorie deficit. It’s helping me lose those last 10-15 pounds that seem so hard to lose. I prefer to do it this way instead of having such dramatic low calorie days.2 -
I have watched recently a YouTube video by a dr. about IF. He explained the process and the science behind it. However, he mentioned that women should modify the fasting period to be shorter (12-14 hrs) because our body will go to survival mode and is always preparing for a possible pregnancy and if fasting for too long, body wants to protect the possible fetus and think we are starving and slowdown metabolism.0
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Thank you @kpk54 @WholeFoods4Lyfe @Sunny_Bunny_ and @shirli2018 for the advice!
@Sunny_Bunny_ the second way you mentioned is actually pretty much what I am doing now. I have a long ways until I have the "last" 10-15 pounds, however they all add up.
I think I will keep on with my IF and possibly do 1, maybe 2, 24 hour ones a week. The whole autophagy thing is intriguing as I have read a lot about it.0 -
Even for olympic level athletes, meal timing has very little impact on performance - less than 1% change. What you eat and how much you eat, that is what drives your nutritional health. When you eat, doesn't matter very much. If it makes it easier to keep you food on target eating in an 8 hour window or eating just once a day, that's awesome, go you for finding a plan that works.
I calorie/carb cycle and IF. I workout 2-3 hours every day, about half of that walking, the other half a mix of weights, flexibility, and other cardio. On strength training days I eat in an 8 hour window and I eat more food. On cardio days I eat one meal, sometimes a snack and a meal, and I eat less. It's a great system for me, I am working on trimming off those last 10 lbs while also trying to put on some muscle, it's definitely more about reducing body fat for me and it's about those vanity pounds.
I definitely notice that I am less sore and seem to recover from the strength workouts better with IF. I push it pretty hard on weight days, and most of the time I don't get sore. I do keep up the salt and get plenty of water.2 -
Laneybird, check out Dr. Gustin pod cast "The Keto Answers". He is a big fan of IF and the info he gives is from a biochemistry based stand point.1
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shirli2018 wrote: »I have watched recently a YouTube video by a dr. about IF. He explained the process and the science behind it. However, he mentioned that women should modify the fasting period to be shorter (12-14 hrs) because our body will go to survival mode and is always preparing for a possible pregnancy and if fasting for too long, body wants to protect the possible fetus and think we are starving and slowdown metabolism.
I'm curious who this doctor was. This seems to be contrary to all of the other fasting advice that I have read and heard. Plus, most of the experts agree that there really isn't a such thing as "starvation mode" and even metabolic adaptation doesn't happen unless there is a quite large calorie deficit like on the Biggest Loser.0 -
I haven't heard it called "survival mode" but some women experience a boost in cortisol when fasting for long times, and that impacts metabolism and can cause a long term increase in blood glucose levels.
It doesn't seem to be something that impacts all women equally.
If you feel bad fasting, then don't, or reduce the fasting window.2 -
Is this similar? https://draxe.com/intermittent-fasting-women/ Excerpt below:WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »I'm curious who this doctor was. This seems to be contrary to all of the other fasting advice that I have read and heard. Plus, most of the experts agree that there really isn't a such thing as "starvation mode" and even metabolic adaptation doesn't happen unless there is a quite large calorie deficit like on the Biggest Loser.
To put it simply, intermittent fasting can cause hormonal imbalance in women if it’s not done correctly. (5) Women are extremely sensitive to signals of starvation, and if the body senses that it is being starved, it will ramp up production of the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin.
So when women experience insatiable hunger after under-eating, they are actually experiencing the increased production of these hormones. It’s the female body’s way of protecting a potential fetus — even when a woman is not pregnant.
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