Intermittent Fasting
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teebsters
Posts: 10 Member
Hi fellow IF-ers,
I have hit a plateau for awhile so I am trying intermittent fasting again (goal is weight loss).
Similar to keto, is there a "way/method/check" to determine if your body is hitting the "fasting weight loss" stage (i.e. on keto you can use the strips to see if body is in ketosis).
I'm hoping to get near my goal by new years...it's such a struggle.
Thanks in advance!
I have hit a plateau for awhile so I am trying intermittent fasting again (goal is weight loss).
Similar to keto, is there a "way/method/check" to determine if your body is hitting the "fasting weight loss" stage (i.e. on keto you can use the strips to see if body is in ketosis).
I'm hoping to get near my goal by new years...it's such a struggle.
Thanks in advance!
15
Replies
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I hate to burst your IF-bubble but human studies have been limited and there's little to suggest IF does anything for weight loss in the absence of a calorie deficit.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26374764
It's not a "hot tip" by any stretch but the best way I know to get things moving in the right direction is to consistently eat at a deficit. For me that means locking down my logging being diligent with my portion control.16 -
IF works by making it easier to stick to your calorie goal. What exactly are looking to find a way to measure?12
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What is a "fasting weight loss stage"? I thought people lose weight when they eat less calories than they burn. And people can gain fat even on ketosis.10
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I'm a dedicated IFer. There is one way guaranteed to get you to lose weight, count your calories and make sure you are eating less that you are burning. IF is really more of a hunger control mechanism, you still need to make sure you are in a caloric deficit in order to lose weight. For me, I know my diet is on track if I'm not really hungry until about 11 Am with just a cup of coffee, then lunch, then usually some fruit, then dinner.29
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Yeah, I agree with everyone else. I have done IF for years but there is no proven measurable fat loss zone for IF, it's just a convenient way for people to eat. I have two larger meals and a couple snacks usually.7
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There is no "fasting weight loss stage". Weight loss comes from a caloric deficit sustained over time, regardless of what time of the day you eat.
I've done 16/8 IF for years. My weight loss (or lack thereof) corresponds with my calorie intake. There's no magic to it. It just makes it easier for me to adhere to because it fits the eating pattern I'm most comfortable with.13 -
Thanks everyone; yes I understand I need to be consuming at a calorie deficit, which I am doing.
I guess I assumed your body would change its fat burning process, similar to ketosis.
Thanks for clearing that up.8 -
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of hype and woo out there about IF right now. It can be a valid strategy to help with satiety/adherence (works well for some, horribly for others), but a lot of the benefits beyond that are speculative and not yet proven by scientific research.Thanks everyone; yes I understand I need to be consuming at a calorie deficit, which I am doing.
I guess I assumed your body would change its fat burning process, similar to ketosis.
Thanks for clearing that up.13 -
I hate to burst your IF-bubble but human studies have been limited and there's little to suggest IF does anything for weight loss in the absence of a calorie deficit.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26374764
It's not a "hot tip" by any stretch but the best way I know to get things moving in the right direction is to consistently eat at a deficit. For me that means locking down my logging being diligent with my portion control.
The latest human trials do indeed suggest IF impacts weight loss, perhaps significantly, as well as several key health markers:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413118302535
https://m.ufhealth.org/news/2018/intermittent-fasting-leads-significant-weight-loss-slows-aging-uf-research-review-finds
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Unfortunately, there’s a lot of hype and woo out there about IF right now. It can be a valid strategy to help with satiety/adherence (works well for some, horribly for others), but a lot of the benefits beyond that are speculative and not yet proven by scientific research.Thanks everyone; yes I understand I need to be consuming at a calorie deficit, which I am doing.
I guess I assumed your body would change its fat burning process, similar to ketosis.
Thanks for clearing that up.
When your body goes into ketosis because you haven't eaten for 16+ hours (IF) your insulin levels will drop, insulin tells your body to use carb calories, in absence of high insulin your body will start using fat cells for energy. So in theory you would use the calories at the same rate the only difference is what kind of energy you use. This is also very dependent on the persons body I know people that can use fat cells really quickly and vice versa.
Also if your in a calorie deficiency your body might go into starvation mode and start using muscle cells for energy so I think IF worth it just to avoid the starvation mode.17 -
barmaley_bl wrote: »
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of hype and woo out there about IF right now. It can be a valid strategy to help with satiety/adherence (works well for some, horribly for others), but a lot of the benefits beyond that are speculative and not yet proven by scientific research.Thanks everyone; yes I understand I need to be consuming at a calorie deficit, which I am doing.
I guess I assumed your body would change its fat burning process, similar to ketosis.
Thanks for clearing that up.
When your body goes into ketosis because you haven't eaten for 16+ hours (IF) your insulin levels will drop, insulin tells your body to use carb calories, in absence of high insulin your body will start using fat cells for energy. So in theory you would use the calories at the same rate the only difference is what kind of energy you use. This is also very dependent on the persons body I know people that can use fat cells really quickly and vice versa.
Also if your in a calorie deficiency your body might go into starvation mode and start using muscle cells for energy so I think IF worth it just to avoid the starvation mode.
If you lose weight through IF, it's because you have created a calorie deficit. So choosing IF for weight loss to avoid "starvation mode" due to a deficit makes zero sense.
Also, "starvation mode" in the way you're describing it, isn't a real thing.10 -
1) That's not how it works: https://weightology.net/insulin-an-undeserved-bad-reputation/barmaley_bl wrote: »When your body goes into ketosis because you haven't eaten for 16+ hours (IF) your insulin levels will drop, insulin tells your body to use carb calories, in absence of high insulin your body will start using fat cells for energy. So in theory you would use the calories at the same rate the only difference is what kind of energy you use. This is also very dependent on the persons body I know people that can use fat cells really quickly and vice versa.
2) Substrate utilization is irrelevant to fat loss.
1) A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight/fat.barmaley_bl wrote: »Also if your in a calorie deficiency your body might go into starvation mode and start using muscle cells for energy so I think IF worth it just to avoid the starvation mode.
2) "Starvation mode" is a myth: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
In the context of the OP, there is no such thing as a "fasting weight loss stage" which is specifically brought about by IF, so there's no way to check for it since it doesn't exist.
10 -
barmaley_bl wrote: »
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of hype and woo out there about IF right now. It can be a valid strategy to help with satiety/adherence (works well for some, horribly for others), but a lot of the benefits beyond that are speculative and not yet proven by scientific research.Thanks everyone; yes I understand I need to be consuming at a calorie deficit, which I am doing.
I guess I assumed your body would change its fat burning process, similar to ketosis.
Thanks for clearing that up.
When your body goes into ketosis because you haven't eaten for 16+ hours (IF) your insulin levels will drop, insulin tells your body to use carb calories, in absence of high insulin your body will start using fat cells for energy. So in theory you would use the calories at the same rate the only difference is what kind of energy you use. This is also very dependent on the persons body I know people that can use fat cells really quickly and vice versa.
Also if your in a calorie deficiency your body might go into starvation mode and start using muscle cells for energy so I think IF worth it just to avoid the starvation mode.
Insulin doesn't "tell" your body to use "carb calories". Once your food is digested, and your blood sugar rises, insulin is released into your bloodstream to transport the sugar into your cells, wherever it's needed or will be stored. Insulin is the bus, not the dispatch.
And starvation mode, when it's used to mean a short term reaction to low calories, is a myth.10 -
1) That's not how it works: https://weightology.net/insulin-an-undeserved-bad-reputation/barmaley_bl wrote: »When your body goes into ketosis because you haven't eaten for 16+ hours (IF) your insulin levels will drop, insulin tells your body to use carb calories, in absence of high insulin your body will start using fat cells for energy. So in theory you would use the calories at the same rate the only difference is what kind of energy you use. This is also very dependent on the persons body I know people that can use fat cells really quickly and vice versa.
2) Substrate utilization is irrelevant to fat loss.
1) A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight/fat.barmaley_bl wrote: »Also if your in a calorie deficiency your body might go into starvation mode and start using muscle cells for energy so I think IF worth it just to avoid the starvation mode.
2) "Starvation mode" is a myth: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
In the context of the OP, there is no such thing as a "fasting weight loss stage" which is specifically brought about by IF, so there's no way to check for it since it doesn't exist.
And you don't go into ketosis in 16 hours.6 -
Re starvation mode. I don't recall if he named that but Ancel Keys did the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. 36 men were feed about 1500 calories a day which was called Semi-starvation. Their metabolism dropped, they had some mental illness and felt very cold even in the summer. So is this the same as Starvation Mode or is it a myth? I have seen the study and I keep seeing that "starvation mode is a myth". So I am confused by this apparent conflict.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
1) That's not how it works: https://weightology.net/insulin-an-undeserved-bad-reputation/barmaley_bl wrote: »When your body goes into ketosis because you haven't eaten for 16+ hours (IF) your insulin levels will drop, insulin tells your body to use carb calories, in absence of high insulin your body will start using fat cells for energy. So in theory you would use the calories at the same rate the only difference is what kind of energy you use. This is also very dependent on the persons body I know people that can use fat cells really quickly and vice versa.
2) Substrate utilization is irrelevant to fat loss.
1) A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight/fat.barmaley_bl wrote: »Also if your in a calorie deficiency your body might go into starvation mode and start using muscle cells for energy so I think IF worth it just to avoid the starvation mode.
2) "Starvation mode" is a myth: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/
In the context of the OP, there is no such thing as a "fasting weight loss stage" which is specifically brought about by IF, so there's no way to check for it since it doesn't exist.
And you don't go into ketosis in 16 hours.
I suppose if you were very low carb for a while you possibly could but I agree. When I shut down carbs I hadn't even started feeling bad yet at 16 hours.1 -
Re starvation mode. I don't recall if he named that but Ancel Keys did the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. 36 men were feed about 1500 calories a day which was called Semi-starvation. Their metabolism dropped, they had some mental illness and felt very cold even in the summer. So is this the same as Starvation Mode or is it a myth? I have seen the study and I keep seeing that "starvation mode is a myth". So I am confused by this apparent conflict.
When people say "starvation mode" on here, they're talking about how one won't lose weight, even in a calorie deficit if the deficit is too steep. That isn't what was observed in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. When you look at that study, you can see that the men clearly lost weight.
Starvation, and the attendant physical changes observed by Keys, is real. That isn't the same thing as the common diet concept known as "starvation mode."10 -
Re starvation mode. I don't recall if he named that but Ancel Keys did the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. 36 men were feed about 1500 calories a day which was called Semi-starvation. Their metabolism dropped, they had some mental illness and felt very cold even in the summer. So is this the same as Starvation Mode or is it a myth? I have seen the study and I keep seeing that "starvation mode is a myth". So I am confused by this apparent conflict.
There is a myth that if you eat too low (often just a tiny bit too low), your body "holds onto fat and won't lose any weight." Sometimes it is even claimed that you might lose weight as a result. That's a myth. It's also very often understood as what "starvation mode" is, and is commonly referenced by people who believe this happens on MFP (typically newbies).
It is true that "metabolic adaptation" happens, which means your metabolism will tend to drop as you get underweight or with a big deficit after time passes or even with a smaller deficit over a longer period of time (especially if you don't have much fat to lose). People vary in how prone they are to this, but the main point is that it doesn't cause weight gain or even weight loss to stop while one is at a deficit. Some might call this starvation mode, but usually it refers to the mythical idea discussed in my first paragraph.7 -
I have 16:8 IF for years, It works for me as I am a night time eater.
I wasn't ever aware I was IF until joining MFP 4 years ago.
I just thought I was skipping breakfast.
Give it a try to see if it helps you stick to your calories. Some like me find it great, others feel starving then want to eat everything around them.6 -
Re starvation mode. I don't recall if he named that but Ancel Keys did the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. 36 men were feed about 1500 calories a day which was called Semi-starvation. Their metabolism dropped, they had some mental illness and felt very cold even in the summer. So is this the same as Starvation Mode or is it a myth? I have seen the study and I keep seeing that "starvation mode is a myth". So I am confused by this apparent conflict.
There is a myth that if you eat too low (often just a tiny bit too low), your body "holds onto fat and won't lose any weight." Sometimes it is even claimed that you might lose weight as a result. That's a myth. It's also very often understood as what "starvation mode" is, and is commonly referenced by people who believe this happens on MFP (typically newbies).
It is true that "metabolic adaptation" happens, which means your metabolism will tend to drop as you get underweight or with a big deficit after time passes or even with a smaller deficit over a longer period of time (especially if you don't have much fat to lose). People vary in how prone they are to this, but the main point is that it doesn't cause weight gain or even weight loss to stop while one is at a deficit. Some might call this starvation mode, but usually it refers to the mythical idea discussed in my first paragraph.
Thanks, this^^ is what my understanding is but I was finding it difficult to research a myth.1
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