Who’s doing intermittent fasting???

Glittzy321
Glittzy321 Posts: 29 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
How do u do it without messing up with ur hormones? I really wanna try IF. I dnt want to count cals anymore. I feel like it doesn’t work for me.

Replies

  • brittlb07
    brittlb07 Posts: 313 Member
    edited March 2019
    I am on the 16:8 plan. Fast for 16 hours and eat for 8 hours. I usually eat from 11-7 PM. While I still only eat about 1350 calories, because they are in a smaller window, I am more disciplined. I did this like clock work from January 1-March 1 and lost 16 pounds (146 to 130). I tried to reintroduce breakfast in March and I’ve reallllly slowed down my pace of losing. It seems when I eat breakfast I’m strangely just as hungry at lunch as compared to when I don’t eat breakfast. So I have jumped back into the 16:8 fast. Personally I like to eat bigger lunches and dinners that leave me feeling super full as opposed to 3 or more tiny meals. Science also says with those fasting periods you can possibly burn calories better than eating them without fasting. It depends if you believe that science or not.

    It took me maybe a week to get over the shock of no breakfast but eventually I actually felt more alert without breakfast!
  • Zhatan
    Zhatan Posts: 46 Member
    I count calories as well as IF. It really was not a big change for me as I only had a light breakfast to start with. Now I skip breakfast and eat lunch as my first meal and eat my last meal at 8 pm after training.
  • anthocyanina
    anthocyanina Posts: 86 Member
    edited March 2019
    Calorie and/or nutrient deficit (from any source: calorie restriction/dieting, fasting, extreme exercise, malnutrition, starvation) is more likely to negatively affect women's hormones than men's.

    More calories and nutrients, not less, are necessary to sustain a successful pregnancy. A women's body can definitely stop menstruating, thus preventing pregnancy, in cases of extreme calorie deficit.

    This is one of the reasons why gradual weight loss (through whatever method or program you choose) is recommended.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited March 2019
    Glittzy321 wrote: »
    How do u do it without messing up with ur hormones? I really wanna try IF. I dnt want to count cals anymore. I feel like it doesn’t work for me.

    I don't believe the idea that IF could cause hormonal issues for women is a proven fact, so I wouldn't worry about that too much if you are doing a standard IF protocol. Long term fasting I'm not so sure about.

    If counting calories is too detail oriented for you, IF may be a good strategy. Having a limited time of day that you eat during can limit the amount of food you eat. Just understand it is still the calories that determine weight loss, IF is just a way to try to lower your calories without thinking about them and control your appetite.

    Regardless, it can't hurt to try. 16:8 (only eating during an 8 hour window) is pretty standard, and basically boils down to not eating breakfast and not eating after dinner. So give it a try for a couple of months, still be generally mindful of portion control, and see what happens. For some people, IF can help their appetite and they just naturally eat less, but others can still manage to overeat. You won't know which one you are until you try. :drinker:
  • avmh11
    avmh11 Posts: 3 Member
    I started playing with IF week of 2/11, and really full force the week of 2/18 with an 18:6 schedule and now I'm on a 20:4 schedule.

    I am 28 pounds lighter since starting IF 6 weeks ago.. It works and I'm not even cutting carbs out I just don't eat for more than a few hours a day and if I know I'm going out for dinner that maybe higher calorie I just fast the day before or the day after.

    I have to count calories, to be oblivious to what we are putting in your body is a setup for failure.
    Our minds like to convince us we are fine, then you add it up and you are consuming maybe 2500+, when most of us women need not much more than 1500.

    I also do cardio exercise everyday for minimum of 30 minutes, we have enough snow on the ground I could shovel through May ;-)

    If you minimize your window it is hard to consume a lot of calories, when you can eat all day, you can consume too many calories. I struggle more with making sure I've consumed enough calories. You should experiment and see what works for you, food is a mental game. We think we need/want it but we really don't.

    I am in an office all day watching people shove themselves to death with food and drink, and literally people on their way to the grave are eating constantly, my motivation is watching these people barely able to move they are so sick, exactly what we don't want to become.
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
    Glittzy321 wrote: »
    How do u do it without messing up with ur hormones? I really wanna try IF. I dnt want to count cals anymore. I feel like it doesn’t work for me.

    You don't have to count calories if you don't want to, although many find it necessary. Some folks think it's difficult to eat enough during a small window while doing IF, and it really isn't. Peanut butter is a great example. 4 tbsp = about 380 calories and is barely enough for a serving of peanut butter and crackers.

    What I usually suggest is pretty simple.
    1. Go easy on yourself - you're here and working on it and that's awesome.
    2. Practice logging food for a couple of weeks. You don't even need a scale if you don't want to. Guess the portions, enter each meal and see how fast and easy it is. If you like after that, try a scale, just for accuracy. This will give you a good idea of what you're actually eating vs what you are guessing.
    3. Try IF for a few weeks doing the above, but make sure you aren't starving yourself. IF is a good method for some folks to restrict and fit calories in a day. If you like it and it works, great, if not, try another way.
    4. Did I mention being easy on yourself?

    Go back to basics, maybe with this thread.
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1399829/step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal

    Also an excellent thread:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    There aren't any magic bullets, but starting over with the basics outlined in those threads just might get you re-motivated.

    Best wishes to you.

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