Fasting - how to get started

jellybeanmusic · May 2019

Hey, there seems to be loads of info on intermittent fasting, but I can't seem to find consistent basic info. I've searched the forum but still feel confused.

Has anyone here had success? Which protocol are you using and what sorts of things do you eat?

I can understand what the timings mean (roughly), I'm struggling to find out:

- how do you know how many calories to eat within that window? Is it my normal "diet" calorie amount just in a smaller window, or is the point not to "diet"
- what do you eat during that time? I've seen advice from "anything you want" to "as few carbs and as much protein as possible" and neither seem like healthy advice
- can you mix up protocol? Eg, does anyone do 16/8 but do you still do the 2 days of 500 cals from 5:2, or are they very separate ways of doing it? I'm a bit confused if whether 16/8 is 7 days a week or not

Any general advice about getting started would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance

Lillymoo01 · May 2019

1. Work out the time frame you want to eat in.
2. Use MFP to determine your calories for your desired goals.
3. Decide what foods you enjoy eating and can continue eating long term that gives you adequate satisfaction, protein and fat.
4. Eat those foods in the time frame you have decided.

Psst, you could do 16/8, 5:2 or anything in between. There is nothing magical about these ways of eating except that some find it easier to stay within their deficit by timing their meals/deficits this way. Because of this, the only rules are the ones that make it most workable for you.

amusedmonkey · May 2019

Counting calories is never a bad idea if you don't have a mental issue with it.

You can eat anything you want within reason. Carbs don't do much for weight loss unless they help you feel less hungry. Getting enough protein is important, but you don't need to aim for more than your needs if it makes dieting harder. The best way to approach nutrition is to just generally have as varied of a diet as you're comfortable with that includes the foods you love. It's not all or nothing, you can have a nutritious diet and still have less nutritious food sometimes. Your mental wellbeing on a diet is as important as your physical wellbeing. If you stressed and deprived you're more likely to quit your diet prematurely. It's good to have some boundaries, but it's also good to have flexibility.

You want to hit your diet calorie amounts most days within your eating window if you're not doing 5:2. You can mix protocols, but if you do 500 calories 2 days a week, make sure to eat your maintenance calories on non-500 calorie days. Doing diet calorie amounts in conjunction with 5:2 is severe undereating.

People usually do 16/8 7 days a week, but it doesn't mean you have to do it that way. You can do it any number of days you want, as long as your calories are in check. The whole point of intermittent fasting is to make sticking to your calories easier, if it's making it harder then it's either not for you or you need to make tweaks.

MikePTY · May 2019

If you are doing time window controlled IF, you eat the same amount of calories you would on a normal day doing any other form of calorie restricted dieting. So if your calorie goal is normally 1500, it's 1500 whether using IF or not. IF does not have any magical weight loss powers. You lose weight by a calorie deficit while doing it, same as from anything else. Some people find that by limiting their calorie intake to certain hours, it makes it easier to control their appetite and stay within their goals. 5:2 on the other hand is where you eat at maintenence for 5 days, and eat at very low calorie for 2 days, and get your weight loss from the calorie deficit during those two days of low eating. This is more what you would think of as a traditional "diet type". Even though they are both called intermittent fasting, they are somewhat different from each other.

You eat anything you want that fits your way of eating. Weight-loss is calories in vs calories out. What you eat doesn't have an effect. Now those of us who follow "whatever you want" tend to apply logic to it. We are not actually eating a diet consisting of pixie sticks and ice cream. Nutrition is still an important thing for overall health. We just don't believe in labeling food as "good" or "bad". That means you can have a diet that incorporates cookies or ice cream or fast food as part of it, along with other choices you make. Some trial and error usually helps figure out what fits best for you. You can do IF in conjuction with a way of eating. So you could do it with Keto or Mediterranean or Paleo or whichever. Again none of them have any special super powers. Some people may find a certain way of eating to be more satisfying, and they can do that. But, and I'm a broken record here, weight loss is calories in vs calories out.

You could theoretically combine protocols, but it is probably best to just pick one and stick to it in order to develop a routine and consistency. Most people who do 16:8 or other time window restricted IF do it 7 days a week. But there is no penalty if you go outside your IF window. Some people so more a lazier form of IF where they will keep their window most days but go outside of it for special occasions or certain snack or other reasons.

As you can see from a common theme: weight loss happens only from a calorie deficit. Many people here have successfully used IF as a means to achieve that calorie deficit, but it is not a end in an of itself to achieve weight loss. It has to be combined with appropriate calorie restriction.

sijomial · May 2019

As you are mixing up IF protocols with different goals it's not surprising you aren't getting any clarity.

5:2 is a weight loss IF protocol (5 days at maintenance, 2 days large deficit).
16:8 (or other restricted daily eating windows) can be done while losing, maintaining or gaining weight - depending on your calorie balance.

Neither 5:2 or 16:8 dictate what foods you eat, they are eating patterns not food restrictions.

Think you need to step back to the "why do IF" rather than "how to do IF" - what are you hoping to gain from changing your eating pattern?

Is there something wrong with your current diet (types of food or just quantity)?
Is your current eating pattern making your adherence to your calorie goal harder?
Are your dieting attempts better with rigid rules? (I prefer flexibility not so disliked 16:8 but skip breakfast naturally most of the time)
Are you someone who is very determined short term but gets frustrated with everyday restriction? (That's me which is why 5:2 helped me.)

lukejoycePT · May 2019

jellybeanmusic wrote: »

Hey, there seems to be loads of info on intermittent fasting, but I can't seem to find consistent basic info. I've searched the forum but still feel confused.

Has anyone here had success?

Yes myself and many people have seen great results with fasting. It's not for everyone but most people can do it. It has insane health benefits beyond fat loss and i would recommend it to anyone who is able.

Which protocol are you using and what sorts of things do you eat?

I use the 16/8 protocol. I find it the best for my life style and found it to be the most manageable. Its been proven that take a few days off from fasting a week doesn't negate the benefits so i fast monday - friday.

I can understand what the timings mean (roughly), I'm struggling to find out:

- how do you know how many calories to eat within that window? Is it my normal "diet" calorie amount just in a smaller window, or is the point not to "diet"

You eat the amount of calories to suit your current goal. so if you are trying to lose fat and your goal is 1500 cals a day then you need to consume that amount

- what do you eat during that time? I've seen advice from "anything you want" to "as few carbs and as much protein as possible" and neither seem like healthy advice

I would say to follow a healthy, balanced diet. You are what you eat. It almost makes fasting pointless if you eat fast food.

- can you mix up protocol? Eg, does anyone do 16/8 but do you still do the 2 days of 500 cals from 5:2, or are they very separate ways of doing it? I'm a bit confused if whether 16/8 is 7 days a week or not

Yes you can. Sometimes i fast for 24 hours

Any general advice about getting started would be much appreciated!

Start of small then increase the fast window as you go. listen to your body and look into the work of Rhonda Patrick, she has a lot of great information and studies on the subject.

Thanks in advance

pierinifitness · May 2019

@jellybeanmusic what are your goals?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your discipline? Assume 1 is terrible and 10 is awesome.

WholeFoods4Lyfe · May 2019

I think that for many people, it's easiest to start by dumping the PM snacks, so basically, eat nothing after dinner. If you eat dinner at 6pm, go to bed at 10pm, and then wake up at 6am, you've already fasted for 12hrs when you wake up. Then you can go slow and just start to push back the time that you eat your first meal of the day until you hit 16 or 18 hrs or whatever your goal is.

I've never been a big breakfast eater myself. I'm up around 5:30am and if I do eat breakfast, it usually isn't until at least 8:30 because I'm just not hungry. Like today, I've been up since 5:45 (slept in woohoo) and it's 10am and I'm not even hungry yet. I did have a late snack last night which I don't usually do, so my eating window today won't be until 1:30 which I'm perfectly fine with.

As for what to eat within your window, that is totally up to you. I happen to follow a Keto diet, so I'm low carb all the way. I do still count my calories, but more because I tend to under eat (between Keto and IF) and I don't want to fall below the minimum of 1200 calories, though it sometimes happens because I'm just not hungry.

For protocol, I try to stick with 18:6 most days, but some days like today I only made it to 14hrs because I couldn't resist the smell of the bacon LOL I also add in a 24hr fast 1-2 days per week and have a big meal for dinner with dessert, but it certainly isn't necessary to fast for that long if you are just doing it for calorie control.

obmckenzie · May 2019

I've been doing IF since October of 2018. Mostly a lazy IF, I started being more strict with it in April.

Q: how do you know how many calories to eat within that window? Is it my normal "diet" calorie amount just in a smaller window, or is the point not to "diet"
I maintain CICO during my Fasting window, that said I only eat when I'm hungry while I'm in the window. I've occasionally been under 1200 calories.

Q: what do you eat during that time? I've seen advice from "anything you want" to "as few carbs and as much protein as possible" and neither seem like healthy advice
I think this depends on the diet outside of IF. If you are on Keto, then do Keto. If low carb, then low carb. I have a friend that breaks her fast with a protein while I just break it with whatever I'm going to have at that meal time. Yesteray that was a tuna sandwich, today it's a hot pocket.

Q: can you mix up protocol? Eg, does anyone do 16/8 but do you still do the 2 days of 500 cals from 5:2, or are they very separate ways of doing it? I'm a bit confused if whether 16/8 is 7 days a week or not
I do IF 7 days a week. I mostly do 18:6 but if I'm not hungry I'll just push onto 20:4 or even OMAD if I'm feeling it. My longest fast was like 33.5 hours. I just wasn't hungry until the next morning.

Fasting - how to get started

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