16:8 Intermittent Fasting Style
Replies
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Please forgive me if someone already discussed this. I must have overlooked it if anyone had!!
May I ask what you all consume during your fast? What liquids do you allow yourself? (For example, does anyone mix Mio, or Ultima electrolyte powder in their water? Apple Cider Vinegar? Pickle juice? Tea (only a bad steeped in water!)? Sparkling ICE water?
Would these beverages push someone out of a fasted state?
Thank you All very much. This community has been so helpful and consoling to me.1 -
I was doing this long before I heard of IF as a "thing." I used to make myself eat breakfast because I believed all of the nonsense about it revving up your metabolism and being the most important meal of the day, etc. It was very freeing to learn that it doesn't matter when you get your calories. I prefer to have most of mine in the evening when I'm hungriest and I can relax and enjoy them, vs. just shoving something in at work. My lunch at work is at 12:30 and then I typically eat dinner around 5:30-6:00. I try to keep lunch around 300-400 calories and then either have a big dinner or a smaller dinner plus a snack or dessert a couple of hours later. If I do the snack/dessert route I'm done eating by 8:30, if I just stick with dinner it's even earlier.
On weekends, I sleep in so it's still not very difficult to do, and I find it's easy to delay lunch until I get really hungry, which is sometimes not until late afternoon. Every once in awhile I will eat breakfast if it's a provided thing at work or something and I don't want to be rude (this is maybe 2-3x per year), and I am 10x hungrier on the days I eat in the morning, and end up eating more throughout the day in addition to the extra calories from breakfast.
I'm not sure I believe all of the supposed "other benefits," but for me it's just a much easier way to stick to my calorie goals. It also took me years to realize that I am much more satisfied with full meals vs. trying to graze/snack all day. The "grazing" plan made sense to me, but I was ravenous all day long even though I was eating every hour or so. I need a full meal to feel satisfied. I think everyone needs to figure out what works best for them and what they can stick to. If you're white knuckling it through IF because you think it's some magic plan, it's not going to work for you. It will work for you if you find it makes it easier to stick to your calorie goals.4 -
IF: 25 days in 11 pounds gone so far!3
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I’ve been an intermittent faster for many, many years. I do it because it makes me have fantastic energy and more mental clarity. It also gives me an endorphin feel, or a happier disposition. I never really felt it was necessarily anything more than a way to more easily create a deficit and control your intake, because of the limited window of eating. But I’ve changed my mind since I got down to the last 8-10 lbs to lose. I struggled for months on end with losing and gaining the same 3 lbs. Then I did 2 things: I decreased my workout times (not days per week, but each workout duration) because I felt it increased my appetite when I did longer workouts. Then I changed from 16/8 to 18/6. With NO decrease in calories. That’s when I broke that plateau and started to steadily lose again, until hitting my goal. I’m now in maintenance for about 3 months. Total personal experience , but it worked for me.5
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My wife and I do 16/8 intermittent fasting every day. The last forkful of dinner is the last thing that goes in our mouths other than water, until breakfast. As a side note, it didn't take more than two weeks to get used to this the first time we tried it, and then it became a lifestyle and positive choice, as opposed to a deprivation thing. Now we're back to IF and we really like it; in addition to weight loss benefits, it's been excellent for us as far as energy levels, less napping, and greater alertness are concerned. As to weight loss:
Being long-time CICO believers, we were very reticent to believe that IF, as with any other gimmick, could make a measurable difference. That said, it does, at least for us. Tracking cals, exercise, and weight loss as precisely as possible both with and without intermittent fasting over a 3 month period in 2017, the results from the spreadsheet were that IF kicked in another approximately 250 calories a day worth of fat burning.
That is, weight was lost at a rate of 250 cals/day more than could be explained by tracking food consumption and exercise. When the IF stopped, this "surplus" stopped too. It amounted to right around 1/2 lb per week. My MFP diet in which I follow the #'s precisely actually does underestimate my results on the scale by 1/2 lb per week - consistently - with IF. In other words, I lose 1/2 lb more per week than I should be losing, when doing the 16/8 thing.
The "why" is unknown. Maybe going to sleep on an empty stomach has some kind of beneficial effect on fat burning. Really don't know. But the effect is real, and has been for a long time for us.
As someone said above, it's another tool in the toolkit - a good one, in this case. Remember, the strict version of CICO wherein absolutely nothing matters but calories in / calories out is a theory, not a religion. The human body is a very complex system.
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My wife and I do 16/8 intermittent fasting every day. The last forkful of dinner is the last thing that goes in our mouths other than water, until breakfast.
Hang on, maybe I'm misreading that but are you saying that you're version of IF is to feed for 16 hours and fast for 8 and that 8 hour fast is done during the 8 hours you're asleep between dinner and breakfast?
Surely I've misunderstood...4 -
My wife and I do 16/8 intermittent fasting every day. The last forkful of dinner is the last thing that goes in our mouths other than water, until breakfast.
Hang on, maybe I'm misreading that but are you saying that you're version of IF is to feed for 16 hours and fast for 8 and that 8 hour fast is done during the 8 hours you're asleep between dinner and breakfast?
Surely I've misunderstood...
We have an 8 hour eating window, from 11 am to 7 pm. The 8 hours usually includes 2 meals and 2 snacks. For instance, brunch at 11, snack at 3, snack at 5, dinner at 7. Then nothing until 11 a.m. the next day. It isn't rigid. Sometimes it's 8 pm to noon, etc. We do our cardio in the morning. My wife's theory is that IF may deliver results because cardio on an empty stomach might have some kind of beneficial effect for fat burn. But who knows? It definitely works for us, but the "why" is a bit of a mystery.
Although doing an 8 hour fast which happens to coincide with being asleep sounds much easier LOL6 -
I don't find eating only between, say noon and 7 difficult, it's what I do on weekends and often on Friday (I often go out to dinner on Friday or Saturday before the theater or a concert and it's an easy way to save calories). My problem with doing it on other days is that I prefer to eat at home, so I like to have breakfast after I workout but before I leave for work (which means around 6:30 or maybe 7 at the latest), and I like to have dinner when I am home (I get home late and with cooking that means closer to 8:30 or 9). If I were going to skip a meal I'd prefer it to be lunch (I usually do have a little something for lunch, typically leftovers). I don't feel any different on days when I guess I am technically IFing and days when I am not, and I control snacking not by an eating window but just by not eating between means (my longest "fast" (I don't call not eating for part of a day a "fast" no matter how long) is sometimes 9 hours between lunch and dinner, followed by another 9 or so between dinner and breakfast (I do sleep too little usually).
Anyway, cool for those for whom an IF schedule seems to confer benefits. I personally think it likely makes one just more conscious of not just eating whenever food is around, which is what I achieve with my "only at meals" thing.1 -
Some great sharing of personal experiences and benefits of following IF, of which I too have experienced and shared before here too; thanks.
I’ve had my most impressive results doing 20/4 and 22/2 but those are more challenging unless you’re a one-man band. 18/6 is my current practice although I’m flexible because being flexible is good. Even on a long streak if 18/6 or longer, my feeding period start times are all over the clock. Would like to give 9:00 am to 3:00 pm a serious test drive but haven’t been able to do so.2 -
Please forgive me if someone already discussed this. I must have overlooked it if anyone had!!
May I ask what you all consume during your fast? What liquids do you allow yourself? (For example, does anyone mix Mio, or Ultima electrolyte powder in their water? Apple Cider Vinegar? Pickle juice? Tea (only a bad steeped in water!)? Sparkling ICE water?
Would these beverages push someone out of a fasted state?
Thank you All very much. This community has been so helpful and consoling to me.
I just drink black coffee, plain tea and/or water (w/& w/o electrolytes added) during my fasting period.
FWIW, I don't think it matters exactly what you drink during your fasting period as long as it has no or min cals and requires little or no digestive effort.
So, I don't think there would be any problem drinking any of the things you mentioned, although I'd question why you'd want to drink straight pickle juice (which may have some sugar in it) or apple cider winegar, whether fasting or not. LOL!
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I have a bit of milk in my coffee because I hate it black and don't care if it technically breaks a fast. Otherwise just water or diet soda.0
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Please forgive me if someone already discussed this. I must have overlooked it if anyone had!!
May I ask what you all consume during your fast? What liquids do you allow yourself? (For example, does anyone mix Mio, or Ultima electrolyte powder in their water? Apple Cider Vinegar? Pickle juice? Tea (only a bad steeped in water!)? Sparkling ICE water?
Would these beverages push someone out of a fasted state?
Thank you All very much. This community has been so helpful and consoling to me.
Like @sgt1372 above, during our daily 16 hr fasts my wife and I drink only plain tea (iced or hot), water (sparkling or flat), or black decaf coffee. Nothing with calories, which is pretty much in everything except water or water steeped in something. We don't mix powders into the water. Plain ole' water's been working pretty well for our species for a couple million years
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I intermittent fast .. eating 12-8pm.
It works WONDERS for me!5 -
I've been fasting for a long time. Found it to be really beneficial. I stop eating around 9:30pm and break my fast around 1:30pm the next day. Only consume black coffee, water, anything else and it's technically not fasting. I mix this with calorie cycling and carb cycling too. I don't do it friday night - sunday night. Only time i have ever seen decent changes in my physique is through fasting, plenty of ways to skin a cat as they say. Fasting and calorie/carb cycling is mine.4
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hobbitses333 wrote: »I love IF. I generally do 16:8 but I am flexible. I can go any where from 14:10 to 20:4 depending on the day. I have even done OMAD a few times because I was just too busy, and some days not done it at all because I woke up hungry.
The benefits for me have been to stop being so focused on "needing" food and calorie control is much easier for me. It has changed my relationship with food, I enjoy food more when I do eat it, I used to hate food and the fact that I had to eat, now I look forward to good food. I find meal planning much easier as I usually just snack on fresh food all day then eat a nice, big, satisfying dinner of my choosing. My appetite has decreased a bit too. I find I feel full faster, can more easily stop and leave something on my plate or toss out a disappointing food rather than just eat it. I found it easier to control intake on vacation too when I can't or don't want to log. I at least feel I am somewhat on track and am not so focused on food. A weight lifted off my shoulders.
I have 2 coffees with 2% milk and one tsp sugar every morning, no prob. I have absolutely no clue if it interrupts autophagy or what.. don't really care. I just want to lose weight. I never naturally liked breakfast anyways and have never been able to lose more than a few lbs all my life. So aside from the reported "benefits" beyond weight loss, its working great for me. 66 lbs down now.
I have learned not to let striving for the best overshadow the good. I have had some whopping calorie overages and some low cal days..and still lose weight. I even gained 11 lbs emotional eating at the midway point of the last year but have lost them all and more. A high cal day only slows me down but does not stop me.
IF helps me a lot and I feel great.. I am the lightest I have been in 27 years!!!
Wow!! Congratulations on your progress, and thank you for sharing your experience. I admire your transparency and your resilience. I hope you recognize just how much you have transformed, and continue to fix your heart on the ultimate goal of a balanced, joyful life. Learning and self development, I believe, are lifelong processes.
I am cheering you on!!
Please forgive me for prying, and please believe me when I say that I do NOT expect you to respond. I don't want to pressure people to share anything beyond their level of comfort. I am asking very personal questions; I just hope I am not imposing too much.
How long have you been following this lifestyle? (I am sorry if I missed your note of that!!)
From my understanding, you mentioned that you have recorded days where you were in caloric surplus. How often did you exceed your daily calories? Were those times during your adherence to the 16:8 intermittent fasting? How did this affect your fat loss? Did you do anything to compensate for the surplus, or did you just get right back to your regular routine?
Thank you so much. God bless you!!
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Please forgive me if someone already discussed this. I must have overlooked it if anyone had!!
May I ask what you all consume during your fast? What liquids do you allow yourself? (For example, does anyone mix Mio, or Ultima electrolyte powder in their water? Apple Cider Vinegar? Pickle juice? Tea (only a bad steeped in water!)? Sparkling ICE water?
Would these beverages push someone out of a fasted state?
Thank you All very much. This community has been so helpful and consoling to me.
I just drink black coffee, plain tea and/or water (w/& w/o electrolytes added) during my fasting period.
FWIW, I don't think it matters exactly what you drink during your fasting period as long as it has no or min cals and requires little or no digestive effort.
So, I don't think there would be any problem drinking any of the things you mentioned, although I'd question why you'd want to drink straight pickle juice (which may have some sugar in it) or apple cider winegar, whether fasting or not. LOL!
I really appreciate your constructive response. Thank you so much. (:
May I ask what kind of electrolytes you mix into your water?
Is it a mixture you create on your own, or do you purchase a specific brand?
How often do you use them?
Have you ever used Mio enhancers? I am skeptical about them, but I feel like, sometimes, my body needs a better balance of electrolytes than what tap water can provide. (I assume this need from my occasional headaches, lightheadedness, fatigue, or what I think are muscle cramps.)
Thank you, again. I don't intend to bother so much, I just really value the advice and experiences members of this community are willing to share.0 -
As others have stated before. Having anything other water/black coffee outside of the feeding window is not intermittent fasting. Some say even coffee breaks a fast as it causes your liver to produce the enzymes that process the coffee.
Ice water, fizzy water etc is fine. Just no sweeteners or calories of any kind.
It all depends what your goal is. For fat loss - having those thing won’t stop you losing weight but those add up as calories.
To gain the IF protocol benefits - you would need to stick with the protocol and have nothing other than above . A lot of people on here don’t believe there are any benefits beyond calorie control with fasting but others would disagree. There’s no solid proof of other benefits beyond this but a lot of people on here, including myself, have experienced the benefits reported.
Ultimately I’d say it’s worth a try to see how you feel on it. You can always stop at any point. It’s basically just not eating for a period of time.
I’d start off small and build up the hours. Try an 8 hour fast first maybe. Then progress on to 12 then 16.
Remember sleeping hours count towards the fast.
Happy to answer any questions. I’ve done it for a really long time.Please forgive me if someone already discussed this. I must have overlooked it if anyone had!!
May I ask what you all consume during your fast? What liquids do you allow yourself? (For example, does anyone mix Mio, or Ultima electrolyte powder in their water? Apple Cider Vinegar? Pickle juice? Tea (only a bad steeped in water!)? Sparkling ICE water?
Would these beverages push someone out of a fasted state?
Thank you All very much. This community has been so helpful and consoling to me.
I just drink black coffee, plain tea and/or water (w/& w/o electrolytes added) during my fasting period.
FWIW, I don't think it matters exactly what you drink during your fasting period as long as it has no or min cals and requires little or no digestive effort.
So, I don't think there would be any problem drinking any of the things you mentioned, although I'd question why you'd want to drink straight pickle juice (which may have some sugar in it) or apple cider winegar, whether fasting or not. LOL!
I really appreciate your constructive response. Thank you so much. (:
May I ask what kind of electrolytes you mix into your water?
Is it a mixture you create on your own, or do you purchase a specific brand?
How often do you use them?
Have you ever used Mio enhancers? I am skeptical about them, but I feel like, sometimes, my body needs a better balance of electrolytes than what tap water can provide. (I assume this need from my occasional headaches, lightheadedness, fatigue, or what I think are muscle cramps.)
Thank you, again. I don't intend to bother so much, I just really value the advice and experiences members of this community are willing to share.
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I did IF, 17:7 lunch at (11:00 nothing after 6PM) for 18 months and lost 60 lbs, reaching my goal. I'm not the perfect test, because I also gave up sugar.
I have done many different methods, but this was, by far, the best plan for me, I stuck to it longer and found it much less "painful" than other plans. For me, it's all about dealing with hunger and by eliminating sugar, which really revs my insulin, and stopping all food for 17 hours it seemed to put me back in control . At 6PM I would clean the kitchen, brush my teeth and just tell myself the kitchen was closed. Something about not having to think about food at all, make decisions for good or bad over that long stretch, was a relief to me.4 -
Please forgive me if someone already discussed this. I must have overlooked it if anyone had!!
May I ask what you all consume during your fast? What liquids do you allow yourself? (For example, does anyone mix Mio, or Ultima electrolyte powder in their water? Apple Cider Vinegar? Pickle juice? Tea (only a bad steeped in water!)? Sparkling ICE water?
Would these beverages push someone out of a fasted state?
Thank you All very much. This community has been so helpful and consoling to me.
I just drink black coffee, plain tea and/or water (w/& w/o electrolytes added) during my fasting period.
FWIW, I don't think it matters exactly what you drink during your fasting period as long as it has no or min cals and requires little or no digestive effort.
So, I don't think there would be any problem drinking any of the things you mentioned, although I'd question why you'd want to drink straight pickle juice (which may have some sugar in it) or apple cider winegar, whether fasting or not. LOL!
I really appreciate your constructive response. Thank you so much. (:
May I ask what kind of electrolytes you mix into your water?
Is it a mixture you create on your own, or do you purchase a specific brand?
How often do you use them?
Have you ever used Mio enhancers? I am skeptical about them, but I feel like, sometimes, my body needs a better balance of electrolytes than what tap water can provide. (I assume this need from my occasional headaches, lightheadedness, fatigue, or what I think are muscle cramps.)
Thank you, again. I don't intend to bother so much, I just really value the advice and experiences members of this community are willing to share.
I'm not PP, but the above could be caused by so many things, if they only happen occasionally. Headaches, lightheadedness and fatigue are often caused by undereating, though, and that might be the first place to look. They could also be caused by dehydration. A general guideline to dehydration is the color of urine - if it's pale yellow or lighter, you should be reasonably hydrated.
I don't think the average person generally needs to use electrolytes. Electrolytes are often recommended for those doing keto. I think the most common use, however, is during and after heavy exercise (because of the loss of water in your body through sweating). When I go hiking/backpacking, I always have a separate bottle of water with electrolytes (I use Nuun), otherwise the combination of exertion, heat, and sweating will lead to a migraine for me. Otherwise, I don't usually need electrolytes unless I do some other activity in the heat for a good period of time (again, because of sweating).
Muscle cramping is often caused by low magnesium. You could try some water with electrolytes to see if it helps the cramping. You could also try eating foods with more potassium and magnesium, and make sure you're getting enough sodium.
From your line of questioning, I'm curious as to why you are interested in "intermittent fasting"?2 -
I’m actually having success with IF this go around! Granted its only been 3 days but it actually feels doable!
See, 3 years ago I was convinced going to bed hungry caused insomnia. So what I did was 14:10, not eating past 10pm. This was a big deal for someone who snacks in the middle of the night and first thing upon waking. For some reason I only found myself starved and unable to do much in the morning. I also forced myself to exercise so I think this contributed. Im not going to add exercise in the morning for a week or two. Anyway it felt more restricting than it was worth it.
Fast forward to now, my last bite is at 7 or 8pm and I discovered sleeping with a heating pad around my stomach (with auto off function) helps mask the hunger pangs. What a difference!! I can go to sleep hungry! When I wake up my hunger feels non-existant to manageable. I used to struggle limiting myself to 1800-2000 calories per day—now 1400 feels satisfying. What!
I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets harder for a period of time as my body adjusts but Im feeling so excited and hopeful! I’m high carb vegan by the way. Total opposite of keto in many ways4
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