Intermittent Fasting Question
Options
ready2lose2101
Posts: 47 Member
Hi everyone. So I’ve been hearing a lot about IF and want to try it out. I’ve decided to try the 16:8 version since skipping breakfast doesn’t usually phase me much.
Has anyone else had success with IF and what do you like/dislike about it? Also, what type of foods do you eat when you come out of fasting?
Thank you
Has anyone else had success with IF and what do you like/dislike about it? Also, what type of foods do you eat when you come out of fasting?
Thank you
1
Replies
-
welcome. you'll get lots of replies I am sure, but also don't hesitate to use the search function for "intermittent fasting" as it's a much discussed topic and you can get lots of opinions and thoughts that way too.
Works for some by helping control their eating window. but for me i'm the opposite, i eat 5-6 throughout the entire day from morning to night and only "fast" while I sleep
But I lost/am losing weight by adhering to a calorie deficit regularly over time. 5 -
Ideally you would eat a mixture of foods for nutrition and some for enjoyment that leave you in a calorie deficit. If you are just starting though staying in a calorie deficit is enough to start seeing some results.
Success can be defined 2 different ways in the diet world. To me success is getting to goal and staying there for an extended period of time. Some people will see success as just dropping a few pounds whether or not it goes beyond that point.
I am on what I believe is my road to success and skipping breakfast is a part of the equation because I like to eat a larger volume of food.1 -
Ive fallen into IF almost incidentally as it ended up being my favoured way to manage my calorie limit.
Skipping breakfast (something that doesnt bother me at all) allows for two good meals a day rather than a stretching 3 very controlled meals.
It really is just a tool for managing that limit, nothing else, for me.
I tend to eat salad with fruit and yoghurt for lunch, I can keep that as a relatively low cal meal, meaning when I get home I can eat whatever the family is having without worrying about whether or not I have the room in my limit.
I dont know what "success" looks like to you exactly, all I can say is that IF is playing a part in my losing weight right on schedule.
I like the relative freedom to have a couple of larger cal meals, rather than the feeling of restricting the limits of three meals.
Otherwise Id suggest the regular weight loss rules apply, stick to it, find ways of bulking your meals with veg etc to leave you more satisfied, find some handy food swaps so you can snack guilt free...5 -
ready2lose2101 wrote: »Hi everyone. So I’ve been hearing a lot about IF and want to try it out. I’ve decided to try the 16:8 version since skipping breakfast doesn’t usually phase me much.
Has anyone else had success with IF and what do you like/dislike about it? Also, what type of foods do you eat when you come out of fasting?
Thank you
What is your goal for doing IF?
If your goal is weight loss, IF can help for some people. Basically it's about appetite control. If you don't struggle with hunger in the AM or the evening, you can delay eating (or stop eating early) to save calories for the shorter eating window. This will make it easier for you to stick to your calorie deficit, and the deficit is what leads to weight loss. Some people find that they end up uncomfortable or obsessing about food during their fasting time and it actually causes them to binge, so it's not the right answer for them.
Fasting for 16 hours is really not that big a deal, so you don't need to eat anything special once you start eating.
If your goal is one of the other purported benefits of IF, the scientific research is still lacking. I did IF for a year or two, and loved saving my calories for later in the day when I really enjoyed them more. I didn't notice any benefits other than appetite control. Once my work schedule changed, I found myself waking up hungry and really struggling to wait to eat until my planned window, and eventually I went back to a more traditional eating schedule. I didn't notice any loss of anything once I stopped, except I had less calories to spend in the evening. So I can attest that for me, the appetite control was awesome, but I noticed no other benefits. I'd go back in a heartbeat if I stop being so hungry in the morning
5 -
I use 16/8 when cutting fat (which I'm doing right now after a slight bulk). I find it to be an easy way to control calories by eating only 2 meals instead of 3. I'm not a snacker. People make all kinds of other claims that the science doesn't substantiate at this time. I don't really experience any of the things that are claimed beyond calorie control.
As far as what to eat, eat whatever you prefer that meets you goals and keeps you satisfied. For me, that tends to be higher protein foods and higher fiber fruits and vegetables.4 -
For me IF helps to keep my calories in check. I find I am not satisfied until I am FULL. Small meals and snacks throughout the day don’t do that for me at all. Typically I drink black coffee and water from the time I wake up until about 3/4pm. Then I have “lunch” and depending on the day go directly into supper prep for my family. We usually eat between 6-8pm(later in the summer as we are busy with haying and farm stuff and like to use the daylight hours after everyone’s day jobs), and after supper I often still have space for a small snack. So I eat in a 4-6hr window. And I am full and happy. I loosen that up a bit on weekends sometimes, but it has been my normal routine for at least the last 18months. I find if I eat breakfast I am ravenous(my brain most likely, moreso than actual hunger) all day, and have a very hard time controlling my cravings. I do have to plan my meals well as my personal goal is more than 100gm protein, less than 100gm carbs, and 1500 cal at the lowest. I like breakfast foods so we eat eggs in any form at least one supper a week, and probably once or twice a month a full “breakfast” type meal in the evening. My older boys and husband often skip breakfast and lunch and just work all day to get the hours in, so a calorie dense meal suits us all.
ETA: autocorrect correction and a word replacement.1 -
As long as you are just using it as a way to control caloric intake and are not buying into the "magic weight loss window" some people seem to believe it is, IF can be used to great effect. So can just adhering to your caloric limit while eating 12 meals a day, however. I'd wager most find it easier to eat 2 larger meals vs a snack every hour, but to each their own.
Everyone in this thread has had good input so far.
I guess I technically do a 18:6, but that's just how my schedule works out. I honestly didn't even know IF was a thing until someone brought it to my attention. Really it is just a fancy title for "eating schedule" but people like labels.
No need to restrict types of foods unless you are going for a specific macro count as well.2 -
My wife and I do 16:8 every day. Our eating window is 11 am - 7 pm. I've measured weight loss both with and without IF, for the same # of calories, over a period of a few months and it's really true (for us) that IF leads to somewhat accelerated weight loss versus just eating the same calories without IF. If science eventually proves me wrong, so be it, but until then that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
What we like about IF:- Makes hitting the calorie target a no-brainer, versus an ongoing all day long battle between hunger and self-control. Once you really lock it into your head that after 7 pm (or whatever time you pick), that's it, non-negotiable, nothing to decide, not one single calorie goes in your mouth, then it all becomes smooth sailing,because you can pack a LOT of food into 8 hours and still hit an MFP calorie target and lose weight. And you do get used to just ... not eating outside the window, and you spend a lot less time thinking about food and being hungry.
- Meals are much more satisfying, because they are larger, since you're only gonna get two of them per day (plus some snacking within the window). IF is a substitute for the mini-meal never-fully-satisfied approach of trying to lose weight while feeling deprived and eating less than you really want at every single meal, all day long. Yesterday, I had eggs, sausage, bacon, and homestyle potatoes for breakfast, and a big portion of Tandoori chicken and rice for dinner topped off by three pieces of Dove chocolate with caramel. Try doing that while eating all day long and still losing weight, outside of IF. Can't be done. Basically IF means concentrating your calories into two truly satisfying meals rather than spreading your calories thin into 3+ unsatisfying ones.
- We are actually less hungry on IF. Less hungry at night, and we usually wake up with basically no appetite at all. Less hungry throughout the entire day. Don't know why. It just is. Takes a little while to develop that, though; don't expect that in the first 2 weeks.
- It's very, very beneficial for a range of things from blood sugar to digestive issues to sleep. It isn't just a weight loss thing.
- Science may someday prove that you don't really lose more calories than just eating the same food spread throughout the day, but here's something that's undeniably true: higher energy level with IF. Less napping, less fatigue, more energy, better workouts.
- Lastly, while your friends are suffering and complaining about the torture entailed in doing a 24 hour routine colonoscopy fast, you will breeze through it like it was any other day LOL
We follow no rules for what to eat "coming out of the fast". There's no breaking the fast with IF; there's just an eating window. It starts when it starts and ends when it ends. That said, I do think it's wise to keep an eye on the carbs while doing IF. Carbs make you crave more carbs, which doesn't fit well with a finite eating window. IF and lower carb eating work well together to take your mind off food. I'm not a low carb keto fanatic but I do think lowER carb helps with IF.18 -
My wife and I do 16:8 every day. Our eating window is 11 am - 7 pm. I've measured weight loss both with and without IF, for the same # of calories, over a period of a few months and it's really true (for us) that IF leads to somewhat accelerated weight loss versus just eating the same calories without IF. If science eventually proves me wrong, so be it, but until then that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
What we like about IF:- Makes hitting the calorie target a no-brainer, versus an ongoing all day long battle between hunger and self-control. Once you really lock it into your head that after 7 pm (or whatever time you pick), that's it, non-negotiable, nothing to decide, not one single calorie goes in your mouth, then it all becomes smooth sailing,because you can pack a LOT of food into 8 hours and still hit an MFP calorie target and lose weight. And you do get used to just ... not eating outside the window, and you spend a lot less time thinking about food and being hungry.
- Meals are much more satisfying, because they are larger, since you're only gonna get two of them per day (plus some snacking within the window). IF is a substitute for the mini-meal never-fully-satisfied approach of trying to lose weight while feeling deprived and eating less than you really want at every single meal, all day long. Yesterday, I had eggs, sausage, bacon, and homestyle potatoes for breakfast, and a big portion of Tandoori chicken and rice for dinner topped off by three pieces of Dove chocolate with caramel. Try doing that while eating all day long and still losing weight, outside of IF. Can't be done. Basically IF means concentrating your calories into two truly satisfying meals rather than spreading your calories thin into 3+ unsatisfying ones.
- We are actually less hungry on IF. Less hungry at night, and we usually wake up with basically no appetite at all. Less hungry throughout the entire day. Don't know why. It just is. Takes a little while to develop that, though; don't expect that in the first 2 weeks.
- It's very, very beneficial for a range of things from blood sugar to digestive issues to sleep. It isn't just a weight loss thing.
- Science may someday prove that you don't really lose more calories than just eating the same food spread throughout the day, but here's something that's undeniably true: higher energy level with IF. Less napping, less fatigue, more energy, better workouts.
- Lastly, while your friends are suffering and complaining about the torture entailed in doing a 24 hour routine colonoscopy fast, you will breeze through it like it was any other day LOL
We follow no rules for what to eat "coming out of the fast". There's no breaking the fast with IF; there's just an eating window. It starts when it starts and ends when it ends. That said, I do think it's wise to keep an eye on the carbs while doing IF. Carbs make you crave more carbs, which doesn't fit well with a finite eating window. IF and lower carb eating work well together to take your mind off food. I'm not a low carb keto fanatic but I do think lowER carb helps with IF.
People will probably "woo" you for this but its very possible for you, that this helps you lose weight faster.
Before everyone freaks out about CICO, yes CICO is still there and is what determines what happens.
But if eating from 11am to 7pm helps to increase your activity levels or make you nap less or motivate you to do more things, whatever it is, it can have a drastic impact on your calories burned. So by eating this way, you are likely just burning more calories throughout the day. Eating the same amount of calories and burning more will result in a higher rate of weight loss.
Same goes the other way. Some people feel the need to have constant small meals and feel depleted and tired if they have not eaten. Those types of people would likely lose less weight on IF because they'd be sitting around lazy and tired because they do not feel like they have the energy to do things.
I personally generally eat pretty much IF just out of my natural feelings of hunger. Generally not very hungry in the morning, and more hungry in the evenings.... I do notice that I lose weight when I am cutting on more calories eating more frequent small meals. For me its likely because I enjoy the feeling of feeling light when I am dieting. Eating larger meals in a shorter amount of time makes me feel heavier and makes me less excited to move around and do things. Eating small meals, that never really fill me up just satisfy me enough to get me through gives me energy to do things and keeps me feeling light which is one of the best feelings for me.
Rambled a bit there. But it can work both ways is my message. Just because someone experiences it a certain way, does not make it woo or BS.1 -
[*] Meals are much more satisfying, because they are larger, since you're only gonna get two of them per day (plus some snacking within the window). IF is a substitute for the mini-meal never-fully-satisfied approach of trying to lose weight while feeling deprived and eating less than you really want at every single meal, all day long. Yesterday, I had eggs, sausage, bacon, and homestyle potatoes for breakfast, and a big portion of Tandoori chicken and rice for dinner topped off by three pieces of Dove chocolate with caramel. Try doing that while eating all day long and still losing weight, outside of IF. Can't be done. Basically IF means concentrating your calories into two truly satisfying meals rather than spreading your calories thin into 3+ unsatisfying ones.
[*] Science may someday prove that you don't really lose more calories than just eating the same food spread throughout the day, but here's something that's undeniably true: higher energy level with IF. Less napping, less fatigue, more energy, better workouts.
[*] Lastly, while your friends are suffering and complaining about the torture entailed in doing a 24 hour routine colonoscopy fast, you will breeze through it like it was any other day LOL
[/list]
We follow no rules for what to eat "coming out of the fast". There's no breaking the fast with IF; there's just an eating window. It starts when it starts and ends when it ends. That said, I do think it's wise to keep an eye on the carbs while doing IF. Carbs make you crave more carbs, which doesn't fit well with a finite eating window. IF and lower carb eating work well together to take your mind off food. I'm not a low carb keto fanatic but I do think lowER carb helps with IF.
I am very happy IF works for you to keep you in a deficit, however people find success in many different ways!
Some people find small frequent meals very satisfying. Also I could easily fit your meals into my daily non-IF intake, because even in a deficit I happen to have a very large calorie allowance especially on a higher calorie day. So it can be done. I also find spreading out my intake more satisfying vs. being hungry in the morning and night which I hate.
Also I am glad you have found better workout performance but I prefer to fuel right before and during my workouts, fasted workouts are not a good fit for many people and their goals. So not undeniably true for everyone.
Lastly, carbs might make you and some others crave more carbs but this is not universal. For example, I can have a bit of candy or fruit and be happy and full for a few hours. In the end you have to find what works for you and remember there are many different ways to be in a successful deficit over time.
To OP.. try it out, give it time and see if it works for you especially if you aren't into eating breakfast it could be a very good fit.7 -
I love IF as it reinforced in me not eating after supper, that is so ingrained in me now I hardly think about it anymore and it is not a struggle like it used to be.
When I started IF last year I lost 25 lbs...I then stalled as at this point I have 10 lbs left to lose so as I am still doing IF mainly Monday thru Friday but I am simply trying to eat less...so I eat about half of what I normally used to at supper. Then I don't really do IF on the weekends, I just do more of a 14:10 eating day as Saturday and Sunday I like to have breakfast.
Simply doing IF was not enough for me at this point not because IF is not good but with only having 10 lbs left the weight comes off way slower and my system was probably used to my IF eating schedule so no shock to it anymore:) so just concentrating on eating less seems to have gotten the scale moving again.0 -
People will probably "woo" you for this but its very possible for you, that this helps you lose weight faster.
Before everyone freaks out about CICO, yes CICO is still there and is what determines what happens.
I wasn't intending to imply that IF could be a substitute for CICO. Any long-term, effective diet is CICO based. The variable is how the calories get divided up during the day, but that's a worthy discussion within the constraints of CICO. Eating schedule can impact many things, from perceived hunger throughout the day to energy levels, to most importantly, ability to stick with the diet over time. A lot of things are in play below the main CICO tab, which I believe IF can help (some but not all people) with.
Doing IF without tracking net calories is a recipe for disaster - the larger meals made possible by IF can easily turn into frenzied food bacchanalia in the absence of calorie discipline. I have seen at least one person use IF to justify going berserk over dinner - after all, she wouldn't be eating until the next day! Out came the Haagen-Dazs. That is not what IF is about. It absolutely requires a CICO overlay.
I do find IF very useful as a subset of CICO dieting and speaking for myself a positive lifestyle change I feel I could do indefinitely. And I am hugely less hungry or obsessed with food on IF than other dieting approaches.5 -
But if eating from 11am to 7pm helps to increase your activity levels or make you nap less or motivate you to do more things, whatever it is, it can have a drastic impact on your calories burned. So by eating this way, you are likely just burning more calories throughout the day. Eating the same amount of calories and burning more will result in a higher rate of weight loss.
Finally, an explanation for the extra weight loss of IF that makes sense. I have to admit, it's been a great mystery. I follow the MFP numbers pretty religiously but lose an extra 1/2 lb a week or so with IF and it's been inexplicable. But this really does make sense, I just generally feel more active and want to do more things when doing IF, and so does my wife. So we're probably up one increment from "sedentary" on the TDEE continuum, while keeping the cardio workouts the same. Hence, same gross calories but lower net.
1 -
I’ve been in maintenance since February 20th and have never come close to leaving it but continue with IF (or TRE as some prefer calling it) because of all the benefits it gives me which mirror what some have shared in earlier lengthy posts here.
I describe IF now as a lifestyle rather than a weight loss tool I’m using.
SinceI started using the Zero Fasting app a while ago, here’s what my IF is currently looking like:
1 -
The "Woo" is a modern digital form of pointing a long finger at someone and screaming "heretic".
It isn't MFP's shining achievement, to say the least. Nobody ever lost a gram of fat hitting a Woo key or getting Woo'd. What a dumb little piece of functionality for a serious web site.5 -
I do find IF very useful as a subset of CICO dieting and speaking for myself a positive lifestyle change I feel I could do indefinitely. And I am hugely less hungry or obsessed with food on IF than other dieting approaches.
CICO is an energy equation not a dieting method. It applies to maintaining and gaining weight as much as losing.
CI<CO lose weight
CI=CO maintain weight
CI>CO gain weight
1 -
I do find IF very useful as a subset of CICO dieting and speaking for myself a positive lifestyle change I feel I could do indefinitely. And I am hugely less hungry or obsessed with food on IF than other dieting approaches.
CICO is an energy equation not a dieting method. It applies to maintaining and gaining weight as much as losing.
CI<CO lose weight
CI=CO maintain weight
CI>CO gain weight
I've been using CICO for 20 years. It is an energy equation. It is also a dieting method.
One dieting method would be to, say, eat no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. Another dieting method would be to, say, eat a grapefruit first thing in the morning. And a 3rd dieting method would be to monitor and log your calories in and calories out and ensure that you are creating a deficit that's safe and produces the amount of lbs lost you want to achieve per week. That is CICO dieting. A method, based on an energy equation.5 -
I started IF 3 weeks ago after my weight stalled for a month with CICO and exercise. I've lost a little over a pound a week since starting 16/8 IF. I have coffee in the morning. I can eat from 12 pm - 8 pm. It has helped me quit the useless snacking in the evenings. My caloric intake is set the same at 1420, but I have an easier time keeping it with IF. I take the weekends off to a point. I might have breakfast with my family or pizza after 8 pm with the kids. Search for the Intermittent Fasting Group. There are diehard fasters and then there are more easy-going types like me. Lots of good advice and support there.
Good luck!1 -
But if eating from 11am to 7pm helps to increase your activity levels or make you nap less or motivate you to do more things, whatever it is, it can have a drastic impact on your calories burned. So by eating this way, you are likely just burning more calories throughout the day. Eating the same amount of calories and burning more will result in a higher rate of weight loss.
Finally, an explanation for the extra weight loss of IF that makes sense. I have to admit, it's been a great mystery. I follow the MFP numbers pretty religiously but lose an extra 1/2 lb a week or so with IF and it's been inexplicable. But this really does make sense, I just generally feel more active and want to do more things when doing IF, and so does my wife. So we're probably up one increment from "sedentary" on the TDEE continuum, while keeping the cardio workouts the same. Hence, same gross calories but lower net.
It is a possible explanation. While it seems less common some people, I am one of them, tend to log calories higher than they really are. My brain doesn't like that we deal with averages so I am always buffering my calories a little.1 -
I do find IF very useful as a subset of CICO dieting and speaking for myself a positive lifestyle change I feel I could do indefinitely. And I am hugely less hungry or obsessed with food on IF than other dieting approaches.
CICO is an energy equation not a dieting method. It applies to maintaining and gaining weight as much as losing.
CI<CO lose weight
CI=CO maintain weight
CI>CO gain weight
I've been using CICO for 20 years. It is an energy equation. It is also a dieting method.
One dieting method would be to, say, eat no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. Another dieting method would be to, say, eat a grapefruit first thing in the morning. And a 3rd dieting method would be to monitor and log your calories in and calories out and ensure that you are creating a deficit that's safe and produces the amount of lbs lost you want to achieve per week. That is CICO dieting. A method, based on an energy equation.
Not quite... all diets work via CICO, calorie counting is the dieting method that people try to control CICO directly4
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 913 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions