Intermittent fasting, I don’t get it
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I used to eat sporadically from the time I woke up at 5:00am until I fell into bed at 10:00pm. Then I would wake up and snack as well. Three months ago I limited my eating to 9:00am until 6:00pm. Roughly nine hours. I've lost 27 lbs. during that time. Ain't sure about the science or psychology that goes with it. I'm just happy with the results. If it doesn't work for you or the reasoning doesn't appeal to you, then it would seem best to pursue other means of controlling ones caloric intake.8
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RE the bold, very much so for me. Maintaining without counting is extremely easy for me using a "loose" IF. I don't count to the minute and will vary as much as a couple of hours on some days, but that window is always in the back of my mind.WinoGelato wrote: »
I agree, but then again I’m a moderator. One thing I’ve learned through a few years on these boards is that some people genuinely prefer not to have to think about if they can fit something in, if they will be able to stop at one serving, etc. I think for people who prefer structure and not having to put too much thought into something, IF, or any other plan that makes significant changes in calorie intake without someone feeling like they have to count or meticulously log, can be beneficial.
Not that you’re saying otherwise I’m just agreeing and expanding on why I think some people prefer this way and feel it is superior because for them it feels like less work. It wouldn’t be beneficial for me as I’ve never been a snacker and really enjoy the flexibility of a mindful moderation approach.
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WinoGelato wrote: »
I agree, but then again I’m a moderator. One thing I’ve learned through a few years on these boards is that some people genuinely prefer not to have to think about if they can fit something in, if they will be able to stop at one serving, etc. I think for people who prefer structure and not having to put too much thought into something, IF, or any other plan that makes significant changes in calorie intake without someone feeling like they have to count or meticulously log, can be beneficial.
Not that you’re saying otherwise I’m just agreeing and expanding on why I think some people prefer this way and feel it is superior because for them it feels like less work. It wouldn’t be beneficial for me as I’ve never been a snacker and really enjoy the flexibility of a mindful moderation approach.
Yeah, we are agreeing. Structure is very important for me, actually, as I'm not a natural moderator. No snacks is a hard and fast rule for me (one I do break at times, but rarely unless during the holidays).
For me, things like logging (when I was doing it), thinking about nutrition, having templates for meals that I usually use (again, not always), like having a certain amount of veg minimum per meal is a way of being mindful. I think IF is too -- knowing you do not eat at certain times prevents mindless eating.
One thing I've noticed is that people who just happened to naturally fall into an IF pattern when not trying to lose seem to have found it easy at times to overeat. That's not surprising, as just usually eating within an 8 hour window naturally would not necessarily make one more mindful.
Someone who starts doing it consciously as a way to reduce cals will also already be working on mindfulness in other ways (whether they call it that or not). Very often weight loss is easy when one is into losing/nutrition/fitness and all excited by it, it's kind of like a hobby. So that person will not only be doing IF, but be a lot more aware of what they eat than they used to be, choosing different foods in some cases or even logging to make sure cals are on point, not just eating as much as they want w/i those times but maybe only a couple of meals plus a snack, may be working out more, etc. To assume from that that it's all just about the IF (and that there's something off about people who naturally eat in the same window and can still gain) is I think ignoring the mindfulness aspect.3 -
RE the bold, very much so for me. Maintaining without counting is extremely easy for me using a "loose" IF. I don't count to the minute and will vary as much as a couple of hours on some days, but that window is always in the back of my mind.WinoGelato wrote: »
I agree, but then again I’m a moderator. One thing I’ve learned through a few years on these boards is that some people genuinely prefer not to have to think about if they can fit something in, if they will be able to stop at one serving, etc. I think for people who prefer structure and not having to put too much thought into something, IF, or any other plan that makes significant changes in calorie intake without someone feeling like they have to count or meticulously log, can be beneficial.
Not that you’re saying otherwise I’m just agreeing and expanding on why I think some people prefer this way and feel it is superior because for them it feels like less work. It wouldn’t be beneficial for me as I’ve never been a snacker and really enjoy the flexibility of a mindful moderation approach.
This is part of what I consider mindfulness.2 -
I think more than anything the study proves that once a person becomes more aware of their eating they will have a better chance of making more mindful decisions.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Just logging my food made me aware of what I was eating and when and this alone made a huge difference. I didn't need a reduced eating time to do this, but I understand that this could be beneficial for others.3 -
WinoGelato wrote: »
I agree, but then again I’m a moderator. One thing I’ve learned through a few years on these boards is that some people genuinely prefer not to have to think about if they can fit something in, if they will be able to stop at one serving, etc. I think for people who prefer structure and not having to put too much thought into something, IF, or any other plan that makes significant changes in calorie intake without someone feeling like they have to count or meticulously log, can be beneficial.
Not that you’re saying otherwise I’m just agreeing and expanding on why I think some people prefer this way and feel it is superior because for them it feels like less work. It wouldn’t be beneficial for me as I’ve never been a snacker and really enjoy the flexibility of a mindful moderation approach.
Yeah, we are agreeing. Structure is very important for me, actually, as I'm not a natural moderator. No snacks is a hard and fast rule for me (one I do break at times, but rarely unless during the holidays).
For me, things like logging (when I was doing it), thinking about nutrition, having templates for meals that I usually use (again, not always), like having a certain amount of veg minimum per meal is a way of being mindful. I think IF is too -- knowing you do not eat at certain times prevents mindless eating.
One thing I've noticed is that people who just happened to naturally fall into an IF pattern when not trying to lose seem to have found it easy at times to overeat. That's not surprising, as just usually eating within an 8 hour window naturally would not necessarily make one more mindful.
Someone who starts doing it consciously as a way to reduce cals will also already be working on mindfulness in other ways (whether they call it that or not). Very often weight loss is easy when one is into losing/nutrition/fitness and all excited by it, it's kind of like a hobby. So that person will not only be doing IF, but be a lot more aware of what they eat than they used to be, choosing different foods in some cases or even logging to make sure cals are on point, not just eating as much as they want w/i those times but maybe only a couple of meals plus a snack, may be working out more, etc. To assume from that that it's all just about the IF (and that there's something off about people who naturally eat in the same window and can still gain) is I think ignoring the mindfulness aspect.
I like that characterization of weight loss/fitness/nutrition as a hobby. Perhaps some feel that way about it and for others it's a deprivational slog. I see people complaining about all the measuring and logging that goes into a calorie deficit diet; I enjoy that part of it. I do sometimes eventually get bored with hobbies, so we'll have to see if I still feel as engaged and positive about it in a year, but 4-5 months in, to be honest my diet and exercise regimen is the most interesting thing in my life LOL2 -
It worked for Jack LaLanne. Though not exactly a 16/8 (or maybe it was?), his daily regiment limited meals to 2 --- breakfast (at 11:00 am) and dinner. If his average dinner was consumed by 7:00 pm, then it would have been a 16/8 meal plan. For Jack, it was NOT a diet, but rather, a lifestyle. Jack was a unique individual and a trend setter. May he RIP.
Myself, I cannot do a daily 16 hour fast. Not my cup of tea. I spread my calories out to prevent bloating. I literally v eat from the second I get up to shortly before bed. But there again, I'm not trying to lose weigh.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I think for people who prefer structure and not having to put too much thought into something, IF, or any other plan that makes significant changes in calorie intake without someone feeling like they have to count or meticulously log, can be beneficial.
Not that you’re saying otherwise I’m just agreeing and expanding on why I think some people prefer this way and feel it is superior because for them it feels like less work.
I've been doing IF for 3 months and, for me, doing it requires MORE, not less, effort because not only do I still have to log everything that I eat, I also have to worry about when I eat what I eat so that I won't either eat too much or too little during the day.
As for structure, my IF period is actually varies from day to day from the standard 16:8 up to 22:2 (fast:eat), depending on my mood or how hungry or full I feel each day, because I found that trying to limit myself to just 16:8 was too structured and required too much effort.0
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