Intermittent Fasting
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I’ve lost 70lbs since June 3rd. I do a few different things but consistently practice IF. I still have about 25-30 to go minimum.6
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ErikaGirl1 wrote: »
Thank you!! You will.1 -
I suppose I have accidentally been doing IF this week, if wanting to sleep 15 more minutes and skipping breakfast counts... (Yes, I know that technically there’s no way to “skip breakfast”). I have been a long time morning meal before work eater because I like “breakfast” type food.
I was actually surprised to find that not eating before work has decreased my mid-morning hunger. Who knows if that’s a coincidence/fluke that will change or if it’s going to be consistent. TBH, I’ve made no attempt to test or rule out other factors for this change and probably won’t. I’ve also noticed the desire for afternoon binge snacking is gone. Again, haven’t done any real experimenting to see if the “IF” has anything to do with it or not. I’m leaning toward the slightly bigger lunch as the reason for that. Snacking after dinner has never been an issue for me anyway.
So far, I’m finding it easier to hit a calorie target this way.
Honestly though, if I started feeling hungry in the mornings, I’d probably not bother making any efforts to stick it out to see if I get used to it. I’d just go back to my morning oatmeal.
No form of IF is magic though. ANY diet that works to produce actual fat loss (water weight isn’t the same thing) works because you were in a calorie deficit.3 -
ErikaGirl1 wrote: »
What approach have you ladies been taking? I just started 16:8. I am desperately hoping this is what my body needs to "let go" of the weight I can't seem to lose.2 -
I'm on my third day of fasting 16/8 and it seems very doable. My food is generally unprocessed and no refined carbs, about 50% of my diet is healthy fats. I hiked 10miles fasted today and felt amazing. I'm hoping to see improvements in my mental health and lose the last few pounds of body fat I dont need 👍1
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Switty_Kitty wrote: »ErikaGirl1 wrote: »
What approach have you ladies been taking? I just started 16:8. I am desperately hoping this is what my body needs to "let go" of the weight I can't seem to lose.
Well I originally wanted to do 16:8 when I started mid January so I try to keep it at Atleast 16:8 but due to schedule especially during work hours it typically ends up being longer fasting times like 18:6 or sometimes longer even, I haven’t lost any additional weight per week yet adding in IF. Just been the same amount weekly I was losing prior dieting and exercising without IF. But going to try it about two more weeks before just going back to regular diet and exercise.
Are you exercising and calorie restricting too?
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Wow! I'm surprised. Usually there's a plethora of folks on here enforcing "Calories In / Calories Out" and that's all that matters, etc., etc. Truth be told I do both a 16:8 fast, eating only between 10am and 6pm, AND a 5:2 fast where I eat 800 calories or less on two non-consecutive days a week. This (somehow) aided me in losing the last 20+ pounds of my 55 lb. weight loss after my weight loss had stalled for quite some time.
Are you stating that with IF it's possible to eat in a surplus and lose weight.....cuz when that happens....ya, people are going to call that out.
Like Jane said IF isn't a contrast to CICO, but rather another tool to manage your intake and get to your deficit...¯\_(ツ)_/¯14 -
I started IF in Jan of this year. I do 18:6, 1500 cal, low carb and regular exercise. I’ve lost 19 lbs as of this morning.3
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I do 20:4 as i find its the easiest way to lose weight2
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Do you all do “clean” fasting or “dirty” fasting? I still put cream in my coffee with some almond milk. I’m trying to slowly limit it over time to go to strictly black coffee. Also I try to do 18:6.0
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wannabesmaller2017 wrote: »Do you all do “clean” fasting or “dirty” fasting? I still put cream in my coffee with some almond milk. I’m trying to slowly limit it over time to go to strictly black coffee. Also I try to do 18:6.
Define "clean" or "dirty" using universally accepted definitions as it relates to nutrition.3 -
wannabesmaller2017 wrote: »Do you all do “clean” fasting or “dirty” fasting? I still put cream in my coffee with some almond milk. I’m trying to slowly limit it over time to go to strictly black coffee. Also I try to do 18:6.
Can't speak to clean vs dirty as I'm not sure what that means in the context of IF.
My first 3 months on IF, I was extremely strict with it. Absolutely not one calorie of anything outside the window, and that included almond milk for coffee, etc. I drank it black, no sugar or sweetener. In the last 5-6 months, things have loosened up a bit. I'll occasionally have cream in my coffee, and if I'm really feeling a hunger pang, I'll have some blackberries or something. I don't think it's possible to be fully strict with an IF regimen forever; at some point, accommodations must be made.
But I do think that, as a learning / break in experience, doing strict IF with zero calories outside the eating window is a good way to get introduced to the concept, and most importantly, to learn to just be hungry once in a while. This is an invaluable skill that pays off 24x7: the ability to say to oneself "I'm pretty hungry right now, but it isn't time to eat, so I'm just gonna be hungry." This is a form of Spartan discipline that is alien to people of a certain BMI (myself certainly not having been an exception early in 2019), and in my mind, the hugest payoff of IF - learning to just be hungry some of the time without responding with food. So if someone said "For two months I'm going to be hard-core about it and not have a single calorie outside my eating window" I'd probably say "Sounds like a good idea."
But I don't think it's something you can keep up forever. It's more of an initiation thing than a lifestyle thing. Eventually, real life will intrude and then the question becomes, does your IF program have enough flex that it can accommodate the randomness of life and bounce back, or are the rules so strict that once it crashes, it crashes. Flexibility is very important.
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Wow! I'm surprised. Usually there's a plethora of folks on here enforcing "Calories In / Calories Out" and that's all that matters, etc., etc. Truth be told I do both a 16:8 fast, eating only between 10am and 6pm, AND a 5:2 fast where I eat 800 calories or less on two non-consecutive days a week. This (somehow) aided me in losing the last 20+ pounds of my 55 lb. weight loss after my weight loss had stalled for quite some time.
"Enforcing" Calories in / Calories out? CICO is a mathematical principle. An energy equation and nothing more. It doesn't need to be 'enforced' any more than gravity or the heliocentric model of our solar system. They're just facts14 -
I have a question for all. Hopefully someone can answer it.
I work 12 hour shifts 7a-7p Sun-Wed and exercise those days from about 4:30-5:30. What would be the best time to fast? Is it okay to workout and not eat afterwards?0 -
I've noticed that since starting IF, I'm just, well, not hungry. That's crazy for me, since I am a notorious grazer. If food is available, it should be in my stomach.
I'm not sure about you guys, but if that's the case for you too, it's probably where the caloric deficit is coming from. I'm also becoming full much quicker. I've been told IF can destroy the female hormonal balance though, so I'm doing it on an every-other-day basis. It's surprisingly easy not to eat until after noon.6 -
NightTrane_79 wrote: »I have a question for all. Hopefully someone can answer it.
I work 12 hour shifts 7a-7p Sun-Wed and exercise those days from about 4:30-5:30. What would be the best time to fast? Is it okay to workout and not eat afterwards?
Only you can answer that question. You may not be able to easily do any on days you work or you might find it incredible easy because work distracts you.
Eating food is first and foremost about acquiring energy to fuel your bodily processes and your ability to move. If you feel sluggish and you are unable to perform your job well that is no good. If you feel fatigued and you cannot exercise the way you want that is also bad.
Losing weight is about finding a balance between creating a small energy deficit that forces your body to use stored energy to compensate while leaving you with enough energy to navigate your day. If the deficit is too steep your body will react negatively and it will begin to slow you down in an effort to preserve itself because at a certain point your body will stop using fat and start using lean body mass like muscle to help cover the energy shortage.
Meal timing is not really that important to weight loss. It might, however, be important for energy management and to avoid feeling miserably hungry too often. You may be very dependent right now on how and when you get food. You may not be.
The best way is to experiment. You could try eating 2 hours later than normal or stop eating 2 hours earlier than normal and see how that feels for a week then build on it or perhaps decide to go a different path.
There are many different ways to create a calorie deficit. This one is popular because it is easy for some people to implement. It may also be popular because it may help some people let go of notions that specific food is required to lose weight and you must deprive yourself of all treat food.
Weight loss is not assured. In fact, from experience, I can tell you that weight gain is entirely possible. I have been doing what the internet now calls 18:6 for most of my life because it came naturally. I have gained a lot of weight in that time. Now that I practice portion management I have lost a lot of weight.4 -
I do a 14/10 fast. I did some research and found some information that suggested this one to be better for women. It has really helped me recognize my hunger signals. I use IF in conjunction with CICO and I've found good success so far. Almost 20 lbs down since January!5
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I started a 16/8 intermittent routine at the beginning of the new year. So far I have lost 13.5 lbs. and it's been really easy. I have also increased my aerobic exercise which of course has contributed to the weight loss. Using the Fitness Pal calorie counter has helped immensely! Weigh, measure religiously, document and the weight comes off!2
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I am doing 16:8 IF and I am losing slower maybe because i chose to only use .5 pounds a week. Just recently changed it 1 lb will see if I can sustain it.1
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