Intermittent fasting vs calorie counting for women
Options
Replies
-
I do both. For me, IF helps me stick to eating in a calorie deficit much more easily. I used to make myself eat breakfast because I thought it was "healthy" even though I'm never hungry in the morning. It was very freeing when I realized I don't need to do that. Very rarely I will eat breakfast if it's some kind of special event and on those days I am much more hungry throughout my day. I also realized that no matter how many calories I had at lunch, rather it was 300 or 800, I'm ravenous after work. So I skip breakfast, keep my lunch to 300 calories or less, and then save the majority of my calories for evening when I can enjoy them and am most hungry. On weekends, I generally don't start eating until 2 PM so that I don't burn through my calories too early in the day. Even eating this way it would be quite easy to still get too many calories. I personally don't think IF without calorie counting would be successful for most people.
I've tried the grazing/small meals throughout the day thing and hated it. I was starving all day long because even though I was eating frequently, it was never enough to be satiating. It took me a long time to realize I do much better with infrequent but big meals. I know other people who love doing the "six small meals a day" or similar because they feel like they get to eat all of the time. IMO there is nothing magical about IF. If it's not your preference for sticking to your calorie deficit it doesn't make sense to try it.5 -
I did IF for a few months some years ago when it just lined up really well with my work schedule. Never had the willpower to go back to it but it did help a lot and appealed to my laziness. I wasn't obsessing on portioning and eating tiny unfilling snacks and meals that just made me hungrier all day or worrying about the spirit of spontaneous snacking taking hold of me. I just, didn't eat. And then I the early evening I could have basically anything I wanted.
Agreed though with the main point people have made here that it's more a way to control calorie intake, it doesn't mean the calories don't matter.0 -
I am like swimmchick ^. If I start eating early it is like I am hungry all day. If I drink coffee for breakfast, coffee or tea late morn, sometimes I don’t feel hungry until late afternoon. Then I eat. I like big meals. It leaves me satisfied to eat a large meal and then have room for an evening snack so that is what I do. Usually a fruit or veg(often with dip or Pb when I am first hungry, sometimes I will switch it up and do a protein shake, then I will cook out big family supper, then a snack or the rarely planned dessert in the evening. It works well at controlling my hunger through the day, keeping my calories in the 16-2000 range for the moment, and I have some meds that are better taken spaced apart, and each without food so I know they are absorbing well early in the day too. The docs are starting to finally agree with me and suspect delayed gastric emptying, I actually find eating this way my digestion is improved. Maybe more stomach acid or digestive action later in the day? We are not sure yet. But smaller meals through the day leave me bloated and in quite a bit of pain for the past 1.5years.
People always ask about workouts. I lift in the mornnngs. Building upwards on my squat and bench, etc. Seeing great movement these past months even with some injuries(old job, massage therapy related) to overcome. And I typically also will go for a run in the aft before I eat. 2-3miles/day at the moment. After my evening meal I am out again to walk the dog or sometimes we bike instead. No energy dips, I find I have more consistent energy and more so when I keep my meal hours smaller because my gut doesn't hurt.1 -
5 -
I do both. I eat Noon-8PM and find that waiting until noon (except for one AM black coffee!) gives me more flexibility for the rest of the day. I definitely need to count calories also, portion control has always been my biggest challenge.0
-
Intermittent fasting + fasted workouts + calorie counting...its free too!
8 -
You can do it too!
6 -
Counting calories with IF is very important for another reason that I experience that has not yet been mentioned....eating too little ! IF helps with hunger so well that sometimes you just dont feel hungry especially if you try to limit your simple carbs when you do eat. It's important to count calories to make sure you are reaching your healthy calorie goal each day.5
-
joyanna2016 wrote: »Counting calories with IF is very important for another reason that I experience that has not yet been mentioned....eating too little ! IF helps with hunger so well that sometimes you just dont feel hungry especially if you try to limit your simple carbs when you do eat. It's important to count calories to make sure you are reaching your healthy calorie goal each day.
This was an extremely important note to add! I IF 16:8, eating 11a-7p and keep around a 1200-1400 daily caloric intake. There are many times I am either not hungry or get fuller faster when it is meal time. When I added extra miles to my exercise and kept the same caloric intake, I gained weight. Sometime you have to eat whether you are hungry or not (or even up your calories to a lesser deficit) to keep your metabolism in check. There is a thread on this site that talks about eating more to lose more that summarizes this topic much better than I did!0 -
If you have elevated insulin levels IF can be one of the only ways to get insulin low enough to burn fat. If no insulin issues there would be no noticeable difference1
-
-
janejellyroll wrote: »
Fung, I assume.8 -
Weight is lost by eating less calories than your body burns. How you achieve that, and getting proper nutrition requirements, is individual choice.8
-
quiksylver296 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »
Fung, I assume.
I wish he would take it down a notch.
There's nothing wrong with a diabetic/pre-diabetic using IF if it makes it easier for them to manage their weight (assuming their medical issues don't preclude it), but I hate the idea that it's the *only* way for people in this group to manage their weight. As someone who tried IF and hated it and was trending towards pre-diabetic in my overweight state, hearing that IF was the only way I could lose weight might have discouraged me from even trying (and what do you know, I managed to lose weight eating morning, noon, and night).12 -
janejellyroll wrote: »quiksylver296 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »
Fung, I assume.
I wish he would take it down a notch.
There's nothing wrong with a diabetic/pre-diabetic using IF if it makes it easier for them to manage their weight (assuming their medical issues don't preclude it), but I hate the idea that it's the *only* way for people in this group to manage their weight. As someone who tried IF and hated it and was trending towards pre-diabetic in my overweight state, hearing that IF was the only way I could lose weight might have discouraged me from even trying (and what do you know, I managed to lose weight eating morning, noon, and night).
Right?!? But you don't make money without a "hook."12 -
If you have elevated insulin levels IF can be one of the only ways to get insulin low enough to burn fat. If no insulin issues there would be no noticeable difference
It seems you don't really have a clear understanding of the physiology involved. You're statement almost might have made sense, although incomplete if you had said "elevated blood glucose levels". And the whole "get insulin levels low enough to burn fat" is just nonsensical.
When a person eats, they need insulin to get the nutrients to the cells or they die. Thus why T1D people take insulin. In people who are insulin resistant, IF can increase insulin sensitivity and help prevent T2D. But the root cause is not insulin. The root cause in the majority of cases is being overweight and inactive (yes, there are some outliers who are T2D at a normal weight). The onset of T2D can be caused by the overproduction of insulin due to insulin resistance which then results in too high BG levels.
Weight loss, exercise and, to some degree, IF and a lower carb diet can all help to correct insulin sensitively issues before they become T2D and can help those that are T2D lower or eliminate medication use. Your statement would indicate a benefit from more study of exactly how all this works.12 -
joyanna2016 wrote: »Counting calories with IF is very important for another reason that I experience that has not yet been mentioned....eating too little ! IF helps with hunger so well that sometimes you just dont feel hungry especially if you try to limit your simple carbs when you do eat. It's important to count calories to make sure you are reaching your healthy calorie goal each day.
This was an extremely important note to add! I IF 16:8, eating 11a-7p and keep around a 1200-1400 daily caloric intake. There are many times I am either not hungry or get fuller faster when it is meal time. When I added extra miles to my exercise and kept the same caloric intake, I gained weight. Sometime you have to eat whether you are hungry or not (or even up your calories to a lesser deficit) to keep your metabolism in check. There is a thread on this site that talks about eating more to lose more that summarizes this topic much better than I did!
I don't even understand what this means? If you eat 1200-1400 and are losing, then add more miles on the same calories, you wouldn't gain weight. What are you saying?
8 -
There is actually nothing magical about intermittent fasting it works the same way as calorie counting. It all comes down to the amount of energy "calories" you expend or take in. By reducing the amount of hours you eat you could be automatically reducing calories. Its a big "easier" for some people since over eating is normally tied to habit, emotion, stress, and culture.5
-
So if calorie counting works do your thing!3
-
Hi guys. I started IF (24/5) 16:8 along with logging calories in the app (keeping a little deficit) and working out cardio for Atleast 40min a day.
I did 6 days IF 16:8 & 1 day 14:10. I have only lost 1 pound so far. Any recommendations or comments as I read people loose 2-5 pounds a week on IF....0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 388 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
- 917 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions