Intermittent fasting or snacking throughout the day?

toriann319
toriann319 Posts: 994 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, before anyone comes at me with the speech about finding what works best for me, that's exactly what I'm trying to do, I just need to know what all the options may or may not be.
I am slowly trying to transition from keto/low carb to a balanced diet that I know I can stick with long term and make a lifestyle out of. I've finally made up my mind on that part. I posted before that I wanted to find a diet that suited me and my needs, because apparently I'm picky or whatever. :D

Anyways, another question I have:
What are your opinions on intermittent fasting opposed to snacking in small portions throughout the day? Has anyone tried both and have some facts, tips or tricks?

Replies

  • Unknown
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  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
    I find that eating at intervals through the day works for me. I do three meals and an evening snack, and sometimes an afternoon snack because I don't like to sit down to dinner ready to chew my arm off. If I'm that hungry when I sit down, I'll want to eat a larger portion than is in my calorie budget.

    I may eventually be able to do intermittent fasting, but at the moment I am handling my psychological issues around food by telling myself that if I am actually hungry at any time I can eat, no strings attached. I just have to actually be hungry. I'm getting okay with telling myself, "No, you've had your calories for today, this is just munchiness cause you're tired." I'm not quite to the point where I can tell myself, "No, we don't eat after this time of night or before this time in the morning," and not have that light the fuse on a binge.
  • Jacq_qui
    Jacq_qui Posts: 443 Member
    My total snacks for the day are equivalent of a meal, easily. If I try to restrict myself to just mealtimes only I am much more likely to get over-hungry and then I have zero willpower. This usually happens when I've been so busy I've kinda forgotten to eat anything. So now I eat small things more often and that seems to work for me :)
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    For me, I have found 5:2 IF the thing that just hands down works for me (in combination with counting my calories).

    Reducing my calories 500 every day just left me feeling without all day, every day. And for me, snacking is a bane because I do not really consider exactly how much I am eating and weighing every snack mid TV show isn't in my life style. So, looking at calories as a per week thing has helped a lot.

    So, I do a 2:2:3 thing really. 2 days I eat little to nothing. 3 days I eat with a 500 calorie deficit. This frees me up for 2 days a week of being bad which is common for me since I always find a reason to celebrate something every week lol.

    My plan allows me to enjoy my normal lifestyle, doesn't require me to be ultra conscious on logging absolutely every crumb and weigh every morsel, and works for me in the sense that I can keep it up for a long period of time easily without feeling I am missing out on anything at all.

    A few years back this is what I did and got myself to my goal weight for the first time ever. Got with someone and then threw all caution to the wind... door dash, nights out, etc. Annndddd gained it all back lol. So, back at it and this time will build in a maintenance plan and be mindful of not getting too "fat and happy" with the partner!
  • IronIsMyTherapy
    IronIsMyTherapy Posts: 482 Member
    Whichever allows you to be consistent with hitting your desired intake.
  • gcminton
    gcminton Posts: 170 Member
    I've done both.

    For me, eating small amounts every couple of hours just meant I was constantly hungry and fixated on food. I'm currently keto/low carb and find myself unintentionally doing IF because, while I do still get hungry, it's not a crisis I need to fix. I'm hungry but it can wait until I'm not busy or food is done or whatever, even if that's at least a couple of hours away. I'm never hangry anymore.

    The annoying truth is you'll just have to try things, and REALLY try them for at least a week or two so they have a chance, then see what you like and make changes. Maybe your priorities will even shift as you go, like mine have. For instance, I started deliberate IF a few months ago but ultimately decided screw it. Sometimes I'm hungry first thing, sometimes I'm not. I'll just eat when I'm hungry. No need to box myself in to something I don't need to.
  • Megan_smartiepants1970
    Megan_smartiepants1970 Posts: 43,257 Member
    Hi Toriann....I am keto-ish/low carb .... I was strickly keto for a while ...I just recently upped my carbs to 50g because I kept going over my carbs ....I still make a lot of keto recipes because I have tons of keto cookbooks ... I tried IF but I kept getting very light headed due to me being hyperglycemic...Wishing you the very best ..:)
  • sarahbetherck
    sarahbetherck Posts: 270 Member
    I do IF 16:8, I log all my food (usually the night before so I have a plan) and then eat whenever I want to within my 8 hour window. I map out a lunch, snacks and dinner but I don't have specific lunch or snack times as long as I get the food I pre-logged in. Sometimes I adjust a bit, but it's helped a lot.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    In the winter months when my calorie allowance drops I tend to eat in an IF (time restricted eating) style with the majority of my food eaten in the evening. I'm not rigid with eating/fasting periods though as I found that got on my nerves for no real benefit and took me further away from eating to my hunger cues. In everyday terms I simply skip breakfast as that makes me no more or less hungry but saves my calorie allowance for different parts of the day when I would miss that meal or snack.

    Spring to Autumn with a very high calorie allowance I tend more to have 3 meals a day and quite a few snacks but still with the majority of my calories eaten in the evening. Again not rigid about it, no breakfast today as a big dinner out yesterday means I'm not hungry.

    Suggest you experiment to see what suits you best, not just in terms of actual results but also in terms of how easy or hard those results come for you and how enjoyable each eating pattern is. Easy and enjoyable are two things people don't put enough emphasis on when trying to make "long term" and "lifestyle" choices.
    My experiments reinforced that the fewest rigid rules and the most flexibility the better it is for me, other people might be the complete opposite and thrive on rules and routine.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,282 Member
    What are your opinions on intermittent fasting opposed to snacking in small portions throughout the day?

    My main opinion is that those are not the only 2 choices - you can do something in between.

    In fact I would say most people, whether trying to lose weight or not, do so.

    I have never done IF and I wouldn't say I snack in small portions throughout the day either.

    Almost every day I eat a small breakfast, usually a mid morning small snack, lunch, dinner , usually a snack after dinner.
    some days on weekends a bit different - breakfast and lunch might be rolled in together (brunch) with no mid morning snack.

    But it isnt IF and it isnt small snacks throughout the day.

    You dont have to pick a 'labeled style'
  • hedgieandme
    hedgieandme Posts: 14 Member
    IF works best for me. I've never really been a breakfast eater, so cutting that out was pretty easy. Then I'm left with my 1200 calories to play with for the rest of the day. I tend to prefer a few small snacks and then a more decadent dinner because decadent feels like the opposite of diet! Sometimes I'll have two smaller meals, but quite often I don't have time for that. I find IF or OMAD gives me much more flexibility in what I can eat. I find this way of eating much more sustainable than always feeling slightly deprived.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,840 Member
    edited September 2020
    My experiences:
    - a number of years ago, before calorie counting, I tried the '6 small meals' thing. Bad idea, I ended up gaining weight because I didn't feel satisfied and still ate larger main meals.
    - the first 6-9 months of my weight loss I skipped breakfast because breakfast made me hungrier and didn't leave me enough calories for evening snacking. My routine was lunch, dinner and one or several evening snacks.
    - currently, I have breakfast on most days, on top of the routine mentioned above. What's the difference with before? I've found a filling breakfast (skyr yogurt with fruit and protein powder), I can eat breakfast at 9.30 since I've been working from home full-time since mid March (I used to have to get up at 6AM to go to work, skipping breakfast was easier) and I am a lot more active than I was at the beginning of my weight loss journey, so I have more calories to 'play' with throughout the day.
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    My cousin has tried IF and swears it made major improvements to her blood sugar levels and such. It was a bit of a struggle in the beginning but then she got used to it I guess. She stopped doing it because life got buy. Driving back & forth from home in FL to her mother (poor health) in GA multiple times a month. Road/travel makes any eating method a bit challenging!

    Personally I do not do well to go long periods of time without food. I get shaky. So meals and snacks as needed works well for me. Real/cooked food is more filling (again, for me) than frozen meals (like Smart Ones, Lean Cuisine) even though the calorie content may be similar. My snacks vary. My personal challenges are getting in more protein & eating more fruits/veggies daily. I still don't eat 'enough' fruits/veggies but I'm making baby steps.
  • BahstenB10
    BahstenB10 Posts: 227 Member
    edited September 2020
    I live by my motto: "only eat when you're hungry". If I am hungry, I eat. If I am not hungry, I don't eat. Some days I snack. Some days I don't. I find the weekends I actually eat less because I am constantly moving in the yard or doing something versus days at the office / work. Of course I don't eat whatever I want here by gorging, but when I'm hungry, I eat what I can to stay within my caloric goals. I find I can't skip breakfast during the week because I am usually doing a mid-am workout during my lunch break and if I am up for 3 hours before working out without eating, I have 0 energy. On the weekends, I can workout without breakfast because I get out of bed, have coffee, then workout.

    Try different things and figure out what works and what doesn't. Hope everyone here helps you brainstorm some ideas.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    I've dabbled with IF a few times and, calories being equal, I've never seen a difference and experiences any of the oft-touted benefits. My goals also extend beyond fat loss/weight management and I felt I was leaving some performance and muscle building potential on the table restricting my eating window contradicting my morning training sessions. Evidence shows that's likely very minor and more placebo but I find eating a varied diet throughout the day fits my lifestyle better.

    Now, I can absolutely see where if you struggle with adherence to a caloric deficit that artificially restricting one's eating window can be a game changer for fostering consistency. At the end of the day it does come down to a sustained caloric deficit. How you get there is largely window dressing.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    paperpudding wrote: »
    What are your opinions on intermittent fasting opposed to snacking in small portions throughout the day?

    My main opinion is that those are not the only 2 choices - you can do something in between.

    In fact I would say most people, whether trying to lose weight or not, do so.

    I have never done IF and I wouldn't say I snack in small portions throughout the day either.

    Almost every day I eat a small breakfast, usually a mid morning small snack, lunch, dinner , usually a snack after dinner.
    some days on weekends a bit different - breakfast and lunch might be rolled in together (brunch) with no mid morning snack.

    But it isnt IF and it isnt small snacks throughout the day.

    You dont have to pick a 'labeled style'

    Agree with this.

    Snacking does not work for me, since it tends to not satisfy me as well and I enjoy the foods (and combinations) I eat at full meals better, and also it just tends to make me think about food all day. So when I was losing I ate a breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sometimes a small dessert immediately after dinner. That's neither IF nor snacking throughout the day.

    Now I mostly (but not always) eat lunch and then an earlier dinner -- didn't work with my work schedule when I was commuting to the office, but works well for me now I'm working at home. This does generally fit into some form of IFing, but I'm not doing it for that reason and am not strict about it if I feel like breakfast one day or want a later dinner some other day. I still generally don't snack.

    What works for me, if I want to lose or maintain (I'm maintaining now), is having a schedule of when I eat my meals and a general idea/plan of what I'm going to eat at those meals (or in the course of a day) rather than just eating based on impulse. But even that is just a me thing, not something that will work for all.
  • tushitatravellogue
    tushitatravellogue Posts: 68 Member
    edited September 2020
    I do a mix mainly because of the health benefits associated with IF.
    I finish dinner by 7pm and have breakfast next morning at 9am..

    If am too hungry I may have breakfast at 8am else I wait until 9am for breakfast ..

    so that's a 13-14 hrs gap ...
    Beyond 14 hrs doesn't work for me as I need my breakfast to feel energetic..

    Through the day I have 4 small meals..
    This combination is working for me at the moment..
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    @steveko89 IF is largely window dressing. That's a really good one.
  • lorianncorrea
    lorianncorrea Posts: 151 Member
    I have been doing IF since last Dec. I gradually worked up to 16:8. Sometimes I fast longer if I'm not hungry. I usually weight & track everything I eat. It has been working for me. I used to be a late night snacker do to my work schedule. But IF helped me stop that & lose 75lbs. IF is a way of eating that i will stick to for the foreseeable future.

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