Thoughts on intermittent fasting

madeleinebolt696
madeleinebolt696 Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hiya!
I was just wanting some honest thoughts on intermittent fasting

Would love to know how it went, if you recommend it and if you lost any weight

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • madeleinebolt696
    madeleinebolt696 Posts: 8 Member
    yukfoo wrote: »
    I've been do IF for about 12 years now. It's not a magic bullet of any kind. It's a way of eating. If you eat in a surplus you'll gain weight. Eat in a deficit you lose weight. If was helpful to me because i couldn't walk past the fridge without sticking my head in. IF helped me achieve a bit of discipline. I have a window i adhere to and plan my calorie intake within that window. Best advice is try it and see if it's a fit for your lifestyle. I do a 18/6 (18fast, 6 feed) usually but that may be a bit extreme to start with. Maybe try the standard 16 fast 8 feed schedule then adjust as desired. It doesn't matter when you eat. If you have plans simply adjust you window to fit. If you go over you window, don't fret. Just get back on track the next day. If it's a fit for you then you just make it work. I could write a book here (a longer book...lol) but give it a try. if it helps , awesome! if not, you've lost nothing right? Best of luck in your journey. Let me know if i can be of any help :)

    btw... Please check with your doctor before starting this or any other diet or exercise program. Just to sure you don't have any underlying conditions that may be exacerbated by changes you intend to make.

    Thanks so much!! Really appreciate you replying
    Definitely going to give the 16/8 a go first and if that goes well I’ll do the 18/6
    I have a massive sweet tooth so I find it hard not to have something sweet after dinner so may have to try fit that in or give it up hahah
  • asellitti6523
    asellitti6523 Posts: 37 Member
    madeleinebolt696 wrote: »

    Thanks so much!! Really appreciate you replying
    Definitely going to give the 16/8 a go first and if that goes well I’ll do the 18/6
    I have a massive sweet tooth so I find it hard not to have something sweet after dinner so may have to try fit that in or give it up hahah

    Try eating a high quality low sugar added sea salt/dark chocolate bar as a dessert. Rich quality dark chocolate is hard to binge on and at least for me having a quarter of a bar leaves me feeling full. Another lower calorie dessert hack is taking light Cool Whip and mixing with zero sugar jello and then putting it in the freezer. Basically I take a jello mix and mix with a cup of hot water in a larger bowl, the add the tub of Light Cool Whip and then take my electric hand mixer and mix together. Pour into a ramekin, cover with press n' seal wrap and freeze. Tastes like a creamsickle without all the sugar and guilt.

  • yukfoo
    yukfoo Posts: 871 Member
    edited March 2022
    Hi again.
    I , sadly, also have a sweet tooth. Don't try and "will power* you way out of things you like. Your brain will always win. The best diet is the one you'll stick to. So eat what you like within your calorie allowances. You'll be surprised how mindful you become of your calorie distribution i.e. (is this Chinese food worth the setback to my weight loss goals)? Check your grocer and see if they have a section for diabetic foods. They are often lower in calories and taste great. Including candies, jams, syrups etc..
    I just adjust my calories to include a treat everyday. I also workout every other day (weights) and walk or run 30 minutes a day. That way i can add a bit of low-calorie chocolate or whatever, whenever i want and still remain in a deficit. You didn't mention any of your stats in your comment so I'm not sure where you are with exercise but even a daily 20 minute walk can add extra calories to your daily intake limit you get to eat back (eat about 50% of your extra calories back. People always underestimate calorie eaten and over estimate calories burned).
    Use the MyFitnessPal numbers to help determine your calorie needs. See how you're doing after a 2 weeks and adjust as needed. Again... good luck.. I hope this was a little help.

    Just one more note. Try not to keep junk food in the house. If I have to walk (or worse, drive) to the store for my sugar fix, I'll often just let it go and have a banana or something instead.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    madeleinebolt696 wrote: »
    yukfoo wrote: »
    I've been do IF for about 12 years now. It's not a magic bullet of any kind. It's a way of eating. If you eat in a surplus you'll gain weight. Eat in a deficit you lose weight. If was helpful to me because i couldn't walk past the fridge without sticking my head in. IF helped me achieve a bit of discipline. I have a window i adhere to and plan my calorie intake within that window. Best advice is try it and see if it's a fit for your lifestyle. I do a 18/6 (18fast, 6 feed) usually but that may be a bit extreme to start with. Maybe try the standard 16 fast 8 feed schedule then adjust as desired. It doesn't matter when you eat. If you have plans simply adjust you window to fit. If you go over you window, don't fret. Just get back on track the next day. If it's a fit for you then you just make it work. I could write a book here (a longer book...lol) but give it a try. if it helps , awesome! if not, you've lost nothing right? Best of luck in your journey. Let me know if i can be of any help :)

    btw... Please check with your doctor before starting this or any other diet or exercise program. Just to sure you don't have any underlying conditions that may be exacerbated by changes you intend to make.

    Thanks so much!! Really appreciate you replying
    Definitely going to give the 16/8 a go first and if that goes well I’ll do the 18/6
    I have a massive sweet tooth so I find it hard not to have something sweet after dinner so may have to try fit that in or give it up hahah

    You could also chose to bank some calories and have a nice dessert after dinner. This is what I've been doing. And find something you enjoy doing after dinner in case you're not doing that already. Just sitting in front of the tv, being bored might lead to snacking.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Did 5:2 to lose weight as I found it easier (less restrictive) to hit a sensible weekely calorie deficit.
    Lost 1lb/week until I got to goal weight.

    Tried 16:8 at goal weight but found it frustrating, annoying and more restrictive than eating the same amount of food whenever I wanted. Made me a frustrated clock watcher!

    These days I tend to mostly skip breakfast as my preference is to consume most of my food late in the day. I can skip breakfast without missing it but dislike feeling restricted in the evening. But if I'm genuinely hungry, something special is on offer or if I'm heading out for a big bike ride I will have breakfast. I simply don't thrive on rigid rules.

    I would recommend people try different eating patterns, even failed experiments can teach us something about ourselves. For me different eating schedule was and remains just part of an overall aim of making a hard job easier.

    If you like something sweet after dinner then budget for it rather than treat dieting like a penance where you have to punish yourself. Think of building an overall healthy and enjoyable diet rather than nit-picking individual items.

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