Intermittent Fasting Support Group?

IF works by you consuming less calories. That's all.

No, not correct. Even if you eat all of your maintenance calories in your 8 hour window on Leangains style IF, you will still be losing fat, because IF works not only by calorie restriction but also by creating a hormonal state favorable to fat burning and muscle conservation. This is how it is possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time on Leangains. You will not be losing *as much* fat if you eat maintenance calories every day (as opposed to calorie restriction + fasting), but it will still occur. There is a veritable ton of research backing this up. It's not a "maybe" thing, this is how fasting works physiologically.

On the other hand, I agree with you about this:

I am saying your digestive system does not NEED a rest anymore than your heart does.

Resting the digestive system doesn't have much, if anything, to do with it. It's all about hormonal changes which occur in response to no food being available to burn for energy.

Day four of 16/8 for me. Today is the first day without being really hungry, no light head and no fuzzy brain! I'm still not hella hungry so this was a very good day. I guess my system is getting used to the new schedule? I don't expect every day to be so easy, right?

I am finding it easy to stay within my alloted cals which was my main reason for starting this in the first place so yay for IF!

@ Catwrangler

My question for you (and other IFers) today is, have you seen any information on how IF might affect people, especially women, over the age of 50?

No, I haven't seen any research specifically about that age group or gender (and I suppose you are specifically referring to post-menopausal women). I just did a little search and didn't find any relevant studies. Not too surprising, as the interest in researching IF intensively is fairly recent. It will take a while before they start doing studies on special segments of the population like that, I suspect.

There are a lot of hormonal changes as you get older, but I'm not sure about the specifics of insulin/glucagon, HGH, and catecholamines or their responsiveness to fasting.

@Theresamommy

See... that's why I said "If I'm correct"! I knew someone would correct me if I was wrong! Lol! When I started IF, I was reading SO many articles on the subject, and that was one of the things that stuck with me. I think the theory was that "normal" dieting today dictates that we should eat 5 meals a day, which has us eating from the time we wake up until the time we go to bed, leaving no time for "digestive rest". I think that's where the hormonal changes came in, but everything I read is just kind of running together. Thanks for setting me straight!

In a certain figurative sense, you are right, Theresa, since the pancreas is part of the digestive system, and by fasting you are giving the beta cells (which secret insulin) a mild rest (though they are still working to keep a basal level of insulin). But other parts compensate by becoming more active, i.e. the alpha cells that secrete glucagon. As for whether the actual intestines and such need rest, I've never seen anything to that effect, but who knows, maybe it does benefit your intestinal lining to not have to deal with food for a while.

My point was just that digestive rest isn't why intermittent fasting burns more fat than calorie restriction alone.

What is the purpose of fasting?? When you don't eat, your body hold o to fat

Started this about 4-5 days ago and am pretty much doing the 16/8 - start eating at 1-2pm as I like to be able to eat late.

yesterday i weighed myself and have lost a kilo - now bear in mind I only weigh myself every 4 weeks but i hadnt budged from july to mid sept, so am really wondering if this has been the piece of the puzzle that has helped. of course it could well be a coincidence

So....is a skinny latte breaking my fast? I work shift work and am EXHAUSTED when i work a morning shift (7am start) after finishing at 10pm that night and often at lunchtime have a small skinny latte (so about 3/2 cup skim milk with black coffee, no sugar or sweetener or anything else nasty. Just skim milk and black coffee).
Is this negating the point of the fast? Or is it ok?
Thanks-& love ESE btw. I was one of those people who got shaky if they went too long without food (ie 5 hours!), now I can go 18-20 without anything and feel fine.
People seem to have different views on the coffee thing so not really looking for views but those who have nutritional backgrounds or scientific evidence to back up what they are saying.
Thanks so much!

Martin Berkhan suggests 50cals max. However, keeping closer to zero is obviously the goal

24 hour is hard to do the first time but stick with it if thats how you want to do it. if you struggle getting through i would try the 16/8 next time (daily). I try to stop eating nolater than 7 pm and then can eat again at 11 am.

Just checking in to say this is working for me so far. Official weigh in in Tuesday but according to the scale this hour I have lost a pound or so (analog scale hard to read).

It's working because I am able to stick to my daily calorie allotment without going over. No magic in it, just a schedule my mind can wrap around. It's all a mind game with me.

If the studies are correct, fat burning will be a wonderful side benefit. :drinker: