Intermittent fasting?

2

Replies

  • christenwypy
    christenwypy Posts: 336 Member
    I tried it in the beginning. I think it is a viable thing. I do not think it is dangerous if only used 1-2 times per week. For me, I thought it would be great because I am an all or nothing person. I figured I'd eat like I always do every day and one or two days not eat at all and I'd create my deficit that way.

    I only did it that first week. I think it was great because it helped me flush out all the toxins and chemicals in my body. All those sugars and such I was addicted to. I was not even hungry during it. Scratch that, I was hungry for a few hours in the beginning but I think it was more of a withdrawl than a true hunger. Eventually I moved past hunger and I found a mental/ spritual benefit to it as well.

    Anyway, I started eating healthy, very healthy. And I was working out as hard as I could. My body needed fuel. And everything I was putting in it was GOOD. So I never felt the need to fast again after that first week. Instead I felt the need to eat.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,022 Member
    for the love of god...just because something makes you lose weight DOES NOT MEAN ITS GOOD FOR YOU, no athlete would ever just deprive themselves of food altogether, if us athletes dont do it then obviously there are better ways of doing things
    Are you speaking in terms of what you think you know or from actual clinically researched information?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
    My DOCTOR actually recommended I eat this way.. I would say I follow the Leangains method, 14/10 window . It works great for me.
  • imbanter
    imbanter Posts: 72 Member
    I love going 12-16 hours with out eating. Then I eat a satisfying meal and I'm satiated all night and most of the next day. I exercise while on a fast and I'm sure dropping the fat. My cravings are down. My blood-pressure is WAY down. I feel great! Even when I exercise on the fast, I feel great! Heavy lifting can tire me a tab bit faster. That sure doesn't sound like starvation mode to me!

    The human body is designed to function on its energy reserves (fat) when in a fasted state. Its natural and normal!

    However, that is general. Some people may have heath issues or are abnormal. To each his own.

    I have only been doing it 3 days but so far I feel great. I am only eating from 12 pm to 8 pm and I have not had any problems with feeling hungry. It feels more natural than forcing myself to eat 6 times a day.
  • imbanter
    imbanter Posts: 72 Member
    Give it a try but if if makes you ravenous where you can't control the bingeing, then it won't be for you. Like one other said in here - I intermittently fast when I'm asleep, will have my coffee in the morning, breakfast if I'm hungry (I am surprisingly not too hungry) or I wait for lunch and mmmmm that sandwich tastes so good! :smile:

    I have been shocked at how well coffee has suppressed my appetite in the mornings. I 'm only 3 days in but I love it so far.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I love Eat Stop Eat. I'll fast twice a week for 20-24 hours. Your metabolism actually accelerates during 20-24 hour fasts, due to the resets of fasting hormones like leptin, ghrelin, and glucagon.
  • Abbdul
    Abbdul Posts: 103 Member
    as a Muslims we have to fast for 30days every year anyways, Muslim fast is about 10 to 16hour long
  • Bellydance
    Bellydance Posts: 105 Member
    DO IT! If it works for you, continue!! That's bottom line. Personally, I love a fast day and should do it more often. It gives your digestive system a break and it's not that hard. A 24 hour fast can last from 7 pm one night to 7pm the next night. It's not going to hurt you, that's for sure. The science is available online for free on fasting. Look up Joel Marion and his buddy John Roman(ella?), or as Roman would say "Roman (first) and then Joel!" And Flavia Del Monte has a great site. They advocate a fast day AND a cheat day. And they give you tips and advice on how to do it. But again, bottom line is, you gotta find what works for you so my advice is try everything and you can't help but find what works!! Good that you are seeking!
  • lolo406
    lolo406 Posts: 71
    Fasting when done properly can heal all kinds of ailments including obesity. Try it.
  • indrani1947
    indrani1947 Posts: 178 Member
    Fasting when done properly can heal all kinds of ailments including obesity. Try it.
    I agree one day a week a 14-16 hour or even 24 hour fast will have all positive results wish I could stick to it I struggle with 12 hour fasts.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I do it and love it. Reaserch and make your own opinion.

    Good luck
  • EllaScarlet
    EllaScarlet Posts: 165 Member
    I'm intrigued by the idea of IF. However, I am scared to try it due to the fact that I get low blood sugar and severe dizzy spells if I miss a meal. So I am thinking it might be very silly for me to fast on purpose. Thoughts, anyone??
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I wish it wasn't called intermittent fasting. That word apparently makes people think you are starving yourself for weeks.

    And fasting for 12 hours? That's called "skipping breakfast". It's not dangerous ffs.
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
    I'm intrigued by the idea of IF. However, I am scared to try it due to the fact that I get low blood sugar and severe dizzy spells if I miss a meal. So I am thinking it might be very silly for me to fast on purpose. Thoughts, anyone??

    There are several different IF protocols. Lean gains offers one where the eating window is 10 hours. Its a good start.
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member

    And fasting for 12 hours? That's called "skipping breakfast". It's not dangerous ffs.

    Or sleep :)
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member

    And fasting for 12 hours? That's called "skipping breakfast". It's not dangerous ffs.

    Or sleep :)
    True. I always forget there are people who stop eating a few hours before bedtime. :-p I don't care about food in the morning but I like to eat all evening.
  • Danube73
    Danube73 Posts: 7
    I did the 16/8 IF for about a month and a half. I lost about 10 lbs with very little effort, but then I stalled. I found that I was actually eating below my BMR after a time. I had also stopped logging my food. When I pushed by fast back a bit (more a 14/10 now) and I started logging again, the weight began to drop off again. I need at least 1750 calories per day, and I easily get those now. I was probably not even breaking 1000 calories in the last couple weeks of doing IF. I do not eat unless I am truly hungry, and I drink plenty of water to keep bloating and water retention down. I read somewhere that 14/10 is better for women, and it seems to be working well for me. Most of the fasting time is sleeping anyway, and a cup of green tea an hour or so before I break my fast really tastes good!

    I would say just be sure you're eating above BMR. Only eat when you're hungry, and eat plant-based foods as much as possible. Also, drink plenty of water. These all seem like common-sense things, but they're all things I neglected to do for years. I am more focused, I sleep better, my skin has cleared up, my hair has stopped falling out in huge chunks, and I really enjoy eating whole foods. I think IF is wonderful for many reasons, and I am sad that there are so many misconceptions out there. It is not starving oneself; on the contrary, it is being mindful of what you eat, and I think it results in greater enjoyment of nutritious food.

    Good luck!!!
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Some people do it and love it. Some people hate it.

    I like eating food in large quantities. If I don't I feel miserable. Having long periods without food and short intervals of NOMNOMNOM makes me happy (note I'm not on a proper IF schedule, this is just what I do because I like it). I eat either 1 large meal a day (usually breakfast) or 2 (usually breakfast and dinner). My feed window is usually about 6-10 hours.

    My fiancee gets dizzy and light headed if she goes for too long without a snack. While she probably could get used to IF, the time it would take for her to do so and the misery she'd go through just isn't worth it. She eats 3 square meals a day and 2 snacks, all spaced approximately 3 hours from each other.

    There is research out there suggesting benefits of different diets, but I happen to believe (there's no science behind this, just my thoughts based on what I've read) that the benefits of choosing a healthy and balanced program that you can comfortably stick with far outweigh any benefits of healthy program A over healthy program B and vice versa. I would strongly suggest going with what YOU are more likely to stick with.
  • oharabears
    oharabears Posts: 85
    Some people do it and love it. Some people hate it.

    I like eating food in large quantities. If I don't I feel miserable. Having long periods without food and short intervals of NOMNOMNOM makes me happy (note I'm not on a proper IF schedule, this is just what I do because I like it). I eat either 1 large meal a day (usually breakfast) or 2 (usually breakfast and dinner). My feed window is usually about 6-10 hours.

    My fiancee gets dizzy and light headed if she goes for too long without a snack. While she probably could get used to IF, the time it would take for her to do so and the misery she'd go through just isn't worth it. She eats 3 square meals a day and 2 snacks, all spaced approximately 3 hours from each other.

    There is research out there suggesting benefits of different diets, but I happen to believe (there's no science behind this, just my thoughts based on what I've read) that the benefits of choosing a healthy and balanced program that you can comfortably stick with far outweigh any benefits of healthy program A over healthy program B and vice versa. I would strongly suggest going with what YOU are more likely to stick with.

    AMEN!!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    My ex did and lost a pot load of weight. IF can work very well. Its fine for lean muscle gains. However for someone to put on significant muscle mass, I've yet to see significant muscle gains from it. Depends the body type you want to gain.

    Me being a bodybuilder, I feel (rather than known as fact) it would be counter productive in significant muscular gain but certainly readily could be used when cutting for comps. I'm prepared to be wrong however. Not stating as fact before someone accuses me of bro science (you know the guys who are early 20s know a little and like insulting everyone with their 'knowledge').

    However its a little worrying to actually test the theory when you've spent 8 months putting on LBM to risk losing it in such an unconventional way!

    Want to see someone else risk it!
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    I think for a male bodybuilder on a bulk it would be pretty hard to IF purely from a practical POV. Trying to get all those cals in a small window would be tough. That being said if I were allowed 4000 cals I wouldn't need to IF because I'd be able to eat a satisfying breakfast, lunch and dinner :)
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    My ex did and lost a pot load of weight. IF can work very well. Its fine for lean muscle gains. However for someone to put on significant muscle mass, I've yet to see significant muscle gains from it. Depends the body type you want to gain.

    Me being a bodybuilder, I feel (rather than known as fact) it would be counter productive in significant muscular gain but certainly readily could be used when cutting for comps. I'm prepared to be wrong however. Not stating as fact before someone accuses me of bro science (you know the guys who are early 20s know a little and like insulting everyone with their 'knowledge').

    However its a little worrying to actually test the theory when you've spent 8 months putting on LBM to risk losing it in such an unconventional way!

    Want to see someone else risk it!

    How do you cut now? I thought IF was kind of the popular choice for the cut cycle of not the bulk cycle as well...I'm pretty far removed from bb these days though so who knows.
  • builtforlife
    builtforlife Posts: 259
    I have no idea if it works and am only commenting because I was just watching this video on intermittent fasting last night. http://youtu.be/rz06vept5r8
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    How do you cut now? I thought IF was kind of the popular choice for the cut cycle of not the bulk cycle as well...I'm pretty far removed from bb these days though so who knows.

    I cut using hight protein, moderate carbs and low fats ATM. It works. The picture is me a few weeks back.
  • sunshinedazed
    sunshinedazed Posts: 61
    Fasting has done wonderful things FOR ME. I'm not a doctor and wouldn't tell anyone in the world how to eat or not eat, as the case may be. On days I fast, I double my water intake (which is already high :D) and I always feel completely refreshed. I probably fast longer than most people - closer to 36 hours than 24 - once every other week. My doctor is completely fine with this, I am not hurting myself in any way, and I am benefitting from the emotional gain of having control over what goes in my mouth.

    How can your body go into starvation mode when you have excess amounts (obviously I'm referring to obese people) of body fat? Your body has food and fuel. I wouldn't go off not eating for a week or anything, but it seems almost ridiculous to me that I should worry about my body "holding on to fat". I have about 150 lbs of the stuff that's just chillin' out and makin' me look bad, I don't think my body's too worried about not having any! :P
  • TinamarZDF
    TinamarZDF Posts: 58 Member
    Also, look up Fast 5 intermittent fasting. There are doctors who do this. Lot's of helpful information out there. I do it from time to time. I want to make it a lifestyle change. It's basically eating in a five hour window and fasting for 19. I start at 6 or 7 PM and end it the next day around 1 or 2:00.
  • mandyneedtolose
    mandyneedtolose Posts: 398 Member
    When you talk intermittent fasting, or fasting for 24 hours is that completely with no water even? Or is it just 24 hours of nothing but water? Thanks
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
    I don't know or follow intermittent fasting, only know from what is typed on here but I probably go 12 hours before eating and feel just fine. I have my last meal anywhere between 5pm - 7pm and I don't eat again until 5-am to 10am depending on what I'm doing. I doubt a 12 hour fast hurts anyone.
  • TinamarZDF
    TinamarZDF Posts: 58 Member
    Tons of water. That helps with hunger. Nothing else, though, just water for a true fast.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    I didn't comment on it being a calorie deficit or eating style really. What is it with you guys, every I post you seem to pick apart. Having fun?
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