12 Hour Fast

megancarlotta
megancarlotta Posts: 36
in Food and Nutrition
So I was reading an article from Fitness magazine and it said we should eat only in a 12 hour window. This means if your last meal is at 7 pm, you can eat after you wake up at 7 am, then be done eating again by 7pm. Its also important to note, you should be done eating 2 hours prior to when you go to bed. This is important because the first few hours at night you burn glucose, then you burn fat. But to do so you need to let your body fast.

Does anyone do this and have any feedback to share?

Replies

  • 75Juniper
    75Juniper Posts: 376
    It doesn't matter when you eat. Calories in vs. calories out. There are loads of people on here that eat late at night, eat several times a day, don't fast, etc. and have been very successful at losing weight.
  • artickb22
    artickb22 Posts: 411 Member
    I work evenings- 4p to midnight. And my gym classes (fitness and aquatic) are always between 8am and 11pm so I end up sleeping from about 2am to 8am, getting up to go workout, and trying ot take a short nap before work between noon and 2pm. Because of this I dont' get alot of continuous sleep. HOWEVER, on sundays I allow myself a break day from exercise (I do sometimes do yoga on sundays) so therefore I get to sleep in and usually end up sleeping 11-12 hours. It is WONDERFUL!! LOL. I have to say that after being a sleep for that long of a period (and therefore not eating during that time) I always wake up feeling skinnier....does that make sense? Not sure if it does but I just feel smaller. Any bloating dissapears and by that time my body's done it's work and processed anything I've ate the previous day so I'm left feelin like I have a clean slate. I love it!!! I'd def recommend it for others to try. I am a big advocate on knowing what works best for your body though also. This works for me, but it wont work for just anyone/ everyone. Ya just gotta find what works for you.

    I will say I don't really know about long term effects of fasting and I don't really do it intentionally (I dont' have that kinda willpower) but I have some Hindi friends and it's apart of their culture/religion to fast and it works welll for them.
  • pitlvr2x
    pitlvr2x Posts: 17
    was that in this months Fitness? I would like to take that article to my Dr apt and she what she says, I know it's difficult for some of us to stay within certain hours, sometimes I can workout in the a.m. and some in the p.m. ~ the days I work out at night I eat SO late I always wonder if it slows my weight loss down because I eat, shower and then go to bed...hhmmm
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    If it works for you, that's great. Certainly nothing wrong with it. It's not the only way, however.

    The rule about not eating for 2 hours before bedtime is a bit silly. Do you honestly think there's a big difference between sleeping and sitting there watching TV? Sleep is not a magical state; you will continue burning about the same as when you're sitting around awake.
  • future_runner
    future_runner Posts: 136 Member
    I know I personally sleep better if I have not eaten close to bed time, and adequate sleep is a factor in weight loss. So I try to follow the 2 hours before bed rule, but its not a hard rule for everyone. The 12 hour fast isn't either. I dont have a problem with late night snacking. A lot of people do and are really helped by a "no eating after X time" rule to stop mindless snacking. Again, not a steadfast rule but not bad advice. When I used to :smokin: everyday I had a "no munching after Xpm rule" just to keep that under control haha.
  • megancarlotta
    megancarlotta Posts: 36
    was that in this months Fitness? I would like to take that article to my Dr apt and she what she says, I know it's difficult for some of us to stay within certain hours, sometimes I can workout in the a.m. and some in the p.m. ~ the days I work out at night I eat SO late I always wonder if it slows my weight loss down because I eat, shower and then go to bed...hhmmm

    It is in this month's fitness. I know for me personally, if I eat to close to bed I have a harder time falling asleep.

    I don't usually buy Fitness magazine but it had a section on tips from some of the Olympic Hopefuls and I really wanted to check it out. I thought it was a pretty good magazine!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    So I was reading an article from Fitness magazine and it said we should eat only in a 12 hour window. This means if your last meal is at 7 pm, you can eat after you wake up at 7 am, then be done eating again by 7pm. Its also important to note, you should be done eating 2 hours prior to when you go to bed. This is important because the first few hours at night you burn glucose, then you burn fat. But to do so you need to let your body fast.

    Does anyone do this and have any feedback to share?
    I read that article. I'll have to double check, but I don't recall it being necessary to.stop eating two.hours before bed unless you have acid reflux issues. The main point was the twelve hours between your last meal and your first the next day.
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
    I love going to bed with a full belly, and I definitely sleep better.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    The part about not eating before bed is bunk. Short term fuel sourcing is irrelevant because it fails to consider fat balance (storage minus oxidation) over a longer period of time.

    Energy balance will be the important variable, not nutrient timing.


    The idea of fasting is showing SOME possible beneficial evidence, but in my opinion I don't think there's anything substantial enough to say that fasting is arbitrarily superior to someone eating 4 meals per day (as an example) given an equal comparison of calories/macros.
  • Kalynx
    Kalynx Posts: 707 Member
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:
  • gayje
    gayje Posts: 230 Member
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:

    ROFLMAO!!!!! Nearly pee'd in my jammies reading this! :laugh:
  • ZeroWoIf
    ZeroWoIf Posts: 588 Member
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:

    Not only did you made me laugh but you also made me cry. Isn't that a Calzone in your profile? Can't wait to have one again LOL.
  • crystal_darling
    crystal_darling Posts: 53 Member
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:

    LMAO!! :laugh: :laugh: That was the funniest thing I've heard all night!

    In regard to the article, Unless someone is going to bed everynight at 9pm and waking up everday at 7am.. maybe. As for me I wake up at 9:30 and don't fall asleep until about give or take 11:30. But seeing as though I'm not an expert in the matter I'll leave it at, maybe it works.. maybe it doesn't. I'm sure as hell not waking up at 7am to test it out.
  • bpmartyr
    bpmartyr Posts: 141
    I fast 16 hours every day with an 8 hour feeding window between 2 and 10pm. It has been doing wonders for body composition for me. Your mileage may vary. :)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:

    LMAO!! :laugh: :laugh: That was the funniest thing I've heard all night!

    In regard to the article, Unless someone is going to bed everynight at 9pm and waking up everday at 7am.. maybe. As for me I wake up at 9:30 and don't fall asleep until about give or take 11:30. But seeing as though I'm not an expert in the matter I'll leave it at, maybe it works.. maybe it doesn't. I'm sure as hell not waking up at 7am to test it out.
    ???

    That doesn't make any sense. Why would you need to wake up at 7 a.m.? Sleep is irrelevant. The idea is to wait 12 hours between your last meal one day and your first the next. As an example, the article says if you happen to be up really late and eat at, say, midnight, you shouldn't eat again until noon the next day, regardless of when you go to sleep or wake up.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    I did a 24hr liquid fast last week to remind myself what hunger feels like. I did it from 7pm to 7pm so I still ate my calories for the day, I just did so before and after.
    I think it was a pretty good idea to shrink my stomach a little so I didn't overeat when we went for dinner afterwards.
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
    I eat right before bed all the time and I've lost quite a bit. Time you eat is irrelevant to fat loss.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    I think stopping eating earlier helps my sleep, but not necessarily my weight loss. I find if I cut off an hour or 2 before bed, I sleep more soundly and through the night (also less/no bathroom breaks).
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    The idea of fasting is showing SOME possible beneficial evidence, but in my opinion I don't think there's anything substantial enough to say that fasting is arbitrarily superior to someone eating 4 meals per day (as an example) given an equal comparison of calories/macros.
    ^This. My emphasis added. That last line is hugely important in these types of discussions, and it's often overlooked.
  • KevDaniel
    KevDaniel Posts: 449 Member
    I don't know if 12 hours really equates to a fast. In the end it really determines how much energy you are consuming versus expending. People have this calories in calories out mentality, but it is important to note there is a difference in the "type" of calories you are consuming.

    If anything I would say no simple carbs at night because they are converted to energy rather quickly and unless your going to burn them off at night then it best not to let them get stored as fat while you sleep.
  • tinksmommy2006
    tinksmommy2006 Posts: 575
    It doesn't matter when you eat. Calories in vs. calories out. There are loads of people on here that eat late at night, eat several times a day, don't fast, etc. and have been very successful at losing weight.

    This is not true. Not for all people anyway. For me it does matter when I eat. I have hypothyroidism and a few other vitamin deficiencies and if I eat to much at one sitting, or to few meals a day, well then I can work out for 30 hours straight but i will still hold on to everything. now when i eat 5-6 small meals a day , stop eating about 2-3 hours before i go to bed...also wait at least an hour before i eat upon waking up, and work out for 30 minutes i can drop weight like it is nothing. there is a science to everyone's bodies, and every one is different so this is not true, but what the op said is not true either. every one has to find their own way of doing it....so to the noobs reading this...don't listen to anything any one says...try new things until you find what works for your own body...no two are alike :)
  • megancarlotta
    megancarlotta Posts: 36
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:

    ROFLMAO!!!!! Nearly pee'd in my jammies reading this! :laugh:


    HAHA!!!
  • HorseWithNoName27
    HorseWithNoName27 Posts: 188 Member
    I'm no expert, but I don't think your body knows what time it is beyond being asleep/being awake. I think the suggestions of "eat in a 12-hour window" and "don't eat two hours before sleep" is more for people who have issues with snack attacks.

    Just my two cents.
  • Kalynx
    Kalynx Posts: 707 Member
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:

    Not only did you made me laugh but you also made me cry. Isn't that a Calzone in your profile? Can't wait to have one again LOL.

    sorry this is so of topic, but in response not sure which photo you are referring to but I have a homemade pizza in there (i grilled the dough!) some tomatoes stuffed with ground browned pork with mozzarella, and a deli croissant filled with ricotta, lemon and lime juice and zest with some powdered sugar on top....all very delicious!! I change out photos quite a bit as there's only room for so many in there and I seem to enjoy taking pictures of my creations. lol thats how i roll.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm no expert, but I don't think your body knows what time it is beyond being asleep/being awake. I think the suggestions of "eat in a 12-hour window" and "don't eat two hours before sleep" is more for people who have issues with snack attacks.

    Just my two cents.
    The 12-hour thing has nothing to do with your body knowing time. It's how long it takes for your liver or whatever (I need to go find that article) to start burning fat. It doesn't matter what time you stop eating, only how long before you start again. This was an actual scientific study, not just random advice.
  • Kathy53925
    Kathy53925 Posts: 241 Member
    got excited, thought this topic read '12 hour FEAST' ;):drinker:

    ROFLMAO!!!!! Nearly pee'd in my jammies reading this! :laugh:



    DEFINITELY gave me a heck of a laugh!!! both of you :)

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