intermittent fasting for dummies (i.e., me)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started it after the new year and I'm really liking it. Seems much more sustainable than other weight management plans/strategies. I've lost 4 pounds so far which is obviously not much but it's only been a couple of weeks. I also haven't been super strict about it - I've skipped a couple of fasts because I had a brunch or an evening party. I do feel like it's reduced my cravings and I love the simplicity.

I have been doing a 16-8 so I don't eat anything from 8pm-12pm. I have black coffee in the morning and I drink a lot of water throughout the fast time. I have always been an evening workout person so fueling exercise hasn't been an issue for me.

4 pounds in 2 weeks is A LOT.

Most people will drop more weight in the the first few weeks of a diet but then it slows down to a normal loss rate.

Oh! that makes sense!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, this is the easiest way to control my calories. Although I have never been a big breakfast eater. My last meal of the day is usually no later than 6:30 PM. That’s when my fast starts and I don’t break it until 1130 or 1230 the next day. Although, like PP above, I do drink coffee with milk in the morning. This probably breaks my fast, but i’m still not eating a full breakfast. 🤷‍♀️

Very difficult if you are an early morning exerciser.

Not really. Not if you eat properly the day before. I work out around 8:30am, don't eat until 10:30ish. My meals are protein and fat heavy, and my carbs are eaten in the early part of the day not at night time.

830 is not early. It's just morning. MY workout begins at 5am. If you start at 830 you are likely done by 930/10. You have one or two hours to wait for nutrition. I have 5-6 hours to wait after a workout. Try it. It's a long time. My "day before" food is looooong gone by 5am.

So, it's not for you. I work out at 8am and don't eat until 4pm. I drink water and tea. I'm fine. (And, I'm a distance runner so burning plenty.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, this is the easiest way to control my calories. Although I have never been a big breakfast eater. My last meal of the day is usually no later than 6:30 PM. That’s when my fast starts and I don’t break it until 1130 or 1230 the next day. Although, like PP above, I do drink coffee with milk in the morning. This probably breaks my fast, but i’m still not eating a full breakfast. 🤷‍♀️

Very difficult if you are an early morning exerciser.

.

Disagree completely. It was hard when I was running around 4pm as a commute home from work. (My window is more like 5pm to 10pm/11pm ... because I taste while cooking dinner and like wine after.) First thing in the morning or even up until mid morning you just ride energy from the day before.

If it doesn't work for you, it does. But for many people, it does. Caveat, I never ever ate breakfast once my parents let go of it around 12 or 13 and always enjoyed a late night snack instead. I've also never been overweight. So, it wasn't a new plan more the world no longer saying how I eat is terrible.

but all you are doing is moving the window from 6 or 7 dinner (last food) to 11 pm (last food). That makes your fasting from 11pm - 3pm. You are only fasting for 4 or 5 hours before your exercise. I have a family I eat with at around 7pm. The math on your note doesn't work for early am.

Eh, it works better if you are worried about being fueled enough to workout. I guess worse if you are someone that gets super hungry after working out and that discomfort bothers you. It doesn't me. As others have said, for you, this might not be a good strategy.

In diet and in life, it's good to remember we all are different.

[Anonymous]

I just read this article: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/health/eating-timing-weight-study-wellness/index.html

IF worked for me. It was a good and easy way for calorie control.

[Anonymous]

I exercise at 5:30 AM and don't eat until noon or after. The first day or so is hard but then it becomes routine. I do have coffee in the "fast" but only two cups.

[Anonymous]

I can't drink coffee without cream and sugar so I have been drinking diet coke for my caffeine. Some say this is bad. Anyone try with and without artificial sweeteners during your fast?

[Anonymous]

Is there an optimal fast time? A pp mentioned 16 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But does it actually work?

Yes, but not if you gorge yourself with food during your eating window.

Exactly. I IF because I count and restrict calories. I find it much much easier to eat a low calorie diet when I fast. In order to stay a healthy weight at 45, I fast for at least 18hre, restrict carbs, count calories and don’t drink. This way of eating also keeps me mentally healthy and off my antidepressants.

I also throw in a monthly 24hr fast. I’d like to get to 48hrs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But does it actually work?

Yes, but not if you gorge yourself with food during your eating window.

Exactly. I IF because I count and restrict calories. I find it much much easier to eat a low calorie diet when I fast. In order to stay a healthy weight at 45, I fast for at least 18hre, restrict carbs, count calories and don’t drink. This way of eating also keeps me mentally healthy and off my antidepressants.

I also throw in a monthly 24hr fast. I’d like to get to 48hrs.

I was only able to do 24-72 hour fasts when my husband was travelling and I was going into the office - to many folks home now who don't want me fasting (my children) or wouldn't understand (my husband). I feel as if it ended up being a secret and that's just stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I exercise at 5:30 AM and don't eat until noon or after. The first day or so is hard but then it becomes routine. I do have coffee in the "fast" but only two cups.

Same here. Maybe it depends on the type of exercise and your body type. I used to do triathlon training and always ate a carby snack before early morning training. Now I've switched to HIIT and strength training and I feel great doing it fasted at 5:30 am. I feel like my food from the previous night has been digested and my blood sugars have stabilized overnight. I don't get hungry until around 10-11am, and by then I am usually busy at work, so I just push through until lunch time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't drink coffee without cream and sugar so I have been drinking diet coke for my caffeine. Some say this is bad. Anyone try with and without artificial sweeteners during your fast?

Try tea instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just read this article: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/health/eating-timing-weight-study-wellness/index.html

IF worked for me. It was a good and easy way for calorie control.

Oh gosh. That's kind of funny bc on another thread there was a big discussion of a WP article about how the timing of eating DOES matter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/10/meal-timing-big-meals/

Anyway, IF works well for me because it helps me eat less. I don't think the timing itself is the biggest factor but I'm hopeful that it's improving my insulin resistance (I had gestational diabetes with both my pregnancies and so am at an elevated risk of Type 2 diabetes)

[Anonymous]

NP - chiming in to say I do this as a lifestyle change, not as a diet, and my goal is to maintain my current weight. I have friends who want to lose weight, and they count calories, but I have been okay with just restricting my eating window so I don't snack at night. Having a hard time cutoff is easier for me than trying to figure out how many calories are in a muffin and whether or not my dinner was 1 or 1.5 servings. I just want to keep it simple.

My window is 12-8, so my family isn't affected at all. Sometimes my kids notice I don't have breakfast, and I just say I'm not hungry yet. I make sure to point out that kids need to eat more because they are still growing. If we have brunch with friends or family, I may eat a little earlier, but then I just stop earlier in the day to compensate. Sometimes my stomach rumbles around 10 am, but it stops after 10 minutes. You learn to ignore it.

[Anonymous]

Gone are the days when DCUM shrieked that fasting was disordered, unhealthy, weird and dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gone are the days when DCUM shrieked that fasting was disordered, unhealthy, weird and dangerous.

Well science is constantly evolving. It’s a good thing that people can evolve their thinking with it.