Intermittent Fasting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm doing it--first time this week. I'll let you know how it works. Today is one of my 500 calorie days.

But why? And I don't mean that to be snarky. If the goal is to lose weight, and you can get through 2 days of only eating 500 calories...how can you not simply eat less for 7 days? I guess everyone is different, but I don't think I could function on 500 calories. And unless it did something like - made me look 10 years younger and that youthful look was enough to convince my husband he should clean the house for his young wife - I can't see it worth being miserable for 2 days every week.

Or is it just one of those short term - need a jump start on weight loss things?

Aside from the other health benefits pp mentioned, I find it easy to fast for a day at a time - you are doing something temporary, and you know you can have a reward the next day. Whereas eating well 24-7 is incessant and offers no break, nothing to look forward to beyond a lifetime of self-denial.

I agree with this. And I don't go overboard on my non-fast days, but I don't feel constantly stressed about keeping under a number of points or calories or whatever. It just sort of happens.

Ditto.

[Anonymous]

I just realized that I misread this. I thought you said intermitent farting---to which I had many opinions. But then realized it was fasting----to which I have nothing to add.

[Anonymous]

I've been doing 5:2 for almost a year with very few missed fasts. It has been the only diet that I have ever had long term success on. For me, I fast from after dinner Sunday night and do not eat a thing until 7 pm on Monday. I do the same thing on Thurs. I stay well hydrated during the day with water or lemon water. I feel just fine and am at my goal weight. Getting used to the fast probably took a few weeks.

Let's be straight, I wouldn't say I "enjoy" it, but it has been a fine way to keep my weight in check. I am better on some non-fast days then others in terms of eating clean and healthy. The one thing I insist on for myself is absolute mental freedom on non-fast days. I do not beat myself up, period. I feel far less obsessed with food overall.

I do not waver on a fast day. Never. My friends who want to have coffee, lunch, etc. have had to learn that this is my way and I'm not wavering. I am happy to meet and not eat. My friends thought I was crazy at first, but now that I have maintained for this long and been so free on non-fast days they are always asking questions, etc.

This is not the diet for everyone, it just works for me. Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

Such extremes. I just try to keep my calories in check on days I don't exercise and eat a bit more on days I do exercise. I eat in moderation the foods that are obviously bad and YES, I've been seen quite a few times in the McDondalds drive through.

I prefer to eat mindfully and just until I'm near full, but never stuffed. I also eat 6xs a day, never getting myself famished. I could NEVER eat 500cal in a day, unless I was terribly sick. I exercise too much for that nonsense.

I've been successful with just being conscious of what I eat and have a body fat % of 18.

[Anonymous]

Ugh I could never eat 6x a day. That would be so intrusive and tiresome.

I love fast days. One small lunch and done. Nothing to think about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh I could never eat 6x a day. That would be so intrusive and tiresome.

I love fast days. One small lunch and done. Nothing to think about.

Yea, if I only ate lunch all I would be thinking about is food. Eating once a day is disordered. I would be obsessed. I also work out just about daily, so not putting fuel and slowing down my metabolism when my body is working is non-optional

Today:

Omlette
Yogurt
Quinoa Salad
Lara Bar
Soup
Chocolate
Done

[Anonymous]

Your metabolism can't/won't slow from a mere 24 hour fast. Unless you are training for a marathon or even a half there are many benefits to training in a fasted state.

[Anonymous]

I'm doing the 16:8 version of this (for the past two weeks) and I like it a lot so far. I restrict my eating from about noon to about 8pm. (So far there's been one day on the weekends when it doesn't quite work out and I'm not beating myself up over that.)

I have been a devoted breakfast eater my whole life so I thought giving up breakfast would kill me, but it's been surprisingly easy. And since my breakfast of choice is cereal, it's been a real benefit to eliminate all those carbs from my diet. And since I've never been one for snacking in the evenings anyway, I'm not making up all those calories later, so it's been easier to keep to around 1400 a day.

Again, I'm surprised that "running on empty" in the mornings hasn't been miserable. It really hasn't. I like the way I feel, and I like the fact that not eating breakfast actually seems to reduce my appetite overall. Once I hit my target weight I will loosen up a bit in terms of total calories per day, but I play to stick to 16:8.

[Anonymous]

This thread makes me so happy I have a healthy relationship with food and have never gotten overweight and exercise regularly.

Ya'alls obsessed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm doing the 16:8 version of this (for the past two weeks) and I like it a lot so far. I restrict my eating from about noon to about 8pm. (So far there's been one day on the weekends when it doesn't quite work out and I'm not beating myself up over that.)

I have been a devoted breakfast eater my whole life so I thought giving up breakfast would kill me, but it's been surprisingly easy. And since my breakfast of choice is cereal, it's been a real benefit to eliminate all those carbs from my diet. And since I've never been one for snacking in the evenings anyway, I'm not making up all those calories later, so it's been easier to keep to around 1400 a day.

Again, I'm surprised that "running on empty" in the mornings hasn't been miserable. It really hasn't. I like the way I feel, and I like the fact that not eating breakfast actually seems to reduce my appetite overall. Once I hit my target weight I will loosen up a bit in terms of total calories per day, but I play to stick to 16:8.

I'm confused. Are you only eating between 12 and 8PM? You're not eating breakfast and you're not snacking after 8 when you can eat. Which 8 hours did you choose to actually eat?

1.Daily Intermittent Fasting: a 16/8, as it is informally known, where you condense your eating into a period of eight hours each day. This is my preferred method, personally speaking, and often translates to one meal around noonish and another six or seven hours later. I don’t eat outside the window (normally!), and I pass the morning hours with delicious, appetite-suppressing caffeine.

[Anonymous]

I don't formally do this, but my preferred thing is evening and going to bed "hungry". I'm not really hungry by any means and I'm never ravenous when I wake up in the morning as I think I should be. I just feel lighter and sharper, as someone mentioned. Is there an IF schedule that works for doing this since it seems to be a natural inclination of mine?

[Anonymous]

I'm not asking this to be snarky: Is this another eating disorder disguised as a health trend? Like juicing?

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP about nighttime. I can't speak for everyone, but I have never had an eating disorder. I'm in my 40s now, post children, 115lbs, 5"1. I exercise and eat everything in moderation and just need to rope in calories a little more now that I'm older. If it's something I do that I can formalize, cool.

I roll my eyes at paleo and low carb because they seriously don't work for me and they seem to be a trend, but to each his own. That kind of eating seems to be disordered to me!

I hate trends but was intrigued about the part of IF where many religions do it and that perhaps it may be good for some people to do! That's all.

So maybe a disorder for some. We'll see what works for me.

[Anonymous]

I realized that I have been slowly moving towards this, and I am going to try it out a bit. I used to have to eat breakfast within half an hour of waking up. Then I tried a mini-cleanse (it included a ton of food, including meat, grains, veggies, etc. so not dangerous or anything) for a couple weeks in which the first thing that I ate was a smoothie at 10, and by the end of the two weeks I no longer wanted food until after 10. And, I have continued that pattern for the past year. Now I am going to try to switch to 2 for one day a week and then once that is okay, I am going to try the one day a week of fasting until after 6. I am an avid yogi, and I believe that this type of control and freedom (in doses of course!) is good for you.


As a frame of reference, I am 5'2" and weigh 130, which because of my muscle tone is only about 5 pounds more than my absolute ideal weight. Sure I would love to lose that five pounds, but I in no way have or am planning to have an eating disorder.

[Anonymous]

I may try this but I would spread the calories out throught out the day, eg500 calories in 24 hours.