Intermittent Fasting Thread

[Anonymous]

NP and I started 4 days ago. I am doing 16:8 and I feel amazing. I can’t believe I didn’t discover this earlier. Imagine, all of that guilt from munching food at night, just gone. And I feel like I have so much more energy. And control. If I’m craving something I just tell myself I can still have it. It is also inspired me to make better choices about the food that I eat within my window. I can’t believe I didn’t discover this earlier. Imagine, all of that guilt from munching food at night, just gone. And I feel like I have so much more energy. And control. If I’m craving something I just tell myself I can still have it. It has also inspired me to make better choices about the food that I eat with in my window. And, I have so much more energy that I started exercising. I think the 16:8 is really easy. I just stop eating at 7:30 PM, and then I skip breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Rhonda here:

Started 5/12
SW: 145
CW:139
GW: 125

So happy to be back in the 130s!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP about counting calories. I've been doing 16:8 for about a month and lost only 3 pounds-- exercising 1hr daily (running HIIT, walks), and eating 1200-1400 calories (very carefully tracking). 3 pounds is something but seems slow. I am overweight and want to lose 10-15 pounds which should put me in a good healthy range. This week, I've cut out all added sugar and refined carbs. That said, IF is pretty easy to do, and I hope to use it as maintenance, especially when I have to go back into the office when I won't have the time to track calories. At first, I had trouble with energy and working out fasted, but now my body has adjusted and I can even do longer runs with no problem. Has anyone tried multiple versions of IF and found one worked better than others (24 hrs fast/5:2/ eat-stop-eat, etc.)?

I don’t think 16:8 is going to move the needle on weight loss much. I think if you pushed it a bit more, like to 20:4 on some days, you’d probably see better results. I try to do 24 hours once per week. I’d also worry less about calories, with that level of exercise you need to eat a bit more to build muscle, so eating so little might be counterproductive at this point.

Thanks. I’ll go by Mya.
I’ve started to stretch the fast a couple of times and have gotten up to 18. I’ll try 20. Down one more pound.
I’m thinking after 5 more I’ll up calories to 1500. What happens if I don’t eat enough to build the muscle? I’ve turned the exercise down one notch. Shorter hit workouts and a little leas milage for runs because I’m running out of energy.

It doesn’t make any sense to cut calories to the point where your workouts are impaired. There is no point in working out if you are not giving your body what it needs to get stronger. Eat more during your window, the results will be better. Putting on a bit more muscle will make everything easier.

[Anonymous]

The best time for me to work out is usually mid-morning, like 9/10 am. I find it challenging to do a good workout without any breakfast at all. I just end up feeling lightheaded and really tired. How do you get past this?

[Anonymous]

Joining in as Charlotte! I have been doing 16:8 for the past week and loving it. My window is noon to 8pm and it’s not that difficult for me since I’ve never been a breakfast person anyway. I already feel less bloated. I have coffee with a bit of half and half in the morning and loads of water. I have been doing 45 minutes of power walking mid-morning every day and haven’t felt dizzy or hungry at all, even in the heat. I also got a Fitbit to keep myself motivated.

I have about 40 pounds to lose...had two babies in a row and my youngest is 18 months now. I just really want to be healthy for myself and my family. I feel ready and hope it sticks this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP about counting calories. I've been doing 16:8 for about a month and lost only 3 pounds-- exercising 1hr daily (running HIIT, walks), and eating 1200-1400 calories (very carefully tracking). 3 pounds is something but seems slow. I am overweight and want to lose 10-15 pounds which should put me in a good healthy range. This week, I've cut out all added sugar and refined carbs. That said, IF is pretty easy to do, and I hope to use it as maintenance, especially when I have to go back into the office when I won't have the time to track calories. At first, I had trouble with energy and working out fasted, but now my body has adjusted and I can even do longer runs with no problem. Has anyone tried multiple versions of IF and found one worked better than others (24 hrs fast/5:2/ eat-stop-eat, etc.)?

I don’t think 16:8 is going to move the needle on weight loss much. I think if you pushed it a bit more, like to 20:4 on some days, you’d probably see better results. I try to do 24 hours once per week. I’d also worry less about calories, with that level of exercise you need to eat a bit more to build muscle, so eating so little might be counterproductive at this point.

Thanks. I’ll go by Mya.
I’ve started to stretch the fast a couple of times and have gotten up to 18. I’ll try 20. Down one more pound.
I’m thinking after 5 more I’ll up calories to 1500. What happens if I don’t eat enough to build the muscle? I’ve turned the exercise down one notch. Shorter hit workouts and a little leas milage for runs because I’m running out of energy.

It doesn’t make any sense to cut calories to the point where your workouts are impaired. There is no point in working out if you are not giving your body what it needs to get stronger. Eat more during your window, the results will be better. Putting on a bit more muscle will make everything easier.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a try. I am not losing any weight right now, so it doesn't hurt to shake things up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best time for me to work out is usually mid-morning, like 9/10 am. I find it challenging to do a good workout without any breakfast at all. I just end up feeling lightheaded and really tired. How do you get past this?

Mya here. Over time, this got better for me if I worked out earlier, like 8:30 or 9 at the latest, but I can't do a lot of intensity or increase running milage. But this is the problem with IF for me. It's making it hard to workout the way I like. A lot of people here swear by it, but I am really not seeing the results people are touting and don't think there would be big changes if I ate the same reduced calories and activity level. It is a useful tool on the days I can work out early, or on lighter workout days because it's easier to reduce calories when I don't start eating as early.

The one other option I came across is trying Keto coffee that has added coconut oil or butter in the morning for immediate energy for workouts. You aren't really fasting, but you can get energy without raising glycogen levels, and can still burn fat. Has anyone tried this?

[Anonymous]

Good question PP.

One question I also have for IF devotees -- is there still a benefit if I were to do it half the time? Like every other day skip breakfast and have at least a 16 hour fast? I'm just not seeing how I make it work with mid-morning sports/activities that I engage in some days.

[Anonymous]

NP here! I'm predisposed to diabetes so excited to start IF -- plan was to start this coming Monday. I have a 7.5 month old and am breastfeeding -- has any body experienced supply issues with IF? Should I expect just a temporary dip and then a return to normalcy? Would extra pumping the first week help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good question PP.

One question I also have for IF devotees -- is there still a benefit if I were to do it half the time? Like every other day skip breakfast and have at least a 16 hour fast? I'm just not seeing how I make it work with mid-morning sports/activities that I engage in some days.

I think so. I take a pretty half-hearted approach to IF myself, and on days when I am not feeling it, I don't fast. I'd think you'd want to push the timing a little longer, for a while I was doing 1 20-ish hour fast per week and saw good results (although I basically skip breakfast every day, which is pretty easy with a little coffee).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good question PP.

One question I also have for IF devotees -- is there still a benefit if I were to do it half the time? Like every other day skip breakfast and have at least a 16 hour fast? I'm just not seeing how I make it work with mid-morning sports/activities that I engage in some days.

FWIW, I find that I'm hungrier if I go back and forth between IF and normal eating (12:12 or less). When I don't do IF, I find myself more hungry throughout the day, and it takes me a few days back on IF before the hunger goes away and it feels natural again. I've found a balance where on weekends I can still do a 14 hour fast like 10pm - 12pm if I'm out late and have a snack, or 8pm - 10am if we go out for brunch, and I don't feel like I've fallen off the wagon. It's strange what a difference a few hours can make!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good question PP.

One question I also have for IF devotees -- is there still a benefit if I were to do it half the time? Like every other day skip breakfast and have at least a 16 hour fast? I'm just not seeing how I make it work with mid-morning sports/activities that I engage in some days.

FWIW, I find that I'm hungrier if I go back and forth between IF and normal eating (12:12 or less). When I don't do IF, I find myself more hungry throughout the day, and it takes me a few days back on IF before the hunger goes away and it feels natural again. I've found a balance where on weekends I can still do a 14 hour fast like 10pm - 12pm if I'm out late and have a snack, or 8pm - 10am if we go out for brunch, and I don't feel like I've fallen off the wagon. It's strange what a difference a few hours can make!

Interesting. We eat dinner early in my house so it's very easy for me to stop eating by 6:30 pm. When I'm trying to fast I try to make it until 10:30, which is 16 hours. When I eat breakfast it is not hard at all for me to not eat until 8:30 or 9:00, which I guess is still 14 hours and still pretty good, from what you're saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good question PP.

One question I also have for IF devotees -- is there still a benefit if I were to do it half the time? Like every other day skip breakfast and have at least a 16 hour fast? I'm just not seeing how I make it work with mid-morning sports/activities that I engage in some days.

Yes just start where you can.

[Anonymous]

Rhonda here: I’ve been binge listening to Intermittent Fasting Stories with Gin Stephens and they are so inspiring! I listen to them on Spotify. Try them out!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good question PP.

One question I also have for IF devotees -- is there still a benefit if I were to do it half the time? Like every other day skip breakfast and have at least a 16 hour fast? I'm just not seeing how I make it work with mid-morning sports/activities that I engage in some days.

FWIW, I find that I'm hungrier if I go back and forth between IF and normal eating (12:12 or less). When I don't do IF, I find myself more hungry throughout the day, and it takes me a few days back on IF before the hunger goes away and it feels natural again. I've found a balance where on weekends I can still do a 14 hour fast like 10pm - 12pm if I'm out late and have a snack, or 8pm - 10am if we go out for brunch, and I don't feel like I've fallen off the wagon. It's strange what a difference a few hours can make!

Interesting. We eat dinner early in my house so it's very easy for me to stop eating by 6:30 pm. When I'm trying to fast I try to make it until 10:30, which is 16 hours. When I eat breakfast it is not hard at all for me to not eat until 8:30 or 9:00, which I guess is still 14 hours and still pretty good, from what you're saying.

It's better than nothing, and if it's something you can sustain, then that's what matters most!