Intermittent Fasting

[IAASA]

I think I would genuinely struggle to go any longer than 16 hours…… I’d like to try but I hate drinking plain water at the best of times! I don’t drink tea or coffee so not having a Pepsi max to start the day off for me is hard enough.

 

[mochibean]

I've been doing it almost 2 years now. Started accidentally because of work and life but it's helpful.
I managed to lose 2 stone I'd gained whilst being depressed and finally kept a stable weight for around a year and a half.

Started with a deficit since I was so busy, about 900 calories a day but I don't recommend that! It's too low imo but it worked.
Now I just eat what I need to maintain, try not to get carried away counting calories.

 

[or JusRollWithIt]

It's amazing, I've been doing it for about 6 weeks now. My body has adjusted really well and I don't get hungry until an hour or so before my eating window (7pm ish)

It has really been such an easy lifestyle change for me. I’ve been using it to manage weight and cravings for a number of years now. Having read the science behind it, it freed me from the guilt I felt when skipping breakfast. Or I would choke down breakfast because I was forever told it was “the most important meal of the day” and feel ill for it for the rest of the day. My body functions so much better when I IF.

 

[BBC1HD]

How about skinny syrup? 0 calories? I can't drink black coffee without it.

Artificial sweeteners are a grey area. Technically you aren't breaking your fast as there is no calorie intake however some sweeteners spike an insulin response.

Saying that, I always have a sweetner with my coffee and I've continued to have great loses.

You'll be fine to have a small amount each coffee if it's helping you stick with your fast

 

[AlwaysSummer]

My friend keeps telling me that by fasting, the next time I eat, my body will store it as fat because it’s in starvation mode. Why is there so much conflicting information?

Starvation mode occurs after extended periods of no food, that’s 48+ hours. Studies have shown that shorted periods of fasting increase metabolic rate. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there. If you are interested to read up, Delay Don’t Deny by Gin Stephens is a great book to read with all questions answered and backed up by scientific studies.

 

[Nipslips]

Intermittent Fasting, 23 hours of the day is fasting, 1 hour is the eating window. Some also call it OMAD (one meal a day).

Oh wow! I need to look this up!

 

[Dollenganger]

Ah, I want to do this. I really suffer with bloated stomach so hoping that this will be the answer.

 

[BBC1HD]

Intermittent Fasting, 23 hours of the day is fasting, 1 hour is the eating window. Some also call it OMAD (one meal a day).

Exactly! Wish this thread was more active

 

[PennyPop]

What did you decide in the end and how did you feel?

From personal experience I experiment with what works best for me in these kind of situations. There will always be something that throws us off schedule and coming up with strategies can be really helpful, and freeing. I find I tend to feel better if I fast longer before the big social meal. I know that after (the next day) I will struggle if there has been alcohol or lots of carbs involved and also eating late always makes me hungrier the next day. So I go easy on myself the next day and reset. Close my window at 5pm for example.

I did a longer fast before I went out, usually my window starts around 12/1pm but I went to about 4pm. I felt fine actually, I thought I would struggle but it was fine! I'm the same, eating late makes me hungry the next day, so I didn't fast the following day as I knew it would be a struggle.

 

[AlwaysSummer]

To be honest, I didn't know any other IF existed! I'd only ever heard of 5:2! I'm glad I'm not giving that a try then!
Ah, ok, OMAD is definitely out then. To be honest, I think I would struggle not eating for 23 hours! I'm thinking I'll do 12-8 which would work for me as I'm not a big breakfast person - plus most of the fasting is overnight!
I'm glad you said that about the exercise as I like to do it in the morning to get it done anyway!

Worth reading Delay Don’t Deny by Gin Stephens as it explains how to get started with IF and various fasting schedules. We are all different and it’s worth finding out what works for you and your lifestyle.

 

[Kezzle]

When I first did IF I would only have evening meals, it worked out well as I was at work all day and was too lazy to go to the shop at lunchtime. However., now WFH and have fallen into a 9:30 to 12:30 window much to my surprise but its going really well. The thing I love about IF though is i can always move or extend my window if I fancy an evening meal or drink. I just make sure the fast is minimum 16 hours.

 

[Carapop]

Thanks for your reply, good to hear other people have this too. I was definitely starting to over think the whole thing, I thought I’d ruined my stomach

Ah a dietician would never endorse the OMAD approach. Our digestive systems don’t enjoy it and it’s hard to get all required nutrients and fibre in such a short window. Also, the body can only absorb so much protein at once so I believe you may risk losing more muscle mass than a more moderate approach.

 

[1001 others]

Well done!

I have a friend who has started on a routine about three months ago of drinking Vita Diet shakes twice a day (breakfast and dinner) and having grilled salmon or chicken with greens for lunch ... and copious amounts of water throughout the day. She has lost just over 10kg in that time and looks really good. She said the secret for her is to eat between 11am and 5pm.

I know of someone else who, at around the same time as my friend, started adhering to a super-strict diet for five days out of every week, then on weekends eating whatever he likes. He has lost a bit of weight but my friend's loss is far more noticeable. I wonder how healthy this guy's approach is ... I think it would be better to stick to the super-strict diet, but allow yourself a treat upon reaching a milestone (such as a cube of dark chocolate hen you've lost 5kg or something).

I did Jenny Craig years ago (very successfully); the true secret with that is portion control. You did have special food, yes, but nothing you couldn't replicate by shopping from the supermarket yourself. Plus, they gave you a little bit of everything - including chocolate mousse desserts - so you never felt deprived (just hungry - LOL!).

 

[yogiessexdubs]

I agree, I’d be miserable counting calories.
Good luck today, & let us know how you get on!

 

[Ohflogoff]

The delay don’t deny book is a good one

 

[halloweenbean]

So you fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8 hour window? Is it hard the first few days? Can you drink outside your 8 hour window? Do you calorie count at the same time?

 

[BR006]

I’m really interested in trying IF but I’m unsure on the rules around it.
Can you drink water/squash/fizzy diet juice during your fasting period?
What sort of calories should you aim for in a day roughly?
what’s the ideal fasting ratio?

 

[Carapop]

There are a lot of hard-wired myths about fasting, many of which I believed until I did my own research. At the end of the day, it’s not for everyone. You have to listen to your body and be armed with actual facts. But it can be a valuable and in some cases a lifesaving tool.

Some good science-based resources to search are youtube and podcasts featuring Dr Jason Fung and Megan Ramos. There is also a very active Facebook support group where you can search for feedback to questions or ask your own. It’s called the Fasting Method Network.

Very fair. There is science supporting both sides and absolutely to each their own. I personally don’t eat for 16hours of the day. I don’t get hungry until I start eating and it’s easier for me to manage that hunger inside the shorter 8 window rather than try and keep it in check all day long. But it’s also another way for me to cater to a restrictive eating disorder so the idea of OMAD is as alluring as it is horrifying. Is it all in pursuit of weight loss, or just weight maintenance? Or is it going beyond weight management into other perceived bebefits?

 

[Lalalalaaaaaa85]

Welcome, highly recommend following Dr Mindy Pelz. There is alot of positives around IM, I feel so much more energetic and found my stomach less bloated. Hugely helped my perimenopause symptoms.

Thank you! Will go have a look now

 

[JL8828]

Good lucky PennyPop