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[zewone]

I've lost over 80 lbs on a "low carb diet" (less than 100g a day) I lost an additional 40 on keto.

Day 3 of my extended fast. Still dragging a bit but I chalk that up more to my heavy workout earlier. The only non-water thing I've had is chicken broth near the end of day 1 cause I felt a little funky.

I just finished a 2 week fast myself. The first few days are pretty rough. It's great you're transitioning from a keto diet, it makes fasting easier.

What seem to help me when I was feeling symptoms was mineral water.

Soaking in Epsom salt also helps.

 

[ZOONAMI]

I have done a 16:8 my entire adult life because I'm never hungry in the morning. I'm 28 and haven't really gained any weight since I was about 20. I kind of fluctuate up to 170 in the winter and get down to 155 in the summer (not as active in the winter in MN). I'm 5'11"

Breakfast is extremely overrated imo.

 

[JimmyRustler]

This is completely false. You're making your body do so much more work digesting all those meals. Any benefits of fasting would vanish. Why would your body fat disappear if you're constantly eating. Body fat is stored food for your body. If you're feeding yourself, your body would have no reason to 'eat' it's stored food. There's a reason people do not starve when fasting, because it's literally getting all your daily calorie/nutrients from it's stored food resources.

Because you are still in caloric deficit. Do you even read what I'm saying?
The only thing this fasting will probably do is slow down your metabolism. I mostly felt like shit while doing it and was lacking the energy during my training. With constant food supply you do not have those negatives but all the positives.

 

[zewone]

Because you are still in caloric deficit. Do you even read what I'm saying?
The only thing this fasting will probably do is slowing down your metabolism. I mostly felt like shit while doing it and was lacking the energy during my training. With constant food sully you do not have those negatives but all the positives.

You're absolutely wrong and I'm no longer going to take the time to point out why.

EDIT: I'd like to clarify. I know for a fact keto and IF do work. I don't want someone to happen upon this thread and read your bad information and dismiss something that could really help them.

So I would ask to stop spreading bullshit and come back with some facts, rather than your own anecdotal evidence. Anyone interested in losing weight, you owe yourself the favor to do your own research and experience.

 

[JimmyRustler]

You're absolutely wrong and I'm no longer going to take the time to point out why.

Why am I even trying... Well, have fun wasting your time folks.

 

[maximum360]

I used to do 5:2, but now that I'm at an healthy weight, I only do a weekly 24-hour fast from thursday 6pm to friday 6pm.

Pros:
-Easyest way to cut 10-15% from weekly calory intake
-Save money on food
-Black coffee on an empty stomach makes me feel super alert/productive
-Makes me feel "light" before the weekend

Cons:
-Last 2-3 hours can be hard; you start to feel cold
-Sometimes give me a headache

This is true. I get cold easily already so this doesn't help. Also it gets better after the first week or so but after hour 21 the fasting gets tough [but it gets better again after you get past that hunger wave].

 

[LordKasual]

Yes. I dont know about how effective the "fasting" state is, but I was definitely losing weight rapidly. Felt a bit more energetic as well, for some reason. The most amazing thing about IF is that after about 2-3 days of doing it, I began to feel as though I could actually choose when I was hungry. My eating hours were basically from 6:30pm to...whenever I went to sleep. I'd then wake up, go to work, and just not eat anything other than coffee. But I dont get home until like 7:00, So i'd just eat a footlong subway when i got home with some chips and go to sleep feeling completely full, at a pretty large caloric deficit

I think the most effective part of IF is the fact that by limiting your eating time, you are also indirectly preventing yourself from over eating. Unless your eating habits are dreadful, it's unlikely that you'll consume your daily caloric needs in a single sitting. And i'm a big person at 6'4", so that's about 2100 ~ 2200 calories for me to break even and not lose any weight.


My only nemesis for IF is the weekends. I go hang with a bunch of friends and we end up either going to get food twice a day (and drinking ALOT) or ordering like 10 pizzas.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Ketogenic diets do work, but eating carbs is fine, too. The evidence that either diet is superior in the long-term in terms of how much weight is lost and how effectively it's kept off is mixed to nonexistent. Myself, I like carbs quite a bit, so any diet that would require me to cut them out is not one I will likely adhere to.

 

[EXPotemkin]

I just finished a 2 week fast myself. The first few days are pretty rough. It's great you're transitioning from a keto diet, it makes fasting easier.

What seem to help me when I was feeling symptoms was mineral water.

Soaking in Epsom salt also helps.

It's been way easier than the first time I tried fasting on a non-keto diet. Made it to day 3 or 4 and had a killer headache that time.

 

[cooltrainer]

Would eating raw vegetables be permissible during an intermittent fast? The calorie amount is very low but has some.

 

[Erheller]

I guess I've done this my entire life without realizing it.

I never ate lunch at school for some reason. I just didn't feel hungry. Nowadays, I'll usually eat breakfast (9 or so) and not eat again until afternoon (4 or so). It's just something I'm used to now.

Maybe this is why I can never gain weight :/

 

[Greddleok]

These studies were done based on an insulin/carb based diet. It's something to keep in mind.

The whole insulin dependence of fat gain is under debate at the moment. It's a very early 2000s hypothesis. There's more and more evidence pointing towards carbohydrates and insulin spikes not actually mattering.

Again, I agree that I haven't seen anything that would make me think eating 2000 calories within 4 hours is better or worse than eating it spread across 8 meals. Its just easier for a lot of people. I would be curious to see if there are any studies that show eating those 2000 calories in 4 hours is less effective for saving muscle and losing fat.

I don't think anything would suggest that IF is less effective than normal eating when it comes to sparing muscle. Most likely it would be roughly the same.

 

[siddx]

The cracks on my phone screen made this thread title look like "intermittent flashing".
Was expecting way more entertaining posts in here.

 

[DoctorEkkoUK]

Quoting, because this is what my girlfriend's gastro doctor told her too. She's already begun developing permanent damage to her esophagus due to excess acid production and had to change her eating habits to do so

How would this be true when its only in the past couple of hundreds of years that humans have even had access to food throughout the day, its far more natural for us to go long periods without food. I doubt we would have evolved to have bodies that are damaged every time we cant find food for 20 hours.

 

[Hands of Stone]

I used to do it til mid last year when I ended up getting a new job (waking up at 3:30 instead of 7) that wrecked my consistency of it.

This week I'm getting back into it, did 23/1 yesterday. A bit harder than I remember but coffee helped out. Just need to get some bcaa's before my workouts.

Would eating raw vegetables be permissible during an intermittent fast? The calorie amount is very low but has some.

I always had it my head as long you stayed under 50ish calories you'd be alright.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

Ketogenic diets do work, but eating carbs is fine, too. The evidence that either diet is superior in the long-term in terms of how much weight is lost and how effectively it's kept off is mixed to nonexistent. Myself, I like carbs quite a bit, so any diet that would require me to cut them out is not one I will likely adhere to.

Liking carbs "quite a bit" is why a lot of us are fat in the first place though. I mean, I love carbs, but trying keto made it very clear to me that when I'm not eating carbs, I can control my eating and I lose weight. When I am eating carbs, all bets are off.

 

[Faiz]

Not sure why it's called a 'fast' if it doesn't last more than a day, though. What I do is just normal eating, imo.

Well, here's a hint: it's called breakfast because it breaks the nightly fast. A fast isn't necessarily more than a day. When Muslims fast for Ramadan it's only from dawn to sunset.

The real question would be why it's called intermittent, because it isn't done at irregular intervals, as practitioners and advocates generally suggest it is best accomplished by maintaining regularity of the fasting periods.

 

[SteveO409]

I have been on IF since listening to the Joe rogan podcast with Dr. Rhonda Patrick a few months ago and it's been a life changing diet for me. It was hard for my brain to adjust not wanting food all the time and now I always feel an appetite in the afternoon. I let the part of the video do the discussion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxM_CLsvieE&t=147m29s

Heres an IOS app(sadly no android version)
https://medium.com/@kevinrose/introducing-zero-a-new-app-to-help-you-fast-209935e8245d

 

[Fulminator]

I have been on IF since listening to the Joe rogan podcast with Dr. Rhonda Patrick a few months ago and it's been a life changing diet for me. It was hard for my brain to adjust not wanting food all the time and now I always feel an appetite in the afternoon. I let the part of the video do the discussion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxM_CLsvieE&t=147m29s

Heres an IOS app(sadly no android version)
https://medium.com/@kevinrose/introducing-zero-a-new-app-to-help-you-fast-209935e8245d

yeah this is how I got into it as well, still struggling doing it, but I think it's because I'm eating a lot of carbs so I get hungrier quicker, so I might try to cut carbs down and get more fat/protein

 

[Smellycat]

You know, Ramadan is around the corner. If you want some support, keep an eye on the inevitable fasting thread. Ramadan was glorious last year. It helped me shed 30 pounds (not in one month), but it put me on the right track.

 

[Alter_Fridge]

I have done a 16:8 my entire adult life because I'm never hungry in the morning. I'm 28 and haven't really gained any weight since I was about 20. I kind of fluctuate up to 170 in the winter and get down to 155 in the summer (not as active in the winter in MN). I'm 5'11"

Breakfast is extremely overrated imo.

Almost 6 foot and 70 kilos?

That's malnourished territory

 

[zewone]

I always had it my head as long you stayed under 50ish calories you'd be alright.

This is only true for liquids. If you eat any solid food, regardless of calories, it will break your fast and you will not get the benefits of fasting. Your digestion system will start to break down your solids.

 

[Magypsy]

I would like to try this, not because I need to lose weight, but because I'm interested in what it can do for my energy and mood

I get some real dark thoughts when I'm hungry tho

 

[SteveO409]

yeah this is how I got into it as well, still struggling doing it, but I think it's because I'm eating a lot of carbs so I get hungrier quicker, so I might try to cut carbs down and get more fat/protein

Try adding some mixed vegetables. I add about 300g worth with my 100g brown rice + 400-500g of ground beef. The veggies help me so much with "feeling fuull"

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Liking carbs "quite a bit" is why a lot of us are fat in the first place though. I mean, I love carbs, but trying keto made it very clear to me that when I'm not eating carbs, I can control my eating and I lose weight. When I am eating carbs, all bets are off.

Liking added sugar and refined carbs is a problem, but liking veggies, fruits, tubers, beans, and whole grains is non-problematic for most people.

If keto helps you control your weight, that is great, but satisfaction and enjoyment of food is a big part of succeeding with weight loss. Most people will not, I think, be satisfied with a keto diet, not to even mention the larger question of the resources required to produce these foods.

 

[Laekon]

I've found this really helpful to lose weight along with calorie counting as it allows my meals to be more appealing.

 

[zewone]

Most people will not, I think, be satisfied with a keto diet, not to even mention the larger question of the resources required to produce these foods.

What resources are you referring to?

 

[Kuga]

It's easy enough on Keto, though I don't do any sort of IF anymore. Thankfully due to how that diet works (and low-ish carb IF in general, I guess), your blood sugar stays relatively stable throughout the day.

IF can definitely help with weight loss as long as it is done in a safe manner (i.e., ensure you are consuming sufficient quantities of macro/micro nutrients even if you want to lose weight with a large deficit).

 

[LambdaTeos]

wait, what? so I fast everyday?

I wake up at 5 am, drink coffee and a lot of water
Eat until 1 or 2 pm
Have dinner at 6 or 7 pm

Go to sleep at 10 pm

So, this is fasting?

 

[Stasis]

Works extremely well for me depending on work schedule.

I combine it with a healthy calorie counter diet, eliminate all sugary drinks and snacks, and the added weight melts off. I'll go from like 165 to 150 in a few weeks.

I wake up and have black coffee. Water. Maybe a small amount of milk in the coffee. General rule being nothing over 50 calories during the fasting period. I usually run an 18-6 but I've done 20-4. I'm not super strict on that. I mainly aim to get at least 4 or 5 true fasting hours, ideally 6.

I got used to it very quickly and just wasn't feeling the hunger, but that does depend on schedule a lot. When I'm eating it's a main meal that's a leaner meat portion (chicken breast, salmon, lean pork sometimes) with tons of veggies. A second meal will be something like eggs, or smoked salmon, avocado, a salad (rocket, arugula, spinach), some probiotic yogurt, green tea. Snacks vary but no chips or chocolate or candy. I like olives, vinegar cornichons/pickles, etc. Sometimes the first meal will be a breakfast type. Banana, oatmeal etc.

It's pretty easy to do once you get in the groove of things and find out what you like to eat that's healthy and beneficial but also tastes good enough and is satisfying enough for you to be happy eating it. The main problem I see is people trying too quickly to just ditch everything they love at once AND fast. It'll just make you miserable and fall off usually. I work my way into it, along with calisthenics and cardio. I kinda run a routine where I'll get lazy and put on some weight in the winter and then start this up in the spring (pretty much around now) and run it all summer.

Hoping to maintain it year round soon! Cheat days are fun motivators to look forward to. Every 2 weeks or so my gf and I will do a fun dinner at home or go out. Steak, wine. Etc. I also cut down on booze when fasting. Unnecessary calories in that. So no beer, wine, bourbon.

Hope this helps someone!

 

[Monkeylord]

I've only had dinner in the evening (no breakfast, no lunch) since I was about 15 or 16. I'm 39 now.

I occasionally have a little something for lunch on a Sat or Sun (never both days and never more than once a month).

This came about because I found that if I forced myself to eat a meal because it was "that time of day" rather than because I was hungry, I would end up feeling sick. So, now I only eat when I'm hungry... which happens to only really be early evening.



I do need to sort myself out though, as I'm not exactly fat, but I'm hardly skinny either. I have a bit of a gut, and my thighs are huge. I should be in size 34 waist trousers, but any that I try won't go over my thighs. I have to wear size 40 waist instead. Anything less is too tight when I move or sit down, and I can't abide being in tight clothes.

Anyone got any suggestions for meal ideas, or where to start looking? I know I only eat once a day, but it's usually terrible stuff and huge amounts of it (like, an entire 12" pizza and 6-10 slices of cheesy garlic bread, or 4 burgers at a time).

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

What resources are you referring to?

People keeping with ketogenic diets typically eat a larger share of animal products, both because they are rich in fat and protein and because of their relative abundance and good taste, but animal-derived products are significantly more resource-intensive (water, fossil fuel usage, feed, processing, etc.) than those derived from plants.

 

[Gai Murakumo]

I do not mean to do Intermittent Fasting, but ever since I was a late teenager I can go most days without eating breakfast and still be satisfied to at least lunch time or later. Now I know it is not the healthiest of things, but my body is just used to it I guess.

 

[zewone]

People keeping with ketogenic diets typically eat a larger share of animal products, both because they are rich in fat and protein and because of their relative abundance and good taste, but animal-derived products are significantly more resource-intensive (water, fossil fuel usage, feed, processing, etc.) than those derived from plants.

I see.

If you want to do keto properly it's encouraged to eat organic meat, which I feel is better in the long run than any processed food.

I feel trying to spin the fact we're eating animals as a negative is pretty disingenuous, as almost all carb diets include a healthy dose of animal protein as well.

 

[Disheveled_Zen]

I did it for a bit but it wasn't for me and didn't fit in very well with how my days schedule tends to be structured. I do, however, have some friends that do it and and have seen great results. For me personally I have found small, controlled meals throughout the day works a lot easier.

 

[NandoGip]

Works for me. I also eliminated snacks in between lunch and dinner, and have taken a break from alcohol. I have a nice lunch, and a nice dinner and i've been seeing positive results. I'm really tired in the morning so I drink half of a small black coffee and it does the trick.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

I see.

If you want to do keto properly it's encouraged to eat organic meat, which I feel is better in the long run than any processed food.

I feel trying to spin the fact we're eating animals as a negative is pretty disingenuous, as almost all carb diets include a healthy dose of animal protein as well.

At least for me, switching to keto didn't mean eating *more* meat. It meant eating less/none of the carb stuff. I didn't replace things in my normal intake because the whole point is to eat less in the first place.

 

[Faiz]

I do not mean to do Intermittent Fasting, but ever since I was a late teenager I can go most days without eating breakfast and still be satisfied to at least lunch time or later. Now I know it is not the healthiest of things, but my body is just used to it I guess.

Nothing unhealthy about it my friend.

 

[Peltz]

I'd never do it. I prefer to create a caloric deficit by eating clean, frequently, and working out hard every day, sometimes twice a day even.

Putting your body in starvation mode just isn't as effective as increasing your metabolism with regular healthy meals like veggies and lean protein.

It's a shortcut with less long term gain. (And it isn't much of a shortcut anyway). You're just cheating yourself and losing muscle. I guarantee if you have two people with the same body that do the same workouts, and one does IF and the other eats 5 appropriately sized lean meals a day, the second person will completely outpace the performance gains and fat loss of the IF person.

 

[Pakoe]

Anyone else feels cold as shit while doing this?

 

[Laekon]

I have been on IF since listening to the Joe rogan podcast with Dr. Rhonda Patrick a few months ago and it's been a life changing diet for me. It was hard for my brain to adjust not wanting food all the time and now I always feel an appetite in the afternoon. I let the part of the video do the discussion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxM_CLsvieE&t=147m29s

Heres an IOS app(sadly no android version)
https://medium.com/@kevinrose/introducing-zero-a-new-app-to-help-you-fast-209935e8245d

People like the woman in this video really get me. Yes she is a scientist but she makes claims and immediately says that she has no proof. She also uses language to make things appear better then they are like "mice increased lean muscle mass". It's much more accurate to say they lowered body fat.

 

[Faiz]

I'd never do it. I prefer to create a caloric deficit by eating clean, frequently, and working out hard every day, sometimes twice a day even.

Putting your body in starvation mode just isn't as effective as increasing your metabolism with regular healthy meals like veggies and lean protein.

It's a shortcut with less long term gain. (And it isn't much of a shortcut anyway). You're just cheating yourself and losing muscle.

Has nothing to do with starvation mode.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Trying to do a 16:8 but I cant get gym time in those 8 hours because I'm working and I figure since I eat free at work it makes the most sense. Would cheating with a nice protein shake after the gym be a big deal?

My body screams for nutrients after my workouts because I'm running for 6k and lifting hard for like an hour and a half.

 

[Peltz]

Has nothing to do with starvation mode.

Not eating from 2 to 10pm sounds like starvation mode to me.

Trying to do a 16:8 but I cant get gym time in those 8 hours because I'm working and I figure since I eat free at work it makes the most sense. Would cheating with a nice protein shake after the gym be a big deal?

My body screams for nutrients after my workouts because I'm running for 6k and lifting hard for like an hour and a half.

Dude, eat. Seriously. Especially after your workout. How the hell is your body going to repair itself otherwise?

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

I see.

If you want to do keto properly it's encouraged to eat organic meat, which I feel is better in the long run than any processed food.

I feel trying to spin the fact we're eating animals as a negative is pretty disingenuous, as almost all carb diets include a healthy dose of animal protein as well.

Organic makes little difference in health and isn't particularly better for the environment, either.

Moreover, given most people eat 6+ servings of carbs a day, and are typically going to replace at least some of those carbs with other, probably animal-based foods to curb hunger (or something ridiculously energy-inefficient, like nuts), there is an increase, here, not to mention loss of things like dietary fiber, the many micronutrients available most bioavailably and abundantly in plant sources, etc., and I fail to see how keto is anything like a good mass solution for the problem of overweight and obesity.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Not eating from 2 to 10pm sounds like starvation mode to me.



Dude, eat. Seriously. Especially after your workout. How the hell is your body going to repair itself otherwise?

I do eat though. Like 3 massive meals in those 8 hours.

 

[Faiz]

Not eating from 2 to 10pm sounds like starvation mode to me.

It isn't.

It can take several days of severe calorie restriction to put someone into what is commonly called "starvation mode". A modest calorie restriction where all calories are consumed within a relatively short time frame does not qualify by any stretch.

 

[zewone]

Organic makes little difference in health and isn't particularly better for the environment, either.

Moreover, given most people eat 6+ servings of carbs a day, and are typically going to replace at least some of those carbs with other, probably animal-based foods to curb hunger (or something ridiculously energy-inefficient, like nuts), there is an increase, here, not to mention loss of things like dietary fiber, the many micronutrients available most bioavailably and abundantly in plant sources, etc., and I fail to see how keto is anything like a good mass solution for the problem of overweight and obesity.

What are you talking about?

Keto diet isn't like a carb based diet where you're constantly snacking to get your insulin levels back up.

A fat based diet will keep people satiated longer, causing them to eat less. You think people on keto just snack on bacon strips and half chickens? You can eat an avocado, a Quest bar, hell I've made my own keto candy bars with cocoa and stevia.

And again, if people are trying to lose weight on a keto diet, they'll eat less food than someone on a carb based diet who is also eating meat.

 

[zewone]

Not eating from 2 to 10pm sounds like starvation mode to me.



Dude, eat. Seriously. Especially after your workout. How the hell is your body going to repair itself otherwise?

It takes weeks of not eating (depends on the amount of body fat you have;an obese man went a year without eating) before you body goes into starvation mode.

Why do you think the human body evolved to keep body fat? Why do animals who hibernate not starve to death?

It's because your body stores the excess food you eat as fat, so it can be used at a later time. If you're not eating and your body needs energy, it will get it from it's fat reserves.

Cavemen didn't have a store they could go pick up dinner at. They hunted, and sometimes there would be days without eating. Our bodies evolved to expect it will not always be well fed.

Read a book.

 

[Stasis]

It takes weeks of not eating (depends on the amount of body fat you have;an obese man went a year without eating) before you body goes into starvation mode.

Why do you think the human body evolved to keep body fat? Why do animals who hibernate not starve to death?

It's because your body stores the excess food you eat as fat, so it can be used at a later time. If you're not eating and you body needs energy, it will get it from it's fat reserves.

Cavemen didn't have a store they could go pick up dinner at. They hunted, and sometimes there would be days without eating. Or bodies evolved to expect it will not always be well fed.

Read a book.

This. Pretty much. We can survive a long time without food. Not saying it'll be comfortable though, given what we're accustomed to. Water on the other hand...

I routinely go 18-20 hours with no food (this includes around 6-8 hours of sleep) and I'm fine. There are no adverse effects for most people either. That's not the case for everyone as different health conditions or illnesses can obviously come into play, but for the average healthy person it's totally fine and does yield weight loss results.

If you feel side effects... weakness, dizziness etc please eat and readjust to a better ratio for you. Ease into it. Do listen to your body. That said, a grumbling tummy and hunger pangs are normal as you start into it.