Intermittent fasting: is there anybody out there?

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Vincent Grayson said:
Those of you that've done 20:4, did you just jump right in at that, or do something more mild like 16:8 first?
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First step first, but you'll realize that you can easily do 20:4 if you got shit down when it comes to that big main meal and supplementary snacking for the remainder of the eating window.

It's all about having a little prep in place, after that just tunnel vision into drinking water. Gotta set yourself up for success too with your sleeping schedule by alining it at the tail end of the first fasting leg.
 
zewone said:
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.
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Again, this is based on personal anecdotal evidence and not particularly borne out by the research that has been done. Ketogenic diets are great for more rapid fat loss, but calorie restriction in a diet with whole carbs also works just fine, and neither is necessarily superior to the other in the long-term in terms of how much weight is ultimately lost and keeping the weight off. In a few years, this understanding may change, but for now, it comes across as evangelism more than science.
 
Snowman Prophet of Doom said:
Again, this is based on personal anecdotal evidence and not particularly borne out by the research that has been done. Ketogenic diets are great for more rapid fat loss, but calorie restriction in a diet with whole carbs also works just fine, and neither is necessarily superior to the other in the long-term in terms of how much weight is ultimately lost and keeping the weight off. In a few years, this understanding may change, but for now, it comes across as evangelism more than science.
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The research is out and has been for over 50 years that calorie restriction on a carb based diet doesn't work. Feel free to do your own investigating. This is science and what you're doing is perpetuating a myth.
 
zewone said:
The research is out and has been for over 50 years that calorie restriction on a carb based diet doesn't work. Feel free to do your own investigating. This is science and what you're doing is perpetuating a myth.
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"Doesnt work" seems a bit strong considering theres a large number of people on this board who successfully lose bodyfat while eating carbs (including myself)
 
spootime said:
"Doesnt work" seems a bit strong considering theres a large number of people on this board who successfully lose bodyfat while eating carbs (including myself)
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It lowers your metabolism. Weight loss will be temporary. It will become very easy to put the weight back on.

So in the short term, it works.

Long term, make plans.
 
spootime said:
"Doesnt work" seems a bit strong considering theres a large number of people on this board who successfully lose bodyfat while eating carbs (including myself)
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It's far easier on a high fat diet rather than high carb because fat makes you feel full longer and much faster. I can feel full off two fried eggs and four strips of bacon at 8 AM and not eat again until 8 PM pretty easily.
 
Snowman Prophet of Doom said:
Again, this is based on personal anecdotal evidence and not particularly borne out by the research that has been done. Ketogenic diets are great for more rapid fat loss, but calorie restriction in a diet with whole carbs also works just fine, and neither is necessarily superior to the other in the long-term in terms of how much weight is ultimately lost and keeping the weight off. In a few years, this understanding may change, but for now, it comes across as evangelism more than science.
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We do know keto spares muscle mass more than carb-restricted diet though.
Plus I don't get why it's supposed to be one or the other. Do keto and still restrict calories. That's the most efficent way to do weight loss.

If you already have limited calories budget for a day, it makes sense to use it up mostly on fat and protein, as your body needs those far more than carbs.
 
zewone said:
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.
.
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And short term fasting speeds up metabolism, not slows it down. If you do 1,2 or even three days of fasting your metabolism will speed up. It's only after that period that it will start to slow down, but that's still far from actual starvation mode.
 
I've been practicing this for quite some time now, though I wasn't always consistent. I lost 10kg so far, but for some reason I hardly make any progress anymore..

My goal is to lose another 10kg, so I'm considering changing my schedule to fast for two days instead. I've already tried it for a week or two, though, but it wasn't easy.
 
If I wanted to do a 20-4 fast...

I work usually everyday 8:00-4:30 so I should make my eating window 5:00-9:00.

Is that about right?

EDIT - Also, can I use a sugar substitute in my coffee? Like stevia?
 
Turbowaffles said:
If I wanted to do a 20-4 fast...

I work usually everyday 8:00-4:30 so I should make my eating window 5:00-9:00.

Is that about right?
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That could work. I'm doing 19-5 IF.

Is there any way you could set aside for 45 to 60 mins to workout? If working out is something you're interested in. I recommend doing it in you're fasting hours, before work or after. Use my fitness pal app understand the calories in food you like or new foods you might try. Also preparing food would definitely help.

Make sure you get plenty water and vegetables.

Don't exceed 50 cals within you're fasting hours. Look up 10 cal flavored powdered drink packs to put in your water if you want something with taste. Sparkling water is something you can look into that has 0 cals.

If you feel like you need something to munch on, I recommend cutting up a apple. Put just a little bit of cinnamon on it and cook in a frying pan. Or eat it raw. Apples digest slow in your system and your stomach will be losing calories trying to digest It.

Also understanding what your body type is and then figuring out how much calories you need to lose weight or maintain and even gain one day.

Plenty of sleep is major key.

One important tip is to give yourself a day to eat a cheat meal or a full cheat day, like on Saturday. Gotta to keep your sanity if you love food. Also it would help your body by giving it the kind of foods it wants. Then it will reset your system to start cutting more fat.

I know all this info isn't what you asked for. But I hope it might help you in your journey to make some lean gains!

This is all the stuff I've picked up over the last two years. This is obviously not coming from somebody who is an expert lol
 
Peltz said:
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.
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Every single "fact" in this post is wrong.
 
-KRS- said:
If people are drinking black coffee while fasting I don't see why green tea would be any worse? Without sugar and milk etc of course.
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As long as you still drink enough water I think it's okay to drink unsweetened black coffee/tea when fasting.
 
My wife and I did the 5:2 diet a couple of years back and it didn't agree with either of us. On my fast days a just felt dreadful and I didn't really loose any weight. That's not to say it doesn't work. A good buddy of mine got great results from it and the fast days didn't bother him.

I've just started dieting and and exercising again and I'm seeing brilliant results already from cutting out sugar and only have carbs once a day.
 
Three weeks in now. I piss a lot more (though I haven't tracked whether I drink more water) and feels less bloated. I fast from 8PM to 12PM (I think? 16 hours) - train in the morning 7 o'clock so those to two hours before 12PM can be hard some days, but otherwise I like it.
 
Been doing 23:1 for like 6 months now? Weekends are more lax though.
Lost about 88 lbs in the process by now.

It's really not that hard for me provided I have structure during the day. I just eat a big meal when I got home from work and then I'm done. Simple. But it is noticeably harder on my days off work.
 
I've done a few 3 day fasts. I've tried doing 7 days but there's too much food around me to bear it. The worst thing is the emotional anguish of everyone eating steak Diane and you get a glass of water.

It's really hard to recommend fasting regiments to people, everyone is different as far as genetics and health is concerned. I would suggest going 24 hours with no food once a week and every time you do it add 12 hours to the fast until you get to 72 hours.

Word of warning, you can get very sick doing this, it's a natural purge your body undergoes but if you haven't fasted before it will feel like the worst flu ever. On the upside; you will become more resistant to such pain and your body will improve it's constitution and ability to deal with illness and trauma.

It's also the only scientifically provable way to increase your lifespan which is really weird and contrary to a lot of popular belief. There's several TED talks and like 50 peer reviewed studies if you want to look at the facts but basically, if you fast for 30% of your life you can gain an additional 30% life span (Seems to be the mix/maxed ceiling of what they've experimented with)

Magypsy said:
While in a fasting period, could I replace water with green tea?
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I've heard it can cause really bad stomach cramps, some say it's the caffeine but others say it's tricking your body into thinking food is coming when it's not. Part of fasting actually shuts down your digestive system and lets your stomach/intestines have a holiday- drinking stimulants kick it back into gear too quickly with nothing to work with.
 
True Savior said:
Your stomach lining will hate it. The acid likes to be entertained with food. I did this for a couple of years, can't tell you it was only because of it, but I have had some very big issues with my stomach. Both gastro's that I went told me to never stay too long without eating anything (which I did regularly, daily as I woke up soon and only lunched late, and every week I would skip meals).
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that's worrying, any more info on this?
 
-KRS- said:
If people are drinking black coffee while fasting I don't see why green tea would be any worse? Without sugar and milk etc of course.
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I don't drink tea myself, but from what I've read green tea is fine while fasting, as well as black coffee like you mentioned.

It doesn't have to be a strictly water fast.
 
NewGame said:
I've heard it can cause really bad stomach cramps, some say it's the caffeine but others say it's tricking your body into thinking food is coming when it's not.
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I think it;s the tea part. A portion of population (myself included), just can't drink any tea on empty stomache, because it immiedietely makes you feel like throwing up and your stomache is spasming, while drinking coffee has no such effect.
 
I just started IF yesterday, and am slowly easing into it. I can do 13 hours pretty easy, but suspect I'll be able to handle 16 fine once I'm back at work Monday (starting at the end of a vacation/beginning of the weekend was a bad idea).

Heartburn is already there, but I'm sure it'll bugger off as things adjust.
 
KonradLaw said:
I think it;s the tea part. A portion of population (myself included), just can't drink any tea on empty stomache, because it immiedietely makes you feel like throwing up and your stomache is spasming, while drinking coffee has no such effect.
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Ya I can't handle green or peppermint tea on an empty stomach, I'll get incredibly nauseous. Rooibos tea is a great alternative though...no issues on an empty stomach.
 
Did my first day of the 16:8 plan...ate from noon to 8pm. Wasn't to hard to make it until noon but I did end up eating a lot between noon and 8. Woke up around 2am with stomach cramps and diarrhea which I rarely ever get.

Guessing this is from the short fast and toxins being eliminated but hopefully it's not a regular thing.
 
AEREC said:
Did my first day of the 16:8 plan...ate from noon to 8pm. Wasn't to hard to make it until noon but I did end up eating a lot between noon and 8. Woke up around 2am with stomach cramps and diarrhea which I rarely ever get.

Guessing this is from the short fast and toxins being eliminated but hopefully it's not a regular thing.
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"Toxins being eliminated"? What the fuck are you talking about.
 
Vincent Grayson said:
"Toxins being eliminated"? What the fuck are you talking about.
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Not sure why you are being hostile but after reading about fasting and what others have said here it sounds like your body (including GI tract) will go into a cleaning mode. It's logical to think that this process would result in the elimination of built up toxins from your body through your GI tract.
 
AEREC said:
Not sure why you are being hostile but after reading about fasting and what others have said here it sounds like your body (including GI tract) will go into a cleaning mode. It's logical to think that this process would result in the elimination of built up toxins from your body through your GI tract.
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Because the vast, vast majority of the time someone starts talking about "toxins", it's pseudoscientific bullshit.
 
Been changing it up recently. I do 20:4, Alternative Day, and then 16:8. Feels good with changes in eating habit. I remember started to just doing 3 meals a day and now I can go without one no problem. And I added a 5-7 day consecutive water fast each month for some Autophagy action(Hoping it would help eliminate my excess skin) and starve the cancer cells. Fasting has been a huge part of my change in life despite just doing it for less than 7 months. Surprisingly sustainable after getting used to not snacking every few hrs.
 
Skinpop said:
that's worrying, any more info on this?
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Would love to hear more, because I feel like intermittent fasting f*cked my health, basically completely exhausted my body/digestive system.

I used to sleep really well, and digest quickly and efficiently. Now I'm rarely hungry, sometimes when I eat I feel full very quickly and lack a lot of energy, my sleep is unrestful and light/broken easily.

Be careful, it seems that fasting is actually more stressful to the body than what most seem to believe.
 
Manoko said:
Would love to hear more, because I feel like intermittent fasting f*cked my health, basically completely exhausted my body/digestive system.

I used to sleep really well, and digest quickly and efficiently. Now I'm rarely hungry, sometimes when I eat I feel full very quickly and lack a lot of energy, my sleep is unrestful and light/broken easily.

Be careful, it seems that fasting is actually more stressful to the body than what most seem to believe.
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Just curious what kind of fasting did you do?
 
AEREC said:
Just curious what kind of fasting did you do?
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Intermittent fasting (the 16/8).

My point is, fasting seems to rely heavily on physical stress which gives the impression of having more energy, but it burns you out.
At least it did for me.
 
Your body is probably used to being comfortable. It's okay to be uncomfortable sometimes.

Exercising can be uncomfortable and stressful on your body, but it's good for you in the end.
 
I'm looking to start this up, and what I'm seeing is people eating around 1pm and then 8pm and just having two meals that do their total daily calories. Does it matter how many times you eat during that period though as long as your within your calorie goals? I typically eat smaller meals and I'm not sure I can do two meals large enough for the whole day.
 
Alchemy said:
I'm looking to start this up, and what I'm seeing is people eating around 1pm and then 8pm and just having two meals that do their total daily calories. Does it matter how many times you eat during that period though as long as your within your calorie goals? I typically eat smaller meals and I'm not sure I can do two meals large enough for the whole day.
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Yeah eat only within the 8 hour window. That is all, so eat all the small meals you want. Just start out slowly because it's all about adherence of this new way of eating.
 
I "intermittent fast" in the sense that I eat large quantities in a short period of time, then go for long spells without eating anything. I drink a fair bit of water and a ton of coffee in the interim.
 
After a day I changed my 16/8 IF plan to 14/10, thinking Id rather ease into rather than going all out. Will probably go back to 16/8 after a week or so.

I took my daughter out to breakfast this morning and she couldn't eat all her pancakes so I had a few bites thinking Sunday's could be a possible cheat day since going to breakfast on Sundays is kind of a routine.

Whats the consensus on one cheat day a week? Is it incredibly bad for IF?
 
AEREC said:
After a day I changed my 16/8 IF plan to 14/10, thinking Id rather ease into rather than going all out. Will probably go back to 16/8 after a week or so.

I took my daughter out to breakfast this morning and she couldn't eat all her pancakes so I had a few bites thinking Sunday's could be a possible cheat day since going to breakfast on Sundays is kind of a routine.

Whats the consensus on one cheat day a week? Is it incredibly bad for IF?
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Even doing IF just once a week has benefits, so six days is really good. Just don't go nuts when you cheat!
 
After forcing myself to eat a banana in the morning instead of spicy cheetos, and munching on fiber in place of the fast food of the day, I have achieved something that I thought impossible (for my unmotivated ass). My cravings have mostly gone away. I feel like I have gained my self control back and am no longer a glutinous monster (for now). So I can just go ten hours without eating and after I will be like "huh, I should have something."

It has significantly aided in my weight loss as I don't have to rely on being motivated to not eat. I will enjoy it while it lasts. I am effortlessly doing this intermittent fasting thing right now.
 
Chiming in that I switched to an all mediterranean diet (from eating rather shitty I might add) and have lost around 50 lbs. Killed drinking any pop and switch to sparkling water only (with the occasional Mexican Coke) and 2 times a week, I will skip dinner. If you play your cards right, fasting allows your body to recover while understanding it has a lot of fat cells it can munch on.

Gets the thumbs up from me.
 
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