Fasting for Health? Obstacles.

[Brook2]

I've been reading some articles on Intermittent fasting and the positive health benefits. I started trying it this week in an 8 hour time window, but it feels like I just have to rush eating in hour 7 (even when I'm not hungry). But if I don't, I'm miserable later. Your thoughts? It seems weird to eat when you aren't hungry.

 

[NgineER]

I’ve done IF for a couple of years now. I usually time it to eat between noon and 8pm. I found that K am rarely hungry and don’t need to eat at 7 or 8. At later hours there might be a desire to eat, but the 8 pm rule helps to prevent me.
I definitely am hungry in the morning, but if I am active or doing something stimulating it is no big deal to wait until noon. But don’t get me wrong, I am hungry. But it is a good feeling to be hungry.

I’ve done 42 hour fasts, and then I get really hungry at night and it is miserable, so I don’t do those anymore. I do quite regularly go 24 hours without eating and it is nor hard at all if you are busy. Sitting still at home by the fridge or pantry is tough however.

Staying hydrated helps too to not feel hungry.

Good luck

 

[DrRoy]

DW does a 10 hour window.

 

[street]

I eat from noon till 6pm only and it works for me. If at home in the afternoon I eat whatever I want but it all is in that 7 to 8 hour window.

 

[donheff]

I eat from noon till 6pm only and it works for me. If at home in the afternoon I eat whatever I want but it all is in that 7 to 8 hour window.

I do this frequently. It isn't an intentional fast but I often don't feel like bothering with breakfast. If I am heading out on a longish (for me) bike ride I will make sure to eat a bowl of granola or an egg and bacon before I go. Oddly, when I travel, and three squares are included (as they are on our bike trips and some others), I pile it in - probably twice my normal intake.

 

[street]

I do this frequently. It isn't an intentional fast but I often don't feel like bothering with breakfast. If I am heading out on a longish (for me) bike ride I will make sure to eat a bowl of granola or an egg and bacon before I go. Oddly, when I travel, and three squares are included (as they are on our bike trips and some others), I pile it in - probably twice my normal intake.

Yes, I would believe a lot of people do what you and I do, and don't realize they are fasting.

The one thing that has helped me is eating nothing after 6 pm. It really is pretty easy once you get in that schedule.

 

[Exchme]

I didn't think there was anything to this, it sounded like nonsense. However, as a weight loss tool, it's working for DW.

She had done all the weight loss programs before- calorie counting, Quick Weight Loss, Weight Watchers, etc., some of them multiple times, but she would have to be down to 600 calories/day to lose even half a pound a week. The last few months she's done Weight Watchers + 16 hour fasting and is down 25 lb and says it's easy. She had to work up the 16 hour fast over a couple of weeks, but now can do it easily.

She "stalled" once where the weight just wouldn't come off for a few weeks, so she went back to 12 hours for a couple of weeks, then starting the fasting again and it jump started. So at least for her metabolism, fasting works great.

 

[COcheesehead]

I don’t eat breakfast and I don’t eat after 8pm. Once you get in the routine, it’s easy. I lost about 16 lbs off an already pretty lean frame. I do it now to maintain. Avoid white foods: bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, crackers, etc.

 

[street]

I don’t eat breakfast and I don’t eat after 8pm. Once you get in the routine, it’s easy. I lost about 16 lbs off an already pretty lean frame. I do it now to maintain. Avoid white foods: bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, crackers, etc.

Just to comment on what you said to avoid I don't avoid any of those. In fact, I eat those mentioned almost every day except potatoes. We eat very few potatoes for no reason but just don't use then often.

 

[COcheesehead]

[/B]
Just to comment on what you said to avoid I don't avoid any of those. In fact, I eat those mentioned almost every day except potatoes. We eat very few potatoes for no reason but just don't use then often.

They are just high carb foods. My doctor told me to keep carbs below 150 grams a day. I used to make a protein smoothie and started adding up the carbs. The smoothie with protein powder, a banana, handful of blueberries was almost 70 grams alone. Sugars are not really the best thing for us.

 

[street]

They are just high carb foods. My doctor told me to keep carbs below 150 grams a day. I used to make a protein smoothie and started adding up the carbs. The smoothie with protein powder, a banana, handful of blueberries was almost 70 grams alone. Sugars are not really the best thing for us.

I agree with you that carbs may not be healthy, but I do eat them. I just don't see the difference in my weight eating them on a regular basis. I do like sweets, so I'm doomed to live a long life.

 

[COcheesehead]

I agree with you that carbs may not be healthy, but I do eat them. I just don't see the difference in my weight eating them on a regular basis. I do like sweets, so I'm doomed to live a long life.

We all consume carbs. Some are better than others. Carbs aren’t just about weight. Blood sugar levels are something to watch especially if you eat refined sugars and it sounds like you do. More on the subject at the link below.

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/how-sugar-affects-diabetes

 

[Rianne]

I've been time-restricted or intermittent fasting since 2017. Generally, unless there's a social gathering, the holidays, or something that interrupts my schedule, I eat between 7 a.m. - 1-3 p.m. I don't like the heavy feeling of food before I go to sleep. My weight has been consistent give or take 2-4 lbs depending on how much dessert or sweets I eat. That is consistent. I weigh myself every morning and can tell the difference if I had a hot fudge sundae or some dramatic dessert. I mostly eat fruits/veggies/plant protein/whole wheat carbs. But I eat what I want within that window. I don't like meat protein but eat it occasionally. Fiber is important, I am regular. Staying hydrated is important. I drink water, no calories during the fast hours.

 

[snappytom]

I tried IF and liked how I focused more on what and how much I was eating.

But being hungry while fasting gave me acid reflux. After a few months it was really bad and I had to stop. It took a few more months for the reflux to subside.

My body works better with regularly paced small meals, YMMV.

 

[harley]

[/B]
Just to comment on what you said to avoid I don't avoid any of those. In fact, I eat those mentioned almost every day except potatoes. We eat very few potatoes for no reason but just don't use then often.

I agree with you that carbs may not be healthy, but I do eat them. I just don't see the difference in my weight eating them on a regular basis. I do like sweets, so I'm doomed to live a long life.

We all consume carbs. Some are better than others. Carbs aren’t just about weight. Blood sugar levels are something to watch especially if you eat refined sugars and it sounds like you do. More on the subject at the link below.

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/how-sugar-affects-diabetes

You need to keep in mind what Street does on a daily basis, hiking, fishing, working on a ranch. It sounds like there's enough physical activity and manual labor to burn off a significant number of calories from carbs. If you add in a genetic pre-disposition to not having diabetes, it sounds like he can eat what he wants without any negative side effects. I have a few friends like that. I hate them.

 

[harley]

In regards to the OP, I used to do a LCHF diet, and I combined that with IF. It helped my numbers a lot, and I did lose about 20 lbs doing that combination. It also lowered my fasting blood sugar levels. But when my kidneys shut down I had to stop the LCHF. But I still do what is considered IF. I seldom eat before 2 pm, and usually don't eat after 8 or so. Although sometimes l have a midnight snack. I don't even consider it fasting, it's just the way I eat. I don't know if it's adding any health benefits, but it's easy enough to do.

I think if you do it for awhile you'll get used to it, and your issues won't exist anymore.

 

[NoiseBoy]

I've been reading some articles on Intermittent fasting and the positive health benefits. I started trying it this week in an 8 hour time window, but it feels like I just have to rush eating in hour 7 (even when I'm not hungry). But if I don't, I'm miserable later. Your thoughts? It seems weird to eat when you aren't hungry.

Are you trying intermittent fasting for weight loss or do you have other health goals? In my experience with using a 16/8 and now an 18/6 IF eating plan for about two years, I have not lost weight simply by shifting when I consume my total daily calories. In my case, I've stuck with an IF eating plan because I prefer how the structure fits with my exercise regimen.

Now that I'm retired, I like to get my daily workout done in the morning, but not before I've had my 3 cups of black coffee! Before IF, I would have to almost force myself to eat breakfast by say 9AM so that I could workout before noon without a heavy feeling in my stomach. With IF, that is obviously no longer an issue. For me, the cups of coffee seem to depress my hunger and yet I don't feel weak when I'm working out. I do break the IF rule by drinking a 200 calorie protein shake immediately after my workout, but I officially break my fast around 2PM.

The other thing an IF eating schedule does for me is it adds a reason to not snack after dinner. Late night snacking is definitely one of my weaknesses, so any tricks I can use to keep me out of the kitchen after 9PM are helpful. I end up eating at 2PM, 5PM, and 7:30 and I'm usually hungry enough at those times to want to eat. Most of my calories are consumed at 7:30. In very round numbers I eat 500 at 2PM, 500 at 5PM and 1,000 at 7:30. I really liked what Dr. Peter Attia had to say about intermittent fasting in his book "Outlive", which I thought was a very good read, so that might be a good resource for you.

 

[captain3d]

I also think you will adapt to it over time. Also feeling hungry is not a bad thing.

I stopped eating yesterday by 4pm bed by 11. Up around 7am. Half pint of electrolytes (no sugar) and out for 18 mile run. First calories around 12. There are plenty of carbs in your system for hours of activity before you get to fat burning.

I sleep much better when not digesting food. Western society tends think hunger should never happen.

 

[ncbill]

You basically skip a meal.

I prefer skipping dinner but spouse don't do dat so I'm now skipping breakfast.

Some days where spouse is tied up at night I essentially eat just one meal that day so I can skip dinner that night and go out to breakfast the next day while spouse heads out to work.

 

[harley]

I also think you will adapt to it over time. Also feeling hungry is not a bad thing.

That's a good point. I've always been one to eat to misery. I equated food with safety and contentment. I was always hungry, which is why I ended up being severely obese. I lost a fair amount of weight doing LCHF. But when I started doing IF, I discovered that I could be hungry and it was fine. It was a major light bulb moment for me, and changed my entire point of view about life, food, and everything. Now, after doing IF for most of a decade, I sometimes have to remember to eat. I still love food, but I can't pack it away the way I used to. It's amazing how you can completely turn things around and be very happy with the new way of doing things. As they always say, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

 

[COcheesehead]

You need to keep in mind what Street does on a daily basis, hiking, fishing, working on a ranch. It sounds like there's enough physical activity and manual labor to burn off a significant number of calories from carbs. If you add in a genetic pre-disposition to not having diabetes, it sounds like he can eat what he wants without any negative side effects. I have a few friends like that. I hate them.

I workout on average 90 minutes a day. My pre diabetic condition showed no outward signs. I thought I was healthy as a plow horse, until my blood work showed the truth.

 

[badatmath]

I haven't had breakfast since high school but I don't consider it "fasting" or make any effort to stop eating at a particular time at night.

 

[Surewhitey]

We've recently started the 12-6 IF, recommended by my new Doc. Specifically for the sugar levels. He also said go to 1 cup of coffee.

Changing the times cut out my bacon and popcorn (Xtra butter, of course) in the early & late hours & I really haven't missed them surprisingly.

Going to 1 cup of coffee made us go to using a french press & better taste /experience there. We're using half the grind as the Bunn drip too. We're way more conscious of what we eat, but also eat what we want (more jasmine rice for example). I expect good blood numbers when I get back to the Doc.

 

[captain3d]

That's a good point. I've always been one to eat to misery. I equated food with safety and contentment. I was always hungry, which is why I ended up being severely obese. I lost a fair amount of weight doing LCHF. But when I started doing IF, I discovered that I could be hungry and it was fine. It was a major light bulb moment for me, and changed my entire point of view about life, food, and everything. Now, after doing IF for most of a decade, I sometimes have to remember to eat. I still love food, but I can't pack it away the way I used to. It's amazing how you can completely turn things around and be very happy with the new way of doing things. As they always say, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

Amazing. Like anything it is mostly being scared of the unknown. I always presumed hunger was a linear discomfort that would only get worse hour by hour but it is not. Just wait a bit or get busy and it goes a way until later.

 

[MarieIG]

I haven't had an issue with time restricted eating - and don't force myself to eat when I am not hungry. I have not found an eight hour window to be restrictive at all - but OP could start with a longer eating window, i.e. ten hours if OP so chooses.

I am also ok with being hungry if I want a longer fast. (The hunger passes.) I tend to eat a reduced carb diet. (This is not no carb - but the bulk of my carbs are leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables.) I don't worry about the carbs in vegetables like lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower or Brussel sprouts. I measure out my tablespoon of EVOO, protein, and higher carb foods. If I have pecans or a slice of sweet potato, I would watch the portion size. Occasionally, I will have some Greek yogurt (if I can from grass fed cows - or sheep, they latter of which is difficult to find). If I eat fruit, this would be organic berries (also measured).