Intermittent Fasting, Yes it Works

[bobbyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilentWalker I have only been on this diet for a bit over three weeks now and I have been extremely careful about not breaking any "rules". Two moderate size meals, in the beginning and at the end of my 4-5 hour eating period or alternatively one big and one small meal. And zero snacks in between the meals. Definitely no binge eating as I already fill up nicely with my regular meal that is 75% vegetables. I just learned from some website today that in regular keto diet also eating too little can stop the weight loss. That is obviously complete opposite to what typical human nutritionists would know. Go figure.

we follow the 21 day bone broth diet (with a 5/2 fast schedule)...the author pushes a keto diet when not fasting and there is portion talk about proteins and fruit, but not about veggies. She says eat to your hearts content (of the right stuff). The fast days are bone broth only until a light dinner. The broth is pretty good and does wonders for our skin. Also no alchohol unless on maintenance phase.

My amateur advice is to expand your eating time from 4-5 hrs to 8 hrs and have healthy snacks if you are hungry (lean meat, veggies). I cook chicken or filet to have available with some veggies when i am hungry. On her diet, we aren't hungry too often. Lost 50 pounds 2 yrs ago and doing maintenance plan now.

[SilentWalker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbyr we follow the 21 day bone broth diet (with a 5/2 fast schedule)...the author pushes a keto diet when not fasting and there is portion talk about proteins and fruit, but not about veggies. She says eat to your hearts content (of the right stuff). The fast days are bone broth only until a light dinner. The broth is pretty good and does wonders for our skin. Also no alchohol unless on maintenance phase. My amateur advice is to expand your eating time from 4-5 hrs to 8 hrs and have healthy snacks if you are hungry (lean meat, veggies). I cook chicken or filet to have available with some veggies when i am hungry. On her diet, we aren't hungry too often. Lost 50 pounds 2 yrs ago and doing maintenance plan now.

It seems I was actually eating too much lean protein. It is important part of the keto diet to get 70% of the calories from fat and too much protein can push you off ketosis. It pretty much means that typical lean meats that I was accustomed to before dieting are out of the picture. After moving to even higher fat part and reducing the protein portiOn sizes I started losing weight again. 4 lbs over the past 7 days now!! Still holding the 19-20 hour fast periods. I feel a few hunger bangs in the morning but I have no urge to break the fast at all.

[bobbyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilentWalker It seems I was actually eating too much lean protein. It is important part of the keto diet to get 70% of the calories from fat and too much protein can push you off ketosis. It pretty much means that typical lean meats that I was accustomed to before dieting are out of the picture. After moving to even higher fat part and reducing the protein portiOn sizes I started losing weight again. 4 lbs over the past 7 days now!! Still holding the 19-20 hour fast periods. I feel a few hunger bangs in the morning but I have no urge to break the fast at all.

good point...I left fat out accidentally. I typed 'lean' and generally do lean meat but I eat ribeye, sausage (no nitrate), burgers, etc. without concern...just not as frequently. I feel like my body lets me know when fat infusion is needed. Thanks for your comment and glad you are doing well.

[camfused]

Hi all. I just saw this thread. I have been doing IF for about a year. I basically eat the same stuff, and amounts, I did prior to that, but just skip a meal. So typically, I eat brunch around 10:30-11:00, and dinner around 18:00. I have lost 15 lbs (194 to 179), and 1.5 inches circumference.

At first you feel mighty hungry in the morning and late afternoon, but after a few weeks, you get used to it.

[bobbyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by camfused At first you feel mighty hungry in the morning and late afternoon, but after a few weeks, you get used to it.

That is the key.

[COcheesehead]

I have been on a 16/8 now since January. I rarely, if ever get hungry during the fast portion of the day. If we are out playing golf or some other activity, the 16 hour portion can easily slip into 17, 18+ hours and I don’t even notice.

[vafoodie]

I think I remember one poster saying he or she successfully did IF despite having morning coffee with cream out of hours. Was that wishful thinking?

[bobbyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vafoodie I think I remember one poster saying he or she successfully did IF despite having morning coffee with cream out of hours. Was that wishful thinking?

i do that without issue, although i use plant based creamer -- no appetite spike at all

then I have bone broth (2 or 3) - total calories for day ~300

[JP.mpls]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbyr i do that without issue, although i use plant based creamer -- no appetite spike at all then I have bone broth (2 or 3) - total calories for day ~300

I'm doing IF very casually. I have coffee with cream in the morning, lunch after noon, and try to not eat dinner late. Typically in the 5-7 range.


The biggest change for me is not eating late in the evening. I was having ice cream in the evenings too often.



I'm eating most anything I want, but I am trying to avoid eating extremely large meals like I'm a 20 year old kid. I can get carried away with pizza.



I'm trying to walk or ride my bike some each day too. It doesn't happen every day.



I'm surprised that my weight is going down. I don't feel like I'm doing enough for this to happen. I started at 212, and I'm down to 193 (morning weigh ins). My guess is over two to three months. Very slow.



Most of my excessive weight is around my midsection. I would be thrilled to get down to 180 or 185.


Good luck. JP

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP.mpls I'm doing IF very casually. I have coffee with cream in the morning, lunch after noon, and try to not eat dinner late. Typically in the 5-7 range. The biggest change for me is not eating late in the evening. I was having ice cream in the evenings too often. I'm eating most anything I want, but I am trying to avoid eating extremely large meals like I'm a 20 year old kid. I can get carried away with pizza. I'm trying to walk or ride my bike some each day too. It doesn't happen every day. I'm surprised that my weight is going down. I don't feel like I'm doing enough for this to happen. I started at 212, and I'm down to 193 (morning weigh ins). My guess is over two to three months. Very slow. Most of my excessive weight is around my midsection. I would be thrilled to get down to 180 or 185. Good luck. JP

Congratulations, JP. I allow myself all the coffee and milk I want in the morning. Otherwise I fast from 6 PM to 11 AM. Over the last 3 months or so, I have slowly gone from 185 to 170. I don't suffer from hunger pangs. In fact I have to force myself to eat stuff, like yogurt, salad, oatmeal, and lots of fruit, just because I know it will benefit my intestinal situation. Just got my annual blood test, at 170 pounds. I am hoping my glucose, lipids, and cholesterol numbers are all improved.

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Here's another thumbs up for IF. I started 3 months ago, have dropped 15 pounds. My doctor was quite impressed. I do the 16/8 version- basically I eat nothing after 5 pm or before 9 am. I do feel hungry at times during the night, though it's not hard to sleep through. I have a lot of dreams about food or eating. This is by far the easiest diet I have tried, and it's sustainable.

[audreyh1]

IF does not cause weight loss for me. I was doing 16:8 for pretty long while a couple of years ago. I had decided to try skipping the evening meal to see if having a very settled digestion before bed resolved some midnight/early morning digestive discomfort. It really did help, so I stuck with it. But not any weight loss.

I later went on keto, and that very effectively caused weight loss, plus made all digestive issues vanish.

Inspired by my brother’s Zero Apple Watch app which I downloaded, I started doing 14:10 a few weeks ago. Again, no weight loss (and 4-5 pounds had crept back on during the lockdown summer with limited access to exercise), but I have noticed a significant increase in energy during the day.

I am now fortunately back home where I have far more exercise opportunities plus friendly weather.

[Blue531]

Yes. The first time I Intermittent fasted was about 30 years ago when I had never heard of IF. I just decided to eat one meal a day, which is now known as OMAD. Neither one existed to me at the time. It was just something I decided to do so I could still eat what i wanted in one meal and lose weight. Lost about 2 pounds per week and 30 overall to get to my goal weight.

Recently, instead of IF, I do occasional 3 day to more days of water only fasting. Two years ago, I did a 30 day water only fast. The reason now is for health. The weight loss is an added benefit. Ironically as we speak I am on day 8 of a planned 30 day or more water fast with a plan to revert back to a whole foods, plant-based way of life. As Joel Fuhrman recommends, a nutritarian diet.

Alan Goldhamer of True North is a great advocate, too
We are set up to fail by the SAD American diet. SOS, salt, oil and sugar.

Now that I am retired, I feel that I can truly focus on that major area without the requirements or interference of a job and stress. Now that my financial matters are set, it is time to tackle this.

I always feel better when I eat better but old habits, as we all know, are hard to break. But we must never give up.

[Agapostemon]

I did the 5:2 version, where you restrict calories twice a week, and I did reach my goal. I think it took two to three years with lots of ups and downs. Since then, I find it easier to do a full fast once a week. I've also learned that I should stay away from carbs on eating days. Unfortunately, I usually don't. So I've been stuck at 5-7 lbs above my goal weight all year.

[Sanstar]

Started 20:4 in Sept and down 25 pounds, today. I don’t measure, weigh, track macros, ect. I do try to monitor and cut down on processed foods and eat plants only. Feel great, sleep really well and slow but steady increase in energy. Water and block coffee only between 2PM and 10AM. Physical coming up next month so will soon have current lab values. Have occasionally gone 22 hours when out and about at 10. Don’t really notice any difference from 20 hours.

[rkser]

I have been doing IF 18/6 or 16/8 for about 8 months, I do not have breakfast, either eat a Snack at 11 or go straight to Lunch at 1, eat a light Dinner at 7.

I reached my ideal weight after losing around 20 lbs in 6 months & have stayed there since. Although I do not have to lose any more weight, I do feel good with IF so far.
It feels like a routine now & does not feel like I am depriving myself in any way.

[Nick12]

If you go approx 10-12 hours between dinner and breakfast for sure the digestion process improves. The late night snacking or big meal then sleep after will wreck havoc in your body. It is not worth it. That Taco Bell commercial advertising a 4th meal of the day is insane.

[audreyh1]

From what I read it takes 12 hours to get into autophagy where the powerful healing benefits of IF start to happen.

Certainly better digestion is a benefit of not eating at least 12. That was what got me started initially - not eating many hours before bedtime for settled digestion while sleeping. Definitely helped.

Companies are always trying to get us to eat and drink more, and more often, and special foods to “help” you through/right after exercising, etc. Super unhealthy.

[rkser]

I am happy I lost those 22 lbs from IF, but I really do not know if what I lost was muscle (of little I have) or was it body fat ??.

As an aside I do not know if the gloomy news every day of Covid deaths & hospitalizations has effected my mood & got the motivation out of me. It would have been great if I exercised along with doing IF, apart from just warming the couch at home most of the time apart from a little yoga & neighborhood walks.

[audreyh1]

It’s probably mostly body fat, because going for many hours without food makes insulin drop considerably, and this allows your body to burn it’s fat reserves instead for fuel.

I assume your clothes fit different. You should be able to tell where you lost some fat.

Routine moderate exercise is still really important.