Anyone else try intermittent fasting to improve health?

[hopeisconstant]

I thought I’d pass this along since I’ve been experiencing,, so far, such good results.

Anyone here try intermittent fasting? It’s something that’s been around for years and every once in a while comes up again as really healthy to do.

There are a different ways to do it (you can google). The one I’ve been trying for about 30 days is the 16/8 method. In a 24 hour day you eat only within an 8 hour window and fast (sleep time counts) the remaining 16 hours.

My last meal usually ends between 4 to 5 PM and I eat nothing again until 8 or 9 in the morning (16 hours later). No snacks, no drinks (except water) after 4 or 5 PM. So your entire eating period is confined within the 8 hours.

I have to tell you I’ve been feeling really good. It’s supposed to lower insulin level and raise your human growth hormones. This is good for people diabetic or pre-diabetic and for those of us with some type of auto-immune illnesses (arthritis, rosacea, etc).

I tried because of sleep problems and prostate related issues. Its definitely helped me in both areas. In the process I’ve lost some weight too.

It definitely takes a bit of discipline. I love to snack and have a beer or wine or maybe a tea while watching some show or reading. But the benefits have far outweighed the negatives. I originally committed to 2 weeks and decided to keep it up. The good thing about something like this, of course, is that you can be flexible about it. If you’re going or doing something and want to change the schedule you can.

 

[REWahoo]

Here is a recent thread on the subject: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/i-need-advice-about-intermittent-fasting-95330.html

 

[Teacher Terry]

I get horrible headaches and start shaking so can’t do it.

 

[HI Bill]

My nutritionist recommended 4 to 5 meals a day, spaced out evenly, to stabilize blood sugar. Not sure about fasting, IMHO, the body is designed to keep everything stable (blood chemistry, etc). I used MyFitnessPal to lose weight, which track both calories burned, exercise, and calories consumed. Felt much better after a few months!

 

[TrophyWife]

Me! I've lost 2 sizes since January. I eat what I want in a 5-8 hour window. I always get at least a 16 hour fast. Easiest thing ever after your body adjusts the first week. Delay Dont Deny-best quick read book. Also videos by Dr Jason Fung.

 

[audreyh1]

My nutritionist recommended 4 to 5 meals a day, spaced out evenly, to stabilize blood sugar. Not sure about fasting, IMHO, the body is designed to keep everything stable (blood chemistry, etc). I used MyFitnessPal to lose weight, which track both calories burned, exercise, and calories consumed. Felt much better after a few months!

Are you diabetic and thus needing to keep blood sugars stable? Otherwise, personally, I think the multiple small meals stuff is silly. Humans evolved with irregular meals and the body handles them very well if it does not have a metabolic disorder.

 

[audreyh1]

I often skip a dinner or breakfast just because I don’t feel hungry, and prefer to eat most of my food mid day. Now that I am always in nutritional ketosis, (i.e. burning fat for energy all the time) I can go for long periods without eating and not feel a drop in energy. It’s quite amazing.

Not using IF as a strategy at the moment, but somedays it happens anyway.

 

[Scratchy]

I limit eating to around a 9 hour period every day, i.e. 15 hour fast. Once a week I fast 21 hours. I believe it helps with insulin resistance and weight control (I have pre-diabetes.)

Have been doing this about a year and have lost weight, and do not find it difficult to do at all. I do try to stay well hydrated with water and black coffee.

 

[travelover]

When I get hungry, I get really grumpy and eventually feel faint.

 

[albireo13]

I trade in my carb calories for Merlot, later in the day.
My waist like it but, my liver is pissed off!

 

[joeea]

Anyone here try intermittent fasting?

Yes, I skip breakfast once in a while. I'll have coffee, but sometimes don't feel like eating anything.

Occasionally, my wife and I skip lunch and have an early dinner. Not often.

So I guess you could say we intermittent fasted before intermittent fasting was a thing.

We don't do it for the supposed 'health benefits'. That's just yet another food fad, IMHO. First it's kale. Then it's gluten free. Now it's intermittent fasting. Perhaps next it will be the chocolate milk diet? Maybe intermittent gluttony? Wake me when the all-pasta-all-day diet becomes the new thing. I think I'd be good at that one.

 

[audreyh1]

A primary benefit of intermittent fasting is autophagy - the body healing itself by recycling old dying cells. Something that doesn’t happen much unless one has not eaten for 12 hours, and accelerates significantly approaching 24 hours without food.

A Japanese scientist won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering the mechanism.

That is a little different from just a food fad.

 

[skipro33]

I often skip a dinner or breakfast just because I don’t feel hungry, and prefer to eat most of my food mid day. Now that I am always in nutritional ketosis, (i.e. burning fat for energy all the time) I can go for long periods without eating and not feel a drop in energy. It’s quite amazing.

Not using IF as a strategy at the moment, but somedays it happens anyway.

Ditto

 

[joeea]

Little different from just a food fad.

I agree - there is little difference.

 

[nativenewenglander]

Ditto

The same here. I ate breakfast at 1 pm today. Then had dinner with friends, which was more carbs than I usually eat. I call it a cheat, but tomorrow a strip steak awaits for dinner. My usual time between dinner and breakfast is at least 12 hours. I never get faint, but drink plenty of water, 80 ounces or so during the day.

 

[bmcgonig]

I agree - there is little difference.

By purposely misquoting audrey you are taking your cynicism to a whole new level aren't you.

 

[Tailgate]

16/8 has worked for me. Down 45 lbs since Feb. Dropped 3 BP meds, A1C down to 5.1. My Doc recommended The Obesity Code book (Fung). That and DDPYoga has changed my life at 68 years young. Audrey is spot on IMHO.

 

[hopeisconstant]

Well I’m past 30 days doing this and I feel pretty good about it. I’ve been steadfast on keeping 16 hours between my last and next days meal. It’s pretty easy to do now just a change of a few habits. Originally I tried to squeeze 3 meals into the 8 hours: normal breakfast, heavier lunch and light dinner. But that’s kind of difficult in such a short period so it’s really usually 2 meals, some snacking. Even though I’m not doing this to lose weight I’ve dropped at least 5 lbs. I started this because of my sleep & prostate issues; waking up almost every hour With the urge to go. I never took medication doctors prescribed for my enlarged prostate. The potential side effects did not appeal to me but waking up so repeatedly was wearing me down. I never read anywhere that this would help but intuitively I thought it might. Well I can honestly say I’ve experienced improvements. Within a short time I was reducing how frequently I had to get up by 10-25%. The longer I’ve been going the better it gets. For the last few days, for the first time in a long time I’ve slept for close to 3 hours at a time w/o needing to get up. It’s also interesting that coincidently, I was scheduled for a physical and I had a bunch of blood tests. Everything was good but what stood out, at least in my mind is that my PSR, which while not bad, but which over the years was slowly but steadily, going up, was actually down from my test a year ago. So I guess I’m really passing this along for those guys having the same problems I’ve been having with the nighttime issues. I know how tough that can be and so a small change can make a difference.

 

[audreyh1]

That's great.

Did you ever consider saw palmetto as an option?

I was taking it for other reasons (female), and DH decided to take some. It seemed to help him - easier to empty his bladder - plus his PSA dropped slightly.

I read that larger trials didn't find it helps but our personal experience has been different.

 

[hopeisconstant]

I’ve tried all the herbal and advertised stuff and nothing ever worked except for perhaps short term placebo benefit.

 

[street]

I do but it isn't always the same length of time. Most generally it is 14 hours but on occasions it can be 12 or up to 16 hours. I feel better and seem to have more energy when I intermittent fasting.

 

[NgineER]

I have for about six months now. Dropped a few pounds without really trying to, down to about 173 lbs from 180.
I find it is mostly a mind game, never thought I could skip breakfast, but do so week days, have lunch at noon and dinner at five. Try to not eat anything after that, but will often have some nuts or something.
Biking to work this summer and was surprised that I could go for four hours after biking 17 miles without eating. I think I still consume close to the same amount of calories, but I’m not counting.

 

[Tiger8693]

By purposely misquoting audrey you are taking your cynicism to a whole new level aren't you.

+1000

Unfortunately, the norm.

 

[bmcgonig]

One more study on difference between intermittent fasting versus not. Same meals, different timing, very different results. From Peter Attia's website.

https://us15.campaign-archive.com/?u=21bc5f75235505c27ce465f90&id=d04dcb4ea9

 

[youbet]

Intermittent fasting did nothing for me. Later, I worked with a dietician (paid for by Medicare). I changed to counting macro's using MyFitnessPal as a convenient tool and cut out snacking after supper. My goal was to slowly drop weight while eating protein, fat and carbs in proportions that would likely be appropriate for the rest of my life. That is, no ending a special diet and returning to a more "normal" diet later after some goal was reached.

My dietician believed everyone is different and during our meetings we talked about my results, my problems (like feeling tired in the afternoon for example) and reviewed my eating log. She offered suggestions, pointed out issues with some of my choices and offered general education. And it seems to have worked.