Intermittent Fasting

[TBT]

I actually did a very dirty version of OMAD, where I only ate once, but ate whatever I wanted when I did eat my lone meal. Only stipulation was if I wasn't working out that day, the meal be no more then 1200 calories. Lost about 23lbs (182-159) within a 4 month period, and never had any stomach/intestinal issues as well.

Only thing that did suck was I was very energized during the night so I couldn't sleep well.

 

[CychiatricWard]

Lift weights. Been the number one thing for me. Got up to 225 last September eating poorly and not working out. Moved to Des December last year and started lifting 3 to 4 days a week, every week. Got down to 190 and been maintaining that since and still eat what I want for the most part. I try to limit my soda/beer intake, minus game days, and eat relatively healthy. No need to do anything crazy to lose and keep off the weight!

 

[fsanford]

I was about 40lbs more than I want to be so 5 weeks ago I thought I'd give it a shot. I know in the end it's all about calories in/calories out but IF isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I decide to try out 20:4. The weekdays are pretty easy but the weekends are a little more challenging(football season) so I've went to 18:6 on Saturdays. The time I eat is between 4-8pm. During fasting I only drink water and coffee. Giving up around 48 ounces of Diet Mountain Dew during the day has probably been the toughest part. So far I've lost about 12lbs.

Anyone else try this?

I sorta do it, 1 meal M-F along with ice coffee and ice tea for drinks.

Weekends indulge in more pleasure, ice cream, and maybe some half sweet drinks from Starbucks dropped 20 pounds, and now hover around the same weight for the last couple of months.

Also I get fuller quicker so even on binge events, I really don't binge per say.

I gave up MT Dew 3 years ago, and that just helped me feel better overall. It was a tough addiction to break though.

 

[isuno1fan]

Eat/drink healthy in multiple small meals a day and you won’t be a fatso and can avoid the gimmicks.

 

[NorthCyd]

I was about 40lbs more than I want to be so 5 weeks ago I thought I'd give it a shot. I know in the end it's all about calories in/calories out but IF isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I decide to try out 20:4. The weekdays are pretty easy but the weekends are a little more challenging(football season) so I've went to 18:6 on Saturdays. The time I eat is between 4-8pm. During fasting I only drink water and coffee. Giving up around 48 ounces of Diet Mountain Dew during the day has probably been the toughest part. So far I've lost about 12lbs.

Anyone else try this?

Cutting out 4 cans of Mt Dew 5 days a week is a pound worth of fat in calories every week right there.

I would be interested in fasting but if I dont eat fairly regularly I get light headed and feel like crap. I'm a small snacker. Don't really eat meals besides dinner so it works for me to control weight.

 

[besserheimerphat]

I lost 6 pounds from August to September while reducing carbs, increasing protein (same or slightly more total calories per day) and lifting heavy 3X per week. I also saw my squat, bench and deadlift go up about 10% each during that stretch.

I always start with the empty bar and pyramid up to a single at 90%, then do 3X3 at 90%. If I get 9 reps, then I increase the weight the next week - 10lbs for squats and deadlifts, 5lbs for bench. If I don't get all 9 reps then I repeat the same weights the next week. For assistance exercises I usually do 4X6 on 1 or 2 compound exercises, and 4X10 on 1 isolation exercise.

 

[cycloner29]

Lift weights. Been the number one thing for me. Got up to 225 last September eating poorly and not working out. Moved to Des December last year and started lifting 3 to 4 days a week, every week. Got down to 190 and been maintaining that since and still eat what I want for the most part. I try to limit my soda/beer intake, minus game days, and eat relatively healthy. No need to do anything crazy to lose and keep off the weight!

Exercise is big for me. I will lift twice a week and ride 15 miles on a bike every other day. I use Soda Stream to curb my pop need. I just need the carbonation. I was at 245 and now around 230 mark as I am 6' 2". My BP was up there to around 180/90. Dr. put me the lowest dose of medication and have been on that for almost 2 years. Last check in July it was 121/73. Everything in my blood test was good. Bad Cholesterol was good and the good cholesterol was good. Not radically changing my eating habits. Normally about 16 oz of water right when I get up with lowfat yogurt and Special K with berries for breakfast in the morning after working out. I will go to hotel gyms and workout. I do travel quite a bit and I never did that before until recently. I've learned that you have to push yourself when you "don't feel it" to go to the gym or to get on the bike.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

I know it works since I was a OMAD for 8 months in 2015 and lost 75 pounds. Almost 5 years later and not being strict, gained it all back one beer at a time.

Should probably get back on that train

 

[madguy30]

I sorta do it, 1 meal M-F along with ice coffee and ice tea for drinks.

Weekends indulge in more pleasure, ice cream, and maybe some half sweet drinks from Starbucks dropped 20 pounds, and now hover around the same weight for the last couple of months.

Also I get fuller quicker so even on binge events, I really don't binge per say.

I gave up MT Dew 3 years ago, and that just helped me feel better overall. It was a tough addiction to break though.

I used to have about a Mt. Dew every day and then in about February 2016 I just straight up quit drinking soda. Was just crazy as I'm an absolute creature of habit.

 

[StClone]

Though Mayo Clinic can not condone fasting ( https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...opular-diet-trends-of-the-moment/art-20390062 ), I think fasting mixed with Mediterranean diet or Anti-inflammatory diet and exercise is where I am at. Also, as much white and green tea as you can stand and a few supplements like Q-10 (200) and maybe a good multi.

 

[dmclone]

Excercise never really worked for me. Even in my late twenty's when I was running 20-30 miles a week training for a marathon I was still a little overweight. It just have me an excuse to eat more. Then when I backed down my running I continued to eat there same amount and gained weight.

 

[CYme]

IF and low carb, I lost about 70 lbs over 1 year. IF just came naturally as I was never hungry while eating low carb. I would often fast for 2-3 days without any hunger. I blew a disk and fell into the processed foods trap because it was way easier when I wasn't very mobile, then had a slipped disk in my neck that compounded the issue. I've put about 15 lbs back on over the last 18 months, but now that my back and neck are in good shape, I'm back in and already feeling better. Have to lose the 15 I've put on, then another 30 and I'll be at my goal weight! For the year or so I was doing IF and low carb, I found it very sustainable as long as I had time to meal prep. I don't know if I'd be able to do IF without low carb as carbs seem to trigger hunger pains for me.

 

[State43]

I was about 40lbs more than I want to be so 5 weeks ago I thought I'd give it a shot. I know in the end it's all about calories in/calories out but IF isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I decide to try out 20:4. The weekdays are pretty easy but the weekends are a little more challenging(football season) so I've went to 18:6 on Saturdays. The time I eat is between 4-8pm. During fasting I only drink water and coffee. Giving up around 48 ounces of Diet Mountain Dew during the day has probably been the toughest part. So far I've lost about 12lbs.

Anyone else try this?

I did 16-18 hour fast depending on how I felt with one day a week that I take off. I also cut carbs after 2pm. From December to March, I went from 230lbs to 196. I always lifted weights 3-4 times a week but added in cardio twice a week to get better results. My goal was to stay at 200.

 

[nocsious3]

I'm doing some fasting but I like to mix it up and I don't sweat the details. Others might need a more regimented approach.

Most days I skip breakfast. It's probably 18:6 most days but varies a bit day to day. Once every week or two I do a fast that normally ends up being around 22 hours. I don't plan it but if I end up eating a later dinner and 1pm rolls around and lunch hasn't happened I just parlay that into a 22 hour fast. About once a week I'll eat a breakfast, oats with berries and walnuts generally. Sugar is completely out right now. I'll eat carbs, but mostly avoid wheat and potatoes, so that makes me lower carb most days. I do eat things like winter squashes, wild rice, sweet potatoes, etc. I think the number one thing that had almost immediate effects on my body and brain, was eating broccoli sprouts daily. I eat it like taking medicine.

Everyone's body and genetics are different and I believe what might be a perfect diet for you might not work for me. I recently added weight training.

 

[Dandy]

I’ve been doing a like 17:7 but apparently I need to step my game up. Only water in the morning. Did coffee for a while but started to get withdrawals when I didn’t drink it. Haven’t been seeing huge results because I need to change what I eat during my 7 hours.

 

[gocubs2118]

I’ve recently lost 80 pounds while doing it mostly on the 16:8 intermediate fast. 20:4 seems absolutely insane to me and totally not necessary.

 

[nocsious3]

I’ve recently lost 80 pounds while doing it mostly on the 16:8 intermediate fast. 20:4 seems absolutely insane to me and totally not necessary.

There is some evidence for occasionally doing a longer fast. It looks like autophagy kicks in a decent amount if you get above 20 hours. Your cells start to literally break down the old stuff that isn't working right anymore. I personally believe this likely has neuro-protective effects, but more research is needed. The scientific literature is still in it's infancy on fasting really, so don't take my words as some sort of definitive truth.

 

[dmclone]

I know it sounds crazy and maybe it's in my head but I'm really not anymore hungry now than I was before doing 20:4. My typical day before

5am Breakfast bar
6am Diet Mountain Dew
8am Water
11am Bruegers bagel or Subway 6" sub
3pm Snack
6pm Dinner

Now
6am-11am Coffee
11am-2pm Water
3:30 Large snack (Cheese and Nuts)
6pm Dinner

The truth is that 2 things kill me. Weekends and beer. I usually have 1 beer on Thursday, 3 or 4 on Friday, and 3 or 4 on Saturday. If the average beer I drink is 200 calories, that's 1,500+ calories. Then on the weekends we'll eat out for dinner at least one night and usually go crazy.

 

[capitalcityguy]

Eat/drink healthy in multiple small meals a day and you won’t be a fatso and can avoid the gimmicks.

If you look at human history over thousands of years, what you suggest is actually closer to a "gimmick" than fasting.

We evolved over time and our bodies where built to not constantly be ingesting and digesting food...this was by necessity given food wasn't readily available.

 

[capitalcityguy]

I know it sounds crazy and maybe it's in my head but I'm really not anymore hungry now than I was before doing 20:4. My typical day before

5am Breakfast bar
6am Diet Mountain Dew
8am Water
11am Bruegers bagel or Subway 6" sub
3pm Snack
6pm Dinner

Now
6am-11am Coffee
11am-2pm Water
3:30 Large snack (Cheese and Nuts)
6pm Dinner

The truth is that 2 things kill me. Weekends and beer. I usually have 1 beer on Thursday, 3 or 4 on Friday, and 3 or 4 on Saturday. If the average beer I drink is 200 calories, that's 1,500+ calories. Then on the weekends we'll eat out for dinner at least one night and usually go crazy.

Drastically reducing your carb intake is why you aren't as hungry. I personally haven't had much in the way of carbs over a year now. No pizza, bread, donuts, buns, etc. If I drink, it is vodka and soda ( although do sneak an occasional beer).

I intermittent fast but nothing scheduled or heavily monitored. I just simply eat larger, fatty protein rich meals (much like our ancestors did) and I simply don't get hungry as often. I used to be a 3 meal a day....two snacks (plus) type of eater. Some times I'll eat just two meals a day now. I could probably do one sometimes....but just haven't been motivated enough yet to try.

Other benefits:

* lost all the weight I wanted to (30 lbs) and have kept off
* sleep better.....no longer need an alarm clock
* aches have gone away (bad knee from old FB injury)
* more energy, no afternoon energy drain