Anyone have experience with IF stop working?

[wendibird22]

I guess I'd ask yourself, do you feel like your clothes fit better? Are you wanting a specific weight loss? If after a year you are the same weight (or within 5-7 lbs) and you've obviously kept to the IF windows, maybe it's just not going to work. Also, you should never be starving, that's not good.

Also, are you approaching menopause? Hormones can definitely play a role too.

I know IF doesn't work for everyone.

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I am 46, so perimenopause is likely. I really wanted to lose those 5-7lbs a year ago and it took months to lose it. To have it all come back is infuriating. I thought IF would be "easy" to try given that I already wasn't a big breakfast eater (usually I'd just have a protein snack or shake at 9am) so delaying a few more hours seemed easy to do. I also thought IF would be good to try because I was already running and doing yoga regularly and was already GF and low carb, without seeing results.

That sounds so frustrating! First off, could anything be breaking your fast in the morning and triggering the ravenous insulin response? Flavored coffee, vitamins, gum, flavored sparkling water, workout drinks, etc?

If you are certain your fast is clean you might consider shifting your window to earlier in the morning. I find I'm much hungrier the next day if I've eaten lots of carbs or had alcohol so that could be a factor. 18:6 seems to be the minimum for weight loss for some people so you might also try 19:5 or 20:4.

Any other health changes? Maybe time for a thyroid check?

No other changes. Coffee is regular (not flavored) and black. I do take Vitamin D3 and a probiotic in the morning but had read that was okay. It's just odd to me that it worked, albeit slowly, last spring, but seems to have stopped.

What are the benefits you’ve felt from IF? Honestly, the rigor that you are applying to your eating windows with no or little payoff sound miserable. I would be reflecting on why IF and re-evaluating if it was really the right fit for me.

Honestly, given that I wasn't a big breakfast person, I thought it would be easy to try and just delay a few hours more. It appealed to me as not being restrictive of specific food groups as I'm not interested in paleo/keto because I don't want to do restrictive eating in that way with two teen daughters.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Maybe you just weigh what is going to be your body’s weight? If you don’t fight it, would you stay in the same range. It seems like you would. At that point, focus on fitness- aka weights and your current workouts- and don’t stress about the number. Easier said than done but is it really worth all the stress for 5lbs?


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[Globetrotter]

Have you always been very slim? I'm wondering because I have some friends who have been slim their entire adult lives. As they approach menopause they have gained some weight, which isn't a lot but it is new for them and therefore disconcerting. They have maintained with IF but it's definitely not as effortless for them as it once was. Just a thought..
Ironically, as I'm approaching (possibly in) menopause with IF, I have stayed relatively slim for the first time consistently in my adult life, but it's all relative I still have a bit of flab here and there, esp. my thighs, but to me it is still a huge success (I'm now a Boden 4P, down from 10P) as I can maintain this pretty easily and like the lifestyle so it's sustainable.
Could it partly be due to bloating? That is an issue for me and always has been, thought it's not as bad as before. I wonder if upping your water intake might help?
Can you ask a question on the FB page? The moderators are usually good at brainstorming, but I haven't been on it for a long time. I think they would say stop weighing and focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel. Some people say if they close with XYZ food they do better, but I don't remember exactly what. I haven't looked into this, but if you are motivated you could: https://dddsocialnetwork.com

[wendibird22]

Have you always been very slim? I'm wondering because I have some friends who have been slim their entire adult lives. As they approach menopause they have gained some weight, which isn't a lot but it is new for them and therefore disconcerting. They have maintained with IF but it's definitely not as effortless for them as it once was. Just a thought..
Ironically, as I'm approaching (possibly in) menopause with IF, I have stayed relatively slim for the first time consistently in my adult life, but it's all relative I still have a bit of flab here and there, esp. my thighs, but to me it is still a huge success (I'm now a Boden 4P, down from 10P) as I can maintain this pretty easily and like the lifestyle so it's sustainable.
Could it partly be due to bloating? That is an issue for me and always has been, thought it's not as bad as before. I wonder if upping your water intake might help?
Can you ask a question on the FB page? The moderators are usually good at brainstorming, but I haven't been on it for a long time. I think they would say stop weighing and focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel. Some people say if they close with XYZ food they do better, but I don't remember exactly what. I haven't looked into this, but if you are motivated you could: https://dddsocialnetwork.com

Well, slim for me is 115 or less. I think I was 112 when I got married However, in late high school and early college I bloomed up to 140s (yikes!) because I quit sports but kept eating like I always had. Took till junior year of college to get my act together and change my eating habits and get my butt moving. I dropped down to 104 in my early 20s.

As a pear shaped gal, all my weight gain goes to my hips and thighs. Puffy is not what I want to be heading into summer clothing and bathing suit season!
I don't care about the weight on the scale if I was staying slim in build. But I can def tell my clothes aren't fitting as well.

If IF just wasn't working at all, like never really worked, I'd just scrap it. But, I'm just really perplexed by why it seemed to have worked exactly a year ago and then stopped working 6 mos later. Not didn't work. Not plateaued. But wholesale reversed back to where I started from. Just has me scratching my head.

[Kindra178]

I'm horrible at drinking water regularly and am trying to um my H2O intake.


Yup, they are. I'm only 5'2" so any weight increase goes right to my hips and thighs. I'm definitely feeling fluffy in my stomach and thighs.



I haven't used weights. I did last month change up my routine and swapped out yoga on Tues/Thurs for 20-30min of walk/run intervals. The yoga I tend to do is vinyasa and so uses body weight in poses and less time spent on restorative yoga.



I do think I'm eating enough and eat quite a bit of protein since I'm GF and therefore don't eat a ton of carbs, like bread. And I do weigh myself at the same time to avoid those fluctuations. I could try changing up my window, which is most often 18-6. I'm just not sure given how hungry I am in the morning that I could wait until 2pm to open my window. And like I said, I cannot compromise on family dinner which is 5-6pm.

I will check the FB group again. Maybe I'm not searching on the correct key words. When I search about being hungry all the results center on hunger when beginning IF and that it will go away with time. Same with gaining weight. I haven't found posts about gaining weight after a year in, all the gaining weight posts are about how it's not uncommon to gain before losing at the start.

Are you familiar with the podcast The Whole View? One of the hosts was known as the Paleo Mom (she's not a strict paleo eater anymore). She talks about the importance of breakfast and how if you don't eat breakfast, it's stressful on your body. She is not a breakfast eater and she is willing herself to eat breakfast now.

To me, the fact that you are hungry is telling you something. I think you need to listen to your body.

I am currently working with a nutritionist. She doesn't believe in not eating if you are hungry.

Last thing, my endo is board certified in nutrition. She does not think you should go over 16. She recommends 14-16 to her patients.

[mom2binsd]

Are you getting liquids and staying hydrated? I’ve read that the body can make you feel hungry when you just need liquids. Can you drink hot green tea in the morning during your fasting period? It really helps me stave off hunger.

I’m not doing IF but I am counting my calories. I’m allowed 1200 per day to lose weight. It’s working for me. But I’m also adding 3 cups of fresh fruits and vegetables every day to my protein. Raw fruits and veggies have a lot of fiber which takes your body longer to digest (and thus you are fuller longer). I’m also drinking a lot more tea which seems to be an appetite suppressant, and I’m getting more sleep.

Dieting is hard work. Good luck!

Wow, 1200 calories a day is really not that much!

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[MSWR0319]

Wow, 1200 calories a day is really not that much!

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I'm 5'9" and 145. Very bottom heavy for my frame. The only way I can lose weight is if I eat 1400 calories a day as calculated by My Fitness Pal. It's easier than you think. I usually have 200-250 calories left at night. I have only done it a couple times when I've added 5-10 lbs but it works every time.

[essnce629]

I've been doing IF for 16 months now. I always fast bare minimum 19 hours a day though (often 20 most days now and longer on weekends). I'm actually never hungry but I think that's because I eat quite a bit, including lots of protein and fat, during my window. My family is always surprised at how much I eat every day at lunch and then a full size dinner as early as 2 hours later! My lunch also includes a super fatty coffee (I make a Whole 30 creamer made with raw cashews, MCT oil, and collagen peptides). I think the fat and protein is key to staying full.

But I definitely don't think IF works for everyone. I have a friend who did it for a while and it didn't work for her. She kept gaining weight. She does better avoiding carbs and sugar (which I actually still try to do when IF).

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[gatorsmom]

Wow, 1200 calories a day is really not that much!

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I worked with a registered dietitian/nutritionist recommended by my Primary Care doc in my hospital system. She had me do a breathing test called a metabolic rate analysis to determine my metabolic rate. The test told us exactly how many calories I metabolize during the day. The test actually came close to the same conclusion that MyFitnessPal app came to: 1200 calories per day for me to lose weight, 1400 calories per day to maintain without gaining.

When I eat between 1200-1400, and particularly when those calories are mainly fresh fruits and veggies and protein (in other words, few starches), I feel amazing. Lots of energy, no IBS, no stomach issues, almost no acne.

[wendibird22]

I've been doing IF for 16 months now. I always fast bare minimum 19 hours a day though (often 20 most days now and longer on weekends). I'm actually never hungry but I think that's because I eat quite a bit, including lots of protein and fat, during my window. My family is always surprised at how much I eat every day at lunch and then a full size dinner as early as 2 hours later! My lunch also includes a super fatty coffee (I make a Whole 30 creamer made with raw cashews, MCT oil, and collagen peptides). I think the fat and protein is key to staying full.

But I definitely don't think IF works for everyone. I have a friend who did it for a while and it didn't work for her. She kept gaining weight. She does better avoiding carbs and sugar (which I actually still try to do when IF).

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I’d love to hear more about what your typical lunch and dinner look like.


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