intermittent fasting anyone

[Melaine]

DH has tried IF for the last few months. He's only doing 16:8 but it's not working at all. He just keeps gaining. We saw the news last night where they talked about how good it was for you and he got so frustrated. I believe his issue is that he just eats oo much no matter when or for how long he eats. He's traveling a lot for work as well right now and that's not helping the situation. He's gonna keep trying to stick to it though!

Maybe he should try 5:2, five days without restrictions and 2 days under 500 calories (it's actually 600 for guys, lucky ducks). I personally think it makes more sense. Just have him try to really up his hydration and eat smart the other days without any major restrictions.

[amandabea]

I’ve been doing IF since Labor Day. I have lost some weight (probably 10 pounds), but mostly I just feel better and less sluggish. The first 5 days were the hardest — I think due to sugar cravings. Getting used to black coffee was hard too.

Initially I followed a 16:8 schedule with my eating window opening around noon, but found that I would eat too much for lunch and then felt obligated to eat dinner with my family even if I wasn’t hungry. Now I try to just do one meal a day and wait until about 5:00 most days putting me on more of a 21:3 schedule. Overall I don’t worry too much about the time. I don’t focus on calorie restriction or eliminating anything because I felt that would backfire for me. Work travel and the weekends are the hardest — sitting in meetings with food brought in and too much downtime to think about food. I don’t do it when we’re on vacation and haven’t had a hard time getting back on track. I read the prior post, the Gin Stephens’ website and book.

[melrose7]

I have been doing IF since the middle of July. I started a couple weeks before vacation knowing I would stick with it as much as I could while we were gone but would probably have longer windows during that time. I normally don’t eat breakfast and am not a coffee drinker so just making my window later and being done eating after dinner wasn’t too hard. I actually find it easier on the weekends since I work at home (in home daycare) and feel like I am always in the kitchen during the week. On the weekends I can get out of the house. I usually start eating around 1:00 and either close my window between 4:00 and 6:00 depending on how hungry I am. Then I usually do a 36-40 hr fast Saturday night to Monday late morning/afternoon. That usually helps move the scale each week.
I have lost 20lbs and am at my lowest weight in 15-16 years. Still have about 10 lbs to go. I didn’t realize how much better I felt doing IF but my windows have been longer (closer to 8-10hrs) this week and eating more garbage foods and have headaches and feeling sluggish the last couple days.
I really feel this is something I can do for life and tweak when holidays and vacations come around.

[twowhat?]

So I was doing IF this summer and did 16:8 pretty religiously for 4-5 months before the holidays hit and it all went to crap (hahahaha). I lost about 4 pounds (1 lb a month or less, VERY slow weight loss but I wasn't doing anything extra like exercise, and had previously been gaining weight so not gaining and losing a little was definitely a win). I've gained all that weight back (and more) since Thanksgiving and I feel gross. So I will be jumping back on the IF train in the new year, and I really, really, REALLY need to add exercise and as a family we really really need to add more whole grains/veggies/fish to our diets. I didn't find 16:8 difficult at all, and the eating window prevented me from eating late in the evening, which improved sleep.

[anonomom]

I’ve been doing IF since early June. It’s like every other diet — it works for some people, who then become convinced that it is the One True Way and that really it isn’t a diet at all, but a lifestyle change.

For me, it works better than any other diet, but not well by any reasonable definition of the word. It took me three months to lose a single pound, then I lost ten pounds in two months, and have lost nothing at all since mid-November. I fast between 18-19 hours a day, consistently, with a few 20-22 hour fasts and a 1-week stint eating just one meal a day. I hated OMAD and I’m not willing to do that for the 5-7 years it would take me to become “thin” at this rate of loss (let alone for the rest of my life if this is truly a “lifestyle.”)

As negative as I sound, those 10 pounds are enough of an incentive that I plan to give this effort another six months. If i’m still not making progress at that point, I will happily go back to such crazy indulgences as coffee with milk and unsweetened, black chai (both forbidden during a “clean” fast).

[citymama]

following

[MSWR0319]

Maybe he should try 5:2, five days without restrictions and 2 days under 500 calories (it's actually 600 for guys, lucky ducks). I personally think it makes more sense. Just have him try to really up his hydration and eat smart the other days without any major restrictions.

This is worth a shot! He's been most successful on diets when he's counting calories, but the last few times he gives up on that after a week. This may help. He's not grossly over weight, but it's starting to catch up to him and with the diabetes in his family tree, he needs to be careful.

[citymama]

Wow you guys! I am on day 5 of seriously adhering to an IF routine and I'm surprisingly - enjoying it? The hardest part has been fixing breakfasts and lunches for kids and not just popping a piece of toast in my mouth! I've been doing 16:8. I think it would be easier if we ate dinner earlier (we are rarely done with the meal much before 8). I find I am eating more consciously and my body wants something protein filled and lean - my "break-fast" at noon has been hummus, olives and one piece of pita", some fruit in the afternoon and then our usual vegetarian dinner. I'm just so happy to have cut out the late night snacking, and hope I can stick with this! How long before you physically felt the benefits or weight loss? I have an ankle injury that is preventing exercise, so I'm doubly motivated to do this since I am not expending many calories, and less weight on the ankle will only help with healing it.

[wendibird22]

Started IF last week and have gained 2 lbs. What?! I haven’t changed anything about the types of food I’m eating and sticking to a 16:8 schedule. I run on weekends and continue with that. DH on the other hand ate like crap over the holidays, says he put on 5lb, has been back to work 2 days and doesn’t exercise and already lost 2lbs doing NOTHING.


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[mmsmom]

Wow you guys! I am on day 5 of seriously adhering to an IF routine and I'm surprisingly - enjoying it? The hardest part has been fixing breakfasts and lunches for kids and not just popping a piece of toast in my mouth! I've been doing 16:8. I think it would be easier if we ate dinner earlier (we are rarely done with the meal much before 8). I find I am eating more consciously and my body wants something protein filled and lean - my "break-fast" at noon has been hummus, olives and one piece of pita", some fruit in the afternoon and then our usual vegetarian dinner. I'm just so happy to have cut out the late night snacking, and hope I can stick with this! How long before you physically felt the benefits or weight loss? I have an ankle injury that is preventing exercise, so I'm doubly motivated to do this since I am not expending many calories, and less weight on the ankle will only help with healing it.

For me it took 3 weeks before the scale moved. I have posted before about how much I love IF. I did 16:8 for 2 weeks then switched to 18:6. The scale started moving when I got to 18:6. I do work out 5-6 days a week but I have done that for years. I love working out while fasting. Overall I feel great and sleep better. My first meal is between 12:00 & 1:30 depending on the day before. I realized the fasting time is more important than the eating window. So if I eat later than planned I make up for it by still fasting for 18 hours. I drink plain green tea in the AM. I have also done 5:2 (2 days of 500 calories). I did not loose as much on that but it was a better schedule for me over the summer months. I am getting back to IF this week after a holiday trip and already feeling better. Once I get to goal weight I will probably switch to 5:2 again. I highly recommend listening to Diane Rehm’s shows on NPR about IF... they are a few years old but great info.