Has anyone found intermittent fasting really effective?

[MaGueule]

I decided I needed to lose the stone that has crept on since lockdown and thought I’d give IF a go after hearing a podcast about it. To be honest, I thought it would be hopeless for me, as for some reason I reckoned I’d be completely unable to function without three meals a day. My only previous foray into losing a bit of weight was with low carb, which was torture for me.

I fast from 8pm to noon the next day- but still have tea and coffee with a splash of milk. And a couple of days a week have something like a small bowl of yoghurt or berries for breakfast (and I’d never turn down a hotel breakfast!). I never ate much UPF but have tried to be a bit more mindful about avoiding snacks and sweet things. I’m still eating lunch and dinner as normal, drinking a bit of wine and eating meals out.

Two months later, I’m 6kg down. It seems to have worked brilliantly. I know 6kg is hardly record breaking. But I hardly ever feel hungry, have loads of energy. And my perimenopausal barrel belly has all but gone- I seem to have lost most around my middle.

I promise this isn’t some sort of ad for a weight loss programme. I just wondered about other people’s experiences of IF and if it’s worked well for others?

I started a couple of weeks ago and it seems to be working for me. I don't weigh myself, but I feel a bit lighter and my waistbands are feeling a bit less tight already. I find it makes me feel a bit more energetic too.

I'd tried it before, but gave up pretty quickly because it messed with my digestion. I'm making sure I drink more this time though, and that seems to be doing the trick.

I've done low carb, low fat etc. They all work if you can stick to them (which almost nobody can long term). I'd given up tbh, but my perimenopausal belly was growing, so I thought I'd give IF one more go. It's just so easy! I'm pretty strict - not even milk in my tea. I'll have breakfast once a weekend if I really fancy it though.

I’m pleased it’s working for you too. I didn’t want to get into weighing myself, but it did help me to see some gradual improvement in the first few weeks.

Interesting that it affected your digestion. I’ve heard others say that too. I’m also making sure I stay hydrated and I quite often have a small ‘healthy breakfast’ like yoghurt and fruit for dessert or late afternoon, just to make sure I’m still getting those nutrients. I’ve been craving sugar/ refined carbs much less and am less hungry even during my fast time, which is a relief as I was getting a bit too into biscuits.

I did 8 months of it on the Zoe App. No difference whatsoever. ☹️

I’ve tried it before but fell back into breakfast habits. Just started again 4 weeks ago - would like to lose the post lockdown stone too. I’ve lost approx 1kg each weeK so far. This time, I’m not having the drop of milk in tea or coffee in the mornings - only black until 12. Since the first week I’m not hungry now until midday.

6pm to 6am works wonders for me whenever I feel I have gained weight.

My husband and I do exactly the same as you. It's worked amazingly for my husband, who has been doing it for a few months. I don't know in terms of actual weight loss, but he looks brilliant on it. I've been doing it for about 6 weeks I think, and have lost about 5 pounds. Although it could possibly be a little more than that. I'm not weighing myself very often, as if it hasn't worked that week, I can get a bit de-motivated. So I haven't weighed myself for a couple of weeks.

I do the same as you, 12-8. It works for me, I think on the premise that after 16 hours fasting all the food you eat has been digested. So you’re not putting junk on top of indigested junk

P. S. I do have (almond) milk in my tea though. One or two cups. Only a tiny splash. I did read that if anything you consume in the fasting window is less than 50 calories, it shouldn't interfere too much with your body's reaction to fasting.

Yes I did last year I had put on 2 stone over the pandemic and I'm under 5ft so it is a lot..

I tried not to think about it too much but I fastest from 8.30 till 12.30 the next day I didn't up milk I couldn't.

Do you have a calorie limit though?
IF only works if I am at 1200.calories, for me at least. Not overweight but at high end of normal, so less than half stone to lose.

I swear by it

More energy and manage to keep my weight down with no effort

I eat more or less what I want in my eating window but I try to eat lots of fruit and veg although I do like a treat 😳

My belly is flatter too

This is almost exactly the plan I follow, lost nearly 3 stone and have kept it off for nearly 2 years. If I feel hungry, I eat something small, and I definitely loosen the reins on hols etc

It took me about 6 months to lose the weight .

Works for me. 62 and manage to maintain my weight fairly easily by fasting 8pm til 12 noon.

Do you have a calorie limit though?
IF only works if I am at 1200.calories, for me at least. Not overweight but at high end of normal, so less than half stone to lose.

I don’t. For me, the whole point of doing IF is that I don't restrict food in any other way and I don't measure or count calories. That's the only reason I think I'll be able to stick to it.

Theoretically it's supposed to make you lose weight simply because of the fast, even if you eat the same amount of food and the same number of meals as normal. But the way I do it, I'm skipping breakfast and the snack I'd normally eat at 11:00, so I'm actually cutting a reasonable chunk of calories.

I dont “do” fasting but for years i dont eat after 6pm. Ive never liked that fullness before bed. I loathe it when someone suggests a meal out as it usually is after 7:30. I go but eat very little.

breakfast at 6:30am most mornings, even at the weekends. Slice of toast, half a bagel, porridge or crumpet. Then fruit at 10. Light lunch like salad or ryvita with cream cheese and a yogurt, fruit, nuts or rice cakes at 3. I dont eat chocolate.

I'm quite keen to try. Can I have my usual pint of hot water and lemon in the morning or do you have absolutely nothing until midday? I'll try anything to get rid of the peri barrel stomach

I expect that strictly speaking you're not supposed to have the lemon in it.

I did 100 fasts last year, mostly 18 but some 20 and some 14. It really works. I lost some weight and felt better for doing it, it also eliminated my nighttime indigestion. I enjoyed it. They were all dirty fasts i.e. having a splash of milk in tea or a drop of lemon juice in water. I fell off it a while ago but looking to get back into it. Since doing it I no longer eat breakfast of any kind, it made me realise I didn't feel any different not eating before work and I used to force breakfast down because I felt I had to.

Zero is a really good free app for tracking. The paid version is fine, I used it after getting a really good offer, but wouldn't pay full price for it. The tips and advice they suggest are a paid exclusive still get emailed to me it seems.

Yes - though 5:2 is more effective for me than 16:8. With 5:2 I can pretty much gorge myself on the other 5 days and reliably lose a pound a week but it’s a much more gradual thing with 16:8

I'm doing 16/8 and lost 9kg in three months. My eating window varies. Eg. Tomorrow it's 8-4. As long as I keep the 16 hour fast I'm fine with it. Sometimes the fasting period has gone up to 20 hours.
I've also cut out sugar, alcohol and UPF's and including more nutritional snacks and feel full of energy. (think fruits, seeds, berries)
I feel like i've plateaued at the moment so have decided to increase exercise time and intensity.

Yes it’s great. I began at the start of April and have lost 6kg. Ok, not as good as you but better than any other diet I’ve tried ! I have milk in my tea too and 2 days a week have breakfast because at work we don’t have a morning break until lunch and it’s a fairly physical job. Also been on a holiday where I’ve eaten breakfast. So essentially not been that strict. I already walk 10,000 steps most days but last week or two have started back at the gym so hopefully weight loss will speed up. Like you I’ve got about 1.5 stone to lose.

Tried it a few times and felt better but lost the will to continue so these stories are great to read

Following as I've been thinking about doing this.

Yes works for me and I have less indigestion and IBS. I found snacking in evening was my final so it stopped that - although it was the hardest habit to break. It’s hard when you first start but your body gets used to it and you don’t get hungry in the mornings once you’re in the swing.