To ask if anyone has done / is doing intermittent fasting? (16:8 etc)

[smallsausagedog]

Evening all. I need to sort myself out diet-wise but have absolutely no willpower Blatantly posting here for traffic, sorry!

I've recently started on a medication that just happens to be an appetite suppressant. This means I'm not too bothered about eating in the daytime. This makes he think that IF could work for me. If my window for eating is between 2-10 or 4-midnight, it wouldn't impact too much on participation in family meals etc.

Can anyone give me some insight on the positives / negatives? Thanks all!

@indecentfeminist I've lost 2 stone doing IF and eat something as follows as it gives me a "normal" life:

9:30 hot choc and something sweet (flapjack/scone/brownie)
12:30 jacket with ham, mayo & cheese and sometimes salad
4:00 handful of nuts
5:00 tea - one small portion (chilli and rice, roast, curry and rice, stir fry)
5:15 orange

Fear that you haven't eaten enough which means you're likely to fall off the wagon!

I know that having milk in one’s coffee is considered breaking someone’s fast but I don’t care; today I found out I’ve lost six centimetres from my waist in about 4 weeks and yes that’s with weights and running but also sticking to IF six days of seven.

I’m genuinely delighted.

In my opinion, it really doesn't matter. There is no magic in fasting, you just end up having consumed fewer calories at the end of the week... and the odd splash of milk isn't going to make a lot of difference to the total.

It’s not magic, it’s science.

It’s not magic, it’s science

Exactly. The first law of thermodynamics... you get out what you put in.

Intermittent fasting works because you (usually) put in less than you normally would.

Backward step today, don't know why but I woke up feeling ravenous so my fast ended an hour early. My blood sugars must have been low as I was feeling very shakey. Feel a bit disappointed in myself not helped by the weather as it is bucketing down and I know I should go out and be busy but I don't feel up to it. Maybe I'm going down with something.

I'm doing ok today, finished dinner at 530 last night and have just had a light lunch. A bit worried my blood sugar might spike later as I had a sweet as well.

I have had a little sugar in my tea though, but have cut down from a whole teaspoon to about a half.

Exactly. The first law of thermodynamics... you get out what you put in.

Intermittent fasting works because you (usually) put in less than you normally would.

This isn't all to do with thermodynamics, it plays some role and some people may consume fewer calories but you can lose weight by fasting by consuming the same amount of calories. Fasting brings on autophagy and this is where you get massive health benefits, and one of the things that happens is that you go into a state of ketosis, which means you are using your fat for fuel as all your glucose supply has run out (4-5 hours). So you can start to lose weight just because of this process - calories are not a good indicator of weight loss - it depends when and what you are eating in your calorific intake.

www.healthline.com/health/autophagy

When people talk about 16/8 they always say it only works because you consume less calories over 8 hours than you would otherwise. That's logical right? I don't actually think it's true. I eat way more doing 16/8 than I did when I was eating all day long. I have records of my eating on my fitness pal so I KNOW I'm eating more during the 8 hours than I used to! And I'm losing more weight. There's something about the period of fasting that means your body burns more body fat rather than just using the calories that are in your stomach.

So you can start to lose weight just because of this process

Can you point to any trials that prove this? I'm genuinely curious.

PhoneLock in the Fast800 book Michael Moseley outlines a few studies as far as I can remember. I don't have my copy to hand though, so can't check.

The first law of thermodynamics... you get out what you put in.

There's a reason why biologists don't spend much time on thermodynamic. Living beings in general, and humans in particular are way too complex systems for us to begin to work out what goes in or out in terms of simple energy, especially out. How many calories do you use thinking? Or keeping warm? Or digesting food? How many are converted into blood or muscle or bone or fat? And how many calories do those processes use up? How many calories do you excrete and sweat and sneeze out?

Food calories are not all equal. The body processes different kinds of food differently, and it responds differently when it has fasting periods. Those all have different calorie consequences.

Calorie in/calorie out is an extremely poor model for a biological system and does not work when applied to human weight loss. There's a reason why no diets suggest it's okay to eat all your daily allowance in mars bars.

Have personally found it very effective but only by eating healthily and smaller portions in the eating window too. Sadly scoffing cakes and beer to excess over a shorter timescale won’t work . Got my bmi from 27 to 22 in 3 months so I’m happy anyway

@MsTSwift CAN I ASK FOR A ROUGH DRAFT OF WHENY UO FAST AND WHAT YOU EAT.tHANKS

Sorry my caps lock locked

There's a reason why biologists don't spend much time on thermodynamic. Living beings in general, and humans in particular are way too complex systems for us to begin to work out what goes in or out in terms of simple energy, especially out.
I think you find that human beings are no different to anything else. What you put in will come out one way or another. It has to.

How many calories do you use thinking? Or keeping warm? Or digesting food? How many are converted into blood or muscle or bone or fat? And how many calories do those processes use up? How many calories do you excrete and sweat and sneeze out?
All part of the equation and taken into account when an individual’s basal metabolic rate is calculated.

Food calories are not all equal. The body processes different kinds of food differently, and it responds differently when it has fasting periods.
I’ll agree that the body doesn’t process food in the same way. However, if an individual is fasting, there is no change in the types of food they eat, just the quantity.

In what way does it respond differently when it has fasting periods? Recent research I have seen suggests that there is no significant physiological change at all.

Calorie in/calorie out is an extremely poor model for a biological system and does not work when applied to human weight loss.
The general rule that it is not possible to lose weight without a negative energy balance is well proven. To lose weight, energy intake needs to be consistently lower than energy expenditure.
I do agree that way that that energy imbalance is created can make a difference to the long-term effectiveness of a weight loss regime. Intermittent fasting does seem to prevent, or at least reduce, the tendency for the body to gradually adapt hormonally to the reduced energy intake.

There's a reason why no diets suggest it's okay to eat all your daily allowance in mars bars.
That reason is primarily nutrition. If all you have ever eaten is crap, you can still lose weight by eating smaller portions of it.

Ha Durr I got abit scared then!
Weekday for me
1 hour turbo bike not this week as heavy cold but usually
B nothing
Have coffee and tea with milk
L small plate of something healthy poached egg with a salad maybe English muffin
D normal dinner heavier on the veg but still have some carbs but on small plate so portion less
Nothing else if get hungry which weirdly I don’t have ryvita carrots etc

Relax at weekends. Doing the above has worked for me I was 11st 9 in Oct I am now 10st and have dropped 2 dress sizes

Best thing is breaking my sweet tooth. Used to have biscuits crisps choc in the week. Now just at weekends

Lunch around 11.30am
Dinner around 6/7 brought it forward so doing 16 hour fast and cardio while fasted

The nurse doing health checks at the GPs recommended this to me when doing e.g. blood sugar and cholesterol tests.

She said she just skips breakfast and then has a piece of fruit at work around 10-11am, then lunch and dinner as normal. I have started doing this also

Lost seven stone doing intermittent fasting (16:8). Still do it to maintain. Here's what I learned:
-HUGE additional health benefits - good cell autophagy- especially for peri menopausal me.
-the only reason it isn't more popular is because people can't really make money out of it.
-it is v important how you break your fast - eggs is best and a drink - once you break fast you will be massively hungry so have to make sure you don't over eat - I have sparkling water when I break fast to feel less hungry - it takes about 40 mins to feel the food

• when you start - begin with a smaller fasting window, build up slowly
• you can, accordingly to some, have a bit of milk in a coffee and you won't break fast - I try hard not to but if I have it because I'm feeling shit I do.
• one cheat day is great but stick to fasting times
• weirdly never had a cold since I started doing this and also even if I have broken night's sleep with DC I never get tired - it's so weird - I only feel tired when I break fast - then it takes me about 40mins to feel ok -

Don't breaks fast with fruit because of the natural sugars - eggs are best.
Have a look at Dr Jason Fung. Also should say all my other health issues have literally disappeared .. heavy pre menopause periods, ovarian and boob cysts .. all gone .
Can't understand why everyone doesn't do it it's fab - and yes I still eat with the fam in the evening and have a drink .. I try to stick to lowish carb but not low carb because that was too hard and I didn't lose - Mark Sisson recommends 100g of carb a day - I have no idea how to measure that so just have one small portion of carbs with a meal and that seems to be about right x

Sorry loads of typos.. meant don't break fast .. but anyway - as you can tell I'm a fan and a bit fed up with all these celebs selling diet " solutions" when the only thing that worked for me who was overweight all my life was 16:8

Oh. Reading this have realised I used to eat like this. Stopped working and added breakfast and snacks to my day. That'll account for the bewildering extra two stone I've acquired. Would have sworn I haven't changed eating habits but definitely have. Going to return to no breakfast, midday meal, soup in evening. That should help, fingers crossed. Good luck to everyone.

I do recall now that my weight loss went much better when I was breaking my fast with roast tomatoes and feta rather than a cheese and crisp sandwich which I'm currently breaking it with. Should really get back into that habit but it's not tomato season so will have to get tinned tomatoes

Can I ask something. I take medication in the morning- is this classed as breaking a fast. I have never been able to find the info on this. Obviously I need the meds and they are not sugar coated but my stomach is recognising it has something in it?