AIBU to think Intermittent Fasting is a gimmick?

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I know a few people who swear by Intermittent Fasting and make a big deal of only eating between 12 noon and 8pm

To me, this just sounds like (1) skip breakfast and (2) no snacks after dinner

AIBU?

This is exactly how I understand it and my experience.
That gnawing hunger and craving has gone.
It's not a diet
No calorie counting etc
I can eat anything I like in the 8 hour window.
I prefer salad, vegetables, fruit anyway and am avoiding UPF .

How true this is I don’t know but a friend of DH did it and he lost a lot of weight. Apparently the logic is that we’re not originally designed to have 3 meals a day, that’s just what society tells us to do and in actually fact intermittent fasting is most likely how early people lived and are, hence it works. Equally that could be utter nonsense!

A consultant gastroenterologist I used to work with was a great proponent of intermittent fasting, for gut health. She was also as slim as a pin, although I’m actually struggling to remember any fat or obese doctors during my 35 years of nursing.

There's plenty of overweight GPS

@TheOrigRights while not conclusive, there is plenty of research that shows that doing cardio whilst in a fasting state is effective at aiding weight loss/fat burning/refusing insulin levels.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6983467/#:~:text=Exercising%20during%20a%20fasting%20state,fat%20utilization%20and%20weight%20loss.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/effects-of-aerobic-exercise-performed-in-fasted-v-fed-state-on-fat-and-carbohydrate-metabolism-in-adults-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis/0EA2328A0FF91703C95FD39A38716811

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1728869X22000764

I do find the autophagy side of fasting to be very interesting. Although that state only occurs with fasts longer than 24 hrs I believe.

@TheOrigRightswhile not conclusive, there is plenty of research that shows that doing cardio whilst in a fasting state is effective at aiding weight loss/fat burning/refusing insulin levels.

I will read those later if I have time. Do they talk about eating AFTER exercise though? I exercise first thing in the morning with no problem. I can run about 15 miles on a cup of tea. But god...I'd need at least a banana pretty soon after I got back.

nb I don't run for weight loss/fat burning - I just run.

I'm exactly like this, breakfast presses the 'Must Have All The Food' button. Unfortunately I can also eat far too much in the 8 hours, I suspect I should really be doing OMAD.

Many people don't eat breakfast anyway as they're not naturally hungry first thing. Eating when you're not hungry is a bit daft. I don't finish work until 3 or sometimes 4 so I usually have lunch then but usually something like overnight oats with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit. I then eat something before 8 if I feel the need for an evening meal/snack.

I eat between 12 and 7 only, two snacks and one meal. Its helpful because its trained me not to feel hungry in the day, it's broken my day time snacking habit, and as there's only so much I can consume for my evening meal, my overall calorie intake is lower.
However, it's absolutely not the case that I can eat what I like in my eating window. My overall intake needs to stay below 1700 calories a day (due to age, frame and activity level) or I gain weight.
In my 53 years I've tried pretty much every eating plan going, and nothing will convince me there's anymore to it than calories in, calories out for me. So yes, I do think its a gimmick in the way its marketed as the golden bullet, but as a technique to help reduce calories consumed has its uses.

Well it clearly doesn’t work for me. I’ve been naturally fasting my whole adult life, I don’t eat in the mornings and my last food of the day is my dinner. I’m a fat cow!

@usernother Yes, that's the point I was trying to make. I don't doubt that skipping breakfast and avoiding snacks helps some people to lose weight and / or feel better, but it seems gimmicky to make it "a thing"

There's no money to be made by encouraging people to skip breakfast and avoid snacks. Calling it a fancy name helps to sell books

@usernother Yes, that's the point I was trying to make. I don't doubt that skipping breakfast and avoiding snacks helps some people to lose weight and / or feel better, but it seems gimmicky to make it "a thing"

But it is 'a thing' if people normally would eat breakfast and snack in the evening and are deliberately eating within a specific window of time for a specific purpose.

Do you also object to the term 'diet' or 'low carb' on the grounds that they are just eating less or not eating starchy food? If do, why is ok for those weight loss decisions to be 'a thing'?

Why don't you want them to sell books, though, if you think their message is valid? What do you think books should be written for, if not to demonstrate interesting and useful information, and ideas for people to try out?

I'm currently on one meal per day, I've lost 18 pounds. It's easier than pounding the weights or road for an older man like myself.
I feel great and look good too.
Occasionally I'll take some time off like I did this weekend but I'm strict most of the time. I look at what people put away for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't believe I used to eat like that.
I rarely drink alcohol either.

Started 3 weeks ago and already I've lost 6 pounds. My friend fasts 1 day per week, but I couldn't do it. This works for me.

I think you're talking about more hardcore exercise than me - I maybe should have been clearer that I run 5k in my morning runs, I agree it probably isn't a goer if you're running 15 miles! It probably isn't an ideal training schedule if you are a serious athlete but it works very well for me, as someone just trying to maintain fitness and get some of the benefits of exercise in a lifestyle where I don't have much time for it. When I do longer runs I do those at the weekend so usually in my eating window. If I found it problematic then I'd stop but I feel absolutely fine - good, in fact!

But fasted exercise can be really dangerous for women based on their specific hormone profile which is clearly not the same as in men.

Renee McGregor writes a lot about this.

Yes for women fasted exercise especially running is not good. It increases cortisol levels which we don’t want.

The problem with this discussion about fasting is that all the research that people are quoting is done on middle aged non active men.

It’s very different for women, especially those that do lots of exercise. We need to fuel our bodies not restrict food all morning.

Fasting in general is very individual- some people will respond well others less so. If you are a type that gets low blood sugar/ does loads of exercise then it may be be the best thing. You can still eat healthily without having to fast.

There’s even some research out there that says fasting should be done only at certain times of your menstrual cycle.

It’s really not a one size fits all. I’m not denying some people find it works very well. My DH has good success with it. And for some it’s a good reset to get out of the habit of evening snacking for example.

But I would exercise caution if you are very active.

Also research shows that after exercise women really need to eat protein (and some carbs) within 30 minutes to aid recovery and build muscle etc. Men can get away with waiting for 3 hours… we are very differen.

You will still increase cortisol levels by running 5K fasted. As a woman. A man could probably get away with it.

As someone asked upthread, is the objection to my running without eating beforehand or to the fact I don't eat for afterwards? If it's the former then the fasting is irrelevant as I would never be able to eat before running in the morning unless I ran on a full stomach, which really does make me feel awful. So I'll keep running having not eaten since dinner the night before since I can't believe that it's worse for me than not exercising at all.

I know it’s really hard to run after eating. I used to be the same. I’m not suggesting a full meal. You can actually train your stomach to be able to run on some food. Even just a banana or a small bagel will help avoid the cortisol spike.

Not eating after isn’t great - some food would help with muscle repair and recovery.

Sorry hard to eat before running.