To encourage you to fast?

[surveythebest]

If you want to lose weight and keep it off.

I fast from 8pm to 12 pm. Usually have my first something around 1pm

I haven't actually changed what I eat. I make sure I have some nutrient rich food in me but generally my diet is a bit shit

Anyway, I've gone from a size 16 to a size 10. This happened within 3 months. It's been 9 months now and I've kept it all off! Remaining at a size 10

I don't eat breakfast, ever.

When I was in my teens, I almost skipped breakfast because I genuinely forgot to eat. The same happened early twenties but then after I had my son, I started eating breakfast!

Since that time I went from a size 10 to a size 16.

So yeah, for 9 months now, I just haven't eaten breakfast but haven't restricted myself really and still don't have a perfect diet by any means

I am remaining a size 10 and it's working. I suppose I'm an 'all or nothing' person. And I find the fast easy to stick to because I can eat 0! Sticking to 0 is easier than sticking to 3 sensible meals a day, for me

Now I just have lunch, snack a bit tbh, and then dinner, also snack a bit but not loads as find I don't want to

When I ate breakfast, I found I was hungry all the time!

So glad I did this and took the plunge. Just thought I'd share

Fasting is a great tool for weight management, but as
this thread shows, it’s not for everyone.

For me, building muscle through resistance training has been a game changer. After many years fasting and consuming 1200 calories (whilst running 50+ miles per week), I now eat twice that without having to fast or hammer the hell out of my body with excessive cardio. I would highly recommend it, especially to women as they age and lose muscle mass. I’m in way better shape at over 50 than I was in my 20’s.

😂hardly VVV unreasonable...

How on earth can eating your daily calories in a condensed timeframe not be safe? It will work if it means you consume less calories a day, as that's the only way to lose weight.

Where does it say the body HAS to have xx amount of food at certain intervals throughout the day? I am intrigued about this not safe/appropriate comment of your post.

God I couldn't think of anything worse. Just eat a sensible, balanced diet and no processed shite and you'll be able to eat regularly and not have to miss meals.

It is fasting though..

you only eat within an 8 hour window, then fast the rest of the time, it works for consistent weight loss because unlike just skipping a meal, you aren’t snacking outside of your 8 hour window, and the facts of it are, for some people who do it, something just clicks and your body gets used to that way of eating and you genuinely don’t feel hungry outside of your normal mealtimes.. THAT’S what makes it more effective than just skipping a meal, if it works for you it can be a total game changer.

if you’ve never been overweight, that’s great, but a lot of people are and if they find something that helps them lose weight effectively and keep it off and they want to share it, why feel the need to shit all over it?

I’m currently trying it, 14 hours seems to be my limit. It’s good to hear a positive result as I’m currently size 16.

That's utter shite about not being hungry if you don't eat. If I don't eat breakfast, I'm feeling faint by lunch time. The increased incidence of migraines isn't much fun either.

I wish I could make this work for me. I like to drink wine of an evening at least once a week though, and when I'm working (three days a week) I get up at 5am and work a 12hr shift. I don't think I could do it without sustenance.

Glad it's working for you. It just doesn't work for me, my blood sugar drops too low. Very low carb and no sugar but keeping topped up throughout the day works better for me.

Where does it say the body HAS to have xx amount of food at certain intervals throughout the day?

In guidance given to type one diabetics and to migraine sufferers. Too long between meals will cause diabetic coma in the former and trigger a migraine in the latter.

This would be dangerous for people on certain medications. For you, it may have worked, but for some people it would cause havok and lead to too severe peak/trough with metabolism when levels need to be as steady as poss.

Works for me too when I stick to it.. In my 50's and it's the only way I can lose weight.

So really, what’s worked for you is to stop snacking?

YANBU for losing weight in a way that works for you
YABU for suggesting (in your op) that restrictive eating is something everyone should be doing.

Thanks OP. I am motivated to give this ago. I also snack too much so a smaller window of opportunity for eating must mean less calories per day. If i can get through the first 5/6 days then hopefully can become an easy routine. Well done finding something that works for you.

I've done it in the past and it worked great. This time round however I just can't get used to it and I've given it a good few weeks. I've gone back to eating in the morning when I'm hungry - can be 9, can be 11. ( I'm up at 5-5:30)..

Balancing calories in v calories out (or creating a deficit) ... sounds like a common sense answer to staying the same weight or losing weight.

In extreme situations (ie being imprisoned with no food for long periods) you will find it to be true. Starved people lose weight.

However, in normal life the body is more cunning than that . You will find that it can burn calories at differing rates for quite a while.

Cutting down on calories can make you feel cold and make moving about feel harder - your reproductive system can work less well. These things (and many others) are ways in which your body controls buring of calories and does so according to supply.

Fasting works well for some people (I guess it usually does result in a reduction of calories in too). We are not all the same.

I tend to eat my last meal at about 6pm-a light meal as I have a cooked lunch & have breakfast about 8am at the earliest.

I wonder what difference cutting breakfast out would make?

You’ve lost weight because you are in a calorie deficit. That is the science behind it. The fasting might be helping with cravings and the amount you eat but the time of day you are eating is irrelevant.

I used to get migraines, approx one a week, with hunger being a very common trigger. I've been doing IF for six months and my migraines have disappeared with my hunger. I wonder if it was actually blood sugar dis-regulation causing my migraines.

Of course, everyone is different , but possibly might help you too@cryinglaughing

It works well for me but then I’ve never eaten breakfast

@FinsburyCircus thanks so much. I am going to give it a try and see how I get on.

I fast (16:8) but only lose or maintain weight but limiting calories in my eating window so I stick to 1500, Sun-Fri.

I sometimes go to bed hungry or wake up with my stomach rumbling but I'm used to it now although still always look forward to my lunch at 1pm every day!

I've just started fasting - just doing 14:10 for now and then hopefully stretch it out gradually. I've found it way easier than I thought I would just delaying breakfast a bit and not snacking in the evening. Conversely to what you would think, I'm actually less hungry and haven't had any chocolate cravings! I'm a big breakfast lover too, but I just have it later than normal.

Wow, this is interesting to know.
Actually my GP recommended this to me a couple months ago, but I dismissed it.
I’m 5’5”, 14 stone ☹️ and menopausal.
I put on 3 stone in 3 years, thank you Covid + hormones…

I’ve recently given up drinking, so maybe this is my chance to build on that.

I rarely eat beyond 6pm due to reflux.

I rarely eat before noon as I loathe breakfasts.

I'm as fat as a pig.