20 hour fasting - 4 hour eating window

[BlueCanter]

Anyone doing this? I started two days ago, going ok but feel quite 'hangry' and irritable but surprisingly find it easy to not eat. Only problem is people at working noticing as we usually snack all day!

I've got around a stone to lose and would be interested to hear other's experience. I'm just drinking black coffee and loads of water. A bit worried about how I'll go to the gym fasting because my fast period is 9.30pm to 5.30pm and I usually go gym at 6pm, am I being unrealistic to think I can work out fasted?

You can definitely work out faster but why only a four hour window? I didn't think such a short window was recommended for women because of something to do with hormones.

And also you're reducing your fast period even further if you're not eating until after the gym and stopping at 9.30 still aren't you? I'm not sure that's sustainable, try not to set yourself up to fail.

Surely drinking loads of black coffee won't be good for you either

Is there any particular logic behind stretching your stomach to accommodate an entire days worth of food is such a short period?

I thought I read somewhere that women do better with shorter fasting windows due to hormones? I do the 16:8 every day and it works really well for me. I sometimes push it to 18 hours if I'm busy at work but I think if I continually went longer I'd fail. I thought the odd longer fast won't hurt but you bur not every day. You really aren't giving yourself much time, especially with going to the gym after your fasting period is over.

I'm fairly new to fasting though, only been doing it for 4 weeks so I don't know much but I'm curious to hear other people's experiences of going longer.

During my eating window I'm still eating around 1500 calories for the day. Am I eating too much? I still thought regardless of fasting your body still needs enough calories to 'function'. Calories for a 4 hour eating window must be quite low?

Try this thread:

Combining fasting with low carb 1 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/4158937-Combining-fasting-with-low-carb-1

I would listen to Intermittent fasting stories with Gin Stevens. lots of testimonials and advice there. Her book Fast, feast ,repeat was an eye opener for me. starting with a 20 hour fast is hard. Best with a lower window and working your way up.

Episode 19 with Brian Gryn is good as talks about excerise while in fasted state.

I did 4 weeks of 20/4 and lost a stone. After the first few days it was easy.
I made sure I had one good healthy meal in my window plus maybe a natural yoghurt with fruit. No alcohol and drank plenty of water.
Did a further week of Jason Vale 7 day juicing and lost another 8lbs.
Now restarting 20/4 for another month to see what that achieves.
I feel great, sleeping really well too.

I regularly do 20-22 hour fasts. For me it's just become normal.
I stop drinking coffee at midday though and switch to sugar free squash, water and herbal teas.
For me it's made no difference to weight or inch loss but I actually enjoy this way of eating.

I'm doing 20:4, usually eat 4pm - 8pm. I have a vegan protein shake with almond milk at 4pm if I don't have an after work meeting (I took my Nutribullet to work!) and then have dinner around 7.30. I do this on weekdays then have a soy milk hot chocolate around 10am at the weekends then nothing until dinner - I could have a mint tea instead and not break my fast but we are always in coffee shops at weekends!

Because of workload, I have only been to the gym on weekends. I've felt fine. I've skipped today as I had my 2nd jab this morning, though. All the staff in the clinic kept asking me if I had eaten breakfast, and I'm like 'No, what's that got to do with anything?!' Apparently, I might feel dizzy! If I can go 20 hours without food (was 24 yesterday due to circumstances), then I am not worried about dizziness.

I do a mix of 18 and 20 hour fasts. First 3 days are difficult but then it becomes much easier.

I did 16:8 today and I was eating for the sake of it in the last two hours. I think I might try 18:6 for a couple of days and work towards 20:4. I’m getting married in five weeks and I just discovered I gained a stone since august

This is now my lifestyle... or at least this with lots of flex....

I lost 3 stone between August last year and March this... most of it by early December and then I did have a few blips.

Once I got through the first two weeks of my body adapting, it now really loves the fasting lifestyle.

I mix it up - a la Gin Stephens - so some days 16:8, others eating in just a 30 minute window but my norm is now to eat from 2pm to 7 pm... and to be more relaxed when with friends, or just on a feeling hungry day

I find it so easy to keep the weight off - if it goes up - like it did recently after a three day weekend with friends - I just did 5 days of eating in short windows and perhaps 800-1200 calories and the pounds came off by the following weekend.

I feel great and healthy on this diet - have lots of energy - really enjoy my food and find it easy to want to eat very healthy stuff at home and enjoy a wider range when out and about. And the best thing about it? I don't feel hungry or deprived. Never had that before!

Oh and I didn't mention - I'm at my target weight! Healthy BMI and wearing all my favourite clothes again - first time in 5 years.

It's been the easiest and most enjoyable way of losing weight I've found - and it is now my way of life, flexible, fun, healthy, energising and delicious!

That's brilliant @loveyouradvice !!

Just listened to my first 'intermittent fasting stories' hosted by Gin Stephens and she described the 'heartbreak' of having to start again after losing and gaining. First time I have heard it described that way and it sums it up a bit! I'm full of hope that I will fully adopt IF as a lifestyle choice this time and won't have to face that again.
I seem have have settled for now on 20:4 after gradually (but not consistently) increasing my fasting time over the last ten days or so. Eating Window being 5-9 pm at the moment but I can see that shifting, I was doing 2MAD for a bit in a 6 hour window but now seem happier with a big meal and then a much smaller one later.