Introducing intermittent fasting

[StuntNun]

This thread is for Bootcampers that are interested in introducing intermittent fasting. There are a myriad of health benefits from fasting and it is particularly useful for anyone who is likely to be insulin resistant (diabetes, prediabetes, PCOS). It can also be useful for reducing overall calorie intake if you are hoping to lose weight more quickly, you are in an extended stall, or are close to your goal weight and weight loss has slowed.

If you're like me and you've never skipped a meal in your life then fasting may sound daunting but it really isn't difficult. It only takes a matter of days to get used to the feeling of hunger rising and then passing again. If you already miss meals or find yourself not feeling hungry at breakfast time then it will be even easier to introduce intermittent fasting, you're just formalising something that is already happening.

You should wait until you are at least two weeks into Bootcamp to start fasting and some people may need to wait for longer. Once you are fully adapted to burning fat your hunger levels rise more slowly and you have access to your fat reserves to get you through a longer fasting period without much hunger.

The method that combines best with low carb is intermittent fasting 16:8 where you have a minimum of three 16-hour fasts per week. This is usually by missing breakfast so if you have finish dinner at 7 p.m. then you don't eat again until at least 11 a.m. the next day. You can also miss dinner and fast from lunch to breakfast instead but most people find that less convenient; it depends on your lifestyle.

The easiest way to introduce fasting is to give it a try. Make a note of what time you finish eating and see when you get hungry the next day. If you're naturally getting hungry after 12 hours then aim for 12.5 or 13 hours for your first fast and build up to 16 hours gradually. It's fine to have a cup of tea or coffee (with milk not cream) during your fast period. At your usual breakfast time you will probably feel hungry. Have a hot drink and/or a big glass of water and usually the hunger will subside and then rise again later in the day. You don't need to fast every day to get the health benefits so if you're particularly hungry one day then just have breakfast and aim to fast the next day instead.

25 and a half hours (at least) and here is my delicious lunch. I just need to keep doing IF and prove to myself that being slightly uncomfortable from hunger won't actually kill me...

25!!! Hah hah 15

I did wonder!

Quiche looks good xxx

I accidentally had an 18-hour fast because I was frantically stuffing things in cupboards tidying for a house inspection. How's everyone else doing?

I made pork chops in my new Instant Pot yesterday which were lovely and tender. The veggies went a bit soggy though, I suspect courgettes are too watery for a pressure cooker. Tonight's experiment is butter chicken curry with rainbow couscous from Tesco. I'm also planning to try making bone broth in the IP and thinking about a crustless quiche. I love new kitchen toys, I haven't had this much fun since I got the cream whipper.

Definitely didn't fast today. I do want to try and get back on it got the rest of BC. I think I must drink more.

We ate late yesterday so I'm aiming for noon today. The butter chicken was lovely but the rainbow couscous wasn't great.

Very I drink loads in the morning. I don't know if it's the warm weather but I'm thirsty all the time. I usually have two cups of tea, a pint of water, a cup of bone broth, another pint of water and a cup of coffee over the course of the morning.

Hi all I have been IF for 2 weeks now and can easily do 18hours. My issue is that I miss breakfast and have lunch at around 1/2ish and then I'm just not hungry so have been fasting until lunch the next day. Would this hinder my weight loss as I see lots of people being told 'up the fat' or 'you need more calories' I just hope my body doesn't go into starvation mode ☹️

Right lots more than drink today and fasted for twenty hours so feel back on track.

To drink not than drink

I got back to having an early evening meal last night, and didn't snack (though I was tempted) so my 16 hour Fast will be up by 9 30. It always amazes me that I can go to bed feeling a little hungry, but by the time I wake up again the hunger has disappeared.

Am I doing something wrong that means I am hungry? I am definitely much much less hungry than I was pre-BC and can go 4-5 hours without a snack which is unheard of, even DH has commented. But I usually need 3 meals and fasting till lunchtime is a real effort of clockwatching and feeling hungry but ignoring it, or trying to. Some of you make it sound so effortless!

Or am I comparing again, I just need more atm with where I in terms of having young DC still etc, or that I have been LC since April and not necessarily too consistently so I need to KoKo and see if my body chemistry catches up?

I am just fascinated by the idea of just not being hungry!

If you're still feeling hungry, this would suggest that, overall, you're still not eating enough fat.

You do definitely get used to it, although that's not to say that occasionally you might get the odd hunger pang! In which case, have a drink - it could also be that you're not drinking enough water. Apparently thirst can sometimes manifest itself as hunger.

OldBooks if I eat later in the evening, if I eat too many carbs, if I have an alcoholic drink in the evening then the next day I'm too hungry to fast. If I don't drink enough water (it's very hot here at the moment) then I feel hungry the next day but it's actually thirst. It takes a bit of practice to get through the breakfast-time hunger pang but after a few fasts it gets much easier. If I feel hungry I have a pint of water and wait ten minutes. If I'm still hungry after that time then I probably won't fast that day. It depends what you're doing as well. I'm at the playground with the kids this morning so I'll be distracted from thinking about food (plus there isn't anything to eat there). If I'm at home working then I'm much more likely to eat because I'm kind of bored sitting at my desk and it's all too easy to wander into the kitchen due to procrastination. Remember that you can have 50 calories during your fast. I usually have a cup of bone broth but you could even have a few raspberries or sticks of celery so that you're eating something at least.

Thanks both. I am dousing everything in liberal amounts of olive oil, coconut oil or butter, and I am drinking between 6-8 pints a day (3.5 litres). I don't drink alcohol. So it must be either carb creep or the lateness of eating, I often don't eat till between 9 and 10.

I don't know why I am worrying so much, this WOE is definitely working for me and I have a lot to loose so slow and steady seems sensible

Ugh LOSE

Oldbooks I also find if I eat late I find it harder to fast. Disturbed sleep/change to routine makes it hard too and I think you've said your sleep gets disturbed by little ones. On the easy days I fast. (And the longer I low carb the easier it gets, but I've been low carbing for over a year now) On the hard days I don't. I've had enough of diets that are not enjoyable.

I broke today's fast in Starbucks with coffee and pouring cream. I also got way more cream than I could possibly use in the coffee. Was tempted to drink it on its own anyway but resisted

I definitely can't fast if I eat late OldBooks, even if it's low carb. I suspect it's to do with the dawn phenomenon where your blood glucose rises in the wee hours. I do feel hungry when I'm fasting but it's more of a peckish feeling than a true hunger. A few times I've gone to bed feeling peckish but been fine when I woke up. It was a real revelation finding out I could go to sleep hungry and not die! That would have been impossible before I went low carb.

Thanks Stunt and Very! I will aim to fast on 'easy' days, whenever they may be! It's reassuring to know it's probably much to do with my lifestyle rather than what I am eating. Will change what I can, keep on the WOE long term and see how I go

Did a sixteen hour fast. Then 10 15 slice of ham. Five littje Cherry toms and egg all fried in butter.

Lunch now is pork scratchings.

I've come to join you over here.

My weightloss has slowed down (fluctuating between the same 4lbs or so for the last month) so am giving this a go as well as no snacking!
Have been IF for the last 3 days and found it easier than I expected.

Hi ASD

I don't think I ate enough dinner yesterday because I was peckish in the evening then I was hungry this morning even after lots of water. I still managed a 15-hour fast so I'm counting that as a win. I'm stuffed after tonight's MaccyDs so I don't know how that will affect tomorrow.

I had burger out last night (not McD though I personally like a Big Mac) it was a bacon Brie burger; Naked with salad instead of chips plus a little portion of cauliflower cheese which the menu said was 10g of carbs. (We had three boys falling around giggling when I asked for a naked burger.) Didn't miss the salad and chips at all, in fact I would have found them surplus to requirements. A year ago I would have felt seriously deprived. Not hungry this morning so far.

A relatively early (for me) dinner at 7pm and a lazy long lie has meant a very easy 16 hours today. :). DH now making a fry up. Result.