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.

I decided I didn't feel up to fasting today, went and got breakfast then realised I had still fasted for 14.5 hours. It just goes shows how easy fasting becomes very quickly - you can do it by accident!

Stuntnun I assume there isn't a magic number of hours to fast? I guess 16:8 is popular because it is fairly straightforward.
I am thinking of getting up at 5am tomorrow to catch up with the election result before going to work. If I do, I won't fast as I will need a creamy coffee at that time of the morning.

I count anything over 14 hours as a fast. But there's no evidence of exactly when the benefits kick in. Realistically it's the accumulation of fasting over time that is going to give you the health (and weight loss) benefits. So fasting for 12 hours daily could well be equivalent to fasting for 16 hours three times a week when you compare over a period of months.

Thanks Stunt. I think even before starting officially IFing this week, it would be very rare for me to not have at least a 12 hour fasting period, so that is good to know.

stunt, I did the same! I'm going to be in the air over lunchtime today, so I'd already decided I would eat breakfast. Then I hadn't eaten much yesterday because I felt I had a bit of a bug (DH was the same, so I wasn't concerned), so I woke up quite hungry - then when I counted it up, realised I'd actually fasted for 15.5 hours anyway. Today's eating window will be quite long though - going to have breakfast at 10, miss lunch, then have dinner with my colleagues possible quite late. I will take some nuts with me in case I need a snack in the middle of all that. Hoping there will be a shop nearby where I can grab an avocado and some cheese.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/2905869-16-8-diet

There's a 16:8 thread in case anyone is interested in finding out more.

Come 9 15 I decided that I needed breakfast this morning. Ate cold leftovers from last night, curried lamb and courgetti salad, at around 9 30. When I did the sum I also was surprised to see that I'd done the fast, having finished eating at 5 30 last night.

Ha, I'd seen Stuntnuns post now just realised you did it too Cherries

16.5 hour fast, now just on the creamy coffee.
No inadvertent fasting for me though, I was definitely aware. For some reason, 9.30 seems to be the hardest time, both today and yesterday. Then the hunger goes off again and is fine until I eat.
I'll be busy at 9.30 tomorrow, so I'll see if that makes a difference.

Creamy coffee at 05.00, as predicted, so didn't even do 12 hours this time.
Won't do it again now until Sunday evening.

I had an early dinner yesterday so only have to make it to 10 a.m. to get my 16 hours. DH made chicken wings last night which smelled delicious but I managed to resist temptation.

This intermittent fasting lark is much easier than I thought it would be. Last time I tried it I was still breastfeeding DS4 and I just couldn't manage it. I'm just starting to get hungry now and it's bang in 16 hours. The pre-low carb me would have already had breakfast and a snack by now and be counting down to tea break.

I've been unknowingly doing IF for years, but since Saturday I've been following LFHP and at the moment it's been 19 hours since I last ate and I'm not hungry, just drinking plenty of water. I had a coffee earlier and will probably eat in a couple of hours.
So far I'm 5lbs down and absolutely delighted!
Ideally I'd like to loose a stone (started at 12st. 1lb.) and then see how it goes.

Sorry I meant LCHF 🙄

Finished eating last night around 6 30. Just had an early lunch at 11 45. I was ready for lunch but could have waited. Now feeling very full.

Didn't do any fasting yesterday because I was travelling, but I did eat only twice - 10am and about 8pm. Because I'm flying home again this afternoon, I ate at 11am and won't eat again till about 8. Plan to get back to it properly tomorrow.

I managed 19 hours in the end. It's amazing how much less hungry I feel when I'm fasting compared to when I have breakfast. Success is all about the drinks for me. I had two cups of tea with almond milk, one coffee with almond milk, two pints of water, one buttermint tea and some bouillon during my fast period. I've already had all my water and it's only the middle of the day!

As I mentioned up thread, I haven't fasted today as I got up early, so I had two creamy coffees between 5 and 6.
Interestingly, I felt more hungry this morning than when I have just had black coffees. Reconsidering whether to do another one starting tonight. I have also found the IF helps with snacking in the evening as obviously it would extend the fast next day if I did it, so I have had no evening snacks this week at all. I do want 1-2 squares of 90% chocolate tonight, but if I finished them by 9.30pm I could then fast until 1.30pm tomorrow, which I think is doable.

I'm the same Captain. I managed an 18-hour fast then had two boiled eggs mashed with butter, a few almonds (about 10) and 20g of 70% chocolate. That's about 500 calories in total give or take. When I eat breakfast it's usually four eggs scrambled, salad for lunch and snacking all day - more than twice that amount of calories. I can't say that would happen every day but it certainly shows how effective fasting can be for reducing overall calorie intake.

Finding much the same. I was going to snack on bits of leftover dinner while passing through the kitchen. Then remembered I'd either have to forgo tomorrows fast or lunch later so I didn't do it.

Scuppered last night after DH and DBIL turned up with takeaway curry at 11 p.m. I wasn't hungry so I wasn't going to have any but then it transpired they had specially bought low carb stuff for me. So I thought I would just have a little bit to be polite but it was so yummy I ended up having loads. It was a dry lamb curry with a side of okra. I'm not sure I can manage fasting until 3 p.m. today, I'll see how I go.

That sounds lovely Stunt, I think I would have broke my fast for that as well.
I didn't have anything yesterday evening in the end because I was still full from dinner. So, I've fasted since 7.15pm. Got a black coffee now and reckon I can last until 11.15am for a creamy one.
I've felt thinner over the last few days - don't know if it is the fasting or BC in general, but whatever it is, I like it.

Bit of a blah day with food yesterday. Stayed LC, and made the best of crappy food availability but picking the filling out of your sandwiches at a catered lunch just so you can eat something was a tad dispiriting. Wasn't able to eat nuts on the flight as planned because someone on board had a severe nut allergy. Exhausted and hungry when I got home, reheated a cauliflower cheese DH had made for me, then fell into bed (better than in the toaster, I guess). But didn't drink enough, or eat any greens and woke up with a dry mouth and a splitting headache. I'm quite hungry but have decided to fast in the hope that it will be the quickest way to getting back on an even keel. Have had a large mug of bullion and a litre of water, and feel like I'm perking up. Having scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and spinach at 1pm.

ilove I think you did really well in those circumstances. I don't think I would have been able resist the carbs as well. Hope you enjoyed your scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.

I did another 16 hour fast, very easy today as I was rushing around doing stuff. Had a creamy coffee at 11.15am, which was savoured, but then didn't actually eat until 2pm as again busy and I decided to make flax bread, so I had to wait for that to bake. It was worth the wait though.

I lasted till 12 today so about 18 hours. We eat a lot later on Saturdays though and I was hungry by 4 30 so had a small meal of left over veg and some of the coleslaw dh made for tonight.