Intermittent fasting

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

well, I'm starting an IF regime. Going to aim for a 7/17 window, eating from 11-6. My main goal is calorie reduction and I think IF will be the easiest way to accomplish that. Wish me luck.

It's been good so far. Actually haven't been that big of a hassle either. I would enjoy eating something in the morning before 11 AM, but it's no biggie to wait. Have a cup of black coffee around 7am and another around 9am too. Rarely having snacks too, make 2 days a week I grab something mid-afternoon. Just two meals a day, which makes it not too tough to stay within my calorie goals, although I'm not yet obsessing over the caloric intake, which is nice.

[tirebob]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

It's been good so far. Actually haven't been that big of a hassle either. I would enjoy eating something in the morning before 11 AM, but it's no biggie to wait. Have a cup of black coffee around 7am and another around 9am too. Rarely having snacks too, make 2 days a week I grab something mid-afternoon. Just two meals a day, which makes it not too tough to stay within my calorie goals, although I'm not yet obsessing over the caloric intake, which is nice.

How have your results been going man? I am down to 238lbs as of this morning!

[ExtraSlow]

Down a few lbs since I started the IF, down 15 lbs of legit weight since January when I started my weight loss challenge.

[tirebob]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Down a few lbs since I started the IF, down 15 lbs of legit weight since January when I started my weight loss challenge.

Good for you!

[ExtraSlow]

This topic came up at a family dinner this weekend. I find that all kind of awkward, since I'm the heaviest person in my whole extended family. Buncha skinny fuckers.
Anyway, one helpful thing that was brought up is that the popular "science Vs." podcast did an episode in intermittent fasting this week. I've listened to it and while I don't think it said anything that wasn't discussed already in this thread, it was pretty informative.
https://www.gimletmedia.com/science-...ats-the-skinny

My TLDR (tldl?) of that podcast for anyone who doesn't have the 25 minutes to listen to it is this: the main reason IF works for weight loss is because it makes it easier to eat fewer calories if you are eating for fewer hours per day. Other health benefits are much less certain.

That works for me, as that was my whole attraction to the IF thing, and I find it has helped me a lot with lowering my daily calorie intake with less willpower. And I've been happy with the results so far.

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

well, I'm starting an IF regime. Going to aim for a 7/17 window, eating from 11-6. My main goal is calorie reduction and I think IF will be the easiest way to accomplish that. Wish me luck.

So did basically a month of IF (so far) with that 7/17 window, so eating from 11am to 6pm. I feel like it did really help make it simpler for me to eat fewer calories, without counting calories. I was also trying to eat more healthy foods, but It meant I was okay to have two servings at supper if I wanted. I sure wasn't starving myself.
Lost about 10 lbs in that month of IF, and it wasn't awful. So that's pretty nice. I did find it got easier after the first week or so, and I wasn't watching the clock waiting for 11am to roll around. Didn't find my stomach got upset from my first meal either, and I wasn't dong anything special to "ease it back into digesting" or anything. Usually just ate whatever leftovers were in the fridge.

I'll probably keep some kind of IF program going, although I do plan on eating and drinking during flames games, so maybe something like 4 days a week. Haven't decided.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Why does the intermittent fasting work so well when it includes not eating breakfast, when before all the advice seemed to be eat your biggest meal in the morning to start your 'calorie furnace'? Was that all BS? If the eating window is 6-8 hours its super easy to eat way over your daily caloric intake still I would think.

The fastest I've ever lost weight was on whole 30 / cutting out refined sugar but it seems like a lot of effort compared to just not eating for long periods of time haha. Might give this a try, I wrecked my knee recently and I'm getting soft.

With how short the lineups are at MBM, my sugar intake is probably the biggest issue these days

[ercchry]

It is not easy to over eat in 6hrs... and I eat like a pig. If you have a huge meal, you will not be hungry by the end of your window and that is that... it’s tough as hell to crush more than 1500 cal in one sitting. I’ve also had many days where I will try... then next thing you know I’m out of my window and I haven’t ate again. So I end up having a 10-30min eating window and a damn near 24hr fast the next day

Re:breakfast being good... i’ve Always seen this two ways. 1. If you don’t eat breakfast you end up burning reserves instead of food for energy, or 2. You eat most cals early so you burn them off all day instead of eating them before the time of day when you are mostly resting... at the end of the day a deficit is a deficit. If you’re eating clean it’s all good. But also if you go with IF then usually your eating window is early enough in the day that you’re not eating everything before bed anyways

I think if you stack it with early workouts then you can maximize the benefits of burning reserves and getting the “afterburn” of workouts before eating, then keep a nice 500-1000 cal deficit, which means a healthy loss of 1-2lbs a week

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Why does the intermittent fasting work so well when it includes not eating breakfast, when before all the advice seemed to be eat your biggest meal in the morning to start your 'calorie furnace'? Was that all BS?

The concept of a "calorie furnace" has be totally debunked. Eating many meals throughout the day absolutely DOES NOT make you burn more calories in that day if your activity is the same. For some types of sport training, it can help to eat before you train, but that's a totally different topic and if you are in a specific training program, you will still need to be watching your daily calories in and out.

As to the idea that it's easy to overeat and stay within your window, it is if you are eating junk. a supersized meal at a fast food place for lunch, a few sugary drinks in the afternoon with a 300 calorie muffin, and then a big dinner, yeah you'll be over. But if you eat even reasonably healthy meals, minimal snacks, and only water, it's fucking tough to eat too many calories.

I really think you could do a great IF regime if you had a huge breakfast, a small lunch and nothing after lunch, staying with a 6 hour calorie window, but for most of us, that would be incredibly difficult, because we often eat our evening meal with freinds and family, and you'd have a lot of outside pressure to eat during those times. I know for me, supper is family time, and it would be very awkward to skip that.

- - - Updated - - -

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

at the end of the day a deficit is a deficit.

This.

[bigbadboss101]

16:8 seem quite reasonable. Eat at 11am, then done last meal before 7pm. Convenient too as one only has to eat one meal at work instead of bringing or buying food for two meals. 1800-2200 calories over two meals is possible although I tend to go lower than that unless I eat the high calorie low nutrient foods.

Did a 22 hour fast between Mother's Day dinner and Monday's dinner. Ate about 800 calories for dinner including MCT, coconut oil and avocado.

[Buster]

So intermittent fasting is basically skipping breakfast?

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

So intermittent fasting is basically skipping breakfast?

It can be that simple, yep. As long as you don't have a big midmorning snack or snack after supper.

[Mogg]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

The concept of a "calorie furnace" has be totally debunked. Eating many meals throughout the day absolutely DOES NOT make you burn more calories in that day if your activity is the same. For some types of sport training, it can help to eat before you train, but that's a totally different topic and if you are in a specific training program, you will still need to be watching your daily calories in and out.

As to the idea that it's easy to overeat and stay within your window, it is if you are eating junk. a supersized meal at a fast food place for lunch, a few sugary drinks in the afternoon with a 300 calorie muffin, and then a big dinner, yeah you'll be over. But if you eat even reasonably healthy meals, minimal snacks, and only water, it's fucking tough to eat too many calories.

I really think you could do a great IF regime if you had a huge breakfast, a small lunch and nothing after lunch, staying with a 6 hour calorie window, but for most of us, that would be incredibly difficult, because we often eat our evening meal with freinds and family, and you'd have a lot of outside pressure to eat during those times. I know for me, supper is family time, and it would be very awkward to skip that.

- - - Updated - - -

This.

I think it largely depends on your fitness goals and thus calorie intake. I tried 6/18 IF while doing a slow bulk at 2800 calories and I struggled. Eating ~ 1000 calories every 2 hours is harder than you think. I would get extreme bloating and feel gross for the better part of the day until i digested everything.

However, if your goal is weight loss I think 6/18 IF would be the easiest way to run an aggressive calorie deficit.

At the end of the day it comes down to calories in vs calories out.

[A790]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I think it largely depends on your fitness goals and thus calorie intake. I tried 6/18 IF while doing a slow bulk at 2800 calories and I struggled. Eating ~ 1000 calories every 2 hours is harder than you think.

Pot.

You need pot.

Then this becomes easy.

Not that I, uhh, have any experience or anything...

[ExtraSlow]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I think it largely depends on your fitness goals and thus calorie intake. I tried 6/18 IF while doing a slow bulk at 2800 calories and I struggled. Eating ~ 1000 calories every 2 hours is harder than you think. I would get extreme bloating and feel gross for the better part of the day until i digested everything.

However, if your goal is weight loss I think 6/18 IF would be the easiest way to run an aggressive calorie deficit.

At the end of the day it comes down to calories in vs calories out.

the only thing I would use IF for is calorie restriction and weight loss.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Pot.

You need pot.

Then this becomes easy.

Not that I, uhh, have any experience or anything...

I have no issues eating 3000+ calories during a 6 hour window, while stone cold sober. But I can also solo a large pizza and ask where the sides are...

[Misterman]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

At the end of the day it comes down to calories in vs calories out.

God this makes me cringe every time I see someone write it.

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I have no issues eating 3000+ calories during a 6 hour window, while stone cold sober. But I can also solo a large pizza and ask where the sides are...

Just all depends what you're eating. 3000cals of chicken breast and rice? Yeah that's tough. 3 double whoppers in a 6 hour window? Amateur hour.

[Disoblige]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Just all depends what you're eating. 3000cals of chicken breast and rice? Yeah that's tough. 3 double whoppers in a 6 hour window? Amateur hour.

Exactly lol.
4L bucket of melted chocolate ice cream? 4500+ calories.

[hurrdurr]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

God this makes me cringe every time I see someone write it.

Why?

[Misterman]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Why?

I already brought it up in another thread and a few people lost their minds. As a trainer I don't like the stigma it creates that the only way to lose weight is to cut calories. 1) Because that's not true. And it's counter productive a lot of times 2) Because 99% of people who say they want to lose weight, don't want to actually lose weight. They want to lose fat, whether they understand the difference or not.

But in regards to the thread topic. If you are rather portly, and you do just want to be a few pounds lighter and not too concerned about the mirror, or you have a big issue with over eating. Then IF is great for calorie control. As long as you aren't getting your calories from BK(see above).