Have any of you tried intermittent fasting and did it work?

I've been seeing a lot of people referring to this type of fasting online. It was just recently brought to my attention, so I still have to research it myself and do my due diligence. Has anyone tried intermittent fasting and would you recommend?

You know, the thing with diets is one thing works for one person, another one works for another. Try it and see. Keep in mind dieting is a number's game. If you can reduce your calories by 1/7 in a week, then you can lose about 3/4 of a pound per week.

I tried intermittent fasting and still usually fast between maybe 8pm and 9am most days - maybe not the full 14 hours, but a good period of fasting can be good for you, so the research suggests.

I have also been eating low carb from the CSIRO low carb diet (2017) for about four months now, and never felt better. Even though these are different eating regimes, the science behind the way they work (for weight loss) is basically the same.

I have lost weight most weeks that I have eaten on the low carb diet, but if I have more carbs in one week (CSIRO are not as restrictive on carbs as say keto), then my weight will stay the same. I certainly haven't been putting ON weight, and I am eating so many more vegetables which is so good for long term health.

The reason I chose the CSIRO low carb is because of the research findings that suggest that low carb can be very healthful for diabetes, heart disease and even alzheimers!

https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Health/CSIRO-diets/CSIRO-Low-Carb-Diet-Book

I think it is always good to take a step towards more healthy eating, and while intermittent fasting might get your body into a kind of 'ketosis', the quality of the foods that you eat are also very important. Variety and a generous proportion of fruits and vegetables will give you the best outcome for short, medium and long term health.

Good luck!

If you try intermittent fasting, you should also consider your workout plan. What's your activity level like?

Hollywood/California fueled fasting/fad diets have very high drop out rates.

I have not but I listen to a radio show by "Dr. Joe" a chiropractor who I think is a fan of it and he has a website/podcast. I like him/what he has to say on a variety of topics even if I don't follow it. I have fasted about 20 times in my life for 24 hours. no water either. Not to lose weight. I found it cleansing to an extent, could not exercise (no water =no exercise for me and I was low energy) and I had a pretty bad headache. After, if I wasn't careful about what/how much I ate -and before, if I wasn't careful, I could feel gross/bloated. So it works for me in some ways and not in others. Not sure if intermittent has very different effects on the body.

I am not a fan in general of any dietary/food change that you don't think you can keep up over the long term especially if it is significant or has to do with weight loss unless it's for a very short term purpose (like battling constipation). Also, as women, or at least for me as a woman, if I'm going to make a change I have to keep in mind hormone levels/cravings, etc over the month and my cycle -not that I "can't" make the changes during that time but just being aware of the extra challenges plus feeling larger/bloated which can feel a little defeating. I've made two significant changes over the last 3 years which have stuck but I was really motivated due to a minor health scare plus as I get older I seem to be more sensitive food/diet wise so the other change helped with that.

I've been doing IF for decades, not even realizing that's what it was. I eat dinner by 6 pm, and then I don't eat anything else until around 9 am, so 15 hours. It's just my nature, and it works for me.

I don't do it because it's the latest fad, or because it's all over the internet, it's simply the way I've been eating for most of my adult life.

Do what works for you. IF today, xyz tomorrow. As soon as you figure out IF, the media will be onto something else.

More popularly in the nutrition world, intermittent fasting is a reference to a consecutive 8 - 12 hours of fasting during your active day, not including sleep. Sleep has always been regarded as a fast (hence "break-fast" being our traditional morning meal). The idea is to extend your fast into your basal state, which is ~4 hours after waking up. I don't want to say people who put their eating window in the middle of the day are doing it wrong. Whatever leaves you healthy and feeling happy is obviously what's right for you. But with regard to enhancing the benefits of IF specifically, it kinda is.

I do IF when I'm cutting. My eating window is from about 5pm to 11pm, give or take an hour or so. Being honest, I do have a greater feeling of alertness when I'm fasted. However, I find myself having trouble lifting heavy weights or doing hard cardio while in a fasted state, so I generally go back to just skipping breakfast while I'm trying to build muscle or increase my fitness (not with any real purpose... I've just never been a breakfast guy). If you've got a naturally lower metabolism, you might fare better fasting while particularly active.

It's all up to you and your lifestyle. There's no way I could have gotten through my day while fasting when I was in the Army, or when I was working throwing boxes or doing cement work. Now I sit on my ass for a living and it's much more manageable. Listen to your body and eat if it's telling you to. It may be that you start it and feel phenomenal. It may be that you may need to start with a larger eating window and gradually decrease it. It could be that it won't work at all for you.

What drew me to IF years ago is that I'm a pig who binges on the worst foods, so limiting my window helped me during times I was cutting fat. Needless to say, getting the calories I need in half the hours has never been a problem. For many, it is, though. So make sure you're still getting your regular daily nutrition in regardless of how many hours you're allotting for it.

If you try intermittent fasting, you should also consider your workout plan. What's your activity level like?

Since my work schedule has changed recently and I’m not moving around as much with work, I’m incorporating 30-40 minute workouts into my daily routine.

Thank you all for the feedback! I may give IF a go and see how things pan out.

I only want to work off about ten pounds, weight which I feel I’ve gained since my work schedule changed.

I’m fairly slim as it is, but the pants are getting a bit tight lol, and I feel like I’m gaining weight and becoming curvier for not moving around as much since my schedule change.

Will see how it goes.

Thank you all for the feedback! I may give IF a go and see how things pan out.

 

I only want to work off about ten pounds, weight which I feel I’ve gained since my work schedule changed.

 

I’m fairly slim as it is, but the pants are getting a bit tight lol, and I feel like I’m gaining weight and becoming curvier for not moving around as much since my schedule change.

 

Will see how it goes.

And then once you lose the ten pounds if that works do you have a plan as to how to maintain?

And then once you lose the ten pounds if that works do you have a plan as to how to maintain?

For me it comes down to discipline. I’ve gained the weight because of work changes and because I haven’t really been watching what I’ve been eating like I normally do. My plan is to be more mindful of what I’m putting into my body. When I reach my goals, I know I’ll be much happier, which will give me the incentive I need to maintain it. Plus, I have digestive issues, so I know these changes will benefit me and help heal any inflammation I’m dealing with right now as well. Eating clean and not eating after a certain hour at night should help; at least it has in the past. And I sleep better! It’s kind of a win-win.

For me it comes down to discipline. I’ve gained the weight because of work changes and because I haven’t really been watching what I’ve been eating like I normally have. My plan is to be more mindful of what I’m putting into my body. When I reach my goals, I know I’ll be much happier, which will give me the incentive I need to maintain it. Plus, I have digestive issues, so I know these changes will benefit me and help heal any inflammation I’m dealing with right now as well.

Yes- so it sounds like more of a jumpstart approach followed by different changes. I found that increasing my water intake significantly between meals has helped a great deal with digestive issues i have. Good luck!

I agree! Water makes a huge difference. Not only does drinking water help with my digestive issues, but I find it gives me much more energy.

I agree! Water makes a huge difference. Not only does drinking water help with my digestive issues, but I find it gives me much more energy.

Yes, same and my friend says it relaxes her and after that I realized she has a point -even the act of drinking and I think the water bottle counts -it has to be one you like and that has the right spout, etc. at least for me.