Current Events > So... how much do you trust intermittent fasting to lose weight?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I have been working out again and doing it, my stomach feels a bit better and I lost weight. Need to buy a new belt, but still have a small gut. Do you think that method is safe?

Nah, one of those fads that cannot be sustained long term.

I swear people will do EVERYTHING except diet and exercise (not talking about you, just these things in general).

EmilyTheCEman posted...

Nah, one of those fads that cannot be sustained long term.

I swear people will do EVERYTHING except diet and exercise (not talking about you, just these things in general).

Well. I started exercising more, but I had a lot of acid reflux and it seems to have reduced. I do have concern about long term. It's just that before Covid, I stayed around the same weight and gained almost 50/60 lbs during the restrictions. Don't worry, I will keep exercising, but I have a hard time going to the gym more than 2 times a week

no.
It makes no sense. Make small and simple life style changes like walking ten more minutes a day, cutting out a fast food meal a week, etc.
I feel like fasting has to annoy and stress your body, starving and then not. Your body doesn't quite know what you're planning and thinking, so it's gonna do what it thinks is best for you to survive.

pedro45 posted...

no.
It makes no sense. Make small and simple life style changes like walking ten more minutes a day, cutting out a fast food meal a week, etc.
I feel like fasting has to annoy and stress your body, starving and then not. Your body doesn't quite know what you're planning and thinking, so it's gonna do what it thinks is best for you to survive.

And like you can use how your body reacts to lose weight.

Whenever people describe it it just sounds like eating nothing outside of your 3 daily meals(which is what I do), since there's like 14 or 15 hours between dinner and breakfast so it seems weird to turn it into its own thing. I guess people just like to feel special so they say they're "intermittent fasting" instead of just "not eating snacks between meals". I've probably misunderstood the whole thing and I'm sure someone will correct me but that's just how it comes across.

ANort175 posted...

Whenever people describe it it just sounds like eating nothing outside of your 3 daily meals(which is what I do), since there's like 14 or 15 hours between dinner and breakfast so it seems weird to turn it into its own thing. I guess people just like to feel special so they say they're "intermittent fasting" instead of just "not eating snacks between meals". I've probably misunderstood the whole thing and I'm sure someone will correct me but that's just how it comes across.

You are supposed to not eat between 12 and 16 hours and eat withing a 8/12 period because your body will burn more fat even if you eat the same amount of food. I lost about 10 lbs in about 1 and a half month with this. Not sure how healthy it is, but some articles online claim it is

For some people, its an effective way to trick themselves into eating less. Other than that, its bollocks.

I tried it for a bit and lost some weight, but it's pretty tough and hard to sustain long term.

Ive been doing it for over a year because I typically dont eat until 11am anyway, so I figured to just apply it and eat between 11am-7pm. Ill sometimes go a little over 7pm due to me running late, but its fairly easy to stick to it.

The main thing it stopped was snacking later at night, especially within 1-2 hours of going to bed.

Feels like a fad to me. Like the Keto diet

Every year or so it's something new.

Call me ignorant but I feel if any of this bullshit actually worked, the developed world wouldn't be full of fat people.

The solution of "Just have a healthy diet and exercise" seems undefeated against every new "Scheme" of weight loss

i dont know about that, but i usually dont eat til 7-9 pm on a given day

It works well combined with exercise. I lost like 15 pounds in 2.5 months doing that. I feel it's not sustainable though.

The_Popo posted...

Ive been doing it for over a year because I typically dont eat until 11am anyway, so I figured to just apply it and eat between 11am-7pm. Ill sometimes go a little over 7pm due to me running late, but its fairly easy to stick to it.

The main thing it stopped was snacking later at night, especially within 1-2 hours of going to bed.

Honestly, I had a tendancy to eat before going to bed. It seems to be helping with my insomnia

I might add you should make sure your sodium and potassium levels are normal because when I fasted inter my lab tests came up with low sodium levels and for acid reflux it means your body ph is alkaline and you should add apple cider vinegar to your water to be acidic.

It worked for me and I still do it. Brunch around 11 and dinner between 5-6 most days. I don't snack.

For me it is 100 percent sustainable. There are also actual scientific benefits to it, and I lost a ton of weight while on it. You just gotta be smart, and know your body. Also also, you can't just stuff your face during your feeding hours.

Intermittent fasting should be fine so long as you can get adequate nutrition in your eating time frame.

Eating healthy and exercising is what everyone should be doing.

I get the idea of it. It's harder to eat 2000 calories if you only have half the day to do so. For some people, that works well.

Doesn't work for everyone though. I would probably binge really hard after my fasting period is over. I could eat more than 2000 calories in a couple hours

It's just calorie restriction through not eating one meal.

I'm crap at counting calories, but i follow my 16/8 schedule I eat two meals and even if I snack I'm generally within my calories limit and weight loss comes.

Now people who get into multi day fasting and the like, that's where it gets wierd but a standard 16/8 is just a diet phrases differently.

Like others have said -- for me, it's a bit of a mental trick to reduce my calories.

What I tell myself: I don't eat outside the hours of 12PM - 8PM.

What actually happens is: I don't have breakfast and really only eat a small lunch and a pretty good sized dinner. This results in a significant reduction in my intake.

Now, I personally don't see it as a way to LOSE weight, at least for me as a slightly above average weight for my height. But what it has done is allowed me to maintain my current weight while not having to subsist on chicken and rice or other deliberately healthy meals. By sacrificing breakfast (which I usually don't do anyways, as I don't even find myself getting hungry until 1pm anyways), I can at least enjoy more food variety, not always healthy, and not gain weight.

It works for me, but I consider it as part of my diet and exercise, not a replacement.

Ive been doing it for about 20 years naturally due to my 2nd shift schedule. I literally just 1 minute ago finished my first meal of the day. Ive only been awake about 2 hours. Ill have an evening meal later and thats it. Just my natural schedule is like a 17/7 intermittent fasting window.

Just this on its own does nothing for weight loss in my case.

I lost weight but tbh I just stopped eating breakfast and watched what I ate a lot more. I've mostly kept it off, though (like 40lbs) but haven't lost any more.

pojr posted...

I get the idea of it. It's harder to eat 2000 calories if you only have half the day to do so. For some people, that works well.

Doesn't work for everyone though. I would probably binge really hard after my fasting period is over. I could eat more than 2000 calories in a couple hours

Hell, I could do that in 10 minutes. Easily put down a large pizza pie. Really, my diet is mostly about tricking myself constantly so that my adhd stays "asleep" in regards to things like satiation.

I regular go 10 to 12 hours without eating. I do not eat breakfast. I will go from around 9pm until noon the next day without food. Have not lost any weight doing this; I am not naturally hungry in the morning.

I am ravenous by noon and dinner though

It's not for me. I prefer to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. More power to the people that do it though.

IF is inferior to smaller spaced out meals.

your body needs constant fuel to operate at its best. Some people can be fine not eating for half the day while others simply cannot. Personally, spreading your meals into 300-500 calories each is the way to go. People dont get fat from eating like that, they get fat from gouging 800+ calories a meal multiple times a day