Intermittent Fasting

[PurplePackage]

put me down for 1 TB turd. probably will be worth more than my bike in 100 years.

[Paul_E_D]

And just like that, I am close to my target weight. I'm not really sure how or why, but the pounds started dropping at the 3 week mark. 1-2 pounds a day. I started off at 137 and really didn't lose much for the first two weeks, but I'm at 128 today. You guys are probably laughing, but I think I'm optimal at 125. that has me a bit ripped, but not starving. I have done some serious endurance feats in my life. I think the lightest I have been (after 1700 miles backpacking) was 114. THAT was near the starvation limit for me.

Anyway, interrupting the steady stream of calories/blood sugar does seem to promote weight loss. I expect I have more to go. I'm still eating healthy, but not "dieting" during my 8 hours. I think there's a danger in the 5 small meals strategy, and that is bouncing you blood sugar up too often and generally justifying eating more than you need.

[SteveM]

And just like that, I am close to my target weight. I'm not really sure how or why, but the pounds started dropping at the 3 week mark. 1-2 pounds a day. I started off at 137 and really didn't lose much for the first two weeks, but I'm at 128 today. You guys are probably laughing, but I think I'm optimal at 125. that has me a bit ripped, but not starving. I have done some serious endurance feats in my life. I think the lightest I have been (after 1700 miles backpacking) was 114. THAT was near the starvation limit for me.

Anyway, interrupting the steady stream of calories/blood sugar does seem to promote weight loss. I expect I have more to go. I'm still eating healthy, but not "dieting" during my 8 hours. I think there's a danger in the 5 small meals strategy, and that is bouncing you blood sugar up too often and generally justifying eating more than you need.

My Doc said it would be 2-3 weeks. For me I think I lost more sooner because I was carrying more useless shit-weight.

[e30addict]

It takes time to ramp up and shift over to more ketone vs sugar burning. I think mitochondria refresh every 6-8 weeks.

The more carbs you eat, the slower the transition.

[JettaJayGLS]

I'm struggling to keep up. When I do it, I feel so much better in the AM.

I have no problem in the morning. My issue is at night. I work a lot of hours on west coast time, and I have trouble concentrating and snacking really helps. Granted, I snack on things like popcorn I make in the pan, blueberries, carrot sticks, etc. Eat one kernal/berry/stick at a time keeps me focused. Focusing has gotten much worse since I stopped exercising too.

I need to start exercising again....badly.

[Paul_E_D]

I'm struggling to keep up. When I do it, I feel so much better in the AM.

I have no problem in the morning. My issue is at night. I work a lot of hours on west coast time, and I have trouble concentrating and snacking really helps. Granted, I snack on things like popcorn I make in the pan, blueberries, carrot sticks, etc. Eat one kernal/berry/stick at a time keeps me focused. Focusing has gotten much worse since I stopped exercising too.

I need to start exercising again....badly.

Maybe shift your hours? 2-10?

[tucktuvak]

I'm struggling to keep up. When I do it, I feel so much better in the AM.

I have no problem in the morning. My issue is at night. I work a lot of hours on west coast time, and I have trouble concentrating and snacking really helps. Granted, I snack on things like popcorn I make in the pan, blueberries, carrot sticks, etc. Eat one kernal/berry/stick at a time keeps me focused. Focusing has gotten much worse since I stopped exercising too.

I need to start exercising again....badly.

Every time my diet starts to mess with my focus/concentration at work I have to remind myself that I'm not getting paid to be healthy and fit...

[e30addict]

I'm struggling to keep up. When I do it, I feel so much better in the AM.

I have no problem in the morning. My issue is at night. I work a lot of hours on west coast time, and I have trouble concentrating and snacking really helps. Granted, I snack on things like popcorn I make in the pan, blueberries, carrot sticks, etc. Eat one kernal/berry/stick at a time keeps me focused. Focusing has gotten much worse since I stopped exercising too.

I need to start exercising again....badly.

Snack on something like macadamia nuts. Limited insulin response....

[JettaJayGLS]

Snack on something like macadamia nuts. Limited insulin response....

I would eat a million calories.

[jimmycapp]

I would eat a million calories.

And shit yourself. Or maybe that's just me...

[obsolete]

Did a half marathon trail run fasted this am! Hills 9 miles in were tiring. Could tell my muscles were low on glycogen at that point. Getting there though! Just had espresso an hour or so before.

Wait, why the fuck is your skinny endurance training ass fasting. You should be drinking an ensure every hour. Don't you get tired of running around in the shower to get wet?

[csmutty]

Wait, why the fuck is your skinny endurance training ass fasting. You should be drinking an ensure every hour. Don't you get tired of running around in the shower to get wet?

I could be completely off base... But I've been doing it here and there (sometimes I'll eat before a morning workout and sometimes I won't). My reason is to be more fat adapted so I can reduce my dependence on fueling with carbs.

[csmutty]

Also I don't get the shower joke.

[jimmycapp]

Also I don't get the shower joke.

Because you're so skinny, you need to run around in the shower to make the water streams hit you? I'm guessing

[obsolete]

Because you're so skinny, you need to run around in the shower to make the water streams hit you? I'm guessing

Yup that's it. And just as I expected, it has lost all humor as soon as it's explained.

[SteveM]

5 weeks in, lost a pound last week. 14 overall.

I'm stalled around 203-204, which is where my weight seems to have been over the last several years when I was not "heavy"

I still think it is too high, but I recognize that breaking this set point and resetting it lower is a bigger challenge than losing the more recently added weight that has already come off.

I'm sticking with the IF, for nothing other than to putting weight back on, and hoping to make slow progress thorough what has become a very work-stressful winter (cancelled skiing 3 weekends in a row).

[e30addict]

Stress is a big factor. Hormones are a powerful thing and have a bigger effect then just calories in/out.

Have you added in any type of workouts yet? Your body is starting to adapt to burning more fat for fuel and increasing metabolism by improving lean muscle mass will accelerate results.

[SteveM]

Gotta get my ass to the basement and hit the weights.

[Paul_E_D]

Surfed dawn patrol fasted today. It went really well. I felt strong and light. I even managed to hold out til 11 to eat post surf. If any of you have ever surfed, you know it's a calorie intensive sport!

I'm going to try my best to stick to 16:8 for this trip and see if I can avoid gaining back what I've lost. Eating out a lot...

[Paul_E_D]

Ok, After ten days of eating out, drinking, having dessert, etc. I got up the nerve to step on the scale... Boom! I didn't gain any weight. I tried to stick to the 16:8 fasting, but the actual hours were a bit loose as dinners ran late, drinks flowed late, and I really didn't want to be a drag about it. I did surf for 3 hours on about 7 out of ten days (before eating!). I think that helped. Still, I normally gain 5 lbs on a trip like this.

I'm generally convinced that this is a pretty good plan for me. I may not do it long term, or every day, but at least I have it in my back pocket when I want to drop some weight. I also think it is good for my blood sugar/insulin, so I will likely try to use it as some part of my routine.

[RandyO]

I rode ice fasting this morning. .

riding has always been my best way to fast, or other activities that take your time that eliminate snacking while doing them.

my retirement isn't working the way I wanted, more time for those things, has turned into more idle time

[Vovchandr]

Decided to give this ago as a proof of concept.

155lbs now. Shooting for 139 again. 5ft7.

Started about 2 weeks ago. Shooting for 16-8 but often will do 18-6 or less. I don't eat until 4pm period but will often stop eating at 10pm.

I'm still doing my ballpark calorie counting and reasonable eating but I won't stop myself if I want more to eat or actually count to test the whole IF concept for the principle of IF

I eat veggies, fruits, eggs, yogurt, salad, chicken etc as primary base. Always in the fridge and on hand. Drink water before eating and a vitamin. I don't go to carbs first but don't stop myself if I have them.

All home cooked stuff with occasional order of Chinese takeout (usually once a month or so)

Now full disclaimer I can eat, a lot. In a single sitting I can and desire to eat large portions to feel full. When I was calorie counting I'd have a pretty hard stop and it would achieve results for obvious reasons. Now that I'm trying the IF I don't stop myself while I'm within my eating period. I eat until I feel full. Breaks between meals however to let them settle down. 10 to 15 minutes. If I want a snack after meal while I'm within my hours I'll also have that.


Results:
So far, 2 weeks in I'm down about a pound. Nothing revolutionary. I'll stick to it for a few more weeks but if I don't see progress I'll switch back to regular calorie counting and hard limits.

[e30addict]

Sounds like an intentional setup for failure? That weight and height would be fairly shredded, no?

Relying on IF as proof of concept but not keeping track of calories to get that low doesn't seem like the recipe for success.

I've said it a few times, IF seems best for weight loss for people who need an easy structure to help them shed lots of excess. It's not some magical tool that melts fat regardless. Trying to get shredded needs a lot more effort unless you're a teenager or blessed with a crazy fast metabolism. The closer we are to ideal weight, the more control we need over other aspects of life to see large results.

[csmutty]

Sounds like an intentional setup for failure? That weight and height would be fairly shredded, no?

Relying on IF as proof of concept but not keeping track of calories to get that low doesn't seem like the recipe for success.

I've said it a few times, IF seems best for weight loss for people who need an easy structure to help them shed lots of excess. It's not some magical tool that melts fat regardless. Trying to get shredded needs a lot more effort unless you're a teenager or blessed with a crazy fast metabolism. The closer we are to ideal weight, the more control we need over other aspects of life to see large results.

Crazy fast metabolism is a blessing and a curse. Fueling for long efforts becomes a giant pain in the ass. Eating 800 calories per hour is a chore haha.

[e30addict]

Crazy fast metabolism is a blessing and a curse. Fueling for long efforts becomes a giant pain in the ass. Eating 800 calories per hour is a chore haha.

Grass is always greener I guess. At this point, if I even look at a donut too long the scale changes. Only time I ever had trouble getting calories in was when I was doing heavy cardio and weights at the same time. That was more of getting enough of the right calories in, and still afford to live, rather then total count though.