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Does anyone practice Intermittent Fasting?

bfreebern

Yada, Yada, Yada.
Joined
Jun 22, 2004
Messages
17,640
I'm questioning my own health and have come to the conclusion, that I'm doing it all wrong :) From everything I've read and researched, fasting has many benefits, which I wasn't aware.

There are multiple versions and I wondered if anyone on CP, practices IF(intermittent fasting) or ADF (Alternate Day Fasting) or any other form. This would be for weight loss/overall health and not only for religious purposes.
 
I don't practice it anymore. About 20 years ago I overheard someone state that if you fast one day a week for seven years, then at the end of the seven years you will have eaten for free for one year. So I did it. I also fasted for three days at the beginning of every month for about a year. In the back of my mind I thought it would help me control my eating and ultimately lose weight. I also thought that the religious aspects wouldn't hurt. I found out that I could out-eat any fast on the day after the fast and I was a much better faster than I was a prayer. I've heard about the IF trend (if that's what it is) but have done no research. Three years ago I made a solid commitment to not being fat anymore and I lost 90 lbs. and have been able to keep it off. The hard part has been changing a lifetime of crappy eating habits. My two cents is that if you are going to do IF in order to to lose weight and don't change what got you to the point of needing to lose weight then you will find a way to counteract the calorie deficit.
 
I do. I'm not very strict and do not have a set unbendable schedule. For example, my last meal can be anywhere between 5PM-10PM and I'll fast for 14-16 hours. If I had a late meal the night before and if I feel really hungry, I'll only do about 14 hours (my usual is 16). Also, my wife usually prepares breakfast on the weekends so I don't think about fasting and just sit with the family and enjoy it.

I have been doing intermittent fasting for about two years and I feel great. I have never been a heavy person but I got into it because I have had gastritis on and off since I was a teenager. As I got older, I was having stomach discomfort on a daily basis and it basically became a normal thing for me. When I started doing intermittent fasting, I went from 260lbs to 215lbs (I'm 6'6") in a matter of months. I then decided to eat more calories and right now I have maintained my weight at around 240. Fasting, along with eating organic and drinking water with a pH of 7.2 or higher has helped me a lot with the gastritis. I can't remember the last time I had stomach discomfort or even heartburn.

Give this a try and see if it's for you. To make it easier on yourself, try to have your last meal as early as possible and this way you can have breakfast at a decent time. So if you have your last meal by 5 PM, then you'll be able to have breakfast by 9 AM the next day and have completed a 16 hour fasting window. Again, don't be too strict because this is what make people fail. Give yourself some room for error but don't over do it, don't do it correctly for 2 days and then mess up the rest of the week on a regular basis. Also, while I'm fasting I only drink water. Some people say that you can drink tea or coffee but I don't. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
There's a bone broth thing, the "5-2 Plan," that I'm thinking of trying over my summer break. Two days a week (non-consecutive) you don't have anything to eat but you drink five servings of bone broth over the course of the day. My ex-wife was an HerbaLife distributor and did their raw juice fast all the time, sometimes for weeks. I know there's benefits.

Pho is basically just bone broth with Asian spices, and my pho game is getting pretty epic, so it might work for me.

~Boar
 
I do. I'm not very strict and do not have a set unbendable schedule. For example, my last meal can be anywhere between 5PM-10PM and I'll fast for 14-16 hours. If I had a late meal the night before and if I feel really hungry, I'll only do about 14 hours (my usual is 16). Also, my wife usually prepares breakfast on the weekends so I don't think about fasting and just sit with the family and enjoy it.

I have been doing intermittent fasting for about two years and I feel great. I have never been a heavy person but I got into it because I have had gastritis on and off since I was a teenager. As I got older, I was having stomach discomfort on a daily basis and it basically became a normal thing for me. When I started doing intermittent fasting, I went from 260lbs to 215lbs (I'm 6'6") in a matter of months. I then decided to eat more calories and right now I have maintained my weight at around 240. Fasting, along with eating organic and drinking water with a pH of 7.2 or higher has helped me a lot with the gastritis. I can't remember the last time I had stomach discomfort or even heartburn.

Give this a try and see if it's for you. To make it easier on yourself, try to have your last meal as early as possible and this way you can have breakfast at a decent time. So if you have your last meal by 5 PM, then you'll be able to have breakfast by 9 AM the next day and have completed a 16 hour fasting window. Again, don't be too strict because this is what make people fail. Give yourself some room for error but don't over do it, don't do it correctly for 2 days and then mess up the rest of the week on a regular basis. Also, while I'm fasting I only drink water. Some people say that you can drink tea or coffee but I don't. Let me know if you have any questions.

I guess I've been doing that lately without knowing it.
Early dinner then holding out until lunch.
 
After I got off the long trail I had a bad case of giardia. I couldn’t eat anything without stomach pain and you know other stuff.

I did a 28 day fast and it was really pretty amazing. It was so long ago I feel like I should do it again.

All effects of giardia disappeared.
 
I do. I'm not very strict and do not have a set unbendable schedule. For example, my last meal can be anywhere between 5PM-10PM and I'll fast for 14-16 hours. If I had a late meal the night before and if I feel really hungry, I'll only do about 14 hours (my usual is 16). Also, my wife usually prepares breakfast on the weekends so I don't think about fasting and just sit with the family and enjoy it.

I have been doing intermittent fasting for about two years and I feel great. I have never been a heavy person but I got into it because I have had gastritis on and off since I was a teenager. As I got older, I was having stomach discomfort on a daily basis and it basically became a normal thing for me. When I started doing intermittent fasting, I went from 260lbs to 215lbs (I'm 6'6") in a matter of months. I then decided to eat more calories and right now I have maintained my weight at around 240. Fasting, along with eating organic and drinking water with a pH of 7.2 or higher has helped me a lot with the gastritis. I can't remember the last time I had stomach discomfort or even heartburn.

Give this a try and see if it's for you. To make it easier on yourself, try to have your last meal as early as possible and this way you can have breakfast at a decent time. So if you have your last meal by 5 PM, then you'll be able to have breakfast by 9 AM the next day and have completed a 16 hour fasting window. Again, don't be too strict because this is what make people fail. Give yourself some room for error but don't over do it, don't do it correctly for 2 days and then mess up the rest of the week on a regular basis. Also, while I'm fasting I only drink water. Some people say that you can drink tea or coffee but I don't. Let me know if you have any questions.

That's my plan, to do the 16:8 and go from there. Depending on how it goes, I'll modify it as I go. I'd like to get some blood work done and other tests, prior to starting, so I can see if it made any difference. I'm thinking my fasting will be from 8pm - Noon, then have an eating window from Noon - 8pm. Something along those lines. We normally eat around 5:30, but the hardest part might be waiting until Noon to have coffee.

I've read lots of articles about having coffee, during the fasting time. Some think it breaks the fast, while others don't. I'll see how it goes, but thanks for the response!
 
A guy I work with has been doing two day per week intermittent fasting (Monday and Thursday). He’s lost 32 pounds since March 1st.

That's the other popular one, it's called Alternate Day Fasting. On the 5 off, you eat normally, but on the 2 day fasting, you have around 600 calories. Both are pretty popular, 16:8 (16 hrs fasting, 8 eating) and the 5:2 (5 days off, 2 days fasting).
 
That's my plan, to do the 16:8 and go from there. Depending on how it goes, I'll modify it as I go. I'd like to get some blood work done and other tests, prior to starting, so I can see if it made any difference. I'm thinking my fasting will be from 8pm - Noon, then have an eating window from Noon - 8pm. Something along those lines. We normally eat around 5:30, but the hardest part might be waiting until Noon to have coffee.

I've read lots of articles about having coffee, during the fasting time. Some think it breaks the fast, while others don't. I'll see how it goes, but thanks for the response!

Does black coffee count against you?
I don't doctor mine at all...just straight black.
 
Does black coffee count against you?
I don't doctor mine at all...just straight black.

Nope, but you'll find people that believe the coffee needs to be broken down, so it halts the fast. There are others that think coffee doesn't have enough kCals, to halt the fast. I think I'll try it both ways, but black coffee is how I drink mine as well.
 
I gained a lot of weight from stress in grad school. I've been on Keto, for nearly a year, and practice intermittent fasting. I fast from midnight until 5 pm on most week days. Was Type-II Diabetic and had HBP. Have not had to be on Diabetic meds in 9 months, lost 70 lbs. Blood pressure is still an issue, but has improved greatly. It has transformed my body and mind. I've read the science on it, and it appears to provide great benefit. I feel like a 25 year old again and I'm almost 42.
 
That's my plan, to do the 16:8 and go from there. Depending on how it goes, I'll modify it as I go. I'd like to get some blood work done and other tests, prior to starting, so I can see if it made any difference. I'm thinking my fasting will be from 8pm - Noon, then have an eating window from Noon - 8pm. Something along those lines. We normally eat around 5:30, but the hardest part might be waiting until Noon to have coffee.

I've read lots of articles about having coffee, during the fasting time. Some think it breaks the fast, while others don't. I'll see how it goes, but thanks for the response!
Does black coffee count against you?
I don't doctor mine at all...just straight black.

Well, the real reason I stick to water is that I'm not a big coffee or tea drinker. If I ever do drink black coffee, I'll add a shot of Sambuca and have a cigar with it (no sugar added).

Check this guy out, he talks about this subject:

I have been following Jim Stoppani for years, I used to workout a lot in my 20's and I followed a lot of his routines, meal plans and supplementation. He is the real deal.
 
I gained a lot of weight from stress in grad school. I've been on Keto, for nearly a year, and practice intermittent fasting. I fast from midnight until 5 pm on most week days. Was Type-II Diabetic and had HBP. Have not had to be on Diabetic meds in 9 months, lost 70 lbs. Blood pressure is still an issue, but has improved greatly. It has transformed my body and mind. I've read the science on it, and it appears to provide great benefit. I feel like a 25 year old again and I'm almost 42.

That's great!
 
This has really got me interested. I’m currently research and mah attempt the 16:8 fast
 
The insulin release comments about artificial sweeteners make perfect sense to me and I've heard that before from my wife's brother-in-law who is a physical therapist. So far I've lost more than 40 lbs doing the low carb diet. Part of the reason is, I believe, related to fasting which occurs after a breakfast of a couple of eggs and some meat. Normally not hungry for lunch. Then a decent dinner of a protein and green vegetables with few carbs, satisfying food need until the next morning. My wife is getting annoyed because she is buying club soda or sparkling water by the case as that is my beverage of choice during the day and in the evening. I'm sold on the fasting thing as part of the lifestyle change to a low carb diet.

Thanks for the video!
 
The insulin release comments about artificial sweeteners make perfect sense to me and I've heard that before from my wife's brother-in-law who is a physical therapist. So far I've lost more than 40 lbs doing the low carb diet. Part of the reason is, I believe, related to fasting which occurs after a breakfast of a couple of eggs and some meat. Normally not hungry for lunch. Then a decent dinner of a protein and green vegetables with few carbs, satisfying food need until the next morning. My wife is getting annoyed because she is buying club soda or sparkling water by the case as that is my beverage of choice during the day and in the evening. I'm sold on the fasting thing as part of the lifestyle change to a low carb diet.

Thanks for the video!

40# is impressive!!!
 
I eat dinner around 6pm and lunch the next day at noon. Doed that put me into the 16:8 club? I've always thought of alternate day fasting, not 16:8. I'm not strict enough with it, though, and eat too many calories, for it to be helping me. Well, helping me from getting larger, maybe.
 
I eat dinner around 6pm and lunch the next day at noon. Doed that put me into the 16:8 club? I've always thought of alternate day fasting, not 16:8. I'm not strict enough with it, though, and eat too many calories, for it to be helping me. Well, helping me from getting larger, maybe.

That would put you into the 18:6 club. A lot of people do intermittent fasting without even realizing it.
 
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