Has anyone here tried intermittent fasting to lose weight?

[smirkymonkey]

I would like to take off some extra Covid pounds and get back in shape and I was hoping to get some feedback.

Did it work for you? Was it difficult? How much weight did you lose?

What did you like/hate about it? Do you have any books/websites you can recommend?

I thought it might be a good way to jump-start my weight-loss/exercise plan since I don't normally eat b-fast and sometimes can go all day w/ out eating, so this is something I might take to naturally, but don't really know where to start because there is so much info to weed through.

Any feedback or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Just_Vote_Dem]

1. A friend of mine does the 16/8 keto fast

Basically she eats low carb meals between 9 and 5, so if she doesn't eat between 5pm and 9am, it's a 16 hour fast. She lost a lot of weight and feels good. My doctor gave me the ok to do the keto fast, but I also watch out for saturated fat, and as many keto foods have fairly high saturated fat, I'm taking my time choosing foods.

Good luck!

[padfun]

5. Saturated fats aren't the culprit.

Trans Fats and Industrial Seed oils are what can wreck you. The old "Fat is bad" fiasco is changing with the latest studies. The older ones, especially the study by Ansel Keyes, have been found to be hand-picket data and there is a lot of new studies coming out. Many older doctors will miss this, but many also are paying attention. I had two doctors that were 180 apart but am going with the one that follows the latest research.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

6. I think that's why my cardiologist

Had no problem with me upping my sat fats-I was the one that was panicking about that, LOL.

[smirkymonkey]

19. Thank you! I also want to cut out gluten because I think it causes inflamation,

(for me, since I did do Keto for 2 months and noticed that all my joint and muscle pain disappeared during that time), but I still want to keep brown rice, potato, and legumes in my diet.

Also, I think I would rather skip b fast and eat between 11 and 7 if that's possible, but I will have to look into it. I'm just not hungry in the morning and 5pm seems to early for dinner for me, but otherwise, it seems really do-able.

Thank you!

[CMYK]

2. Five - two fast was easy

Five days you eat what you want, two days you eat 400 calories. We chose Monday and Thursday to eat a cup of beans and rice. The other five days we ate sensible, full meals.
Lots of ideas on the net - type in 5-2 weight loss (or five two weight fast, or something like that)

[lark]

7. I did this when I was young and it worked well then.

On my fast days I had protein shake drinks 3x day and nothing else but water, tea or coffee with no milk. When I was doing that I was weighing about 125 and was in great shape because I danced, hiked and played tennis, a lot. Fasting didn't work for me as I got older, too hungry & needed the calories for focus when I was working. I loved it when I was young though, loved the feeling of cleanness.

[smirkymonkey]

20. That sounds reasonable too!

These are great ideas! Thanks!

[padfun]

3. Oh yes!

Right now I am on a 16-8 but my best is when I do One Meal a Day. (OMAD)

You will not only lose weight, but if you are Type 2 diabetic, it will bring your numbers down enough to where you can stop medications. But you should combine it with a high fat, low carb diet. (Keto)

[smirkymonkey]

21. I6 - 8 sounds do-able, but I have tried Keto before and I just found it too restrictive to keep

it up for more than a few months. I can do a lower carb diet, but not a no carb diet I need at least a little rice and legumes in my diet and that's a no-no on keto. Same w/ fruit.

[lark]

4. I've tried keto and intermittent fasting, but husband HATED both, now on WW & it works.

WW works for us because my foodie husband doesn't have to eliminate any foods, just balance the food for the day. So yesterday he had a cheeseburger (19 pts) for lunch but cut his after dinner wine in half. With no problems, I've lost 30 lbs. since May and hubs has lost 24. He drinks his wine starting at 8pm, I've advised him to have half with dinner, then the other soon after dinner. I have lost more because I cut my later night carbs more than he did. It definitely made a difference when I moved my sweet snack to the afternoon instead of after dinner.

Oh yeah, something else. Our very slender Indian friends told us about a tonic that works! Every morning, first thing after we get up and get dressed, we have a tonic from the squeezed juice of half a lemon, about 1/3 - 1/2 c of hot-very warm water and a dollop of honey. Don't have anything else (not even water) for 30 min afterwards, then you can eat/drink. This jump starts your metabolism and my back doesn't hurt nearly as much. I think the better back is really probably from the weight loss, but still this helps with that.

[smirkymonkey]

22. I like the idea of the tonic, I have also heard of the same thing w/ Bragg's Apple Cider

vinegar in the honey lemon water as the ingredients are supposed to alkalize your digestive system (even though it seems like a very acidic drink )

[Anon-C]

8. I'd say more accurately that intermittent fasting tries me...

...as sometimes there isn't any alternative.

[LizBeth]

9. I saw someone else say it. Five days very very good, two days whatever I want.

I had the covid pounds. End of August got a job so went to it automatically, not particularly weight because I just do not mess with it much. I had gotten up 15 pounds here or there. Since beginning of Sept I will have a small lunch, tuna sandwich, pb&j, or a little frozen burrito from a pack of 8. Maybe bring a banana for a time in day I am hungry and have to wait. A reasonable dinner with enough food, not outrageous and nothing yelling high calorie. Not desserts. So I am going to say I am having 1300 or less cals a days. Then weekend I eat whatever I want. It does something to kick that metabolism and five days is pretty easy. I just got on the scale this morning. Third week, last of the five days being good and weight drop has been a solid ten, maybe more because I didn't pay attention to weight before. I do not need much though and can stop there. More about comfort in the waste of jeans than anything. But it is fun belt holes being moved. They moved two holes and have only one left, lol . Just a little more comfortable in clothes, moving and more fun doing walks.

[smirkymonkey]

23. Yes, I just want to be more comfortable in my clothes and feel better about myself.

And I just want to feel less sluggish (I haven't moved very much since lockdown either and I want to get out more as well).

[LizBeth]

39. My dog always forced me to walk twice a day but after spending all day sitting, I am seeing

I come out in teh evening really enjoy a long walk instead of a shorter one to get a poop. Sometimes even meandering but enjoying the exercise and outdoors. I do not know I would have it in me if I did not have a dog to force me. I do want to start implementing a short work out in morning. I have a gazelle and do that for 20 minutes before work, and some weights for the arm. Lost lots of muscle getting old and we can get some back.

[smirkymonkey]

40. When I watched my sister's dog in April, she was getting me out about 5 times

per day for anywhere from 15 to 30 mins per walk. It felt really good and I thought I would continue it, but it was just very hard for me to motivate myself.

However, I really need to commit to getting myself out at least 3 times per day when I wfh (or on the exercise bike if it's raining), because I felt so much better and my sleep has been suffering from inactivity as well.

Thanks for your input!

[LizBeth]

41. +1

[padfun]

11. Two helpful things...

Butter is good for you. There is a guy on YouTube called something like, "Butter makes your pants fall off."

Coconut oil is very high in good fats and works great for cooking since it is neutral in taste. MCT oil is the refined version of this.

there are a lot of good doctors online covering the health aspects. Ken Berry, Paul Mason, Jason Fung are just a few. Siim Land covers in depth science behind keto and intermittent fasting.

[fierywoman]

13. Also Dr Mark Hyman. Non doctors but interesting info: (BTW this is all YouTube):

Eric Berg, Thomas DeLauer and a site called A Healthy Alternative.

[padfun]

18. Yes, I'm subscribed to all four

good sites.

[padfun]

34. Well actually three

Mark Hyman wasn't on my list. He is now. Thanks.

[fierywoman]

38. I like him a lot because (I've followed him over like the last 15 or so years) he

presents the research, he tries stuff out, but after time and new data arrives, and people have experimented with the old data, he actually says that he's changed his mind about somethings ...

[smirkymonkey]

24. Oh, thanks for the names and "Slim Land". I am going to start writing things down this weekend and

come up w/ something that works for me (combo of lower carb/mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting, w/ maybe some Keto wisdom thrown in )

Anyway, great suggestions.

[padfun]

33. It's actually Siim Land. (Two I's)

He's from Sweden or Norway and has a heavy accent, but is very knowledgeable and gives lectures around Europe.

[smirkymonkey]

36. Thanks for the correction!

[Sympthsical]

12. I do 16/8 keto when in a lose cycle

Because I'm on a lose/bulk sort of affair.

It works well for me. It does what I want it to do. I wonder if it's mainly just because it's a lot easier to structure my eating once I have the mindset that I'm not eating during the day. I have work and school all day, so I generally just drink coffee, tea, or water while doing that. I have coffee when I wake up anyway and rarely eat breakfast on account. I'll have something small around 2pm, then idle snacky things, then dinner by 7 or 8.

If I'm eating my usual, relatively healthy things, it's almost impossible to pack crazy amounts of calories into the window. I lose about 1-2 lbs a week, but I also go to the gym most mornings.

My partner started mimicking me the past two months, since we're both work from home and around each other most days. He just started eating when I do. He's been pre-diabetic for a few years, and at one point his doc was thinking he should go on meds. He's not even overweight. His genetics have just been bollocking him. His whole family has problems with it.

But since he started, his levels have been coming down consistently. During his last check-up, the doctor said he improved to the point that meds weren't a consideration any more. He's definitely trimmer.

We don't know if that's the keto or the IF. But he's less strict about the keto than I am.

It's definitely easier these days. When I first started keto/IF about six or seven years ago, there weren't a lot of foods available. Nowadays, there's plenty. For example, I get this keto bread from Costco. $8 for two loaves. 35 calories a slice, 1g net carb, tons of fiber. I'm a bread person, so it's great.

I would definitely recommend a calorie tracker. Food journals can help, just so you can go back each week and see if there are spots that are a problem that you may not consciously realize at the time. Exercise, of course, even if it's just walking each day.

One of the big things is organizing your shopping. Once I'm in keto mode, I write a list of things that have to be in the house if I'm going to succeed. The bread I mentioned. A whole thing of Costco stuff. Big bag of broccoli, frozen chicken breasts, string cheese, nuts, peanut butter, etc.

That's just because I'm on keto. But whatever form your diet takes, have the foods you can have that you know you'll eat always around. So when you're hungry or have a craving, you're not grabbing an unhealthy snack or food because it's convenient. Don't keep around your weaknesses. For example, I cannot even have white cheddar jalapeno cheetohs in the house. They're just not allowed. I thought if I counted out a serving, measured the carbs, it'd be fine.

They are not fine.

But definitely write things down. Give yourself constant feedback, so you're engaged with it. The more engaged you are with it, the more you'll keep on track.

And this got out of hand rambly.

[smirkymonkey]

25. These are really great ideas, especially the bit about organizing my shopping (I am

usually not very organized) and keeping healthy/keto "quick snacks" around the house.

My big weakness is that, since I can go for a long time w/ out eating anything just because I am not hungry or I am distracted by other things, I will do that (where as I should eat a least a few snacks to keep my blood sugar level) and then suddenly, out of nowhere, I am absolutely starving and the last thing I want is a salad or some celery sticks. I want CARBS! So I will go for the cheese and bread/pita chips or I will quickly boil up a little saucepan of pasta.

Thank you for those suggestions! They are really helpful!

[Sympthsical]

30. Oh yeah, it's definitely a problem. There are some strategies.

Even though I'm typically good about my diet, school days are the worst for me. I get up at 5:30a, gym, coffee and work emails, then I go to campus. I don't get out of there until 5:30p. By then, I'm driving down the highway, and my brain's going "Taco Bell! Taco Bell! Taco Bell!" (I love their dollar menu)

It's like an act of will to not veer off onto that exit.

I've started avoiding it by keeping a small ziploc bag of nuts with me (measured servings, of course). It satiates just enough so that my brain isn't going crazy with cravings out of sheer hunger. Still hungry, but I'm at least now rational about it, lol.

There's a subreddit you might get some ideas from.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday/

And it's a really good idea for your scenario as well. I do this a little bit. Cook three or four frozen chicken breasts on Sunday and chop them all up in a cuisenart (usually with some green veggies mixed in for vitamins). Or brown some ground turkey. Divide it all up into tupperware. So when I want something immediately, I already have stuff allowable on my diet at hand to get at that immediate craving. Usually I throw it on a low carb tortilla with some shredded cheese, a little shredded cabbage, and a light bit of this no carb creamy chipotle sauce I buy. It'll hit that spot, it's allowable, and I already know roughly how many calories I'm getting.

Preparation really is half the battle when you're trying to make a change in diet.

But the real key to the problem your describing - just have stuff on hand.

[smirkymonkey]

32. More good ideas, and luckily I have lots of portable/microwavable food containers (both Pyrex and

these great soup containers from New Zealand called "Systema" with lids that snap on tightly on the sides so nothing spills en route).

Meal and snack prep is key and I just have to get organzied. I have the time, so it shouldn't be a problem. I also really like to cook.

I checked out that reddit thread you linked to and it looks interesting, but I found something hilarious that I had to post. I think I will also cross-post in the lounge to see if anyone gets it.

[LyndaG]

14. I do it to maintain

Pretty easy most days. I stop eating at 7 pm,then just have a late breakfast or early lunch 16 hours (or more) later.

[Doodley]

15. Lost 18 pounds in a month doing 16/8. Then it became harder. 5 pounds the next month.

What I learned:
It works.
Too easy to give up when you start, so focus on things to bolster your willpower to make it happen:

Watch Youtube videos of people who have lost a lot of weight through IF.
Build up so your body and mind gets used to it. Do 12 hours, then increase to 14 or 16.
You will feel hungry at first for first several days. It wears off.
Weigh yourself each day and write down the weight on a list or chart. This is strong incentive to keep doing it. When you see the weight falling off you will want to keep going.
Allow yourself rewards -- treats or foods you really like a lot during the day.
Plan your meals a day ahead so you always have something good to look forward to. Yes, make them healthier, but phase that in gradually.
Keep well hydrated. Drink plenty of water or zero-calorie drinks during fasting.
Set yourself a target. "I am going to do this for a week." Then after a week, say to yourself "I did this for a week so I can do it for a month."


If you are like me and my wife, you will feel more energetic, less bloated, better about yourself and your body.

It stops you eating snacks during that fasting period, so if you are skipping breakfast, just cut out any snacks after 8 or 9 pm and do it each day and you will be doing it already. I think you can do it easily!

[smirkymonkey]

26. Wow! That is great! Congratulations!

I think that initial fast weight loss is good because it keeps you motivated. If things aren't happening quickly enough for me, I lose interest and get discouraged. I think once i have dropped some of the weight, I will be more inclined to stick with it, even though I have plateaued, since I am assuming that we are not going to be living this Covid lifestyle indefinitely.

I am hoping to get out more, move more and not eat out of boredom as much. Fortunately, I do like healthy food and I don't eat any junk (cheese and bread/pita chips is the junkiest thing I eat) - Ok, sometimes I will have a slice or two of pizza, but that doesn't happen often. I really want to get off the wheat/gluten because I feel like that bloats me and packs on the pounds around the torso.

Thanks for your great suggestions and encouragement! This is really helping me to get psyched up for this!

[demmiblue]

16. I naturally only eat twice a day (for the most part).

So, I guess I am doing IF since my meals are usually consumed in an eight hour window.

I have lost forty pounds in the last six months or so. I really packed on the COVID lbs.!

I am a vegetarian, but eat mostly plant-based. I probably consume @ 1400-1600 calories a day. Sometimes more, especially if I have had a lot of exercise. If I am craving something, I eat it in moderation. I like Pollan's motto, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

Lunch today: whole wheat english muffin w/peanut butter and jelly, bowl of mixed fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries), roasted edamame/smokehouse almonds and water.

My dinner will be: lentil soup (lentils, brown rice, garlic, onion, carrots, potato, spinach) and maybe some french bread and an additional fruit or veg.

[smirkymonkey]

27. Wow! Forty pounds! That's amazing! Good for you!

I would be at my HS weight if I lost that much, but I am not even looking to be that thin again. I also really want to tone up and get stronger and in shape because I have been extremely sedentary since Covid started.

I like that motto too, and I find that as I get older, I am naturally gravitating toward vegetarian food more, and when I do eat meat, it's usually seafood or lean chicken or turkey. The carbs are my big weakness, especially the wheat based ones(in fact, I think they might be an addiction for me), so I do want to keep some brown rice, quinoa, potatos and legumes in my diet just to keep me from going into a "no-carb meltdown", but your dinner sounds exactly like something I would eat.

I love soups and have experimented a bit w/ different legume soups w/ veggies and even "cream" of vegetable soups w/ cooked vegetable and use some greek yogurt instead of cream to make them creamy.

Thanks for all your great suggestions!

[demmiblue]

37. Yeah, I also wanted to tone up.

I have been doing a lot of YouTube videos that focus on strength training using dumbbells, as well as some yoga (I do walk a lot with the doggo). There really are some great YouTube channels out there for every fitness level. One of my all-time favorites is HASfit: https://www.youtube.com/c/Hasfit . My latest fav is Juice and Toya: https://www.youtube.com/c/JuiceToya . Lumowell is also good for basic workouts, and they have a big variety: https://www.youtube.com/c/Lumowell . Not gonna lie, the virtual trainers are kind of creepy at first. Lol!

Yay for soup season!

[Ocelot II]

17. I've been doing something like that throughout the pandemic -

started with the lockdown last March when I figured I might as well take advantage of the fact that I couldn't go to restaurants or browse in grocery stores. I've been doing a sort of keto/intermittent fasting thing with a lot of walking and have lost about 60 lbs. - probably enough, since now I look a bit like a stick insect (still, a definite improvement over my former manatee profile). I'm not always 100% faithful to the intermittent fasting but I do try very hard not to eat after about 8:00 pm. When I plateaued last summer I started walking 2-4 miles a day and that really helped.

[smirkymonkey]

28. 60 pounds! That's incredible! I would be happy to lose half that much, but that

is really inspiring. I want to do something like IF/modified Keto/lower carb/mediterranean so that I can stick with it pretty much for life. I tried strict Keto a few years ago and could really only keep it up for about 2 months, and I wasn't that happy with it, because I didn't want to eat really high fat foods either so I was really unsatisfied.

My big problem is that I have been very sedentary since Covid started and I need to start walking again and maybe do some strength training at a gym or buy some small weights for home. I have lost a lot of muscle tone.

It's so inspiring to hear about how many people lost so much weight by using a combination of these things. IF seems like something I would take to naturally, so that is making me hopeful.

Thanks for your input!

[Ocelot II]

29. I had the advantage of living alone and not having to deal with the desires or demands

of any household members other than the cats, whose food definitely does not tempt me (although it is low-carb). I also ordered all my groceries for delivery, which removed the temptation to buy desserts. What really got me off my fat rear end to start walking was the purchase of one of those fitness tracker watches, which showed me exactly how sedentary I'd become, and made me compete with myself to take more steps and walk more miles. If you don't have one of those I'd really recommend getting one.

[smirkymonkey]

31. You know, I have actually been thinking about that and I think I will do that this weekend!

Great idea! Thank you!

[Niagara]

35. My journey so far.

I've been gluten-free for 5 years now since gluten worsens my inflammation and digestive issues.


I stopped smoking on February 1, 2019 and I'm proudly 594 days nicotine free. This also means that I gained weight in the process besides being unemployed. Being unemployed for me always means weight gain, even when I smoked.


Before July 17, 2021 I told my SO that I was tired of being fat and my clothes not fitting me. I gradually built up Keto friendly recipes in a specific notebook while experimenting with recipes. I always keep track of my ingredients for grocery shopping. I slowly started introducing MCT Oil and butter to my coffee to make bulletproof coffee.


On July 17, 2021 I started going full Keto. At 5' 5" I weighed 210 lbs, waist measured 45.5" and hips measured at 48". I've learned to measure before hand because over 14 years ago I hit a plateau and I was frustrated that I wasn't "losing". I was losing, it just wasn't weight, it was inches.


By Aug. 3rd I lost 5lbs and stayed there without any progress until I actually started IF on Sept. 3. I started an easy IF schedule (14/10) and so far it's working. My IF times are 8pm to 10am.

On Sept 10th I weighed 203 lbs, waist at 44.5", hips at 47".


I weighed myself this morning at 199 lbs. So far, this IF schedule is working for me, the last two hours waiting to be able to eat is still hell for me.


I want to introduce you to once overweight YouTuber Thomas DeLauer. He has some recipes but more Keto/IF information. Tons of helpful info on his channel.

I would like to introduce you to Low Carb Love. She has more Keto recipes and some IF information. Tons of easy and delicious recipes here on this channel.

&t=137s


It was this guy who opened my eyes about getting serious in my journey.

If you're not a frequent visitor, you might find helpful information here:
https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1154


I'm hoping that one day soon that I can fit into my stored clothing and say "I'm once again down to my high school weight." , or at least close to it. 😜


Good luck, SM!

[haele]

42. Yes, but you still have to eat right.

I lost 40 lbs in 6 months, and Laz lost 60 lbs, until he started getting into the habit of constant sweets and carbs snacking over the 8 hours he allowed himself to eat. He then gained 30 back, and has to work really hard on not snacking to start losing again.

Haele

On edit, I made sourdough bread and a variety of hand pies/calzons for the family to munch on as quicky lunch or dinners.regularly during the lockdown until arthritis screwed up my hands, and still managed to lose weight.