Anyone do intermittent fasting?

The Madrigal

Registered User
Apr 26, 2016
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In a simulation
Planning to try it. I am going to start with a 14 hour fasting period, and 10 hour eating window. The plan is to go to 15/9 after the first month, and maybe even go to 16/8 at some point. I also plan to stick about 2,000 calories or less per day and exercise.

Anyway, I am looking to boost metabolism, burn fat, and lose weight and I keep reading/hearing that this is the way to do it.

I am just curious if anyone else any experience with this, what the results were, and if there are any helpful tips for doing this. Thank you.
 

Jags68

Registered User
Oct 16, 2017
889
298
Planning to try it. I am going to start with a 14 hour fasting period, and 10 hour eating window. The plan is to go to 15/9 after the first month, and maybe even go to 16/8 at some point. I also plan to stick about 2,000 calories or less per day and exercise.

Anyway, I am looking to boost metabolism, burn fat, and lose weight and I keep reading/hearing that this is the way to do it.

I am just curious if anyone else any experience with this, what the results were, and if there are any helpful tips for doing this. Thank you.

Science behind it seems a bit overstated. Theirs nothing magical about it, but for me it’s an excellent tool to minimize my calorie intake.

I find when I have a big breakfast, I tend to get more hungry through the day. It’s much easier for me to fast from waking up, just drink lots of water and black coffee to suppress my appetite.

I’ve usually just used a 16/8 window through my whole cut previously. The results were more from the calorie deficit imo.

Have you determined your maintenance calories and macronutrient breakdown? Training etc
 

Suiteness

Registered User
Mar 14, 2003
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Time to Rebuild
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I've posted this on July 31st, 2017 in one of the sticky thread up top:

Intermittent fasting is legit AF. Started three weeks ago at 215 lbs, wanted to cut to 190 so hopped on the IF bandwagon. Calories were set at 2300 for gym days and 1800 for non gym days, I train 4X a week.

Three weeks in and I'm down to 204 lbs. Craziness, weight just melts right off. I'm also in a happy place with my diet as of now. I do the 16/8 split. I've been lifting fasted, first thing in the morning for years so my feeding window starts with a protein shake after my workout. While I do watch calories, I mostly make sure to hit my 1 gram of protein per lbs for the day.

I'm still IF'ing to this day. I ended up cutting down to 185 lbs but bulked backed up to 195 lbs where I am right now. I'm no longer tracking calories but I'm eating 95% clean lol, I still maintain a protein heavy diet. It's really a lifestyle, I like it cause it's so ridiculously convenient. I'll cook all my meals for the week in a few hours on the weekend and I do my 7am to 3pm feeding window throughout the week. I'm a little bit more liberal on weekends but nothing crazy.

Any tips? Fail to plan, plan to fail. Food prep is key imo. I'll typically cook two proteins for the week (This week, it's rib-eye steaks and boneless, skinless chicken thighs), a dozen egg muffins (I'll have 3 or 4 per day) and high protein overnight oats (put these and Mason Jars). For the rest, I'll whip some kind of side to eat with the meat, be it sweet potato mash, kidney bean salad, chick pea salad, etc.
 
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DCDM

Da Rink Cats
Mar 24, 2008
38,094
6,426
Calgary
Started 14/10 (eating between 10am and 8pm) a week ago and it's great. Lost 2 lbs in that time but the more important thing to me is I already feel smaller around the waist (should probably do some measurements so I know for sure). And the hunger pangs I used to feel during the fasting are already subsiding. I'm planning to get back to the gym this week so I can combine IF + exercise for some better and faster results.

Best of luck to you. Remember to drink a lot of water during your fasting window. Also they say you're allowed to drink coffee or tea if you really need so keep that in mind if you're struggling at first. I typically allow myself 1 cup of coffee with a bit of milk in the mornings which helps me get to the end of my fast. I think rule of thumb is keep your coffee/tea to 50 calories or lower.
 

Filthy Dangles

Registered User*
Oct 23, 2014
28,353
39,702
Science behind it seems a bit overstated. Theirs nothing magical about it, but for me it’s an excellent tool to minimize my calorie intake.

I find when I have a big breakfast, I tend to get more hungry through the day. It’s much easier for me to fast from waking up, just drink lots of water and black coffee to suppress my appetite.

I’ve usually just used a 16/8 window through my whole cut previously. The results were more from the calorie deficit imo.

Have you determined your maintenance calories and macronutrient breakdown? Training etc

Winner winner chicken dinner......

Everything always circles back to Calories and CICO (Calories in, Calories Out). The reason IF works is because you consume less calories. Too many people get lost in the broscience of it and revving up your metabolism and all that nonsense.

It's really simple, if you want to lose mass you need to be at an energy (Calorie) defecit, if you want to gain mass you need to be at a surplus. Too many people overlook this simple law of the universe.
 
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Fonzieleaf

Registered User
Jul 8, 2013
1,885
1,435
Collingwood, Ontario
I try to do a 4 hour eating window while going to the gym 5 days a week and drinking apple cider vinegar. If you don't have the will power to do it then don't even bother
 

justafan22

Registered User
Jun 22, 2014
11,629
6,249
Started 14/10 (eating between 10am and 8pm) a week ago and it's great. Lost 2 lbs in that time but the more important thing to me is I already feel smaller around the waist (should probably do some measurements so I know for sure). And the hunger pangs I used to feel during the fasting are already subsiding. I'm planning to get back to the gym this week so I can combine IF + exercise for some better and faster results.

Best of luck to you. Remember to drink a lot of water during your fasting window. Also they say you're allowed to drink coffee or tea if you really need so keep that in mind if you're struggling at first. I typically allow myself 1 cup of coffee with a bit of milk in the mornings which helps me get to the end of my fast. I think rule of thumb is keep your coffee/tea to 50 calories or lower.

That's interesting. I've found that the 20 minutes after you eat something is critical to just manage your temptations.
 

Beville

#ForTheBoys
Mar 4, 2011
8,639
1,391
Engerlanddd!
I did it last year for a few months and it seemed to work, since then I’ve got onto a shift pattern and it’s just not practical anymore.
 

Duck Off

HF needs an App
Oct 25, 2002
20,909
5,287
Oklahoma
Winner winner chicken dinner......

Everything always circles back to Calories and CICO (Calories in, Calories Out). The reason IF works is because you consume less calories. Too many people get lost in the broscience of it and revving up your metabolism and all that nonsense.

It's really simple, if you want to lose mass you need to be at an energy (Calorie) defecit, if you want to gain mass you need to be at a surplus. Too many people overlook this simple law of the universe.

This is spot on. I do IF and I've had a lot of success with using it. However, when people ask me "how are you doing it?", I rarely mention IF in general. The real answer is I'm being at least cognizant of my calories. IF allows me to keep my calories in control more so than when I don't do it. When I describe IF to others, basically I tell them it's just a tool I use to actually do what matters (eat the right amount of calories).
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
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3,597
Is fasting just for those who want to lose fat? What if your goal is to build muscle?
 

Took a pill in Sbisa

2showToffoliIwascool
Apr 23, 2004
16,259
6,976
Australia
Winner winner chicken dinner......

Everything always circles back to Calories and CICO (Calories in, Calories Out). The reason IF works is because you consume less calories. Too many people get lost in the broscience of it and revving up your metabolism and all that nonsense.

It's really simple, if you want to lose mass you need to be at an energy (Calorie) defecit, if you want to gain mass you need to be at a surplus. Too many people overlook this simple law of the universe.

I'm not disagreeing with your info about calories however apparently there actually is science behind time-restricted eating that improves fat loss and muscle gain while not changing the calorie consumption
 
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