Fasting - anyone here do it?

[Toocrazy!!]

I’m trying yet another healthy eating, Weight loss plan. Trying to find something that sticks:) 
So I’m trying the IF. I’m doing a 5:2 plan, but also with a 24 hour fast in the middle. So this morning I had 500 calories, but now I need to wait until 11:00 am tomorrow to eat. 
This is my third fasting day. And I feel good the next morning. But these hours before bed are rough. 
I think I might try 6:00 pm to 6:00 pm next time. Maybe it’s easier to be hungry during the day? 
Any success stories to keep me motivated? 

[alisoncooks]

DH fasts pretty regularly. He likes to do occasional extended fasts, also (his recent long one was 20-something days...he was aiming for 40 but caved and cut it short). 😛

I've never really been a faster, but I am on my 2nd week of 16:8 eating window. I eat from 11-7 (or 10:30-6:30 if I'm really wanting breakfast). So far it's going well! I'm not restricting any other way, other than trying to make good choices.

I've already got a good habit of not eating in the evening. I brush my teeth immediately after I wash the dishes, which helps. 😉

[SoCal_Bear]

I do IF but I do 16/8. So I don't eat until about noon and usually my last meal is around 7. I recently lost 10 pounds without changing anything in about 8 weeks...I gained some weight over Covid because I have been suffering a frozen shoulder throughout most of that year. The only way that I could sleep was to take Aleve before sleeping. I would eat something with the Aleve to prevent stomach irritation. Add to that being unable to move my arm...my activity level was down as well for most of the year.

I've done IF in the past successfully to lose weight I would gain from the steroids I would have to take for asthma. I can't seem to avoid gaining weight when I am on meds. Luckily, this year with masking, that recurring issue has been avoided. I haven't had a viral illness in well over a year. It was the frozen shoulder that did me in. I will say that I can up the rate if I exercised more and did low carb. That has happened as well in the past. 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by calbear

[mathnerd]

i do the 16/8 IF because my habits skew towards that style of fasting. I don't do it for losing weight - only exercise helps me in that regards. It is just that I am not a morning person and hate breakfast and even though I am awake and functional, I don't want to eat anything. So, I eat lunch as my first meal of the day. On one day of the week, I take my son for a half day of classes with a 2 hour commute - on those days, I eat my first meal of the day after 2:30 pm which is a longer fasting window on one day of the week.

For me, the fasting keeps me in good health. I want to avoid diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes etc as I age and my family history is full of these issues (serious enough to kill some of them over the years). So, I chose this lifestyle. 

[Not_a_Number]

52 minutes ago, calbear said:

I do IF but I do 16/8. So I don't eat until about noon and usually my last meal is around 7.

Yeah, that's what I do. I go from 10 to 6. Honestly, it's not really causing me to lose weight, but it's good for my body to reset its "hunger sensor." Otherwise, I start feeling totally phantom hunger at the right times to eat, even if I'm really full. 

It's definitely made weight easier to control during the pandemic, although I've had to restrict further than that. But allowing myself to be hungry has definitely made that easier, since it doesn't bother me when I have a small dinner. 

[Selkie]

I don't know if this technically counts as fasting, but dh and I eat most of our calories early in the day and restrict nighttime eating. We are done eating by 5-6 pm and eat breakfast around 10 am. We were motivated to start eating this way by studies which show that fasting for at least three hours before bed leads to increased weight loss, reduced inflammation, and improved blood glucose levels.

[*Jessica*]

I recently started 16:8.  I don’t find it difficult at all, and I am losing weight I’m just not sure what to attribute it to because I’m also eating less and exercising more. 

[Not_a_Number]

22 minutes ago, Selkie said:

I don't know if this technically counts as fasting, but dh and I eat most of our calories early in the day and restrict nighttime eating. We are done eating by 5-6 pm and eat breakfast around 10 am. We were motivated to start eating this way by studies which show that fasting for at least three hours before bed leads to increased weight loss, reduced inflammation, and improved blood glucose levels.

That's about my schedule, so yes, that counts 😛 . You fit all your eating in about 8 hours of the day. 

[stripe]

😉 and here I thought this was a Ramadan thread😆

[athena1277]

I tried IF for a few weeks last year.  I want to do it again. My problem is that I had crazy cravings for cereal in the mornings.  I’m good with not eating after dinner (usually about 5pm), but those morning cravings are tough!  I don’t think I ever had cravings like that when pregnant.  I don’t drink any of the things you can have while fasting (except water), so I can’t try to trick myself with them.  Any advice to get over the cravings would be appreciated.  I would live to make it until lunch at 11am.

[sbgrace]

I do 16/8. I eat no earlier than 12 noon (usually 12:30/1-whenever I start to feel hungry) to 8 pm. When I started eating earlier and fasted in the evening/night, I was too hungry before I went to bed. 

I've been doing this night/morning fast window successfully for years. It works and is comfortable for me. I don't feel hungry in the morning and don't go to bed hungry either. 

My husband started IF, 11:30-7:30, maybe 6 or so months ago.  He is always hungry when as he's approaching his 11:30 eating window. (I don't feel that way.) Still, he finds it sustainable long term and has lost weight.

Edited April 20, 2021 by sbgrace

[Masers]

Does anyone actually notice good effects? Like increased energy, better health, etc? I know it’s supposed to do that, but idk. I was really good about IF a year or two ago...did it for a few months...and noticed zero positive effects. (but had lots of cravings that never really went away.)
i finally gave up.

would love to lose about 5-10 lbs, have more energy, and just feel better overall. Probably shouldn’t do it while breastfeeding, though, anyway!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

9 minutes ago, Masers said:

Does anyone actually notice good effects? Like increased energy, better health, etc? I know it’s supposed to do that, but idk. I was really good about IF a year or two ago...did it for a few months...and noticed zero positive effects. (but had lots of cravings that never really went away.)
i finally gave up.

would love to lose about 5-10 lbs, have more energy, and just feel better overall. Probably shouldn’t do it while breastfeeding, though, anyway!

 

I do an early eating window- I eat from 7am-1pm or so.  Doing this last year, I lost 15ish pounds.  The biggest effect I noticed is with sleep, I sleep like a rock if I have an empty stomach.  Now, when I do eat in the evenings, I usually feel yucky.  

[regentrude]

I usually do 16/8. It has absolutely no effect on my weight.
I started eating this way in my mid-40s when I realized I was no longer hungry for breakfast.

Edited April 20, 2021 by regentrude

[KungFuPanda]

I've repeatedly pitched fasting to my family over the years just because I'm tired of cooking or thinking about food.  They are having none of it.

[Not_a_Number]

21 minutes ago, Masers said:

Does anyone actually notice good effects? Like increased energy, better health, etc? I know it’s supposed to do that, but idk. I was really good about IF a year or two ago...did it for a few months...and noticed zero positive effects. (but had lots of cravings that never really went away.)
i finally gave up.

would love to lose about 5-10 lbs, have more energy, and just feel better overall. Probably shouldn’t do it while breastfeeding, though, anyway!

I find it easier to control my weight. That’s about all I’ve found. 

[lynn]

I IF 14-18 hours.  We eat dinner early !most nights I dont have carbs at sinner just a salad and protein.  I break my fast  most days between 9;30 and 11.  I have lost 35lbs and kept it off 3 years.  Some days I feel I could eat all during my eating hours but I find if I plan my meals and have salad ingredients I like life is easier.  

I also feel the effects of sleeping better, more alert and more energy.  I am off blood pressure meds.

Edited April 20, 2021 by lynn

[lynn]

10 hours ago, athena1277 said:

I tried IF for a few weeks last year.  I want to do it again. My problem is that I had crazy cravings for cereal in the mornings.  I’m good with not eating after dinner (usually about 5pm), but those morning cravings are tough!  I don’t think I ever had cravings like that when pregnant.  I don’t drink any of the things you can have while fasting (except water), so I can’t try to trick myself with them.  Any advice to get over the cravings would be appreciated.  I would live to make it until lunch at 11am.

The more you eat carbs the more you crave carbs.  I was addicted to my morning cereal or bagel.  I learned to push through and eventually that craving went away.   Having protein instead helped me.

[BeachGal]

14 hours ago, Toocrazy!! said:

I’m trying yet another healthy eating, Weight loss plan. Trying to find something that sticks:) 
So I’m trying the IF. I’m doing a 5:2 plan, but also with a 24 hour fast in the middle. So this morning I had 500 calories, but now I need to wait until 11:00 am tomorrow to eat. 
This is my third fasting day. And I feel good the next morning. But these hours before bed are rough. 
I think I might try 6:00 pm to 6:00 pm next time. Maybe it’s easier to be hungry during the day? 
Any success stories to keep me motivated? 

I have done different types of fasting for years, mainly for the benefit of autophagy.

Hunger pangs usually arrive around day 2 but don't bother me at all now. They just come and go. By day 3 they're mostly gone.

Something that has helped me is keeping a log of each fast -- how I felt, blood glucose and blood ketones. Throughout the years the fasting has become easier to tolerate. I attribute that to knowing what is likely to occur and also my body's ability to switch more easily now between using glucose vs using ketones as fuel.

Jason Fung, Valter Longo, Thomas Seyfried and Benjamin Bikman are my favorite resources.

[HS Mom in NC]

I've been IF for a couple of years now 16: 8. By itself it helped me maintain my weight and improve my sleep.

While I've been doing it in combination with:

1. eating foods with higher nutrient density
2. portion control
3. drastically reducing sweets and processed foods

I've lost 10 pounds with 7 more to go. I feel better.

[Toocrazy!!]

Thanks for the tips. I made it 24 hours. It’s really not physically hard for me to do, but mentally I’m used to snacking. I do sleep better without a bunch of food to digest. 
I’m going to try it a few more times. I do skip breakfast a lot already. But I don’t think I get a good fast in because I mindlessly snack a lot in the evenings. 

[rebcoola]

I do 18/6 or One meal a day depending on life.  It helps me keep my calories in check.  I plan to add longer fasts for autophagy .

[Toocrazy!!]

How long do you have to fast to get the benefit of autophagy? 

[Masers]

4 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

I do an early eating window- I eat from 7am-1pm or so.  Doing this last year, I lost 15ish pounds.  The biggest effect I noticed is with sleep, I sleep like a rock if I have an empty stomach.  Now, when I do eat in the evenings, I usually feel yucky.  

Thanks. I think I just struggled...I am such a snacker, and I love to eat. I feel like I ate more than usual during my window, so I’m sure that negated any weight loss I could have had. 
 

I didn’t notice any sleep or energy changes, but that’s great that it works for you! How do you manage dinner time? I could never make dinner for my kids and not eat it myself, haha. And social events, of course!

[HS Mom in NC]

26 minutes ago, Toocrazy!! said:

How long do you have to fast to get the benefit of autophagy? 

Based on the goggle search I did, the process begins at 24 hours and peaks at 48.

[Spy Car]

I mentioned the other day that an early lockdown experiment to preserve fresh milk by culturing it into buttermilk combined with an absolute weakness for the stuff led to my pants getting a little tight around the waist.

As a result, I started pondering how (other than shutting down the buttermilk factory, boo hoo) I might shed a few pounds.

After considerable thought, I had a "Eurika!" moment and excitedly went to my wife to share my idea.

I  laid out my hypothesis that a person could limit their food intake to a predetermined window of the day (like lunchtime to dinner) or alternatively stagger in  fasts a couple day a week, and why that might work.

I looked at her to see if she shared my excitement. Instead I got "the Look."

*Blink* *Blink*

What?

The impassive stare continued unabated. I had no idea why this wasn't resonating, but I knew something was amiss.

Finally Mrs Spy Car heaved a deep breath and said something to the effect of, are you really unaware that "intermittent fasting" is the hottest diet trend in the world right now, that every celebrity is doing it, and stories fill social media, magazines, the news, and and every corner of the internet?

I think my ears turned red.

In an effort to preserve an ounce of dignity, I sheepishly asked how that seemed to be working out for people?

"Reports are that it is working out well for many people," she said.

That news put a smile on my face, I felt at least somewhat vindicated, and said something like "at least your husband isn't a complete dope." LOL.

Bill

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Spy Car
waist not waste, LOL

[Selkie]

4 hours ago, Masers said:

Does anyone actually notice good effects? Like increased energy, better health, etc? I know it’s supposed to do that, but idk. I was really good about IF a year or two ago...did it for a few months...and noticed zero positive effects. (but had lots of cravings that never really went away.)
i finally gave up.

would love to lose about 5-10 lbs, have more energy, and just feel better overall. Probably shouldn’t do it while breastfeeding, though, anyway!

I definitely sleep better on an empty stomach, and just feel great in general - better in my 50s than I did in my younger years. I'm sure the fasting contributes to that, but it is mostly the food I eat (whole food plant based, nutritarian-type diet).

[OH_Homeschooler]

I've tried IF several times, from 16:8 to 20:4. I love how easy it is to decline food when I'm fasting. Unfortunately, I've never figured out how to start eating after a fast without practically bingeing on all the carbs. So I've decided it's not for me. 

[Toocrazy!!]

37 minutes ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

I've tried IF several times, from 16:8 to 20:4. I love how easy it is to decline food when I'm fasting. Unfortunately, I've never figured out how to start eating after a fast without practically bingeing on all the carbs. So I've decided it's not for me. 

This is so true! I’m hungry and so happy to have food again😀
I’ve been making myself eat a large salad to break the fast. 
I read somewhere, not fact checked;) but that after 24 hours, some micro biome had died off, so it was a great chance to replace it with good bacteria. So I’ve been trying to eat a big raw salad and a probiotic first thing. 

[Not_a_Number]

1 hour ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

I've tried IF several times, from 16:8 to 20:4. I love how easy it is to decline food when I'm fasting. Unfortunately, I've never figured out how to start eating after a fast without practically bingeing on all the carbs. So I've decided it's not for me. 

I've had to make a concerted effort not to. And I've actually made a rule that I eat a relatively small (but filling) breakfast and then wait for at least an hour or two to eat again, or I also binge. 

[Selkie]

1 hour ago, Toocrazy!! said:

This is so true! I’m hungry and so happy to have food again😀
I’ve been making myself eat a large salad to break the fast. 
I read somewhere, not fact checked;) but that after 24 hours, some micro biome had died off, so it was a great chance to replace it with good bacteria. So I’ve been trying to eat a big raw salad and a probiotic first thing. 

I also eat a big salad for my first meal of the day. I find that starting off the day by eating greens and vegetables makes me feel great all day, with no hunger pangs or cravings.

[Masers]

2 hours ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

I've tried IF several times, from 16:8 to 20:4. I love how easy it is to decline food when I'm fasting. Unfortunately, I've never figured out how to start eating after a fast without practically bingeing on all the carbs. So I've decided it's not for me. 

Yes, that is probably the actual problem I had. Haha.

[lynn]

4 hours ago, Spy Car said:

I mentioned the other day that an early lockdown experiment to preserve fresh milk by culturing it into buttermilk combined with an absolute weakness for the stuff led to my pants getting a little tight around the waist.

As a result, I started pondering how (other than shutting down the buttermilk factory, boo hoo) I might shed a few pounds.

After considerable thought, I had a "Eurika!" moment and excitedly went to my wife to share my idea.

I  laid out my hypothesis that a person could limit their food intake to a predetermined window of the day (like lunchtime to dinner) or alternatively stagger in  fasts a couple day a week, and why that might work.

I looked at her to see if she shared my excitement. Instead I got "the Look."

*Blink* *Blink*

What?

The impassive stare continued unabated. I had no idea why this wasn't resonating, but I knew something was amiss.

Finally Mrs Spy Car heaved a deep breath and said something to the effect of, are you really unaware that "intermittent fasting" is the hottest diet trend in the world right now, that every celebrity is doing it, and stories fill social media, magazines, the news, and and every corner of the internet?

I think my ears turned red.

In an effort to preserve an ounce of dignity, I sheepishly asked how that seemed to be working out for people?

"Reports are that it is working out well for many people," she said.

That news put a smile on my face, I felt at least somewhat vindicated, and said something like "at least your husband isn't a complete dope." LOL.

Bill

 

 

Did you do IF?

[Spy Car]

5 minutes ago, lynn said:

Did you do IF?

Since I "invented" IF (LOL) I did feel a scientific duty to test it out. I went for a few weeks, lost a little weight. Then I got bored.

Or was it the offer of a bacon and egg breakfast that did me in? I think that was it.

I actually like feeling a little hungry and have no issues with blood sugar crashes, so it is an OK method for me.

Did lose the "buttermilk belly."

Bill

 

 

[Not_a_Number]

3 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

I actually like feeling a little hungry and have no issues with blood sugar crashes, so it is an OK method for me.

Yeah, I also kind of like feeling a bit hungry. Feels like a useful reset for me.

Sounds like you weren't quite committed to it, though, lol. 

[Spy Car]

15 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Yeah, I also kind of like feeling a bit hungry. Feels like a useful reset for me.

Sounds like you weren't quite committed to it, though, lol. 

Once I could button my jeans again, I must admit my mind wandered.

Bill

[Katy]

I used to fast all the time. I’ve found it impossible with the last two kids. I don’t know how the dynamic is so different with two little ones at the same time vs one at a time, but somehow with one little one constantly eating it’s easy to resist, and with two I have no self control. I try it again every few months and almost never make it past 10 am. I’ve water fasted for 10 days and juice fasted for 30.

[AngelaGT]

I aim for 18:6 or 16:8 most days with a 24 one day a week.  It feels good to not be a slave to a hunger pang.

 

[Lady Marmalade]

I did it for two years before all the cool kids were doing it.  🙂 I lost almost 50 pounds total during that time and never felt like I was starving myself.  I preferred the 18/6 window and tried to do all my eating between 1:00 and 7:00 pm every day.  Usually that meant two meals a day.  Black coffee all morning kept me from feeling hungry, and I never had problems with lack of energy.  

I wasn't militant about it- if someone wanted to meet for breakfast I had a day where I didn't stick to my 6 hour eating window.  But mostly, I stuck with it and liked it.

I've kind of been doing it again lately.  It simply works better with my daily work schedule, to be honest.  I report to work by 5:15 am and cannot bring myself to eat breakfast so early.  I have a cup of coffee and I'm good to go.  Then it's off to the races for my 9 hour workday. Every once in a while I take a break and eat something (especially if one of my kitchen staff has made tacos al pastor or tamales, lol), but mostly, I go my whole work day on black coffee and water, and eat afterwards.    My job is high-octane, on my feet literally all day, and I feel like I have plenty of energy.   I don't count calories at all and I eat what I'd like.  

[Slache]

I eat a salad at 10 and dinner at 6 or 7. I don't track and my body doesn't like long fasts. Every once in a while I wake up and my body wants breakfast, so I eat.

[deBij]

I did long fasts over 20 years ago.  They were effective for weight loss, and not hard to do as a single person.

With kids, my weight increased and fasting is harder because other people are eating in the house.

I rediscovered fasting with Dr. Fung and realized that fasting can be done for shorter amounts of time.  This made fasting a lot more doable while taking care of my family.

I was doing alternating day fasting (ADF).  I scheduled so that my family would have leftovers on my fasting days.   I was being a bit to free on eating days.  

Recently I have had problems fasting on my fasting days, so I switched it up.  I read Fasting Lane, and now I am more focused on only eating at meal time (i.e. no snacking).   I usually skip breakfast, eat lunch at 12 and dinner at 5.   I figure avoiding eating between meals is healthy for the whole family.

 

Overall, I find fasting awesome.  I never liked counting calories.  It is easy to restart/change.   I feel better, happier, more energetic when I fast.

I only weigh myself once a month.  I hope that by my next weigh-in, I will hit the 50 lbs lost mark.
 

[BeachGal]

23 hours ago, Toocrazy!! said:

How long do you have to fast to get the benefit of autophagy? 

According to cancer researcher Thomas Seyfried you’re deep in autophagy when your GKI, glucose ketone index, is close to or below 1.0. GKI is glucose divided by ketones. It’s easy to measure with a blood glucose-ketone device.

https://dranthonygustin.com/what-is-glucose-ketone-index/

Valter Longo, who also studies fasting’s effect on cancer and other diseases, has observed the most benefits occur by day 4 of a fast for most people.
 

I started fasting in an attempt to reverse my Dupuytren’s nodules in my hand. It seemed to help. One nodule is completely gone, the other barely noticeable. It also might have reversed a small macular hole in my retina which is now completely gone. Of course maybe it’s some other magical voodoo but I strongly suspect the fasting. A lot of people in my former fasting group — the old Fasting Fungsters— saw their health improve as well — cataracts and tumors gone, etc.

If you want to lose weight/fat, Bikman’s book is fantastic. He also has YouTube videos.

Diet Doctor is helpful, too. That’s Jason Fung and Team. The recipes and articles are very good.

[Negin]

1 hour ago, kand said:

I’m clearly a *way* outlier on this thread, but this topic, and especially that it’s “the hottest diet trend in the world right now, that every celebrity is doing it, and stories fill social media, magazines, the news, and and every corner of the internet“ is a sore spot for me due to a young adult overcoming an eating disorder right now.

Agreeing with you. The older that I get, the less I'm attracted to diet trends. 

If weight loss is the goal, why do IF? Why not just focus on a caloric deficit? One can fast, but in the end, it's all about the calories. I tried IF for a little while, but it didn't work for me. Mind you, I fast a little bit already, since I'm short and my allotted calories are low. However, I'm not fasting strictly. I simply try to eat breakfast as late as possible. 

I have heard that as a woman gets older, the body doesn't do well with what it perceives to be stress. IF may be seen by the body as a form of stress. Men don't seem to react in quite the same way. 

Another factor that turned me off is hair loss. I joined an IF group on Facebook and remember hair loss was often talked about. Thanks, but no thanks.

Here's my book review on a book about IF, if anyone's interested. 

Here's another book review where she mentions IF. 

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

On 4/20/2021 at 8:00 PM, Masers said:

Thanks. I think I just struggled...I am such a snacker, and I love to eat. I feel like I ate more than usual during my window, so I’m sure that negated any weight loss I could have had. 
 

I didn’t notice any sleep or energy changes, but that’s great that it works for you! How do you manage dinner time? I could never make dinner for my kids and not eat it myself, haha. And social events, of course!

There were a couple things that made this easier this year:  

DH started working form home, so I shifted our hot meal to noon.  Evenings are leftovers and sandwich type things, and often we aren't all together due to sports for the kids, so it was actually a great change to move our big meal to lunch.

I started invisalign braces.  The first few months were HARD, and by the time I'd brushed my teeth, brushed my invisalign trays, put them back in, etc, I had NO DESIRE to go through it again an hour or two later because I wanted a snack.  

Last year, I probably managed my eating window 5 out of 7 days, with a few holiday related week's off.  I like fasting because if you break your fasting window... nothing bad really happens.  You'll have a high day on the scale the following day, but that's it.  So no issues if friends wanted to go out for a burger.  I had dabbled in keto the year or two before, and found it very aggravating, because a "cheat" typically led to 2-3 days of working your carbs off to get back into ketosis.  Fasting is much easier to work with while still maintaining a social life.  🙂  

 

[Not_a_Number]

6 hours ago, kand said:

I’m clearly a *way* outlier on this thread, but this topic, and especially that it’s “the hottest diet trend in the world right now, that every celebrity is doing it, and stories fill social media, magazines, the news, and and every corner of the internet“ is a sore spot for me due to a young adult overcoming an eating disorder right now. All the IF stuff everywhere contributed to it (in susceptible people, fasting can be the physiological trigger to their eating disorder), and not just for her, but the problem is rampant right now. For all we heard about how suicides were going to increase due to the pandemic, but then they didn’t, what hasn’t gotten as much attention is that eating disorders have gone through the roof in that time. I’m not trying to be a killjoy when this is clearly something many people on this thread feel they benefit from, but I felt a need to at least put out a PSA that this can be a particularly risky behavior for anyone with any risk of eating disorder, and that people might not want to talk it up in front of their potentially susceptible young people. 
 

https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/is-intermittent-fasting-an-eating-disorder

https://centerfordiscovery.com/blog/the-dangers-of-intermittent-fasting/

I can see that this is the wrong thing to hear about if someone has an eating disorder 😞 . But the website seems really, really negative:

”Avoid intermittent fasting if you don’t want to feel hungry, overeat, become dehydrated, feel tired or become irritable.”

Like... the whole point is that I don’t overeat while fasting. I do get quite hungry if I’m actually trying to lose weight, but I don’t if I’m just trying to maintain. And I don’t get irritable or dehydrated or tired.

I have trouble controlling my weight and this has been the only thing I’ve tried I can probably maintain indefinitely. So I kinda don’t want to feel guilty about it...

[Not_a_Number]

4 hours ago, Negin said:

If weight loss is the goal, why do IF? Why not just focus on a caloric deficit?

Well, for me it’s an easier way to get a caloric deficit or at least to avoid caloric excess. It keeps my body more attuned to its food needs. 

[Toocrazy!!]

Those are all really good thoughts on eating disorders. And I certainly do NOT want to lose any hair. I already have some really thin spots. 
For me, I have a tendency to over eat. And feel full and bloated and yucky. So I feel better when I fast. And it reminds me that I feel better in general if I don’t overindulge. I’m hoping it keeps me on track on non fasting days too, so I can enjoy that light feeling more often. 

[Masers]

3 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

There were a couple things that made this easier this year:  

DH started working form home, so I shifted our hot meal to noon.  Evenings are leftovers and sandwich type things, and often we aren't all together due to sports for the kids, so it was actually a great change to move our big meal to lunch.

I started invisalign braces.  The first few months were HARD, and by the time I'd brushed my teeth, brushed my invisalign trays, put them back in, etc, I had NO DESIRE to go through it again an hour or two later because I wanted a snack.  

Last year, I probably managed my eating window 5 out of 7 days, with a few holiday related week's off.  I like fasting because if you break your fasting window... nothing bad really happens.  You'll have a high day on the scale the following day, but that's it.  So no issues if friends wanted to go out for a burger.  I had dabbled in keto the year or two before, and found it very aggravating, because a "cheat" typically led to 2-3 days of working your carbs off to get back into ketosis.  Fasting is much easier to work with while still maintaining a social life.  🙂  

 

That makes sense! Thanks! Maybe I’ll give it a try again sometime.

I do find that brushing your teeth is really mentally effective, for whatever reason! Haha.