Hi all. I'm new to the board and new to IF. My sister introduced me to it and does alternate day fasting. I tried that but it doesn't really work for me. However, I realized that on weekends I naturally fall into a an 8 hour window of eating and decided to do that. I'm on day 3 so far and my struggles have been mostly mental (why does my body decide I'm "starving" as soon as it hears the word fast?).
Looking forward to the support. I do have one question for people with experience with this way of eating- is there an issue with saying I have an 8 hour eating window and doing so occasionally but eating within a 6 hour window most of the time? During the work week a 6 hour window seems most natural but I want to be able to go out to eat with friends occasionally and I would need my full 8 hour window to accommodate that.
I am new to IF, but not to 3fatchicks! I have been doing Fast 5 for a week and I am down almost 2 lbs. I am an occasional juice faster but I can never do it for more than 3-5 days before I feel like I am going to gnaw off my own arm. I had heard about IF before but never thought I could do it. Turns out its the easiest diet I have ever done.
I lost 60 lbs a few years ago with Weight Watchers, and kept it off for the most part. It was easy at the time and why I stopped I don't know. I have tried WW 3-4 times since then and it hasn't been working for me at all! The weight has been creeping back up and my clothes are starting to get tight for the first time in 4 years or so, so I read the free Fast 5 book, and figured if I am now used to juice fasting, I could definitely do this!
The best thing is I LOVE IT! I am enjoying food so much more when I do eat, and not overdoing it! My window is 5-10 pm. I eat dinner around 5:30 to 6 (I will have a snack first if dinner isn't quick to make that night) then I have a snack anywhere around 7:30 to 8:30 and that's usually about it. I like this window because I like to eat dinner with my family, and also socialize with dinners out, sporting events, after work drinks etc.
I didn't read through all 30 pages of this thread, but has anyone experienced any of the following? Don't know yet if it is related to IF or not but I have noticed:
-happier and less irritable
-skin softer and brighter
-not craving chocolate (still eating sugar but can feel those cravings lessening)
-menstruation lighter and WAY less cramps
-food tastes better and is more satisfying
-enjoying alcohol less
The only hard thing I have found, as others have said above, is explaining the diet to people. I understand. The first thing I did when I decided to start was I read most of the Fast 5 book aloud to my husband and he gets it. Others don't, and that's ok. I am also vegan so I am used to people thinking my eating habits are weird. HA!
begoodjen on the 2 pounds. I lost the bulk of my weight doing IF. I first started with 5:2 and then transitioned into 4:3. About a month ago I experimented with the Fast 5 and I actually love it. I'm not currently doing it, but plan to get back to it within the next few weeks. You're so right about the benefits of IF. My monthly cycles are much more tolerable which is awesome lol. I try to keep my eating window between 2-7pm. Good luck, I know you will do just great on Fast 5.
Last edited by lovemylife001; 03-31-2016 at 12:04 PM.
begoodjen So I downloaded the free book and it says that you are to eat one large meal in the 5 hour window? Do you only eat one large meal. I was eating a sandwich the first hour and then the last hour I would eat a small meal. What do you do?
begoodjen So I downloaded the free book and it says that you are to eat one large meal in the 5 hour window? Do you only eat one large meal. I was eating a sandwich the first hour and then the last hour I would eat a small meal. What do you do?
You can eat whatever and however you like in the 5 hour window.
Most days I drink tea, coffee, (both black or a touch of sweetener if the coffee is too strong), a couple diet pops, and lots of water from when I wake up at about 7am to around 5. I work until 4:30 and get home just before 5. I make dinner, and if its going to take longer than 15-20 minutes, I will have a sandwich or some fruit. Then I have dinner. I get full really fast, so I eat a regular amount of food that I would normally eat for dinner. If I am hungry in an hour or two, I have some leftovers, or some veggies and dip or whatever is around. I normally finish eating around 8:30 or 9, but I know that I can eat up until 10 if I want. Around 9:30 I stop and think about if I am hungry or not. The answer so far has been 'no' every night so I don't eat. But if I was hungry, I would.
I think what you are doing is fine. My understanding is there are 2 ways IF works: calorie restriction due to a small eating window, and more efficient fat burning due to the fasting. So I don't think it matters whether you do one big or two small meals in the window.
Forgot to check in friday! No weight lost last week.
Ate tons of junk food this week (Easter leftovers) and my 7 month old son had to get surgery, so this was a trying week to say the least. I stuck to my eating windows all of but two days.
Observations from last week:
1. On the two days I didn't stick to my eating windows, I was pretty sure I was going to just be mindlessly eating all day and rack up the calories. But miraculously, I didn't. I ate intuitively and stopped when I felt full. I give all the credit to my IFing the last month.
2. I'm not sure if it is because there was a lot of Easter junk food around, but I craved sugar all week long. There were two days where I literally only ate chocolate, cookies, and easter bread. That's it. I stuck to my fasting window those days, but boy did I feel like total garbage.
3. My husband finally noticed that I stopped nighttime snacking (which was a nightly thing). It only took him 6 weeks, lol. And like I said before, when he asks why, I just say "i'm not hungry."
4. When I come across articles on the internet about IF that involve cancer research, anti aging research, etc etc, they are just so interesting to read! Can't get enough.
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LisainLR - I'm pretty new to IF as well, but I don't think that is an issue. It's kind of what I am doing. I eat from 12-6 (6 hour window) five days a week, and 12-8 (8 hour window) two days a week. I get to chose the 2, longer window days to be whatever day fits in with our schedule, like if we have a family gathering or have to go to a party or something. Also, I sometime switch up the actual window times. In the middle of the week I find myself so hungry, that I change my window to 9-3. I'm not sure if this is "allowed", but it's been working for me.
begoodjen - I have experienced two things from your list / happier and less irritable & food tasting better and being more satisfying. I think that is simply because I don't obsess over food anymore. I just eat and enjoy in my windows.
Last edited by agnes dayspring; 04-05-2016 at 03:20 PM.
I would like to join this thread, please. I put a book on hold at the library - The Fast Diet, by Michael Moseley, but I've read it before, and it's more about days on/days off....sounds like some of you are doing times of day? Can you recommend a book to me tha will help me learn with out pestering you with questions? Many thanks.
carolr3639, I think you may have either misspoke or misunderstood? Your five hour window is the window in which you eat, not the window in which you fast. Are you saying that you would eat between 2 and 7? Either way, it doesn't really matter what time the window is, just make it work for you. I would advise not having your window be directly before you go to bed, however, as we all know eating right before bed isn't the greatest idea.
New to IF
on the 2 pounds. I lost the bulk of my weight doing IF. I first started with 5:2 and then transitioned into 4:3. About a month ago I experimented with the Fast 5 and I actually love it. I'm not currently doing it, but plan to get back to it within the next few weeks. You're so right about the benefits of IF. My monthly cycles are much more tolerable which is awesome lol. I try to keep my eating window between 2-7pm. Good luck, I know you will do just great on Fast 5.
