Hello IF'ers...

Starting 5:2 this week :)

Hi all:
I am new to IF sort of. I tried it once before and it didn't work for me but, I was trying it at the very end of a diet where I think my metabolism was suppressed and I wasn't eating enough. I have been trying it for a week, window 11 to 7. And I love it. First, in the morning I have a big cup of coffee. Black. This always KILLS my appetite. Until now I have been forcing food because I thought I had to. Now I just use that time I was spending eating to get to work early. At work I have a ton of energy. I only start feeling hungry around 11 and today, I forgot to eat until 11:30.

I am combining this method with another popular diet -- volumetrics -- eating as much low calorie high volume food as I can. I eat two meals... one at 11 and one at 6ish. This works best with a workday schedule and commute. I am reducing calories but eating more than usual. I love the idea that at both meals I can eat a feast. And I actually think it has a weird satisfying effect that lasts doubly as long as eating a smaller meal. So if you eat a small meal you are full for three hours, but if you eat a large meal you are full for five.

Usually a massive problem with dieting is that my co workers want to go out for lunch and there isn't much I can get that doesn't blow my calorie budget. But with 1100 cals to spend at two meals, I can down 700 out with them at the first meal and just eat a light second meal. Easy peasy.

IF is a superb tool to control hunger and lose weight without effort.

Oh well maybe the first week you feel "weird" at skipping meals but in just 5 days you get used to it.

I wouldn't mind seeing this thread more active. IF is the only way I've been able to lose any real weight.

IF cheerleader here. I follow a modified version and do record my caloric intake. I weekly average. Weeks I don't go outside my caloric weekly goal I dont have any low cal days. My eating life is not always predictable, so I don't have set low cal days. If i had a predictable schedule, I would have set days. Most days, my last intake at night is 7pm and first intake the next day in 8am or later. So, I almost always have a 13+ window.

During the week, my husband and I just eat one big meal at dinnertime. Plant based and no calorie counting. It's the only thing that works for us. Always start with a big salad. I make my own salad dressing with Italian herbs, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, real maple syrup, tahini and Bragg apple cider vinegar...delicious.

Intermittent fasting is a sure way to lose weight but I personally find it too taxing. You are fighting hunger which is somewhat unnatural.

Hi Mana. It works for some, but not for others. I disagree that it is a "sure way to lose weight..." I also disagree that "fighting hunger" is unnatural. Now, when I feel hungry, I find I am often just bored, or stressed, or thirsty.

I had more to write, but I think you are probably a troll. Good night.

Hello, I just joined the forum and just started alternate day fasting. My first fasting day was last Friday and I've had three fasting days so far. I try to stick to 500 calories on fasting days and on feasting days I've been pretty much eating what I like.

So far I think it's a good fit for me psychologically. I've never been able to keep to a plan if I have to deprive myself every day of things I like to eat. I was also worried that I would just pig out on feasting days and invalidate my work from the day before but it turns out I haven't had that big of an appetite and the scale has been showing some positive changes.

One thing, when I break my fast I end up with diarrhea. Anyone else experiencing this? I read elsewhere that it might be due to my increased consumption of liquids on my fasting day, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, with holidays coming up I'm a little scared about falling off the wagon. I hope to get some moral support from this forum.

Hello IFers,

I started yesterday and fasted one 24 hours, then ate some turkey....I lost 4 pounds first day!

Hello....Anyone still fasting? The last post was in Nov and hoping this would be up ,maybe after the holidays..

Am kinda doing this method...started today..am only eating 2 meals, no snacking....fast at dinner time... Had brought a book on fasting and this suits me, If I stay with it ..

Had breakfast and lunch....So my fasting starts...will drink coffee and diet soda..water..

Also might add, doing my own way, which eat in the morning when I wake up, till noon...then my fasting comes in. I may tweek it, depending on my hunger level.

Hoping some folks will pop in ,in the new year...Happy Holidays!! :wave:

Hi Lilian!

Do you have Breakfast and Lunch and skip dinner, every day?
I'm trying to learn more about IF and would love to hear more about your plan.

Thanks !

Hi Margot... It depends, somedays I skip breakfast, or lunch..It depends on how your tummy feels. That is how am doing. Its simple,but tricky..but is doable. Good luck.

Am up 2 lbs...oh well. ate 3 meals yesterday...so..this morning skip breakfast and did my errands. I am trying to eat one meal goal..but at the moment is 2 so far.

Hi Liliann and Margot. I'm doing IF again. I got a kindle for an early Christmas present and I've read Intermittent Fasting the Easy way by Zac Jefferson and & now I am reading Lean Fast Diet by Stephen Reed. The recommend doing a 14 - 16 hr fast. Although they have their way of eating, they do say use what ever plan works for you and that fits your lifestyle. Stephen Reed doesn't really like calling it a diet as he says this is his lifestyle of eating. He does more of a Paleo way of eating from what I can gather as I haven't gotten into the diet part, but from things he says, I gather that is his lifestyle. They mainly stress that eating less calories than you use and eating healthy. They don't say not to do one day fasts etc as they do mention the different ways of fasting. They do debunk the idea that if you eat within a certain window of eating that you can eat anything you want and lose weight. Thy stress that if you are pigging out and eating as much as you want without restrain (more calories than you spend) you are still going to gain weight. They stress you can IF using any eating plan you want. What got me back to looking into IF is that my Vegan nephew does IF. He came to visit us the day after Thanksgiving and he was fasting and mentioned that he does IF. I began to ask him questions. That day he was going to eat during a 5 hr window, but he told me that he normally eats within an 8 hr window.

Thus when I got my new kindle, I downloaded to books on IF and I'm back on since last Tuesday. I am counting calories on MFP and doing the 14 hr fast. Sunday is my WI day and I lost 2.8 lbs this week. Also, Reed says the best time to exercise for IF is when fasting. I am also using IF to get diabetes under control. I find that by exercising while fasting is bringing my fasting blood sugar down. I forgot to check it this morning, but it has brought my reading from over 200 a week ago down to 159 yesterday. I feel like I have found what will work for me and I have decided to make IF a lifestyle for me.

I hope if there are other IFers out there that we can get this thread going again. It will be nice to share with each other.