Intermittent Fasting, Who’s Doing It?

bents
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bents 9/1/2018 7:16am
9/1/2018 7:16am
I'm currently on the OMAD (one meal a day), between 5 & 6 pm. Been on it for almost a month. After about 4 days it became pretty easy, but I am entering the real busy part of my profession and being busy sure makes it easier. I did a fair bit of research on it like most of you before starting it and the science is there for this approach to eating. I'm in a fasted state anytime I have trained or ridden my dirt bike or mountain bike and surprisingly my energy has been really good. My re-feed takes place over a couple of hours and I eat pretty clean (lots of vegetables, protein, various berries). Also cut out the wine at night (love it but it wasn't hard, thankfully....). I started out just ravenously eating when it came time but I quickly realized I needed to slow it down. I tried one fast of about 44 hours (water, and coffee with cream-sorry not giving up coffee and cream), and I got pretty shaky after about 40 hours but up until about 36 it wasn't super difficult.

My energy has been MUCH better, sleeping WAY better, and my weight is dropping steadily. The nicest thing about it is that my day is no longer centred around food-what am I going to eat? When? It is liberating to not constantly be thinking about food. Pretty much everything I read about this approach to eating has proven to be true in my case.

On my fridge I have a few things:
-eat to live, don't live to eat
-you're not hungry, you're bored-know the difference
-good eating is better than any medication you can buy
-when in doubt, go without

I would like to make this a permanent lifestyle change as I do notice a huge difference, and I am not going to deprive myself of a nice bottle of wine on the weekends or a dessert or two. But during the week if I can stay disciplined it is well worth it. My wife is on an 8 & 16 IF and her results have been really good as well. She looks amazeballs, and sorry no pics for you vital pervs! She might go to the OMAD approach soon to give it a go.

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kb228
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kb228 9/1/2018 7:16am
9/1/2018 7:16am
kb228 wrote:
I lost 45lbs on an intermittent fasting program. Ate at 12 & 5 everyday and skipped breakfast. Only thing i had before lunch was extend go...
I lost 45lbs on an intermittent fasting program. Ate at 12 & 5 everyday and skipped breakfast. Only thing i had before lunch was extend go bcaas and water.
tempura wrote:
How was your energy levels and general well-being?
Did you get any blood work done?
No blood work. But as far as energy ive actually never been more energetic and productive as i have been on intermittent fasting. Focus is much better and you overall just feel better all the time. Mind you my diet the rest of the day was portioned out for the calories and macros i need. I think thats the key.
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BR8ES
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BR8ES 9/1/2018 7:30am
9/1/2018 7:30am
Start easy for a week by skipping your least important meal and trying your best to keep your last and first meal at least 12 hours apart. See how you do mentally and then pick a course of action. You can do it and get what you want and need out of this. Good luck!
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Xracer
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Xracer 9/1/2018 7:32am
9/1/2018 7:32am
I've tried this a few times and from a weight loss and mental clarity perspective, it seems to work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihhj_VSKiTs

I was mainly interested in the cognitive benefits...the idea that we get "smarter" when we're hungry (really hungry, not "damn I feel like a pizza right now" hungry).

The problem I had is that inevitably on my fasting days, a vendor would show up at work with his Amex card ready to go to lunch, and it's sooo hard to say no to a free lunch at nice place. And with a family of 5 and the general chaos that goes along with it, it's just hard to stick to the schedule. I'm going to try again this fall after social season is over.
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YellowZonker 9/1/2018 8:55am
9/1/2018 8:55am
erik_94COBRA wrote:
I do sometimes, but regularly eat a high fat low carb diet. If you adapt to a high fat diet first, then fasting will be much...
I do sometimes, but regularly eat a high fat low carb diet. If you adapt to a high fat diet first, then fasting will be much easier.

Keto FTW.
YellowZonker wrote:
Recent studies are saying the opposite of keto FTW.
erik_94COBRA wrote:
That's interesting. Cite them?
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)3013…
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erik_94COBRA
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erik_94COBRA 9/1/2018 11:36am
9/1/2018 11:36am
YellowZonker wrote:
Recent studies are saying the opposite of keto FTW.
erik_94COBRA wrote:
That's interesting. Cite them?
YellowZonker wrote:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)3013…
Thanks for sharing. Interesting article.

That being said, Willett and co are anti-lowcarb.Their definition of low carbohydrate does not necessarily mean those surveyed were in ketosis either.

Also, I personally think drawing hard conclusions from a statistical analysis of questionnaire data is suspect. May be good to indicate an observation or trend, but hardly enough to serve as a guide on what we should do.

I lost over 30 lbs on a high fat low carb diet 5 years ago. No appreciable change in weight in that time.
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mister2dt
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mister2dt 9/1/2018 12:02pm
9/1/2018 12:02pm
I didnt know this was a thing. I have been doing this for 10 years. With my work, i dont take lunch. I eat a small breakfast, some kind of bar or oatmeal or some eggs, glass of orange juice. Get to work around 5:30-6 am. Leave work at 4, get home about 4:30 and cook a decent dinner, grilled fish, chicken, etc. salad, fruit, etc. go to bed. I was about 235-240 then. Ive maintained 205-210 since. Energy level Got notciably higher, and hasnt gone down in the 10 years
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fmfred
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fmfred 9/1/2018 1:54pm
9/1/2018 1:54pm
I do the 18/6 fasting, and I love it. I started it for mental clarity after a big crash in November where I broke a bunch of ribs, and vertebrae, punctured lungs, concussion etc..

Also, I have two cups of coffee, each with 1oz of butter and 1oz XTC oil (highly refined coconut oil) in it in the morning.

It took a while to get used to, but I have plenty of energy now. I regularly(4-5 times a week) do 15-mile MTB rides w/ 3,000 ft of climbing in the morning and have plenty of energy in the tank afterward.

Also, I've cut out added sugar from my diet.

I've lost like ten pounds, but I think it was muscle loss from not exercising at all after that crash for a few months. BTW I'm 6ft/170lbs.
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PJ205
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PJ205 9/1/2018 1:58pm
9/1/2018 1:58pm
Not purposely... i'm just broke a lot.
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cbuehler767
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cbuehler767 9/1/2018 8:52pm
9/1/2018 8:52pm
mister2dt wrote:
I didnt know this was a thing. I have been doing this for 10 years. With my work, i dont take lunch. I eat a small...
I didnt know this was a thing. I have been doing this for 10 years. With my work, i dont take lunch. I eat a small breakfast, some kind of bar or oatmeal or some eggs, glass of orange juice. Get to work around 5:30-6 am. Leave work at 4, get home about 4:30 and cook a decent dinner, grilled fish, chicken, etc. salad, fruit, etc. go to bed. I was about 235-240 then. Ive maintained 205-210 since. Energy level Got notciably higher, and hasnt gone down in the 10 years
That's not fasting
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cbuehler767
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cbuehler767 9/1/2018 9:00pm
9/1/2018 9:00pm
fmfred wrote:
I do the 18/6 fasting, and I love it. I started it for mental clarity after a big crash in November where I broke a bunch...
I do the 18/6 fasting, and I love it. I started it for mental clarity after a big crash in November where I broke a bunch of ribs, and vertebrae, punctured lungs, concussion etc..

Also, I have two cups of coffee, each with 1oz of butter and 1oz XTC oil (highly refined coconut oil) in it in the morning.

It took a while to get used to, but I have plenty of energy now. I regularly(4-5 times a week) do 15-mile MTB rides w/ 3,000 ft of climbing in the morning and have plenty of energy in the tank afterward.

Also, I've cut out added sugar from my diet.

I've lost like ten pounds, but I think it was muscle loss from not exercising at all after that crash for a few months. BTW I'm 6ft/170lbs.
You're breaking the fast with butter and XTC oil. I'm glad its working for you but not technically IF. By fasting you reduce blood sugar and insulin levels and increase growth hormone levels.
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Gandorlf
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Gandorlf 9/1/2018 10:21pm
9/1/2018 10:21pm
mister2dt wrote:
I didnt know this was a thing. I have been doing this for 10 years. With my work, i dont take lunch. I eat a small...
I didnt know this was a thing. I have been doing this for 10 years. With my work, i dont take lunch. I eat a small breakfast, some kind of bar or oatmeal or some eggs, glass of orange juice. Get to work around 5:30-6 am. Leave work at 4, get home about 4:30 and cook a decent dinner, grilled fish, chicken, etc. salad, fruit, etc. go to bed. I was about 235-240 then. Ive maintained 205-210 since. Energy level Got notciably higher, and hasnt gone down in the 10 years
cbuehler767 wrote:
That's not fasting
What is "fasting" these days anyway. There's about 1 million different fasting programmes out there. Who are you to say that this ain't fasting?
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Mossy
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Mossy 9/1/2018 11:07pm
9/1/2018 11:07pm
I tried fasting by eating nothing for a couple days. At the 18 hour mark I gave in and had to eat. Had a horrible headache and just felt like absolute crap. 184 pounds and 6’3. I remember thinking how in the hell do people do this for 3+ days. The funny thing was I lost like 5 pounds in a week and a half afterwards because it somehow onset me eating much less for the next week. I have pretty fast metabolism as well so that could affect why I felt so shitty after only 18 hours of no food. I felt a lot worse than I feel I should have. Sad
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MotoMo165
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MotoMo165 9/1/2018 11:20pm
9/1/2018 11:20pm
Anti gains. Jokes aside I’ve heard fasting cleans out and toughens your stomach.
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slipdog
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slipdog 9/2/2018 6:46am
9/2/2018 6:46am
Calories in and calories out, it's your choice what type of plan fits you the best. In the end, if you reduce the number of calories you consume, you'll lose weight, gain energy and improve your overall health.

You're welcome and look for my new dieting infomercial coming soon on Direct TV channel 874...
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cbuehler767
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cbuehler767 9/2/2018 8:58am
9/2/2018 8:58am
mister2dt wrote:
I didnt know this was a thing. I have been doing this for 10 years. With my work, i dont take lunch. I eat a small...
I didnt know this was a thing. I have been doing this for 10 years. With my work, i dont take lunch. I eat a small breakfast, some kind of bar or oatmeal or some eggs, glass of orange juice. Get to work around 5:30-6 am. Leave work at 4, get home about 4:30 and cook a decent dinner, grilled fish, chicken, etc. salad, fruit, etc. go to bed. I was about 235-240 then. Ive maintained 205-210 since. Energy level Got notciably higher, and hasnt gone down in the 10 years
cbuehler767 wrote:
That's not fasting
Gandorlf wrote:
What is "fasting" these days anyway. There's about 1 million different fasting programmes out there. Who are you to say that this ain't fasting?
Well the thread is about IF. Which is typically a 16hr fasting window followed by an 8hr feed. No fats carbs protein in the fast and just water or black coffee. So like I said pertaining to this thread he wasn't fasting
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Spudnut
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Spudnut 9/2/2018 10:02am
9/2/2018 10:02am
I did Intermittent fasting until I realized if you don’t eat anything after dinner around 6pm until breakfast at 8 am that’s already 14 hours which works fine for me for now as long as I don’t cave and have gas station food and a redbull. I came to the conclusion that it’s more about eating healthier foods than when you eat.

Also if you’re trying to cut weight, no beer or sugary drinks alone does a lot for your overall health

MOVE MORE EAT LESS

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murph783
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murph783 9/2/2018 12:20pm
9/2/2018 12:20pm
I’ve been doing 16/8 for a while now. Sometimes keto, sometimes a little higher protein, with some carbs from fruit and vegetables. I think a fair bit of the benefit is from having the mental strength to stick to a program. I’m a big night snacker, and having a window is enough to keep me from doing it. Also generally give myself a cheat meal a week. If I want an entire pizza, I’ll eat one. Lost about 35 pounds since the beginning of the year, so something is working.
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tempura
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tempura 9/2/2018 5:14pm
9/2/2018 5:14pm
slipdog wrote:
Calories in and calories out, it's your choice what type of plan fits you the best. In the end, if you reduce the number of calories...
Calories in and calories out, it's your choice what type of plan fits you the best. In the end, if you reduce the number of calories you consume, you'll lose weight, gain energy and improve your overall health.

You're welcome and look for my new dieting infomercial coming soon on Direct TV channel 874...
There’s slightly more to it than that..
Different strategy’s have different effects on the body.
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Tim507
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Tim507 9/2/2018 5:29pm
9/2/2018 5:29pm
slipdog wrote:
Calories in and calories out, it's your choice what type of plan fits you the best. In the end, if you reduce the number of calories...
Calories in and calories out, it's your choice what type of plan fits you the best. In the end, if you reduce the number of calories you consume, you'll lose weight, gain energy and improve your overall health.

You're welcome and look for my new dieting infomercial coming soon on Direct TV channel 874...
Pretty basic...hey Slip?
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tcallahan707
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tcallahan707 9/2/2018 6:36pm
9/2/2018 6:36pm
Anyone have any good books or podcasts on IF? While I appreciate real world experiences, I also like to do my own research.

Also, can someone clue me on what blood work should be done before implementing a new strategy? I've recently switched to a relatively loose 16/8 IF, mostly due to a new schedule. I was shocked at how easy it was to go a few hours in the morning without eating. That has included workouts. It was a successful enough trial to make me want to commit to it fully. I figure I might as well do it the proper way and get bloods done. Don't have any experience with what I'd be testing and evaluating though. I'm learning as I go so any help would be appreciated.

PS. I added in a loose Wim Hof Method trial as well. It's looking extremely positive. Anyone have experience with this?
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Tim507
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Tim507 9/2/2018 7:05pm
9/2/2018 7:05pm
Blood work is required for monitoring the vital indicators, thus the basics s
hould suffice. Wim Hof is ((IMHO) about believing. It's amazing what you can do when you believe....
tcallahan707
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tcallahan707 9/2/2018 7:27pm
9/2/2018 7:27pm
Tim507 wrote:
Blood work is required for monitoring the vital indicators, thus the basics s hould suffice. Wim Hof is ((IMHO) about believing. It's amazing what you can...
Blood work is required for monitoring the vital indicators, thus the basics s
hould suffice. Wim Hof is ((IMHO) about believing. It's amazing what you can do when you believe....
What are the basics? What are the vital indicators?

Wim Hof is about the focusing of the mind, but it's also very much about physiological changes.
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MotoMo165
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MotoMo165 9/3/2018 4:29am
9/3/2018 4:29am
Jesus. How do y’all sleep at night? Btw, the more muscle on your body the faster/ more effeicient your metabolism is. Cut fast food out, all processed foods (comes in a box of bag), drink half your body weight in Oz of water (not only is it good for you, leans you out too), high quality food/protein/fats, and no artificial sugars. 8 hours of sleep. Fuckin golden.

I’m still young so maybe this fasting thing doesn’t apply to me.. but Sounds really dumb. I hope I’m never in a situation where I’m purposely starving myself
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tcallahan707
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tcallahan707 9/3/2018 4:38am
9/3/2018 4:38am Edited Date/Time 9/3/2018 5:04am
MotoMo165 wrote:
Jesus. How do y’all sleep at night? Btw, the more muscle on your body the faster/ more effeicient your metabolism is. Cut fast food out, all...
Jesus. How do y’all sleep at night? Btw, the more muscle on your body the faster/ more effeicient your metabolism is. Cut fast food out, all processed foods (comes in a box of bag), drink half your body weight in Oz of water (not only is it good for you, leans you out too), high quality food/protein/fats, and no artificial sugars. 8 hours of sleep. Fuckin golden.

I’m still young so maybe this fasting thing doesn’t apply to me.. but Sounds really dumb. I hope I’m never in a situation where I’m purposely starving myself
What you stated is a good baseline for healthy living. That doesn't make fasting a poor decision. You honestly sound quite ignorant by saying it doesn't apply and you hope you aren't starving yourself. I don't blame you. You've been trained a certain way, as were most of us. But new information is available, so it's worthwhile to open your mind to better ways of living. There are real physiological changes that occur with IF that are shown to be beneficial. It's not starving yourself. It's choosing to live in a way that keeps you younger longer. Does that sound dumb? Or do you think you'll be/feel/perform young forever?
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Lynch
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Lynch 9/3/2018 5:31am
9/3/2018 5:31am Edited Date/Time 9/3/2018 5:35am
This thread honestly sparked my interest, could anyone point me towards a good read on the subject? Want to be prepared if I go through with it.

One question tho, how do you guys manage during race days or when you hit the gym before the meal? I notice a huge difference depending on when and what I eat before training.
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BR8ES
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BR8ES 9/3/2018 5:33am
9/3/2018 5:33am Edited Date/Time 9/3/2018 5:57am
You don't need 3 squares a day, plus snacks... or every time your tummy has wumbly, that is dumb.
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BR8ES
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BR8ES 9/3/2018 5:36am
9/3/2018 5:36am
Lynch wrote:
This thread honestly sparked my interest, could anyone point me towards a good read on the subject? Want to be prepared if I go through with...
This thread honestly sparked my interest, could anyone point me towards a good read on the subject? Want to be prepared if I go through with it.

One question tho, how do you guys manage during race days or when you hit the gym before the meal? I notice a huge difference depending on when and what I eat before training.
Mainly hydration, don't change much at all. If I feel the need for a small snack, then I do it.
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tcallahan707
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tcallahan707 9/3/2018 6:16am
9/3/2018 6:16am
Lynch wrote:
This thread honestly sparked my interest, could anyone point me towards a good read on the subject? Want to be prepared if I go through with...
This thread honestly sparked my interest, could anyone point me towards a good read on the subject? Want to be prepared if I go through with it.

One question tho, how do you guys manage during race days or when you hit the gym before the meal? I notice a huge difference depending on when and what I eat before training.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick
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