Have you used Intermittent Fasting to lose weight?

[Farael the Fallen]

Intermittent Fasting works for weight loss. I started doing it by eating within 8 hours and fasting 16 hours a day, but now I eat one meal a day. So I fast about 23.5 hours a day, and eat one meal within 30 minutes. The logic behind it works. What does it matter if you consume about 2,000 calories in one setting or throughout a day?

[Phoenixx9]

No, have not used this idea.

I have heard of it, but not as "compact" as your day. I have heard only eating till mid-day (Noon), then no food, only low-cal beverages for the entire rest of the day while awake.

Have you lost substantial weight doing this? More importantly, how is your energy throughout the day? Do you exercise? Are you awake for a large portion (12-18hrs) of the day? Are your mental capacities good for things like work, school, driving a vehicle, studying, talking/dealing with people?

[Psimitar]

I tried it for a time this last fall between October and November. I only ate between 2 pm and 8 pm. I would have coffee in the morning with Torani's sugar-free syrup and sugar-free creamer, then around noon, I would drink a Powerade Zero to replenish electrolytes. I would eat lunch at 2 and dinner at around 6. I did not restrict myself to certain foods during my window. Between the 1st of October and Thanksgiving I lost 15lbs just from intermittent fasting. I stopped when I caught a bad stomach bug and haven't been able to bring myself to get back into it. But it was effective without a doubt.

[Farael the Fallen]

To answer your questions, Phoenixx9:

Have you lost substantial weight doing this? Over 20 pounds so far.

More importantly, how is your energy throughout the day? My energy level has increased. I no longer feel sleepy in the afternoons.

Do you exercise? Yes, I do both cardiovascular and weight-lifting exercises.

Are you awake for a large portion (12-18 hrs) of the day? Yes, on my 5 work days a week I wake up at 4:30 am and go to sleep between 9-10 pm.

Are your mental capacities good for things like work, school, driving a vehicle, studying, talking/dealing with people? Yes. I am still employed and no one has questioned my mental capacities until you did.

[Farael the Fallen]

Yes, it is effective. Why haven't you been able to bring yourself back into it?

[Phoenixx9]

I tried it for a time this last fall between October and November. I only ate between 2 pm and 8 pm. I would have coffee in the morning with Torani's sugar-free syrup and sugar-free creamer, then around noon, I would drink a Powerade Zero to replenish electrolytes. I would eat lunch at 2 and dinner at around 6. I did not restrict myself to certain foods during my window. Between the 1st of October and Thanksgiving I lost 15lbs just from intermittent fasting. I stopped when I caught a bad stomach bug and haven't been able to bring myself to get back into it. But it was effective without a doubt.

Sounds good, thanks for the info!

To answer your questions, Phoenixx9:

Have you lost substantial weight doing this? Over 20 pounds so far.

More importantly, how is your energy throughout the day? My energy level has increased. I no longer feel sleepy in the afternoons.

Do you exercise? Yes, I do both cardiovascular and weight-lifting exercises.

Are you awake for a large portion (12-18 hrs) of the day? Yes, on my 5 work days a week I wake up at 4:30 am and go to sleep between 9-10 pm.

Are your mental capacities good for things like work, school, driving a vehicle, studying, talking/dealing with people? Yes. I am still employed and no one has questioned my mental capacities until you did.

I didn't mean anything by that last part and I tried to give examples of what I was asking, so that you could tell it was a harmless question. Generally, people who do not eat in 4-8 hours while awake, feel mentally sluggish, despite having food (and nutrients) in their system. Glad this works for you.

[PaulBullion]

I hear it's quite effective. A colleague of mine did the version where you fast 2 days out of the week (like, take in only 700 calories or so on 2 out of 7 days, with flexibility when to do it) and she lost quite a bit of weight.