The one and only fasting video you need to see.

[dave773]

@lewj24 - You could comfortably do 2-3lbs a week.

A few more tips
-If you drink coffee in the morning. Make it long black.
-Don't try to stick to the hours perfectly. If you eat an hour before every now and then no big deal.
-If your goals are muscle gain, make your biggest meal of the day after you train
-Eat foods with higher satiety if you want to lose weight. Food that takes longer to chew is a good indicator e.g. carrots. These foods will also fill you up more than for example cereal and milk. They also have much less carbs.

For anyone that wants more technical information. Check out leangains.com .

 

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[BlakeIC]

I have been intermittent fasting since I was junior in high school.

Haven't gone back and never will.

I personally fast for 16 hours and get the rest of my calories in the last 8 hours of the way.

I eat between 12pm-8pm (I get up at 6:30am)

 

[VDon]

Bitch, you failed when you said this

Please don't call me a bitch u fat hoe.

 

[21elnegocio]

If you've ever wondered about fasting, why/if it works, or how it works. Then this is the video for you:

I read about fasting a couple of years ago and started implementing it as soon as I could.

I first started with what I'd call a "moderate" fast where I made sure to not consume any calories for 12 hours every day. I didn't use the 5/2 method, and I didn't go strictly "Paleo" either.

The result? I lost 40lbs in about 6 months. The majority of it fat/water weight (FYI I didn't use one of those BMI tests to be exactly sure).

The video above is about as good an explanation of why and how it works as I have ever seen. If you've got 30 minutes to watch it, I suggest you do. Unless you're an adonis already of course.

P.S. Please forgive me for trying out a tiny bit of copywriting in the process. I need some practice .

@LifeTransformer haha you read my mind man, I was going to fast today until Saturday. I fasted a couple weeks ago for 4 days (I was trying to go for 7-10 days but wasnt able to) and lost 4 pounds. I want to do it for about 2 weeks straight but your damn mind plays tricks with you telling you to eat when in reality we have enough food in our body to feed of.

 

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[LifeTransformer]

@LifeTransformer haha you read my mind man, I was going to fast today until Saturday. I fasted a couple weeks ago for 4 days (I was trying to go for 7-10 days but wasnt able to) and lost 4 pounds. I want to do it for about 2 weeks straight but your damn mind plays tricks with you telling you to eat when in reality we have enough food in our body to feed of.

That's the tricky part. When your stomach starts rumbling and you think you need to eat.

I found drinking water, tea or coffee helped. I only really had that feeling the first few days too because my body soon got used to it.

Just to be clear, I have never done a full day fast. I've adjusted my diet to give me 14-18 hours per day where I don't consume any calories.

 

[21elnegocio]

This might be a good video to watch for anyone who wants to do fasting.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rzx_LAf6dk

 

[samsara]

If you've ever wondered about fasting, why/if it works, or how it works. Then this is the video for you:

Great info

just in the right moment

$$$$ Rep transfer

Thanks

 

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[21elnegocio]

That's the tricky part. When your stomach starts rumbling and you think you need to eat.

I found drinking water, tea or coffee helped. I only really had that feeling the first few days too because my body soon got used to it.

Just to be clear, I have never done a full day fast. I've adjusted my diet to give me 14-18 hours per day where I don't consume any calories.

I drink the same thing when I get hungry, I try to drink carbonized water as well. It fills you up, but yes it is tricky sometimes. Try doing it for 1 whole day without eating its not as bad as one thinks but there is so much food thrown at our face that we start craving things.

 

[Kinematic]

Decent video! Not too in depth of the science but good explanations of processes.

The TL;DR:

• Release of Insulin causes glycogen stores to be replenished, then excess is stored as fat.
• Fasting limits insulin release and depletes glycogen stores.
• Depleted glycogen stores results in fat oxidation (burning fat).

@lewj24 not to be a Debbie downer but your proposed method (0 calorie method) will fail you. Malnutrition aside, that's the gold standard of a crash diet and you'll rebound back to 295 if not 300+. I can give you great tips on healthy proper eating to succeed.

 

[lewj24]

Well. I F*cking caved. I went 48 hours without eating and dropped from 295lbs to 289lbs. Im assuming most of that weight loss was food weight because I was literally hollow on the inside.

I felt great the whole time I just caved cuz I was hungry as shit. I couldnt think about anything else but food.

I'm definitely going to try a 1 to 6 hour eating window from here on and ill probably try random 24 to 48 hour fasts again when I feel up to it.

I'm going to keep tracking my progress and update this thread every so often.

Thanks everyone for their help.

 

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[LifeTransformer]

Oh, one more very important thing...

The best part about IF isn't the fat/weight loss (though that's good too) -- it's something called "autophagy." Look it up. The scientist who first presented the research on autophagy won a Nobel prize in 2016 for that work.

Basically, the principle is that, when your body goes into fasting mode (fat-burning mode), your cells start a process whereby they shed damaged components (called organelles), which makes the cells healthier. In some cases, this process will also trigger cell death in unhealthy cells. Long story short, this process allows cells to live longer/healthier lives before they die off and are replaced and don't allow damaged cells to live longer than they should.

When you are constantly eating, your cells never have the opportunity to undertake the autophagy process, which (in theory) leads to higher incidence of disease and amplifies the aging process. If you've heard about the aging benefits of a calorie-restricted diet, scientists believe that it's this autophagy process that provides those anti-aging and increased life expectancy benefits.

In other words, fasting may directly contribute to staying younger, remaining healthy and living longer.

Someone is even trying to use Autophagy as the basis for an information product. But you're entirely right about it.

Rogue Health and Fitness and others talk about Autophagy frequently.

 

[LifeTransformer]

That's awesome. Really tough to do 48 hours, especially your first fast. My recommendation is to try to get into a pattern of something that's sustainable...you *will* see the benefits soon enough...

This is great advice.

It's also why I'd personally recommend "window" fasting over 5-2 or any random fasting pattern. If you make it a daily habit, it will stick with you.

 

[LifeTransformer]

In the news: Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system

 

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[JAJT]

I'm getting on the IF bandwagon as well.

Funny enough, this started when I got sick of eggs for breakfast. I've been eating nothing but 3 eggs for breakfast for a few years now and I started considering breakfast bars or shakes or anything healthy but eggs. Then I started reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris and one of the first chapters was on fasting. Then I heard about the story @LifeTransformer posted which talked about the same stuff.

Anyway, seems like tons of benefits with very little downside and it seems dead easy to do the 16:8 method (16 hours of fasting, 8 hours of eating). I'm on day 2 right now and have a few hours to go before I eat again and I'm not starving or dying for food like some people report when trying this. Hell on day 1 I went 18 hours by mistake because I lost track of time and didn't notice.

We'll see how it goes and if I can stick to this but it seems totally reasonable. I probably shouldn't be eating after 9pm anyway and I can't foresee a situation where I'm "forced" to eat a meal before 1pm outside of the odd lunch meeting (which I just wouldn't sweat).

 

[luniac]

i started 16:8 method, but now i practically do 20:40 or even 22:2...
Only one large meal a day, period.
Simplifies life so much

 

[JAJT]

Only one large meal a day, period.

I may end up removing lunch from my diet in addition to breakfast as I genuinely dislike making lunch. If I did this I'd be moving to something like a 20:4 or 18:6 schedule but I like having that "window" for non-meal food and drink like beer, cheese, wine, chocolate, chips, etc... the stuff that is super fun to enjoy with friends and family but not part of a real meal.

Something I need to look into is how calories play a role in weight loss with regards to fasting. Right now I have no idea how much I should be eating for weight loss while fasting. I'm not sure if calorie deficits are required on a fast or if I should be striving for maintenance or if it matters at all. Lots to learn.

 

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[luniac]

I may end up removing lunch from my diet in addition to breakfast as I genuinely dislike making lunch. If I did this I'd be moving to something like a 20:4 or 18:6 schedule but I like having that "window" for non-meal food and drink like beer, cheese, wine, chocolate, chips, etc... the stuff that is super fun to enjoy with friends and family but not part of a real meal.

Something I need to look into is how calories play a role in weight loss with regards to fasting. Right now I have no idea how much I should be eating for weight loss while fasting. I'm not sure if calorie deficits are required on a fast or if I should be striving for maintenance or if it matters at all. Lots to learn.

hah my problem is the exact opposite, i struggle to gain weight. I try to at least eat 2000+ calories a day. I eat one big meal with side snacks to go with it lol

 

[#nowhere]

hah my problem is the exact opposite, i struggle to gain weight. I try to at least eat 2000+ calories a day. I eat one big meal with side snacks to go with it lol

Then a long fasting regimen with fewer meals could possibly be the wrong choice in this situation...

 

[luniac]

Then a long fasting regimen with fewer meals could possibly be the wrong choice in this situation...

been doing it for months now and haven't lost any weight!

It's all about the calories, doesn't matter if u eat them in 3 meals or 1 meal.

In fact i hear fasting slows metabolism but who knows if that's true.

 

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[#nowhere]

been doing it for months now and haven't lost any weight!

It's all about the calories, doesn't matter if u eat them in 3 meals or 1 meal.

In fact i hear fasting slows metabolism but who knows if that's true.

Just to be clear: I do fast, too. But I don't struggle to gain weight (while lifting). Do you want to gain weight or just leave it as it is?

 

[luniac]

Just to be clear: I do fast, too. But I don't struggle to gain weight (while lifting). Do you want to gain weight or just leave it as it is?

gain, and i am very very slowly.
I'm happy with my progress so far. in 2-3 years im gonna be a greek god forever.

 

[Everyman]

I started IF more than three months ago (16:8) immediately after reading about it. No mental preparation. No waiting. Skip breakfast mode - the easiest. I didn't lose much weight but I also started working out at the gym with weights (I have been working out 4-7 days a week for the last 20 years but not at the gym). Circumference has changed here and there (for better). I cheat sometimes and eat a cake or cookie during my 8 hour window

BUT...

I feel so much better. I stopped having these energy slides after lunch. Like some of you mentioned here I also forget to eat sometimes without any issues. I get full really fast and with smaller meals. My stomach definitely shrank. I have more time in the morning because I don't have to prepare breakfast when my eyes are barely open. There are other positive side-effects, other than weight loss, stomach and bowels working properly again (not bombarded by food every 3 hrs)... Negative is that people around you force you to go every 3 hrs to eat with them. They have to eat that often and it cannot be changed (something with space-time continuum being disrupted ).....

 

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[JAJT]

In fact i hear fasting slows metabolism but who knows if that's true.

The video that was posted seemed to show data that suggested the exact opposite.

It seemed that a lack of calories over the long term dropped metabolic rate in all cases but fasting actually kept it high. Similarly it seemed insulin sensitivity goes down with calorie reduced diets but goes up while fasting.

Frankly I'd love to learn more of the science behind all this. Most resources stick to purely "calories in, calories out" or "fasting is awesome" but I'm a data kind of guy so I'd love to find more science-backed research into what the hell goes on in our bodies during these states.

 

[#nowhere]

The video that was posted seemed to show data that suggested the exact opposite.

It seemed that a lack of calories over the long term dropped metabolic rate in all cases but fasting actually kept it high. Similarly it seemed insulin sensitivity goes down with calorie reduced diets but goes up while fasting.

Frankly I'd love to learn more of the science behind all this. Most resources stick to purely "calories in, calories out" or "fasting is awesome" but I'm a data kind of guy so I'd love to find more science-backed research into what the hell goes on in our bodies during these states.

Hi JAJT,

I recently finished "The obesity Code" by Dr. Jason Fung. Can recommend it.

It covers als the science behind fasting.

 

[FastNAwesome]

i started 16:8 method, but now i practically do 20:40 or even 22:2...
Only one large meal a day, period.
Simplifies life so much

+1.

I started doing this for fat loss, and I'd literally lose weight each day, while feeling awesome and strong in the gym too.

After about two weeks though, I started feeling weaker and my body was literally craving more food (might have to do with weight lifting),
so it wasn't eating for fun or boredom - I literally felt I need nutrients.

So now I eat two meals a day, and I can feel my metabolism is better. I'm not even on some special diet. Sure, I try to eat nutritious food and avoid sugar,
but at the same time I eat what I want, and what's tasty and filling to me. Since I eat 1 or 2 meals a day, it seems to keep me in calorie deficit on most days.

Something I need to look into is how calories play a role in weight loss with regards to fasting. Right now I have no idea how much I should be eating for weight loss while fasting. I'm not sure if calorie deficits are required on a fast or if I should be striving for maintenance or if it matters at all. Lots to learn.

I assume deficit is needed for weight loss, such is math. But I think it's much easier to achieve when you eat fewer meals, or only within certain time frame.

While I was on 1 meal per day, I tried overindulging, really eating as much as I want and what I want, including sweets for that one meal. I still lost weight, and my abs started showing.

 

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[luniac]

The video that was posted seemed to show data that suggested the exact opposite.

It seemed that a lack of calories over the long term dropped metabolic rate in all cases but fasting actually kept it high. Similarly it seemed insulin sensitivity goes down with calorie reduced diets but goes up while fasting.

Frankly I'd love to learn more of the science behind all this. Most resources stick to purely "calories in, calories out" or "fasting is awesome" but I'm a data kind of guy so I'd love to find more science-backed research into what the hell goes on in our bodies during these states.

I do believe there's been studies relating to religious fasting, like Ramadan.
ramadan fasting - Google Search

 

[LifeTransformer]

been doing it for months now and haven't lost any weight!

It's all about the calories, doesn't matter if u eat them in 3 meals or 1 meal.

In fact i hear fasting slows metabolism but who knows if that's true.

Are you counting everything as fasting? By that I mean drinks too (except water, tea, coffee (with no milk/sugar/sweetener).

The first time I tried doing this, without hearing about what it was to be entirely honest, I kept thinking; "why am I not losing any weight? I'm not eating ANYTHING!" And I wasn't at the time, I was on a liquid diet. The problem was that my liquid diet consisted of fake calories (aspartame, sweeteners etc.) and also, I didn't factor in other otherwise non-fast interfering liquids. Black coffee is fine, but add in some milk and you could be breaking the fast.

It's not a settled thing by any stretch either, but it seems to work for the majority. Maybe you need something else? Either way, I hope you find what works for you.

 

[luniac]

Are you counting everything as fasting? By that I mean drinks too (except water, tea, coffee (with no milk/sugar/sweetener).

The first time I tried doing this, without hearing about what it was to be entirely honest, I kept thinking; "why am I not losing any weight? I'm not eating ANYTHING!" And I wasn't at the time, I was on a liquid diet. The problem was that my liquid diet consisted of fake calories (aspartame, sweeteners etc.) and also, I didn't factor in other otherwise non-fast interfering liquids. Black coffee is fine, but add in some milk and you could be breaking the fast.

It's not a settled thing by any stretch either, but it seems to work for the majority. Maybe you need something else? Either way, I hope you find what works for you.

i drink tea with honey during my morning work outs, i don't count that.
actually i drink a ton of tea throughut the day.

I only count meals but i also do my best not to snack for the sake of snacking.

Drinking helps a ton with any stomach churning feelings, but those feelinsg also lessen over time.

In the past if i skipped breakfast I would feel a hunger pang on the train to work. Now i can go almost the entire day without major hunger pangs. I get a small one at 16+ hours maybe.

But it varies a lot too, tis the human body after all lol

 

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[LifeTransformer]

i drink tea with honey during my morning work outs, i don't count that.
actually i drink a ton of tea throughut the day.

I only count meals but i also do my best not to snack for the sake of snacking.

Drinking helps a ton with any stomach churning feelings, but those feelinsg also lessen over time.

In the past if i skipped breakfast I would feel a hunger pang on the train to work. Now i can go almost the entire day without major hunger pangs. I get a small one at 16+ hours maybe.

But it varies a lot too, tis the human body after all lol

You should count it, that's probably why it isn't working. Properly fasting means zero calories.

How many calories in a teaspoon of honey? (21 according to google, but probably varies a lot).

 

[luniac]

You should count it, that's probably why it isn't working. Properly fasting means zero calories.

How many calories in a teaspoon of honey? (21 according to google, but probably varies a lot).

Well agree to disagree i guess
I don't think it means zero calories, especially if i work out and exercise at the same time.

I look at fasting as giving the digestive system a break, and allow the body to clear itself out.
I believe tea with honey is very very light work for the body to handle.