Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

In short, Intermittent Fasting is going an extended period of time without eating.  Although it might sound like an eating disorder in the making, Intermittent Fasting is simply a different style of eating that is safe, effective and comes with a slew of health benefits (including fat loss) when done the right way.

Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

No matter how or what you eat, weight loss boils down to a calorie deficit.  After using calorie counting to successfully lose 35 lbs in 2008, I still struggled with gaining and re-losing those last 10 lbs in the years that followed.  It took me a while, but I eventually figured out that calorie restriction (at least the way I had been doing it) was not working in the long term.  I don’t regret counting calories for weight loss, it was how I first began to truly understand how and what we eat effects our weight.  Lifestyle and habit change kept the majority of my lost pounds off for good, but I would always have to resort to cutting calories and limiting my food intake to re-lose a pesky 10 pounds, only to have it inevitably backfire – I would struggle with insatiable hunger, overeating, constantly thinking about food and my next meal, and then slowly but surely would gain those 10 lbs back.  This was not how I wanted to live and I knew something had to give.

A Little Background

In early 2011 I’d been working for a couple months to re-lose my those 10 lbs (again) when I first read the term “Intermittent Fasting” in Mark Sisson’s blog, Mark’s Daily Apple and also in his book, The Primal Blueprint.  A short while later, this study was published and based on what it said, I was very eager to give Intermittent Fasting a try.  The little reading I’d done about IF at that point gave me the confidence to try it without worrying that my “metabolism would slow down” or I would sabotage my weight loss efforts by skipping breakfast.

I made my way around the interwebs with my friend Google and found The Retired Dieter, a blog devoted to IF and is extremely informative and informative.  From there Eat, Stop, Eat and The Fast 5 (both e-books) presented themselves, followed by Martin Berkhan at Lean GainsGetting Stronger and Fitness Black Book – more great blogs all containing scads of helpful info on Intermittent Fasting.

I was intrigued by IF because it seemed like it would be an easier way to reach a calorie deficit without so much effort and discomfort.  I hoped it would help me avoid all the negative repercussions that can come with the calorie restriction needed to achieve weight loss.  Call me crazy, but I don’t particularly enjoy feeling deprived or the obsessing about food that comes with cutting calories, or the after math (binge eating) if/when you do manage to find the willpower it takes to (essentially) starve yourself thin.

As it turned out, Intermittent Fasting was exactly what I was looking for – an easier way to achieve a calorie deficit without food on my brain all the time.  I didn’t just want to lose weight, I wanted to lose FAT without driving myself crazy in the process.

How to Start Intermittent Fasting

There are many different ways you can approach IF.  Some people prefer to fast for 24 hours and then eat ad libetum for the next 24 hours.  Other fast 24 hours fast just once or twice a week.  The Fast 5 recommends a daily 19 hour fast with a 5 hour “eating window” and declares that you can eat whatever you want during that 5 hour window – without going COMPLETELY crazy – but yes, you basically can eat whatever you want during that time.

If it seems overwhelming and scary to go such a long time without eating, start slow.  Try a 12 or 14 hour fast to see how it goes, increasing your fasting length as you’re ready.  If you’re ready to jump in head first, go for 19 hours and see what it feels like.  I found that longer fasting windows (19 – 20 hours) were most effective when it came to weight loss, but too many days in a row of fasting for 19 hours would backfire on me and I would be overly hungry in the days that followed.  I eventually found that a 16 hour fast with an 8 hour eating window was effective and felt the most “normal” to me.  (I will also say that you will likely find IF more sustainable and easier when you eat a nutrient dense diet with quality carbs – more on this below.)

While losing weight, I tried and experimented with many different fasting lengths and eating windows.  I would do a 19 hour fast (of which 6 – 8 of those are hours are spent sleeping) 2 – 3 days a week, doing a 12 – 16 hour fast the other days.  An example 19/5 day would be having an “eating window” of 12:30pm – 5:30pm.  Basically, I skipped breakfast (with exception of some coffee with cream) and would officially break my fast with lunch.  I’d often eat a snack if/when I felt hungry again and then would try to finish up with dinner before 6.  Other days I would do a 12-16 hour fast to give myself a break from the longer fasts or because I needed to accommodate something in my schedule or my family’s schedule.  (i.e., Eating dinner together is more important than an eating window of exactly 5 hours.)  If I meant I finished dinner a little later than 6 some nights, no biggie.  I was very happy that it was possible to shift or extend my eating window as needed without derailing my weight loss efforts.

Simply put, I found IF a great way to eat fewer calories because I was only dealing with hunger once a day (typically in the late morning as I was closing in on the end of the fast) as opposed to spreading a small calorie allotment over the course of a whole day, needing to use willpower or distraction between meals, ignoring hunger on and off all day, feeling like certain foods were off limits and having to eat small, less satisfying quantities of food at each meal.  One of things I love most about IF is that it allowed me to eat my favorite foods while still continuing lose weight – nut butters, real cream in my coffee, dark chocolate – all foods I would usually need to avoid when trying to lose weight.  With IF, nothing had to be off limits.

More practical tips based on my experience with IF can be found here.

Intermittent Fasting as a Lifestyle

I began using IF in March and by mid June I was down 15 pounds and comfortably back to my “happy weight”.  During that time I came to find that I really liked this way of eating, and especially the way it allowed me to effortlessly maintain my weight once the fat loss was done.  It got even easier after I began to follow a more Paleo-esque diet (not perfectly strict Paleo, but fewer grains, high quality carbs, quality fats, very little sugar) and my body continued to adapt to burning fat for fuel and relying less on carbs for energy.  I don’t even “deal with hunger” in the mornings anymore – while maintaining my weight I eat breakfast when I feel hungry.  Sometimes it’s been 16 hours since my last meal (dinner the night before), and sometimes it’s 12 hours.  Thanks to IF it’s easier to trust my hunger signals and I know that I’m eating because I’m truly hungry, not because I’m bored, stressed, lonely or sad.

In general, my eating window is usually 8 – 9 AM through 6 or 7PM most days of the week.  Basically, I eat a late breakfast and don’t snack after dinner.  An 8 – 10 hour eating window with a 14 – 16 hour fasting window works very well for me and feels very normal.   I do drink coffee with half and half or heavy cream (no sugar) first thing in the morning.  I’ll sometimes put coconut oil in my coffee as well and find that it gives me a nice energy boost and nixes my appetite for a while too.  Due to the fact that cream (or coconut oil) is just fat with no carbs, I believe this has little to no effect on my fasting metabolism.  Therefore it seems that I still achieve the benefits found from fasting, even with some calories in my coffee.

Intermittent Fasting and Exercise

If I exercise in the morning, I do so in a fasted state with no problem at all, mostly because I believe I have metabolically adapted to using stored fat for fuel.  I enjoy being active, but my fitness regime has never been as easy and laid back as it is now.  After spending years doing steady-state cardio 5 days a week to help keep my weight in check, I now go for fun, enjoyable runs once or twice a week (because I love it!), I practice yoga regularly, I play with my kids, I ride my bike when the weather is nice and squeeze in some short HIIT workouts when time and energy allows – and I walk a lot!  Some days I can get out for hour, other days I only have 15 minutes to spare.  I don’t panic if I “miss a workout”, I change it up frequently based on what’s going on in my life (and the weather.)  I now understand that your diet and the foods you choose to eat has the biggest impact on your overall physique.  Exercise and staying active are absolutely an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but what and how you eat matters more in terms of body composition.

How to Make Intermittent Fasting Easier

Intermittent Fasting is easiest when you eat whole foods – you’ll likely find it easy to jump into IF if you already “eat clean”, and (at least in my experience) is easiest of all when you follow a lower carb, higher fat style of eating.  I spent a full year trying to go low carb and struggled with the low carb flu.  I read every Paleo book under the sun, I went “very low carb” for  while, but finally came to find that I needed more carbs to support my lifestyle.  I still eat pretty low carb when compared to the Standard American Diet, and any carbs I do eat are mostly high quality (sweet potatoes, fruit, some oats and sprouted grain bread) and I keep processed foods and sugar to a minimum.  I basically did it backwards – practicing IF lead me to tweaking my diet in a way that makes fasting (and subsequent weight loss and weight maintenance) extremely easy and effortless.

If you find that you’re really struggling with IF, it might make the most sense to take a step back and look at foods you choose to eat and why, then return to IF when you’ve got healthier eating habits in place.  Intermittent Fasting becomes MUCH easier when you have metabolically adapted to burning your own body fat for fuel and have gotten off the blood sugar rollercoaster that comes with eating a diet that is heavy in refined carbohydrates and high in sugar.

It’s worth noting that “low carb” doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat refined grains (and even sugar) ever again, but you’ll have better luck if these foods are the exception instead of a rule.  If you can’t imagine cutting back on grains or significantly reducing your sugar intake, don’t stress about it too much.  Simply start by eating them less frequently and focus on making progress.  You will probably find that you’ll lose your taste and interest in most processed foods when you educate yourself on why grains and sugar are not good for us and the incredible impact the right foods can have on our long term health.

If You’ve Got a Weight Loss Goal But You’re Not Losing Weight

If you’re practicing IF and you’re not seeing any results, consider counting your calories for a few days to see where you’re at.  Calories do still count!  And while IF makes the calorie restriction necessary for weight loss easier and less noticeable, it is still possible to over do it and eat an too many calories during your eating window that halt your fat loss progress.

If you are actively trying to lose weight, also consider adding a few short, high intensity workouts into your week.  HIIT can go a long way when it comes to keeping the scale moving in the right direction.  Strength and resistance training are important too (this is true even if you’re not trying to lose weight!) to help you maintain muscle mass while cutting calories and also because the more muscle you have the more calories you burn, even at rest.  The only resistance training I do is yoga, so know that you can keep it as simple as body weight training (yoga, Pilates, etc) or with weights if it’s something you have access to.

Practicing Intermittent Fasting While Breastfeeding

I had to stop practicing IF at the end of 2011 through the first half of 2012 during my pregnancy with our third child, but I returned to IF within a few months of his birth.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had no trouble getting back my 8 hour eating window after a hiatus, even while exclusively breastfeeding.  I will say that I didn’t even try IF until I felt recovered from pregnancy and child birth and was confident that my milk supply was well established and baby was gaining well.  I found IF to be helpful with losing 15 pounds of “baby weight” (although I did count calories during that time.)

The Unexpected

The most amazing thing that happened in the months following my start with Intermittent Fasting was the way my body adapted to my changed eating schedule.  I have NO craving for food in 14 – 16 hour period I am in a fasted state.  I use to wake up ready to dive head first into breakfast.  No more.  I get up most days between 5 – 7 am and I don’t even start to think about food or feel the first inklings of hunger until 9 AM.  I have completely broken my habit of snacking after dinner, something I’ve struggled with in the past.  I do still occasionally eat later than 7 pm – at a party or when out for the evening with friends or if I had a later workout that day.  I might wait to break my fast until later in the day when I know my eating window will close later than usual – but not always.  Some days my eating window is longer than others and that’s fine.

And when I do eat?  I EAT.  Trust me.  During my eating window I eat until I’m full and satisfied, which is not something you normally get to do while you’re losing weight or putting a lot of effort into maintaining your weight.  It’s important to eat enough calories – yes, you are working to lose weight and need to reach a calorie deficit to do so, but you want to lose fat at a nice, modest pace.  Quick weight loss is usually not fat loss, it’s not sustainable and often leads to quick regain.  If you’re eating whole, nutrient dense foods, there is no reason to skimp on meals and snacks during your eating window.  During my eating window I eat whatever I want (fortunately I “want” healthy, whole foods – but I’m a girl who loves to indulge from time to time too!) and the vast majority of my meals consist of a nice serving of vegetables, a decent amount protein and plenty of healthy fats to help me feel deeply satisfied between meals.  Gone are the days of forcing myself to stop eating because I’ve “reached my calorie limit”.  I’ve got a hearty appetite and I love to eat – but IF has also helped me become more aware of my sense of fullness and I stop eating when I’m no longer hungry.

Going long stretches without eating was absolutely a challenge in the beginning – I won’t deny that.  The road was a little bumpy at first, but practicing IF lead me to making further improvements with my diet with higher quality carbs, healthy fats, adequate protein and keeping processed foods to a minimum.  These habits have lead to a lifestyle that has freed me from yo-yo dieting, junk food cravings and the frustrating, annoying weight loss/regain cycle.  If you persist with patience and make adjustments to the foods you choose to eat, your body and brain truly do adapt.  It still amazes me that some days I go 16, 18, sometimes even 20 hours between my last meal of the day and my first meal the following day without any perceived effort or discomfort.

I’ve counted calories on and off since adopting to this way of eating and know that some days I eat way under my BMR and some days I easily go over.   It all balances out over the course of a week and thus maintaining my weight has felt effortless for the first time ever.

Dig Deep

My start with Intermittent Fasting unexpectedly gave me some new perspective about my relationship with food and all the reasons I eat that aren’t related to true hunger.  IF has been one of many stepping stones on my journey to leading the healthiest life I can live – both in body and mind.  I now find it much easier to enjoy food without all the preoccupation with The Next Meal – something I struggled with during my initial weight loss years ago.  Intermittent Fasting in conjunction with a lower carb/higher fat approach to eating has made it surprisingly easy for me to break mindless and emotional eating habits, have no interest in unhealthy foods that I use to find very tempting, to stop eating when I’m full and to find other things to turn to when I’m bored, stressed or in need of comfort.

I know that IF seems to go against everything we ever thought was true;  Going too long without eating screws up your metabolism.  Your body goes into starvation mode.  You lose muscle mass.  You’ll totally binge and go nuts if you go too long without eating.  If you’re intrigued but concerned about the safety of IF, do your homework and see for yourself that when Intermittent Fasting is done properly it can be very safe, as well as super effective at helping you reach your weight loss goals.

As always, please remember that I am not a trained medical or weight loss professional!  I’m just a random woman on the Internet writing about what works for me and what I’ve learned in my journey to achieving and maintaining my happy, healthy weight.  Intermittent Fasting has changed my life, I know it works well for many people and could potentially work well for you too.

Be sure check out an article on IF from the May 2013 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, “Lose Weight Fast?” (with a quote from yours truly!)

A post with an update from August 2015

255 Responses

  • Davina Wolf says:

    Thanks for this article and the attached e-book. I’m pretty discerning, having had a strong science education and many years’ work in the medical field. The doctor-writer is well qualified and makes sense.

    I have at least 40 pounds to lose and will start with daily 12 hour fasts tomorrow. Glad I’ll still get to eat my favorite stuff yet lose weight.

  • Shauna says:

    I am a menopausal female who struggles to keep my weight in check. Your experience with IF has truly inspired me to try this type of eating. I have read other articles pertaining to IF and found that your candor and honesty about your experience is appreciated more than all the scientific studies done on lab rats that others may site. Thanks for a well written and informative article.

    • Grace says:

      To Shauna, my aunt and I both practice the IF life style. And we both reached and maintain our healthy weights. I’m 30 and she is 54 and in menopause. This is the ONLY thing that has worked long term for her. I was introduced to IF by her when I was struggling to lose weigh after my second baby. This way of eating is very freeing!!!

      • Gena says:

        HI Grace..I know this is an old post to comment on, but wondering what type of fasting worked for you… 16/8 or 24 hrs? I am thing of trying 16/8, or at least starting with 14/10 to ease into it.. I am about to turn 40 this summer and struggling to lose about 20 lbs. Very motivated by your post. Thanks in advance!

        • Christina says:

          Hi Gina – I’m also posting late on an old post! I’m wondering how you have got on with your weight loss since April? I need to lose 30kgs – 70 pounds with an aim to get that off in 7 months. I haven’t yet learned to love exercise, so I am hoping that 1kg or 2.5 pounds a week is doable without adding exercise. I am doing 16/8 quite easily and have been for about 4 days – even if I do sometimes want a midnight snack (I was craving a grapefruit last night at 11pm) I find I can just change my hours up the next day and apart from the grapefruit I haven’t had any sugar cravings at all. In fact now I am much more interested in fruit and veggies and not wanting bread and pastry and other carbs and comfort food as much. So if you get this I am wondering how much you lost per week? And would love to hear weekly loss with minimal exercise imput results from anybody else that sees this too. Many thanks

  • waymire01 says:

    After quitting smoking and turning 40 my weight has been a major issue for me. I never had to worry before but after it just kept creeping up and nothing I did seemed to make a difference. I finally got serious about changing things about six months ago and decided to cut carbs but then found paleo and went 100%. Felt great (ok I felt like I was going to die the first two days from sugar withdrawals but after that I felt great lol) and started loosing weight but then plateaued about two months in. My weight stayed the same but started gaining fat especially on my stomach, chest, and upper arms.. and that was with increasing my exercise. Went to counting calories which worked a charm, except that I’m very little and have to go to around a 1000 cal/day diet to get a deficit. I couldn’t eat much of anything at a meal, was hungry all the time, never satisfied. I had to deny myself constantly, would count the minutes to the next meal, and obsessed about food. A 100 calorie snack would just make me feel even hungrier. I would run out of calories and just be miserable in the evening hours. I switched to IF this week and what a difference. I’m never hungry in the morning anyway, had to force down breakfast, so I just stretch that a bit more through the afternoon and then eat a huge 1000 calorie meal. I’m totally full and no more growling stomach while I try to sleep. Haven’t been doing it long enough to give a full review of the results, but I’m so much happier/more comfortable.

  • Tracy says:

    Not bad… weight loss is a tough journey but with dedication and motivation you can definitely achieve it. Supplements have helped me out, if you’re looking for supplements review go to understandfatloss.com they always update the best in weight loss.

  • Mark says:

    I also picked up Intermittent Fasting after reading Marks Daily Apple. It has worked great.

  • Megan says:

    Great article thanks for sharing, very informative and lots of useful information on Intermittent Fasting.

  • Christine says:

    Hi,
    I have done IF on and off in the past two years and it is the only “diet” that i find easy and sustain. I recently packed on some pounds and now I am doing it again. I have started a blog to post my progress. Feel free to check out
    http://www.oneyummymeal.weebly.com

    Wish you all the best!

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  • Danielle says:

    Question- why did you stop IF during pregnancy? Just a curious question. Thanks.

  • mommy azza says:

    Hi. I am researching about IF while breastfeeding and I am glad that I found your site. I have a 2yo that still feeds from me and I was concerned for my supply will drop when I do IF. I am planning to do it slowly, like fast for 10 hrs in the beginning and add an hour maybe each day.

    Anyways, thanks for this!

    • BJ says:

      Breastfeeding and any sort of fasting are incompatible. As a midwife of 30+ years and mother of 12 I can tell you that you will quickly start to see a decline in your milk production. Your body will give itself first priority over your nursing child ALWAYS (nature’s way of telling you to futon your mask first). Unfortunate but true: eat small protein meals and gluten free carbs lightly, LOTS of water (and mothers milk tea) and take your supplements. By avoiding glutenous foods and sugar you will lose weight while giving the best start to your infant.

  • CMB says:

    I , too, am a menopausal female in my 50’s, and have found that this is the ONLY method of eating that works to lose and keep the pounds off. I first tried this in my early twenties, and I can swear by it faithfully. Eating breakfast only makes me hungrier the rest of the day. This lifestyle of eating has made me more alert, and I have the energy I did in my twenties…honestly. Give me pure butter and bacon (something few diets endorse). I would encourage anyone with food addictions to give this a try, also, as it breaks the constant habit of always thinking about food. This should not be looked at as a diet, but as a lifestyle eating pattern.

    • Sheyla says:

      This is so true! I am 26 and a year ago to save some money I started not eating in school just having a coffee and doing so untill 16 PM,than I would go home,eat about 6 bananas with peanut butter (about 150g of it) and I lost 7 kg in about a month or so and it stayed off as long as I was somewhat doing it but than I got into a relationship and my bf was concerned because I wasn’t eating in school and started forcing me… Well after a while I gave in and quit doing IF. I Have gained 10 kg since because I do have an eating dissorder (I had bulimia 6 years ago wich I cured but the urges to binge bever went away). I started again with not eating untill 4PM 3 days ago and I allready feel so much better. I dont stress about food because I know that I can eat normaly and dont have to stress about when do I have to stop eating. It does make my life a lot easier!

  • Raechel says:

    Thank you for this post – I have recently started IF but have been worried that, as a women, this would have negative consequences for my health and well-being. I was surprised and pleased to see that you and I have a very similar approaches, and that you have not experienced adverse outcomes. I wake up at 4:00 am each morning, but do not start feeding until 8-9am, and then stop around 6-7pm. Around 5-6am I will drink 16 ounces of water with juice from half a lemon and 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar, followed by black coffee with a tsp virgin coconut oil. I feel really great and it’s been relatively easy for me to adopt this new way of eating (basically I postpone my first meal by a few hours, and no late night eating), and your post has helped to reassure me that I am not heading down a path I will later regret. Thanks!

  • Victor Beltran says:

    Hey, I had this problem and tried so many things. Different things work for different people and I was lucky enough to find one that worked for me. I lost 18 pounds in one month without much exercise and it’s been a life changer. I’m a little embarrased to post my before and after photos here but if anyone actually cares to hear what I’ve been doing then I’d be happy to help in any way. Just shoot me an email at victorviper121@gmail.com and I’ll show you my before and after photos, and tell you about how things are going for me with the stuff I’ve tried. I wish someone would have helped me out when I was struggling to find a solution so if I can help you then it would make my day….

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  • Chris says:

    I am a weight-loss expert. I teach people how to lose 1 pound a day (Anymore is unhealthy and although possible is generally unhealthy unless you are extemely obese) Just Go my Site

    • Cat says:

      If you were a weightloss expert you’d know a pound a day is unhealthy. 1-2 pounds a WEEK is healthy and what people should aim for. The first few weeks you may see more weightloss, especially if you are extremely heavy, as you’r body adjusts to its new lifestyle

  • Chris says:

    I am a weight-loss expert. I teach people how to lose 1 pound a day (Anymore is unhealthy and although possible is generally unhealthy unless you are extemely obese) Just go my site

  • pureultra says:

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  • Monika says:

    Hi, thanks for sharing. I did find IF great way to lose weight and curb apetite. I found that the best for me is 16/8 window.
    Would you recommend IF during pregnancy? Im currently pregnant and was just wondering what effect it could have if I continue IF

  • KDS says:

    Thank you so much for this information. I just started IF today. I am a 52 yr old female and I have to say I thought it would be harder than what it is. My goal is to lose 40 lbs as well. I am very athletic in build so any weight I gain makes me look like a football player…I am a runner also. I am about 180 and I want to get down to 140. I have tried all kinds of messy, stupid diets to get the weight off, but all the articles I have and am reading about IF seem to be what I need..I want this as a way of life.

    I think it will be good for me. Thank you so much for your honesty and up front way of putting things. Reading this article was almost like speaking with you directly. I look forward to having much success using IF

  • karas mimi says:

    Prayed for guidance and you are my first find,thanks…

  • Steven says:

    Are you still using
    intermittent fasting I am using it myself right now and documenting the process.

  • LAD says:

    I’m interested in IF too. I am currently counting macros and am comfortable with the numbers I have but other than losing a few pounds early on (before vacation) I haven’t had any luck since. I find there are days where I can’t seem to get enough to eat (mostly carbs & salty foods) so today I decided to try IF. I ate dinner last night around 5pm and didn’t have breakfast this morning until 9:30-10. Other than coffee with a splash of 2% milk. I was concerned about the milk in my coffee until I read that you also put creamer in your coffee on fasting days.

    I can do 16/8 hr. or maybe even 19/5 but I don’t think I could do 24 hr. Did you say how many days per week you IF? Are you doing HIIT or other cardio on the days you IF? Are you seeing more progress on the days you do IF & cardio as apposed to just IF? Any advice?

  • Mike Santri says:

    I started to work on my weightloss on Aug 1st 2015. I have to lose 89 pounds. I started this diet to eat only 1 meal per day after I got tired of eating low carb for only 2 weeks. While searching online to make sure what I was doing was healthy I came across this blog. This diet works. I have lost 44 pounds since Aug 1st. I do workout everyday ( 30 mins cross trainer and some light weight lifting for 15 – 20 mins). I drink lemon water with honey everyday, throughout the day to curb my hunger cravings. Lemon water helps a lot and I eat 1 meal after my work out in the evening and that meal is what ever I want to eat. I am more energetic than I have ever been. Not sure if it’s the diet alone or the loss of weight combined with the diet.

  • Orlando says:

    I just wanted to add my own comments and experience with IF since discovering this new lifestyle back in late Oct 2015.
    Coming from a Xjock life and playing around with amateur bodybuilding. I was extremely skeptical. But I am 45 and noticed my metabolism was extremely slow and my weight ballooned up to 286 Lbs. I am 6ft tall and thought I was caring my weight well. Until I saw a picture of myself taking motorcycle riding classes. I went home took off my shirt and wanted to cry. So what came next…Hitting the gym..small meals caloric intake at 1500. I saw little success..One day weight goes down by 3 or 4 pounds..Next week goes up 3 and 4 pounds..I started to just give in to old age being the issue. Googling around one night I cam across IF..read all the blogs..and some youtube vids..I said what the hell give it a shot. Doing the warrior like IF, I wanted aggressive results..A full 20 hour fasting window..From 10pm till 6pm I did not eat. I do the coffee with cocnut oil and I do the green tea..But no calorie intake. Took 2 weeks for my body to adapt,,but its been worth it..I do weight training 3 times a week and cardio on my off days…Cardio being 35 minutes of tae bo and 60 minutes on treadmill for a light pace walk…Its December 31..Where am I at …From 286 Lbs. to 255 Lbs. My goal is 215.. So I got some ways to go…but loving this new way of eating and life style…IF works…Just gotta toss all what you have learned about food and eating…Eat like I ancestors and you will see results without starving or killing yourself…My two cents…I wish all of you success with IF…

  • Chad says:

    This is a great read, and a wonderful supplement to some of the original IF sources you cited. Thanks for sharing!

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  • EmmaHolden says:

    Great Post thanks for sharing, very informative and lots of useful information on Intermittent Fasting.

  • Just wanted to let your readers know that Dr. Bert Herring, who wrote the pioneering guide on intermittent fasting, The Fast-5 Diet and the Fast-5 Lifestyle, has a new book: AC: The Power of Appetite Control.

    A free sample download is now available on the site in the FREE TOOLS section along with the original free downloadable Fast-5 eBooks and its translations. Here’s the link if you’re interested:

    http://shop.bertherring.com/collections/free-digital-downloads

  • Brent says:

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  • Petar IF says:

    Great article. Intermittent fasting changed the way i see training and dieting, so much easier with IF.
    You can read here also: http://fastingandtraining.com/fasting-made-easy

  • JT says:

    This is one of the BEST pieces I have read on IF!! I was looking for a woman’s perspective in particular. I’m only a few days into the 16-8 lifestyle but already seeing weight slowly drop and I just feel way better mentally too (less foggy) and I’m so excited that this way of life actually seems achievable. Thanks SO much for sharing your experience!

  • This information is very useful…… thanks for sharing….

  • Fasting is valuable terms for losing weight. However we think regular fasting may change the life style. fasting may one after another day is more flexible for losing weight.
    somehow your described routine of fasting and taking food is nice and artistic.
    Thanks.

  • Wow…!! It’s very interesting… I am really impressed with your post.. Thanks for sharing it..
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  • Carol says:

    I am a 71 yo woman needing to lose 30 pounds. My grandson told me about IF and I have been practicing 16/8 for 5 days now with no weight loss at all. I an eating healthy meals, no alcohol and drinking water. Any suggestions?

    • Gail says:

      It took two weeks for me to get measurable results. Make sure you have a digital scale. Even those few ounces give you a boost. You might want to try the 5/2 plan first. When I went a week (while on vacation) without fasting, I gained a couple of pounds (and even gain a bit on the 5/2, after eating days, but have managed to lose an overall 10 pounds in about 11 weeks. Make sure you relax on your fasting days. It took me a couple of weeks before I stopped feeling dizzy on fasting days, but now I am totally fine and almost look forward to the fasting day.

  • Ben Menton says:

    very interesting article here. i really enjoyed reading this!

  • Pingback: fasting weight loss – fast weight loss diet plan

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  • Maris says:

    I’m currently on end phase of my second 24 fast. First went fine. Glucose levels where 4.7 mmol/L after first one. Cortisol levels (stress hormone) where record low for me. My video recording from the fast (in Latvian): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bF0cQaGCn8

  • Jennifer says:

    I have been doing this for almost my entire life without even really realizing it. I usually eat a lot in the morning and early afternoon, so by dinner, I’m almost too full to eat dinner. So usually I eat between 8am and 8pm. I’m going to start trying to do a 14-hr fast and see how that goes, because I have 20 pounds to lose, and it is not wanting to come off.

  • Ben Menton says:

    great article here. very informative and interesting!

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  • Nicholas says:

    All these articles start out with the same misconception. “weight loss is about calorie deficit” This is completely wrong!!!!
    I personally have experimented on animals and humans with and without exercise and it is all about the release of hormones into the blood stream. The reason intermittent fasting works is that the body needs 8 hours to release HGH into the blood starting a cascade of hormonal responses which burn fat, build muscle and boost the immune system.

  • Joyce says:

    I’d like to know more, please. I fast for spiritual reasons currently, but would seriously like to do so for weight loss, as well.

    Thank you for information provided.

  • Bert says:

    There is a 10-year experience base with the Fast-5 diet, which is a daily cycle of 19 hours of fasting with a 5-hour eating opportunity described in a book published in 2005. It is not the same as the Fast Diet, aka 5:2. Based on the Fast-5 experience base, people who adopt the schedule have about 3 weeks of adaptation during which appetite correction begins, but no weight loss is expected. There can be early weight loss due to a drop in water retention, but the real steady loss doesn’t necessarily begin until compensatory overeating stops, and that can take the three weeks or more. The key is appetite correction — if you’re fighting hunger all day, then your appetite has not been corrected. When your appetite and sense of fullness, and not a calorie or portion count tells you to stop eating before you’ve consumed your typical portion, then it has.

  • This is an awesome post. I bought Brad’s system about 15 years and it has changed my life, and I am a guy. ? Now going along with Intermittent Fasting is something new that I heard about called High Intensity Weight Training, which is about using low reps with slow movement. It is popularized by Dr. Mc Guff at this link. http://www.drmcguff.com. Keep up the great work.

  • Tay says:

    I have to share that I’m on day 5 of my fast, I cant stomach anything even a cup of coffee. I have to force myself to drink water but other than nothing…I hardly think about food. Fasting is amazing



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