Intermittent Fasting for HGH and Fat Loss (immune system, stomach, carbs)
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My point, is that -most- people do a "12-hour fast." Except, they don't call it a fast. They call it "I'm done with supper, I won't have a snack before bedtime, and I won't be eating again til I wake up tomorrow morning because I'll be spending most of this next 12 hours asleep."
Glycogen stores need replenishing after 8 hours, because human bodies *usually* function most efficiently after 8 hours of sleep. It's called breakfast, because you're literally breaking your fast. The same fast that -most- people experience for around 8-12 hours every day.
If you're going 12 hours every day without food, then you're -normal.- You're not doing anything special, you're doing what most people do. It's not a special diet, it's not a fancy weight loss trick. It's just - living like normal people live. So if you feel you need to fast for 12 hours, that means you're -not- living how normal people live, and perhaps you should start trying. And that might explain why you're gaining weight - because eating all day and all night and while you're asleep is probably not a bright idea (not to mention impractical, for most people who sleep while they're sleeping, unless they have one of those unusual medical weirdness things going on that make them sleepwalk to the kitchen and eat while they're asleep, which, granted, does happen to some people.)
You see, this project isn’t about an idea or a concept. And it’s certainly not about
isolated laboratory research. Instead, this project is about putting ideas to the test in
real life, in my life, through something I highly value: self-experimentation.
I don't know about anyone else, but I stop eating for the day no later than 7pm. I don't start eating again until around 8 the following morning. So I go 13 hours without food, every day.
I'm not seeing any relevance at all to any of these studies, applied to me. I'm not seeing that I'm fatter than anyone who doesn't "fast" for 13 hours every day, I'm not seeing that I'm thinner than anyone who doesn't "fast" for 13 hours every day.
What I am seeing, is a wide variety of people, in a wide variety of levels of fitneess, health, and fatness, who -also- "fast" for 13 hours every day.
Yes, there are different ways of doing this, but it seems like what I did in the past was to just push breakfast back until I was good and hungry. This week I've skipped it altogether and that one change alone knocked off some pounds, even though I always eat a fairly healthy breakfast--usually oatmeal, a whey smoothie, eggs and WW toast, etc. I have never been one to eat cold cereal much.
One thought too is that the difference between what plump people eat and what thin people eat may actually be rather subtle, like maybe even less than a 50 cal/day difference--seems like someone who does research told me that and the calories will average out over time, so pushing your meals a little later may be just what's needed--or pushing them all into a shorter window of time that you spend eating each day. Also, the makers of the Carb Addict diet postulated that the fewer times in a day that you spike your sugar/insulin levels, the thinner you will be. Interesting theory, and Rachael Heller lost quite a lot of weight and she actually used IF, not the diet she's selling--for her first couple of hundred pounds anyway. In her book she said what she did every day was to skip breakfast and lunch and the pounds just rolled off, but now she prescribes a low carb breakfast and lunch and she may have felt that it would be really hard to sell people on the idea of skipping them both!
Quote:
Originally Posted by nikitakolata
Congratulations on the loss!
You my have shared this in another thread, but I haven't seen it yet... What are you eating now if you're not doing low-carb or grain-free? Is it the usual fruits, veggies, low fat, lean meats? I'm just curious because I would not be able to do any IF if I wasn't on a pretty low carb diet; the cravings would cause me to cave and eat every time.
I'm just trying to eat whole healthy foods and limit sweets. Interestingly this IF is moderating my cravings and I almost feel as if I could get away with some sweets in my diet--for the last few years it's been all or nothing b/c eating some sweets just makes me want to eat more. Treading carefully though but I think the reason it's helping is b/c it feels as if my insulin sensitivity has improved. The main reason I switched over is b/c the low carb approach was not working for me, though I still believe it is a healthy way to eat, but for me it's not sustainable and it has to be if I'm going to keep the weight off. If I am going to keep some occasional sweets in my diet though, I have to tread carefully b/c I know how easily I can tip over into a binge.
BTW, I'm on a 24 hour fast today--not by choice but b/c I came down with that 24 hour flu bug and don't feel like eating anyway.
I recently started delaying my breakfast, instead of eating when I first get up, I wait until 10 or 11, may even 12 before I eat "brunch". This basically eliminates one whole meal per day for me. I will eat a snack of nuts, cheese or fruit around 3 or 4, then a light dinner of salad and protein around 7. I try not to eat after that. Of course, I am not strict about this, I go by how I feel - if I am hungrier earlier or later I go ahead and eat something. I think this is more in line with how we are supposed to eat. I definitely feel MUCH better eating this way. I also try to do a 20 - 24 hour fast once a week; again according to how I feel.
I recently started delaying my breakfast, instead of eating when I first get up, I wait until 10 or 11, may even 12 before I eat "brunch". This basically eliminates one whole meal per day for me. I will eat a snack of nuts, cheese or fruit around 3 or 4, then a light dinner of salad and protein around 7. I try not to eat after that. Of course, I am not strict about this, I go by how I feel - if I am hungrier earlier or later I go ahead and eat something. I think this is more in line with how we are supposed to eat. I definitely feel MUCH better eating this way. I also try to do a 20 - 24 hour fast once a week; again according to how I feel.
Yes that's mostly what I'm doing too--just putting off eating till I'm good and hungry and then the food tastes so good but I don't overeat b/c my stomach is shrinking and after not eating for awhile it feels seriously uncomfortable to stuff myself. Have you lost weight with it, and if so, how much?
Here's an interesting effect I noticed yesterday. Those of you familiar with my posts know that I struggle mightily with a sweet tooth--cakes, cookies, and candy are in my favorite foods but I really try hard to stay away b/c it's so bad for my health and weight but I lose the battle often enough that I'm not thin. Well yesterday my dd made cupcakes and I'm at a time when I'm not really trying to be strict with myself. I laid there and smelled them baking all afternoon and when they were decorated with pink icing and looked so good, she offered me one and I didn't want it! Not even a little bit. It wasn't even a "Oh they look so good but I better not. . . " I just didn't want one. For me, this works better for cutting cravings than low carb.
Well it remains to be seen if I can keep losing weight this way as my body seems to be really resistant to weight loss right now but so far it's been helping. And it's not unpleasant at all--if it was I'd quit b/c I'm a weenie. I still get hungry as I would if I were on a diet but instead of getting hungry and only having a diet dinner to look forward to, I get hungry and know I can look forward to a real meal. Or if I go to a restaurant with friends, I don't have to stay on a diet plan--I can eat what I want and make up for it later if need be. I think there's a lot to be said for putting some space between me and my food--I can think about it more objectively. And it feels sustainable--like something I can keep doing.
Yes that's mostly what I'm doing too--just putting off eating till I'm good and hungry and then the food tastes so good but I don't overeat b/c my stomach is shrinking and after not eating for awhile it feels seriously uncomfortable to stuff myself. Have you lost weight with it, and if so, how much?
Here's an interesting effect I noticed yesterday. Those of you familiar with my posts know that I struggle mightily with a sweet tooth--cakes, cookies, and candy are in my favorite foods but I really try hard to stay away b/c it's so bad for my health and weight but I lose the battle often enough that I'm not thin. Well yesterday my dd made cupcakes and I'm at a time when I'm not really trying to be strict with myself. I laid there and smelled them baking all afternoon and when they were decorated with pink icing and looked so good, she offered me one and I didn't want it! Not even a little bit. It wasn't even a "Oh they look so good but I better not. . . " I just didn't want one. For me, this works better for cutting cravings than low carb.
Well it remains to be seen if I can keep losing weight this way as my body seems to be really resistant to weight loss right now but so far it's been helping. And it's not unpleasant at all--if it was I'd quit b/c I'm a weenie. I still get hungry as I would if I were on a diet but instead of getting hungry and only having a diet dinner to look forward to, I get hungry and know I can look forward to a real meal. Or if I go to a restaurant with friends, I don't have to stay on a diet plan--I can eat what I want and make up for it later if need be. I think there's a lot to be said for putting some space between me and my food--I can think about it more objectively. And it feels sustainable--like something I can keep doing.
I agree, it's so much better to look forward to a real meal than staying on some "diet plan." I am really trying to lose weight right now because of my diabetes, I want to lose 20-30 more pounds. Lately the weight is not dropping, but I have really stepped up my excerise with weight training and more vigorous bike rides, so maybe I am gaining muscle. My belly is definitely going down, and that is what I really want to see happen.
I know that eating this way I am definitely cutting a lot of calories out that I was eating before, plus I try to limit my carbs - stepka, I too used to have a MAJOR sweets "addiction", but I don't at all anymore. I really don't like sweet tastes now. Potato chips - that's another story... Seriously, though, I have really cut down on the snacks, try to stick to nuts or healthier things for the diabetes, but overall seems to be doing good, my numbers have come way down and I am feeling 100% better than I was several months ago.
I think as we skip meals, our stomachs continue to shrink; and I know at least in my case the discipline becomes easier to delay "gratification" or pass on something. I have also found that by exercising before eating, it actually takes away my appetite a lot of the time, even if I was really hungry before - double score!
Anyway, good luck to you, hopefully we get down to where we want to be.
I'm coming up on one year of SERIOUS consistent food fasting. No food at all when fasting. Only water and or green tea.
It MAY not be healthy but for me it's been working. (I've lost 80 pounds)
For the last three years I've thought more and more about it. I wanted to try it.
I started last June, with one day, then two. No expectations. I needed to see IF I could do it. But I had researched and read a lot, and prepared for it mentally. By the end of the first week I was already doing three in a row. No plan. Just listening to my body.
Once I get past the first 2 days -- I find I can can EASILY go for four days at a time.
I fast EVERY WEEK..MINIMUM three days. I did 10 ten days last July, and another 10 in August -- and 12 days (10 water/tea, plus two juice) in November. The last month I've done four days fasting each week, three days eating.
Basically, I fast on the days I work, eat on the days I'm off. With some flexibility for life events that come up.
I do have portion control issues. So yes, one could argue I'm CONTROLLING my food, by NOT eating most of the time. And yes, I do OVER eat on the days I eat. But I do NOT binge. I've never been a binge eater. I just would eat too much. For me it works not to think about food most days. It's freeing.
I don't know how much longer I will do this. This is what I'm doing for now. We'll see. (I have told my doctors. They look at me like I have three heads. But they have not advised me NOT to do it.)
Intermittent fasting is the way I used to eat, before I knew or cared anything about diets, and I was always THIN. It's when I started feeling like I "had" to eat three or more meals a day that I gained weight. This started when I was pregnant, which I agree - you need to eat when you are pregnant - but after pregnancy I ate the same way out of habit and that's when I gained the most weight.
For me what works is for the most part only eating dinner, and then I eat whatever I want for dinner. After you do that for a while, your stomach is smaller and you aren't eating 2000 calories in one meal. I know a lot of dietitians recommend eating four to six small meals a day. That doesn't work for me. It makes me want to eat all day. I'd rather not be thinking about food all day, and then eat what I want to eat at dinner.
What makes sense so me is: Fat is stored on our bodies to be a source of fuel when we are without food. Before your body can start burning fat, it first has to burn all the glucose available (starches/sugars/simple carbs). So if you are eating every three or four hours, your body doesn't really have a chance to get rid of all the glucose and start burning fat. But if you eat one meal a day, you burn through all the glucose and are burning stored fat before the next meal. I guess a low carb diet would allow you to eat and still continue to burn fat because you'd be in ketosis and wouldn't be eating any carbs/sugars. Still you'd have to burn those calories before burning fat.
I am not rigid about it. If I am really hungry, I will eat. But I usually find I don't get hungry till about 4:00 pm. If it's a special day, like today is Father's Day, and there is a family get-together that involves food, I go ahead and eat. Then I get back on my intermittent fasting the next day.
I'm not condemning eating several small meals a day. Whatever works. I'm just saying for ME, what works best is for most days eating only dinner and letting my body use stored fat for fuel the rest of the day.
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Seriously, though, I have really cut down on the snacks, try to stick to nuts or healthier things for the diabetes, but overall seems to be doing good, my numbers have come way down and I am feeling 100% better than I was several months ago.
