Intermittent Fasting

[Boone]

Anyone practice it?

Although once in a blue moon I will treat myself to a big breakfast, and I enjoy it when I do, my 'norm' is not to eat at all in the morning. I have several cups of black coffee and that's it. Over the past 6 months, I have cut out lunch as well, and since my employer irrationally demands we take 30 minutes off for lunch, I have been exercising instead during my 'lunch' break. I typically drink a protein shake (about 150 calories) after working out. My main meal is at dinner where I eat whatever I want.

I have dropped 20-25 lbs over the past 6 months pretty much just by this pattern. I have also taken an alcohol break which has eliminated a lot of 'empty calories' so I expect to trim down further.

My experience with having one major meal per day has been good. I don't feel 'weak' during my non-eating hours. I have plenty of energy. I have also found that my portions at dinner are smaller now. When you are only eating one meal a day, I have found my appetite is satiated with smaller portions. I just can't eat as much as I previously would have. And even on those occasions where I do eat a large dinner, my caloric intake is still well below what it normally would have been even with lunch AND dinner previously.

On Chris's advice, I am adding a 2nd Casein protein shake in the evening to provide slow-release nutrition while I sleep.

Curious if anyone else uses intermittent fasting and what your experience has been if so?

 

[Chris]

I have been doing this since way before it was a thing, probably since about the age of 18 or so. It’s just how I’m wired, I guess. I’m usually in the 16/8 range ordinarily.

I do eat lunch (1pm ish) and dinner (8pm) My only ‘snacking’ is an apple and a handful of nuts in between. I have great energy until after lunch, then I need a nap. 🤣 Food digestion makes me sleepy.

 

[Boone]

I guess *technically* I'm on that exact same schedule - even if 'lunch' is just a protein shake

 

[Spearfeather]

For about the past year, I don't eat until about 4:30 in the afternoon.

 

[RedWolf]

I only eat twice a day and sparingly.
Kind of a late morning " healthy brunch" and a later "light dinner" for lack of a better term?

Lots of fresh seafood.

I have lost 70 lbs in 7 years.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

Nope.
Maybe it's my metabolism, but I'm famished when I get up in the morning. I can eat before my eyes are open and if I don't get something in my stomach, fast, I feel nauseous. Gastro doc told me that's not unusual. I'm living proof that weight loss is much more about diet, than exercise. You cannot out-exercise your diet. While my exercise routine has not changed, my eating habits did years ago due to health issues, (GERD), and as an unintended consequence, I lost over 40lbs doing so and have kept it off. I think I'm in year 10 of the weight loss, so it's no fluke.
During the week it's a single 14oz cup of coffee that I nurse all day. Breakfast is usually cereal, like frosted mini-wheats, grits or oatmeal. Lunch is leftover dinner and dinner is whatever. I rarely eat greasy, fried food, except for the occasional large weekend breakfast. On those days, I skip lunch and eat an early dinner. I typically avoid alcohol during the week and rarely eat or drink alcohol at least 3 hours before going to bed. I pretty much quit drinking beer,(but have one on occasion), but do love my whiskey and drink it on weekends. I do tend to graze a little bit....maybe a handful of cereal or a banana, or whatever fruit is in-season. I also don't drink soda or other sugary drinks. Lots of water.

 

[Mickalino]

I fast every day, to a degree.
I only eat one meal a day. At night.
The rest of the day I either eat nothing, or a quick snack once or twice.
I believe it has several benefits. But one of the ones I like a lot, is the fact that food tastes 10x better after you fasted at least a little.
I joke that my "culinary secret" is fasting, since it makes everything tastes way more delicious.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Not a chance. I have a huge appetite and it's a burden. I wish I could just have a salad at lunch, when I try I'm at the drive-thru at 4:00 because I'm starving. No way would I ever be able to fast or skip meals all day, I wake up hungry.

 

[Boone]

Your body adjusts. 6 months ago I could eat 4 Taco Bell burrito supremes at one sitting. If I tried it now I wouldn’t even be able to keep it down.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

I fast between meals and snacks.
All joking aside, my metabolism is still pretty high for an old fuck, and most mornings I wake up starving. If you left a muffin on my bedside table, I could eat it before I open my eyes. My doctor said that's perfectly normal. The Missus and I do annual wellness visits and all of my numbers are good,(knock wood), as is my weight so I don't see the need to fast. Since I lost all the weight years ago due to my diet change, I do find that I can't eat as much.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

Your body adjusts. 6 months ago I could eat 4 Taco Bell burrito supremes at one sitting. If I tried it now I wouldn’t even be able to keep it down.

I couldn't keep one of those down even if I was starving

 

[Boone]

In not really a fast food guy but that used to be my binge response to a really bad day - i would literally wolf down 4 of them. Luckily that was a pretty rare event.

I have found since dropping 25 lbs since Decemberish, I can’t eat the portions I did before, especially since I am only eating 1 meal at dinner.

 

[skinsmarydu]

I'm doing an Ensure & a yogurt for breakfast lately...that holds down the early morning hunger. Dinner is whenever I get hungry in the early evening, usually nothing in between.
Since I've been remembering my vitamins, I'm feeling a whole lot better .

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

As I said having a big appetite is a burden. I sure wish I could have an Ensure and yogurt and be good until dinner but that's never going to happen. I wish I could be happy with just a tuna sandwich for lunch but that's just not enough.

I have lost over 30 pounds though. I did this to combat pre-diabetes by cutting out the Coke I had for lunch and the 3-4 Oreos I had when I woke up. Now it's sugar free cookies and I don't really eat breakfast until 3-4 hours later, mostly out of laziness, and that has cut calories as well.