Fasting?

[16091992]

Does anyone recommend intermittent fasting for weight loss? Thanks 😬

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

The word diet comes to mind, a controlled healthy diet is essential for anyone who wishes to lose weight, no point in going to the gym or running a 10K every other day and when you finish going into Mcdonalds and eating a Super Mac Treble Beef Burger with tons of chips followed by a delicious Double Cream Ice Sundae and a pint of Cola, that is not the way to lose weight.

[Jell6 Graduate]

I did the 5:2 diet for about 3 years. It does work, and was sustainable.

That said, I stopped doing it when I started running, and stopped weighing myself too. I can still get into the same size clothes though.

You just have to distract yourself on a fasting day, and not over indulge on a non fasting day.

[AllTimeLow in reply to Jell6]

Do you know where to get a 1500 calorie diet with shopping list?

[Jell6 Graduate in reply to AllTimeLow]

Diabetes UK has a good 1500 calorie meal plan including recipes, I can't attach the link for some reason, but it looks pretty good.

diabetes.org.uk

Have a Google, there are plenty out there. Once you find the meals you like it's easy to stick to.

Good luck 👍

Ha!, now it's let me put in the link!!!

[AllTimeLow in reply to Jell6]

Thanks. I checked out the link.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

It may work, but portion control and calorie counting are probably more sustainable for weight loss.

As for fasting and running.........it doesn't sound like a good fit to me.

[Couchphoenix Graduate]

Try Paul McKenna hypnotic gastric band 👍 basically reprograms you to eat when your hungry i.e listen to your body......it puts you back to factory settings !

[CBDB Graduate]

I knew somebody who did 5:2 as part of his lifestyle for years and he was fit as a fiddle and ran every morning. Also lean but strong and in his 60s. It certainly worked for him.

[juliemacd1 Graduate]

Personally, I couldn’t cope with any kind of fasting food plan, it I know plenty of others who have found it helpful.

[TheAwfulToad]

Yes and no.

If you attempt it with a standard high-carb low-fat eating plan, you'll end up bingeing on an industrial-size tub of Quality Street. Bodies tuned to burn carbs as a primary fuel eventually become unable to burn either dietary fat or bodyfat efficiently (which is why low-fat diets make people fat). A noticeable side-effect is that you become fearsomely hungry between meals, because your body is failing to tap its own fat reserves.

If, on the other hand, you follow a standard low-carb protocol, you'll reverse the problem and you'll find that you can go long periods (days, even) without eating, and without feeling hungry. I stopped eating once to see what would happen. Answer: not much, and I got hungry about halfway through day 4.

Having said that, fasting is not necessary for weight loss. Just dump the carbs and your appetite will normalize and the flab will drop away.

[AllTimeLow in reply to TheAwfulToad]

I started fasting today because I got so angry at how much I weigh

[Bel21 Graduate]

I started eating low carb and fasting at the beginning of lockdown. I follow the 16-8 rule ( so you fast 16 hours eat within 8 hour window). I usually eat my first meal at 12.

I find that I have more energy to run in mornings in a fasted state. Only just completed week 3 of ct5k though , so a long way to go. I was doing other forms of exercise before that. I have lost 21lbs . Not for everyone but works for me. Feel much healthier & have lots more energy. Had lots of aches & pains before I started and they have all gone now 😃.

I think the secret to fasting successfully is eating low carb as protein & fat keep you satiated and the cravings stop . I started by following the ketogenic diet, which is tough and again not for everyone.

This gave me the kick start I needed then switched to low carb healthy eating. Feel amazing .

Just need to master the running now 🙈.

[Frostycat2 Graduate]

No !!! I am doing slimming world, it’s not a diet it’s healthy eating started end of January and have lost 3 stone

Good luck xx

[Jillybean0141 Graduate]

I've been doing 16:8 for a few weeks and am getting on ok with it. I tried 5:2 a few years ago but it was too restrictive and gave me awful headaches. My eating window is 11am - 7pm and I'm an early morning runner so find by the time I finish my run, have a shower, drink some water that I can last till 11am no problem. Some days are harder than others of course. I've found that I'm sleeping better and have lost a couple of pounds but nothing drastic. I think the running is starting to change my mindset more to be honest as I'm making more sensible food choices. I'm starting to think of it as fuel for my next run which can only be a good thing. Good luck if you give it a go.

[Hidden]

Hi, like a few others I am trying the 16:8 fasting idea. For me it is much easier and less restrictive than the 5:2. My eating window is usually 1200-2000. I thought I wld struggle but it has been much easier than I thought. Combined with increasing exercise on this Couch to 5k, I have definitely lost weight. I then good and proper damaged ankle tendons on week 5 and have been forced to sit on the couch again for a little while but sticking with the 16:8.

Give it a go, good luck-all you will lose is inches 😉

[JennyH10 Graduate]

I’m a big advocate for intermittent fasting. I started years ago when Michael Moseley first published the book and I lost over two stone and maintained it for a few years keeping up with the 5:2 plan. When I stopped it (I was at uni full time for a year and just didn’t have the frame of mind to stick to it and I also stopped running) I gained over a stone back in a year. Since lockdown I have resumed the c25k from week 1 and resumed the 5:2 and I have lost a stone.

It definitely works and it is definitely sustainable as long as you’re in the right frame of mind for a fast day. I eat normally on non fast days, I’m veggie so I have loads of healthy veg and loads of carbs and I feel great.

As for running, I fast Mondays and Thursdays but I run alternate days so sometimes I’m running on a fast day and sometimes I’m running the morning after a fast day. I nearly always run in the morning before breakfast so it’s always a fasted run for me anyway and it has never caused me a problem but I’m not going further than 5k usually. When I get further into my bridge to 10k plan and I’m doing much longer runs I might rearrange my times or days so I am properly fuelled but I don’t feel the need to do that yet, so far so good 😊