? for Intermittently Fasting Folks

[Afreet]

OK, there have been a few threads about Intermittent Fasting, and I did a search and read them, and got some good info, but I want more!

How did you schedule your fasts? I have read enough about the topic that I know there's no "one right way" to do this, but just wondered how you timed fasting around workouts, etc.

Any tips or hints for getting through the early pangs?

Last summer I was working outside a lot, and was too hot to want to eat much during the day. I ended up inadvertently fasting from about 6am-6pm every day, and after a couple of weeks of this, people started to comment on how ripped I looked! I didn't lose a lot of weight, but I probably dropped a pound or two, and somehow I just looked leaner. I've tried upping protein, clean eating, 5 meals a day, 6 meals a day, etc and I'm stuck in a holding pattern (at a weight and body composition that I don't much like). So I was contemplating trying IF on purpose to see if I can replicate the results...

 

[Stacy]

I followed Johnson's Up Day Down Day method with a few modifications. I lost 6 lbs in the first month (had about 15 lbs total to lose). I bought his book but there's not much more info you get from it that you dont get from his website. If you arent familiar with it, you basically alternate higher calorie days with a low cal day and on his website there's a place you can plug in your stats and get your calorie range. For me, my 2 day calorie total was about 2400, so I basically ate 800 cal days alternating with 1600 days. I did this for 6 days a week and then had one "free" day. I changed my up and down days around a bit each week to work out with different events in my life, ie. eating out with friends. On my low days I found that drinking Special K's protein water during the day or munching on carrots helped me not to total binge at dinner. Some weeks I only did the alternating a few days a week and then stuck with 1200 cals a day the other days. Overall this worked better for me than eating 1200 cals everyday (which calorically the same as my 2 day 2400 average). I'm not sure why it worked better but it did! There are quite a few posts at the Ya Ya's on this topic as well.

 

[fit44]

I fast 3pm-3pm and begin the fast a day before cardio. I do low/moderate intensity cardio on my elliptical (no Cathe) for 45-60 minutes on the morning after I begin a fast.
The hunger pangs are no big deal. If you keep busy, you will not notice them. For me the pains are very short lived which has taught me to wait out hunger pains on non fasting days. I love fasting. I feel so good after a fast!

 

[Gayle]

My fasts just sort of fall into place pretty naturally with my schedule.

Fasts on work/week days tend to go from 7 or 8pm to 12 or 1pm the next day (basically skip breakfast).

When I fast on weekends, I tend to go further int the afternoon 2 or 3pm maybe, just because I tend to be out and about and busy, and I don't notice hunger as much.

I also do a lot of outside work during the summer and I find myself doing the same as you. I drink a lot of water, but don't get overly hungry until later in the day.

Hope this helps.

 

[Afreet]

Thanks!

OK, this all definitely helps! I was thinking of doing either the "skip breakfast" one, like Gayle, or possibly going for longer periods on days when I have a light workout or no workout. You've all definitely gives me better information to work with. Thanks!

Lisa