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  • ElChango [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I'm doing IF right now.

    Disclaimer - There's a ton reading out there for those interested, but not much research. Or at least research that agrees. Also, like most studies regarding food, you aren't going to easily find the sponsors of current research around the topic. My point is - if you're talking to (whom you believe is) a real person on the internet who has tried it, in my experience the feedback is pretty positive. But if you read around on the internet you'll get the vague sense that cutting back on your calories is bad, and you should keep buying - er - we mean, you should keep eating a "balanced" diet.

    So with that out of the way, I can say that so far I've enjoyed the experience. I feel less bloated throughout my day, and I have a little more energy during the afternoon slump than I normally do. I have lost about 3 pounds since I started last week, and I'm hopefully that trend will continue. My biggest challenge is that I had to figure when to have my calorie intake window. A lot of "research" says you should do early intake - like 8am to 2pm; but I just couldn't get that to work. Partially because I have dinner eaters in my house and I usually give in and eat with them, but also because I like to drink on the weekends. And if I tried to restrict my calorie intake after 2pm on Saturday night, I would start drinking around 7-8pm and then be so hungry that I would snack and just go waaay over my calorie budget for like 3 days. Now I'm pushing my window back. I don't eat until 1pm, and I try to cutoff the food by 7pm. It's working better, and I don't go crazy snacking when having an evening beer.

    Just my two cents. Don't be afraid to try different things to see what works best for you. I think the most important thing for seeing results is just to be consistent. Give your body the 16 hour break and let the rest happen on it's own.

    • TheUrbanaSquirrel [she/her]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Thanks for your reply. Do you also work out? And if so, do you time your workouts during the eating window or fasting window? Or does it not matter? I prefer to workout in the mornings but like you I would rather eat later in the day than have to go without after 3pm.

      • ElChango [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I am getting into a workout routine, and I like to workout early as well. I've only done it once during this stretch, but I worked out at 9am and was able to hold off until 2pm on breaking the fast. It wasn't too bad.