The Student Room Group

Intermittent Fasting...

Intermittent Fasting, yes it's got fasting in the name, but it's not REALLY fasting. Intermittent fasting is effectively and eating plan, which depicts when and when you don't eat. It's actually really simple.

This isn't just about losing fat, it's more your energy levels are boosted crazily. You wake up and instantly have energy, no lagging or splashing your face with water and still feeling like crap...

I've been doing 18/6, so that's not eating for 18 hours and consuming all my calories in a 6 hour eating window. I typically eat from 1pm - 7pm. Eating bore bed is the worst thing you could do if you're trying to lose fat. Your body burns energy to stay alive, when there's food in your belly it will use that to provide energy, however if you stop eating at 6/7 by the time you're asleep there's no food in your body to digest, so guess what, it starts depleting your body's fat stores, win win win.

I'm going go with a more extreme 20 hour fast and 4 hour eating window. This really does work guys, I've dropped quite a bit of body fat. Several youtube weightlifting are doing this, one (two) being the HodgeTwins. They plateaued at 10% bodyfat, and no matter how much they exersized they couldn't go lower, but after 2 months of intermittent fasting they're down to 5.6% body fat and look amazing.

Now intermittent fasting isn't only good for FAT LOSS, studies have shown it can improve cognitive abilities and improve and stabilize energy levels throughout the day. I can 100% say that it does aid in fat loss, suffice to say you have a calorie deficit, and it does improve energy levels.

Give it a try!

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Broscience 101.
Reply 2
Are you eating less (maybe without realising) because you're eating in a smaller time period?
Reply 3
IF has real science behind it. But as for the sleep thing, it shouldn't matter as either way, you will be without food for 16 hours.
Original post by ily_em
Are you eating less (maybe without realising) because you're eating in a smaller time period?


No, I'm at a calorie deficit of 300 calories under my BMR I'm consuming 1800-2000 calories a day :smile:
Original post by silent ninja
Did we need YET another thread on IF? There's a big thread below.


The other thread was more aimed at the science behind it, who cares? People want experiences they can relate to and use as guidelines, not some professor from a uni. And the other reason I made this is because there was a lot of misconceptions about IF in the other thread, which I've cleared up here...
Reply 6
This thread is so hopeless I don't know where to begin. First, you favour anecdotal evidence over empirical evidence, then throw about and abuse the phrase "studies have shown". Care to post links to those studies/journal articles.

And how is it not fasting? I guess you don't consider going to bed then eating breakfast the next morning "fasting", even though that's the derivative of the word break-fast. It takes many hours for food to fully digest in the intestines and for all the nutrients to be absorbed and assimilated, longer than 6 hours total, so going to bed you probably will have something in your belly digesting.

People want experiences they can relate to? Vast majority of people are ****ing idiots and will swallow anything the fitness industry pedals. Not that IF is one those things, there is real science behind it, but the evidence is still evolving, and some pretty wild claims are being made; furthermore, everyone's jumping on the bandwagon and pretty soon things are going to snowball out of control with some utterly baseless broscience being thrown around "ah bro, I hear IF improves your IQ by 15 points" "ah mate, I heard you had to eat plenty of beta-carotene 10 minutes into your fast if you want to unlock fat burning hormones", bull**** like this will soon arise, as soon as fitness mags and women's mags jump on the bandwagon.

Congrats on your PhD in broscience, btw
(edited 11 years ago)
Could I do this if I didn't want to build muscle? It just sounds interesting...
Original post by HFerguson
This thread is so hopeless I don't know where to begin. First, you favour anecdotal evidence over empirical evidence, then throw about and abuse the phrase "studies have shown". Care to post links to those studies/journal articles.

And how is it not fasting? I guess you don't consider going to bed then eating breakfast the next morning "fasting", even though that's the derivative of the word break-fast. It takes many hours for food to fully digest in the intestines and for all the nutrients to be absorbed and assimilated, longer than 6 hours total, so going to bed you probably will have something in your belly digesting.

People want experiences they can relate to? Vast majority of people are ****ing idiots and will swallow anything the fitness industry pedals. Not that IF is one those things, there is real science behind it, but the evidence is still evolving, and some pretty wild claims are being made; furthermore, everyone's jumping on the bandwagon and pretty soon things are going to snowball out of control with some utterly baseless broscience being thrown around "ah bro, I hear IF improves your IQ by 15 points" "ah mate, I heard you had to eat plenty of beta-carotene 10 minutes into your fast if you want to unlock fat burning hormones", bull**** like this will soon arise, as soon as fitness mags and women's mags jump on the bandwagon.

Congrats on your PhD in broscience, btw


Firstly, be easy, and don't talk to me with that wannabe condescending attitude, you're making a fool of yourself to be honest.

Intermittent fasting works. Fact.

Oh and also 99% of people DON'T consider sleeping as fasting, why? because we have to sleep you pleb. Ask anyone what they think of when you say fast/fasting, non-one will say sleep. YES it is technically fasting, but we HAVE to do it, so were conditioned you fool... this post is ridiculous.
Original post by Bubblyminty
Could I do this if I didn't want to build muscle? It just sounds interesting...


You most definitely could, do not let the word 'fasting' in intermittent fasting make you think it's all about getting skinny and losing weight, it's not.

Just make sure you're at a calorie surplus, and keep protein levels HIGH :smile:

EDIT - I misread your question, IF won't build you muscle you have to do weights for that.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Bubblyminty
Could I do this if I didn't want to build muscle? It just sounds interesting...


?
Building muscle and following a diet plan are totally different things. A diet plan (which is all that IF is) won't give you muscles...you'll need to do some sort of training for that.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by BaldFadedBrother
Firstly, be easy, and don't talk to me with that wannabe condescending attitude, you're making a fool of yourself to be honest.

Intermittent fasting works. Fact.

Oh and also 99% of people DON'T consider sleeping as fasting, why? because we have to sleep you pleb. Ask anyone what they think of when you say fast/fasting, non-one will say sleep. YES it is technically fasting, but we HAVE to do it, so were conditioned you fool... this post is ridiculous.


He never once said it didn't work, he was pointing out flaws (of which there are many) in the way you presented this thread.

So you admit sleeping is a fasting period, and still call his post ridiculous? Ok then.
Thanks for the replies. I don't want to build muscle- female here. I have been working out and want to look extra toned when I return to school in two weeks.
Original post by Shawshank
He never once said it didn't work, he was pointing out flaws (of which there are many) in the way you presented this thread.

So you admit sleeping is a fasting period, and still call his post ridiculous? Ok then.


I don't 'admit', what is this? Tit for tat.... lmao

I agree, however that's in a literal sense. That's like calling someone lazy when they're sleeping because they're not doing nothing.
Original post by Bubblyminty
Thanks for the replies. I don't want to build muscle- female here. I have been working out and want to look extra toned when I return to school in two weeks.


So because you're a female you don't want to build muscle, say good-bye to looking toned then.

And you won't see any differences in 2 weeks, no matter what you're doing.
Reply 15
Any evidence?
Original post by ColyTom
Any evidence?


I was 14% bf, which plateaued. I'm now 9% bf.

Same diet, same working hours, same sleep. nothing has changed other than IF. That's subjective for me though, but there's hundreds of accounts of this working, so stop asking me because I'm not everyone. Ask other people doing it.
Reply 17
Original post by Bubblyminty
Thanks for the replies. I don't want to build muscle- female here. I have been working out and want to look extra toned when I return to school in two weeks.


Building muscle will help you with that :p:
Reply 18
Original post by BaldFadedBrother
I was 14% bf, which plateaued. I'm now 9% bf.

Same diet, same working hours, same sleep. nothing has changed other than IF. That's subjective for me though, but there's hundreds of accounts of this working, so stop asking me because I'm not everyone. Ask other people doing it.


I wasn't just asking you, I was asking everyone :smile: Nonethless, thank you for responding :smile:

I've been looking over some empirical research. I will continue my research :smile:
Reply 19
I've been inadvertently doing this all summer. I don't rise until the afternoon, and rarely eat after 7pm. It's had an effect, I suppose, but it's been accompanied by significant muscle atrophy (particularly in my legs).

Quick Reply

Latest