intermittent fasting is very bad (TESTIMONY)

[amazingswayze]

i'm going to explain my experience with intermittent fasting. i first heard about it from one of yannick's threads. in my desperate attempts to lose weight faster, i took it up.

i've been skipping breakfast every single day for the past 3 weeks, waiting until 12 noon to eat and having my last meal before 8 p.m. i've also been counting calories.

let me tell you, i've never been more miserable in my life. i thought my body was just adjusting to a lesser food intake but i've literally been depressed since i started skipping breakfast. i lost some weight but i've been a zombie for the past 3 weeks. my energy levels have been EXTREMELY low. my motivation, testosterone, and overall HAPPINESS seem quite low as well. mentally, I've been nothing but fatigued. I can't recall the last time I had a burst of energy, or just a happy, positive day. I've been grumpy and impatient.

let me just say, intermittent fasting is TERRIBLE.

i need to start eating breakfast again, and see how i feel.

all i need to lose weight is to maintain a calorie deficit. i see where i've been going wrong. i snacked like a moron and ate bigger meals than my metabolism could burn. so long as i count my calories, and eat light meals, i'll be ok. even if I only eat a piece of fruit for breakfast.

i need to stop intermittent fasting ASAP. I haven't been happy at all since. I'm in somewhat of a depression, and the truth is, things are good right now. I haven't really had any negative events occuring in my life at all.

So what I conclude is that intermittent fasting is taking an extreme toll on my mental health, and perhaps, my physical health as well.

it's time to eat like a normal human being once again.

action plan:

1. more fruit + vegetables
2. count calories
3. exercise

 

[Tenacity]

I use IT Fasting but I guess it just depends on the person. When you first begin using it, it's brutal, but as you get more used to it, then it doesn't "hurt" as much.

I add spacing of 6 - 8 hours in between regular meals and 3 hours in between a protein shake only and a regular meal. When I first wake up, I might wait about 2 - 3 hours before eating the first meal of the day.

Try out different eating methods, such as IT fasting or even the "eat 6 small meals theory" and just see which one of them work for you and your body type.

IT fasting works better for me, the eat 6 small meals theory did me horribly.

 

[marmel75]

This post is terrible.

Intermittent Fasting IS eating like a normal human being, the way evolution intended us to eat...there were no 7-11's, Mcdonald's and grocery stores open 24 hours back in cavemen days. You would go long periods of time without eating. The human body is specifically adapted to this type of eating behavior.

Now, perhaps your body is not used to it because its used to having a constant supply of food at all times, which might seem like a good idea but it isn't. Like anything, that which is constantly active in the body triggers a "resistance" response by the body. In this case, the resistance will be to insulin since you are constantly causing a release of this hormone by being in a constantly fed state. Lack of insulin sensitivity will eventually lead to issues in many people, including Type II diabetes which is an epidemic currently.

I suggest you re-think posting generalizations of topics that are scientifically proven through 60-70+ years of clinical studies to be highly effective at not only reducing body fat, but also at re-sensitizing the body to insulin and reducing inflammation. In short, ALL good things. Now, if you said something like "I personally hate Intermittent Fasting", then that is your opinion. But to say its terrible is completely false.

 

[Who Dares Win]

I tried didnt work for me, lost weight but plenty of muscle as much as fat.

Almost looked skinny fat.

What I find working for me is to eat when Im hungry, but genuinely hungry not like in the mood of eating for satisfaction.

 

[thatfeel]

If you looked skinny fat then you were still fat and had more weight to lose. There's a huge and very common misconception that skinny fat is like this somehow bad thing that you always end up as if you aren't on performance enhancing drugs while cutting. I have to be ridiculously blunt to make my point but do you think there was such a thing as a "skinny fat" prisoner in german concentration camps? NO!!!!!

If you're "skinny fat" you still have more weight/fat to lose. Skinny fat tends to be the perception of others to think you're thin/skinny when you really still have a small gut/stomach and love handles and other problem areas that your clothes hide relatively well because you're small enough for them to fit you decently.

Bulking before getting lean is a bad idea, most people want to be lean they don't want to just get more muscle while maintaining their fat.

OP, you're being dramatic. Intermittent fasting is god-tier. If you need help with IF then get some caffeine supplements on amazon,(200mg), and pick up some bronkaid at the pharmacy counter at your local walgreens/CVS. (I'd buy two boxes). Each capsule of bronkaid contains about 18.5mg worth of effective ephedrine(it's 25 mg of the sulfate). Take one bronkaid + caffeine every 3.5-4 hours 3 times a day, preferably in the morning so you can sleep at night, and you'll be golden. Drink lots of water or you're gonna have bad cotton mouth. Yes, this is legal....

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I tried didnt work for me, lost weight but plenty of muscle as much as fat.

Almost looked skinny fat.

What I find working for me is to eat when Im hungry, but genuinely hungry not like in the mood of eating for satisfaction.

OK, this makes no sense. IF is the ONLY way that you can lose almost pure fat---90% of the weight you lose doing IF is fat, only 10% muscle. In scientific studies EVERY other method they tried resulted in losing 50% fat and 50% muscle. This is due to the muscle protecting and fat releasing effects of HGH which is released in large amounts during short term fasts(up to 600% above normal levels).

So basically, if you choose to try a different way, be prepared to lose less fat and more muscle I suppose.

 

[Who Dares Win]

What if my body respond to such things differently than others?

Of course not cause we're all the same..I wonder why different training programs have different effects on different people.

I believe I know better than you guys if IF worked on me or not.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

What if my body respond to such things differently than others?

Of course not cause we're all the same..I wonder why different training programs have different effects on different people.

I believe I know better than you guys if IF worked on me or not.

Highly unlikely, but I suppose possible. However, unless you had an accurate way of measuring your body fat percentage, ie a DEXA machine or SKULPT device, you are just doing guesswork in saying that.

 

[amazingswayze]

If you looked skinny fat then you were still fat and had more weight to lose. There's a huge and very common misconception that skinny fat is like this somehow bad thing that you always end up as if you aren't on performance enhancing drugs while cutting. I have to be ridiculously blunt to make my point but do you think there was such a thing as a "skinny fat" prisoner in german concentration camps? NO!!!!!

If you're "skinny fat" you still have more weight/fat to lose. Skinny fat tends to be the perception of others to think you're thin/skinny when you really still have a small gut/stomach and love handles and other problem areas that your clothes hide relatively well because you're small enough for them to fit you decently.

Bulking before getting lean is a bad idea, most people want to be lean they don't want to just get more muscle while maintaining their fat.

OP, you're being dramatic. Intermittent fasting is god-tier. If you need help with IF then get some caffeine supplements on amazon,(200mg), and pick up some bronkaid at the pharmacy counter at your local walgreens/CVS. (I'd buy two boxes). Each capsule of bronkaid contains about 18.5mg worth of effective ephedrine(it's 25 mg of the sulfate). Take one bronkaid + caffeine every 3.5-4 hours 3 times a day, preferably in the morning so you can sleep at night, and you'll be golden. Drink lots of water or you're gonna have bad cotton mouth. Yes, this is legal....

i'll be honest guys, IF was too hard for me. I thought I would get used to it after a few weeks but I didn't. I was miserable. Yeah, the title is misleading. Everyone is different. In hindsight I could've wrote this post differently but I was feeling crappy almost 24/7 so that explains my bias. Maybe I'll try it again in the future. All I know is, I like to eat, and I will eat often. I'm on a calorie restricted diet now. I'm also going to stay away from those stimulant fat burners. My method of weight loss will take a long time but in the grand scheme of things it's not so bad. I'm 5'7, 160 right now. For me to get lean and 10% bf, I can probably lose 20 more pounds. This may be too dramatic, but im at 18% rn. So next summer if I keep up with diet and training I will be in much better shape and I don't have to fast to do so. Like I said, it was just too hard for me. No IF for Swayze...

 

[Young OG]

i'll be honest guys, IF was too hard for me. I thought I would get used to it after a few weeks but I didn't. I was miserable. Yeah, the title is misleading. Everyone is different. In hindsight I could've wrote this post differently but I was feeling crappy almost 24/7 so that explains my bias. Maybe I'll try it again in the future. All I know is, I like to eat, and I will eat often. I'm on a calorie restricted diet now. I'm also going to stay away from those stimulant fat burners. My method of weight loss will take a long time but in the grand scheme of things it's not so bad. I'm 5'7, 160 right now. For me to get lean and 10% bf, I can probably lose 20 more pounds. This may be too dramatic, but im at 18% rn. So next summer if I keep up with diet and training I will be in much better shape and I don't have to fast to do so. Like I said, it was just too hard for me. No IF for Swayze...

What kind of foods do you eat? Don't eat any fast food or anything deep fried. You should be eating lean meats. Stay away from anything greasy.

 

[Tenacity]

amazing swayze,

Everybody's body is different. You might need to be on the eating plan where you eat 6 small meals a day, that might be better for you. IT fasting works for me and it works for others on this Forum, but it might not work for you.

One thing that you have to do for both the Eating Plan and the Exercise Plan, is go through the large scope of available plans across the Fitness Community and try this, try that, try this and then try that....to customize a plan that works for YOUR body and gets YOU progress.

Just like with training Abs, some guys get up here and tell you that they don't do hardly any Ab training, they just "eat right". Then because it worked for them, they will preach it to you like it's gospel and will work for you. Well for me (Tenacity), I have to do a lot of damn Ab training. I have to do mainly Ab training with resistance/weights attached to the movement. If I just "ate right" only, there's no way in hell my Abs would have ever developed.

So I'm saying this so you don't get discouraged. Try the other eating plan where you eat 6 small meals a day. If that doesn't work, try another eating plan. Keep experimenting until you find one that works for you. But whatever eating plan you find, the vast MAJORITY of your eating throughout the month needs to be based on eating healthy food sources, not processed garbage.

Protein bars for the most part are processed garbage.

 

[amazingswayze]

good feedback everyone, lots of different opinions...

my diet is lacking whole foods. except for a home-cooked meal every night, i eat prepackaged foods as all my snacks. breakfast- greek yogurt/oatmeal lunch- protein bar/REV wrap dinner- rice/beans/lean meat/ salad.

so yes tenacity, i guess you could say that i eat processed garbage.

ruler, 2 lbs a week isn't healthy for me nor do i have that much weight to lose. I would be sacrificing too much muscle. 1 lb a week suits me better.

young OG, i've cut out fast food completely. i am somewhat disciplined when it comes to turning down foods that I know are bad for me. Still, I could be doing better.

thanks guys, we're all different. i just have to see what works for me.

 

[RecoveringNiceGuy]

The complete effects of fasting on the body isn't (yet) an exact science, but fasting is definitely is not bad for you. If anything, fasting is the best way to lose weight and has many other health benefits. I have proof. I lost 30 lbs in 2 months and lost ZERO lean body mass. I have bod pod tests to prove it and I maintained my strength during that time as well. No steroids or anything like that. Just hard work in the gym and self-control in the kitchen.

As far as how fasting makes you FEEL, that is a different story as the placebo effect can have huge impact. Couple years ago when I fasted and lost those 30 lbs, I felt great fasting. In fact, I felt worse if I ate before a workout. Now, I almost feel like I need to eat before a workout. Probably due to my addition to energy drinks, lol. The theories I've read out there say that if you eat a low carb diet for a long enough time (days? weeks? not sure) your body will no longer crave sweets and you'll feel fine no matter how few times you eat as long as you get the calories you need, just not easy to do when you're addicted to energy drinks haha.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

good feedback everyone, lots of different opinions...

my diet is lacking whole foods. except for a home-cooked meal every night, i eat prepackaged foods as all my snacks. breakfast- greek yogurt/oatmeal lunch- protein bar/REV wrap dinner- rice/beans/lean meat/ salad.

so yes tenacity, i guess you could say that i eat processed garbage.

ruler, 2 lbs a week isn't healthy for me nor do i have that much weight to lose. I would be sacrificing too much muscle. 1 lb a week suits me better.

young OG, i've cut out fast food completely. i am somewhat disciplined when it comes to turning down foods that I know are bad for me. Still, I could be doing better.

thanks guys, we're all different. i just have to see what works for me.

The saying "You can never out-train a bad diet" is appropriate here...there really isn't much of an excuse for it. Focus on items that have 1 ingredient, ie, itself. Brown Rice has 1 ingredient---brown rice. Broccoli has 1 ingredient---Broccoli, etc...

You cook big batches of food once or twice a week and then portion it up and grab it when you need it. Yeah it takes a little bit of prep time and work, but you are basically wasting your time without fixing your diet. You will get some results but they will be far from optimal results.

 

[Tenacity]

my diet is lacking whole foods. except for a home-cooked meal every night, i eat prepackaged foods as all my snacks. breakfast- greek yogurt/oatmeal lunch- protein bar/REV wrap dinner- rice/beans/lean meat/ salad.

so yes tenacity, i guess you could say that i eat processed garbage. .

You can start with this list http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

The ONLY day you eat processed garbage is on a cheat day, and that's not a pig out day, it's a day where you can have a moderate meal earlier in the day of whatever you want. But just a moderate meal. I would start out with one cheat meal a week, then you can get up to two cheat meals once you have your body progress coming along.

If you are going to use the IT fasting route, you should have 6 - 8 hours between meals give or take.

If you are going to use the "eat 6 small meals" route, you should have 3 hours between meals give or take.

Your meal structure should include a lean meat (chicken, pork chop, seafood, etc) a veggie, a side (nuts or fruit), and then a lot of water. The IT fasting route would have this be a "nice sized meal", the eat 6 small meals route would have this be a very small meal.

For your body composition, what's your goal? Is it lean/mean/toned, is it big/bulky/stalky, or is it a combination? Let me know and I'll give you a plan to jump start you there.

 

[mrgoodstuff]

The complete effects of fasting on the body isn't (yet) an exact science, but fasting is definitely is not bad for you. If anything, fasting is the best way to lose weight and has many other health benefits. I have proof. I lost 30 lbs in 2 months and lost ZERO lean body mass. I have bod pod tests to prove it and I maintained my strength during that time as well. No steroids or anything like that. Just hard work in the gym and self-control in the kitchen.

As far as how fasting makes you FEEL, that is a different story as the placebo effect can have huge impact. Couple years ago when I fasted and lost those 30 lbs, I felt great fasting. In fact, I felt worse if I ate before a workout. Now, I almost feel like I need to eat before a workout. Probably due to my addition to energy drinks, lol. The theories I've read out there say that if you eat a low carb diet for a long enough time (days? weeks? not sure) your body will no longer crave sweets and you'll feel fine no matter how few times you eat as long as you get the calories you need, just not easy to do when you're addicted to energy drinks haha.

I've done it to, 12-15 lbs a month for a couple of months and it's all fat and water, most of your strength stays.

I need to do it again and I'm glad someone said it. I've been pussified on my workouts and drinking hard liquor 3-4 days a week.

I need to force a disciplined regiment of good meals, no alcohol and 5 or so workouts a week. The body will come back in order.

 

[amazingswayze]

You can start with this list http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

The ONLY day you eat processed garbage is on a cheat day, and that's not a pig out day, it's a day where you can have a moderate meal earlier in the day of whatever you want. But just a moderate meal. I would start out with one cheat meal a week, then you can get up to two cheat meals once you have your body progress coming along.

If you are going to use the IT fasting route, you should have 6 - 8 hours between meals give or take.

If you are going to use the "eat 6 small meals" route, you should have 3 hours between meals give or take.

Your meal structure should include a lean meat (chicken, pork chop, seafood, etc) a veggie, a side (nuts or fruit), and then a lot of water. The IT fasting route would have this be a "nice sized meal", the eat 6 small meals route would have this be a very small meal.

For your body composition, what's your goal? Is it lean/mean/toned, is it big/bulky/stalky, or is it a combination? Let me know and I'll give you a plan to jump start you there.

I want to lose this belly fat once and for all so I have a solid base to pack on pure muscle. Even though I still have a layer of fat on my abdomen, I can imagine those abs coming in. My body goal is an athletic body type. 8-10% body fat, 180 lbs. Right now I'm 160, slimming down until I hit 10% bf.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Healthy fats, natural fiber, and zero processed carbs are what you want.

 

[dillj]

if you are 18% bodyfat at 5' 7" and 160 lb, man, you have NO muscle.