Intermittent Fasting - 16:8

[Afrikanaaa 79]

Hey! Wanted to start this thread because when I was researching it I didn't see much information about intermittent fasting after weight loss surgery (especially vsg). But I'm a year and half out, not yet at goal, and was stalled for about 3 months. So I went to my bariatric nutritionist, showed her myfitnesspal logs (I track everything—even my workouts) and she told me to increase my Water and try to get back to 500. For me, trying to stay and function at that low of calories gave me really bad headaches and made me feel really weak. So, I went to my primary care for some direction. She suggested that I try intermittent fasting (while adhering to my bariatric caloric restrictions).

Basically, I eat my meals between 12 noon and 8pm, and drink nothing but water/tea (sometimes coffee) the rest of the day. I do 2 meals and a snack or 3 meals (3-4oz each), and it brings me right about 800 cals a day. I guess the "science" around it is giving your body 16 hours without eating to process the food you consumed.

I've been doing this for about 2 weeks and it's really kickstarted my weight loss again. I'm down 5lbs. I'm also able to drink more water (which some days I struggle with).
Just thought I'd share for any one else who needed to shake things up as well!

[Afrikanaaa 79]

800-1000* cals a day

[BigViffer 3,544]

15 hours ago, Afrikanaaa said:

I went to my bariatric nutritionist, showed her myfitnesspal logs (I track everything—even my workouts) and she told me to increase my Water and try to get back to 500.

Jesus, your NUT sounds like an idiot. There is no way you can get all of the nutrients your body needs on 500 calories. Man, my NUT was clueless about anything but smoothie recipes but at lesat she wasn't trying to starve people.

As for the intermittent fasting, I believe it to be another fad diet. One of the reasons for my surgery was to never do those again. I track my intake and as long as I hit my macros, I'm good. However; If someone find that after 6 months the fasting works for them and they have committed to that being their lifestyle, more power to them all and congrats for finding an eating pattern that works!

[Afrikanaaa 79]

@BigViffer YES... My NUT is DEF not the brightest tool in the shed. [emoji23]

And I see what you mean about the fad-ish thing. A lot of the info I saw about ppl was very skewed to that. But how my Doc advised is easy enough to follow and it's working so i definitely plan on the 8-hour time block as my lifestyle. Still restricted. Maybe I just needed to spend less time thinking about eating? Lol

[BigViffer 3,544]

8 hours ago, Afrikanaaa said:

Maybe I just needed to spend less time thinking about eating? Lol

I'm over two years out and this is still something I have to deal with. I am at least thinking of what food I need to eat rather than what I want to eat though. I still stick to my weighed portions, but I am making sure that the food meets my macro requirement for the day. I was kind of hoping that it would be second nature to me by now, but it is very much a exercise in planning.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I 16:8 fast with my best friend although I have been slipping on it lately because I have been gaming and just acting like I'm on Spring Break. I started it long before surgery.

We did it because we work from home, set our own hours and pretty often, stay up late. It was a way to cut out late night eating and in turn it stopped us from staying up until 2 or 3 am gaming. If you are hungry at midnight or 1am, you just go to bed if you can't eat.😂

I have never been the kind of person to eat when they wake up anyway. So not eating till noon works for me.

I drink coffee and Water until noon. It allows me to easily get my fluids in all morning. Then I eat every 2 hours basically till 8.

This is fine when I am at home all day working. It sucks when I am up and out doing things in the morning. It works for my lifestyle but if I had a regular 9 to 5 job I could never make it work.

If 16:8 is too hard, try 12:12. Almost every one fasts at least 8 hours a day because they are sleep so extending your fast a little longer isn't as dramatic as it sounds. There is a reason Breakfast is breakfast, because you are breaking your fast.

Like @BigViffer I pretty much think about good all the time. I plan and craft it so I can meet all my macros. If I didn't some days I wouldn't eat at all. I still don't have much of a physical appetite. I have to be very aware of food or I will just drink water and coffee all day and not eat.

Edited June 12, 2017 by OutsideMatchInside

[Afrikanaaa 79]

I think that has been my biggest thing with me eating 16:8, making sure I consume enough calories. Because I don't feel hungry, and if I only eat 2 meals and a snack I'm not getting my macros like I should.
@OutsideMatchInside I'm going to try eating every 2 hours.

[mitchsnv1 2]

lots o good points,,, Im almost 3 years post op,,, and am looking into / trying I.F. not really for weight loss,,, but overall health,,,

[jess9395 5,449]

Intermittent fasting has a lot of science behind it as a method of actually prolonging life! I do 5:2 intermittent fasting. I'm at goal and use it to maintain and to take off a few pounds after the holidays and such. I don't consider it a fad diet I consider it my way of life. Been doing it for 3 years now since reaching goal a year post op.

[Afrikanaaa 79]

lots o good points,,, Im almost 3 years post op,,, and am looking into / trying I.F. not really for weight loss,,, but overall health,,,

Feel free to come back and let us know how it works for you.