Intermittent fasting 16:8 - anybody tried it?

[cyprusmax47]

Since the past week I try intermittent fasting 16:8 which means 16 hours fasting and 8 hours eating. I am not really interested to loose weight but there are obviously some health benefits from this diet. "Studies show that intermittent fasting can:

Stabilize blood sugar levels, increase resistance to stress, and suppress inflammation.
Decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improve resting heart rate.
Improve brain health and memory."

As I already don't eat in the evening it is only the one drink or some chocolate I have to avoid until "break-fast" comes 16 hours later. After 5 days today it was the first time I felt not so special and I wonder if it was the weather or the diet.

Anybody had experience with this type of fasting?

Max

[Dominic]

Is this not just another word for skipping breakfast? Or tea I guess.

I thought intermittent fasting was more 5:2, whereby you fast for two days out of seven in a week. So for instance, you would eat 500 calories on monday and thursday, and normally other days.

It works too, for a while. I have tried it myself, and it does lose weight. Like all diets, your body seems to adapt to it after a while though, and the returns diminish.

I am certainly looking for a way to lose a bit of weight, as this lockdown has not done me any favours stomach wise. Mind you, I have recently been swimming lots of lengths in the pool...

[WHL]

we have a friend who has had weight problems all her life, she has tried every diet under the sun, you name it she has done it, the only one she had success with was the Cambridge diet, but although she was on it for many months, this isn't what the Cambridge diet was invented for, and as soon as she came off it the weight came back on, fasting diets dont improve health, they might give you the feeling they work, only cutting down on calorie intake and exercise will work and give you better health.

[cyprusmax47]

Is this not just another word for skipping breakfast? Or tea I guess.

I thought intermittent fasting was more 5:2, whereby you fast for two days out of seven in a week. So for instance, you would eat 500 calories on monday and thursday, and normally other days.

It works too, for a while. I have tried it myself, and it does lose weight. Like all diets, your body seems to adapt to it after a while though, and the returns diminish.

I am certainly looking for a way to lose a bit of weight, as this lockdown has not done me any favours stomach wise. Mind you, I have recently been swimming lots of lengths in the pool...

Yes, I learned that 5:2 is the other way of short term fasting. The advantage of 16:8 are the health benefits, while 5:2 is more loosing weight.
When people are fasting, they are slowly burning through the glucose stored in their liver. The liver holds about 700 calories of glucose.
It takes 10 to 12 hours to use the liver's energy stores. Then what happens is, fats are used for energy.
This process is called "metabolic switching," and the three-meals-a-day eating pattern, doesn't allow the bodies to run through their liver's energy stores and make the switch to fat-burning. So only after the 12 hours fasting the health benefits start to work which I am after. By the way there are no restrictions what you are eating in the 8 hours you are allowed. High carb, low carb... but best is healthy food anyhow and some sport. So it is much nicer than to starve with 500 cal and no health benefits.( with the 5:2 diet.)

When I was much younger I used to do a 8 day fasting - only water was allowed - once a year. The experience after 2 days were horrible,(most of the time laying down) everything was hurting and to come back to normal took another week but then I went straight back for tennis training lessons and felt perfect....

Max

[Maverick]

I'm type 2 diabetic. Over a year ago I started a low carb, healthy high fat lifestyle, with intermittent fasting. I lost 12 kilo and my blood sugar is now near normal, so don't need any medication. But it is a lifestyle change, not a diet... Best thing I ever did.

You should also check out the Keto lifestyle, plenty of info on YouTube...

[jeba]

You should also check out the Keto lifestyle, plenty of info on YouTube...

Be careful with this one. While it works (I lost 18 kg within 8 weeks) it comes with risks like kidney stones and gout (in my case the former).

[WHL]

Check out google, for health risks, associated with fasting diets.

[PW in Polemi]

The best way to lose weight permanently is to do the More or Less Diet, which is ...
More exercise, especially weight bearing like walking for bone strength
More water
More fruit and veg
Less fat, sugar and alcohol.
And keep an eye on portion sizes. A portion of cheese is apparently about the size of a standard matchbox! . The plate should be about 1/4 protein (fish, meat, whatever), 1/4 carbs and the rest veggies and fruit.

[Dominic]

Chewing your food properly helps too.

My biggest issue is portion sizes. My cheese portions for instance, are definitely more Swan Vesta than Bryant and May.

[darrow]

I belong tocthe WFPBNONS group on FB. Based on the studies of Dr Campbell. He did I study in China about 40 years ago to discover why the Chinese at that time were suffering less from heart disease, diabetes and other ailments. The Whole food, plant based diet with no oil and no salt, claims to have reversed heart disease, diabetes, cancer and a host of other ailments. His book the China Study is interesting, also there are a load of videos on the net, the game changers, how not to die, fat, sick and nearly dead and countless others! Arnold Schwarzenegger took part in the trials and now eats that way. Also firemen from an american fire station took part and improved there weight, blood pressure cholesterol and countless other ailments and they said at the end of the trial they were keeping the changes. The muscle tone was far better because plant protein is more abundant than in meat without the fat , fat is derived from nuts and seeds and natural fats in advocado etc. Take a look!

[Devil]

Sorry to butt in, my view is that normal eating, three times a day, is the most healthy option on condition that it is done within moderation. A bit over a year ago I was decidedly overweight at about 93 kg. Without changing my diet or my way of snacking, but only the quantity, I'm now a healthier 83.4 kg this morning. I eat bread, meat, chicken, fish, veggies of all types, fruit et cetera – in other words, a fairly balanced diet. Most certainly I hardly ever purchase any foodstuff that is not reasonably natural (I have half a bar of chocolate sitting in the fridge and that has been there for a couple of weeks!). With that "diet", I consider myself well nourished and no fancy diet is going to improve my very doubtful health (three chamber pacemaker, advanced prostate cancer, history of two strokes with slight right side paralysis, deep encephalitis et cetera).

At 88, next month, I never thought that I would reach this age. However, I believe that my reasonably balanced diet – no, not diet, food intake – keeps me fairly healthy. I never measure blood pressure, cholesterol et cetera, nor do I think that I put too much salt on my food. In other words, I couldn't care less about the results of bad eating or good eating; I enjoy my food – in moderation!

[Devil]

.... and long may it stay that way Devil

Thanks a lot, Austin 7. Oops, I nearly said Morris Minor

[Devil]

To divert the thread, my first one was a GBP40 1936 Hillman Minx which had a 1200 cc side valve engine and reached 63 mph going downhill with a following wind along the military road between Corbridge and Newcastle. Before that, I had a GBP25 250 cc 1932 Royal Enfield bike, also side valve, in Cambridge. It had the interesting particularity that on a hot day the petrol in the float chamber started to boil and formed a vapour lock which stopped it dead! Those were the days, my friend!

[cyprusmax47]

I thought at least ONE of the members tried the 16:8 intermittent fasting, which is not really a diet, only changing the times you are eating. I was only interested if somebody had hypoglycaemia symptoms, because in the past I suffered from that and did not want it worsening. So I will continue to eat home cooked healthy food, a lot of fish and chicken and vegetables and daily one Avocado. To finish the day with eating I have a nice home made sorbet (mixed frozen fruit & nuts, 2:1) and some chocolate >70% and a double cappuccino between 4 and 5 PM. My breakfast is just after 8 AM with reduced amount of bread. Two hours later small sandwich and a banana after Yoga/Qi Gong exercise. The first result after one week is that I don't have this craving for candies anymore and I feel more energetic all day long.

Max

[galexinda]

Weight loss is one of the side effects of intermittent fasting which is why that feature has been so prominent in recent years, but there are more health benefits to fasting for a certain amount of time on a regular basis.

16:8 tends to be promoted as being able to eat what you like and how much you like within the 8 hour eating time frame, but to get the best results those who have most success are the ones that limit the calories to a reasonable amount depending on amount of exercise and have a healthy and balanced intake.

[Kia Picanto]

Isn't it amazing how many of us are 'diet experts'!! (I include myself, obvs)

Almost a year ago to the day, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The nurse practioner delivered this news in her usual brusque manner, & told me I'd need to start on Metformin. I was aghast (would prefer not to take meds if possible) - actually, I shed a few tears. I decided to try to delay/eliminate the medication, and returned home. My daughter went straight out and bought me Top Sante magazine (that month's main article was about reversing T2), but more importantly, the 8 week Blood Sugar Diet book, written by Dr Michael Mosely*. Based on his own diagnosis of T2, and the research and findings carried out by Prof Roy Taylor** at Newcastle Uni (he's the amazing man who's helped hundreds of T2 patients reverse the disease). Dr Mosley's 'diet' (I detest that word - it should be banned imo) is mostly based on LCHF ie low carbs, high fat, therefore you're encouraged to massively reduce sugar. After 60 odd years of adding the white powder to every cup of tea & coffee, I stopped almost immediately. I love science, and read up a lot about healthy eating, which seems to confirm much of what the Dr and Prof say.

I finally wore the new Fitbit that had been sitting in a drawer, downloaded the MyFitnessPal app (free, and very good), logged everything I ate & drank, and lost weight. Quite a lot actually - almost 3st 7lb. I had to unlearn all I'd ever known about food, diet, weightloss - Dr M recommends eating nothing labelled as 'low fat' as these items often have increased sugar in them. (He's right - I've checked). Butter is fine, so are cream and eggs, (and FULL fat Greek yogurt - yummy! His research has shown no significant rise in people's cholesterol). It's not a 'fad' diet - contains meat, fish, lots of fruit and veg - just being careful to avoid the higher carb stuff. If I make a curry now, I use cauliflower rice, instead of the carb-loaded other stuff. I still eat pasta and bread, but nowhere near as much or often as I used to. I walk every day, use my mini exercise cycle, and dance round the house, just to keep moving. The upshot of all this, is that in August, on my next appt to see the nurse, she was beaming all over (I'd never seen her smiley face before), and congratulated me - I was no longer in the T2 Diabetes range.

Now, I'm an honest little soul, so here's where I confess to putting on a few pounds since lockdown. Here in the UK, everyone's baking like we're all practising for the Great British Bake Off - me included. Scones, sponge cakes, coffee cake - naughty naughty. One recipe I tried, courtesy of Dr Clare Bailey (the great Michael Mosley's Mrs) is for walnut and banana muffins. Made with olive oil, instead of butter/marg. Sweetened mostly by the black bananas you use, plus a bit of honey or agave syrup. I used the latter, but half the recommended amount. Next time, I'll leave it out altogether. They're an acquired taste (I'm a life-long sugar addict unfortunately), but the second (and third!!) weren't bad at all. If anyone would like the recipe, let me know.

So, while I'd never try to persuade people to take up a LCHF, without taking advice from their own GP, I can honestly say it's changed my life. In the past, I've been down the WW, Slimming World etc, and acknowledge they do seem to work for many people. However, their classes are full of 'returners' who've regained the weight they lost - and more. Been there, done that, won't be doing it again.

Apologies for the long post.

* Dr Michael Mosley also wrote the 5:2 diet, and is a big fan of IE (Intermittent Eating). He's written extensively on the subject of both.
** Prof Roy Taylor's research was partly funded by the British Diabetic Association, and continues to this day. Amazing man.

[Dominic]

Worth pointing out that you are the only person to mention the word "expert".

[Devil]

Everybody is an expert on their personal diet.

[JimX]

Been on the for 70 years, still fat, just another useless dieting fad!