intermittent fasting effect

[cephissus]

i've been trying out intermittent fasting again for the past two weeks, and i noticed pretty routinely i start feeling a lot better about 5-6 hours after i wake up.  in the morning i feel "heavy", sluggish, sore, and have trouble focusing but after about 1 pm or so i relax, feeling "light", very focused, alert, and pain free.

i'm wondering if this is the "mental sharpness" so many IFers talk about, and what its cause could be.  also, seems like 99% of ifers are coffee addicts, so i also guess maybe they slide straight from their caffeine high into this 'mode', never experiencing the shitty mornings; hence the rave reviews...

anyway, has anyone had a similar experience?  if so, do you know why it happens?  i noticed it doesn't seem to happen if i eat even a small amount in the morning, so i'm guessing it might be adrenaline / liver glycogen breakdown (to stabilize blood glucose).  hoping to do some more research soon.

[The True Adonis]

i've been trying out intermittent fasting again for the past two weeks, and i noticed pretty routinely i start feeling a lot better about 5-6 hours after i wake up.  in the morning i feel "heavy", sluggish, sore, and have trouble focusing but after about 1 pm or so i relax, feeling "light", very focused, alert, and pain free.

i'm wondering if this is the "mental sharpness" so many IFers talk about, and what its cause could be.  also, seems like 99% of ifers are coffee addicts, so i also guess maybe they slide straight from their caffeine high into this 'mode', never experiencing the shitty mornings; hence the rave reviews...

anyway, has anyone had a similar experience?  if so, do you know why it happens?  i noticed it doesn't seem to happen if i eat even a small amount in the morning, so i'm guessing it might be adrenaline / liver glycogen breakdown (to stabilize blood glucose).  hoping to do some more research soon.

I have been doing it for years just by default.  I never have liked eating breakfast, so usually I go to about 5-6 pm when I first eat.  I usually eat all my calories by 8 pm to somewhere about 3 am or so.  The mental clarity etc... is most likely placebo effect to be honest with you.  In fact, all the nonsense claimed is pretty much placebo.

What I notice IF or not, it makes ZERO difference when you are just keeping track of calories per 24 hour period.  It really does not matter if you IF or not.

[cephissus]

The mental clarity etc... is most likely placebo effect to be honest with you.  In fact, all the nonsense claimed is pretty much placebo.

probably true.  still, it's very striking and consistent in my case, or at least has been for about two weeks now.  It's piqued my curiosity, so I'll see if it persists...

[Primemuscle]

i've been trying out intermittent fasting again for the past two weeks, and i noticed pretty routinely i start feeling a lot better about 5-6 hours after i wake up.  in the morning i feel "heavy", sluggish, sore, and have trouble focusing but after about 1 pm or so i relax, feeling "light", very focused, alert, and pain free.

i'm wondering if this is the "mental sharpness" so many IFers talk about, and what its cause could be.  also, seems like 99% of ifers are coffee addicts, so i also guess maybe they slide straight from their caffeine high into this 'mode', never experiencing the shitty mornings; hence the rave reviews...

anyway, has anyone had a similar experience?  if so, do you know why it happens?  i noticed it doesn't seem to happen if i eat even a small amount in the morning, so i'm guessing it might be adrenaline / liver glycogen breakdown (to stabilize blood glucose).  hoping to do some more research soon.

Why are you fasting? Is it intentional or circumstantial?

To truly fast, I would think that you'd have to cut out all foods including coffee. The only thing you could have is water, so as to not to become dehydrated.

Personally, I have never been a proponent of doing such extreme things. There is a rebound affect which is counterproductive if you are trying to lose weight.

[Simple Simon]

and the guy with various eating disorders tries another one.

this wont end well.

[WOOO]

Why are you fasting? Is it intentional or circumstantial?

To truly fast, I would think that you'd have to cut out all foods including coffee. The only thing you could have is water, so as to not to become dehydrated.

Personally, I have never been a protonate of doing such extreme things. There is a rebound affect which is counterproductive if you are trying to lose weight.

Proponent?




I've done IF for several years. There's a hormone release involved. It's nothing major but I also function better this way. I eat most calories between 1pm-7pm. Coffee in the morning. No calories though. Lots of waste and green tea. Occasionally Caraway seeds if I have digestive issues.

[da_vinci]

I have been doing it for years just by default.  I never have liked eating breakfast, so usually I go to about 5-6 pm when I first eat.  I usually eat all my calories by 8 pm to somewhere about 3 am or so.  The mental clarity etc... is most likely placebo effect to be honest with you.  In fact, all the nonsense claimed is pretty much placebo.

What I notice IF or not, it makes ZERO difference when you are just keeping track of calories per 24 hour period.  It really does not matter if you IF or not.

It actually matters a lot. Just by doing IF by leangains method (it's a semi-IF, too short for real autophagy to kick in but enough to increase insulin sensitivity/etc..) I've changed my body composition significantly, no more bloat and a lot less morning lethargy after eating breakfast (I postpone it to 2pm), all that by eating the same food, the same amount.

[dr.chimps]

and the guy with various eating disorders tries another one.

this wont end well.

Good call. First thing I thought of. 

[Yamcha]

Ceph,

I have a friend like you. He is OCD about food and it is spiraling out of control.  He practically centers his life around food, and he gets upset/angry/pissy if he doesn't hit his macros, misses a meal, whatever.
His wife is seriously considering leaving him. She asks to go out to dinner, go for a drink, ANYTHING, but he usually refuses unless the meal is planned days in advance. This food obsession is starting to affect other areas of their relationship as well, most notably their sex life. She just wants a MAN, not a pussy.

I see a lot of you in him.

And you will both die alone.

[Grape Ape]

Why are you fasting? Is it intentional or circumstantial?

To truly fast, I would think that you'd have to cut out all foods including coffee. The only thing you could have is water, so as to not to become dehydrated.

Personally, I have never been a protonate of doing such extreme things. There is a rebound affect which is counterproductive if you are trying to lose weight.

This is intermittent fasting (IF)....not a full fast.  Basically having a feeding window of 7-8 hours and not eating the other 16-17.

[NaturalWonder83]

I love if
Whenever I do get a bit hungry in the am before breaking my fast the hunger always goes away
I find when I push my fast to 18-20 hours my energy gets even better and my thinking gets really clear

[drkaje]

The "mental clarity" is probably from a temporary bump in blood sugar.

[pellius]

If your goal is to lose weight IF is definitely the way to go. You can keep your calories low, keep blood sugar low for an extended period of time (which is more conducive to fat burning) and it's painless. You don't feel like you are dieting at all. At least that how it was for me because I've never been hungry in the morning. And everyone I know also isn't hungry in the am. I always ate breakfast because of the "most important meal of the day" BS.

When I did it, it wasn't because I wanted to lose weight. I just got lazy and didn't want to bother with breakfast and just ate when I started to get hungry. That worked out to around a 16 hour fast a day and by then I could only get two meals in. Sometimes I could work in a snack which was usually a nutrition bar that was around 200 cals. But not because I got hungry. I was surprise how long I could go without getting hungry. I use to eat four times a day and cutting out those two meals was effortless.

Problem for me is that I lost too much weight. I went from already twinkish 185 lb to 173 llbs in about a month. I was pretty ripped but just too stringy and frail looking. So I'm back to having breakfast but now I just make a nice cold smoothie with apple juice, frozen strawberries, banana, some olive oil, about 35 grams of whey protein and some fiber powder (psyllium husk). It's pretty refreshing and goes down easy.

[dr.chimps]

If your goal is to lose weight IF is definitely the way to go. You can keep your calories low, keep blood sugar low for an extended period of time (which is more conducive to fat burning) and it's painless. You don't feel like you are dieting at all. At least that how it was for me because I've never been hungry in the morning. And everyone I know also isn't hungry in the am. I always ate breakfast because of the "most important meal of the day" BS.

When I did it, it wasn't because I wanted to lose weight. I just got lazy and didn't want to bother with breakfast and just ate when I started to get hungry. That worked out to around a 16 hour fast a day and by then I could only get two meals in. Sometimes I could work in a snack which was usually a nutrition bar that was around 200 cals. But not because I got hungry. I was surprise how long I could go without getting hungry. I use to eat four times a day and cutting out those two meals was effortless.

Problem for me is that I lost too much weight. I went from already twinkish 185 lb to 173 llbs in about a month. I was pretty ripped but just too stringy and frail looking. So I'm back to having breakfast but now I just make a nice cold smoothie with apple juice, frozen strawberries, banana, some olive oil, about 35 grams of whey protein and some fiber powder (psyllium husk). It's pretty refreshing and goes down easy.

Long post on fasting!? Are you even self-evident!? 

[pellius]

Long post on fasting!? Are you even self-evident!? 

You should try it. Might be just the thing to get rid of that gut of yours.

[CalvinH]

You should try it. Might be just the thing to get rid of that gut of yours.

Me and chimps are more fans of intermittent fatting

[dr.chimps]

Me and chimps are more fans of intermittent fatting

[SF1900]

and the guy with various eating disorders tries another one.

this wont end well.

This.

I remember when he posted his pics months back. He seriously looked like he was on deaths door. Looked lean to the point of unhealthy. Now he's trying another crazy diet. 

[El Diablo Blanco]

There is a hump I always need to get over.  I feel the same sluggishness for a bit but it's more than just not enough sleep, but then I'll get hungry, crave caffeine but if I fight through it about an hour later I don't crave food and feel like I'm running full tilt for most of the day.  it gets to the point where I can easily go back to bed without food but I end up eating something just because.

[Primemuscle]

Proponent?




I've done IF for several years. There's a hormone release involved. It's nothing major but I also function better this way. I eat most calories between 1pm-7pm. Coffee in the morning. No calories though. Lots of waste and green tea. Occasionally Caraway seeds if I have digestive issues.

Thanks for catching this. It's fixed now.

I guess I was thinking of longer fasting. Skipping a meal seems find. 

[ritch]

I'm actually opening up to this idea now. Not gonna do it as I lean out very easily but it seems to work for many and most people just won't get in 6 meals a day now. People are simply not willing to do it.

This fits their needs and can possibly work.

But not to build mass.

[Papper]

Since I realized the 5 meals a day thing is a fraud, I've comfortably gone to doing what I am made for. Not eating breakfast. Eating a small lunch and then eating a bigger dinner. Lower cals. Stomach less upset. Mind is clearer and less sluggish, ie the "high" or alertness whatever you call it.

Also feels great to just listen to your body and focus on other things than meals everyday.

[ritch]

Since I realized the 5 meals a day thing is a fraud, I've comfortably gone to doing what I am made for. Not eating breakfast. Eating a small lunch and then eating a bigger dinner. Lower cals. Stomach less upset. Mind is clearer and less sluggish, ie the "high" or alertness whatever you call it.

Also feels great to just listen to your body and focus on other things than meals everyday.

Not trying to be a smart ass, but what are your stats please?
If 6 feet tall, under 200lbs, no need to reply...

[El Diablo Blanco]

Since I realized the 5 meals a day thing is a fraud, I've comfortably gone to doing what I am made for. Not eating breakfast. Eating a small lunch and then eating a bigger dinner. Lower cals. Stomach less upset. Mind is clearer and less sluggish, ie the "high" or alertness whatever you call it.

Also feels great to just listen to your body and focus on other things than meals everyday.

Not so true.  When jacked on gear, HGH and Insulin those 5 meals are essential, but no gear then yes I agree with you

[calfzilla]

I love if
Whenever I do get a bit hungry in the am before breaking my fast the hunger always goes away
I find when I push my fast to 18-20 hours my energy gets even better and my thinking gets really clear

Gene, scientists have actually done studies on mice and found that when they run the maze in a fasted state, they do a better job remembering how to get out.