Weekly 40+ hour fasts, 16 - 20 hour IF, and a good portion of the week Keto!

Height: 5’ 7”
Exercise: HIIT (Boxing, Kickboxing, and Functional 2x a week)

SW: 230+
CW: 199.6
GW: 160

Long story short, Ive been doing IF for 2.5 years now and it’s stopped working. I always stick to my eating window of 12-8 and only drink water outside of this time. I usually have two meals a day - lunch and dinner.

In the first year and a half it worked really well but in the past year I’ve been slowly gaining weight. I am not yet back up to my original weight but I am worried that I will be within a year if it carries on like this.

I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and is there a way to overcome it.

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm completely new to intermittent fasting and would really appreciate some guidance.

I have around 15 kg to lose, and I also have insulin resistance. My doctor has suggested that I start intermittent fasting, but with proper guidance, as I'm not sure how to begin or which approach would be best for me.

I'd love to hear from people who have experience with intermittent fasting:

• How should a complete beginner get started?

• Which fasting schedule is best to start with — 12:12, 14:10, or 16:8?

• Are there any common mistakes I should avoid, especially with insulin resistance?

• Do you know any reliable YouTube channels, videos, or qualified professionals who can guide me through the process?

I'm not looking for any extreme fasting methods or quick fixes. I want to approach this safely, build a sustainable routine, and lose weight in a healthy way.

If you've been through a similar journey or know someone who can help, I'd be really grateful for your suggestions. Thank you! 🙏❤️

I have had success previously with doing intermittent fasting, where my eating window was 12 to 8, and i would work out around 4. I have put on a few more pounds since then and have been IFing again to try to get back down using the same eating window. I really like working out in the morning before work and having the evening to relax, but i have hesrd some concerning info about how working out fasted depletes muscle. I do have about 30 lbs of extra fat so should i be concered for right now since i have fat in reserve? If i make sure to eat more protein will that help as well? Or am i just going to have to live with choosing between IF and morning workouts?

My feeding window is 12-8pm with badminton between 5-7 pm. So i eat a dinner right after that but i've struggled to get that meal right. Many times I am craving all sorts of carbs next morning and I break the fast. The meal needs to provide appropriate post activity nutrition plus help recovery, this is critical . As the last meal of that day before a 16 hr fast, it must also be very satiating.

What could such a meal look like?

Everytime i’ve tried to fast in the past it’s always turned into me binge eating half of my pantry and feeling like absolute shit after.

My current routine that may be causing this problem is that i’m only eating breakfast and dinner, my meals will vary however lunch hours is only water water water. The main point on why lunch is my fasting hour is because I don’t know how many calories is in my food while i’m at school…

I really just want tips to where I can fix my fasting to help me lose weight and to not cause another binge.

Im planning to shoot for 14 hours to start. From 9am to 7pm. Since I work a first shift 6am to 3pm schedule monday to friday start at 6 to 7am depending on hours, and then 2 nights a 4 hour shift at a gas station, then sunday morning whenever I make it in. My first break being at 9am.

Would it be an issues if I start fasting earlier on the nights where its possible thought. So the fast ends up. So instead of going until 7pm, starting at 6pm, or on the weekend when I sleep in a bit, ending fast at 11am?

Starting week 5 (5/2 schedule, 47M, 6'0"). Week 4 was harder. Had family in town and wanted to indulge as much as others. I managed to schedule my fasts around the visit, so that worked. And I enjoyed some good eating but managed to keep portions reasonable and also not going back for 2nds (or 3rds, which would be typical with my family!). No so much exercise! So my progress was slowed, but I'm calling it a win! Today everyone left early, so starting my week with a fasting day and some coffee in a quiet house!

Oh, and I achieved my unofficial goal from last week which was to have my average weight for the week ending Sunday to be under 200 (it was 199.7)!

What drinks help you get through long fasting windows? 24+ hours?

Today I was trying on my suit as I have a wedding to attend next week. When I put it on and showed my wife she started laughing and told me " you look like a kid wearing his dads suit🤣". Those words gave me all the motivation I need,to see the last few pounds through!

I‘m down 2.5 lbs this week, so 8.5 lbs lost in total. As always very satisfied with it. I must say I had a really good IF week. I didn’t manage to expand my fasting window to 18:6 but I tracked my calories more accurately and made sure to be around 1800 cals daily, with a good mix of red and white meat, steamed and braised veggies or big salads, avocado, seeds, eggs as well as some fruits and Greek yogurt for desert. I particularly loved eating kiwis this week, didn’t remember them being so sweet and deliciously tangy! But I tend to find any food abnormally tasty these days ^^

I still had a bit of trouble sleeping through the nights, the keto brain still had me wake up at 4 am sharp like a mad clock. But then I unexpectedly walked around a lot at work on Wednesday, came home exhausted and slept like a baby that night. So I figured I need to tire myself a bit more as my stamina improves and so I went a bit further on my next walk and the sleep problem is resolved… for now. And when I sleep well I tend to get a big woosh and weight drops. So yeah, sleep is the real deal!

Starting March 2026, I started at 220. I’m down to 166 as of today and I’m so so proud of myself! I never thought I could do it but I DIT IT!! I’m 5’1 37 years old and haven’t been this weight for 15 years! If I can do it, you certainly can😜🥰 GW is 140

More than 3 weeks of another IF series is completed.
This time I connected it with preordered keto diet for week days, and results accumulate.

What I noticed, for me it's much easier to keep fasting, when I am already committed to some diet. Otherwise have some issues with staying accountable, especially in the evenings (I can eat nothing till noon with ease).

Diet is with me till end of November, so I am excited about results by that date.

A couple of months ago I started fasting (16:8) and I’ve been loving it. After years of struggling to shift any weight at all, I’ve started to notice the difference.

It feels like a lot of empty water weight I was carrying has finally started to go and I feel the best I’ve felt in years. I’m seeing this as a total lifestyle change, not a temporary diet.

As I’m so new to all of this, and because I’ve read so many amazing stories on here, I wondered if anyone has any recommendations or suggestions to improve on the 16:8? I’ve still got a way to go in terms of weight loss, and obviously it needs to be something easy enough to stick to. I just wondered if there’s anything you can do to better the results and increase loss? Thanks!

During 2024, I weighed 220 pounds, and because of my accidental fasting, I lost 30 pounds (down to 190 pounds) and then later I kept fasting until I went to 150 pounds (meaning I've lost 70 pounds) by 2025.

However, because of the old weight scale not working, I kept eating and eating. I didn't think much about that. Then Mom, Jeb and I got a new weight scale, and I've noticed after using that I've gained back 40 pounds. I currently weight 195-197 pounds. My older sibling Jeb told me that it would take six months for me to fast until I get back to 150 pounds.

Are there any methods on fasting faster? Just curious.

I am 47 year old female, went through two c-sections within the last 7 years, and narrowly survived maternal sepsis. The fallout from the sepsis and PPD pretty much destroyed me. I want to regain my life back, so here I am trying to win at it. It was easier than I thought it would be. Just water, Relyte, multivitamin, and staying busy.

These are my results from this fast and the measurements are via the FitIndex scale plus the app. I’m too embarrassed and ashamed of myself to post my current weight. Maybe when I reach my goal, I’ll post it. Just want to give others hope that are in the same position that I am. I am trying to lose 70 lbs in a year, as I did it before about 16 years ago.

Has anyone here had success with rolling 72s? I would love to know the results. Thank you!

I don’t like to eat before working out, so I wanted to try to workout while I’m fasting but im worried that i could be too tired after it or have any health issues since i lift heavy weights

Does anyone working out during fasting

I am quietly resentful when others' requests throw a monkey wrench into my 8 hour eating window, especially when it just opens or it is about to close. Besides setting aside time to eat, I also walk after each meal. I feel consistency is key to IF and do not want to deviate from my set window.

Is it lame to tell people that you cannot accommodate them, for instance, because you don't want to delay your first meal after your fast ends? On the surface, it does seem lame. However, at 63 yo, I feel I can finally put myself first and be a little selfish with my time, especially when it comes to a regiment which keeps me healthy. Maybe I should just lie and tell them I play pickleball at that time, lol.

I tried IF 10 years ago and had good results. My relationship with hunger and food improved too. But I used to feel extremely weak next day and after a couple of months i stopped. It could be because i wasnt getting enough protein in my diet back then.

I feel mentally, 5:2 is easier than daily 16:8 as you have to push through only for two days and could eat at maintenance on the remaining days.

But i don't see people talking about 5:2 these days? Any idea? Is anyone still following 5:2?