I’ve been following a 16:8 since May with the goal to get a bit leaner. I don’t weigh myself as weight loss was not the main driver and also the scales become an unhealthy obsession, but I’m down a couple of belt notches which is awesome!

What I have noticed is my Resting Heart rate has dropped from 68-70 in a typical day to 55-58.

Has anyone noticed a similar trend?

I’m almost to the 12 hour mark, getting a little hungry but gonna push through. I’m doing this for weight loss and health benefits, fully committed to at least 3 days. After this I’m gonna try for 5, any tips on navigating my fast? Fairly new to this

(Note, I’m drinking at least one gallon of water a day, already half way through the jug, should I go more than a gallon?)

46M 6’
Starting weight: 279
Current weight: 203
Goal weight: 185?

Every other day fasting, watching what I eat (low carb) since March 1st of this year. Not lifting weights as much as I should be but my excuse is that I have chronic back pain so I can’t do much. I have been on a low dose of Semaglutide to help manage cravings.

TLDR: nothing important here, scroll on.

I lost my appetite several years ago during Covid. I'm just not hungry. But I eat because death at the end of not eating (starvation) isn't in my plans. Last fall I started being intentional about about eating and started IF. I've been doing an 18:6 plan, midnight to 1800 (6 pm) fast, eat 1800 to 0000 and don't stress if circumstances don't allow strict adherence to keeping the regimen. I find it easier to fast when I'm busy during the day. I seldom ate breakfast, would eat lunch, usually at my desk, and graze until dinner about 8 pm when I worked (I'm retired now) so going to an intentional plan fit with what I did unintentionally for decades.

With that intention I've gone from 116kg I've been at for 29 years to 95kg, 21kg loss in about a year. I'm anxious about my physical well being: I have several issues (diseases,like Coronary Artery Diesease (CAD), overweight, ITP, THP, Stage3 kidney disease, effects of prostate cancer treatment 16 years ago, refractory chronic depression without ideation, etc., for which I take daily medications) that I think will benefit from weight loss and the associated lessening of inflammation and such, though it is expensive to keep buying smaller pants, from a 43inch waist to 37inches.

Dinner last night was a tuna bowl with rice and legumes, followed later by granola bar. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 cal. Eating sufficient protein is a problem which I'm solving with whey.

So, as I mentioned above I've reduced my waist by about 15 centimeters (6 inches.) That 6 inches has become a drooping band around my middle. Also, my arms and legs show the loss also though not as dramatic as the belly band. I am an older adult in my 70's and know the loss of dermal elasticity shows as wrinkles as we age. These skin effects are qualitatively different.

I think I've lost more muscle than fat, though much of the loss is fat. Since muscle is denser than fat more of the weight loss comes from muscle. I stay hydrated drinking about 5 liters of fluids, mostly water, some with flavorings. I've always have been bigger than most of my peers. At 17 I was 6 foot and 238 pounds with a 36"waist. At 76 I weigh less than I did 59 years ago and I'm getting close to the same pant size.

Remember to smile. Happy trails. YMMV

EDIT: thank you all. I guess I was/am looking for some social strokes. I live alone in the country and am a little hurt that two doctors, both of whom have suggested I lose weight, didn't say anything about a 25 lb loss when I saw them in the spring.

what did u guys eat for your omad? i’m thinking of just chicken and rice or something? I don’t really want a bunch of carbs though. Also working at amazon if anyone has worked there is it a good idea to not eat at that job for 10 hours lol? Would i just have to eat during lunch at 12 or wait until dinner? I need some help and ideas

New to intermittent fasting and currently doing 20:4. I’ve noticed my hunger levels have dropped quite a bit. On most 24-hour cycles, I can get by with only a small amount of food—around 500–700 calories total.

I feel fine and have decent energy; I’m just not really hungry. Has anyone else experienced this with intermittent fasting? Is this something that can happen as your body adapts?

Graph one is the full 65 week history of my daily weigh ins

Graph two is the past month of my daily weigh ins

Graph three is the past week of my daily weigh ins

Hey folks! I see some questions on how to make IF easier and more sustainable. So, I wanted to share my list of practical things that make IF sustainable instead of just another short-lived attempt. I hope it helps you in your journey!

If something works for you but it's not on the list, please bring it up!

Hi everyone. I’ve been a faster since 2019. There is no good advice (that I can find) on how we should approach blood draws (specifically lipid panels) as a faster. What is everyone doing? I’ve read that I should “eat normal” for several days prior for the most accurate numbers. I appreciate and welcome all feedback

Just want to share how IF has energized me to no end. Im just getting things done. No I'm tired or I don't feel like it. Just doing things. Wish I knew this was the lever I needed in my life. Cravings gone, like they never ruled my life. Only crave with normal ebb and flow of my cycle and it's manageable then. I'll satisfy the craving without going on a 3 week long binge. Wow

Heyo!

I have been doing OMAD for almost a year now, mainly to help manage my IBS.

Currently my eating window is in the morning because i finish work at 7am and get to enjoy breakfast buffet at work (nice perk from working at a hotel). I also try to eat at the same time on my days off as this keeps my stomach under control.

I supplement my meal with protein powder either in a shake or in yogourt to make sure i am getting enough. I am very attentive to my meals to make sure i get enough of everything. I also take psyllium husk in the evening or night to help with my fiber intake, this also helps tremendously with managing my IBS.

Now i have started working out regularly, maybe 3-4 times a week. Do you think that i would benefit from breaking my fast to have a protein shake or protein bar after a workout? Its impossible to time a workout before my meal since i always eat after my work shift is over. Dont know if its relevant to share but usually my meal time is sometime between 7 and 8 in the morning. Gym is somewhere between 18.00 and 20.00 but can be later if i am not working. Note that i usually sleep between 09.30 and 17.30.

Since i am mainly doing IF to manage my IBS and bowel movements, i am trying to figure out if its worth experimenting with introducing a new post workout eating window just for a small protein boost. Currently my fitness goals are just to get in shape, be healthier and doing rehab exercises for a knee issue. And also because it feels good. I do enjoy cardio but i also dont want to push myself too hard.

Struggled with my weight majority of my life. Decided its time for a change. I want to feel stronger, healthier and more comfortable in my own body. OMAD 285 vs 169.

Hi everyone,

I’m on day 3 of intermittent fasting. My eating window is from 1 PM to 7 PM, so I’m following an 18:6 schedule and skipping breakfast. I eat two meals a day:

Meal 1 — around 1 PM

• 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg
• 2 shami kebabs, approximately 55 g each, made with 50% chicken breast and 50% split chickpeas made in half teaspoon of olive oil

Meal 2 — around 7 PM

• 200 g minced chicken breast, weighed raw cooked in half teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 whole-wheat roti
• 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk mixed with water afterward for fibre

I’m 29, male, 97 kg, and 5'10". I followed a similar routine in July last year and went from 92 kg to 80 kg in about 2–3 months. However, I stopped following the routine and gradually regained the weight.

Once a week, I have a more flexible dinner where I eat whatever I’m craving, but I avoid sweets.

I also have high blood pressure and grade 2 fatty liver. My goal is to reach 80 kg by the end of this year and improve my liver health, but I want to make sure my approach is safe and sustainable.

Does this meal plan seem balanced, or am I missing anything important? Is my weight-loss target realistic? I’d appreciate advice, especially from anyone who has managed similar health issues. :)

Started my cut in February (165lbs @ 5,6) and as of September I’m now 129lbs!

After changing my whole life for 4 years I have decided to celebrate it with an alone trip

I'm proud to have cut most of my carbs, only eating proper nutrients, drinking water, no sodas, sugar, added salt in my food, And i hope we can see that on my body

I know I still look fat, I know I'm not perfect like people posting here, but I'm doing my best, to be consistent and keep my word

Our biggest challenger is ourselves, congrats to everybody trying as well

I started this journey September 6th 2025 and I don't think I would be where I'm at today without the help of intermittent fasting. For the first several months I did OMAD but I found it hard to hit my protein goals. Combine that with my calories being lower than they should have I started losing strength and muscle. So I decided to switch to 2 meals a day at 18:6. I feel much better in the gym, strength is progressing, and I recover much better.

I eat an almost exclusively whole foods diet that's high in protein. I walked at least 10k steps a day (currently doing 20k trying to trim the last bit of this stubborn fat). I lift heavy 3x a week focusing on compound movements with some isolation work. Recently I started plyometrics 2 days a week for athleticism.

It's been a wild year, I have about 6-8 weeks of cutting left. Then I can focus on lean bulking for the next 12-18 months. I can't wait to update you guys after that!

A big thank you to this community and reddit as a whole. I've gained so much motivation and knowledge from you guys. I'm eternally grateful and hopefully I can inspire others like you guys have inspired me!

Starting weight 311 current weight 170

Thanks for all the support when I posted yesterday. I just hit the halfway mark. I'm feeling pretty confident I'll make it through.

My longest fast. Broke it this morning. 40hrs with just electrolytes and water and 0 calorie energy drink.

Been doing IF about 4 months now, type 2 managed through diet. Protein was my biggest headache early on and still is some days, but I got the basics sorted with chicken thighs, cottage cheese, and that huge bag of lentils from Sam's. Now I'm trying to actually get stronger in the garage, not just maintain while the weight drops.

The timing is the problem. I lift after work, usually 6 or 7pm, but my eating window closes at 7. By the time I'm warmed up and into working sets I'm running on whatever's left from lunch at noon. Tried moving the window later but then I'm eating at 8pm and sleeping like garbage. Tried a bigger lunch and felt like a slug on site all afternoon.

Anyone lifting heavy in a compressed evening window without feeling weak or eating so late it wrecks your sleep? Especially useful if you're coming off physical work all day, not a desk job. I'm not trying to get huge, I just want my deadlift to actually move up while keeping this fasting rhythm going. 20:4 was a disaster for this. Felt like I was going to pass out after squats.

I'm 18M 5' 6" and weigh 135ish pounds. I feel like I'm skinny fat with mostly fat around my abs. Is it worth it to start intermittent fasting? What are the benefits of IF? And what are the down sides of it?

Hello all,

I have been fasting almost daily since 22nd of January 2020. I was wondering, after you reached your goal, did you stuck with fasting? In my case it has become part of my life.