Calorie restricting or intermittent fasting for weight loss? How I lost 100 pounds mixing it up

 There's a lot of discussion among weight loss gurus as to whether calorie restricting or intermittent fasting works best to lose weight. Obesity expert Dr. Now of "My 600 lb Life" puts his gastric bypass patients on a 1200 calorie diet. While sources like Eat This Not That lean toward intermittent fasting. I'm no expert but I did lose weight and lots of it. Part of how I lost 100 pounds was to mix it up. 

I follow a 1200 calorie diet but I also occasionally skip meals, which is essentially intermittent fasting. I have also used a bread and water fast 2 days a week, essentially the 5:2 diet, and lost 35 lb without even trying. I can't go all day without eating. And it's not recommended even for those with morbid obesity on "My 600-lb Life." Even the intermittent fasting theorists don't advise full day fasts. Time restricted feeding, eating only in an 8 hour period is more preferable for weight loss. 

Unfortunately, neither the 5:2 diet nor time restricted feeding would work to lose weight with "My 600-lb Life" type obesity. Time restricted feeding does not address what to eat only when. The 5:2 diet lets you eat whatever you want for 5 days. Most people got overweight because of the foods they eat. That's why Dr. Now's 1200 calorie diet requires not only calorie restricting but changing eating habits for pre and post  gastric bypass weight loss.

I lost 100 pounds, without gastric bypass,  using a combination diet plans. I follow time restricted feeding with calorie restricting. I flip flop the 5:2 diet to 5 days of 1200 calorie diet and 2 days of bread and water fast. Sometimes I do 6:1, 6 days dieting and one cheat day.  And I change it up as needed. I found that weight loss stalled when I did the same thing, even the right thing, for too long. If what I am doing isn't working to lose weight, I try something else. Sometimes that means eating more. That sounds weird but it's how I lost 100 pounds ❤️😀

How I lost 35 pounds on a bread and water fast: spiritual fasting benefits

There's some controversy about intermittent fasting (AKA time restricted feeing or 5:2 diet) as a way to lose weight. Going without eating for long stretches, even if you're overweight, can be dangerous. But I found that a spiritual bread and water fast is beneficial health-wise and for weight loss. I lost 35 pounds without trying, thanks to spiritual fasting. 

Spiritual benefits of intermittent fasting: I'm Catholic and 30 years ago, I started following a bread and water fast twice a week on an invitation from our Blessed Mother. Getting my mind off food helped me focus on God. Not thinking about weight loss helped too. 

Emotional benefits of intermittent fasting. I thought I'd feel cranky and tired on a bread and water fast. Actually, I felt calmer on this 5:2 diet (five days normal eating, two days spiritual fasting). It was almost euphoric. I had strength to do my work and care for my kids. 

Physical benefits of time restricted feeding. Research shows the intermittent aids obesity, diabetes, hypertension and lowers cholesterol. It boosts metabolism that being overweight slows down. 

Weight loss benefits of spiritual fasting: I was overweight when I started the bread and water fast but weight loss never occurred to me. After a few months of this 5:2 diet, a friend said I looked a lot slimmer. I weighed myself and found I did lose weight: 35 pounds! I'd dropped two dress sizes and several inches off my waist.

Intermittent fasting guidelines. A bread and water fast is our calling as Catholics.  But you can amend if you're trying to lose weight with gluten free or keto diet, . Although some religious fasts require daily observance, I found that fasting on Wednesday and Friday works best. I used a modified time restricted feeding or 16:8 diet (8 hours eating, 16 not). Mine was more like 12 on, 12 off. I ate half a piece of bread every 1-2 hours, drank lots of water and took vitamin and took supplements. I didn't binge after fasting and ramped into full meals slowly (as I would after being ill).

Stay tuned for more updates on how I lost 100 pounds a few years ago.

How I lost weight with spiritual intermittent fasting

I've been blogging about how I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass. But did I ever tell you the story of how I lost 35 pounds without even thinking about weight loss? 30 years ago, I followed a Catholic bread and water fast. It never entered my mind that I would lose weight. And I realized that this spiritual fasting is the same thing as the trending intermittent fasting diet AKA ADF (alternate day fasting) or the 5:2 diet. 

I started spiritual fasting after attending a retreat devoted to Our Lady of Medjugorje. In her apparition, the Blessed Mother Mary called the faithful to a bread and water fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. For a few months, I practiced alternate day fasting, or the 5:2 diet (eat normally for five days, restrict calories for two). This also resembles time restricted feeding where you only eat during certain hours of the day. 

I'd given birth about six months previous and was still carrying some baby fat. I never worried much about weight loss after having a baby. Being a busy mom, time restricted feeding and intermittent fasting was no problem, LOL. Active parents usually eat too little, not too much! In this pregnancy it  took longer to lose weight but I didn't notice. However, after a few months of the bread and water fast, someone mentioned how much thinner I looked. I had lost 35 pounds. 

Is intermittent fasting just a fad? Is it safe? Well, the 5:2 diet helped me lose weight. Maybe it was because I was focused on spiritual improvement and not just weight loss. I can't go all day without eating so I do time restricted feeding (the 16:8 diet, fasting 16 and not fasting for 8 hours). I never got cranky or felt starved. In fact, I felt great on the bread and water fast. 

Do you have to eat keto bread on the bread and water fast? Nope, I just ate good ole cheap Admiral bread (about 3-4 slices during the spiritual fasting period). I didn't adhere to any time restricted feeding, per se. And if you're going for weight loss you can eat other foods and lose weight. Neither the 16:8 diet nor ADF (alternate day fasting) specify what you eat. In fact it's sometimes called the fasting and feasting diet. This works great for gluten free and keto diet people. 

Stay tuned for more on how I lost 100 pounds.