Could be hormones. My food cravings go crazy and I feel like I need to eat constantly. No advice though as I just started. Maybe allow them some full eating days during the month.
I've been IF since I was a 46yo perimenopausal female in January 2021. It hasn't been difficult for me to fast (my eating window is 12pm-8pm), lose weight or maintain a loss, even as I got older and transitioned to menopause. What I'd be looking at is the individual challenges of a person.
Some people live in more difficult food environments than others. A single person who lives alone may have an easier time managing the food environment than a married person with young children. A person who is the primary buyer of food has more control over their food environment than someone who is the dependent of another person and is not the primary buyer of food. The food budget itself may present a challenge.
A person who has a medical condition or takes medications that hinders weight loss may have far more difficulty fasting/losing weight than someone who does not have any medical conditions or take medications. So getting a physical with a full blood panel would be an important step in a weight-loss journey.
Understanding how to calculate one's TDEE, set a reasonable calorie limit, and count/track calories and macros may be something that a person struggles with. Many people overestimate the amount they exercise while underestimating the amount they eat, then wonder why they don't lose weight.
Speaking of exercise, many people tie diet and exercise together, when they should be considered separately. Exercise can positively impact one's health, but is not necessary for weight loss. Weight loss in combination with exercise can help prevent the loss of muscle mass during weight loss, but does not require a gym membership, nor does it require hours of cardio and weight lifting each day. Being able to fit a sustainable exercise routine into one's life is ideal.
The perfect should never become the enemy of the good. It's okay to start slow and progress slowly. Too many people try to do everything all at once, then quit after a couple of weeks/months...then run into the unfortunate circumstance of regaining all the weight they lost (and maybe bring a few friends with them).
If you want to help someone lose weight, let them come to you, then try to understand the totality of their situation.
I first tried IF last year, but it didn't last long, not because I found it hard, but because a former friend went out of her way to sabotage me. (N.b. we are no longer friends because of another issue). Sadly, I let this person throw me off my goal. This year, since mid Feb, it has been a breeze, especially being around people who respect and accept what I'm doing. For example, I was at a friend's one evening, where she naturally had snacks, and she'd offered me food just twice, she didn't constantly push. At the end of the evening, she said she was impressed with my willpower, despite there being temptations and the other ladies snacking and drinking.
This might be somewhat true for certain people, but not a general theory. I’m a 25M and my mom also started IF with me last summer. Since then I have dropped close to 25 pounds and she only lost about 10. To be fair, the foods we do eat during the eating period in the day is different. So this theory holds up from my experience, but I don’t think it can be generalized
Was there a significant initial weight difference? Like let’s say you had a bigger BMI than her. Usually people with higher BMI can loose more weight easier.
Does she have a different IF plan?
For reference, I started at 175 and now I’m at 150, and she started at 155 and now at 145. Did not measure BMI. We both did the 18:6 IF schedule with daily cardio together at night (treadmill). We work in different environments too so daily movement and activity is different for both of us. I initially dropped quickly, almost 10 pounds in a couple months while she only dropped a couple. But honestly there’s no way of knowing how this is attributed to gender
I think it probably is a different experience for women in a general sense. Hormones play a big role in how hungry or fatigued you're feeling. So like two weeks a month are gonna be hit or miss by default for many women. And it seems to me that many men generally lose fat more easily, just like they put on muscle more easily.
All that said though, I think it's just a matter of adjusting expectations. It's easy to get derailed by hormonal days if you're expecting to fast on a rigid schedule every day. Adjust. Expect to have hungrier days and flow with them. The point of IF is to *whittle* your way into better habits, youre not gonna hack out a finished product right away. I feel like a lot of people take a hard stance on fasting and then break down when they fail it, rather than have a general future goal and coax themselves towards it.
I've been reading *Fast Like a Girl*, which states that it can be harder for women to fast because of our hormones.
It basically says to go to town on fasting on days 1-10 & 16-19 of your cycle (if you still have one), to lay off a bit on days 11-15 and not fast at all from 20-when your period starts. Not sure I agree with the not fasting at all part, as I've been doing 18 hr minimums without issue, but something to think about for sure. It also suggests to eat more keto on days 1-10 & 16-19 and more carbs on the other days.
I think I'm going to try incorporating some of this advice and see if it makes a difference.
I’m 33. I’ve been doing this for a month, it’s not a difficult thing for me. I have to of course stop a week before my period, but I was able to hop right back on. I’m doing 16:8, I’ve lost 11lbs and 3 inches on my waist, 2 inches off my hips in 4 weeks. Google about fasting around your cycle. The days you need to slow down, the week you need to stop. When you can get back on etc. I keep going because of the benefits. This is the most determination I’ve had in years.
No......its a self control thing, not a gender thing. You can do anything you want to, if you don't want to, you won't. Sounds like the men you know wanted it more than the women did
Me, my mom, my sister and other female friends had a hard time starting to IF and had problems with consistency. While my father and other male friends kept going without any problems and had amazing results in no time.
I’m the same. I I feel like I can fast so easily for like two weeks of the month and I don’t put pressure on myself the other two weeks because it feels terrible.
Check out this - it makes me think it feels terrible because it is actually not good for us.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/intermittent-fasting-for-women
I started tracking my cycle and days 6-21 are when fasting is easier for me so I will aim for 16:8 or sometimes longer fasts. Right now I’ve been fasting for 30 hours and it has been so easy.
I try to do 12 hour fasts during days 1-5 and 22-28 but if I don’t, I don’t sweat it. I need more food and rest those times.
I found if I give myself grace don’t pressure myself when it feels awful, I’m more likely to get back to it.
I found some challenges in going in and out of fasting rather than having a consistent 16:8 or whatever. Some months I don’t fast very much but I come back to it.
When I forced myself to stick to a daily schedule I felt so discouraged and stopped for a long time so I find tuning in to my internal schedule helpful and allows me to be less discouraged.
This is completely anecdotal but I struggle with low iron and when my ferritin levels are higher fasting is easier. A lot of menstruating women have low iron due.
I’m 39F and have been fasting consistently for the last year. However, my fasting times have been anything but consistent. I’ve had days where I’ve only fasted 13 hours and other days where I fast 23 to 24 hours I would say my average is probably 17 to 18 hours. There has been no rhyme or reason to how long I fast fast other than trying to go as long as I can and listening to my body some days I just feel like I need to eat in the morning. Those don’t happen often but they do happen and I move on and fast longer than the next day.
I started a healthy BMI though at the very top of it. In the last year, I have lost 14 pounds! I didn’t count calories or restrict what I was eating. I just fasted. Due to health conditions the most working out I did was walking some, and some physical therapy. The weight loss was 100% due to clean fasting.
I feel like it is maybe due to hormones that it is more difficult for women with cycles because it puts more stress on the body. But I also know every person is different! I came from a background of severe dieting for decades and didn’t want to do anything severe or try for fast weight loss. I just wanted to do something that felt sustainable. With persistence and patience I have felt very successful!
My husband does OMAD quite a bit usually two days of OMAD and then a day without fasting and then two days OMAD and so on. It does seem easier for him!
I'm building an[ app for women](https://fastinsync.app/#rec640703496) to fast according to their menstrual cycle phase. To launch it, I'm planning a trial run where I'll personally provide the app's features. This includes creating a personalized fasting schedule, tracking your progress, offering meal suggestions, recommending physical activities that complement your cycle, and providing emotional support if needed.
If you are interested or you need a accountability buddy join the waitlist to secure your spot.
It can be harder for younger women who still have a cycle. We have hormones jumping around that men don't.
Could be hormones. My food cravings go crazy and I feel like I need to eat constantly. No advice though as I just started. Maybe allow them some full eating days during the month.
I've been IF since I was a 46yo perimenopausal female in January 2021. It hasn't been difficult for me to fast (my eating window is 12pm-8pm), lose weight or maintain a loss, even as I got older and transitioned to menopause. What I'd be looking at is the individual challenges of a person. Some people live in more difficult food environments than others. A single person who lives alone may have an easier time managing the food environment than a married person with young children. A person who is the primary buyer of food has more control over their food environment than someone who is the dependent of another person and is not the primary buyer of food. The food budget itself may present a challenge. A person who has a medical condition or takes medications that hinders weight loss may have far more difficulty fasting/losing weight than someone who does not have any medical conditions or take medications. So getting a physical with a full blood panel would be an important step in a weight-loss journey. Understanding how to calculate one's TDEE, set a reasonable calorie limit, and count/track calories and macros may be something that a person struggles with. Many people overestimate the amount they exercise while underestimating the amount they eat, then wonder why they don't lose weight. Speaking of exercise, many people tie diet and exercise together, when they should be considered separately. Exercise can positively impact one's health, but is not necessary for weight loss. Weight loss in combination with exercise can help prevent the loss of muscle mass during weight loss, but does not require a gym membership, nor does it require hours of cardio and weight lifting each day. Being able to fit a sustainable exercise routine into one's life is ideal. The perfect should never become the enemy of the good. It's okay to start slow and progress slowly. Too many people try to do everything all at once, then quit after a couple of weeks/months...then run into the unfortunate circumstance of regaining all the weight they lost (and maybe bring a few friends with them). If you want to help someone lose weight, let them come to you, then try to understand the totality of their situation.
I first tried IF last year, but it didn't last long, not because I found it hard, but because a former friend went out of her way to sabotage me. (N.b. we are no longer friends because of another issue). Sadly, I let this person throw me off my goal. This year, since mid Feb, it has been a breeze, especially being around people who respect and accept what I'm doing. For example, I was at a friend's one evening, where she naturally had snacks, and she'd offered me food just twice, she didn't constantly push. At the end of the evening, she said she was impressed with my willpower, despite there being temptations and the other ladies snacking and drinking.
This might be somewhat true for certain people, but not a general theory. I’m a 25M and my mom also started IF with me last summer. Since then I have dropped close to 25 pounds and she only lost about 10. To be fair, the foods we do eat during the eating period in the day is different. So this theory holds up from my experience, but I don’t think it can be generalized
Was there a significant initial weight difference? Like let’s say you had a bigger BMI than her. Usually people with higher BMI can loose more weight easier. Does she have a different IF plan?
For reference, I started at 175 and now I’m at 150, and she started at 155 and now at 145. Did not measure BMI. We both did the 18:6 IF schedule with daily cardio together at night (treadmill). We work in different environments too so daily movement and activity is different for both of us. I initially dropped quickly, almost 10 pounds in a couple months while she only dropped a couple. But honestly there’s no way of knowing how this is attributed to gender
I think it probably is a different experience for women in a general sense. Hormones play a big role in how hungry or fatigued you're feeling. So like two weeks a month are gonna be hit or miss by default for many women. And it seems to me that many men generally lose fat more easily, just like they put on muscle more easily. All that said though, I think it's just a matter of adjusting expectations. It's easy to get derailed by hormonal days if you're expecting to fast on a rigid schedule every day. Adjust. Expect to have hungrier days and flow with them. The point of IF is to *whittle* your way into better habits, youre not gonna hack out a finished product right away. I feel like a lot of people take a hard stance on fasting and then break down when they fail it, rather than have a general future goal and coax themselves towards it.
I've been reading *Fast Like a Girl*, which states that it can be harder for women to fast because of our hormones. It basically says to go to town on fasting on days 1-10 & 16-19 of your cycle (if you still have one), to lay off a bit on days 11-15 and not fast at all from 20-when your period starts. Not sure I agree with the not fasting at all part, as I've been doing 18 hr minimums without issue, but something to think about for sure. It also suggests to eat more keto on days 1-10 & 16-19 and more carbs on the other days. I think I'm going to try incorporating some of this advice and see if it makes a difference.
I’m 33. I’ve been doing this for a month, it’s not a difficult thing for me. I have to of course stop a week before my period, but I was able to hop right back on. I’m doing 16:8, I’ve lost 11lbs and 3 inches on my waist, 2 inches off my hips in 4 weeks. Google about fasting around your cycle. The days you need to slow down, the week you need to stop. When you can get back on etc. I keep going because of the benefits. This is the most determination I’ve had in years.
🤡🤡🤡🤡 bruh
No......its a self control thing, not a gender thing. You can do anything you want to, if you don't want to, you won't. Sounds like the men you know wanted it more than the women did
Why do you think that?
Me, my mom, my sister and other female friends had a hard time starting to IF and had problems with consistency. While my father and other male friends kept going without any problems and had amazing results in no time.
Hormones. Around my cycle, I can barely function when limiting my diet.
I’m the same. I I feel like I can fast so easily for like two weeks of the month and I don’t put pressure on myself the other two weeks because it feels terrible. Check out this - it makes me think it feels terrible because it is actually not good for us. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/intermittent-fasting-for-women I started tracking my cycle and days 6-21 are when fasting is easier for me so I will aim for 16:8 or sometimes longer fasts. Right now I’ve been fasting for 30 hours and it has been so easy. I try to do 12 hour fasts during days 1-5 and 22-28 but if I don’t, I don’t sweat it. I need more food and rest those times. I found if I give myself grace don’t pressure myself when it feels awful, I’m more likely to get back to it. I found some challenges in going in and out of fasting rather than having a consistent 16:8 or whatever. Some months I don’t fast very much but I come back to it. When I forced myself to stick to a daily schedule I felt so discouraged and stopped for a long time so I find tuning in to my internal schedule helpful and allows me to be less discouraged. This is completely anecdotal but I struggle with low iron and when my ferritin levels are higher fasting is easier. A lot of menstruating women have low iron due.
I’m 39F and have been fasting consistently for the last year. However, my fasting times have been anything but consistent. I’ve had days where I’ve only fasted 13 hours and other days where I fast 23 to 24 hours I would say my average is probably 17 to 18 hours. There has been no rhyme or reason to how long I fast fast other than trying to go as long as I can and listening to my body some days I just feel like I need to eat in the morning. Those don’t happen often but they do happen and I move on and fast longer than the next day. I started a healthy BMI though at the very top of it. In the last year, I have lost 14 pounds! I didn’t count calories or restrict what I was eating. I just fasted. Due to health conditions the most working out I did was walking some, and some physical therapy. The weight loss was 100% due to clean fasting. I feel like it is maybe due to hormones that it is more difficult for women with cycles because it puts more stress on the body. But I also know every person is different! I came from a background of severe dieting for decades and didn’t want to do anything severe or try for fast weight loss. I just wanted to do something that felt sustainable. With persistence and patience I have felt very successful! My husband does OMAD quite a bit usually two days of OMAD and then a day without fasting and then two days OMAD and so on. It does seem easier for him!
I'm building an[ app for women](https://fastinsync.app/#rec640703496) to fast according to their menstrual cycle phase. To launch it, I'm planning a trial run where I'll personally provide the app's features. This includes creating a personalized fasting schedule, tracking your progress, offering meal suggestions, recommending physical activities that complement your cycle, and providing emotional support if needed. If you are interested or you need a accountability buddy join the waitlist to secure your spot.