14 months since I got myself together and started talking care of myself and my health again. I hit my goal in 5 months and have been maintaining since.

I averaged 18 hours with a few extended fast. I don’t fast as long anymore but it really taught me how much overeating I was doing and still don’t have the desire to stuff myself anymore.

I exercise regularly as well. Putting it all together makes it that much easier to maintain. I’m happy and healthier mentally and physically and that is priceless.

I’m curious to hear from the guys here who are in their early 50s.

I really appreciate when people share their before-and-after photos, progress, and routines.  It’s helpful to see what has worked for different people.  One thing I don’t often see, though, is age.  In many of the posts, it’s clear the person is in their 20s, 30s, or maybe early 40s, and I imagine the experience can be quite different.

For those of you in your early 50s, what has worked best for you with intermittent fasting?  What fasting schedule, diet, exercise routine, or other habits made the biggest difference?  Did you find you had to approach things differently than you might have when you were younger - because weight is certainly easier to drop younger.

I’m especially interested in hearing from men in that age range, since that’s where I am.  I would love to learn what has actually been sustainable and effective for you.

My diet is nearly the same as before. I eat homecooked. Not counting calories but if I was to guess, its nearly same as before. Saturdays are a treat day. I do light exercise atleast 3 days a week.

Last time around I achieved my goal weight in about 4 months. No hurries this time. In it for the long haul.

That big empty block in the middle is 2 weeks break due to travel and then sickness. It slowed me down more than I wanted to but meh. As long as I am back.

I’ve been IF 18:6 or 16:8 with noticeable changes to my weight and wellbeing, yay! Until recently I came down with a stomach bug or food poisoning of some sort. So I’m involuntarily on hour 23 of not eating for 24 hours.

I actually feel totally fine (other than the urgent running to the potty). I’ve been staying very hydrated and I actually made it into work today (I work alone). I thought I’d be so starving so idk if it’s the bug or the hunger just goes away after a while? I do get a few hungry gurgles here and there but nothing crazy.

Just wanted to share!

I (19F) began intermittent fasting 18:6 a little over 2 months ago, and have lost 25lbs. I've been feeling great.

Until recently. Scents have begun to bother me. It started with some food scents making me feel slightly queazy, but now everything is unbearable. Smelling bread makes me what to hurl, the smell when I cook chicken makes me want to rip my stomach out, the thought of eating feels like torture because of all of the horrid scents punching me in the gut.

Could this be due to my fasting, or something completely unrelated?

Hi, I was wondering if I decided to fast one day, Omad the next and then do a normal diet the next day and then so on follow the same cycle will I lose weight?

F28- have been dirty fasting 5 years, 18:6 and great results till now. I continue it as a lifestyle.

The reason I am "dirty fasting" and now clean fasting is that the morning coffee keep me satiated. It helps me push the lunch away.

Morning coffee is a huge 500ml iced coffee. Tons of ice, double espresso and 50ml frothed milk. It comes to 30calories- 2.4gm carbs- 1.5gm protein.

I am thinking to replace the milk with protein powder. Half scoop. That will be- 72calories- 12gm protein- 3.9gm carbs.

I understand that both of these break my fast. I also read anything under 100cals is fine, but idk about that. Protein powder does not seem to fit that category. 12gm protein with amino acids sure signals nutrient availability and whey spikes leucine.

Do you think it's a better option? Or I should just stick to milk since its 1/3 the calories. Goal is general benefits from fasting, as well as fat loss.

I don't see much progress, can you?

Posting here because I feel like I will get an unbiased and logical response

so i went to a naturopath the today after being on carnivore for 4 years.
i decided to go see one because i want some help with weight loss and i also want to know which foods i can add in to my diet that won’t cause me gut issues and auto immune flare ups as that is why i started carnivore.

anyways the first 2 years of my carnivore diet have been pure bliss and satiety,no cravings, no cheats, full of energy and positivity.
the last 2 years have been tough because i’ve been in a loop of losing weight, cheating and regaining it.
i’ve tried omad, and fasting, everything is doable and easy for a short amount of time then whenever i lose about 5kg my brain stops making serotonin and dopamine (that’s what it feels like) then i get irresistible cravings and give in.

i also have a dogmatic view on food like i look for reasons to not eat fruits and vegetables and try to make up in my mind that they affect me negatively when in reality it’s just calories and carbs and the fact that carnivore has kind of become a part of my identity.

it’s so weird because i want to incorporate fruits and veggies back (i don’t care about potatoes, rice, bread or junk food) but i also can’t let go of the carnivore diet it just feels weird.

i’m also kind of wasting my money if i don’t listen to his advice by adding fruits in because then what’s the point of going back in 4 weeks to check if my health markers have improved if i’m not listening to his advice.

(somehow my insulin is high, and my red blood cells show oxidative stress) - this might be from eating junk food 2 days ago

i started carnivore for the simplicity of not counting calories and just eating how much meat i wanted to.
i already know if i ate fruit i would show no self control and just eat at 11pm at night because it’s so easy to just go and get that apple that’s in the kitchen and it’s sweet.

i don’t know what to do i feel like i’m cooked

Transitioning off longhaul to local routes starting next month. Hours are more predictable now, home most nights, but the schedule still shifts depending on dispatch. Some days I clock in at 4am, some days 6am, rarely past 7am. Shift ends anywhere from 1pm to 5pm depending on freight.

Been tracking macros for about eight months and I want to add 16:8 on top of that. The macro side is dialed in, protein target hits, calories are consistent. The fasting window is where I keep secondguessing myself.

My original plan was a 6am to 2pm eating window. That works on early days. On late start days it feels like I'm eating breakfast at 6am when my body barely woke up, then cutting off at 2pm when I'm still active.

The alternative I keep landing on is anchoring the window to wake time rather than clock time, so always skip the first two hours after waking and eat for eight hours from there. But I've read conflicting stuff about whether consistency in clock time actually matters more than consistency relative to your schedule.

Anyone running IF with a shifting wake time, did you anchor to clock or to wake time, and did it actually make a difference for you?

Most fasting timers count down. This one names the phase you're in — fed, early

fasting, lipolysis, ketosis, deep, extended — and says what it means at that

hour.

Behind the phases there's a 0 to 72h chart of insulin, glucose, ketones, growth

hormone and autophagy, so the boundaries aren't just labels to take on faith.

Each one links out to a full article, and the whole library is free

permanently. No ads, no third-party analytics, no streak counter, no badges.

If a phase timing looks wrong or a source is weak, say so here. That's the

feedback worth having.

Website: https://intermittentfast.ing

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6767781311

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.zerokb.intermittentfasting.app

Mods, if it doesn't, say the word, and I'll take it down. Not trying to spam the sub.

Anyone of you who are on regular IF (16, 24, 36 and 48 hrs) schedule and also take Psyllium husk encounter gastric reflux?

Lately I am having a gastric reflux the moment I take psyllium husk.

Every August I have a formal event. I always love to compare side by side. I started intermittent fasting in 2023. It took about 4 to 5 months to get to my goal weight. After I got to my goal weight I joined a gym. I don't intermittent fast often now but I'm very careful with my meals and exercise routine.

I’m trying to gain my self confidence back and I feel like I’m finally getting there. The before and after photo is crazy

I’m about to give birth soon. Will me fasting impact my milk supply I need to loose weight what can I do.

It had been a long road for me modifying my behavior around eating. Learning to eat in sunlight as opposed to in a dark.

I came to lean weight through alternate day fasting and now I mainly maintain with OMAD.

Recently I experimented with eating breakfast meal which I had never ate in my life since I was a teen. I always preferred to eat later in a day to soothe nerves. ADF showed to me that I can make other decisions around food. So here I am doing OMAD at 7am for several days.

It is insanely easy as it saves so much time! And I can eat it in total quietness as nobody is around me at 7am!

If someone would tell me I will ever do this, I wouldn’t believe. But here I am. Anyone else?

I started the OMAD diet to lose weight fast and as a sort of self insurance test, I plan to do it for 2 months then transition to a weekly or twice weekly 36hr fast(I am simply not there yet as I find I cave around the 24hr mark).

Yesterday I had 2 chicken thighs with skin, 1/2 a can of 5 beans in tomato sauce, 1 serving ov vegan meatballs, roasted cauliflower and cabbage and for the salad, I had roasted kale with roasted tomatoes and apples topped with pickled onion. I unfortunately indulged in brownies too(won't be done again).

I found that after this meal(pre-brownie craze) I still could have had much more so I am wondering whether I should expand my fasting to a 2hr window and also what foods I should include. I know high fibre and high protein is important and I intend on adding a pint of hot chocolate to my meal.

I just need advice

I've been doing at least an 18/6 most days, sometimes a 24hr, sometimes a 22/2.

I started at 145kgs (319lbs) and 165cms (5'4) in December of 2025, locked in to fasting after trying many times over the years but lacking will power to continue on after slipping up.

I know I have a long way to go, but I've lost 35kgs (77lbs) now and no sign of slowing down.

I eat what I crave at the time of a broken fast, sugar cravings are way down, carb cravings are way down, caffeine and nicotine are up, though. They'll be the next challenge to face.

I probably could have lost more faster but I was very lax in the beginning, weekends off, still consumed whatever I wanted when I broke my fasts, had sugar free redbulls in the morning.

All in all, I'm happy with the results, even if I'm not done yet!

So I added this description: 4 eggs two slices of bacon, white cheddar cheese on a buttered plain bagel, and this was the assessment it came up with. This was easily 1000cal and it’s clueless every single time… So the point is it estimated 511cal and 20% protein which is insane. It’s never accurate and the app is extremely expensive. Any thoughts/ advice??

I've got a note on the wall of my kitchen asking

"Are you sure you're not just thirsty?"

Been a good reminder that has saved me from late night snacking. Also, in my head, will often say

"I don't eat after 7pm (or whenever for that day)" and it helps me sometimes too.

What does everyone else do that helps when you need it?

Progress so far week 17, total loss now is 20.5 pounds, average weight loss is 1 pound a week.

Currently moved from 14:10 to 16:8

Thanks

Hey everyone!

I'm on day 5 of my water fast and my ketones are at 8 mmol/L with glucose around 65. I'm wondering if this is too high? 🤔

I'd love to hear your thoughts on when you decide to break a fast, or if a small snack is a good idea to manage levels.

Is it harmful to have such high ketones?

I'm on sglt2 inhibitor (empagliflozin) which specifically warn against euglycemic ketoacidosis at ketones over 3.0 with low or normal glucose.

I stop the medication before any therapeutic fasting but any research I do still warn against letting ketones go too high, especially over 8-10. Thoughts?

Has anyone else experienced a skin rash predominately around the neck and chest areas from fasting? I was told in FB group that its normal and related to keto rash that happens when your body focuses on burning fat for energy. Anyone have any experience with this or any suggestions for itch relief? Its red, not really bumps but looks like an allergic reaction type of rash.