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I'm not a doctor and this isn't medical advice, but I had extraordinary success with weight loss doing intermittent fasting (8 hour feeding window, 16 hour fast

I'm not a doctor and this isn't medical advice, but I had extraordinary success with weight loss doing intermittent fasting (8 hour feeding window, 16 hour fasting window) + very low calorie diet (1000 kcal/d) + keto (20g net carbs per day max) + armodafinil as an appetite suppressant. Like, 'lost 80 pounds in 3 months without exercising' levels of success. I know there are many unhealthy things about this weight loss strategy, but it would've been even more unhealthy to stay 'morbidly obese', rather than my current state, which is classified as just plain old 'overweight'

likeabbas 4y ago
Want to +1 to this. I’ve struggled with weight my whole life. I bounce back and forth, but every time I’ve lost significant weight (30-50lbs) it was through intermittent fasting. I actually did take semaglutide recently just to try it. What it does is make you not hungry or have cravings. It was working, but I stopped because of the side effects. I was constantly queasy for 2-3 days after injection and My workouts were interrupted due to those stomach pains. I stopped and am just going to start intermittent fasting post the holidays. Some people don’t have side effects so it may be worth it for you.
- anonym29 4y ago
  Armodafinil seems to have filled a similar purpose for me that semaglutide does for you. Headaches from it are solved by taking choline, and the insomnia is minimized by taking it before 7 AM and only taking it every other day (long half-life). It's prescription-only in the US, but it's OTC in India and there are plenty of companies that will send it to you without a prescription. Even though it's a stimulant, it's chemically not an amphetamine, and I suspect that's part of why I've never had troubles with customs. Also makes me a 10x coder. I get more work done in a day on that than I do in a week off of it. Again, I'm not a doctor, and this is not medical advice.
  - likeabbas 4y ago
    Not sure what you’re trying to say with this comment. We’re talking about weight loss, not focus medication
    - anonym29 4y ago
      I use it for weight loss, but it has auxiliary benefits - like increasing my productivity at my tech job, which is an aspect I think some others on this tech forum might appreciate as well, in addition to the appetite suppression.
      - likeabbas 4y ago
        An okay I didn’t get that. I take modafanil for focus. It works but my tolerance has been shooting ip lately. Do you think it’s worth trying Armodafanil?
        anonym29 4y ago
        I strongly prefer armodafinil to modafinil, YMMV. I do recommend Choline either way to mitigate the headaches.
weightbutwhy 4y ago
Similar experience here. Sedentary lifestyle but on a 20/4 intermittent fasting schedule without any effort towards calorie restriction I've lost around 30lbs in 4 months. I've struggled in the past with calorie restrictions because it introduces a complex negotiation into my life, every calorie matters and I must consider the value of the enjoyment of a donut today vs. the discomfort I'll feel the next day because I'll be running on donuts instead of a healthy meal... but with intermittent fasting, I have a very simple rule: no food before 3pm and no food after 7pm. During that time I can eat whatever I want, which naturally gravitates towards good food because that's what my body craves after fasting, most days, but on days where I feel compelled to eat an entire pizza, so be it, that's fine, I don't have to think about it, I just eat the pizza (and something healthy too). I think it would be physically impossible for me to gain weight on this 20/4 schedule.
greendestiny_re 4y ago
Sorry to rain on your parade, but you will regain the lost weight as soon as you stop with the appetite suppression regimen. The only permanent weight loss solution is to revamp the feeding paradigm by examining the core motivation for excess food and toxic quasi-nutrients.
- anonym29 4y ago
  Sorry to rain on your parade, but this was in fall of 2020 and I have not regained the weight. I still eat mostly keto, probably closer to an average of 1600 kcal/d now (I don't count calories anymore), and don't use the appetite suppressants anymore either, except for when I have a ton of work, maybe once a month average. I initially regained 20 pounds in the 6 months following the diet thanks to some rebound junk food, but it came back off once I got back to eating healthy. Keto naturally leads me to lots of largely unprocessed whole foods. Eggs, cheese, chicken, milk, some red meat, butter, etc - organic / cage free / free range / not treated with hormones, of course.
  - greendestiny_re 4y ago
    I'm not buying your story.
    - kcplate 4y ago
      What about my story? I’m 170lbs down using keto and IF and have kept it off going into my 5th year. Also was an insulin dependent Type 2 diabetic who was off insulin 3 months in and haven’t taken it since.
    - Volundr 4y ago
      Most people who rapidly lose weight will gain it back. The keyword here is most. There are exceptions to pretty much everything. There's no reason to doubt this person is one. That doesn't make their strategy good advice.
      - anonym29 4y ago

likeabbas 4y ago

Want to +1 to this. I’ve struggled with weight my whole life. I bounce back and forth, but every time I’ve lost significant weight (30-50lbs) it was through intermittent fasting. I actually did take semaglutide recently just to try it. What it does is make you not hungry or have cravings. It was working, but I stopped because of the side effects. I was constantly queasy for 2-3 days after injection and My workouts were interrupted due to those stomach pains. I stopped and am just going to start intermittent fasting post the holidays. Some people don’t have side effects so it may be worth it for you.

anonym29 4y ago
Armodafinil seems to have filled a similar purpose for me that semaglutide does for you. Headaches from it are solved by taking choline, and the insomnia is minimized by taking it before 7 AM and only taking it every other day (long half-life). It's prescription-only in the US, but it's OTC in India and there are plenty of companies that will send it to you without a prescription. Even though it's a stimulant, it's chemically not an amphetamine, and I suspect that's part of why I've never had troubles with customs. Also makes me a 10x coder. I get more work done in a day on that than I do in a week off of it. Again, I'm not a doctor, and this is not medical advice.
- likeabbas 4y ago
  Not sure what you’re trying to say with this comment. We’re talking about weight loss, not focus medication
  - anonym29 4y ago
    I use it for weight loss, but it has auxiliary benefits - like increasing my productivity at my tech job, which is an aspect I think some others on this tech forum might appreciate as well, in addition to the appetite suppression.
    - likeabbas 4y ago
      An okay I didn’t get that. I take modafanil for focus. It works but my tolerance has been shooting ip lately. Do you think it’s worth trying Armodafanil?
      - anonym29 4y ago
        I strongly prefer armodafinil to modafinil, YMMV. I do recommend Choline either way to mitigate the headaches.

weightbutwhy 4y ago

Similar experience here. Sedentary lifestyle but on a 20/4 intermittent fasting schedule without any effort towards calorie restriction I've lost around 30lbs in 4 months. I've struggled in the past with calorie restrictions because it introduces a complex negotiation into my life, every calorie matters and I must consider the value of the enjoyment of a donut today vs. the discomfort I'll feel the next day because I'll be running on donuts instead of a healthy meal... but with intermittent fasting, I have a very simple rule: no food before 3pm and no food after 7pm. During that time I can eat whatever I want, which naturally gravitates towards good food because that's what my body craves after fasting, most days, but on days where I feel compelled to eat an entire pizza, so be it, that's fine, I don't have to think about it, I just eat the pizza (and something healthy too). I think it would be physically impossible for me to gain weight on this 20/4 schedule.

greendestiny_re 4y ago

Sorry to rain on your parade, but you will regain the lost weight as soon as you stop with the appetite suppression regimen. The only permanent weight loss solution is to revamp the feeding paradigm by examining the core motivation for excess food and toxic quasi-nutrients.

anonym29 4y ago
Sorry to rain on your parade, but this was in fall of 2020 and I have not regained the weight. I still eat mostly keto, probably closer to an average of 1600 kcal/d now (I don't count calories anymore), and don't use the appetite suppressants anymore either, except for when I have a ton of work, maybe once a month average. I initially regained 20 pounds in the 6 months following the diet thanks to some rebound junk food, but it came back off once I got back to eating healthy. Keto naturally leads me to lots of largely unprocessed whole foods. Eggs, cheese, chicken, milk, some red meat, butter, etc - organic / cage free / free range / not treated with hormones, of course.
- greendestiny_re 4y ago
  I'm not buying your story.
  - kcplate 4y ago
    What about my story? I’m 170lbs down using keto and IF and have kept it off going into my 5th year. Also was an insulin dependent Type 2 diabetic who was off insulin 3 months in and haven’t taken it since.
  - Volundr 4y ago
    Most people who rapidly lose weight will gain it back. The keyword here is most. There are exceptions to pretty much everything. There's no reason to doubt this person is one. That doesn't make their strategy good advice.
    - anonym29 4y ago