Intermittent fasting - alternate-day fasting - has proved more sustainable for me than a diet that is uniformly restrictive. At least, I'm having much more success (I'm over 25+ down) using intermittent fasting than I was doing Weight Watchers Points Plus program. Here's an article talking about intermittent CARB fasting. I think this could work well for a lot of people.
One of the main reasons intermittent fasting is working for me is, I have just about enough willpower to do any diet for one day. My internal dialog goes:
Me: Ooh! Enchiladas!
Better self: Yeah, but you're doing that intermittent fasting thing. And it's working, remember?
Me: Oh, right. But I can have enchiladas tomorrow, if I want. For breakfast! Right?
Better self: Right!
Another reason I think the authors of this article are onto something is that both fasting and carb limiting both have a built-in appetite suppressing effect, at least for me. Indulging in carbs makes me crave more carbs.
Staying away from carbs is really hard for the first day, easier the second, and becomes easier still the longer I do it. Conversely, when I indulge in carbs one day, the next day it's REALLY hard to stick the day out.
Now I'm wondering whether, on my "on days" - eating days - I should limit carbs. My guess is, it'll speed my weight loss AND make the fasting days easier to bear.
My family will attest that I get pretty grumpy on my fasting days, especially in the evenings. My dear brother warned me about this effect, and he's right. I console myself with a phrase from the excellent book series Hunger Games; Katniss refers to hungry days as "Hollow Days" - so I tell myself I'm just having a Hollow Day like my heroine Katniss, and that tomorrow I can have whatever I want.
This excellent phrase is from William James - and Caroline Myss is the guru who pointed out its importance to me. The phrase describes the slippery slope that made Weight Watchers so damned difficult for me to follow.
I don't like following rules, even those I set for myself. So I cheat, a little - but every cheat opens the door for more cheating.
One of the reasons intermittent or alternate-day fasting is working so well for me is, the line between cheating and not cheating is clear. You're either not eating, or you're eating. Binary. On the carbs fasting - what do we consider a carb that "counts"? I'm really interested in hearing from other intermittent fasters, and other dieters in general. How's that working for you!?