I've been IF-ing for 5 months now. My original goal was to try it consistently for 3 months, till my next doctor's appointment, so new blood tests would reflect the affects, if any, of IF.

My reasons for wanting to try LC/ IF was reading that it seemed to help improve insulin sensitivity as well as other health markers, and I was looking for the tool to take me the rest of the way to having normal blood sugars all the time, and perhaps even eventually get off the diabetes meds.

IF felt a little strange and unnatural at first, as I made the adjustment, but as the days and weeks went by, it started to feel more and more normal. Now I'm enjoying it very much. Like many who try it, I find combining IF with LC gives the most powerful hunger and appetite suppression possible, and I actually enjoy that feeling of real hunger right before I break my fast, now. Days I choose not to IF (I take 1 or 2 days off a week, to eat brunch or out with family) actually feel like cheating!

My chosen schedule of 22/2, with an eating window roughly between 6:00 and 8:00 pm is working good for me. I like the freedom from thinking about, and preparing food. I like the freedom of not having to decide how much and what to eat multiple times a day, and the constant vigilance and discipline that's involved to control portions and carbs. It's easier now. What to eat? It's simple, if it's not between 6:00 - 8:00 pm, then nothing.

I like how that's given me greater control over my eating, and taught me I don't have to eat every few hours. Before, if I was ever in a situation where it was meal time and there was no low carb choices for me (like a staff meeting where the boss treats everyone to pizza), I would feel angry, punished and deprived. I don't anymore. It's ok if I don't get to eat. Later, a big delicious meal will be coming my way, and I'll live till then. IF has taught me that, and it feels amazing.

I like how IF is helping me control my diabetes.
Prior to IF, LC alone had improved my BG readings from the daily 300's, all the way down to a daily range of 114-135, an amazing improvement, but still higher that I wanted to see it and still with big spikes after every meal. By adding IF to LC, I've been able to take my BG readings into the 80's and 90's all day long, with a smaller spike (115 or so) after my eating window. My most recent A1c is down to 5.4.

I LOVE how much more I enjoy my food now. Food tastes better. I LOVE getting to eat until I am truly full and satiated. You never get to eat till you're full on the "eat frequent small meals" plan, and I tried for a long time to convince myself that I should be able to feel satisfaction with frequent small meals, but I don't think that's the way humans are biologically wired. It's against our natures, that's the reason we don't find it satisfying, not because we're glutonous slobs with no willpower.

I love the significant drop in my grocery bill. I simply cannot eat as much quantity of food in a 2 or 3 hour window as I can all day. I stand in the grocery store now, picking things up that I used to eat frequently, and putting it back down, thinking "when will you eat that - you're not going to get around to eating that".

Now the big question, how has IF affected my rate of weight loss. Since I lose in whooshes and stalls, I felt at least 3 months of consistent IF would be needed before I could draw any type of conclusion about that. But here I am at 5 months, and I will compare the past 5 months to the 5 months immediately prior to that (I have been low carbing consistently for 16 months.)

IF is meant to work as a form of caloric restriction, but without the caloric restriction, and in a format that does not slow metabolism.

My average daily calories with IF is around 1500-1600, with ratios of around 5% carb, 20% protein, 70% fat. It was about the same before IF.

In the past 21 weeks of LC + IF, I have lost 32 pounds.
In the 21 weeks immediately prior to that, of LC only, I lost 26.5 pounds.

So IF seems to have resulted in an extra 5.5 pounds of weight loss over 5 months, or .26 pounds a week, which is probably not statistically significant...

However, I feel my body is recomposing itself; the greater rate of loss is fat. I have no proof of that, I just feel it. I do know I don't look as saggy and baggy this time around as in previous times I lost over 100 pounds. My belly apron is definitely smaller this time around, even though I'm 10 years older and certainly no more elastic. My midriff is gone, I have a waist 8 inches smaller than my bust and hip measurements.

From my experience and IMO, the combination of LC and IF seems to be a really potent fat burning combination. I plan to stick with IF for the foreseeable future!