Is it OK to fast for one day?

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  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited April 2015
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    A one day water only fast will do no harm to most people. It is not advised for pregnant women and those with some medical issues, especially electrolyte imbalances.

    Having said that, there is nothing it can do for your body that eating at a deficit also does. It can do some things in your mind which is why fasts are done for spiritual reasons. Perhaps the first day to give your brain a starting point for a new way of eating but unless you plan on spending the time you are not eating in meditation or praying there is no reason for it.

    I f you really want to make up those 1400 calories, go for an extra walk every day for a week, at whatever distance you need to burn off 200 calories.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
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    My husband fasts occasionally for religious purposes.
  • MalineVD
    MalineVD Posts: 649 Member
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    How about exercise your *kitten* off to burn 1400 cal?
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    edited April 2015
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    qpmomma1 wrote: »
    I used to fast from food once a week for religious reasons. It won't hurt you.
    wizzybeth wrote: »
    My husband fasts occasionally for religious purposes.

    This is completely different from starting a cycle of "I'm over my calories for the week, so I won't eat for a day". Please consider that before responding like this.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    MalineVD wrote: »
    How about exercise your *kitten* off to burn 1400 cal?

    Why not suggest exercise bulimia?
  • kmsoucy457
    kmsoucy457 Posts: 237 Member
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    Sound advice up there. But whatever you decide to do, don't fast AND exercise in the same day... I know I'd faint.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    I assume your weekly goal already takes into consideration the caloric deficit? If so, are you running a 500 cal deficit/day or what?
  • MalineVD
    MalineVD Posts: 649 Member
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    MalineVD wrote: »
    How about exercise your *kitten* off to burn 1400 cal?

    Why not suggest exercise bulimia?

    That's absolutely not what I mean. But if you overeat, why not compensate with excersise?
    Exercise bulimia is to burn every single calorie you consume. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong to compensate the cal you ate over your daily goal.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    MalineVD wrote: »
    MalineVD wrote: »
    How about exercise your *kitten* off to burn 1400 cal?

    Why not suggest exercise bulimia?

    That's absolutely not what I mean. But if you overeat, why not compensate with excersise?
    Exercise bulimia is to burn every single calorie you consume. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong to compensate the cal you ate over your daily goal.

    You didn't even bother to ask her if she is over or under maintenance ... you don't know if her goal is even healthy for what she has to lose ... just go bust her butt to burn off what might not even be a surplus. Ignorance based advice.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    MalineVD wrote: »
    MalineVD wrote: »
    How about exercise your *kitten* off to burn 1400 cal?

    Why not suggest exercise bulimia?

    That's absolutely not what I mean. But if you overeat, why not compensate with excersise?
    Exercise bulimia is to burn every single calorie you consume. I'm just saying there's nothing wrong to compensate the cal you ate over your daily goal.

    You didn't even bother to ask her if she is over or under maintenance ... you don't know if her goal is even healthy for what she has to lose ... just go bust her butt to burn off what might not even be a surplus. Ignorance based advice.

    Truth.
  • angf0679
    angf0679 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    I don't see the need to fast. We all have bad days/weeks when we are over. Just watch what you are having and move on. I know yesterday I was way over my calorie goal as I couldn't stop eating when I got home from work and the stuff falling from the sky (it wasn't rain) prevented me from going running. I'm regretting it but I'm being careful today and making sure I stay withing my goal today. I'm also making sure that I when I get home from work I do go for a run (or a workout at home if the stuff doesn't stop falling from the sky as I have no cold weather running clothes)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    randomtai wrote: »
    randomtai wrote: »
    Why? :huh:

    I am over my weekly goal for about ~1400kcal, so I was thinking of fasting for one day to meet my weekly goal

    That's a disordered way of thinking.

    Why is it? There is nothing unhealthy about fasting for a day or staying within a weekly calorie goal, so what makes using a healthy tool to meet a healthy goal disordered?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    edited April 2015
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    randomtai wrote: »
    randomtai wrote: »
    Why? :huh:

    I am over my weekly goal for about ~1400kcal, so I was thinking of fasting for one day to meet my weekly goal

    That's a disordered way of thinking.

    Why is it? There is nothing unhealthy about fasting for a day or staying within a weekly calorie goal, so what makes using a healthy tool to meet a healthy goal disordered?

    What makes refusing to eat based on a perceived overage (which may or may not be real based on the information provided) a "healthy tool"?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    edited April 2015
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    randomtai wrote: »
    randomtai wrote: »
    Why? :huh:

    I am over my weekly goal for about ~1400kcal, so I was thinking of fasting for one day to meet my weekly goal

    That's a disordered way of thinking.

    Why is it? There is nothing unhealthy about fasting for a day or staying within a weekly calorie goal, so what makes using a healthy tool to meet a healthy goal disordered?

    Of course you don't think it's disordered.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Just wanted to throw in there that fasting is NOT a good course of action for diabetics.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,641 Member
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    6 on, 1 off is a common IF strategy...
  • MalineVD
    MalineVD Posts: 649 Member
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    Just offering an alternative for the fasting, which, in my opinion, is much unhealthier than burning the cal that (you're right, I assume) overeat.
  • Upstate_Dunadan
    Upstate_Dunadan Posts: 435 Member
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    Intermittent fasting is a proven strategy for weight loss. There are countless articles on the topic about how to use them and timing their use effectively. I don't use them all that often, but from time to time I do. I fasted yesterday until dinner, then ate normally afterwards. Sunday I worked out at gym for 90 minutes and ate a bit above my normal maintenance level, but still healthy.

    Here's the basic idea:

    Day 1: Eat a bit above maintenance (if you get in a good workout, all the better) to get your metabolism (think of it as your furnace) going good.
    Day 2: Fast for a period of time, longer the better. Your furnace is still stoked from Day 1 and is expecting a similar day (food/exercise) so it's going full tilt but since you aren't eating, you burn remaining carbs then fat during the day.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    sm4astan wrote: »
    Intermittent fasting is a proven strategy for weight loss. There are countless articles on the topic about how to use them and timing their use effectively. I don't use them all that often, but from time to time I do. I fasted yesterday until dinner, then ate normally afterwards. Sunday I worked out at gym for 90 minutes and ate a bit above my normal maintenance level, but still healthy.

    Here's the basic idea:

    Day 1: Eat a bit above maintenance (if you get in a good workout, all the better) to get your metabolism (think of it as your furnace) going good.
    Day 2: Fast for a period of time, longer the better. Your furnace is still stoked from Day 1 and is expecting a similar day (food/exercise) so it's going full tilt but since you aren't eating, you burn remaining carbs then fat during the day.

    no one is arguing against IF ..

    what everyone is saying is that the OP is setting herself up for a disordered view of eating if she is going to do a 24 hour water fast every time she goes over a little bit on calories.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
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    Fasting for a day won't hurt you. I'm just not sure it's the best course of action for your situation.

    If you want to include a fast day as just part of your regular program independent of your calorie intake on the days you do eat, that's one thing. But I'm concerned using it as a means for compensating for a potential caloric surplus could lead down a bad path. First, there's the potential risk of over-eating because you're more hungry than usual. Some people can still maintain self-control and avoid this, but others have more trouble with it. Second, you don't want it to lead to a point where it may feel like you're punishing yourself for having a surplus or where you've GOT to fast because you ate too much.

    I've had days where I haven't eaten much because I was busy, and those aren't good days for me. If I tried to compensate for a caloric surplus by self-imposing that kind of stress, I'd soon become angry that I have to deal with that as part of my lifestyle. So I'd have a surplus, tell myself "I need to have a fast day", and then likely follow that statement with "this is stupid".

    For me, it's easier to say "You screwed up this week. That's in the past. Get yourself locked down and back on track for next week and press on." Not only does that involve a level of forgiveness, but, because I don't have that unpleasant fasting day in response to a surplus, it lets me enjoy life (and the occasional lunch or evening out with friends) much more freely.