Has anyone tried fasting?

fadedqueen

I have tried countless times to eat healthy and exercise but I can never stick to it. I've been dieting since I was 14. I'm 20 now. I went on the Atkins diet for a very short time and lost a few pound but I don't really like meat so I went off it.

I'm now looking for a new method of weight loss. I'm thinking of fasting. Now before you give me lectures about how unsafe it is, I did my research, and turns out fasting can actually be good for you. I'm not talking about fasting every single day, just a few. I'm not a wanna be anorexic or anything like that. I'm just desperate to lose weight and the old fashioned way has never worked for me and I've really tried.

The reason I think this method will work is because when I restrict calories and eat healthy, food is still always on my mind. Like having to plan what to eat, what foods I should/should not be eating etc. I've tried to make it a lifestyle and easier for myself but always ended up binging.
But with fasting, you purposely starve yourself, so you don't have to think planning meals, what foods you have to eat etc.

But anyways, my question is for anyone who has tried fasting and to give me some insight into it all. I'm thinking of doing the 'alternate day fasting' method.

usmcmp

fadedqueen wrote: »

But with fasting, you purposely starve yourself, so you don't have to think planning meals, what foods you have to eat etc.

This line of thought is troubling. Fasting is not "purposefully starving yourself" and if you view it as starving yourself you are doomed before you start. I think you should consider seeking some help with your relationship with food because at 20 years old you are showing seriously disordered thinking about food. You might not be anorexic, but eating disorders come in a wide variety of forms.

pinuplove

fadedqueen wrote: »

I'm just desperate to lose weight and the old fashioned way has never worked for me and I've really tried.

Stop here. You can fast if you'd like. It probably won't do any lasting damage. But it won't help you reach your goal, assuming that is long-term, healthy, sustainable weight-loss, hopefully with some fitness gains thrown in there to boot.

Fill out your MFP diet profile. Choose a reasonable rate of weight loss. Eat at the calorie level MFP gives you (including exercise calories). Weigh and measure your food faithfully. Log all of it. Be consistent, and patient. Sit back and watch the magic happen.

ETA, I say it probably won't do any lasting damage because most likely the drive to survive will take over and you WILL eat before lasting damage is done. But that's not a given. Please be responsible, OP

annaskiski

Lots of people here do Intermittent Fasting. Its safe as long as you don't have an eating disorder. (if you do, I would advise against it)

Come here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

jessiefrancine

Alternate day fasting works for some people, but not for me. There are many varieties of intermittent fasting that, when done correctly and consistently, can help you stay within your calorie goals by helping you manage appetite. I do 16-8 fasting - essentially I do all my eating within an (approximately) 8 hour window each day. I stop eating after dinner, then don't eat again until 16 hours later. It pretty much amounts to skipping breakfast, which isn't a bother for me because I'm rarely hungry in the morning anyway.

There are other protocols for intermittent fasting such as the alternate day fasting you mentioned, 5-2 (five days "normal eating" each week and two days of very calorie restricted eating), and variations on the time windows like 20-4 or even OMAD (one meal a day).

If you're interested in learning more, you might check out the very helpful MFP intermittent fasting group. Please be aware, though, that fasting is not a magic bullet. You still need to be in a deficit to lose body fat.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

Karen_DisneyFan

fadedqueen wrote: »

I have tried countless times to eat healthy and exercise but I can never stick to it. I've been dieting since I was 14. I'm 20 now. I went on the Atkins diet for a very short time and lost a few pound but I don't really like meat so I went off it.

But anyways, my question is for anyone who has tried fasting and to give me some insight into it all. I'm thinking of doing the 'alternate day fasting' method.

Check out the link above for some more insight, but it's not a "true" fast for most people - me included. I eat up to 500 calories twice a week and at my maintenance level (TDEE) the other five days.

I've been doing this for about 2 years and have pretty painlessly lost almost 40 pounds. Now keep in mind that I lose v_e_r_y slowly... most people can lose .5 to 1 pound per week.

TeaBea

Another method of fasting (5:2): http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

You eat 500-700 calories 2 days a week, then eat at maintenance the other 5 days. I tried this, couldn't make it work. But use a similar idea - eat lower Monday- Thursday and maintenance on weekends.

Just find a method that helps you reach a deficit consistently.

Aggressive weight loss is a bad idea (fasting or not) because you will likely lose a larger % of existing lean muscle mass. So fasting (IF) isn't meant to be aggressive. You need to do what is safe, if weight loss is slow because you are close to goal....so be it. Only morbidly obese people can expect faster weight loss.....for them it can still be safe.

Timshel_

I periodically fast. Meh. I'd rather correct my mindset to eat healthy daily.

nadiakanwal556

Hi I'm starting my 3rd day with intermittent fasting and feel much more light not stuffed I have done a lot of research on this and it actually works because we keep fueling our body's with food every few hours you'd body never reaches your fat to use it up so with intermittent fasting your body will be using your fat to fuel it self which we all want and not your muscle but what ever you eat it has to be healthy and whole grain don't be scared of cards but in moderation be safe and look after your body this is working for me but we all are different it's all will power first few days will be tough but it's very healthy and detoxes your body good luck xoxo