What's a good amount of time to fast?

godzillabeasty

I've heard that fasting for 24-36 or more hours will lower your insulin or something, and thus make it easier to burn more calories or something? I'm not sure the exact science but i heard it's a pretty decent way to lose weight

Lillymoo01

You heard incorrectly. IF can make it easier for some to stay within their calorie allotment as it suppresses their appetite but fasting will not cause you to burn more calories, nor does it lower insulin (which doesn't need lowering if you are not diabetic or insulin resistant anyway).

To lose weight you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. It is as simple as that. Now you just need to work out which tools will help you achieve that most successfully.

hipari

I would recommend good old-fashioned food logging and eating at a calorie deficit instead of fasting because ”i heard” that it does ”or something”, both of which you said twice.

That said, a lot of people seem to find help from intermittent fasting. I don’t know anything about it except it’s wildly unsuitable for me. I was on a forced juice fast last weekend (food poisoning, couldn’t keep anything else in) and it was the worst I’ve felt probably ever. Definitely worse than when I get a flu and run a high fever, to give a comparison. If you’re interested in fasting, do your research first and read enough scientific articles with peer-reviewed research sources that you can drop the ”i heard” and ”or something”. Discuss with your doctor to make sure you don’t have an underlying condition that could cause trouble on a fast.

...or, you know, just focus on eating at a calorie deficit and lose the weight in a way that teaches you how to live the rest of your life without gaining. Your current (or old, don’t know how long you’ve been at this) lifestyle is how you gained the weight, meaning if you return to your old lifestyle after losing the weight you will gain it back. Might as well form a new sustainable lifestyle right now, is what I figure.

godzillabeasty

Well, i saw the video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QerSUMsL-k
Not sure if it's bogus or not

aokoye

godzillabeasty wrote: »

Well, i saw the video here
...
Not sure if it's bogus or not

This, like many things, is a case of not believing everything you see/read/hear on the internet (or off the internet for that matter).

PAV8888

I saw a video once about getting rich fast! All I had to do was go to Western Union and send some money....

kiwiroz

I tend to fast from around 8pm to 7am but I'm not zealous about it. The other day for various reasons I didn't get breakfast until 1pm. I was nearly in a car accident, I dropped a plate and smashed it, lost my keys and was very very hangry and in total brain fog. Learnt my lesson there

nighthawk584

I fast every day at least by 6-7 pm and then start eating at 7am again. It's called sleeping

missysippy930

^This

All you need to lose weight, is to eat less calories than your body burns, no matter what program you follow. It’s the only way weight is lost.

angelsja

I don't eat before 10am most days or after 5pm unless I'm at work but not because of Intermittent fasting just because thats when I eat 🤷‍♀️

sardelsa

These days I usually go about 3-4 hours without eating so that's as long as I go !

xmarye

I find that if I eat to early in the day, it's hard for me to stay within my calories. For this reason, I delay my breakfast until about 10am, and try to eat lunch in between 12-2pm, then a snack around 3-4pm to hold me over until dinner. So I guess I am sort of doing IF 16-8, but to me the whole point is just to spread your calories in a smaller window so that it's more satisfying and easier to stick to.

imfornd70

I eat between 12-8

etherealanwar

No reason to fast over an extended period of time (not referencing intermittent fasting but 24+hr fasts). Like others have mentioned you simply need to stick to a calorie deficit.

lemurcat2

I don't eat after dinner (unless I have a small dessert immediately after) or before breakfast. That's just my thing since I dislike snacking.

OP, if you really want to lose weight, don't start with internet magic schemes or majoring in the minors.

The #1 most effective and helpful thing to do is to understand how many cals you need to maintain and then to eat at a deficit (less than your maintenance cals). MFP with help you figure that out.

Once you do that, and start understanding what you are eating and how to cut cals (IMO logging can be very educational here for many people, if not most), then you can start thinking about things that might make it easier if it isn't already. If struggling with hunger at certain times (many of us never do), you can adjust macros or your eating schedule. If you want more cals on a daily basis, you can try adding in a 24 hour fast a week. But merely doing what you are doing now (if that has led to being overweight) plus trying to fast for a day or less = no weight loss and likely no longterm habit change.

Good rule of thumb--if what someone on the internet is promising you sounds like it will lead to something like weight loss with little change of habit or otherwise is too good to be true, it is indeed not true.

sijomial

godzillabeasty wrote: »

I've heard that fasting for 24-36 or more hours will lower your insulin or something, and thus make it easier to burn more calories or something? I'm not sure the exact science but i heard it's a pretty decent way to lose weight

It's the "or something".

kshama2001

nighthawk584 wrote: »

I fast every day at least by 6-7 pm and then start eating at 7am again. It's called sleeping

You're doing it wrong. My superior method of fasting is 10 PM - 10 AM

earlnabby

I used to fast occasionally for religious reasons (24 hours water only) and cannot understand why someone would do it "just because". Not only is it uncomfortable, the lightheadedness can be dangerous.