Fasting - does it work?

mfpcopine

Eating less frequently makes it easier for some people to stick to their calorie maximum.

This is what I hope it might help me with also. When I eat breakfast first thing in the morning and then try to spread my calories over the rest of my waking hours, I feel hungry all day and can hardly wait for the next meal or snack. But the longer I can put off my first meal, the better off I think I might be. Once I start eating, unless I eat enough to get full, I'm never quite happy. So if I have to eat all my calories in the span of 4-6 hours, I think my tummy would be happy/full. Maybe I could stop thinking about food all the time.

That's for the benefit for me. The nice thing is the flexibility. You don't have to start it all at once. You could have breakfast an hour later every day or every couple of days until you create a "window." Your window of eating could be 14 hours, which one of the sites recommends for women (my current window). Other people do 16 to 18 hours.

I don't currently do the 24 hour fasts because I don't want to feel deprived, although I think it would be mainly psychological. It's your choice. I'm not trying to prove anything.

After experimenting for the last 2 or three weeks I do have a little dairy in my coffee because I can't drink coffee black. Having only coffee in the morning and delaying my eating until later is something I've done on my own for years. I was IF-ing without knowing it.

If you go to the Intermittent Fasting group, there are threads with lots of links on how to try it out. It's for not everyone, but it's worth exploring.

HonkyTonks

I do eat stop eat. 24 hour fasting twice a week. AND it works for me.

Good golly.. I don't know if I'd be able to go 24 hours without food one time much less twice a week! Are you working out on your fasting days or are you leaving that for the days you eat? Since so many responders have said it works, I'm willing to try fasting, I just think it might make me ... sad )=

I got used to it and stopped being hungry on the fast days. And yep I do work out on my fasting days. I basically treat my fasting days like a normal day really, and I have done both strength and cardio on a fasting day.

The biggest benefit for me I think is psychological. On the days that I don't fast, I feel more relaxed about calories and don't feel the need to count every last one. I have stopped counting now, except on the odd occasion just to see how I am going. I eat whatever I want (within reason). Some days I have a high cal day but every week I still lose between 0.5 to 1lb.

whitm2103

What in the world? Fasting is NOT healthy for you! Common sense here.

Ummm... what makes you say that?

Wouldnt fasting put you under your calorie goal and then wouldn't THAT be bad for you?

Yanicka1

What in the world? Fasting is NOT healthy for you! Common sense here.

Ummm... what makes you say that?

Wouldnt fasting put you under your calorie goal and then wouldn't THAT be bad for you?

You are missing the intermittent part. I eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day. Just that I eat those calories between 1 pm and 8-9 pm

whitm2103

What in the world? Fasting is NOT healthy for you! Common sense here.

Ummm... what makes you say that?

Wouldnt fasting put you under your calorie goal and then wouldn't THAT be bad for you?

You are missing the intermittent part. I eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day. Just that I eat those calories between 1 pm and 8-9 pm

I mean like fasting for 24 hours

Sidesteal

What in the world? Fasting is NOT healthy for you! Common sense here.

Ummm... what makes you say that?

Wouldnt fasting put you under your calorie goal and then wouldn't THAT be bad for you?

You are missing the intermittent part. I eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day. Just that I eat those calories between 1 pm and 8-9 pm

I mean like fasting for 24 hours

Still irrelevant provided that weekly calorie intake is proper. I believe you've got a good 48 to 72 hours of fasting without "bad stuff" happening.

Yanicka1

What in the world? Fasting is NOT healthy for you! Common sense here.

Ummm... what makes you say that?

Wouldnt fasting put you under your calorie goal and then wouldn't THAT be bad for you?

You are missing the intermittent part. I eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day. Just that I eat those calories between 1 pm and 8-9 pm

I mean like fasting for 24 hours

Then the calories they do not eat is distributed to the other days. Fasting is not a way to cut calories. Many of us work so hard to build muscle we would never do anything to lose it by under eating.

HonkyTonks

What in the world? Fasting is NOT healthy for you! Common sense here.

Ummm... what makes you say that?

Wouldnt fasting put you under your calorie goal and then wouldn't THAT be bad for you?

Depends on how large the deficit is and what your goals are. I aim for a deficit of about 2-3000 calories a week for fat loss. I achieve that through fasting. On other non fasting days I would eat to my TDEE, sometimes more. Eating under your calorie goal for a day will not cause you to lose muscle or slow your metabolism or anything like that.

HonkyTonks

What in the world? Fasting is NOT healthy for you! Common sense here.

Ummm... what makes you say that?

Wouldnt fasting put you under your calorie goal and then wouldn't THAT be bad for you?

You are missing the intermittent part. I eat between 1600 and 1900 calories a day. Just that I eat those calories between 1 pm and 8-9 pm

I mean like fasting for 24 hours

Then the calories they do not eat is distributed to the other days. Fasting is not a way to cut calories. Many of us work so hard to build muscle we would never do anything to lose it by under eating.

I do it to cut calories. But I also do strength training to maintain muscle.

crisanderson27

I think there's a large misunderstanding here. Lets assume your MFP set deficit gives you 2000cal/day total intake. In a week, that's 14,000 calories. You want to fast for two days...at 24hrs each. You divide your 14,000 calories up by five days (you're fasting two!), which gives you roughly 2800cal to eat during your non-fasting periods. Remeber also, your non fasting periods are more than just 1 day each. Basically, if you fast Tuesday and Thursday...your eating schedule would look like this:

Sunday - 2,560cal
Monday - 2,560cal
Tuesday - 600cal (dinner)
Wednesday - 2,560cal
Thursday - 600cal (dinner)
Friday - 2,560cal
Saturday - 2,560cal.

No starvation, no unhealthy behaviors. This is how you maintain a healthy deficit (by the numbers), and still fast.

crisanderson27

I think there's a large misunderstanding here. Lets assume your MFP set deficit gives you 2000cal/day total intake. In a week, that's 14,000 calories. You want to fast for two days...at 24hrs each. You divide your 14,000 calories up by five days (you're fasting two!), which gives you roughly 2800cal to eat during your non-fasting periods. Remeber also, your non fasting periods are more than just 1 day each. Basically, if you fast Tuesday and Thursday...your eating schedule would look like this:

Sunday - 2,560cal
Monday - 2,560cal
Tuesday - 600cal (dinner)
Wednesday - 2,560cal
Thursday - 600cal (dinner)
Friday - 2,560cal
Saturday - 2,560cal.

No starvation, no unhealthy behaviors. This is how you maintain a healthy deficit (by the numbers), and still fast.

Remember also, you can rearrange those numbers any way you like. 1200cal isn't abnormal for fasting day dinners, and then you just average out the rest to 2320cal/day five days a week.

Yanicka1

I think there's a large misunderstanding here. Lets assume your MFP set deficit gives you 2000cal/day total intake. In a week, that's 14,000 calories. You want to fast for two days...at 24hrs each. You divide your 14,000 calories up by five days (you're fasting two!), which gives you roughly 2800cal to eat during your non-fasting periods. Remeber also, your non fasting periods are more than just 1 day each. Basically, if you fast Tuesday and Thursday...your eating schedule would look like this:

Sunday - 2,560cal
Monday - 2,560cal
Tuesday - 600cal (dinner)
Wednesday - 2,560cal
Thursday - 600cal (dinner)
Friday - 2,560cal
Saturday - 2,560cal.

No starvation, no unhealthy behaviors. This is how you maintain a healthy deficit (by the numbers), and still fast.

That is what I wanted to say

LaurasClimb

That's a great breakdown!

skybird455

I have been a 'faster' for many years. I do a 24 hour fast several times a month, but I do not make up the calories. For me it is not about the calories it is about prayer, and healing my ulcer ;0) After my fast my food intake is less too because my stomach has already shrunk. Some people do juice fasts or vegetables only, but for me, its water and that is it. I have tried 48 hour fasts but get severe head aches and feel terrible and cant function. The most I can do comfortably is 24 hours. I have see a tremendous difference in how I feel, the amount of fat on my belly, and being able to see the fat % on the scale go down quicker. This works especially well if you are plateaud.

I also dont eat past 4 pm 5 days a week. I just eat smaller meals and eat my 'dinner' as my snack, but it is still small. I eat breakfast at 715 am so that puts me going 15 or so hours without food. Itll change your metabolism that is for sure. I weight train and run in the morning, when I have had plenty of protien, and do yoga or stretching sometimes at night. I sleep better, wake up feeling better and dont have any heart burn any more....even eating clean I never felt this good.

StaceyZombie

Bump

HonkyTonks

I think there's a large misunderstanding here. Lets assume your MFP set deficit gives you 2000cal/day total intake. In a week, that's 14,000 calories. You want to fast for two days...at 24hrs each. You divide your 14,000 calories up by five days (you're fasting two!), which gives you roughly 2800cal to eat during your non-fasting periods. Remeber also, your non fasting periods are more than just 1 day each. Basically, if you fast Tuesday and Thursday...your eating schedule would look like this:

Sunday - 2,560cal
Monday - 2,560cal
Tuesday - 600cal (dinner)
Wednesday - 2,560cal
Thursday - 600cal (dinner)
Friday - 2,560cal
Saturday - 2,560cal.

No starvation, no unhealthy behaviors. This is how you maintain a healthy deficit (by the numbers), and still fast.

Remember also, you can rearrange those numbers any way you like. 1200cal isn't abnormal for fasting day dinners, and then you just average out the rest to 2320cal/day five days a week.

Thanks this is similar to what I do, it makes no sense to me to try and stick to one calorie goal per day. It is way easier to spread your calories over the week, because some days you will just end up having larger/higher cal meals than others. Unless you eat the same things every day, but I just couldn't do that!

crisanderson27

I think there's a large misunderstanding here. Lets assume your MFP set deficit gives you 2000cal/day total intake. In a week, that's 14,000 calories. You want to fast for two days...at 24hrs each. You divide your 14,000 calories up by five days (you're fasting two!), which gives you roughly 2800cal to eat during your non-fasting periods. Remeber also, your non fasting periods are more than just 1 day each. Basically, if you fast Tuesday and Thursday...your eating schedule would look like this:

Sunday - 2,560cal
Monday - 2,560cal
Tuesday - 600cal (dinner)
Wednesday - 2,560cal
Thursday - 600cal (dinner)
Friday - 2,560cal
Saturday - 2,560cal.

No starvation, no unhealthy behaviors. This is how you maintain a healthy deficit (by the numbers), and still fast.

Remember also, you can rearrange those numbers any way you like. 1200cal isn't abnormal for fasting day dinners, and then you just average out the rest to 2320cal/day five days a week.

Thanks this is similar to what I do, it makes no sense to me to try and stick to one calorie goal per day. It is way easier to spread your calories over the week, because some days you will just end up having larger/higher cal meals than others. Unless you eat the same things every day, but I just couldn't do that!

Yep!! The weekly average number is more important. Your body doesn't know one way or the other really. You can even zig zag the daily numbers too, roughly 2000 one day, then roughly 3000 the following non fast day to make up for it...or vice versa. None of this stuff has to be scienced out to the calorie. Your activity level and its effect on the body isn't the same every day, and to think that sticking to a dead strict calorie number every day makes any kind of sense, is just silly. Be reasonable, relaxed, yet dedicated...and all of this stuff just falls into place.

anaboneana

If you want to screw with your poor body and send it into starvation mode... Leading to binges and ultimate weight gain... Then, yah, it works.

crisanderson27

If you want to screw with your poor body and send it into starvation mode... Leading to binges and ultimate weight gain... Then, yah, it works.

Once again, ignorance with no research.

I mean...I'm SO obviously in starvation mode lol...as are all the guys who've posted who are even more ripped than I am.

Bravo.

HonkyTonks

If you want to screw with your poor body and send it into starvation mode... Leading to binges and ultimate weight gain... Then, yah, it works.

Clearly you haven't read the rest of the thread. Please don't bother commenting unless you know what you're talking about.