New to fasting, some help please?

Weight loss happens by taking in less calories than you burn. There is no magic to fasting that will make you lose weight so why not just eat right whenever you are hungry?

there is no magic, still need to watch calories and macros. i just like doing the 16/8 fast, leangains.com type fast. i used to eat breakfasts and snacks, several meals all within my calories. but i was eating all day and hungry all day. now i get 2-3 huge meals and i am stuffed, and i love it. it is the one thing that has probably helped me maintain my current healthy weight. works for me. still tweaking my calories and macros though. been on it for several months.

and i didn't explain much because i couldn't do leangains.com any justice trying to explain. just takes some reading and searching.

While there's no magic to it, the principle is that by fasting, you're forcing your body into ketosis. Ketones burn fat for fuel (think Atkins, but without the low carb). It also gives your liver and pancreas the day off.

I do a 5:2 fast. My 2 fast days are 24 hour fasts (dinner to dinner) and all of my 500 or so calories in one meal. This is so that I can have a big(ish) meal in the evening with my husband. I try to low carb it on fast days, as is advised, but it doesn't always happen.

The rest of the time, I aim for 1800 calories and eat most of my exercise calories. I try never to exceed 2000, but do sometimes. You cannot eat "whatever you want", the other 5 days a week. I still have to count calories, but I don't mind when those calories include brownies and Thatcher's Katy (in moderation. Actually, it's been weeks since I've had a brownie lol)

24 hour fasts are not for everyone (sometimes not even me), but it has helped me overcome my bedwettingly terrifying horror of hunger. I am recovering from a herniated disc, so I can no longer run (ever, I'm told, but f*** that) and get virtually no exercise apart from walking my dogs twice a day (about 5 miles in total), the occasional bike ride and yoga-for-broken-people three times a week.

The thing to remember is that because you get most of your water from food, fast days are the only days I make an effort to drink a lot of water, also because I limit myself to 1 cup of my usual tea (with semi skimmed and 1/2 sugar)

I've lost 7.5 lbs in 3 weeks.

Edit: hunger moderation. It sort of does moderate my hunger, but mostly, I just don't get stressed about being hungry anymore. Well, I do sometimes, but definitely not when I get that faintest feeling that if I don't eat something NOW, I might get hungry at some point a few hours from now. That merest suggestion of possible future hunger used to drive me into a cake fueled frenzy, but it doesn't anymore. I do find that I pretty much skip lunch on non fast days, as I just can't be bothered to eat.

there is no magic, still need to watch calories and macros. i just like doing the 16/8 fast, leangains.com type fast. i used to eat breakfasts and snacks, several meals all within my calories. but i was eating all day and hungry all day. now i get 2-3 huge meals and i am stuffed, and i love it. it is the one thing that has probably helped me maintain my current healthy weight. works for me. still tweaking my calories and macros though. been on it for several months.

So have you found that fasting has helped your hunger levels? That is really what I am going for. I find that I snack all day (still staying within my calories) but I am always hungry.

overall yes. i had the all day hunger thing going on too. now not nearly as much. i usually get a little hunger in the morning. but it goes away quickly. and then right before it is time to do lunch. takes some days to adjust but really not bad. i really love it. i eat a lot more of what i want because i am not snacking throughout the day. still lots of protein. so i get a big meal and throw in a treat when i want. today is my workout day so i am shooting for around 2200 cals and that will include a PBJ on homemade bread . my schedule doesn't work for the fasted workout. usually have to do the two meals before workouts, sometimes one.

edit again, i thought about the 5:2 fast, but there is no way in heck i could only do 500 cals or less any given day.

Hello everyone,

I know I can just google what fasting is all about - and I have read a few articles about it. However, I like asking you guys because I get real personal experiences that I can trust!

For those of you who have tried fasting, how did you do it? How should I start? I have heard it can be really great for weight loss. I am a little intimidated by it since you don't get to eat for an allotted amount of time. Do you fast in the mornings? At night?

I really just want to know your experience with fasting, and some opinions on where and how to start.
Thanks!

Most people just do what works for them, but in general, it's a night to morning fast time (at least with the 16/8 cycles). That is, you stop eating at, say, 8pm, and you don't eat again until noon the next day. This makes it pretty easy, since you're fasting most of the time when your energy usage is the lowest.

I, personally, just kind of fell into an IF (intermittent fasting) routine. I eat low-carb, high-fat, and I found that I simply wasn't hungry some mornings and stopped eating breakfast. Then "some mornings" became "most, if not all, mornings." I even tried eating breakfast one day, and found myself hungry all day. I'm not actively doing IF, so I don't always wait until noon, but typically, I still only find myself not getting hungry until at least 10am, if not noon or later.

If you're starting from an "eat 6 meals a day" routine, I recommend easing into it. Otherwise, your mornings might be hell. Play with your macros some so that you can get 3 meals in, within your calories, and not need snacks. Then start dropping or postponing your breakfast (assuming the aforementioned 16/8 cycle).

Frankly, I like it far better than the "eat six times a day" thing. I don't feel like I want to gnaw my arm off if I go more than an hour or two without food, and I can eat enough at a sitting to actually feel full. Those tiny little 300 or so calorie "meals" just don't cut it for me.

24 hour fasts are not for everyone (sometimes not even me), but it has helped me overcome my bedwettingly terrifying horror of hunger. I am recovering from a herniated disc, so I can no longer run (ever, I'm told, but f*** that) and get virtually no exercise apart from walking my dogs twice a day (about 5 miles in total), the occasional bike ride and yoga-for-broken-people three times a week.

Herniated disc suffer here (who also lifts and practices martial arts). You may very well be able to run again. Form is of utmost importance, though. Don't be slamming your heel into the ground (forefoot strike, always!). Also, make sure you strengthen your back. Squats, deadlifts, pushups, and the like are hugely beneficial (just don't be afraid to start as easy as you need to keep good form while still challenging yourself). The stronger your back, the less pain, and less chance of further injury.