Fasting
shazland
Posts: 63 Member
Hi There. I'm really considering doing the 5,2 diet, where you at healthy for 5 days then fast for 2 (500 cals). I really need a fasting buddy if I'm going to keep motivated. If anyone wants to start with me or is already doing it and has any tips I'd love to hear from you :-)
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Replies
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Search the groups. This is a good one:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting0 -
The only reason to fast would be to "remember" how it is to be hungry. Our hunger cues are often messed up and we don't even know the true feeling. Otherwise, it is recommended not to fast. Your body goes into starvation mode, and it will hold on to every last big of fat!0
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bethleahnutrition wrote: »The only reason to fast would be to "remember" how it is to be hungry. Our hunger cues are often messed up and we don't even know the true feeling. Otherwise, it is recommended not to fast. Your body goes into starvation mode, and it will hold on to every last big of fat!
sorry but this is incorrect information. Your body cannot magically hold on to fat when you're not eating. There is some small metabolic slowdown after prolonged periods of a very low calorie diet, but it's not going to stop you losing weight. The reason extended fasting isn't a great idea is because you need energy to function, its not healthy not to get the nutrients your body needs, and because the body's response to long term starvation is to make you obsess over food and generally binge.
ETA by extended fasting I don't mean 5:2 where you do end up eating a healthy average calorie throughout the week, I mean fasting for days on end and restricting your calories too low overall for long periods of time0 -
bethleahnutrition wrote: »The only reason to fast would be to "remember" how it is to be hungry. Our hunger cues are often messed up and we don't even know the true feeling. Otherwise, it is recommended not to fast. Your body goes into starvation mode, and it will hold on to every last big of fat!
no.
5:2 is a style of eating that works for a lot of people... doesnt apeal to me, but its each to their own. just make sure you've set your calories correctly for your feast days.0 -
God, there's so much conflicting information about this! I was always told not to fast beause as you say bethleahnutrition it slows your metabolism down and your body thinks it's starving etc, but the 5,2 diet is supposed to be really good for you, lowering colestrol etc.0
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Couldnt think of anything less appealing than starving yourself for over a quarter of your life...0
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Fasting is great, I've been doing IF for 3 years on and off, small windows, or straight 24-40hr fasts. Only method of anything that ever cured my sinsunitis. Fasting is the natural healer, good for you, lots of people are ignorant and whine about fasting or find ways to disprove it.
Anyhooos, the 5,2 fast is great, it lets you eat 500c on fast days, but eat nothing and drink water, that is a true fast, yields better results and builds mental toughness...
3 things to tell yourself everyday prior to fasting...
1. Whatever your craving tell yourself you Can eat it tomorrow
2. Its not bad to feel hungry. Most of us could go two days for the best of us...however food industry doesnt make money off that idea.
3. Read about fasting benefits, and flood your mind with reassurance and affirmations that you are doing a great thing for yourself, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually.
Just like tools and machines need a break, so does the human body. We overwork it everyday, whether it is lack of sleep or feeding it crap..
People will argue Fasting isnt natural and safe while they have a mcdonalds burger in their hand... (now thats UNNATURAL!!!!)
Kudos to you, let me tell you once again, Fasting is King of Health. Own it! Owe it to yourself, it purifies your blood. May your life be longgggg!!! Cheers eh .
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Ok, I should have said better, why not change to a 'normal' way of eating. Just eat less than before. The problem with diets is that they promote an unsustainable way of eating, so when people come off then they are prone to going back to old ways. Add to this that you say you arent losing the weight anyway with the fasting.....0 -
Fasting is great, I've been doing IF for 3 years on and off, small windows, or straight 24-40hr fasts. Only method of anything that ever cured my sinsunitis. Fasting is the natural healer, good for you, lots of people are ignorant and whine about fasting or find ways to disprove it.
Anyhooos, the 5,2 fast is great, it lets you eat 500c on fast days, but eat nothing and drink water, that is a true fast, yields better results and builds mental toughness...
3 things to tell yourself everyday prior to fasting...
1. Whatever your craving tell yourself you Can eat it tomorrow
2. Its not bad to feel hungry. Most of us could go two days for the best of us...however food industry doesnt make money off that idea.
3. Read about fasting benefits, and flood your mind with reassurance and affirmations that you are doing a great thing for yourself, not only physically, but mentally and spiritually.
Just like tools and machines need a break, so does the human body. We overwork it everyday, whether it is lack of sleep or feeding it crap..
People will argue Fasting isnt natural and safe while they have a mcdonalds burger in their hand... (now thats UNNATURAL!!!!)
Kudos to you, let me tell you once again, Fasting is King of Health. Own it! Owe it to yourself, it purifies your blood. May your life be longgggg!!! Cheers eh .
Thanks for this!! I think it might just be the way forward for me! I have a friend who has lost a stack of weight doing it and she looks great! She's more of an aquaintance actually, so I wouldn't want to ask her too much about it.
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Come here for infos on 5:2
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting
And to anyone thinking, this is an unhealthy, unsustainable way of life.... please read up on it first.
Or take a look at my profile / profile pic. I've lost 29kg in one year and have maintained this loss for 6mth all thanks to my tool 5:2. It's not the only way to do it, but it does suit many.
I've never been healthier and together with some exercise, I'm fitter and stronger than I ever was. For me it is a way of life and not a diet, thus it is sustainable.0 -
If I were to fast I can guarantee that no one would want to be around me I've kept over 100 pounds off for the last several years by eating healthy and basically following the 80/20 rule. On point 80% of the time but allowing myself to eat those things that I would not normally eat. I'm fitter and stronger than I ever was before and I eat about 2000 calories a day, no fasting required
To each their own but follow some of the links posted here and do some research to be sure this is right for you. Our bodies need food for not only nutrients but energy so keep that in mind. 0 -
IMO there is enough crap that you have to go through in life without needing mental toughness over whether you should be eating or not... talk about making it more difficult for yourself!
Yep!
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I've tried it and loved it, and plan on starting it up again. I have several friends on here that do it and have had a lot of success with it.0
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Your body is not going to go into starvation mode. I started IF a few weeks ago and so far I have had pretty good results from it. I go by the daily 16:8 method. Yes there is a lot of conflicting information out there, the best resource is going to be your own experience and results.
Also here is a great article from LeanGains that talks about the myths of Fasting. point number 4 talks about starvation mode. Hope it helps!
http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html0 -
Maintenance could be something like 6:1 .....or 7:1....it's something you'll have to figure out when you get there.
Maintenance has always been hard for me. But my 500 calorie days are getting easier. That's the key I think. If a 500 calorie day is not something I dread....I can maintain by weighing regularly and throwing in a 500 calorie day as needed.0 -
Ok, I should have said better, why not change to a 'normal' way of eating. Just eat less than before. The problem with diets is that they promote an unsustainable way of eating, so when people come off then they are prone to going back to old ways. Add to this that you say you arent losing the weight anyway with the fasting.....
Unsustainable? Why?
I split my weekly calories into a different eating pattern to you and it's been remarkably successful in first losing weight and then also maintaining my goal weight over an extended period.
Something eating normally (whatever that means) didn't achieve for me as I couldn't stick to it. It isn't a diet in the sense of "on a diet" - no restricted items at all. Just a different eating pattern that suits me very well.
Of course it doesn't suit everybody but just look around you and you will see that people eating a regular number of calories daily doesn't work for everybody either.
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Ok, I should have said better, why not change to a 'normal' way of eating. Just eat less than before. The problem with diets is that they promote an unsustainable way of eating, so when people come off then they are prone to going back to old ways. Add to this that you say you arent losing the weight anyway with the fasting.....
Unsustainable? Why?
I split my weekly calories into a different eating pattern to you and it's been remarkably successful in first losing weight and then also maintaining my goal weight over an extended period.
Something eating normally (whatever that means) didn't achieve for me as I couldn't stick to it. It isn't a diet in the sense of "on a diet" - no restricted items at all. Just a different eating pattern that suits me very well.
Of course it doesn't suit everybody but just look around you and you will see that people eating a regular number of calories daily doesn't work for everybody either.
"Something eating normally (whatever that means)"
For the purposes of someone trying to be obtuse.... eating 'normally'... well lets suppose for the past few decades you have eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner, like the majority of non-third world countries do (or those people lucky enough to be out of poverty)....
I am generally against fad diets as for everyone of you who finds this way of living easy, there are 100 others who go back to old habits once breaking a diet because it is unsustainable. Fad diets are more successful in making money (because they dont work) not so much in achieving long term sustainable weight loss. If this wasnt true, obesity levels would have fallen a long time ago.
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Ok, I should have said better, why not change to a 'normal' way of eating. Just eat less than before. The problem with diets is that they promote an unsustainable way of eating, so when people come off then they are prone to going back to old ways. Add to this that you say you arent losing the weight anyway with the fasting.....
Unsustainable? Why?
I split my weekly calories into a different eating pattern to you and it's been remarkably successful in first losing weight and then also maintaining my goal weight over an extended period.
Something eating normally (whatever that means) didn't achieve for me as I couldn't stick to it. It isn't a diet in the sense of "on a diet" - no restricted items at all. Just a different eating pattern that suits me very well.
Of course it doesn't suit everybody but just look around you and you will see that people eating a regular number of calories daily doesn't work for everybody either.
"Something eating normally (whatever that means)"
For the purposes of someone trying to be obtuse.... eating 'normally'... well lets suppose for the past few decades you have eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner, like the majority of non-third world countries do (or those people lucky enough to be out of poverty)....
I am generally against fad diets as for everyone of you who finds this way of living easy, there are 100 others who go back to old habits once breaking a diet because it is unsustainable. Fad diets are more successful in making money (because they dont work) not so much in achieving long term sustainable weight loss. If this wasnt true, obesity levels would have fallen a long time ago.
So if I ate breakfast, lunch & dinner and that resulted in me staying fat for 20 years and then switched to 5:2 and got slim, fit, strong and healthier I fail to see a problem with it.
Don't understand your objection at all - that's what seems obtuse to me. Guess you haven't actually tried it?
Labelling it a fad diet is pretty weak - you do realise that billions of people actually follow an intermittent fasting lifestyle don't you and what you think is normal isn't universal?
But the key point is - I have tried everyday calorie restriction and it didn't work for me. That you imagine 100 people try IF and fail for everyone that succeeds really doesn't matter to the people who prefer eating this way!
Simply put to lose my weight I had two low calorie days a week and to maintain my weight easily I have one low day which suits me far better than having a lower calorie allowance 7 days a week.
Again just don't see why you think everyone has to achieve their calorie balance your way. What specifically to you think is "better" about your way or "worse" about my way?0
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