Fasting lengths?
FaithfulJewel
Posts: 177 Member
Hi new group!
I started doing 5:2 back in March, lost a good amount of weight, but started letting off on it recently as the boyfriend moved in and 500kcals of the food we both like is about the size of a matchbox (and not the extra long type).
So instead I've been fasting maybe once a week, losing weight still but occasionally hovering/gaining a pound (overall loss though). I was doing 40-ish hour fasts (dinner the night before ending around 9pm, not eating until 1pm the day after the fast) purely because that's how my eating pattern is normally.
I remember reading somewhere that people (someone in the old group too) do 24 hour fasts, as in end their meal the night before at 8pm then fasting until 8pm the next night - rather than the usual calendar day 36 hour fast.
Would doing a full 24 hour fast (I can do 40 hours without food, so 24 hours 2kcal drinks only would suit me fine) count for the 5:2? Thinking that would be significantly easier as I'd be at work most of that time then I can have a normal meal with the boyfriend on the evening.
Apologies for the long post. I'm terrible at saying what I mean succinctly.
I started doing 5:2 back in March, lost a good amount of weight, but started letting off on it recently as the boyfriend moved in and 500kcals of the food we both like is about the size of a matchbox (and not the extra long type).
So instead I've been fasting maybe once a week, losing weight still but occasionally hovering/gaining a pound (overall loss though). I was doing 40-ish hour fasts (dinner the night before ending around 9pm, not eating until 1pm the day after the fast) purely because that's how my eating pattern is normally.
I remember reading somewhere that people (someone in the old group too) do 24 hour fasts, as in end their meal the night before at 8pm then fasting until 8pm the next night - rather than the usual calendar day 36 hour fast.
Would doing a full 24 hour fast (I can do 40 hours without food, so 24 hours 2kcal drinks only would suit me fine) count for the 5:2? Thinking that would be significantly easier as I'd be at work most of that time then I can have a normal meal with the boyfriend on the evening.
Apologies for the long post. I'm terrible at saying what I mean succinctly.
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Hi fj. I'm new but I've been reading up on just that because that style works best for me as the fasting more than 24 hours messes with my ability to sleep. What I have found so far is that people who do the more 24 hour like fast usually start at dinner, end fast 24 hours later but with a 500 calorie dinner. I don't know that that really helps much for what you are facing but maybe it could.0
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It's horses for courses. Some people find it easier, some people find it more confusing.
If you're still lsing weight on one fast a week, then is that so hard to continue?0 -
Unfortunately doing the full 40 hour fasts causes me issues, but after some thoughts I realised I'd be too tempted to do constant 24 hour fasts (or more accurately 23 hour fasts and simply only eat in a 1 hour slot every day) and that is not a good way of thinking.
My boyfriend has agreed to do at least 1 meal a week "fast friendly" (ie, he has more than one serving or extra sides) and he won't tell me off if my fast day consists of 500kcals of biscuits... there's been a lot of rubbish happening recently with me and I think I just thought it'd be easier to do 3 days of 24 hour fasts and even 1 day of a 40 hour fast.
Of course this might all go to pot in a week or so but at least I'm trying. Thank you both
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I would be really interested to see how the 24 hour fasts work for you as I agree they would be much easier
good luck0 -
I think I've been misunderstanding. When folks talk about "24 hour fast" or "40 hour fast", are they actually referring to no intake of calories over this time, or the period in which you eat your <500cals?0
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EmmaOnTrack wrote: »I think I've been misunderstanding. When folks talk about "24 hour fast" or "40 hour fast", are they actually referring to no intake of calories over this time, or the period in which you eat your <500cals?
Confusing to me too. Sounds like the period before and after the fast without food. I have enough trouble sticking to my fast calories. I try to stop eating at 2000 the night before and the night of my fast, and don't really care what time I start eating the next day.0 -
I agree that the terms are not defined well enough. I fast for 24 hours i.e. Calorie free liquid from 7pm to 7pm. Eat my 500 and then don't eat again until sometime the next day. So I do a period of about 39 hours with 500cals intake.
Probably best not to get hung up on it. The health benefits come from the time spent not eating, the weight loss from the restricted intake. Win, win0 -
As far as I'm aware, the term "fast" in relation to 5:2, ADF and such like is when you take in a maximum of 500kcals (or 600kcals... your quarter TDEE essentially)
So while I fast for 40 hours, I will have my 500kcals within that timeframe. Someone told me that there's no major difference between taking in zero calories (water only fasts) and 500kcal fasts, so if you want to eat 500kcals, you might as well do it.0 -
The thing I like best about the 500 cal fast is I think it is much safer as you can take I. Watered down juices and broths to keep from getting light headed which can be extremely dangerous. I knew a young man who was very healthy who decided to do a water only fast and fainted in the bathroom and hit his head on the way down. He left two young children without a dad
. Water only fasting is not a good plan for any beginner especially. 0 -
That's my take on it too. Usually do my 500cals over 40-42hrs but think I might start incorporating a mid-morning snack on the day after to keep me from wanting to murder everyone around me. That will still make it 37-38hrs "fasting".FaithfulJewel wrote: »As far as I'm aware, the term "fast" in relation to 5:2, ADF and such like is when you take in a maximum of 500kcals (or 600kcals... your quarter TDEE essentially)
So while I fast for 40 hours, I will have my 500kcals within that timeframe. Someone told me that there's no major difference between taking in zero calories (water only fasts) and 500kcal fasts, so if you want to eat 500kcals, you might as well do it.
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