Fasting?

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supershala
supershala Posts: 30
in Food and Nutrition
So, I've been reading up on fasting, and lots of people are of the opinion that intermittent fasting is healthy, safe, and will definitely help you lose weight. I've been thinking about fasting for 24 hours once a week, on my day off from exercise and work. Does anyone here do anything similar? If so, do you feel like you benefit from it?
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  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
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    I couldn't do it. I'd be so depressed. I love food. But if it works for you, more power to ya!
  • Aileen46
    Aileen46 Posts: 176 Member
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    I'd love to know the answer to this one as well. I've been thinking about it too and I'm curious to know if it helps with weight loss.
  • kamoira23
    kamoira23 Posts: 193
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    Bump! I hear it's good for your metabolism... but I don't know of any scientific reason why. I'm curious to see what others have to say!
  • emmaNEEDSskinny
    emmaNEEDSskinny Posts: 317
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    you'll want to even more & end up eating even more therefore putting on weight
  • MuchMovement
    MuchMovement Posts: 100
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    I love intermittent fasting... I trainer longer and harder when I train on empty. A lot of times I'll run on E all day and eat one meal of whatever I want at night. Eating even a small meal during workouts will make me feel sick, bogged down, or lethargic.... but you should always be careful and air on the side of caution when making changes to the metabolism.

    I also recommend raw apple cider vinegar fasts
  • McKnightAM
    McKnightAM Posts: 125 Member
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    Well I only fast from a Biblical point of view, and I fast other things than just food so I'm no help.. BUT...

    My Pastor fasts for the first 21 days of each year... nothing but water... could you imagine?? lol
  • SpaceMarkus
    SpaceMarkus Posts: 651
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    Doing a fast or cleanse every 6 months or so is beneficial to your body. Even with the filters our bodies have, in our culture of crap food and artificial everything we can't process it or keep up. I always liken it to something like an oil change. Your car will be fine if you run it over 6000 miles on the same oil, probably even 10,000. But you have to clean it out and start fresh eventually.
  • southernbelle0364
    southernbelle0364 Posts: 10 Member
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    I have done a fast before and it does make me lose weight. Don't do this if you don't have willpower to turn food down because your body will be calling out for it and it gets much harder to turn it down and you may end up blowing the whole day. Also, don't expect to lose much the second day when you do eat again because your body went into mini starvation mode and will probably hold on to the food.

    I've heard tons of good stuff about fasts but make sure you're careful that you don't get light headed or too weak. Good luck!
  • cruiseking
    cruiseking Posts: 338 Member
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    I wouldn't do it for me, because I enjoy food too much. I went on vacation and ate all the "bad" food (pizza, summer ale, ice cream, etc.); during the two weeks I lost one pound. Granted there was some ridiculously hard mountain hiking on vacation, so my calorie burn was pretty high, but my body thought it was off the healthy (less colories) routine. Upon returning to the healthier eating I dropped six pounds in less than two weeks. So maybe the opposite of the "fasting" theory is true also. I guess as long as you maintain the trajectory of downward weight loss, you can give it a try. I have read studies that suggest one day a week of fasting does have health benefits (Glycemic metabolism or something); I just couldn't do it. Good luck.
  • inatay7
    inatay7 Posts: 141
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    I'm curious about this too, shall we form a group of some kind (or just become MFP friends :-)) and test it out?
  • agent300
    agent300 Posts: 73
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    intermittent fasting is great. your body quickly adjusts to the new eating schedule. ive been doing 16/8 style so i eat from 4pm-12am. i know other people who have done this and they got to the leanest they have ever been. it totally blows all the bs diet myths out of the water, like having to eat 6 small meals a day or having to eat breakfast.
  • agent300
    agent300 Posts: 73
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    I have done a fast before and it does make me lose weight. Don't do this if you don't have willpower to turn food down because your body will be calling out for it and it gets much harder to turn it down and you may end up blowing the whole day. Also, don't expect to lose much the second day when you do eat again because your body went into mini starvation mode and will probably hold on to the food.

    I've heard tons of good stuff about fasts but make sure you're careful that you don't get light headed or too weak. Good luck!

    when you do intermittent fasting, you metabolism actually raises during the fasted state, so the mini starvation mode thing is not true.
  • mhnyman28
    mhnyman28 Posts: 3
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    I agree with the premise yhay it is good to clean out our bodoes periodocally. I did the "Master Cleanse" for 7 days and it did not hurt my diet at all. Of course you are not really fasting. There's calories in the maple syrup and lemons, etc., but I did lose an extra number of pounds during the cleanse.. Try it...........but don't overdo...........
  • DanaKinzer
    DanaKinzer Posts: 72
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    I am of the belief that fasting is okay very occasionally, but "cleansing" is very harmful to your body. If you eat right, and drink plenty of water, your body cleans itself. It was designed by God or nature (whichever you choose to believe in) to be cool like that! Heat and serve foods, or add water, heat and serve foods, are processed foods that your body doesn't need. I stay away from those. I stay away from fake butter, fake sugar, processed anything as much as possible.

    Before starting any fasting or cleansing, I suggest you speak with your doctor. I've known a lot of people to be seriously harmed by these 'cleanses.' It is better to speak with your doctor to get their advice before starting something like that. They may say go for it under their supervision, or they may say stay away from it. Only your doctor that is familiar with your medical history can give proper advice in this manner.
  • AlienBaby
    AlienBaby Posts: 22
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    Oh I'm going to have to try this :)
  • supershala
    supershala Posts: 30
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    Well, I'm not really talking about a "cleanse". I'm really just talking about a fast where, for 24 hours, I do not consume any food, and only drink water and possibly tea. I would not exercise that day, or even work.
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    Fasting isn't a smart thing to do IMO. You shouldn't deprive your body of the nutrients you need. Fasting was originally used in religious beliefs.. they believed by not eating their prayers wouldn't be "weighed down" and could reach God faster... (or something like that)
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    Well, I'm not really talking about a "cleanse". I'm really just talking about a fast where, for 24 hours, I do not consume any food, and only drink water and possibly tea. I would not exercise that day, or even work.


    But your body still requires roughly 1400 calories a day just to function, even if you sit on the couch all day long.
  • supershala
    supershala Posts: 30
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    Some informative articles I've found :

    http://drbenkim.com/fasting.html

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-04-28-fasting_x.htm

    http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/02/health/he-fasting2
  • chantel111184
    chantel111184 Posts: 124 Member
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    So, I've been reading up on fasting, and lots of people are of the opinion that intermittent fasting is healthy, safe, and will definitely help you lose weight. I've been thinking about fasting for 24 hours once a week, on my day off from exercise and work. Does anyone here do anything similar? If so, do you feel like you benefit from it?

    check out this thread lots of people do intermittent fasting
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/226488-intermittent-fasting-support-group

    I also fast every day i am doing leangains 16/8 i eat from 9.30am-5.30pm i eat all my calories breakfast lunch and dinner in this 8 hour eating window then i fast for 16 hours. Also with fasting i no longer have the craving to binge it at night as i am fasting and my body has just got used to eat.

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