Fasting, please help!

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What's your opinion about fasting? Do you think it works? Have you ever done it? I would like to try it

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  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
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    Try it. But think "Am I going to fast for the rest of my life?" In other words, is this a lifestyle I can sustain?

    There is a thing called intermittent fasting, which is simply a way of eating only during a certain window of hours in a day - say from 4pm to 7pm., or other period of more or less time. Some people find it helps them control their calorie intake. Others find that long periods of not eating trigger binges or other uncontrollable behaviour around food. Everyone is unique, you have to find what works for you

    But in the end, losing weight depends on the number of calories taken in vs the number of calories expended. Eat more calories than you use, and you will gain. Eat less, and thats the secret to long term, sustainable weight loss.
  • nancy12trujillo
    nancy12trujillo Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Personally I think it works for people who like large meals. Some people do IF as a lifestyle (16:8) basically all they are doing is skipping breakfast. But, doing IF does not make weight loss happen any faster, it just might be a little easier mentally. You can do IF and maintain your weight, lose or gain weight. It all comes down to being in a caloric deficit/
  • MaggiMoonwytch
    MaggiMoonwytch Posts: 12 Member
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    I tried the 5:2 diet and found I was ravenous the day after a fast day. The only thing that really works for me is calorie counting and eating fairly plain food. It's horses for courses.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    There are several different types of fasting protocols. Not all of them are specifically designed for weight loss, but most people assume they are once they hear the word fasting . Research the different options and try one or more. Personally I follow 16:8 because of the simplicity and that it fits my normal eating habits.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Fasting is not eating. Don't stop eating! But if you don't eat all the time, you are in fact fasting between meals already. Unless you are eating in your sleep, you're fasting for 7-9 hours every night without even being aware of it. I'm eating in a 6-8 hour window, but it's just a normal meal schedule, not a way to lose more weight while eating more food. My meals are of normal size too, I'm having breakfast, lunch and dinner, just like a normal person, and then be done with eating for the day. I love it. It feels tidy and grownup, and it's easier to plan 3 meals than 6 meals, too. I'm not micromanaging anymore. And I've stopped thinking that I have to eat all the time to avoid fainting or whatever I imagined could happen.
  • Kalnor
    Kalnor Posts: 7 Member
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    What's your opinion about fasting? Do you think it works? Have you ever done it? I would like to try it

    I'm using intermittent fasting for the past 5 weeks and just added keto to my diet. The fasting is a great help, I eat between 1pm and 8pm and it's easy as it's really only missing breakfast. But the increase in energy is great. There's a few routes you can take with 16/8 being the most popular. (16 hours of not eating, 8 hours in which you can) I'm only eating 2 meals a day.
  • kenzienal
    kenzienal Posts: 205 Member
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    I have lost about 16lbs from (in truth, CICO) Intermittent Fasting.

    I fast for 16 hours of the day, and eat in an 8hour window. I try not to eat more than 1500 cal a day.

    CICO is what makes it happen at the end of the day though. Personally, I found I ALWAYS went over my calorie limit if I ate breakfast. Now, I skip breakfast and rarely go over.

    Thats just what worked for me, and you will have to find what works for you.
  • leialeia79
    leialeia79 Posts: 17 Member
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    I do two 24 hour fasts each week (mostly overnight) and find that so easy to stick to (I go lunch to lunch) and easy to integrate to my social life.
  • JohnnyLowCarb
    JohnnyLowCarb Posts: 418 Member
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    I am getting serous now about IF. I am on a low carb diet and these tend to work well with IF. My latest go at it has got me through the plateau I was stuck at. Message me any questions you may have.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Which fasting are you on about OP?

    There is Intermittent fasting which is fine to try, then there is the new craze of not eating for days (Up to 7) which is just crazy and not alright to try unless you want to burn up your lean muscle mass.
  • EmbeeKay
    EmbeeKay Posts: 249 Member
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    Fasting works great! But NOT for weight loss. For religious purposes, I did a three day water fast followed by two days of vegetable juice for a total of five days of fasting. I timed the fast for when I was weaning my baby, because I did not want to become engorged (as I had struggled with mastitis throughout our nursing relationship.)

    Yes, I lost 10 pounds! Of course it all came back as soon as I started eating again. So I recommend it for mental clarity and focus, but it's very difficult.

    If you're talking about intermittent fasting, that's what my husband does and it works very well for him.
  • rocknlotsofrolls
    rocknlotsofrolls Posts: 418 Member
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    You are fasting while you're sleeping. That's why we call it breakfast, because you're breaking a fast. Technically, your first meal of the day is breakfast, even if eaten at 9pm. Find what works for you, as long as you don't go over your calorie limit you should do fine.