Fasting for weight control, and so much more WOW!

grumpygit1962
grumpygit1962 Posts: 90 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone else had any experience with fasting. When I was a younger man and in the Forces I had it forced upon me once or twice(few dozen times), but nothing I ever intentionally set out to do.

Right now my triathlon training is going just great, though a little behind with the swimming, and my diet is so healthy. But there is one problem, my appetite is huge with the training and I was really struggling to loose the 10 lb to get me close to the perfect weight for me.

About a month ago ish I typical me fashion jumped into a 3 day water fast out of nowhere, just did it and even considered a longer period while doing it. After 30 hours things were happening and even not happening which I expected, ie being able to train quite well.

I was reading everything I could online during and after the fast, ordered a book by Mike Mosley BBC 5 2 Fast fame. When I broke the fast I was left with a thousand questions, nearly all good stuff along with the fact that I found it not as hard as I imagined, but a little tough at times. And though fasting can help with weight control there was so so much more it offers, I felt it after just this one try.

I have gone on to have more one and two day fasts and begin another on Sunday night for 48 hours, I feel like I have discoved a magic pill, what this in such a short space of time has given back is incredible, too long to list here, but mind, cleansing, HGH jump, attitude to food, energy, just too much to go on, there is even a spiritual element to consider and that's coming from someone like me, a non believer. Oh, and I took off 5 of those 10lbs off with a feeling that I have the next 5 lb cracked.

Like I said I have a fast coming again in a few days, I am not dreading it, part of me is again looking forward to it and cannot wait.

I even found myself grilling a muslim Taxi driver yesterday about Ramadan, and I actually impressed him with my 3 day water fast with a 55 cycle ride and swim next day

Has anyone else any experiences with fasting?
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Replies

  • skymningen
    skymningen Posts: 532 Member
    edited July 2017
    Isn't this basically intermittent fasting or a cyclic diet? It is getting increasingly popular in the "fitness crowd". I have not tried it yet, as I am not sure how this might interfere with my carefully controlled migraine.
  • grumpygit1962
    grumpygit1962 Posts: 90 Member
    I have read about the 16 8 Sabern, If I am doing say just a short fast I fine it easier to just go the full 24 hours, say from 7pm Sunday to 7pm Monday. But I am still learning, and even when I get to my target weight and the way I feel now I would like fasting in my life from now on.
  • grumpygit1962
    grumpygit1962 Posts: 90 Member
    Joanna4kids wrote: »
    I have been doing intermittent fasting. I have heard good medical reasons for it. Right now I've been on a daily 18/6. That is easy since I finish eating dinner at 7:00 and just don't eat again until 12:00 or 1:00 the next day. During this six hour time frame, I am trying to keep my carb count low. I have read about many people who are doing longer fasts, like you, and have been able to get off so many of their prescription medications.

    I am reading about these fasts, like I said earlier I find it easier on a a short fast to just do a straight 24 hours, there is hardly any difficulty for me.
  • skymningen
    skymningen Posts: 532 Member
    King_Spicy wrote: »
    I wish people would also stop using the term "water fasting." Noone calls it that. It's just fasting. People still drink water during a normal fast in any country that I've ever been in (which include a *kitten* ton of muslim countries)

    I don't think it is to emphasize that they still drink water during fasting, but that they drink nothing else. I have heard of broth fasting, kale soup fasting, fasting with specially mixed herbal teas and so much more. All of those are fasting. Water fasting is just the one with nothing but water.
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
    edited July 2017
    skymningen wrote: »
    I don't think it is to emphasize that they still drink water during fasting, but that they drink nothing else. I have heard of broth fasting, kale soup fasting, fasting with specially mixed herbal teas and so much more. All of those are fasting. Water fasting is just the one with nothing but water.

    So these special fasts for broth only, or kale only, etc could be named by their specialty, but water only would still just be a normal fast :wink:
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    Actually, Ramadan(Muslim annual month of fasting) is a dry fast. Nothing except needful medicine by mouth between dawn and dusk.

    All labor workers will still drink water during Ramadan. Pretty much have to, to keep from dehydrating themselves or dying in the heat of African/Middle Eastern countries
  • grumpygit1962
    grumpygit1962 Posts: 90 Member
    King_Spicy wrote: »
    Fasting is easy, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone going through rigorous training for a triathlon. You're hungry because your body needs that fuel. lol Sitting at a desk all day through the week makes it a peace of cake though.

    I did a 48 hour fasting period earlier this week just because I worked 14-15 hour days back to back and was too lazy to make food when I got back home. I switched over to intermittent fasting at 18 non eating periods for my normal work days (combined with Keto), and I'm losing more on these normal days than the 48 hour fast and still have full energy.

    I wish people would also stop using the term "water fasting." Noone calls it that. It's just fasting. People still drink water during a normal fast in any country that I've ever been in (which include a *kitten* ton of muslim countries)

    I am doing an Olympic distance in early Sept, so I can take a few risks at the moment, but of course you are right. I just really need to take the 10lb off then I am good to go, 5 lb now.

    Training on the last hour of a 24 hour fast is amazing I might add, the feeling I had the two times I did was just brilliant
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
    Do you find yourself sleeping a *kitten* ton? I didn't wanna wake up in the morning during my fasting period. Now I have so much energy that I have trouble sleeping past 3:30am -_-
  • Mummytofitmummy
    Mummytofitmummy Posts: 83 Member
    Yes Ramadhan fasting men's no food or water. Having water will break the fast in any circumstance. However fasting increases spiritually, severed this relationship with food and makes one think of those who do not have food readily available. It is also encouraged not to overeat when breaking the fast as that defeates the purpose but cultural influences means people tend to make speciality dishes and lots of friend food.

    I fasted during Ramadan this year and am fasting today, tomorrow and a few days after. I found my head space better this year which made fasting very easy. If I'm too digressed in the world and worldly stuff like materialistic things then it makes the fast harder, hands down.

    I was also surprised I was able to exercise. Which I'd never imagined to do. The fast was from 1:10 to latest 21:40 and no food or water or anything entering the mouth. Not only was it easy to not eat and drink or feel hungry but my entire day went better. I was more patient.

    If we go back in time, for the sake of history, the prophet David also fasted every other day. So it's something that goes way back in time.

    Fasting does have a lot of positive effects but of course those who are ill should consult a doctor first.
  • Fivefootcaloriecounter
    Fivefootcaloriecounter Posts: 123 Member
    Did my first fast this week
  • grumpygit1962
    grumpygit1962 Posts: 90 Member
    elphie754 wrote: »
    I thought we weren't allowed to promote unsafe weight loss techniques? (Yes, a 5 day fast I would consider unsafe, especially while training).

    Elaborate, and who mentioned 5 day fasting?
  • grumpygit1962
    grumpygit1962 Posts: 90 Member
    Fivefootcaloriecounter wrote: »
    Did my first fast this week

    Tell me how you got on, love hearing these stories.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2017
    King_Spicy wrote: »
    I wish people would also stop using the term "water fasting." Noone calls it that. It's just fasting. People still drink water during a normal fast in any country that I've ever been in (which include a *kitten* ton of muslim countries)

    Yeah, I find that odd. (Muslim fasting aside because of stanman's point, IME I've always consumed water at will when fasting and just called it, well, fasting.)

    I also find it odd when people seem to equate eating in a 6 or 8 hour window (which can happen if you just skip breakfast or eat breakfast late and dinner early) with multiple days with no food.

    I don't think a full day fast is a big thing (I've done it several times), although I doubt it has any weight loss benefits since you'd have to do it regularly enough to have it be the basis for your weekly deficit, and I find the idea that a 3 day fast would be compatible with tri training difficult to understand, it wouldn't be for me, I was hungry all the time when tri training and find exercising hard after a full day of not eating at all not particularly workable. But it definitely seems to have hit the media as a thing and thus all the MFP posts.

    I'm interested in reading more, though; why not.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2017
    Mummytofitmummy wrote: »
    I was also surprised I was able to exercise. Which I'd never imagined to do. The fast was from 1:10 to latest 21:40 and no food or water or anything entering the mouth.

    I'd find it really hard to do any kind of hard exercise without water (so not saying this isn't hard), but that one can workout without eating before 9:40 pm or so doesn't seem like the same thing to me as not eating for 3 days and then working out.

    I do a full day fast on a few days (Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, mostly), meaning that I don't eat that day at all, and I worked out those days, although it wasn't the hardest possible workout, and didn't find it a big deal. But I knew I'd be eating the next morning. I often run before eating in the morning, but after those days I did not, I would have had some kind of snack or light breakfast before running.

    Eh, not saying it's the end of the world if one wants to skip eating for 3 days and then go running, but I don't get why there seems to be this trend of deciding it does magical things.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2017
    grumpygit1962 wrote: »
    elphie754 wrote: »
    I thought we weren't allowed to promote unsafe weight loss techniques? (Yes, a 5 day fast I would consider unsafe, especially while training).

    Elaborate, and who mentioned 5 day fasting?

    Not directed to me, but it was sabern, or at least that's how I read that post.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    You sleeping alright, OP?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    richard0028 wrote: »
    There are so many different types of fasting, but clearly calorie restriction (600 a day for men, 500 for women) has many studies behind it and a proven track record for weight loss and weight maintenance. I do 5:2 using homemade vegetable juices on my fast days (rebootwithjoe "mean green" being my staple).

    Do you worry about protein at all? I've thought about doing 5:2, but assumed the 500 cal would have to be primarily protein in order not to be quite low overall.
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