Fasting

fittodress2018 · February 2019

Hi everyone!!
I am looking for a little feedback on anyone that has done fasting. If so has it worked for you to lose weight? I am wanting to try it.
Please advise

Muscleflex79 · February 2019

you lose weight through a calorie deficit - no need to fast, but if it helps you maintain a calorie deficit - go for it.

people use IF (if that is the fasting you are referring to) to gain, lose or maintain their weight - it all comes down to calorie intake.

lemurcat2 · February 2019

There are different kinds of fasting. IF protocols like 5/2 or alternate day or eating only for a limited number of hours a day (skipping breakfast and not eating until 2 or skipping dinner or whatever) can be useful tools for some for controlling calories.

If you mean just not eating for a full day or days, I don't think that's likely to be a helpful way to instill good habits or lose weight over time/longer term. I think there can be other reasons for short fasts (I fast on specific days for religious reasons), but for weight loss having a means to control calories in a sustainable way over a much longer period is what's important. (IF protocols might be one way of doing this for you.)

lin_be · February 2019

It’s helpful because I’m not hungry in the morning so I just skip breakfast. You still have to be in a calorie deficit though to lose weight.

pierinifitness · February 2019

Hello @fittodress2018, you've gotten some good comments about your question. We have a small but, finally, growing Intermittent Fasting Group here at MFP. If you'd really like to learn more about IF from people currently practicing it and enthused about the benefits it's CURRENTLY providing them, please consider joining us. If you do, I'll be there to greet you at the "front door."

Enjoy your day and may all your fitness, health and wellness goals come true.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting

MikePTY · February 2019

Intermittent fasting is eating only during certain periods of the day to better control your calorie intake. It works well for some people who find that it gives them better control and keeps them on their goal.

That is very different than traditional fasting, which is abstaining from food for periods of 24 hours or more. I would not recommend doing traditional fasting for weight loss as it will likely just cause a yoyo weight effect and is not sustainable long term.

kimny72 · February 2019

What kind of fasting are you talking about?

Regardless, being in a calorie deficit causes weight loss. If a particular eating schedule helps you stick to your calorie goal, it will help you lose weight. If you do something too extreme, it could cause huge water weight fluctuations and appetite issues.

There are lots of people here who do some form of intermittent fasting, so if you could be more specific I'm sure you'll get lots of feedback.

Anthem76 · February 2019

IF helps me lose weight because I need large meals to feel full. You still have to eat at a deficit, but you can concentrate your calories into larger meals which may or may not be more satisfying for you. I don't ea until 12:00 noon, when I have my main meal of the day--usually an enormous salad with 8 ounces of meat, cheese, avocado and about a 10 ounces of greens along with other veggies. I am stuffed after this meal. I work out in the early evening and then have another meal before bed. I usually end the day stuffed and yet its actually hard to eat all my calories.

avmh11 · February 2019

I started fasting on 2/12, at first I was only doing like 12 hours and eating very low carb two meals a day. I have a hard time hitting my macros in calories and usually lacking in the fat. I'm not going to quit eating foods I enjoy sometimes like going out for tacos (good tacos not fast food...lol) or such, I just am more conscious and don't go overboard and may fast for a whole day before going to eat my higher carb meal. So now I regularly fast for a minimum of 18 hours and usually it is more like 20. Yesterday was 25 hour fast that was because I wanted to do my cardio in that state. I only drink green tea and water during fasting.

I'm also doing 30 min of cardio daily, I will be adding in some strength training to help with rebuilding my muscles. I was at doc on 2/6 and weighed in at 223, ridiculous. I weighed in this morning at 205, now I don't put this down since I like to adjust for water weight so I claim I'm down to 210 for sure. I think 13 pounds lost in 15 days isn't too bad, I expect it to slow some but I can tell you already my clothes fit different than when I was 210 in the summer, I definitely can tell.

My goal besides weight loss is to heal my thyroid issues since I believe it is related to continuous high insulin I had created from the inability to stop shoving crap in my mouth, sweet creamer with coffees, high carb/high sugar meals and snacks and tons of garbage all the time. I feel so much better and now am disgusted now with how we have become grazers like cows in the pasture. We need to limit the amount of time each day we are consuming and do other things, it is amazing how dependent we are on food and drink especially when we socialize. Nothing wrong with it, we just need to stop eating and drinking all the time.

granitepeak1981 · February 2019

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

Check out the link. There is scientific evidence that certain types of fasting have more benefits than just reducing calories.

Muscleflex79 · February 2019

granitepeak1981 wrote: »

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

Check out the link. There is scientific evidence that certain types of fasting have more benefits than just reducing calories.

how did I know Fung was going to be quoted there!!!

kimny72 · February 2019

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

granitepeak1981 wrote: »

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

Check out the link. There is scientific evidence that certain types of fasting have more benefits than just reducing calories.

how did I know Fung was going to be quoted there!!!

Quoting the very first paragraph, the bolding is mine:

"There’s a ton of incredibly promising intermittent fasting (IF) research done on fat rats. They lose weight, their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars improve… but they’re rats. Studies in humans, almost across the board, have shown that IF is safe and incredibly effective, but really no more effective than any other diet. In addition, many people find it difficult to fast.

But a growing body of research suggests that the timing of the fast is key, and can make IF a more realistic, sustainable, and effective approach for weight loss, as well as for diabetes prevention.

diannethegeek · February 2019

I'd want to know what kind of fasting the OP is interested in before being able to answer this question. I love IF as much as anyone, but they could be asking about 16:8, 5:2, juice fasting, water fasting, or egg fasts for all any of us know. There are lots of different kinds of fasting. Which kind are you interested in @fittodress2018 ?

granitepeak1981 · February 2019

So looking to scientific work and research is bad?

kimny72 · February 2019

granitepeak1981 wrote: »

So looking to scientific work and research is bad?

No, not at all. But the link you quoted didn't back up what you said. What it says is that research shows IF is awesome for rats, but the same as any other strategy to restrict calories for humans. Then it talks about IF like it HAS been proven better so it seems like there was a reason for this random doctor to write a blog post.

Dr. Fung has been roundly criticized by the scientific community for cherry-picking data and studies to back up his theories. That's how he builds up his community so he can sell more stuff. Citing him as a source degrades whatever the article might be trying to say.

*
*

And FYI to anyone reading, because this comes up a lot, the Harvard blog is exactly that - a blog. It is not fact checked by Harvard or indicative of the policies or procedures at Harvard. It's just doctors or researchers who work at Harvard writing about their opinions on stuff, regardless of whether it's their specialty or not.

magnusthenerd · February 2019

granitepeak1981 wrote: »

So looking to scientific work and research is bad?

No, but what does that have to do with someone presenting a blog?

ccrdragon · February 2019

granitepeak1981 wrote: »

So looking to scientific work and research is bad?

Let me quote something else from that 'scientific' blog (bolding is mine):

"Between meals, as long as we don’t snack, our insulin levels will go down and our fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. We lose weight if we let our insulin levels go down. The entire idea of IF is to allow the insulin levels to go down far enough and for long enough that we burn off our fat."

Sugar is NEVER stored in fat cells as sugar - fat cells are exactly that - fat cells - they store lipids (fats) not sugar - for sugar to be stored in a fat cell, it must first be converted to fat.

For more information about fat cells, here's a quick, informative read:

https://www.livescience.com/62218-whats-in-a-fat-cell.html

anubis609 · February 2019

granitepeak1981 wrote: »

So looking to scientific work and research is bad?

Not at all. It's encouraged. But look outside of one or two sources in the name of science. There's a reason why collegiate papers require 5+ credible sources to support their arguments.

Fung grossly misinterprets the science behind fasting, lipolysis, fatty acid oxidation, substrate partitioning, energy balance, autophagy, hypertrophy, and hormonal response to nutrients, particularly insulin, which he prides himself as an expert. So while Fung isn't entirely incorrect, remember that even a broken clock is right twice a day.

fittodress2018 · February 2019

Thank you all that took your time to share your opinions and also your thoughts. I might just try every other day and do only about 16 hours. I usually eat very well and low carbs I am just needing a boost

lemurcat2 · February 2019

To make sure it's clear, the alternate day "fasting" protocol (Krista Varady's) does not suggest fasting every other day and dieting at a normal level on the others, or even true fasting (eating nothing) at all. The idea is to eat more than maintenance (125%) on the regular days and then about 25% of your maintenance on the fasting days, even for weight loss -- that works out to about a lb a week.

It's similar to 5/2, where you eat maintenance 5 days a week and very low (but again around 500) on 2.

Here's a link that discusses one disappointing study (no better no worse, but more drop outs), but also some reasons why it might be helpful for some anyway. Obviously if interested in the study, you'd need to find it (shouldn't be too hard): https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/1/15499356/alternate-day-fasting-dieting-weight-loss-calorie-restriction-health.

The study that suggests timing matters (although too preliminary to draw any conclusions from) which is referenced in the Harvard blog I think is one of the circadian rhythm ones, that suggests that if one IFs and wants benefits beyond calorie control, timing calories early might be helpful (I'm skeptical, but would be interested if more evidence is developed).

The problem, of course, is that for most people it's important to keep dinner, as it tends to be the most social meal. Elsewhere, Varady has discussed how originally she recommended that on the "fast" days the small number of calories be eaten as a lunchtime meal, so as to make it easier. People objected and said they wanted to still be able to have dinners with people, such as family, friends, and based on her testing and observation of this, it worked as well no matter which meal in the day the calories were consumed.

sijomial · February 2019

fittodress2018 wrote: »

Thank you all that took your time to share your opinions and also your thoughts. I might just try every other day and do only about 16 hours. I usually eat very well and low carbs I am just needing a boost

Not sure what boost you are thinking of but I would say that one the benefits I found from IF (two different versions) was a better understanding of my hunger signals and breaking the habitual nature of some of my eating. It's breakfast time so I'll eat breakfast whether hungry or not, whether I need it or not as an example.

BTW - I disliked 16:8 fasting when I tried it as found the artificial time restriction was just frustrating. I do still skip breakfast most days as a way to allocate my calories better and more enjoyably but it's on my terms and not the clock's terms. I'll never be an intuitive eater but it brings me a tiny bit closer.

Fasting

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