How do you guys feel about fasting?
Replies
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One other aspect to consider before fasting. Your heart needs certain nutrients to keep a steady rhythm; and to keep beating. You can't just stop and start eating without the potential to damage your body....permanently! Like I said in my earlier post, go see a professional and have a plan other than the one of drinking water one day and eating light the next.
If only our ancestors (of millions of years) knew this. They might have reconsidered that whole hunter-gatherer thing.
BUT HOW DID THEY SURVIVE EATING LOTS ONE DAY AND NOTHING THE NEXT??!
After hunting, 5-6 small meals a day to speed up their metabolism.
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One other aspect to consider before fasting. Your heart needs certain nutrients to keep a steady rhythm; and to keep beating. You can't just stop and start eating without the potential to damage your body....permanently! Like I said in my earlier post, go see a professional and have a plan other than the one of drinking water one day and eating light the next.
If only our ancestors (of millions of years) knew this. They might have reconsidered that whole hunter-gatherer thing.
BUT HOW DID THEY SURVIVE EATING LOTS ONE DAY AND NOTHING THE NEXT??!
After hunting, 5-6 small meals a day to speed up their metabolism.
lol, niiiice. They put rodents in small Tupperware containers for their long hikes form campsite to campsite.0 -
Hi,
I am a supporter of fasting and it is a part of my lifestyle. I suggest you think about fasting in the ancient traditional sense, where your state of mind is your greatest asset. I usually try to focus on the benefits of eating healthy while I'm fasting, and no more than three hours a day. I start with a protein in the morning-preferably with a probiotic supplement in it.Then I set my mind to fasting,drinking water only. The experience will be very difficult if you concentrate on the time you go without food. Instead, visualize yourself the size you want to be, the energy level you want to expeience and drink lots of water. When the time frame is up, I make sure the first thing that hits my lips is a fruit, usually a high fiber one, like a pear or apple. Then I go about my day, mindful only of the meditation/visuals of the three hours of fasting. If you really want an extra motivation while you fast, do what I do: put on a pedometer as soon as you can in the morning and when you get home don't forget to put it in myfitnesspal as exercise. I try to eat dinner no later than 6:00 -6:30PM. Tip: if you eat with quiet music and/or conversation, you will enjoy your evening repast more than scarfing it in front of the TV. At that point, I fix my mind yet again on fasting (as I don't eat again until morning). Except at this time, I reflect on my successes, including personal and professional ones. If I over-indulge, I forgive myself and collect my energies to do better the next day. Occasionally I do snack after six; when I do, I start my fasting meditation after that. I typically do not fast on weekends.
This is my two cents on fasting: hope it helps.0 -
well, that'd be an awfully low number of weekly calories, which really matters more than daily. That'd be as if you were eating about 850 a day. While Intermittent Fasting is helpful, you have to be careful about it. If you wanna try the IF route, which sounds awesome from what i've heard, you should probably increase your daily intake on non-fasting days. Or, you could do it where you fast for 16 hrs every day and have an 8 hr feeding window in which you eat ALL of you daily calories.0
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Lol, 250 calorie snack packs.
Lets stop with all the logic on this thread now!0 -
well, that'd be an awfully low number of weekly calories, which really matters more than daily. That'd be as if you were eating about 850 a day. While Intermittent Fasting is helpful, you have to be careful about it. If you wanna try the IF route, which sounds awesome from what i've heard, you should probably increase your daily intake on non-fasting days. Or, you could do it where you fast for 16 hrs every day and have an 8 hr feeding window in which you eat ALL of you daily calories.
Weekly calories MUST stay normal. Fasting is not starvation.0 -
My understanding about fasting is that it throws your brain into starvation mode
first time I have ever heard this. I will never cease to be amazed at the awesome information available here.0 -
Fasting provides no fuel and when you do give in and eat, you may be so hungry you make poor choices with your meals. You also are depriving yourself of protein and nutrients that we get from eating that help us maintain all our body functions. It also makes for a poor quality of life, even just for a day.
Instead of fasting, consider a day of unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Drink only water and eat fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Pretty much vegan for a day. You may actually find you can eat more quantities while consuming much less calories.
Also, look up the "Yo-Yo diet": its basically being super careful with your caloric intake 3 days in a row, then adding some extra calories for a day, then back to sticking to your recommended 1200 calories for 3 days. Its a way to shake things up when you hit a plateau.0 -
It appears there are a lot of people in this thread who have never fasted :indifferent:
If fasting were so detrimental to our bodies, we'd have a lot fewer muslims, (instead, those who ramadan-style fast actually have better health, and mind you, this is without even *water* for much of the day! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20029094) and probably have gone extinct as a species well before the 10,000 years ago that we finally ceased to be hunter-gatherers.
It seems to me that people are so opposed to fasting because it flies in the face of modern 'food culture' -- we're so dependent on easy access to food that we spend over $6 billion a year on fast food. Do we need that food, exactly then? No! What did people do in times of famine, or even just before refrigerators and cupboards? This is the only time period in thousands of years where we're lucky enough to be able to be in a state of constant digestion -- our collective digestive systems simply do not get breaks. While this prosperity is great, the side-effects thereof are worth considering.
Fasting != starvation. (Though, to be clear, the diet plan proposed in the OP isn't a good representation of fasting and is closer to starvation.) From a strictly caloric perspective, as long as your body is as such that it can function and train as desired, it's getting the energy it needs. We're very resilient -- fat stores and glycogen stores still operate in the brief absence of additional energy from food.
Fasting has amazing historical precedence as it exists in nearly every religion. Intermittent fasting has been shown to increase the lifespan of rodents by 20% (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC156352/), and ameliorate the risk factors of many infirmities coinciding with old age in humans (Alzheimers, Parkinsons, etc). Fasting, done properly and in an educated manner, isn't merely just 'not bad' for you, but beneficial. (People afflicted with certain medical conditions aside, of course.)0 -
well, that'd be an awfully low number of weekly calories, which really matters more than daily. That'd be as if you were eating about 850 a day. While Intermittent Fasting is helpful, you have to be careful about it. If you wanna try the IF route, which sounds awesome from what i've heard, you should probably increase your daily intake on non-fasting days. Or, you could do it where you fast for 16 hrs every day and have an 8 hr feeding window in which you eat ALL of you daily calories.
Weekly calories MUST stay normal. Fasting is not starvation.
thank you!0 -
BAD BAD idea!!0
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Q. How do I feel about fasting?
A. HUNGRY!! (sorry to shout, but I'm not nice to be around when I'm hungry).
But hey, it might work for you, it certainly wouldn't for me. From reading the responses on this thread it sounds like something that needs good research and proper protocol to find benefits and not do harm.0 -
Agreed- ESE is great when done right!...also if you have the right personality for it-some may feel too deprived...personal preference.I was planning on doing my MFP 1200 calorie goal, 5 days a week, and fasting 2 days a week (Tuesday and Thursday.)
Is this a bad idea?
This part is a bad idea. If you were to try ESE-style fasting (going whole days without food interspersed throughout the week), then you would want to take your 8400 calories for the week and divide them evenly amongst the 5 or 6 days that you DO eat. You still need all the nutrition. Controlled fasting isn't a method to take in LESS calories. It's a way to get the most out of your body's endocrine and digestive systems to make your nutrition work for you.0 -
Everyone fasts over night.0
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I don't think it's a good idea for you. I've done it as an anorexic and while focused on eating healthy. As an anorexic, it is incredibly satisfying and empowering, but its only weakening your body and you'll gain it back once you eat normally again. I find fasting is helpful if its 1-3 days to get my body back to eating healthfully after vacation or holiday where I've been eating un-healthfully. Other people may see it differently, but I'll fast after vacations where I'm not worrying about food, just to get my body used to that not being the case.
If you're active and working out, I would focus on what your body's requesting0 -
Hi,
I am a supporter of fasting and it is a part of my lifestyle. I suggest you think about fasting in the ancient traditional sense, where your state of mind is your greatest asset. I usually try to focus on the benefits of eating healthy while I'm fasting, and no more than three hours a day. I start with a protein in the morning-preferably with a probiotic supplement in it.Then I set my mind to fasting,drinking water only. The experience will be very difficult if you concentrate on the time you go without food. Instead, visualize yourself the size you want to be, the energy level you want to expeience and drink lots of water. When the time frame is up, I make sure the first thing that hits my lips is a fruit, usually a high fiber one, like a pear or apple. Then I go about my day, mindful only of the meditation/visuals of the three hours of fasting. If you really want an extra motivation while you fast, do what I do: put on a pedometer as soon as you can in the morning and when you get home don't forget to put it in myfitnesspal as exercise. I try to eat dinner no later than 6:00 -6:30PM. Tip: if you eat with quiet music and/or conversation, you will enjoy your evening repast more than scarfing it in front of the TV. At that point, I fix my mind yet again on fasting (as I don't eat again until morning). Except at this time, I reflect on my successes, including personal and professional ones. If I over-indulge, I forgive myself and collect my energies to do better the next day. Occasionally I do snack after six; when I do, I start my fasting meditation after that. I typically do not fast on weekends.
This is my two cents on fasting: hope it helps.
I like your approach of focusing on the positives and reflecting on the successes - some good stuff there.
But, I do have a question about fasting - if you aren't eating for three hours, what makes that a "fast" as opposed to "not having a snack this morning"? What's the benefit for you of approaching this as a "fast"? (real question here, I'm not being funny, but am curious how this works for you)0 -
I fast 16/8 everyday. I consume large amounts of food every day. helps me stay at cal deficit and its getting me ripped better then anything i've done before.
I get my recommended cal intake for the day in 8hr eating window to what you get in 12 -15hrs eating window.
your just taking longer to hit your macros then i am. i havent had a problem with it yet except not getting enough water during my fasting period gets me a bit headachey. thats about it.0 -
I completely agree!! Don't do it just for weight loss there's other ways you can lose weight.. Do a proper fast for the right reason... I start a detox next week purely for cleansing... I will lose weight because of it but that's not the purpose of the detox for me.. it's just an added bonus..If you're doing it to detox and flush your system, I think it's a great idea! If you're doing it for religious regions, awesome! But if you're doing it as some short term fix to lose weight quickly, hmmm... you might be playing with metabolism fire. Any kind of starvation is not something one should make a habit out of.0 -
I completely agree!! Don't do it just for weight loss there's other ways you can lose weight.. Do a proper fast for the right reason... I start a detox next week purely for cleansing... I will lose weight because of it but that's not the purpose of the detox for me.. it's just an added bonus..If you're doing it to detox and flush your system, I think it's a great idea! If you're doing it for religious regions, awesome! But if you're doing it as some short term fix to lose weight quickly, hmmm... you might be playing with metabolism fire. Any kind of starvation is not something one should make a habit out of.
What is wrong with doing it for weight loss? You are doing it for cleansing - some will say this is just silly as your body can detox without having to fast.0 -
I completely agree!! Don't do it just for weight loss there's other ways you can lose weight.. Do a proper fast for the right reason... I start a detox next week purely for cleansing... I will lose weight because of it but that's not the purpose of the detox for me.. it's just an added bonus..If you're doing it to detox and flush your system, I think it's a great idea! If you're doing it for religious regions, awesome! But if you're doing it as some short term fix to lose weight quickly, hmmm... you might be playing with metabolism fire. Any kind of starvation is not something one should make a habit out of.
Again there is a difference between Starvation and fasting. How are you playing with metabolism fire if you fast?0 -
It's a sure-fire way to screw your metabolism six ways from Sunday, and all for absolutely no benefit. 30+ years ago doctors advocated fasting for overweight teens--in fairness, they probably didn't know any better, but that's no consolation for the victims. I did a 3 week medically supervised fast at a hospital at age 17. The first thing that happened was that I started losing my hair by the fistful. It never grew back. Today I've got a hopelessly slow metabolism and am hypothyroid, both of which can most likely be traced back to that fast. Needless to say, I also regained all the weight I'd lost and then some.
Personally I consider fasting an excellent way to do lasting damage to your body.0 -
It's a sure-fire way to screw your metabolism six ways from Sunday, and all for absolutely no benefit. 30+ years ago doctors advocated fasting for overweight teens--in fairness, they probably didn't know any better, but that's no consolation for the victims. I did a 3 week medically supervised fast at a hospital at age 17. The first thing that happened was that I started losing my hair by the fistful. It never grew back. Today I've got a hopelessly slow metabolism and am hypothyroid, both of which can most likely be traced back to that fast. Needless to say, I also regained all the weight I'd lost and then some.
Personally I consider fasting an excellent way to do lasting damage to your body.
No-one is recommending a 3 week fast. Intermittent fasting is for 24hrs or up to 16hrs.0 -
well im no expert but if it were me Ide say a huge NO dont entertain it0
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The benefits of (water only) fasting:
1) You reset your taste buds for salt, sugar, fat and other tastes. If you never fast, or reset your taste buds, you will probably be adding more and more salt or sugar to your food to get the same taste sensation.
2) Your fat cells contain most of the harmful toxins and fasting will allow your fat cells to release those toxins. If you never fast, toxins continue to build up in your body. I am sure there are exceptions but water only fasting will help detox yourself.
3) You allow your body's organs like your kidney and liver to rest and to deal with your body and not the food you ingest.
4) You learn to appreciate food again after a few days of water only fasting.
The cons of water only fasting:
1) It does not reduce your weight and should not be used for a weight loss tool as you will gain the weight back. This happened to me and it is hard to break as your cravings will come back.
2) You need supervision if you fast more than 5 days.
3) If you do have health problems, fasting might not be for you.
4) Fasting for 3 days induces ketosis, this is a procedure that Atkin's dieters know very well as carbohydrates are no longer used but protein and then finally fat is being converted to fuel the body's needs. The difference between a water only fast and an Atkin's dieter is well, fat and protein. Ketosis is not bad in itself but you have to realized how it affects you (bad breath for sure).
Some tips on water only fasting:
Do it while you are on vacation, don't work, drive or do strenuous activity that might be unsafe.
Do not take blood tests for about 60 days after the fast, or tell your doctor that you were on a fast and that some results will show as bad as a result of a fast.
I write this as I watched a DVD on water only fasting and thought I would share.
Fasting is great tool to alleviate disease and sickness, but it is not to be used as a weight loss device. Know what you are doing it for. I like that it will help me reset my taste sensations and it makes me aware of the food around me and to appreciate the tastes natural foods have.
For instance, after a fast, you will taste the flavor potatoes or rice will have. If you never fasted, potatoes and rice will have a bland taste, even oatmeal.0 -
It's not necessary to deprive yourself of regular nourishment. Or fun, for that matter. Your body needs fuel.0
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CRAZY. Definitely not a good idea.0
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Yet, you were compelled to add your .0000000002 cents.well im no expert but if it were me Ide say a huge NO dont entertain it0 -
Re-read your comment and you will see how absurd it is in regard to intermittent fasting.It's a sure-fire way to screw your metabolism six ways from Sunday, and all for absolutely no benefit. 30+ years ago doctors advocated fasting for overweight teens--in fairness, they probably didn't know any better, but that's no consolation for the victims. I did a 3 week medically supervised fast at a hospital at age 17. The first thing that happened was that I started losing my hair by the fistful. It never grew back. Today I've got a hopelessly slow metabolism and am hypothyroid, both of which can most likely be traced back to that fast. Needless to say, I also regained all the weight I'd lost and then some.
Personally I consider fasting an excellent way to do lasting damage to your body.0 -
Intelligent Fasting is absolutely brilliant. Having witnessed it first hand I've seen a woman go from 13 stone, to 8 stone 12lb in little over 3 month and everything about her get better -skin, hair, nails and shape. She's had regular blood tests with her her Dr due to an on going problem following the use of the contraception injection so she's had regular blood tests and the tests show everything in her improved in terms of liver/kidneys/thyroid etc etc. So, based on HER bloods and results I would say a resounding YES it is very good. Lots of health benefits and clearly good at controlling weight and lowering it.
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Did you even read?It's not necessary to deprive yourself of regular nourishment. Or fun, for that matter. Your body needs fuel.
The protocol I follow is 16/8. I fast for 16 hours and eat for 8. Now, how am I depriving my self of regular nourishment. The body doesn't work on 3/6/9/12 cycles.0
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