24 hour fast

DizzyLinds
DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This is something my PT suggested as I'm in need of fat burning. Anyone done it?
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Replies

  • Agator82
    Agator82 Posts: 249 Member
    I've done it for spiritual reasons (so no food or water). All-in-all I cannot say I have ever seen any stellar results from a weight perspective. The first movement after the fast is always a bit fun and exciting. I am sure that if you PT is suggesting it that there are other support mechanisms to stop your body from going crazy. I'd say try it just for the experience.
  • emmymae22
    emmymae22 Posts: 206
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    I'm still unclear as to how fasts are supposed to help with fat burning? They are great for dropping water weight, but let's say you eat nothing for a whole day. Unless you are really overweight, that doesn't even not even burn enough for one whole pound. So you spend a day feeling spent and hungry and miserable for what? 2/3 of a lb at best?
  • lindseym1983
    lindseym1983 Posts: 209
    My pt and nutritionist said fasting was the worst you could do for your body. You put your body in starvation mode and your body will start eating itself but your muscle is first. When you start eating even 24 hrs later your body will hold on to the fat for awhile in case it goes w/o food again. I know everyone is different and different perspectives on all this but I personally think that even 24 hrs of no food is hard on your body and I think you will feel blah all day and tired b/c of no nutrients. You want fat burn what about a HIT program, interval sprints on cardio equipment or an exercise video that your body is not use to. Just my opinion but good luck and maybe do a little research before you do it. :)
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I'm still unclear as to how fasts are supposed to help with fat burning? They are great for dropping water weight, but let's say you eat nothing for a whole day. Unless you are really overweight, that doesn't even not even burn enough for one whole pound. So you spend a day feeling spent and hungry and miserable for what? 2/3 of a lb at best?

    ^THIS!
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.

    Actually, it doesn't.
  • mommyweighless
    mommyweighless Posts: 192 Member
    I have been reading up on intermittent fasting and research shows it does aid with weight loss. However you should drink more water than you usually would. I'm not sure how successful it is for weight loss but it is also supposed to be good for long teem health reasons. I don't do it for 24 hours bit fast for 16 and allow my self 8 hour eat window. Lot of people just eat whatever they want in that window but I stay within my calories (usually 1300) and east well balanced healthy foods. Hope that helps. Check out lean.com his website is really informational and expand how it works.

    Leangains.com...sorry for the typos i'm on my phone
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    This is something my PT suggested as I'm in need of fat burning. Anyone done it?

    No, but Eat, Stop, Eat is a popular method of Intermittent Fasting and I believe (not 100% sure) that this protocol involves cyclical fasting where there are 24 hour periods without food.

    I would clarify with your trainer as to why exactly you should do this though. See if your trainer knows that you are tracking your intake closely and that you're able to keep a calorie deficit.
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.

    This is a neat analogy but unfortunately it's not correct, and such is the problem with some of the more popular fitness analogies.

    There's a limited body of research that actually suggests a short term increase in metabolism from fasting. 60 to 72 hour mark is where metabolic slowdown started to occur, but since there's not a whole lot of research published (at least, that I'm aware of) I would be a bit speculative of it at this point.

    Now all this being said (this reply and my reply above) I really doubt if there's anything inherently dangerous about this. From that standpoint it's probably not going to hurt to try it, but I don't think this is necessary when a regular calorie deficit with macro sufficiency will get you quite a long way.


    For research on fasting, check out www.leangains.com.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    This is something my PT suggested as I'm in need of fat burning. Anyone done it?

    No, but Eat, Stop, Eat is a popular method of Intermittent Fasting and I believe (not 100% sure) that this protocol involves cyclical fasting where there are 24 hour periods without food.

    I would clarify with your trainer as to why exactly you should do this though. See if your trainer knows that you are tracking your intake closely and that you're able to keep a calorie deficit.
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.

    This is a neat analogy but unfortunately it's not correct, and such is the problem with some of the more popular fitness analogies.

    There's a limited body of research that actually suggests a short term increase in metabolism from fasting. 60 to 72 hour mark is where metabolic slowdown started to occur, but since there's not a whole lot of research published (at least, that I'm aware of) I would be a bit speculative of it at this point.

    Now all this being said (this reply and my reply above) I really doubt if there's anything inherently dangerous about this. From that standpoint it's probably not going to hurt to try it, but I don't think this is necessary when a regular calorie deficit with macro sufficiency will get you quite a long way.


    For research on fasting, check out www.leangains.com.

    Even from the research posted at leangains, it was a small increase at best and really only useful for the already very lean trying to get that last bit off. Not saying you were advocating one way or another Sidesteal, and I know you've said similarly in the past, but to reiterate if you've still got a long way to go with weight loss and such, pick something that you can stick with consistently. A single 24-hour fast isn't going to do much at all for you. If you want to go with an ESE type of framework though and can stick with it, more power to you.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member


    Even from the research posted at leangains, it was a small increase at best and really only useful for the already very lean trying to get that last bit off. Not saying you were advocating one way or another Sidesteal, and I know you've said similarly in the past, but to reiterate if you've still got a long way to go with weight loss and such, pick something that you can stick with consistently. A single 24-hour fast isn't going to do much at all for you. If you want to go with an ESE type of framework though and can stick with it, more power to you.


    I agree with all of this ^.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    I would research Eat Stop Eat or better read the ebook by Brad Pilon of the same name. It is an Intermittent Fasting protocol of one or two 24 hour fasts a week, and eating normally the other days. It can work well for many people. I have and still do use it. Also, check out the Intermittent Fasting group here since as most people see fasting and immediately think it is super unhealthy. The thing is our bodies are designed to go without food for short periods of time, and they actually benefit from doing so. It takes hours for food to digest so this eating every few hours just keeps our bodies in a fed state. With the abundance that we have in most developed countries today, we are fed and over fed most of our life.
  • jukyu
    jukyu Posts: 80 Member
    I don't know about 24-hour fasts. However, using your sleep hours to your advantage and piggybacking on some fasting hours (i.e. dinner at 7, sleep at 10, wake at 6-7, then eat next at 11, fasting total=18 hours) is likely much more tolerable. Also, I'm a frequenter of the leangains blog and recommend it as a quick guide for the science of fasting.
  • DizzyLinds
    DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
    Ivevnot much to lose so I'm not sure really if it will benefit me?
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Ivevnot much to lose so I'm not sure really if it will benefit me?

    Once again I'd consult your trainer to find out specifically why he is recommending this. He obviously believes it's beneficial but you should see that you two are on the same page about this. If he tries to tell you that it's necessary and you can't lose w/o doing it then I'd jump ship and get a new trainer.

    At this point given the current amount of research, I'm convinced that the biggest benefit to Intermittent Fasting is dietary adherence for those that it fits well with. I'm not saying that it's a hoax or that it doesn't have physiological benefit, I'm just saying that I'm not yet convinced, and for the record, I use IF myself so obviously I'm a fan of the approach.

    For me, it's amazing, because I love eating huge meals at night. If I tried to do 5-6 meals per day and I ate breakfast my ability to stay within my kcal/macro targets would SUCK. But it's not a good fit for everyone.

    I believe your best bet is to see which method gives you the most enjoyment and dietary adherence while allowing you to train with intensity. If that means 4 meals, or 2 meals, or an ESE approach, then do it.
  • DizzyLinds
    DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
    Thanks. He was saying as well I have trouble making sure I rest so a 24 hour fast will make me rest! Think he's saying it will help rev things up if I do itbtwice a week then start IF.
  • MurphysLawTD
    MurphysLawTD Posts: 310 Member
    This is something my PT suggested as I'm in need of fat burning. Anyone done it?

    My boyfriend fasts 1 day a week and carb loads the following day. He's been visibly leaner and it really seems to be working. I don't do it (I don't have the willpower!) but it appears to work :tongue:
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    You might want to get more info from him before you do this (unless you already have that info).

    You don't want to keep your previous DAILY deficit and add in 1 or 2 fasting days or you'll be creating too large of a weekly deficit (assuming your daily deficit was reasonable to begin with). Odds are you'll end up having one or more days of higher calorie intake to compensate for the fast day.
  • DizzyLinds
    DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
    I'm trying to shoot for TDEE-15% and am often struggling with that to make sure I meet my BMR.
  • nikkiprickett
    nikkiprickett Posts: 412 Member
    I would def say no as well, the whole point of being fit and healthy is to speed up your metabolism by eating more times a day, not just quitting all together, I'd do some research on it before I just listen to someone, while he's a trainer, he doesn't know everything lol
  • nikkiprickett
    nikkiprickett Posts: 412 Member
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.

    Actually, it doesn't.

    while you make a great argument, actually, it does.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    speed up your metabolism by eating more times a day

    You should probably do some research on it. Specifically this part above.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
    Look up intermittent fasting. I don't know much about it, but there's an entire group on here devoted to it. You may get some info there.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.

    Actually, it doesn't.

    while you make a great argument, actually, it does.

    If I present you with peer reviewed research that shows you that you are incorrect, will you read it and consider changing your stance on this?

    Additionally, do you have any research you can link to me that backs up your claim?
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.

    Actually, it doesn't.

    while you make a great argument, actually, it does.
    It's true that if you don't eat anything for long enough, your metabolism will stop. Because you'll die.
  • DizzyLinds
    DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
    Surely 24 hours of not eating wont kill me....althought it may feel that way!
  • jwerdlike
    jwerdlike Posts: 14 Member
    If you are considering 24 hour fasts, I'd highly recommend picking up Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat. http://www.bradpilon.com

    Essentially with this program you are creating a caloric deficit by going without eating from one point to the next. And instead of other popular IF methods your window starts again as soon as your fast breaks and continues as long as you want. Brad recommends 2x a week for optimal results but once a week to start is fine.

    Don't listen to the bad advice in this thread about your metabolism. These people also probably believe that the food they eat has a significance to the amount of calories they burn. You may burn a little more but NOTHING substantial.

    IF is great. I do a lean gains style recomp right now and I couldn't be happier with it. It's allowed me to break my own fat loss plateaus and gain incredible strength with my workouts. I fast around 16-18 hours, then have a small eating window and repeat.

    Add me as a friend if you have any questions or need any help

    Cheers
  • tempest501
    tempest501 Posts: 329 Member
    This is something my PT suggested as I'm in need of fat burning. Anyone done it?

    Hi,

    I have done it and intend to keep doing it about once a week (the rest of the time I do a 1 6hour fast following the www.leangains.com) for the increased fat burning and some extra weigh loss. IF has lots of cool benefits such as:

    Decreased Bodyfat/Weight
    Maintenance of Skeletal Muscle Mass
    Decreased Blood Glucose Levels
    Decreased Insulin Levels and Increased Insulin Sensitivity (Approx 70% reduction in the first 24 Hours of Fasting)
    Increase LIPOLYSIS (Woohoo) & Fat Oxidation (Between 18 and 24 Hours increase by over 50%)
    Increased Uncoupling Protein 3 mRNA (at about 15 hour mark you 5 times more fat burning potential)
    Increased Norephrine and Epinephrine Levels (meaning your more alert)
    Increased Glucagon Levels
    Increased Growth Hormone Levels

    Anyway you get the picture =D
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Surely 24 hours of not eating wont kill me....althought it may feel that way!
    No one suggested that it would.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
    For weight loss, I would say hell no. Your metabolism is much like a furnace..to get it to burn hotter, you need to give it fuel. It slows down to a halt when you don't give it anything to burn.

    Actually, it doesn't.

    while you make a great argument, actually, it does.

    I'd hope that the human body would have evolved enough to go a full 24 hours without panicking and rushing into "starvation mode". Intermittent Fasting (there's a lot of information over at www.leangains.com) follows this idea - your body doesn't need to be "constantly fed" with small meals that constantly gets pushed on these forums.
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member
    WHEN IS IT OKAY TO JUMPSTART MY METABOLISM. ONLY AT BREKFIST?

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