Fasting - Have you tried it?
- Thread starter Stuff
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 22 Jul 2015
- Posts
- 325
- Location
- Edinburgh, Scotland
Ooft, nah. I'm much happier with simply eating healthily than to go down the fasting route. Kudos to you for having the mental fortitude to go through with it though.
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2013
- Posts
- 12,660
"The human body can manage 2-3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water".
Army survival course instructor, shortly before chucking us out into the Dartmoor countryside to go without food and water except what we find, while making our way through a series of checkpoints throught the week...
Can't say it was especially pleasant or beneficial, although there are reserves of strength/energy still to be found. It did weaken us nicely for the sudden but inevitable betrayal when the final checkpoint turned out to be an enemy 'hunter force' out to capture us, though...
Army survival course instructor, shortly before chucking us out into the Dartmoor countryside to go without food and water except what we find, while making our way through a series of checkpoints throught the week...
Can't say it was especially pleasant or beneficial, although there are reserves of strength/energy still to be found. It did weaken us nicely for the sudden but inevitable betrayal when the final checkpoint turned out to be an enemy 'hunter force' out to capture us, though...
I regularly fast. I hate 'counting calories', I'm sort of all or nothing guy, so fasting is pretty good for me.
I think the key is not to do '24h fast' -- you get all the disadvantage (hunger) and none of the benefits (fat burned) -- I think 3 days is 'perfect' for a short fast, but I often do 5 days as it's 'handy' -- I stop eating sunday night, and get my next meal on friday night -- a good celebratory one too!
Advantages:
+ You lose weight like /crazy/ -- Like, 1Kg a day or so in my case
+ You get a 'mental high' on the second day until the fourth -- I mean, you can concentrate harder, everything seems 'sharper'
+ Sense of achievement, when you can actually /see/ yourself lose weight day in/out.
Disadvantages:
+ It's a bit of a 'social problem' as you need to isolate yourself during meals a bit -- like if you other half decide to have a curry, forget it
I tend to go to my man cave for an hour or so
+ Bit of a metalic taste in your mouth. I aleviate that by drinking some orange juice in the morning -- so it's not a 'full zero' fast, I think a bit of a kick in the morning is good.
Overall, I really like it; when people say 'you need food to live' it's not really true, we evolved for hundreds of thousands of years with limited resources, and no fridge; for most of our evolutionary past, we've NEVER hard 1, 2 let alone 3 meals a day, it's just marketing that decided that you needed a breakfast.
So the body is very, very good at storing, and burning energy -- My own personal opinion is that you don't /need/ to find the perfect number of calories/day and become an accountant -- you CAN binge on food if you like, but then you can also burn it back by fasting.
I've been fasting for about 30 years -- that has always felt like the 'right' way to control my weight...
I think the key is not to do '24h fast' -- you get all the disadvantage (hunger) and none of the benefits (fat burned) -- I think 3 days is 'perfect' for a short fast, but I often do 5 days as it's 'handy' -- I stop eating sunday night, and get my next meal on friday night -- a good celebratory one too!
Advantages:
+ You lose weight like /crazy/ -- Like, 1Kg a day or so in my case
+ You get a 'mental high' on the second day until the fourth -- I mean, you can concentrate harder, everything seems 'sharper'
+ Sense of achievement, when you can actually /see/ yourself lose weight day in/out.
Disadvantages:
+ It's a bit of a 'social problem' as you need to isolate yourself during meals a bit -- like if you other half decide to have a curry, forget it
I tend to go to my man cave for an hour or so+ Bit of a metalic taste in your mouth. I aleviate that by drinking some orange juice in the morning -- so it's not a 'full zero' fast, I think a bit of a kick in the morning is good.
Overall, I really like it; when people say 'you need food to live' it's not really true, we evolved for hundreds of thousands of years with limited resources, and no fridge; for most of our evolutionary past, we've NEVER hard 1, 2 let alone 3 meals a day, it's just marketing that decided that you needed a breakfast.
So the body is very, very good at storing, and burning energy -- My own personal opinion is that you don't /need/ to find the perfect number of calories/day and become an accountant -- you CAN binge on food if you like, but then you can also burn it back by fasting.
I've been fasting for about 30 years -- that has always felt like the 'right' way to control my weight...
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 16 May 2005
- Posts
- 31,297
- Location
- Manchester
...wow
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2003
- Posts
- 91,812
- Location
- Falling...
Yes but we have evolved to no longer need to starve... As such I take full advantage of that! 
Yes but we have evolved to no longer need to starve... As such I take full advantage of that!
You are not 'starving' by fasting a few days, you moan about 'starving' but it'd take weeks for you to /really/ starve, and months or years to starve due to malnutrition.
Again, when fasting, you're hungry ONE DAY. after that, the body stops complaining, because you're in fact, not 'starving'.
We're just addicted to food (me included) and fasting just get your body to use the reserves you have instead of trying to trick you into visiting the fridge
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2003
- Posts
- 91,812
- Location
- Falling...
You are not 'starving' by fasting a few days, you moan about 'starving' but it'd take weeks for you to /really/ starve, and months or years to starve due to malnutrition.
Again, when fasting, you're hungry ONE DAY. after that, the body stops complaining, because you're in fact, not 'starving'.
We're just addicted to food (me included) and fasting just get your body to use the reserves you have instead of trying to trick you into visiting the fridge
Yeah but I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm a predator, and as such eat a commensurate amount of food to fuel my predatory habits
Also, of course it works it's basic biology which we all know about without needing to study nutrition etc... My point is that it is unnecessary. Also remember our lifestyles are hugely different to our ancestors.There is no advantage to fasting for me at least - I enjoy eating, it's part of my cultural upbringing, and it gives me energy and lets me recover from exercise. Owing to the latter point I average around 4-4.5k cals a day - so if I were to fast for a couple of days, I'd have to eat 10k+ cals on the non fast days which is just a bore, and I have a life I'd like to get on with.
All that said, if it works for you, then go for it. You clearly enjoy it, as long as you get your nutrients in and you're not missing out on food groups then keep at it. I'd suggest on fasted days that you at least take some BCAAs and/or some form of electrolytes, but otherwise crack on.
Soldato
- Joined
- 15 Feb 2012
- Posts
- 3,308
- Location
- 2
I have been doing the 5 and 2 fasting regime since the end of August. In that time I have gone from not needing a belt to using three notches on my belt, and even that is becoming loose.
When I had my gallbladder out I wasn't allowed to eat for two weeks and I had already done four days before admission. I had a drip but nil by mouth. The hunger was manageable and I lost 25% of my body weight.
What interests me most about fasting is the effect on insulin growth factor 1 and the body switching from build mode to repair mode. Fascinating.
When I had my gallbladder out I wasn't allowed to eat for two weeks and I had already done four days before admission. I had a drip but nil by mouth. The hunger was manageable and I lost 25% of my body weight.
What interests me most about fasting is the effect on insulin growth factor 1 and the body switching from build mode to repair mode. Fascinating.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2003
- Posts
- 91,812
- Location
- Falling...
It is interesting. Fascinating in fact.
However unfortunately it doesn't help people that play sports or want to hold onto muscle mass and / or repair muscle damage as IGF1 is critical to that. Obviously without IGF1 or lower IGF1 your body tends to fix the dead/damaged cells instead of replacing them.
The key is balance getting enough protein to fix your body but low enough to help trigger that IGF1 lowering.
However unfortunately it doesn't help people that play sports or want to hold onto muscle mass and / or repair muscle damage as IGF1 is critical to that. Obviously without IGF1 or lower IGF1 your body tends to fix the dead/damaged cells instead of replacing them.
The key is balance getting enough protein to fix your body but low enough to help trigger that IGF1 lowering.
I'm finishing a fast today; last meal I had was sunday night. Turns out this one was particularly easy, not entirely sure why -- my guess is that the body just is getting used gradually to these episodes and 'switches' quicker, and with less 'hunger'.
I'm actually feeling very good, it'd be half tempting to continue, however I've lined myself a treat for tonight already to celebrate, and I don't want to miss that out
Got a leg of welsh lamb to barbecue, it'd been in farm cider for 3 days to soak some. With that I'm making a ragout of pheasant, cider, bacon, lamb kidney and red wine; butter roasted leaks, with baby potatoes, mushrooms, onions and a drop of white wine.
Oh, and I've started sourdough boule last night, will cook it when I get back from the office.
That should do it
I'm actually feeling very good, it'd be half tempting to continue, however I've lined myself a treat for tonight already to celebrate, and I don't want to miss that out
Got a leg of welsh lamb to barbecue, it'd been in farm cider for 3 days to soak some. With that I'm making a ragout of pheasant, cider, bacon, lamb kidney and red wine; butter roasted leaks, with baby potatoes, mushrooms, onions and a drop of white wine.
Oh, and I've started sourdough boule last night, will cook it when I get back from the office.
That should do it
I'm finishing a fast today; last meal I had was sunday night. Turns out this one was particularly easy, not entirely sure why -- my guess is that the body just is getting used gradually to these episodes and 'switches' quicker, and with less 'hunger'.
I'm actually feeling very good, it'd be half tempting to continue, however I've lined myself a treat for tonight already to celebrate, and I don't want to miss that out
Got a leg of welsh lamb to barbecue, it'd been in farm cider for 3 days to soak some. With that I'm making a ragout of pheasant, cider, bacon, lamb kidney and red wine; butter roasted leaks, with baby potatoes, mushrooms, onions and a drop of white wine.
Oh, and I've started sourdough boule last night, will cook it when I get back from the office.
That should do it
i don't know how you do it, if i miss a few meals i get shaky and lose concentration. feel like crap.
Yes, intermittent fasting for stable healthy weight loss is, i have found, fantastic. I did 5 and 2 and while i did struggle to set into the routine i found it a non issue after the first 2 fasting sessions.
There seems to be a social.. how do i say, ignorance around it? Maybe ignorance is too strong a word, misinformation or misunderstanding may be a better way to word it. I spent weeks and weeks convincing friends and family i didn't have a eating problem, they got so worried it was almost comical but the results, while they found it worrying are undeniable.
Weight loss aside, the whole exercise has an added bonus that also aids in installing a much better mind set for a sustained healthier lifestyle. I found that it helps you to realize a healthier relationship with food, you come to see that the quantities and frequency with which you consume food for everyday life are excessive and unneeded. going 24 hours without food will not kill you, leave you frail and weak on the floor and that meals just don't need to be as excessive as they are.
@teenwolf, you are no doubt feeling the effects of being deprived of sugars and fast digesting carbs like white bread etc. While they are good in a balanced diet, the frequency and volume they are consumed in modern diets is where the dependency comes from.
This all being said, when i train for strength and my goal is to build muscle i find intermittent fasting isn't really an option, the goals are different.
There seems to be a social.. how do i say, ignorance around it? Maybe ignorance is too strong a word, misinformation or misunderstanding may be a better way to word it. I spent weeks and weeks convincing friends and family i didn't have a eating problem, they got so worried it was almost comical but the results, while they found it worrying are undeniable.
Weight loss aside, the whole exercise has an added bonus that also aids in installing a much better mind set for a sustained healthier lifestyle. I found that it helps you to realize a healthier relationship with food, you come to see that the quantities and frequency with which you consume food for everyday life are excessive and unneeded. going 24 hours without food will not kill you, leave you frail and weak on the floor and that meals just don't need to be as excessive as they are.
@teenwolf, you are no doubt feeling the effects of being deprived of sugars and fast digesting carbs like white bread etc. While they are good in a balanced diet, the frequency and volume they are consumed in modern diets is where the dependency comes from.
This all being said, when i train for strength and my goal is to build muscle i find intermittent fasting isn't really an option, the goals are different.
Simply because you're not used to it, and your body isn't very efficient at using your stored energy.
Associate
- Joined
- 8 Oct 2009
- Posts
- 865
what is the point in fasting?
Is it to lose weight quickly?
And will you lose more muscle weight as opposed to fat?
(serious questions)
Is it to lose weight quickly?
And will you lose more muscle weight as opposed to fat?
(serious questions)
Fasting creates a caloric deficit, that is obvious, and of course a deficit means fat stores are used for energy. But it goes a lot deeper than just a lack of calories; It creates a environment in the body whereby overall insulin levels are decreased, this is important as insulin prohibits the release of fat to be used as energy. So the goal of fasting is this lower insulin level in a already calorie burning stage to increase efficiency of the weight loss.
You should not loose much muscle at all, you are promoting a fat burning period, you won't build muscle either during a fasting period but during your normal days you can. It is slow though and not as effective as a diet and regime directly aimed at muscle building. at least i have found any way.
Fasting also increases insulin sensitivity due to the restriction of insulin in the system. this promotes a healthier response to sugars in the diet, you feel more of a boost form your complex and simple carbs. more energy or rather you experience more energy from the food you eat and don't need to overload on food to feed your energy levels to get you through the day. Building up a resistance to the sugars and carbs in your diet through overindulgence leads to a insulin resistance, you blunt your sensitivity to it and your body needs to produce more insulin, too much insulin can lead to diabetes nd we all know that is a bad thing!
That is my proberbly very simple take on fasting, and why i personally think it is such a good idea when used as a tool to set your self in to a healthy regime and mind set towards food.
Fasting isn't something you set out to do constantly for the rest of your life, i see it as a tool to complement a healthy life style.
I am actually planning on starting again, aiming for maybe a 4 or 6 month plan. I have been enjoying life and all it has to offer for a little while
You should not loose much muscle at all, you are promoting a fat burning period, you won't build muscle either during a fasting period but during your normal days you can. It is slow though and not as effective as a diet and regime directly aimed at muscle building. at least i have found any way.
Fasting also increases insulin sensitivity due to the restriction of insulin in the system. this promotes a healthier response to sugars in the diet, you feel more of a boost form your complex and simple carbs. more energy or rather you experience more energy from the food you eat and don't need to overload on food to feed your energy levels to get you through the day. Building up a resistance to the sugars and carbs in your diet through overindulgence leads to a insulin resistance, you blunt your sensitivity to it and your body needs to produce more insulin, too much insulin can lead to diabetes nd we all know that is a bad thing!
That is my proberbly very simple take on fasting, and why i personally think it is such a good idea when used as a tool to set your self in to a healthy regime and mind set towards food.
Fasting isn't something you set out to do constantly for the rest of your life, i see it as a tool to complement a healthy life style.
I am actually planning on starting again, aiming for maybe a 4 or 6 month plan. I have been enjoying life and all it has to offer for a little while
Last edited:
Suspended
- Joined
- 22 Apr 2015
- Posts
- 2,634
I thought it was because you are depriving your body of life sustaining fuel to be honest...
Unless you're already malnutritioned and starving your body has more than enough fuel on board already to keep you going for more than just a few hours.