Extended Fasting vs Alternate Day Fasting - for Weight Loss?

(Nigel Williams) #21

Hi Andrea

This new salt data could be something for you. My weight has been static for over 12 months. In the last 2 weeks I’ve increased salt (Himalayan) significantly, when fasting and not. Nothing conclusive but I think my static weight is down a couple of pounds.

I believe it helps dampen down insulin, it definitely makes fasting easier, which accounts for small weight reduction.

I think I’ve only added about 1 extra teaspoon/day of salt so far but I believe 2 or 3 teaspoons might be better. So I’m going to up it more.

Like being scared of eating fat because I spent so many years in fear, I’m having to get over my salt fears now.

(What The Fast?!) #22

I’ve majorly upped salt as well. I started taking salt tablets - 4 a day right now plus salting my food. My cramps have disappeared… Each one has 400 mg of sodium, I’ll try adding a couple more.

(Nigel Williams) #23

My wife is the same on leg and foot cramps. Since she added about 1/2 teaspoon a day, cramps gone she’s very happy. Hope the salt get us going again on losing and improving.

(jim schafer) #24

update: about 2 weeks ago i completed my first extended fast i went for 6 and a half days… my goal was to go for 10 days, but i just couldn’t take the diarrhea anymore…next time i’m going to add a little bit of fiber to the water just so there’s something there …I did lose 10 pounds but 5 came back…which was totally expected. I think an extended fast every 4 to 6 weeks is going to work for me…and in between it’s mostly going to be 1 meal a day. until i can get closer to my goal.

(Shannon) #25

How is that going for you?

(Jennifer) #26

Very well - thanks for asking! I usually fast 3-5 days a week depending on whats going on. I am down about 60 pounds with 40 or so to go. I assume I will fast less days as I go, but I’m thinking I will use fasting as a tool for ever. Fasting just comes easy for me…

(Shannon) #27

I’m curious as this as well.

(Misty Scarbrough) #28

What do u eat on non fasting days ?

(Michele TP) #29

Extended fasts do not work at all for me. My blood sugars plummet, and I feel weak and dizzy around day 4. Last summer I tried ADF and dropped my setpoint weight by 10 pounds. I stopped because it was too difficult. I decided to try 36 hour fasts 3x a week (per Guide to Fasting). its not easy, but my setpoint dropped another 5 pounds. I think that ADF (or 4:3) is the plan for me, at least right now. I am 59, post menopausal and need to lose an additional 40 pounds. Its a journey, not a race.

#30

Good morning!
For me, it has definitely been more effective to go with the extended fasts. EOD fasting has not worked for me. However, I have adopted a pretty regular schedule of 20:4 IF most days and then I have fit in some 72 hour fasts. This has really turned out to be the best bet for me thus far. The more often I do even a 48 hour fast, the easier they become and the more I see a downward trend…albeit slowly. as a peri-menopausal woman who has seriously harmed her metabolism over the years, I am grateful that this works at all!
BTW, I’ve been on a vacation for nearly 10 days and not sticking to the 20:4, but more like a 16:8 most days. Also, I have seen that my FBG are again in the 100s, and in fact it was 111 yesterday morning. So, as Dr Fung says, there is still a lot more work to do!
best wishes with you fasting choice for weight loss. It seems to be a up and down cycle anyway, but worth the trip :smiley:

(Denise Ross) #31

I am a huge advocate of the extended fast. I embarked on an open ended water fast, which lasted a total of 37 days. In this time, I had full and complete detox, cleaned house, completely eradicated my sugar addiction, changed my whole relationship with food, cleared myself of clinical depression and RLS, which I’d suffered with for 10yrs and 20yrs respectively, and in the duration of the 37 days I lost 39lbs. After a careful 4 day refeed I then maintained my Weightloss with LCHF combined with IF 16/8, OMAD and ADF. I regained only 5lbs of the 39lb weightloss and have since lost another 12lbs. I have just 17lbs more to lose and I will have reached my ultimate goal weight of 140lbs! I am currently on day 4 of the final leg of my journey. I began this fasting/LCHF journey on April 22nd, weighing 206lbs :slight_smile:

#32

Denise, this is amazing! I am so “wowed” by this story of your experience, and yet I still have so much apprehension regarding such an epic journey. Thirty-seven days seems like forever to me right now!
Who knows though, with this amount of healing perhaps I will be brave enough to try this for myself…eventually.
You are really inspiring, thank you for sharing this with us!

#33

That’s amazing! Very inspiring.

(Lex (Sydney, NSW)) #34

Hi Denise, What a great story you have!! I’m in awe!
Just wondering how the last leg of the journey went for you?

(Christina Chrisjohn) #35

I am curious too!?

(Jennifer) #36

it worked for a month or two then I got stressed out at work and that was that. But eating keto even with no limits works for me because it just held me in a plateau where I didn’t gain! I still try to fast 24-48 hours a week. I am under 35% BF and still would like to lose 25 or so pounds.

(Ethan) #37

I have been doing two 5-day fasts per month (or one 7-day fast if I could not make two 5-day fasts) since October. I haven’t lost any weight since December, but I have toned. From July through December, I had lost around 45 pounds. From April 15 to May 15, I will do Alternate-Day fasting to see how it goes

#38

You aren’t gaining it back. Water and food are going back into your system and raising your weight. But it looks like the Fat is staying off.

According to Dr Fung during fasting you will lose .50 to .75 LB of real weight per day during a fast.

  1. You are gaining back Water Weight which is not fat
  2. At the end of - fast your digestive system is empty.
    According to May Clinic it takes approximately 52 hours for food to digest. So the food in your system
    is increasing your weight.

So based on 3.5 Days * .5 = 1.75LB
or
3.5 * .75 = 2.6

Your weigh loss results are consistent with the amount of days you are fasting. If you want to lose more then fast more days. Whether intermittently or add an extra day to the fast.

Are you doing Keto too?. Possibly possibly add Keto to your diet will increase weight loss.

#39

That’s amazing, it’s six month since this post.

Are you still in a good place?

#41

Wow!, So happy for you!
Thanks for the inspiration!:smiley_cat: