hi,
I am new to this, keto for about 2 months, and still sorting myself out.
Did not have the initial drop-off of water weight - perhaps because I tended to be lowish carb anyway - but ended up gaining about 4kg while losing about 15 cm around my waist.
Recently did my first 24 hour fast, would have never thought it possible, dropped 1kg overnight, so there is hope for weight loss! I am slightly confused and I need some advise - I am fasting - therefore reduced calories going in. Which in turn could slow down my metabolic rate? I have currently fasted 24 hours now, and I am feeling slightly peckish. Does this mean I should now have a proper meal and pack all the calories in, or should I call this hunger pangs, get some salt and fat, and continue fasting.
So basically - am I fasting (good) or restricting calories (bad). I am hungry(ish) - should I have a proper meal or nothing at all?
Fasting newbie - am I fasting or restricting calories
What is your goal? Do you have body fat to live off of when you fast? If not you can āfat fastā so you can keep on going and not have an insulin response.
If you are not eating at all you are fasting. Calorie restriction is eating less calories than you need for the day but still eating. Less calories over time will lower your metabolism. Fasting wonāt.
Salt is always a food idea when fasting.
thank you for answering, Matt.
I need to lose about 15kg, got some body fat to live off of :).
So - as fasting, including a fat fast, is a restriction of calories but since itĀ“s not prolonged restriction, it will not have an adverse effect on my metabolic rate - did I get this right?
That is the way I understand it. But I am more of an IF guy (20:4 most days). I am sure some EF gurus will jump in and get you the info you need.
IF was what I was aiming for - but since I realised I had not died of hunger 24 hours later thought I might as well keep going and see what happens. Would really like to see the āwooshā everybody is talking about!
if you are fasting 24, and feeling peckish, put a pinch of salt under the tongue and continue. 36 & 42 hour fasts are quite popular. I did a few 3 day and longer, and it is a divine experience. I felt like a Master of my own Bodyverse! incredible feeling. Listen to your body, read idmprogram blog posts on fasting and end the fast if you get any of the āadverseā indications.
Fasting, especially when you drop input to 0 does not slow BMR as consistent calorie reduction does. Especially if you āmix it upā and feast and fast in tandem. Now - I have only 2 modes - feast (eat 100kCal more than I think I āneedā) or fast - water only. weight is stalled but waist is trending down hard!! 4inches in 2 months
I now feel likemy metabolismhas been ramped up. The weight and inches have started trending down again. I am planning on doing about 3 days fasting, 4 days feasting - since that fits my schedule. If anything, a few fasting days will become feasting days - depending on where I am traveling.
I feel that this plan will get me to my goals - weight, metabolic repair, good health - in an expedient fashion.
sounds great, you seem to be doing well! I donĀ“t think I have quite graduated to a longer fast, I can just about do 20/4 hrs or 23/24 occationally. Having some doubts after I listened to Switching it up with Megan Ramos - she said OMAD would work for 2-3 weeks but seems like people are doing it successfully for months. Sometimes I feel I should finish eating just when I am feeling even a little bit full - or should I be really-really full. Do I aim for keeping the metabolism up or trust my body to eat the fat to make up the differenceā¦ itĀ“s a puzzle!
As per Jason Fung & Megan Ramos - your body will switch into fasting mode when youāre fasting. So it wonāt react the same way as if youāre eating restrixy d calories. In fact, many people experience an increase in BMR while fasting. Weird how he body works!
I have the same 2 months experience as you. I started out using keto for daily calorie restriction. It worked. Weight today is down from 160 to 148 and waist size from 34" to a bit less than 32". In the past month eating is confined to mid day and evening and Iāve done 2 one day fastsāskipping 3 meals. The most important thing about keto for me is how it makes fasting reletively easy because the hunger signals are so different. I feel amazing when Iām hungry. Today is an all day fast. Going forward Iāll continue skipping breakfast, except after fasts, but eat at least break even calories or slightly above day to day and when it seems time for more fat to go Iāll do that with all day fasts. Iād like to get to the point where not eating for 2 days is no interference with work or social life. If Iām very good at fasting may be there will be no reason to track food intake every day.
N=1 - once you learn the new true body signals for hunger and satiety - bye bye tracking and counting. Just have to keep the poisonous carbs out - all else just falls into place.
Very Zen
KCKO