Alright I have some questions about fasting. I’ve read a good bit here in the forums and there are several contradictions I need addressed specifically for my purposes, that being said I know KETO and fasting work differently for each person. BACKGROUND I’ve been doing KETO strictly since 2/15/19. So far I’m down 37lbs. While I’m stoked about the weight loss I want all health benefits of this WOE. Enter IF. I’ve been doing a 19:5 most days of the week sometimes OMAD simply due to lack of hunger(Eat only when hungry). I’ve seen some ppl here say for the first 3-6 months don’t fast as your body is becoming FA. Yet ppl claim fasting drives you further into FA and forces your body to run on ketones. So why would I not want to fast as much as I am comfortable with? Should I just hold off fasting and eat only when hungry or is it ok to fast some? Fasting is easy for me, I have a lot of stored energy to burn, 20 oz of black coffee and I’m solid for about 24 hours. Also a question on portions after a fast, typically I have meal that fits into my macros easily often times 2 chicken thighs and some broccoli. Is a huge meal after a fast ok or should a dice it up to a couple of meals over my eating window?
Fat adaptation and Fasting and portions
Once you are adapted you are not trying to do to many things at once. So now if it feels good do it! I read somewhere that it may be uncomfortable to break a fast with a large meal. I think it was a book on fasting by Dr. Fung but I have read so much on LCHF, Keto and fasting that I have no idea where I saw something anymore. This doesn’t take into account hanging around here either.
I have found that it was best (when I did IF) to have 2 large meals at each end of the eating “window”. I think it helped me with compliance. If I think of it as a feeding “window” - after a while I am pretty sure I would be snacking too much. A square of dark chocolate turns into half a bar, 10 macadamia nuts becomes a whole bowl etc.
As far as “a huge meal” - the first meal should probably be just big enough so you feel sure you won’t be hungry or want to snack before the second meal (in my opinion). Also, “a huge meal” might give you some stomach (and below) upset / pain.
Are you stating “too many things” from a reference of freaking your body out physically and making it less productive to IF/KETO or from a mental standpoint of it will be harder to maintain the lifestyle and you may fall back in to old eating habits?
You should also ballpark estimate your daily calories. 37 pounds in 56 days is an overly fast weight loss for most people just doing Keto (depending on how much you have to lose and what your initial water weight drop was).
If you determine you are actually calorie restricting (daily very low calorie intake), you might want to mix in a few periods of much higher calorie intake to ensure you avoid a weight bounce due to metabolic slowdown.
I see newbies that are excited when they start keto and on week two what to try an extended fast. I think people should settle in and at least be beyond the flu stage or maybe almost adapted.
I started a 350lbs and I also walk each night with 2 3-5 mile rucks mixed in each week as well as 2 kettlebell wkts mixed in each week. I dropped 12 lbs right off the bat when I cut carbs the first 2 weeks. Since then I’ve dropped 2-4lbs each week.
When I have done short fasts (either out of convenience because I didn’t have time to eat, or intentional), meaning 24 to 48 hours, I just eat a normal-sized meal at the end. I find that while I may think I am ready for a big meal, after the first few bites I don’t feel that hungry, so there’s no reason for me to go for a huge meal.
None of my fasts have been long enough to where I worry about refeeding syndrome.
I don’t see anything wrong with fasting right off the bat. I was omad coming into this and started off with a fast to help avoid carb withdraw ( keto flu) day 1 was fine because I was use to going 24 hours without eating. Day 2 was rough cause I wasn’t fat adapted yet but pushed through it. Now I can go longer with very few problems. I used it as a gauge to see how fat adapted I was. Just remember that when you get hungry it’s ok to eat. You will be able to fast for longer periods the more fat adapted you become.
I believe occasional fasting isn’t going to ruin a person’s metabolism even if we are not fat adapted. If this were the case, our species wouldn’t have been as successful as it is. Our ancestors would have run out of food and grown sluggish and wouldn’t have had the energy to catch the food they needed.
I believe patterns of restriction without being fat adapted is what we need to avoid. In those cases, it’s very possible that metabolism will compensate for what it perceives as famine. If we include days of feasting along with our fasting, this shouldn’t be a problem. Our body understands that it won’t be too long before proper nutrition comes around again.
If you’re comfortable with it, go for it! You’ve been eating this way long enough that you’re probably fat-adapted, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble. Don’t force the fasting, just let it come. It’s like exercise, in that it takes some effort, but it should still be reasonably enjoyable, or why do it?
You can definitely fast from where you are, and from what you say, you will do really well.
My suggestions:
- Start with a 36 hour fast, and see how you go
- If at any time you feel strong hunger or you just feel off or worse, end the fast.
- If you really like the fast (lots of us do: I feel better fasting than when I am feasting!), then start thinking about some longer fasts, 48/72 hours.
- When ending a short fast (up to 48 hrs), my opinion is you can pretty much eat what you feel like. I usually eat bacon and eggs to end a fast, but that’s just because it is my go to breakfast.
- On longer fasts (over 48hrs), to end the fast I recommend a small keto meal, rest for an hour, then eat to hunger.
Good luck. You already sound like keto works for you and you are burning your body fat well. In this case, fasting will be a breeze. But watch out: you might get addicted (like me!).