Love/Hate relationship with fasting

(Jane Srygley) #1

I’ve been fasting here and there for almost 2 months after I started listening to Dr. Fung. I also bought and read The Obesity Code. I didn’t used to think I could fast, but once I tried it, I knew it was possible and now I truly believe it is something I need to do to achieve my goals for health and fitness.

I LOVE fasting because of the break it gives me from food preparation, but especially from food DECISIONS. When I’m fasting, I know nothing is negotiable and that really helps me. I love fasting for how it makes me feel so clean and clear the next day and I LOVE that I typically see a lower number on the scale the next day even if I indulged a bit the day before the fast.

Still I HATE FASTING!!! I hate not being able to eat all day… and I know that this is more (if not all) emotional rather than physical. Eating is comforting. I know I have issues with food anxiety (one reason I didn’t think I could fast). I feel like fasting just makes me kind of SAD, if that makes sense. I miss having my food! Not sure if anyone can relate…?

(Jill F.) #2

I really struggle to fast much past intermittent fasting and only eating between 12 to 7 PM. I have done a couple of 24 hour fasts but I obsessed about food the last 6 hours or so it. So I stick with IF on most days and just check it up to I am not a good fasting candidate, lol.

(Susan) #3

The problem I was having when I was fasting a lot in July was I was not eating on my eating days. I would do a 48 hour fast; then eat say 500 calories (be very full) then fast for another 48-72 hours… my longest I have done is 74 hours.

Because of my eating disorder history of anorexia, bulimia and my past addiction and abuse to laxatives and diet pills, I was triggering those responses again and I would look in the mirror and say you don’t deserve food, you are fat, and I was falling into those feeling again, and was randomly crying and getting really upset. I didn’t tell anyone how I was feeling but when I wasn’t losing weight for over two months either, with no cheats at all, I was really getting depressed about it.

I finally talked about it on my accountability thread that I wasn’t losing and fasting a lot, and not really eating on my eating days, and people encouraged me to fix my metabolism and start eating a lot more daily until my body was sorted and not in starvation mode, so I have been doing that, and I lost 2 pounds and then another 1 (so since the scale didn’t move for over 2 months this is good for me). I am having a lot of things going on at home atm so stress levels are high, but as soon as things settle down again I am going to do a 48 hour one, and then try to do regular 48 hour ones and the Zorn Fast 72 hours one once a month as well. I want to do one 48 hour one before that September Zorn Fast and do that, so that is my only fasting goals for September atm.

I know that some people have a hard time doing fasting period because of the past eating disorder issues, but moving forwards, I know personally I just need to keep tabs on that and watch for it. I want to do them for Autophagy benefits, especially as I have a lot of weight to lose still, and to give the scales a budge during those times too… hehe.

I do a daily 20:4 IF of eating at 1pm and 4:45 and Fast from 5pm-1pm daily.

(Trish) #4

I also love/hate it. I love the control I have and the not having to decide yet again what to eat. I love the health ie autophagy and weight loss effects of fasting. I hate feeling hungry and coveting my family’s food when they cook or even worse still having to decide what to cook and then make it for others in the household while I’m fasting. I also think I’m a bit of a masochist as I typically look at and find all sorts of awesome recipes while I’m on an EF. :crazy_face:

#5

I can identify with the food=comfort feeling, as I used to feel that way too. Like @Momof5, I had bulimia from age 12 to 29. Now, I see food entirely differently. And, that is in large part due to extended fasting.

The 5 days fasts, and this last fast that was 7 days - really has almost entirely broken the cycle/desire/cravings/binging on foods- whatever they may be. And, in retrospect, I don’t really know why I even broke the 7 day fast. After taking a couple bites of food to break the fast, I wasn’t terribly impressed or even excited about re-feeding. It was just kinda like, “meh, this doesn’t really excite me. At all.” I still feel that way. And, let me tell ya…that was a revelation! I felt incredibly energetic, slim, stronger, leaner, and did I mention energetic? Seriously…it was awesome.

And so through that process, I arrived at the conclusion that I really can live (for awhile) without food, and do so quite easily. and pleasantly. Mentally, what made the process much easier this time was that my husband was out of town for over a week, and my two older kids were working full time (as was I), and my 14 yo started Keto. So, many of the ordinarily tempting foods just weren’t around the house, nor was I having to cook much.

Physically, it was easier for me this time, as I had gone almost 100% carnivore a couple weeks prior to the 7 day fast. The transition for the body to go from using the fat from the carnivore diet over to burning the body fat stored on my midsection and elsewhere - was easier. So, that might be something to try if you are considering a longer fast. I didn’t experience the stomach growling nearly as much during the 7 day, as I did during the last couple of 3 day and 5 day fasts. \

So, just stick to it, and once you’re more comfortable with extended fasting -the longer ones might help you to break the cycle too! Best wishes!!!

(mole person) #6

I don’t fast. I find the “hate” part too strong, in general, although I still intend to try it again in future. However I’ve found a way to eat that mirrors most of what people get from fasting all while eating and not being hungry at all. I’ve started using this “only fatty beef” diet whenever I want to shed a few pounds quickly. I’m on my third go with this right now and have currently lost 5.4 lbs in 8 days while eating to satiety and even though I’m already lean.

I still get the rapid weight losses (scale goes down virtually every single day). I still don’t need to think about meal preparation as it’s all very quick and samey, meal to meal, and day to day. There are no decisions and no choices so nothing is negotiable. Basically it’s fasting without the food deprivation.

Also, it’s completely safe to do for as long as I want.

What it doesn’t offer is the same levels of autophagy one will get from true fasting and although my brain chemistry feels wonderful doing this and I’m full of energy I suspect strongly that fasting brain is a whole other level.

(Erin Macfarland ) #7

@MommyJill2005 I think you are very wise, and recognize your limitations with fasting. It doesn’t benefit a person to force extended fasting if psychologically there are negative consequences as a result. If someone has lots of body fat and/or a severe chronic disease like diabetes, fasting for extended periods of time might make sense and be achievable after some adaptations. But for people that aren’t in those situations, I think the body is very smart and will send these kinds of signals that longer fasts are not a good idea. Sustainability is key in all this…and if you’re naturally eating in a smaller window of time during the day, and it works, I think that’s great. When we force our bodies to feel like they are being deprived (or rather our mind senses we are restricting ourselves), it can result in obsessing about food and probably going off the rails once we “allow” ourselves to eat. Which isn’t a healthy pattern…

(Bob M) #8

I wouldn’t get too excited about that. I used to get more lack of hunger and also more clarity when fasting multiple days. Now, I don’t get as much. That’s caused me to limit my longer fasts to once per quarter. I’m 3.5+ days into a fast and kinda hungry right now (goal is to make it to tomorrow, so I’m trying not to break). It used to be that I would be shockingly not hungry on day 3 or 4 or both, but it’s not like that anymore.

(KCKO, KCFO) #9

I think most of us can relate.

I thought I couldn’t fast and now, I can not imagine my life without fasting. I love not having to plan out 3 meals, etc. I love not cooking when I don’t have to, but as a foodie, yea, I can miss not preparing something special for dinner or going to an exciting new restaurant. It was a creative outlet, entertainment, expression of love, etc. to me before. Now, I just miss crunchy things, or spicy tastes in my mouth, otherwise, I would fast way too much.

(mole person) #10

I think this had been me right from the start. My highest weight was 133 lbs and by the time I tried my first fast I was under 120 lbs already. I was just starving almost all the time after about the 30 hour point and sleep was virtually impossible. This is what led me to try to develop a fasting substitute that works well at my size.

Yes, exactly. I think the feeling of ravenous hunger interferes with any sensation of clarity.

(Erin Macfarland ) #11

@Ilana_Rose I’ll just make the joke for everyone here that your “high” weight was 133…lol yeah we all hate you :joy::joy: (kidding of course…) it has always bugged me that there’s so much emphasis on extended fasts amongst the keto community. Burning ketones, without extended fasting, produces similar effects to fasting. Exercise induces autophagy more effectively than fasting. So extended fasting isn’t something you should force just because you think you’ll miss some of these health benefits if you can only fast for say, 18 hours. I see prominent figures on social media, people that promote keto coaching, that kind of thing, and they’re these lean, active types saying they do three day fasts, week long fasts…I think it’s irresponsible! I’m 5’7”, about 120 lbs and probably about 10 to 12 % body fat and 24 hours is my max for fasting. And that’s only if I really feasted the day before. But there’s no denying the need to eat , I HAVE to. So listen to your body people!! You’re not a failure if you can’t fast extensively!

(Bob M) #12

I think the thinner you get, the harder it will be to fast longer. It’s not impossible (I’ve seen thin people fasting 1+ weeks), it’s just harder. It was much easier for me to fast 4.5-5.5 days a few years ago, when I was 30+ pounds heavier with less muscle mass. Now, it’s harder. Not impossible, but harder.

I still think longer fasts can be beneficial. I still have higher fasting insulin, at least higher based on some people. A longer fast helps that come down more than does a short fast.

Regardless, I think we may be able to agree that the fewer meals eaten per day, and the closer they are together, that’s probably better. For me, if I eat breakfast, I always eat more (if I have lunch). So, I avoid eating breakfast. Others here still eat bfast and maybe even three meals a day. More power to them, if that helps them. I’ve found two meals a day to be good, and fasting longer when I can also good. I like to mix it up.

(traci simpson) #13

Do Tell!! you just make ground beef and burgers?

(Bob M) #14

Amber O’Hearn is convinced that higher fat is better (I think for carnivores, but maybe for keto too). Something like 2:1 fat:protein by cals (or at least I think it’s by cals and not grams). (Note: this is different from Ted Naiman, who advocates much lower fat.)

(mole person) #15

It’s by grams but I think she said in another thread that she doesn’t actually eat quite that high herself although she’s considering it.

(mole person) #16

I’ve been detailing the protocol over on this thread.

(mole person) #17

Ted Naiman’s protocol is vastly different from how people eat here however. He basically says that if you are trying to lose weight you should be entirely avoiding all added fats except what comes in the meat. So no butter, no oil, no mayo, no lard, no tallow plus highly limiting dairy and nuts.

I think Naiman’s high protein protocol probably works fine but it has to be used in the context in which he describes it. He says those fats should only be reintroduced at maintenance.

(Jane Srygley) #18

That’s really amazing! I hope that happens to me sometime :heart:

(mole person) #19

Haha… I sometimes worry about this! The thing is that I’m not that lean even at 104 lbs. Maybe slightly under 20% body fat but I doubt by much based on visible body fat. I need to get a DEXA the next time I’m in a big city.

I have scoliosis. Quite a seriously s-shaped spine that I’ve had since my early childhood. It causes me to have a very short torso, only 15 inches. this has led to some pretty funky fat distribution in my 50s, and I have zero waist at 130 lb. I can still even now pinch more than the proverbial inch on my hips, belly, and thighs.

(Kristen Ann) #20

Great thread. I can definitely relate to just about everything you’ve said.