In the above podcast, Megha talks about her poor experience with intermittent fasting. My appetite correcting eating schedule experience is completely opposite, but it is spot-on with my experience with extended fasting. I find that extended fasting just triggers binge eating behavior.
There is so much social pressure towards fasting, it’s important to realize not everyone is good with it, and that you have the freedom to say it’s not for you.
It took awhile for me to have permission not to fast. I still would love to do a week, as a Ritual Against Cancer, but I’ll have to stick to the black candles and Latin.
I will try to work my way up to a week… three days at the end of this month, four sometime in August, five in September, etc, until I’m up to a whole week in November, but I’ll do my best not to let it stress me out.
I write this on hour 49 of a 4 day fast. Honestly, I was part of the atkins then keto club for many years, only after about 2 years successfully nudging the scale at all with a proper keto diet and doing the right things (no artificial sweets, not too much protein etc. ), before I got into fasting. I tried and failed a few times, stopped, then came back to it for another try when I was stuck in a plateau with keto for more than half a year. I had always thought it was not for me and that it was a bad idea, until it wasn’t and until I started regularly doing 3 day EFs and 24 hours became easy. There is a time and season for everything. If where you’re at is not there yet, then it’s not time. I think you would know when it’s time to exercise iron will and resolve to do fasting. My opinion is that it actually does take iron resolve to get “good” at it, i.e. to overcome cravings. I used to smoke cigarettes. I quit almost 6 years ago when my daughter was born. Fasting to me reminds me a lot of the cigarette quitting progress. It was always very hard to go two days-- excruciating pain, but then it was all down hill after that. The rest is mostly psychological. Fasting in the modern world is hard because it is actually a practice that breaks our addiction, psychological and physical, to food. For many of us it is also a healing process, weight loss process, and a detox process, but we have our reasons. For me, willing not to eat for a determined period and the process gives me insight into who I am, why I want my body to be fit and healthy, and a profound sense of empowerment and calm. You of course have permission to fast or “not to fast,” no matter what anyone else is saying, because it is up to you.That’s exactly the point: actualization of radical will and self-determination is what fasting is all about, which is why all the religious traditions have incorporated it into various rituals and spiritual practice.
First we restrict carbs, then we watch our protein, then fat to satiety, but be careful here, maybe try ZC then IF, ADF, EF. It does seem to be restricting. Not minding it just yet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t notice
K
Totally agree with you @MTullius. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to fast. I heard the 2KD talking about it all the time on the podcasts and watched tons of vids on keto that mentioned fasting but after living with binge eating disorder, I was terrified of trying it. I was terrified of being so ravenously hungry that it would trigger me into a binge. Times in the past I’ve had to fast for medical procedures, I ended up with a terrible migraine. But then, after 3ish months on keto… it just seemed to happen naturally. One day I just didn’t feel hungry, so I didn’t eat. By that night, I still wasn’t really hungry so I thought I’d see if I could make it to 24hrs. Then 48. Then 72. I probably could’ve gone longer but decided to stop at 3 days because it was affecting my sleep and I also started getting some pseudo gout pain. It was such a great experience, I’m going to try to do it monthly.
So, I’d say, if it doesn’t happen, don’t stress. It’s not essential. Relax. But your body will let you know if and when fasting is for you.
I can relate to this also. I definitely have emotional barriers to fasting, and certain times of the day (mostly evening) when the triggers to eat are super strong despite not being terribly hungry. I’ve broken a couple of fasts early purely for emotional reasons, and realized afterward that I didn’t feel any better for having eaten, but they are still valuable learning experiences. Giving myself permission, as you say, has been key to not making it a bad experience and keeping positive feelings about our WOE is important in the long run. For what it’s worth, it is getting easier each time.
In my social sphere, fasting is odd. There is no social pressure to fast.
Regardless, most people do not need to extensive fasting. If it’s not for you, don’t do it!
As humans we tend to latch on religiously to anything that shows a smidgeon of results in someone. I know I went full-bore with fasting when I first discovered it. Later found out I had probably tanked my metabolism by being so aggressive with it. I think careful thought and self-awareness are the biggest tools a person can have when dealing with a dilemma like this.
I jumped in with both feet and a 72 hour fast after stumbling upon Dr. Jason Fung’s video. However, 10 months and 80 lbs later, I have not had any urge to fast again. IF for 16 hours or so, yes, but never another 72 hour fast. I’m not saying I won’t do it in the future, but I just don’t feel like I need to at this point.