Intermittent Fasting

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In order to go into "starvation mode" your muscle tissue has to be forced into gluconeogenesis by stress, where proteins and aminos are broken down into a glucose-like substance. Starvation mode is actually much easier to enter by eat several small low fat meals a day than it is by fasting. Your body can only burn one source at a time, either food you are eating or fat from your body. If you are eating, and your body is digesting that food, you are not burning body fat during that process; no matter how much you exercise.

Under most conditions your body can go weeks (and with sufficient body fat even months) without eating with no loss of muscle mass or adverse effects on your internal systems. This is because we have a natural built in response mechanism to fasting where our bodies increase testosterone and release additional human growth hormone to prepare us "for the hunt". As long as you have fat to burn you will enter ketosis and life will carry on just fine. This is why fasting is the single best way to "burn off" unwanted body fat, presuming you are in otherwise fair health and have the fortitude and fasting-specific knowledge to pull it off. When I fast I supplement with sodium and magnesium to ensure I feel energetic throughout. Without those supplements I begin to feel a little sluggish around day 3. I have fast dozens and dozens of times, up to 7 days at a time, and have never lost a single lb of lean muscle mass. But I always lose 2-3lbs of body fat as well as some stored water weight. Overweight people will also burn off excess glycogen, which shows up as weight loss but not fat loss.

And not to sound pompous or disagreeable, but these are not just my personal beliefs, they are based on human physiology, science, and experience. I have spent years studying this subject as I have lost many family members to diabetes and related diseases. I will not be following in their footsteps. Based on my lifestyle of keto and fasting, I am closing in on 50 years old with above average muscle mass, below average body fat, and overall health that makes my Doctor ask me how I am able to do it so she can share that info with her other patients. I checked off every box in the excellent category again this year during my physical, sans the one that reports when you eat a diet high in protein.

For more information I recommend any books or videos by Dr. Jason Fung, who is likely the world's leading expert on fasting. Also DietDoctor.com which offers an impressive amount of excellent information free of misinformation or disinformation.
 
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I started not cheating 7 days ago and started keeping track of my blood sugar on paper.

It is always higher in the morning than in the evening unless I cheat. A reading of 312 is what scared me enough to quit cheating.

Yesterday after 24 hours of fasting I got a slight jolt when my blood sugar was 23 points higher than it was in the morning and I had not eaten anything and only drank water.

I panicked and ate a steak and liver omelet even though I was not hungry. I thought I had done something wrong. After reading some information I discovered that this was natural when fasting because the liver is releasing glucose stored there.

I still have a ways to go on the blood sugar levels but I have already cut that 312 number in half. I am now 28 hours into this fast and still not hungry.

Oh, and I have lost 1 pound over the last two days. Hey it was a big omelet.
 
There is a scale of ketosis from just reaching it to optimal, how fast you lose weight or feel the many other benefits depends on where you are on that scale. How long it takes to get there depends on your body and it's inherent resistance (i.e. how bad you have treated your body up to this point). I find that day one is always a bit of a mental struggle as it seems counter-intuitive to not eat. By later in day two your body accepts the new state and your mind realizes that the "3 you need to eat 3 meals a day" concept is all BS. After that it's so easy to keep going that it's almost liberating. When I get past day 7 and start to reintroduce food I always feel a little crappy at first and then level out.

One way to get most of the benefits of fasting without the short term struggle is OMAD (one meal a day). Just develop a menu of clean & balanced low carb food and eat that single meal at the same time every day. You are fasting 23+ hours a day which puts your body in body fat burning mode approx. 18-19 hours a day. It is especially beneficial to eat earlier in the day so your body burns subcutaneous and visceral fat all night when you sleep. Many ladies in my wife's women's empowerment group have lost substantial amounts of weight doing that. Many without any exercise of any kind.
 
I just finished a 48 hour fast. It was really not that hard.

72 hours fasts are just as easy, so are 96 hours fasts, etc.

The wife and I are going to do a 10 fast in May, just so we can break our 7 day record.
 
I have been slacking off my 2 days per week fasting. I really need to get back to it. Some of those pounds have creeped back on. :mad:

So, I decided to re-set the hormones and do another longer fast b/c it looks like it has been too long since I did a longer fast. I just ended a 50 hour fast tonight. I probably could have gone longer, but I didn't really want to and I already went beyond what I had in mind. I get somewhat hangry, which is not good on me. That's usually why I don't fast while hubs is here. He doesn't deserve the crabbiness. I think part of it is that I haven't had good sleep in the last few days either.

Anyways......how many of you are still fasting in one way or another?
 
I have been slacking off my 2 days per week fasting. I really need to get back to it. Some of those pounds have creeped back on. :mad:

So, I decided to re-set the hormones and do another longer fast b/c it looks like it has been too long since I did a longer fast. I just ended a 50 hour fast tonight. I probably could have gone longer, but I didn't really want to and I already went beyond what I had in mind. I get somewhat hangry, which is not good on me. That's usually why I don't fast while hubs is here. He doesn't deserve the crabbiness. I think part of it is that I haven't had good sleep in the last few days either.

Anyways......how many of you are still fasting in one way or another?
I fast daily on just one meal a day. It has been months sinced I have gone over 24 hours. I used to do 48 hours but 72 hours always left me light headed for about 1/2 an hour when the 72th hour clicked by.

I should do it more often but hey, I am retried ... :peace:

Ben
 
I tried the no breakfast and not eating after dinner at 6. But the in between time, I eat like crap. Usually I do a smoothie in morning, salad or quinoa salad lunch and a dinner. If I fast, its whatever I can show in my mouth
 
I tried the no breakfast and not eating after dinner at 6. But the in between time, I eat like crap. Usually I do a smoothie in morning, salad or quinoa salad lunch and a dinner. If I fast, its whatever I can show in my mouth
I admit it is not easy to start because our stomachs are designed to process food on a regular schedule. It prepares by pumping up stomach acids when the food is expected. That stomach acid prompts a hunger sensation to remind us it is time to eat.

But that sensation is transient and will pass. With practice we can reduce that sensation. There have been days when I realized "I forget to eat yesterday".

For what it is worth...

Ben
 
I get up early & did not eat until lunch(11:30-12:30), then eat dinner about 6:00 or 7:00.
 
The longest I have went with out soild food is 2 days & three nights.
I was 16 years old, my mother got me to eat breakfast, because she was worried about me. My goal was 3 three days, I now know that is harmful,
but I was in good health & had no side effects to my knowledge.
 
I can't really fast, due to being a type 1 diabetic. It's just too difficult to control blood glucose without inputting a few carbs. I still prefer the "do a little more, eat a lot less" diet plan for weight loss, but if you get spiritual benefits or any other perceived benefits from fasting, I say go for it...
 
I can't really fast, due to being a type 1 diabetic. It's just too difficult to control blood glucose without inputting a few carbs. I still prefer the "do a little more, eat a lot less" diet plan for weight loss, but if you get spiritual benefits or any other perceived benefits from fasting, I say go for it...

Spikedriver, I agree. I am no doctor, but from what I have read, fasting is not healthy especially for diabetics. Better to eat small meals on a regular basis, and manage or reduce portion size, than to skip eating entirely.
 
Spikedriver, I agree. I am no doctor, but from what I have read, fasting is not healthy especially for diabetics. Better to eat small meals on a regular basis, and manage or reduce portion size, than to skip eating entirely.
I don't think fasting is necessarily unhealthy. I know several people who do IF for one reason or another, including type 2 diabetics. Doesn't seem to have any bad effects for them. But I think what you say about portion sizes and regular small meals is sensible and effective. I would probably try it, but trying to regulate insulin doses when the body is just using fat stores to make glucose is nearly impossible. I have heard that with the newer continuous glucose monitoring systems that alert you via your phone when your glucose is high or low, it can be done. But when it gets low, you still have to input carbs into your system which defeats the purpose of the fast anyway...
 
I can't really fast, due to being a type 1 diabetic. It's just too difficult to control blood glucose without inputting a few carbs. I still prefer the "do a little more, eat a lot less" diet plan for weight loss, but if you get spiritual benefits or any other perceived benefits from fasting, I say go for it...
I have heard of people who fast thing not food. A asian man I worked with shaved his head as a way of repenting for a wrong going, did not get the details, just that hair removal was a way of fasting or giving up something.
 
The longest I have went with out soild food is 2 days & three nights.
I was 16 years old, my mother got me to eat breakfast, because she was worried about me. My goal was 3 three days, I now know that is harmful,
but I was in good health & had no side effects to my knowledge.
I would wholeheartedly dispute that. If it was harmful, I wouldn't do it. I've done a good bit of research. Look up some Jason Fung videos online or get his book Obesity Code. I also liked Metabolic Autophagy by Siim Land. It's not an inexpensive book, but it is packed with information. Back during the days of the Great Depression, those folks went without food for days.....not intentionally, mind you......but look at what people looked like back then. Our bodies were made to go days without food b/c it was essential for survival centuries ago. Unless you have some of the conditions that Fung says shouldn't fast, it isn't harmful.
 
I fast daily on just one meal a day. It has been months sinced I have gone over 24 hours. I used to do 48 hours but 72 hours always left me light headed for about 1/2 an hour when the 72th hour clicked by.

I should do it more often but hey, I am retried ... :peace:

Ben
Confession time

When I retired at the start of this year, I started to have chocolate covered donuts with my morning coffee.

I had forgotten that I added donuts in the AM.

Now I feel better.

Ben
 
I admit it is not easy to start because our stomachs are designed to process food on a regular schedule. It prepares by pumping up stomach acids when the food is expected. That stomach acid prompts a hunger sensation to remind us it is time to eat.

But that sensation is transient and will pass. With practice we can reduce that sensation. There have been days when I realized "I forget to eat yesterday".

For what it is worth...

Ben
Its not that I an hungry, its a mind set. And well, my mind isnt set right! 😂 i am not hungry if I stay busy. But in my mind I am thinking...eat, eat, you only have 8 hours to eat
 
Its not that I an hungry, its a mind set. And well, my mind isnt set right! 😂 i am not hungry if I stay busy. But in my mind I am thinking...eat, eat, you only have 8 hours to eat
That is what I struggle with! When I quit a fast, it's not typically b/c of physical hunger. It's the mental aspect of it all. That is why a 72 hour fast or more is not easy for me. It's not that my body can't handle it, it's my brain.

When food became a comfort and not necessarily a need, that's where things went sideways for us all. I remember back in the day when farmers came in to eat, they ate a lot and they ate quickly and then out they went again. Those folks weren't fat. I grew up in a farming community and saw that first hand. Plus, when they were done for the day they didn't sit up and watch TV and snack all night. They came in, took a shower, and were exhausted and went to bed. They were strong, slim, and healthy. It's a lot like what you see on Deadliest Catch. Those guys eat a ton of calories, but they work it off. The difference is that the crabbers do it for shorter stints. The farmers almost never get a break. Although, not many today would like to live that way.

I will say though that after a fast, I feel much better for days after the fact. I believe it's due to the gut cleanse and hormonal re-set. I don't find myself grazing as much after a fast either. For me, that's a good enough reason to do a fast. It re-teaches the mind that food doesn't have to be the center of my day. It really helps me to be mindful and re-set and back off on the snacking and over eating, at least for a while. I really need to get back on the 2 days per week fast......so, back on the wagon!
 
When food became a comfort and not necessarily a need, that's where things went sideways for us all. I remember back in the day when farmers came in to eat, they ate a lot and they ate quickly and then out they went again. Those folks weren't fat. I grew up in a farming community and saw that first hand.
Yes, I grew up working on a farm and we burned over 3000 calories per day.
This will give you a big appetite!
Years later when I fought weight gain, I had a magic number that triggered a diet when I hit it.
Since I wanted to be punished as little as possible, I didn't spend any more days than necessary to lose the weight. I started each diet with a 3 day fast to get my fuel source switched over from external to internal.
Diet 90 days, lose 40 pounds, and be done with it. That would buy me more than a year.
I had to recalibrate everything when I retired because my calorie usage was cut in half from not working.
Today, I have to focus on not losing weight I don't intend to.
On topic: I plan to do plenty of fasting after they close the lid on my casket:ghostly:.
 
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Quoting The Princess..

"It isn't fair!"

That is what she says when I mention my "ice cream diet" that requires I reduce my portion size and as a reward I can eat as much ice cream as I want.

It works for me.

Ben
 
I eat several times a day but mostly healthy foods. I don't let myself get hungry if I can help it if its only a couple soda cracker & p-nut butter or some grapes,pears or oranges.
I use to eat 3 meals a day but I was hungry and over ate that made me gain weight in the wrong places.Now I eat all the time and want to gain about 5 to 7 lb.s.
I don't fast or diet never did like that. I'm with Garfield the cat on diets " diet is die with a T on the end of it". I'm not a big meat eater and never was although I like meat sometimes.
 
I fast 6 times a day.Before breakfast, after breakfast, before lunch, after lunch, before dinner, and after dinner. :)
 
Actually, I rarely have three meals a day. Typically I have one meal some time after noon. It may have bacon or eggs or not. :)
 
I just finished a 72 hour fast. I didn't really decide to do it until this weekend when I realized Ash Wednesday was this week. I typically fast that day so I decided to start my fast at 7pm on Monday. I had a really long to-do list, and the scale has been creeping up, so it was time. My goal was 2 days but extending it to 3 was doable, so I did. It feels good to rest the gut and let the body do it's thing and re-set the hormones. I did a HiiT workout this afternoon and I could really notice the ketones on my breath. It was tough getting thru the workout today but yesterday and the day before were good. I didn't have any bad side effects with the fast including the reflux throat thing that I normally experience. Perhaps my body is getting more used to it, since I'm still doing the mini fasts throughout the week.

I read the book The Switch by James Clement that talks about how to increase autophagy to avoid cancer and other disease. I actually found this book at a secondhand store for $3. It was a motivating factor for me to continue on with the fast. I found some good nuggets of information in the book, but the diet he recommends is way too strict for me to follow. Still, it did make me think about some things. Anytime I can glean some helpful information, it's a win. I have gotten lazy about my eating these past few months, so it's time to put the focus back where it needs to be and clean up the diet.
 
I just finished a 72 hour fast. I didn't really decide to do it until this weekend when I realized Ash Wednesday was this week. I typically fast that day so I decided to start my fast at 7pm on Monday. I had a really long to-do list, and the scale has been creeping up, so it was time. My goal was 2 days but extending it to 3 was doable, so I did. It feels good to rest the gut and let the body do it's thing and re-set the hormones. I did a HiiT workout this afternoon and I could really notice the ketones on my breath. It was tough getting thru the workout today but yesterday and the day before were good. I didn't have any bad side effects with the fast including the reflux throat thing that I normally experience. Perhaps my body is getting more used to it, since I'm still doing the mini fasts throughout the week.

I read the book The Switch by James Clement that talks about how to increase autophagy to avoid cancer and other disease. I actually found this book at a secondhand store for $3. It was a motivating factor for me to continue on with the fast. I found some good nuggets of information in the book, but the diet he recommends is way too strict for me to follow. Still, it did make me think about some things. Anytime I can glean some helpful information, it's a win. I have gotten lazy about my eating these past few months, so it's time to put the focus back where it needs to be and clean up the diet.

And doesn't it feel good to establish dominance over your stomach and know that you cotrol your stomach and not the other way around?

Did you get light headed at the end of the third day? I did.

Ben
 
I just finished a 72 hour fast. I didn't really decide to do it until this weekend when I realized Ash Wednesday was this week. I typically fast that day so I decided to start my fast at 7pm on Monday. I had a really long to-do list, and the scale has been creeping up, so it was time. My goal was 2 days but extending it to 3 was doable, so I did. It feels good to rest the gut and let the body do it's thing and re-set the hormones. I did a HiiT workout this afternoon and I could really notice the ketones on my breath. It was tough getting thru the workout today but yesterday and the day before were good. I didn't have any bad side effects with the fast including the reflux throat thing that I normally experience. Perhaps my body is getting more used to it, since I'm still doing the mini fasts throughout the week.

I read the book The Switch by James Clement that talks about how to increase autophagy to avoid cancer and other disease. I actually found this book at a secondhand store for $3. It was a motivating factor for me to continue on with the fast. I found some good nuggets of information in the book, but the diet he recommends is way too strict for me to follow. Still, it did make me think about some things. Anytime I can glean some helpful information, it's a win. I have gotten lazy about my eating these past few months, so it's time to put the focus back where it needs to be and clean up the diet.

I just had a check up, and it was a good news/bad news kind of visit. Some numbers were good, and some numbers not so good. I for one fall off the wagon during the holidays. This year may have been worse than others.

Angie: you are sooo right. It is time to clean up the diet. There are some things that I absolutely can't eat anymore. I am in a good frame of mind, and don't feel deprived, but they have to be eliminated completely, forever. I have another appointment in June, and I have so very specific goals I want to reach. I hope I can maintain this mind set for a long time.
 
I hear you Morgan. One of my favorite all time snacks is string cheese. Just love it.....and of coarse, it is considered a healthy snack by the 'experts'. It's really not healthy b/c it spurs on cravings and pushes me to snack in the evenings. String cheese was one of those things that I always had several packages of in the frig. It's time to back off of my old favorite standby. :( I've elimated most dairy from my diet, but cheese is my nemesis! I never say never. I don't want to completely eliminate anything from my diet b/c then I'll want it even more. Yeah, I'm stubborn that way. So......I tell myself I can have anything I want......just not ALL the time. If losing weight and being completely healthy means that I could no longer have pizza and beer.....then I will opt for a fatter, shorter, yet happier life. Finding that balance is the trick, but I think I can still have pizza and beer AND still maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. Moderation.....

I have found that weighing myself once per week helps to keep things in check, although not completely. I watched the numbers creep up the past few months and did little to stop it. Then, the scale flashed that dreaded number that I just couldn't accept. I could see it in my face and other areas, but I was still in denial. The scale doesn't lie. The jeans don't lie. I have to ramp up my standards and lower that number on the scale that I feel is just unacceptable. I did that this time, so if I close in on that lower number, then it will be time for another 2-3 day fast and another re-set. I just need to stay committed! The turtle wins the race.

And doesn't it feel good to establish dominance over your stomach and know that you cotrol your stomach and not the other way around?

Did you get light headed at the end of the third day? I did.
Yes, it is very satsifying for sure. The feeling after the fact is awesome too. I fasted another 17 hours today without even trying b/c I just wasn't hungry, mostly b/c I was busy. It's way easier to make healthy food choices when you're not hungry or fighting cravings.

I didn't really get light headed but my workout yesterday and today were tough to get through. They were tough workouts anyways and I should have picked out an easier one for today but I know I'm still in ketosis and wanted to take advantage of the fat buring mode. I don't workout on weekends typically, so at least now I have a couple of days to recover. I noticed some calf cramping too, so I mixed up an electrolyte drink to combat that. Otherwise, I had no other negative side effects.
 
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