To encourage you to fast?

[surveythebest]

If you want to lose weight and keep it off.

I fast from 8pm to 12 pm. Usually have my first something around 1pm

I haven't actually changed what I eat. I make sure I have some nutrient rich food in me but generally my diet is a bit shit

Anyway, I've gone from a size 16 to a size 10. This happened within 3 months. It's been 9 months now and I've kept it all off! Remaining at a size 10

I don't eat breakfast, ever.

When I was in my teens, I almost skipped breakfast because I genuinely forgot to eat. The same happened early twenties but then after I had my son, I started eating breakfast!

Since that time I went from a size 10 to a size 16.

So yeah, for 9 months now, I just haven't eaten breakfast but haven't restricted myself really and still don't have a perfect diet by any means

I am remaining a size 10 and it's working. I suppose I'm an 'all or nothing' person. And I find the fast easy to stick to because I can eat 0! Sticking to 0 is easier than sticking to 3 sensible meals a day, for me

Now I just have lunch, snack a bit tbh, and then dinner, also snack a bit but not loads as find I don't want to

When I ate breakfast, I found I was hungry all the time!

So glad I did this and took the plunge. Just thought I'd share

There's plenty of research (up to date research) that advocates fasting for diabetics, as long as it's managed correctly and blood glucose levels are monitored.

This post wasn't aimed at diabetics though, it appears to be aimed at people in general rather than specifically to diabetics.

There has been evidence that migraine sufferers have benefited from fasting, so again not sure why it wouldn't be considered safe, I would have thought at least one would try it for them first to see if it might work.

So I am still a bit lost as to why the OP was VVV unreasonable...

Also, YABVU for not including a vote - unless MN is somehow just not showing it.

I do OMAD, or 23/1 fasting. Once a week I’ll may be so two meals.

It’s changed my life. I don’t eat anything processed, I cook from scratch. No sugar at all. I only drink water and green tea.

I feel and look amazing. My blood pressure is now normal (it was high for a period, I didn’t want to take drugs which is why I changed my life), my last bloods showed my inflammation markers which had been high for a while were right down to the lowest they could be.

Of course, I am told that it’s unhealthy and that I am killing myself. Usually by someone who is tucking into a Greggs 😂

You can't on the app

You can have black coffee. Took me a while to get used to it but I prefer it black now. I can't ditch the 1 sweetener though

It will be more the lack of processed foods, no sugar, cooking from scratch. Only drinking water and green tea. Don’t underestimate the huge impact of that and overemphasise the impact of fasting. You’ve changed the way you eat entirely.

Hashimotos for me too
I've actually just changed GP, the final straw being that a TSH of 2.5 and a T4 of 13 is "fine"
I feel awful

My new GP has upped my levo, and is sending me for T3 bloods

Oh yes, of course there is that. It plays a massive part. I’ll never go back to eating out of jars and packets.

But I am also happier fasting with it. I feel great, it just suits me. I don’t find it difficult or a chore at all.

There has been evidence that migraine sufferers have benefited from fasting, so again not sure why it wouldn't be considered safe, I would have thought at least one would try it for them first to see if it might work.

There genuinely is no good quality to evidence to suggest that individuals with migraine disorder benefit from fasting - in contrast, there is good quality evidence that they benefit from regular small meals - hence the current recommendations from neurologists and migraine specialists.

In terms of being considered safe or not, it's unwise to encourage patients to expose themselves to known triggers, particularly those with chronic migraine disorder (of which there are many complications of the disorder becoming unmanageable).

Interested to see where you're getting the claims from @Desperatenow1

It works for me.
I had an eating disorder in my late teens into my early teens and fasting feels like the healthiest way for me to lose weight.
counting calories or weighting food would be triggering for me, I like that I don’t have to think about food at all only if I can eat or not eat.

re the claims on diabetes - I'm less of an expert but Diabetes UK seems to disagree with your blanket statement There's plenty of research (up to date research) that advocates fasting for diabetics

They talk much about managing the risks of fasting in unavoidable settings (e.g., religious reasons) and how for for some people it will not be safe to do despite extra monitoring - they're certainly not "advocating" for it! @Desperatenow1

....This can help you to understand how fasting could be a risk to your health, how to reduce this risk or whether the risk to your health is too high.

Fasting clearly works well for some people, but no idea why you're so hell bent on pushing it as a cure all for patient groups for whom it's dangerous!

Like most food related practices it will be great for some, shit for others. I tend to fast for 14 hours. I’ve lost some weight, I’m sleeping incredibly well, my acid reflux has gone, certain cravings have disappeared, my inflammation markers have reduced plus many other benefits.

onviously it doesn’t suit everyone.

IF helped me lose a lot of weight, and once I got my head round it it was easy, almost effortless, so I would always recommend it as an option if people ever ask me, but anyone who suffers dizzy spells or can't skip meals without feeling faint I don't think it would be suitable for. I personally suffered migraines before IF, but don't anymore, but again, I wouldn't presume it would work on all migraine sufferers, as everyone has different triggers.

I have heard this a lot too, about the correlation between IF and diabetes, I don't think it's necessarily tied to IF though, it's more to do with losing weight effectively:

Intermittent fasting may reverse type 2 diabetes | Endocrine SocietyIntermittent fasting may reverse type 2 diabetes | Endocrine Society

All the people saying oh I couldn’t live without breakfast in the morning are missing the point, the fasting window can be whenever you like, if you start eating earlier with a breakfast type food in the morning you would just stop eating earlier in the day also, 8 hours later and not eat until the next day 16 hours later.
Humans really don’t need to be eating at all hours of the day it’s not natural the way we eat now with constant snacks and sugary drinks.
That’s why we’re in an obesity crisis.
Lots of people don’t even know what it feels like to be hungry but it’s not a bad thing although I guess can be scary at first to people who’ve never had the feeling.

You can put the 16 hour window wherever you like it still won’t work for me. I wouldn’t eat earlier than say 7 pm (work/clubs) so add. 16 hours to that I’m still not eating until 11am? Well I get up, go for a run (not supposed to do that fasted) Teach an exercise class then walk the dog. Im not doing that on thin air!

It may work for you if you sit at a desk until
lunch but people are repeatedly saying it’s an individual thing - it works for some and not others.

I don’t drink sugary drinks or eat crap. I wish people would stop saying those that don’t want to fast don’t eat healthily and snack constantly - it’s all a bit holier than thou. And completely untrue.

Fast if you like - it’s not for everyone and you can be perfectly healthy not ‘fasting’

I will listen to my hunger cues as they’ve served me well over the years..

I suppose it depends on the individual.

I much prefer going to the gym without eating first, whether that's at 6am or 11am. Unless I go after work at 6pm, I'll always exercise in a fasted state. I much prefer that to having eaten (even if that within a couple of hours of going to the gym, etc.)

It's crazy isn't it... Makes me so frustrated.

These days I request bloods, and when the results come back I basically make my own decisions re meds, based on the numbers, and tell the GP what dose I'm going to be taking 😏😏😏

They seem to be okay with me doing that... They just can't apparently be bothered to do the thinking themselves and give me good advice!!

It is up to the individual but everything I’ve read recently (new research coming out) and been advised by a dietician is that exercising in a fasted state for women is not advised (men are fine) it can disrupt hormones and increase cortisol.

I used to run fasted as I’d hate the feeling of something in my stomach when I was running but after reading around the subject I now make sure I eat - even a piece of toast and a banana. You can actually train your stomach and then it feels fine.

It’s the 16 hours I couldn’t do - I just faint! I also can’t do low carb, it makes my IBS so so much worse.
What I’m trying to say is that our bodies all work differently, and what suits you might not suit others.
I have to eat a balanced amount of protein, carbs, dairy, fruit and vegetables to feel well. But- I don’t snack after dinner, pudding is mostly fruit, bar a couple of times a week, I don’t drink, or eat crisps, or biscuits or chocolate bars. I will have a little bit of very dark chocolate when I feel like it though. I find that’s the best approach for my body and my sanity.

No I don’t sit at a desk much at all, my job is active but admittedly I don’t go the gym ever.
i used to work in a busy restaurant starting at 9 or 10 am and break my fast with fruit juice at 12 then eat my main meal at 3 or 4.
Ive never been obese, slightly over weight only and I used fasting to get back to how I like to be.
I drink too many sugary drinks myself but I never snack and feel hungry before eating and stop when I’m full.

Research on women/exercise and fasting

There’s loads more research out there. We also are more likely to eat in to muscle if we exercise fasted.

I’m not saying people who don’t want to fast snack eat constantly and drink sugary drinks I’m saying obese people probably do or they wouldn’t be obese.
and it’s not healthy to be feeding your body with fuel constantly that it will never be able to use.

Yes and obese/sedentary people may benefit from fasting. But it’s not for everyone.

I had obesity.

fasting still lead to amenorrhea and I was told / forced (?) to stop.

it is not for everyone. Whether that person is slim, athletic, overweight or obese. I wish people stopped trying to suggest solutions to genuine medical problems on SM…