Extreme Fasting / Omad / 20:4 / 16:8 etc.

[SentfrommyIphon]

I’m currently doing it kinda by accident due to circumstances.

i ate around 5am on Thursday and didn’t eat again until Saturday around 6:30pm (where I ate around 300kcals).

I then fasted again after that meal until 4pm on Sunday (where I had around 500kcals)

fasted again from 4pm yesterday until 5pm today (I had about 500kcals again)

my starting weight last Thursday was 10st 4 and this morning I weighed 9st 13.

my goal weight is 9 stone. I’m 5ft 3 for reference.

I know what I am currently doing isn’t sustainable, but I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. I don’t know what the best option is, could you please share your stories, meal plans etc.

Also If anyone wants to join me for the journey , feel free!

edited to add - I have been doing at least 10k steps since Friday too

I’m just going to say this sounds quite unsafe. OMAD I don’t believe is meant to be quite this low calorie at all. Please don’t promote this to other people. I’m sure you will lose weight but not just fat, you will be losing muscle mass rapidly and risking low blood sugar hypos, fainting, poor nutrition, lacking in vitamins etc and risk of a restrictive eating disorder. If you are going to do OMAD then you can do this far more safely.

Omad requires you to alternate low calorie fast day with eating a proper refeeding meal with at least your maintenance calorie requirements spread over at least a couple of hours (ideally 4-5 hours - have a starter, then two hours later a proper main, then at least fruit and walnuts or similar as desert an hour later to close) every other day. Never do two low calorie dats in a row.

Always follow a "down day" (low calorie) with an up day (sensible time but not calorie restricted eating in a 4-5 gour window without a calorie deficit). Then repeat.

That's not fasting. That's ED behaviour and extremely dangerous. Please don't do this. I ended up in A&E with heart palpitations from doing a similar "diet". You throw all your electrolytes out of whack which can cause serious, permanent damage.

Stick to lean meats and fish, fresh veg and fruit, moderate amounts of complex carbs, and small amounts of nuts, seeds, and dairy and you will lose weight if you need to.

I think its bad for your gallbladder too

Even if it was proper fasting, its not good for you. You are just not eating.

That’s not fasting, it’s starving yourself. And either you’ve an eating disorder or you’re developing one.

Also what does this mean

I’m currently doing it kinda by accident due to circumstances

as it sounds like on purpose?

I’m in no way promoting it, I know it isn’t healthy or sustainable. However I do feel a lot better physically, my stomach is less bloated and my skin is a lot clearer. (I’m 30 but have struggled with whiteheads / bumps on my shoulders and my jaw line for the last year or so).

thank you to those that have given me advice regarding meal choices. I will go shopping tomorrow and make some good choices.

@Roseyjane My relationship ended last week the police are involved and I’m probably going to have to endure the next fews months meeting with police / solicitors / authorities. Which I don’t have the money or head space for. I was already at an all time low before last week with depression and anxiety. When I ate on Saturday I felt like there was a lump in my throat and i just struggled to swallow anything, which made me think I was choking. Resulting in a panic attack.

I can assure you I haven’t chose this. However I’m trying to use this opportunity as a jump start to a new me. I usually love my food and enjoy cooking.

I am so sorry to hear that you are going through a traumatic event. I hope that you have support around you. I would advise speaking to your doctor about your mental wellbeing. I would strongly encourage you to as a traumatic event can trigger Ed type feelings and behaviours and suck you in before you know it. Restricting your eating has already started to have some benefits to you from your post which is alarming, so this could easily tip into something you find hard to stop doing. I would take it slowly, eating over a window of time and choose foods you enjoy and that are easy to swallow. You could use mindfulness/meditation breathing to work through your anxious feelings. You need to take care of your body and mind at the same time, starving yourself is not the way to become a healthier you x

I’m sorry to hear that op. That must be very traumatising.

i understand yoh couldn’t eat and then saw the benefit, but it’s important to keep yourself healthy and lose weight at a steady pace, yes you can starve yourself and lose fast, but you will pile it on and more very quickly and you will not be well , either mentally or physically.

olease be kind to yourself.

I’m so sorry OP that you are going through this. I fully understand because I also respond to extreme stress with not eating, some people are just like that and you have to meet many more criteria to call this ED.

Please try to eat small meals and if you have any head space for this, of healthy food. I know it’s a stress response so it kind of switches automatically but it’s not sustainable in the long run.

why dont you transfer onto 16:8 - its much more sustainable