(Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional nor offering advice to anyone. This is my experience alone and hope that someone might find it interesting or prompt them to do their own research, as I have.)
Hello! For various reasons, I led myself down the path to experiment with Intermittent Fasting. Basically, it’s voluntarily not consuming food for a period of time- it can be hours or days. I have been practicing a form of this for years- “Skipping Breakfast”. I was operating with an eating window of 11-7 most days. For me, even when I eat ‘clean’ during the time frame, I will only be full for a couple hours and then the cravings hit. I was snacking all afternoon. After dinner (whether it was high protein/low carb or lots of veggies and big portions, whatever method I tried), I HAD to have something sweet or salty. Or both. I’m not overweight, but have gained 5-10 lbs in the last couple years (I’m a small person) and have a belly pooch. I need to get a handle on this before perimenopause!
My research led me to many sources. The most exciting to me is finding Dr. Jason Fung. He has many You Tube videos and podcasts. He has had success treating diabetics with fasting to get their blood sugar under control. There are many others- Michael Mosley made a documentary on fasting using the 5:2 method, for example. Of course, fasting has been done for thousands of years, as part of religion and healing- Hippocrates and others, so it's not really 'new' but it's been all but forgotten by the medical profession. There are a lot of different programs for fasting. I think that’s what is cool- one can do their own research and figure out the best way for them as an individual.
I’m currently in a 38 hour fast. I stopped eating at 7pm on Sunday night. I’ve only consumed water, coffee with a splash of heavy cream, herbal tea and homemade chicken broth with extra sea salt. (There are differing opinions on whether consuming anything other than pure water is a ‘real fast’). Last weekend I fasted for 24 hours and 22 hours with no issues, other than some tummy grumblings which passed in a few minutes. I had a harder time on this longer fast - major headache, fogginess, white-coated tongue. Pretty sure my body was detoxing and repairing yesterday. I slept great last night and woke up tired, but no headache. I meant to stop the fast at the 36 hour mark (7am) but now that the worst is over, I’m getting more energy and mood is great. I’m going to play it by ear and see how I feel during the day. I do have a smoothie and nuts if I need them, and all kinds of food in the work café.
I’m excited to see how this goes for me. So far I’m enjoying this process and learning about myself and what I am capable of. I am finding that it’s more mental than physical. I will make more posts on this subject soon, along with new insights. I’d love to hear your experiences if you have tried fasting.
Adventures in Fasting, Part 1
April 24th, 2018 at 04:33 pm
April 24th, 2018 at 08:26 pm 1524601594
Last year I went to a chiropractor who helped me deal with the adrenal fatigue/Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and while I did improve some working with him, I'm feeling like I've backslid the past few months, so I'm going to see an endrocrinologist and have some testing done before I try anything again. My endrocrinologist appointment is the beginning of June and I'm hoping what with summer weather and a slightly lighter load at work to get my own diet and exercise back under better control. I was doing pretty well until I started the new job, which I love, but it's been bad for my taking care of my health. My boss manages to exercise so I should be able to as well, but I currently don't have any energy either before or after work. Anyways, watching your experiments with interest!
April 25th, 2018 at 11:30 am 1524655822
April 25th, 2018 at 11:31 am 1524655905
April 26th, 2018 at 05:42 am 1524721374
I was hovering in my 140s for a couple years, but now I'm in my 130s. If I'm really good with my habits I sometimes dip down into the high 120s, but I'm usually too lax to stay there for long. Still, the overall median weight is lower than when I wasn't doing it!