I’ve been on and off experimenting with fasting for the past two years or so. Most of that time was spent with 16:8 protocol, but I’ve also done a few upwards of a week.
I always found it tough to stick to because my hunger was always present and I still felt the looming need of counting calories and macros during my feeding period.
In my most recent go at regular fasting, I’ve been doing rolling 36’s with only electrolytes and black coffee/tea on my fast days. I’ll then have \~12h feeding period, though usually, it ends up closer to 9 or 10. This method seems to be the perfect balance for me!
I have found that
As I’ve gotten more accustomed to the 36h fasting time, I’ve considered bumping it up to 42 or even 72. I’ve done fasts up to 5 or 6 days in the past, but never back-to-back like this. My only concern would be losing my current momentum if it starts to feel challenging rather than easy.
It’s always been difficult for me to lose weight (I’ve been overweight since I was a toddler), but this approach feels very maintainable for me. I’ve seen it talked about a bit, but it seems to be one of the less popular protocols.
Interested to hear other people’s experiences with this setup, the maintainability of it, and how you may have adjusted after reaching goal weight.
It sounds like you have found an ideal and safe way to keep with nutrient rich foods and also fast and not have cravings. This seems like a great plan for you. I don’t do this but it seems solid. I wouldn’t push to do “more” if you are already feeling good, losing weight and able to manage without too much of your brain getting obsessed with counting etc.
13 pounds in two weeks is an amazing achievement! I think rolling 36s still take a huge amount of commitment and self determination. Congratulations - honestly. Does the water weight gain on refeeds get you down? I can’t seem to get over how schizophrenic the whole weight loss results are. I know rationally that it is water but it’s so hard to take the emotion out of fasting.