Hey all. Ive been practicing IF inconsistently for the past two years and am really trying to commit myself to being more consistent about it this year. I recently re-read dr fung’s complete guide to fasting and there is a part where he goes over who should NOT practice fasting. I’m a little bit surprised by his recommendation for individuals who have a BMI less than 20 - he does not recommend going beyond a 24 hour fast. I don’t remember reading this the first time I read the book, but I probably just glossed over it as it didn’t apply to me at the time.
Can anyone offer a good explanation as to why? I assume the concern is that people with lower BMIs have less fat stores, but is there any other reason why it would be detrimental? I am 32F, my BMI is 18.8 and I’m at 22% body fat. Clearly, lack of body fat is not an issue for me. One of my reasons for practicing IF is to lower my BF%. I am also working on this in the gym, but I feel like throwing in a few 36-48 hour fasts a week would help greatly.
Is there any reason why I shouldn’t fast for longer than 24 hours? I feel like Dr Fung is talking about individuals who truly do not have any extra fat on them.
My second question is - I always struggle with sleep when I’m intermittent fasting. It takes a long time for me to fall asleep and then I wake frequently throughout the night. I take magnesium before bed currently..any other advice to avoid tthis? Melatonin has not helped me in the past.
I appreciate any advice!
>I’m a little bit surprised by his recommendation for individuals who have a BMI less than 20 - he does not recommend going beyond a 24 hour fast.
There is a concern, not unfounded, that folks in this area are more susceptible to disordered eating.
Discouraging fasting is more of a CYA beyond this point.
>It takes a long time for me to fall asleep and then I wake frequently throughout the night. I take magnesium before bed currently..any other advice to avoid tthis? Melatonin has not helped me in the past.
Do you wake up more tired after fasting? Or still the same or higher energy levels? If so, just do more stuff.