TLDR: I want to get back into extended water fasting to lose weight, but am not sure about how much and how intense I should exercise, as well as how my taking prescription Adderall will affect things. Any resources would be helpful.
Hello Fasting! I had done a few extended water fasts in the pasts, and I really liked the results I was getting, I was finally able to get under 200lbs. I want to get back into it, but I have some safety concerns surrounding exercise. Is there a resource that can show a guide for how hard and how often I can exercise on a fast? Would I need to stick to just light walking or could I do something close to this
https://darebee.com/workouts/total-body-workout.html#sets (not specifically what I plan, but it’s a good benchmark)
Another monkey wrench in the works is that I take prescription Adderall for my ADHD. I have noticed that my mood, energy, focus suffers if I don’t get enough protein. Is there anywhere I can find information on extended fasting with Adderall to give myself a clearer picture of what might happen?
If this info helps, I’m a 28 year old man, 5’8”, around 192lbs. Hope everyone has a great day!
Your situation is very similar to mine. I started at 216 two months ago and am down to 186, same medication. My suggestion would be to pick a fasting schedule (I’m doing OMAD with occasional 24-48 hour fasts depending how I’m feeling) and light workout routine you can stick to for multiple months at a time without getting burnt out or bailing on it. For weight loss, long term commitment to a sustainable fast vs periodic long fasts has been much more successful for me personally. Medication hasn’t been a problem, I think the mood/focus/energy levels when fasting will dip and it’s just something you gotta get accustomed to, it will slowly become less pronounced over time. Oh, also take a short 15 minute walk at the end of the day (for me it’s after my meal) and if you’re ever having a bad day instead of giving up, just skip the workout and/or shorten the extended fast goal instead, it’s better you stay on track long term than be too strict and fail. Best of luck to you, the longer you make it the easier it gets, I’m sure you’ll do great.
For ADF or 36-hour fasts, I don’t see much of a difference in terms of my ADHD/Adderall dosage. For longer fasts though, I find that on day two or three, I have to cut back on my Adderall dosage. Other than that though, I haven’t had any issues taking my medication while fasting.