I have been doing 16:8 weekends and 20:4 weekdays for about 2 years at like 90% compliance. I’ve lost about 50 pounds but can’t get down any further and seem to fluctuate from 160-154.
SW: 205, CW: 154, GW: 145 Height: 5’6 Female, 27 (almost) 28
I find myself very distracted by work (in a good way… mostly) and have had success this month adding longer fasts. I completed a 72hr fast this week and felt I could have gone longer but I ran out of one of my salts the first day and didn’t want to do something dangerous.
So I’d like to try feeding 6pm Friday to 6pm Sunday and fasting Sunday 6pm to Friday 6pm.
I’d like to know if this is something I could do for a few weeks in a row to get rid of the last 10-15 pounds. Will it be safe and effective? Or should I space out more?
Does anyone who has tried this have any tips?
Many thanks in advance!
You can do it. I kicked this year off with a 7.5 day and rolled straight into 5/2s. Tomorrow is my 3rd cycle refeed and I’ve lost 20lbs (factoring in refeed regain - I lose 10 per week, regain 5 on the weekends). I start my electrolyte protocol on day 1 each week and I’ve had absolutely 0 negative repercussions. A few cycles should get you where you wanna be :)
Well this is the thing about which one is the absolute best; it would be the one you can put up with the best. Some people like the longer fasts and can put up with them better, some people like the shorter ones and can put up with those regimes better. To each group the best is what helps them while letting them enjoy life.
Have you tried a long fast? I mean at least 4 days? Even if they are not your thing I would suggest you do one; they are truly a chance to learn about yourself, your system, and your emotional cravings. You don’t really get anymore hungry on day 4 than on day 1. They do give you a huge amount of perspective, where the shorter fasts become easier and less intimidating.
I came here with the intention to feel out if there were any ladies currently running a 5:2 or 6:1 routine right now; you beat me to it! Glad to see there are some here!
I started off with a 6 day and refed on Monday, i think? Ate some broth around midnight, had two meals the following day and started back on another 120. Im 3 days in now and hadn’t fasted for a little while before last week, so now after the 9 total days fasting with the day of referring in there, I’m down 20lbs. Only this high because my starting weight was v high at 222 though and had a good deal of water weight on me also.
35/f sw:222, cw: 202, gw: 145-165 depending.
I only worked out 2x (kickboxing) my first week because i was sick, but have worked out each day in this current cycle. Some days just kickboxing, some days kickboxing and leisurely walking.
I tend to prefer the longer fasts bc i would hate ti go through those super hungry day 2s over and over again on shorter fasts.
To piggy back off your post, i came here to see how long fellow female fasters may have been able to keep up this routine for before switching to shorter fasting intervals.
You don’t need any salts to adequately hydrate your body for at least the first 48 hours, depending on how active you are and most likely you don’t need to begin using salt or electrolytes until day 3 of a fast. Just saying because you said you didn’t want to do something dangerous, but your body will hydrate completely effectively without electrolytes for a few days.