I’m not getting the answer I’m looking for when trying to research this. Most fasting articles tell you ramp up, start with an 8-12 hour fast, then 16 and so on. After a few weeks, you can do longer fasts (2-3 days).
I tend to fail when I ramp up though, so I just go all in. I decide I’m doing a 24hr-48hr fast and I do it.
Someone told me this was putting my body into starvation and stressing it out. The same old thing they say when you’re dieting in general.
Anyway, I’m wondering if that’s valid. I read an article earlier that said it doesn’t put you into starvation, but it does stress your body which triggers certain (I’ll get this wrong.. I’m not a scientist) proteins to activate/deactivate certain body functions, like turning on/off the production of growth hormone.
The stress explanation makes sense to me, whereas the starvation argument does not.
Am I hurting myself by going all in and doing a full 2 day fast every other week or at least once a month? I have a hard time sticking to a 4 or 8 hour eating window because of my hectic work schedule. So if I’m making my situation worse, I’d like to correct it.
Background: I am 32F, obese and doing keto. I do have a serious discipline problem though. I fall off the wagon and it usually takes a week or so to decide I’m getting back on it. That’s typically when I decide to start fasting, to get back into ketosis and get the yummy garbage carbs off my brain. Then I’ll go a few weeks doing keto, plus a 2 day fast occasionally until I fall off again.
Anyway, I love keto and the way I feel on keto. If my cold turkey fasting is causing my body harm, I’ll just stick with keto (even when I fall off).
I’ve lost almost 40 lbs, off and on since August. Trying to keep it off this time!
If you are fasting for weight loss then the only scientifically proven routine for those who find it very difficult is ADF. Alternate day fasting allows you to eat normally one day and then restrict to 500 calories the next day. You repeat this until your weight has normalised.
Whatever modality you choose the most important thing is not to miss out on your micronutrients. This might be harder with keto and fasting, as increasing vegetables on your eating days might take you out of ketosis (assuming you are eating enough of them already for a normal keto diet).
However, if you are on keto then you can significantly reduce calories all the time as long as you get your micronutrients. For example, you could eat a tin of salmon and a few handfuls of salad for lunch, then you could eat a pork chop with a handful of broccoli and a handful of red cabbage for dinner, with possibly a handful of blackberries too. As long as the meat portions are adequate, but not too much, then the vast majority of your daily calories are already coming from your body fat.
Happy to chat more to help you fine tailor this.