hey all. does anybody else have the uncontrollable urge to binge after a fast??? it’s hindering my weight loss and idk what to do 😠even just 24 hours i can’t stop thinking about food, and then i eventually eat and can’t stop. for example, monday i got to 24 hours then ate 5 donuts in a row… it’s been happening a lot lately so does anybody have any advice on how to control it? pls
edit: i’m F20, 5’2, 150 pounds
I had to cut out sugar to not have these urges. Some people can have desserts after a fast, I cannot. I will have dark chocolate sometimes. Consider low carb refeeds and that may help. I still have to be careful with cheese and nuts but I go crazy for things like cookies.
As someone else posted above, this is disordered eating. So many of the benefits of fasting are negated by bingeing. More worryingly, the extreme hunger you are experiencing may indicate some metabolic or endocrinal damage. I would pause on fasting if I were you, particularly as you are so young. Obviously, there is a psychological component to fasting, with respect to controlling the hunger pangs, but a 24-hr fast should not cause this much distress.
How long have you been fasting? When I done my first ever fast (14 hours) I ate like a bloody animal for the rest of the day. That was two years ago, I have just completed my second 48 hour fast and my discipline is much better (despite the urge to gorge on occasion). Practice discipline and you will get better at it. Also your body will adjust with you. I am M41, 6.4, 100Kgs
Others have voices medical/psychological concerns and I agree. Talk to your doctor
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But at your age, I’ll tell you the same thing I told my daughter (19) who thought she might want to try fasting: It’s ok to try but at your age, you’re still growing and developing. If weight loss/physical health is your goal, look into other ways. Whole foods nutrition + exercise + good sleep is one I recommended to her so she gets everything she needs to develop healthily while cutting out the processed crap. The weight loss will be slow but consistent
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As for fasting, if you’re hell bent on continuing to try after speaking with your doctor: you NEED to separate from the mentality of binging. Some things that might help are:
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Ultimately what your goal is is to find a combination of nutritional eating, exercise, and fasting that when combined is something you are able to keep up with for months and months and never bat an eye at. It will just feel good. It might take some experimenting but if your body doesn’t like what you’re doing, listen to it and figure out why and then adjust what you’re doing to achieve your goals