I had started out doing strict keto and fell into fasting when I hit a plateau and haven’t looked back since. I constantly switch up my fasting schedule with a minimum of 23:1 for eating days and then 2-4 day multi-day fasts. Since starting back in April I’ve lost 85lbs.
I started with a 7 days fast (lost 8 kg), then switched to 20/4 or 22/2 with low carbs (the lower the carbs, the easier it is) for almost 1 and a half months (lost 3kg).And today I’m back on a 7 days fast.I started at 94 kg, I’m around 82 for 177cm height.My gf which did the same lost 13-ish kg.
Honestly, there is no strategy for me. Its just fasting. It forces you to get mentally tougher. Then when i eat again i eat very clean food. I’m humbled from the experience, and each subsequent fast feels easier and easier to do. But its not getting easier, you’re just getting stronger.
I lost the most amount of weight many years ago going from obese to almost underweight with IIFYM 16:8, basically just eating whatever I wanted. I’ve also lost weight with OMAD, 72s, keto, etc. It’s really more about what you can stick to than the actual method itself, as long as you can create a weekly deficit. I would say that I prefer 72s for efficiency sake, as it easily beats every other “method” when it comes down to the speed at which fat is lost.
Hi!
I started with adding steps (this was easily achieved because I worked in retail at the time!). During the holiday season, I would get 25,000-30,000 steps a day (I would only work 2 to 3 times a week because I went to school) and during slower times of the year I would get 10,000-15,000 steps per day.
I didn’t change my eating habits.
Once I lost more weight, I started doing OMAD and adding some three day fasts.
Now I work in social work so I don’t walk around as much but I make it a priority to get 8,500 steps a day and 15,000 steps twice a month. I fast twice a month as well and only eat once a day.
I started out doing 72 hour dirty fasts once a week, starting on Monday, and that would allow me to lose about 4 to 5lbs a week. After my plateau at 160 lbs (I’m 5’6 and female), I added another 24 hours and that helped with the rut. I personally don’t do keto (love my carbs), but this sub is super pro keto, so I’m sure if you keep with keto on your off days you’ll lose more. I also have never had any issues breaking my fast with whatever I want to eat, I just don’t overdo it. I’m not sure if that’s because I dirty fast or not. I avoid alcohol unless it’s Saturday, then I may have a couple drinks at a social event, but I absolutely avoid beer and wine. I tend to lose more if I don’t have any alcohol that week, obviously. After your first couple fasts it gets SO much easier. The first fast sucks, and for me, day two is always the hardest. But after you’ve done it a few times it’s just part of the routine and it’s like nothing. It’s a habit and you start to look forward to it at the beginning of your fasting week.
The biggest thing is to not get discouraged and don’t stress too much about the scale. At first, the numbers will fly down. You’re losing bloat, water, feces, blah blah. But after a while, day to day lbs or kilos will slow down and you may feel discouraged. But remember this: Did you sleep well? Did you have a lot of salt? Are you on your period? Are you constipated? Get some measurements! Measurements are so cool to see week to week. If you have someone willing to help you take your measurements, write them down. That’s where you’ll see a massive difference.
Fasting has helped me eat healthier on a regular basis. I didn’t realize how much better I’d feel when I cut out fast food or eating out in general. When I first started fasting I’d break my fasts with junk and I’d feel like garbage all weekend because I was feeding my body with garbage after being kind to myself during the week. Then I started breaking my fasts with things I love, like pasta or steak, whatever, but I’d make it myself so I knew what was in it, and that made all the difference. You’ll be amazed what your body and mind can do for you when you take care of it. Happy fasting, friend!
its quite simple really, lost 20 kgs so far going from 110 to 90,i think generally you should just do what fits your lifestyle best, i go by feel, if i feel i want to eat i do, my strongest advice is to be active, i really enjoy walking so i stepped up my game , find what works best for you, experiment, dont torture yourself, and try to make making good food choices easier
Simple. Too much sugar in tissues blocks fat burning & ketones. Being in a fasted state using fat & ketones as fuel & not just sugar is healthy. Storing fat is a form of hibernation & down regulates metabolism. Moderns eat way too often & way more carbohydrates than our evolution allowed for, we see the consequences. So for longevity purposes, to dial back inflammation, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cancer, heart & liver disease, I made a few changes. Eliminated all man made processed foods, all seed oils, all grains, all fruit except avocados & olives. No sugar or sweets of any kind. Keeping my sugar storage in my tissues tightly regulated by my biology instead of feeding myself unneeded sugar has transformed my health. I now can easily switch from glucose to fatty acids & ketones as needed, my weight & health is regulating things without any special efforts & my metabolism is way up. Seafood, meat, healthy fats, butter, eggs, high fat dairy, NO milk. Occasional non starchy vegetables or salads or fermented vegetables, but they cause gas & digestion issues so I don’t consume these daily. Also follow Time Restricted Eating in a 6 hour window, no snacking & meals are complete 5 or more hours before sleep. Disordered Hunger is a thing of the past, my energy & hormones & glucose levels regulated perfectly & stable. My fasting insulin & other blood markers are vastly improved. Age Clock indicators I have used have me now at 15-20 years under my true age. Wish I had known these things as a child instead of destroying my health with Government Food Pyramid & processed foods.
Eating at a strict deficit. I calculated via an online calculator how much I was burning on a on a given day and set my my calories in to be 500 less than that. When I was really strict on and on top of this I lost 80 pounds (in about 7 months ). I have since done a little bit of stress and emotional eating and had have gained back about 15 of those pounds, But I am reducing my life stress and will be back to reaching my goal very soon!
What was important for me was just the calorie counting. I didn’t tell myself I couldn’t have the foods I wanted, just less in a given day or, if I was already at my calorie limit for the day, telling myself I could have it the next day. This helped me make smarter food choices throughout the day since, if I wanted to feel full, I would have to eat lower calorie foods which typically meant less processed, healthier foods. I learned a love for soups and mashed cauliflower. And I found some really great recipes during this time as well!
ETA: I also got into intermittent fasting, where I did the 5:2 method. I would eat normally for 5 days a week and and two separate days I would fast entirely and just have water and coffee. This really helped my mental state too.
Edit #2: Am 32 years old, female, 5’10. Highest weight was 261. Lowest 178. Currently 194 ish.
Started IF, then moved eating windows around to create 24h fasts while still eating daily. Then after a few years and falling of the wagon I started 2 48H fasts a week, usually eating weekends and Wednesday. Then several 100-120h.
I started fasting 16/8 and bumped that up to 18/6 pretty soon after. No fast food, no chips/fatty snacks and no sugary drinks or alcohol.
Additionally I only drank a protein shake on the day I went to the gym (Im not suggesting that, this was theoretically and propably practically a bad idea. Propably wouldve been smarter to eat normally on the fitness day and only drink a shake on the days between).
Thats how I ultimately lost 16kg in 4 weeks and another 4kgs in the following 3-4 months.
Pick a style of calorie restriction that you can stick to long term. Periods of low insulin will help, meaning having a period each day or for whole days where you don’t eat.
There’s several large studies that show it doesn’t really matter long term if it’s low fat, low carb, whatever. It’s about calories in, calories out and being able to stick to it long term. If a certain diet doesn’t fit your lifestyle, then it probably won’t work long term.
Lost 7kg over 4 months with very undisciplined approach .. tried OMAD / breakfast / lunch skipping to reduce eating to 6 then 3hr window .. tried a 3day fast which went well, felt wierd. more walking, avoided bread, most carbs and sugar like the plague..
Thought it was making no difference then noticed belt was loose then replaced battery on scales and saw Id lost quite a few kgs.
So.. dont give up if your not very disciplined / consistent like me.. just keep doing the right things when you can.
For theory.. I def recommend Dr Jason Fung on YT or book form.
Its a journey.. I def need to keep going ! Give yourself a pat on the back when you do the right things - good on ya !!
whatever you do, work your way into it. start with intermittent. try it for a while. a month. then try 24 hour water.
5+ water fast was the best for me. i experienced serious weight loss on multi day water fast. also, talk to and listen to your physician or a dietitian experienced in fasting. use professional support
I have lost about 10kg in a year, Wich for me it is a lot, but maybe for you is not. All I do is intermittent fasting everyday and 3 days fast every 2 months, my advice is actually not related to fasting, but the biggest factor for me was moving more. I feel a lot better and lost a bunch of weight just found 2 days of lifting a week and walking as much as possible and using the stairs was a big one for me.
Dunno if I count as ‘a lot’ of weight. I lost around 25% of my body weight over 2 years.
Strategy for me is intermittent fasting. At first I stopped eating after 10pm. Then I wouldn’t eat before 10am. Then I stopped at 8pm, using lemon water to help me get over the hunger.
That took a few months. I now eat at 12:30p and stop at 6:30p, more or less. I eat just about the same type of diet. Though I eat less because there’s less time to eat and no late night snacking.
I’m planning to do this 16/8 IF pretty much forever. It’s just who I am now. And I’m now a healthy weight and don’t even think about my weight anymore.
DIET & EXERCISE: when I say diet, I mean water fasting for 3 days and 1 day of eating, do this on a continuous cycle. It’s phenomenal. When you eat, listen to your body for guidance. I like my first food to be guacamole or eggs …superfoods. I like fasting because it’s the simplest diet to follow, and easiest to follow once your body is conditioned.
When I say exercise, I mean jogging or light weights or brink walking. Get active, especially when fasting. When you’re on your 3rd or 4th day, of fasting and exercise, watch how clean your energy feels - it’s true fat burning .
When you combine, you will start to see real results on the 3rd day and people will notice. You will get healthy. You will heal with fasting you will recover from inflammation, too many benefits to list
Number 1 key is being fat adapted. For me, it takes 1-2 weeks.
2 liters of electrolyte drink in the refrigerator. Drink when thirsty. Mixed with half lemon for a refreshing taste. At night, I add ginger, turmeric, and chili powder.
Eating high protein, in a small calorie deficit and training 3 -5 days per week. Honestly, for me, this is when I had to stop intermittent fasting as it was not conducive to my goals. Up until that point I was doing either 16/8, 18/6, or OMAD.
The biggest problem with fasting (particularly OMAD) is that it’s difficult to get all of the nutrients in optimal levels when restricting the eating window in this way.