Curious if anyone with insulin resistance. Pcos or anything similar has fasted long enough to see significant changes?
If so, how long did you fast for? What did you drink?
I started fasting when I was diagnosed with prediabetes, that’s what woke me up and made me realize I needed to make some changes in life.
As far as significant change goes: I had skin tags on my elbows and neck for years. Had no idea they were linked to insulin resistance. The first time I fasted for 72 hours, after the second night of sleeping fasted, I woke up and saw the skin tags on my elbow has shriveled up into tiny black specks. When I ran my hand across my arm they fell off and my arm was smooth. It tripped me out. But that’s when I knew it was for real.
Furthermore, my whole life has changed dramatically since then.
Edit: I drink an electrolyte mix that is high in potassium and slightly sweetened with stevia.
I have a Soda Stream and flavor it with stevia based flavor enhancers like Stur or Sweetleaf brands. I also shake Morton’s lite salt into it. You can also drink black coffee or herbal tea. Lots of great flavors. Those can also be sweetened with stevia. When I’m fasting and feel a little puny or weak or hungry, I sip pickle juice. Please drink plenty of fresh plain water too!
I’m insulin resistant and have metabolic syndrome. I’ve lost 140lbs with fasting and combo of low carb and keto. I reversed my NAFLD and was able to get my blood pressure under control. My insulin is at normal levels and a1c came down significantly. If I take a couple of days off and monitor my insulin, by the third day it takes 5+ hours to return to baseline after a meal. So I’m still resistant if I eat too much sugar/simple carbohydrates. Buy yes, IF and dietary changes controls it very well.
I’m insulin resistant. I thought I had PCOS, but my doctor disagreed. Anyway, I was prediabetic and morbidly obese. I couldn’t stop eating.. emotional eater. I started fasting 12:12, then 18:6.. worked my way up to a 3 day fast. Now I do them routinely. I no longer have food cravings (unless Im eating bad - I go through terrible eating phases because I’m not consistent)
Anyway, when I’m doing well and fasting, eating less carbs - the strawberry bumps on my upper arm disappear. I get boils/risens when I start fasting or when I’m eating terrible.. basically a big pimple (huge) and they hurt, puss, bleed. Sometimes they have to be lanced.. anyway those disappear when I fast and my body is detoxing. I also have more energy and I sleep better.
Probably TMI, but I always see improvement when I fast. I’m not consistent, but I’m progressively doing better. It’s difficult, especially in the first 24-48 hours. but if you can routinely get 3 days in and eat “better” the rest of the time you’ll see amazing results!
Good luck!
I’m practicing fasting for a year now.
I worked my way up from 16/8 intermediate fasting to my first 90+ hour fast.
Can’t give you information about my insulin. But my body fat is decreasing month after month! I can recommend the book “The Obesity Code” by Dr. Jason Fung.
He gives answers to all your questions about insulin in his book. It’s amazing!
Fasting and keto drops your blood glucose to normal ranges even with diabetes. T2, not T1 and if you take medicine, you gotta make sure it’s the kind that cannot drop your levels too low or plan the fast/keto with your doctor. Metformin and Ozempic are fine, but some other medicines are problematic
I have PCOS and have completed a 30 day juice fast. 7 day enhanced (lemon, salt, acv) water fast, a 3 day water fast and I’m currently on another juice fast. As for fasting with PCOS.
I think the most effective terms of fasting for PCOS is long term intermittent fasting. 16:8, OMAD, every other day.
The reason I say this is because it depends on your type of PCOS, the symptoms you’re having, and what you want to change. If you have hirsutim, long term fasting can possibly make it worsen at first and then get better in time if you continue with clean eating after the fast.
As for other symptoms, the anxiety, cravings, heart palpitations, etc. It has all stopped.
I have Type 1 Diabetes (ie pancreas is deadso), so I can very acutely see when my insulin needs start changing (my BG drops because my rate of insulin becomes too much as I transfer into Ketosis).
Insulin resistance though is only really able to be recognized post-fast, where my insulin:carb ratio changes.
When I do longer fasts (36+ hours), I do tend to see a point or two change in the ratio (1:7 goes up to 1:9, meaning more carbs for the same unit of insulin).
IF like OMAD I only see changes over a month+ or if I eat low carb with it.
Any kind of exercise (even walking, but especially stuff like HIIT or weights) + IF/EF gives the best results in my experience.
There’s a short testimonial about pcos in Jason Fungs complete guide to fasting. How it helped cure it and remove some of the unfortunate symptoms of it. He also discusses some issues regarding insulin resistance/diabetes/insulin. Fasting can be dangerous for people with diabetes, even more so if they are on insulin. Working with a doctor in that case is recommended. He goes over some of that in the book but I’m sure his YouTube videos touch on it too if you dig for it.
i can’t speak to insulin resistance but for drinks - if you live by a walmart, i love the great value sugar free drink powders. my favorite is the strawberry watermelon. the pink lemonade is pretty good too. langers brand 5 calorie juice is also good, mongo mango is my fave. and of course can’t go wrong with flavored sparkling waters.
good luck. my mom had pcos so i know how tough it can be. you got this.