So I’m 14 5’10 and I’m obese for my age I’ve been obese for a long time or overweight since I was in 2nd grade I’ve been told by a doctor to lose weight since and I’ve never really asked my parents to take me to the doctor for the best way to lose weight but I weigh rn around 278 and I wanted to know if it’s safe for me to do either one of intermittent fasting or alternate
Good for you for taking charge of your health. I don’t know if fasting is the right thing for you, I’ll let someone else weigh in on that, but you could start with cutting out processed foods and cutting back on your carbs/sugars.
Dr Jason Fung in this response https://www.dietdoctor.com/can-teenagers-fast to a question about a 14yr old fasting says fasting should be 16hrs or less due to potential issues with inadequate nutrition for their maturing bodies. Lots of other good information on fasting on that website.
At 14 I wouldn’t “fast” at all during the day. I would maybe stop eating after 8 pm or so. That’s just a healthy habit in general. Also If you come home after school, it’s better to have more healthy snacks prepared like roasted veggies and boiled eggs and maybe some chicken. Rather than chips and soda. I remember most of my problem was eating sooo much crappy stuff right after school, as well as getting late night munchies and sneaking food after dinner. Better to focus on just eating an abundance of healthy food, rather than fasting at age 14.
Dude you are 14, you are still growing. You don’t know how your body would react to it. You need nutrition to grow. If you want to lose weight I would stop eating junk food and maybe count calories to ensure healthy weight loss.
Most experts agree 16:8 is ok for teens. Of course, ask your doctors opinion and do some research. I have found IF to be really useful in controlling cravings and junk food eating. I like the book delay don’t deny by Gin Stephans. It gives some simple advice and the idea that no food is off limits makes me more able to wait until my window is open to eat something I have a craving for.
At first, I spent my eating window eating a lot of foods I was craving and I still binged on junk food sometimes but I learned to “close” my eating window at 6 and getting through to the next eating period got easier and easier. The best thing I have learned is to open my window with fruit or vegetables. It’s amazing how great healthy food tastes when you are actually hungry. After that healthy meal I eat small portions of whatever I have been craving in the last day and then close my window again. (I do 20:4 or 18:6 but I am old, female, and small)
Using an app to track fasts helps a lot in the beginning. It gets much easier if you can just be strict for a week about clean fasting. Good luck!
Intermittent fasting is not, to my knowledge, recommended for children.
If your eating is associated with cravings, then you should get this under control first. Please seek professional support: GP/family physician in the first instance.
Try LowCarb/keto/Carnivore/zero carb/One Meal Per Day/….
-
Carnivore and One Meal Per Day are the easiest one and best for your body growth.
-
All you need to do is eat greasy meats to your heart’s content once per day. No calculation, no measurement, no counting calorie…..
-
Eat greasy meats with Lite Salt and/or Pepper. Check Carb content of the other sauces.