I’m 18M, 6’0, about 130lbs. You could say I’m kind of skinnyfat in the abdominal area. I’ve never paid much attention to my diet because I’ve always had a fast metabolism and I’ve never been close to overweight, so I can usually eat loads of junk food without gaining much weight at all. So, should I waterfast, and if so how long should I do it?
Just give it a go. If you start feeling weird just stop fasting. I am 5’4 at roughly 99lbs and worried about fasting as well. I did a 2 day juice fast and felt fine.
But I would highly recommend to eat healthier because a crappy diet is usually the cause of skinnyfat (old matter builds up in your intestine and makes you look bloated or fat - only a fast on liquids can clean that crap out.
First of all, there no such thing as a fast metabolism unless your have thyroid problems or are doing a sympathomimetic drug. If you chart what you eat on a daily basis, you are getting the right amount of calories to maintain your weight. I will guarantee it.
So, with a normal weight, you are doing something right and in that respect there is no need to change anything.
Are there advantages to eating only one meal a day?
Sure. Practically, you save time and money. Get up in the morning, shower up, and go to work. You don’t mess with the ritual of food.
On an incremental basis, there probably are long-term benefits for letting your GI system rest for much of the day- lesser risk of cardiovascular events, risk of cancer, stroke, and that sort of thing- but these effects will never be clinically studied. Just makes sense.
Personally, I water-fast until noon and then snack around a single main meal in the late afternoon- which sometimes I skip anyway.
Hope this helps.
Water fasting does have immune system benefits but you sound like you might be underweight, in which case a fast would do more harm than good. I think you just need to eat healthier and start exercising.
You’re half a foot taller than me and weigh less… And I’m by no means overweight. I think the above comment is right. Just get yourself into some sort of exercise regime and clean up your eating. You don’t need to fast.
That said, it’s possible you would find OMAD or intermittent fasting beneficial. I don’t know.