Help me figure out how to fast
March 1, 2017 1:07 PM Subscribe
I have spent 30+ years doing my darnedest to not miss any meals. Due to [reasons], I want to try fasting. I need hand-holding and baby steps.
I am thinking I should probably start with a juice fast. Starting with zero calories sounds like the deep end of the pool and I need floaties. Or, perhaps, smoothies.
Beam me up, pretty please.
I have found the following asks:
http://ask.metafilter.com/251562/Alternate-day-fasting-vs-caloric-restriction
http://ask.metafilter.com/233729/Help-me-pseudofast
http://ask.metafilter.com/47247/Diet-recommendation-for-fasting
http://ask.metafilter.com/101176/What-should-I-eat-in-the-morning
I am thinking I should probably start with a juice fast. Starting with zero calories sounds like the deep end of the pool and I need floaties. Or, perhaps, smoothies.
Beam me up, pretty please.
I have found the following asks:
http://ask.metafilter.com/251562/Alternate-day-fasting-vs-caloric-restriction
http://ask.metafilter.com/233729/Help-me-pseudofast
http://ask.metafilter.com/47247/Diet-recommendation-for-fasting
http://ask.metafilter.com/101176/What-should-I-eat-in-the-morning
I think knowing the reasons you'd like to fast- and a bit about your overall health and current emotional trends- is relevant.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 1:27 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by pseudostrabismus at 1:27 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: IANAD. TINMA.
If you want to try juice fasting, I would check out the Reboot with Joe website. This was started by the man who did the juice fasting film "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," which I think is still available on Netflix. The website will give you tips and also put you in touch with other people doing juice fasting.
If you are on medication or have any kind of chronic illness, you really, really need to check with your doctor first.
Water fasting is a lot trickier, and water fasts over three days long should not be done without medical supervision (and should not be done at all if you are on medication). For general information about water fasting, I would look at this video by Dr. Michael Klaper, who works at a clinic that uses supervised water fasting.
posted by FencingGal at 1:36 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you want to try juice fasting, I would check out the Reboot with Joe website. This was started by the man who did the juice fasting film "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," which I think is still available on Netflix. The website will give you tips and also put you in touch with other people doing juice fasting.
If you are on medication or have any kind of chronic illness, you really, really need to check with your doctor first.
Water fasting is a lot trickier, and water fasts over three days long should not be done without medical supervision (and should not be done at all if you are on medication). For general information about water fasting, I would look at this video by Dr. Michael Klaper, who works at a clinic that uses supervised water fasting.
posted by FencingGal at 1:36 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
What do you want to do? Are you trying to lose weight, calm down your gut, achieve spiritual growth? Lot of different approaches.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:47 PM on March 1, 2017
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:47 PM on March 1, 2017
Best answer: My advice was going to be the same as FencingGal. I don't know much about fasting, but I do know drinking some juice greatly decreases its dangers. It can just be some fruit juice. It doesn't have to be a full on juicing. Oh and avoid strenuous activity.
Another thought would be to try just eating one meal a day as a trial.
posted by xammerboy at 1:50 PM on March 1, 2017
Another thought would be to try just eating one meal a day as a trial.
posted by xammerboy at 1:50 PM on March 1, 2017
Ditto that it would help to know what your goal is. For example, I grew up fasting for religious reasons (no food or liquid for between 12-25 hours depending on the fast day) and we would often eat big meals with particular kinds of food first. But if your goal is about achieving a particular bodily effect, that might not be useful.
posted by needs more cowbell at 1:58 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by needs more cowbell at 1:58 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My perception is that people find it much, much easier to start intermittent fasting once they are metabolically adapted to a ketogenic diet. I personally find that I can skip a meal or two easily after eating very low-carb for a few weeks, and when I don't eat I just feel tired. If I have been eating a more "normal" amount of carbohydrates I start getting hangry after 5 or 6 hours (and weepy after 9 or 10). I haven't personally tried fasting for longer periods but a lot of people on a keto diet do. So you might ease into fasting by way of keto. Some good resources about getting started with keto are this and this. (Take the advice about electrolytes seriously; it made a world of difference for me.)
I don't always love Reddit but you might also find some good discussion on the subreddit for Intermittent Fasting.
posted by beandip at 3:34 PM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
I don't always love Reddit but you might also find some good discussion on the subreddit for Intermittent Fasting.
posted by beandip at 3:34 PM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]
Best answer: I'm with beandip. Before keto fasting sounded awful. After I was able to do a Yom Kippur fast (24h) without a sweat (granted i had liquids -water and tea).
posted by pyro979 at 3:55 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by pyro979 at 3:55 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Echoing make sure your doctor is aware and ideally on board.
Otherwise, well, you picked the right season for it, so you might find it easier than you would otherwise! Other people's expectations are the hardest part, with good reason in some cases but benign ignorance in others. I am water fasting currently as well for health-but-not-weight-loss reasons.
Chiming in with the keto folks-- I was able to do extended fasts before (for whatever reason, my body is totally cool with it) but it's beyond easy for me on a ketogenic diet. But my system completely flips out when I eat fruit and no protein, so a juice fast for me is pure starving hell. So is tapering the amount of calories taken in while otherwise eating the same types of foods (e.g. skipping a meal and eating normally otherwise, or eating tiny carbohydrate-rich meals).
If you reduce carbs to below 30-50g/day for between 3-5 days in advance of your fast while eating enough fat to keep you full, you will likely have an easier time due to some stabilization of blood sugar and reduction of appetite. Then for a day you might try salty hot broth, herbal tea (caffeine will probably affect you more strongly on a fast), and hot or cold water. Then just water, if you want. Regular weakness/dizziness can be helped with salt in water/salty broth, but if you have had experience with low blood sugar symptoms, follow those directions.
On keto, my normal way of eating is intermittent fasting, so feel free to pm me questions if you are interested in that.
posted by notquitemaryann at 4:46 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Otherwise, well, you picked the right season for it, so you might find it easier than you would otherwise! Other people's expectations are the hardest part, with good reason in some cases but benign ignorance in others. I am water fasting currently as well for health-but-not-weight-loss reasons.
Chiming in with the keto folks-- I was able to do extended fasts before (for whatever reason, my body is totally cool with it) but it's beyond easy for me on a ketogenic diet. But my system completely flips out when I eat fruit and no protein, so a juice fast for me is pure starving hell. So is tapering the amount of calories taken in while otherwise eating the same types of foods (e.g. skipping a meal and eating normally otherwise, or eating tiny carbohydrate-rich meals).
If you reduce carbs to below 30-50g/day for between 3-5 days in advance of your fast while eating enough fat to keep you full, you will likely have an easier time due to some stabilization of blood sugar and reduction of appetite. Then for a day you might try salty hot broth, herbal tea (caffeine will probably affect you more strongly on a fast), and hot or cold water. Then just water, if you want. Regular weakness/dizziness can be helped with salt in water/salty broth, but if you have had experience with low blood sugar symptoms, follow those directions.
On keto, my normal way of eating is intermittent fasting, so feel free to pm me questions if you are interested in that.
posted by notquitemaryann at 4:46 PM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Intermittent Fasting is pretty much safe if you are otherwise healthy (IANYD, IANAD, just someone who did a lot of research for herself).
I agree with being lower carb before you try to start, it just makes it easier and makes me personally less woozy. From what I understand (for weight loss), there's not really a case for fasting >24 hours if you are female, so the most I do is about 20.
But for starting out, just give yourself an 8-12 hour eating window and have water or other non-caloric beverages when you're not eating. This means I either don't eat breakfast, or I just have breakfast in the early afternoon, then just have dinner like normal.
We also tried juice fasts here and had similar problems as notquitemaryann mentioned above. I need to have protein or I'm in trouble.
posted by getawaysticks at 4:59 PM on March 1, 2017
I agree with being lower carb before you try to start, it just makes it easier and makes me personally less woozy. From what I understand (for weight loss), there's not really a case for fasting >24 hours if you are female, so the most I do is about 20.
But for starting out, just give yourself an 8-12 hour eating window and have water or other non-caloric beverages when you're not eating. This means I either don't eat breakfast, or I just have breakfast in the early afternoon, then just have dinner like normal.
We also tried juice fasts here and had similar problems as notquitemaryann mentioned above. I need to have protein or I'm in trouble.
posted by getawaysticks at 4:59 PM on March 1, 2017
Response by poster: I have some health stuff where the standard advice is to eat frequently. New (inconclusive) research plus a long standing food diary suggests cutting calories temporarily may actually help my symptoms. This is the opposite of everything I have ever heard, so my plan is to play things incredibly conservatively. It is not advisable for me to just not eat at all. But, due to literally being too broke to eat recently, I was unusually short rationed for one day and, much to my surprise, I am feeling so much better.
I have never intentionally skipped meals except in preparation for medical diagnostics, with written instructions from a doctor or due to circumstances beyond my control. I also have only once gone on a "diet" in terms of intentionally cutting calories for purposes of losing weight. That was at the behest of a relative and it was more than thirty years ago. I said "Never again."
I am on no medication at all. My medical condition is currently stable and well controlled via diet and lifestyle.
posted by Michele in California at 5:49 PM on March 1, 2017
I have never intentionally skipped meals except in preparation for medical diagnostics, with written instructions from a doctor or due to circumstances beyond my control. I also have only once gone on a "diet" in terms of intentionally cutting calories for purposes of losing weight. That was at the behest of a relative and it was more than thirty years ago. I said "Never again."
I am on no medication at all. My medical condition is currently stable and well controlled via diet and lifestyle.
posted by Michele in California at 5:49 PM on March 1, 2017
Best answer: Just chiming in on the keto bandwagon. I've been doing keto for about 14 months now and the idea of fasting is not nearly as scary as it once was. Before - no way no how not gonna happen. Hangry me + society are not a good mix. Today though - meh, with a good solid meal beforehand 24 hours wouldn't be a problem; it'd be more the lack of comfort eating than necessity eating I'd have trouble with.
posted by cgg at 9:11 PM on March 1, 2017
posted by cgg at 9:11 PM on March 1, 2017
Best answer: If you want any personal anecdotes, you can PM me. I've been intermittent fasting for the past 4 months.
posted by Twicketface at 6:18 AM on March 2, 2017
posted by Twicketface at 6:18 AM on March 2, 2017
Best answer: Blood sugar is the main concern. Low-carb dieting beforehand helps because it forces your body to switch to glucogenesis for energy instead of relying on dietary carbohydrates. Once you are in that "mode", you should experience fewer spikes in blood sugar, which is why it's more pleasant than going cold-turkey.
Before you switch to a low-carb diet, you should talk to your doctor. There are well-known complications that can arise. I'm not sure about your medical circumstances, but ketoacidosis is not something you want to experience. Nor are kidney stones. If you go low-carb, watch the oxalate-rich foods. Too much chard and spinach leads to kidney stones.
Regardless, drink lots of water. Your kidneys will thank you.
posted by domo at 8:13 AM on March 2, 2017
Before you switch to a low-carb diet, you should talk to your doctor. There are well-known complications that can arise. I'm not sure about your medical circumstances, but ketoacidosis is not something you want to experience. Nor are kidney stones. If you go low-carb, watch the oxalate-rich foods. Too much chard and spinach leads to kidney stones.
Regardless, drink lots of water. Your kidneys will thank you.
posted by domo at 8:13 AM on March 2, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Hanuman1960 at 1:17 PM on March 1, 2017 [5 favorites]