Intermittent fasting

[DavidNich]

Hello everyone! Need your experience and advice. I have consulted a specialist for weight loss through intermittent fasting. It has been tough for me, honestly. I was prescribed HGH therapy because of a deficiency, and that makes it even harder to stick to fasting. My energy levels can get pretty low, especially during the longer fasts, so finding that balance between managing my health and sticking to the fasting schedule can be really frustrating at times. Maybe some lifehacks or strategies? Thank you in advance!

[Alex]

Does your fasting regimen allow for any nutritional intake? For example, my chiro sips bone broth on his fasting days.

[BeeZee]

I agree with Alex, bone broth is very nice when you are in "fasting" mode if it is allowed. It provides a small amount of protein and salt, which is important if you otherwise are just drinking water. I occasionally fast for 18 hours from 2pm to 8am and find that to be easier since half of the time is spent asleep! Are you fasting for an entire day, or for certain periods of time? Generally the more often you fast, the easier it will become as your body stops thinking that it has to go in to "low power mode".

[DavidNich]

Yeah, I’ve heard a lot about bone broth during fasting too! Definitely will try. It seems like a great way to get a little boost without breaking the fast. I’ve been doing intermittent fasting, usually around 16 hours, but I’ve tried 24-hour fasts a few times as well. I agree, that fasting does get easier as your body adjusts, though the first few days can be rough. I’ve been sleeping the major part of it and its truly helps. That said, the HGH therapy I’m on actually makes me feel hungrier, so it adds a bit of a challenge. How long have you been doing 18-hour fasts?

[pastrygirl]

Did the specialist offer guidelines on macronutrients?  Maybe you need more protein, fat, or fiber to feel satiated and have more consistent energy levels. Good luck. 

[BeeZee]

On 9/10/2024 at 8:26 AM, DavidNich said:

How long have you been doing 18-hour fasts?

Probably for around 5 years if I had to guess. I tend to eat a larger lunch (main meal) during the week, later in the day, and found that I wasn't hungry later in the day, so it wasn't a stretch. Aside from bone broth (something warm feels nice on an empty stomach, herbal tea is also good), coconut water (nice when chilled) has electrolytes.

[KennethT]

It seems that I've been intermittent fasting (16-18 hours) every day for practically my entire life without even knowing about it!  I only eat breakfast while on vacation and there's something worthwhile eating, otherwise I skip it.  I do drink water and green tea (no milk or sugar).  I have lunch around 1PM and dinner around 7 or 7:30PM so I'm usually done eating by 8 or 9PM at the latest if we have some popcorn while watching a movie.

 

I find that once my body is used to it, I don't miss eating anything in the morning - I'm not hungry, I don't feel tired, don't need a snack, etc.

 

BUT, if I go on vacation and eat breakfast for a week, once I come home, I find that I get starving around 9 or 10AM.  So, to get back on track, I have a small snack when I become really hungry - enough to tide me over until lunch - usually a handful of cashews or something like that.  The next day, I'll make sure I have the snack (if necessary) maybe a half hour later than the previous day, and so on until snack time coincides with lunch time, then I'm back on schedule and don't get hungry until around lunch time from then on.

[liuzhou]

22 minutes ago, KennethT said:

It seems that I've been intermittent fasting (16-18 hours) every day for practically my entire life without even knowing about it!  I only eat breakfast while on vacation and there's something worthwhile eating, otherwise I skip it.  I do drink water and green tea (no milk or sugar).  I have lunch around 1PM and dinner around 7 or 7:30PM so I'm usually done eating by 8 or 9PM at the latest if we have some popcorn while watching a movie.

 

I find that once my body is used to it, I don't miss eating anything in the morning - I'm not hungry, I don't feel tired, don't need a snack, etc.

 

BUT, if I go on vacation and eat breakfast for a week, once I come home, I find that I get starving around 9 or 10AM.  So, to get back on track, I have a small snack when I become really hungry - enough to tide me over until lunch - usually a handful of cashews or something like that.  The next day, I'll make sure I have the snack (if necessary) maybe a half hour later than the previous day, and so on until snack time coincides with lunch time, then I'm back on schedule and don't get hungry until around lunch time from then on.

 

I'm much the same. Seldom eat breakfast - never have. Even if I do, it's more brunch. Occasionally, I even skip lunch, making my evening meal the sole food of the day. Since I retired dinner is now earlier, usually at 7. When working, it was nearer 8 or even 9. 

 

People always chide me for this, but I've been the same for over 70 years; it isn't likely to change now. My mother only ate one meal a day from retiring at 60 and into her nineties.