The FastDay Forum

I just thought that I needed to respond to the comment below.

[quote="Juliana.Rivers]its great that it works for you but 23 hours of fasting and one hour of eating every single day does not sound like something I could ever adopt, whether im still in weight loss mode or dieting. I know you say you do 16:8 some days but even so.
everybody is different and im just putting it out there that newbies shouldnt feel the need to eat in such a small window every day.

Same with barbarita's 3 hour window. every day of the week. And i thought 5 hours was hard and i can almost get the 8 hour window thing.
Anyhows... so im sure people are going to scream at me but just sharing my opinion.. and please keep doing whatever is successful and works for you and is "healthy" from a medical point of view (im meaning anyone)[/quote]


Please look at what I said. I don't do this "every single day"; most days, yes, but I adapt to whatever is happenning. I'm very relaxed about it and do not deprive myself of family lunches etc. It is a case of listening to my body. If I need, or want to eat, I do, but I no longer eat simply because it is a meal time.[/quote]

That's good to hear its not every day and it's adaptable and you dont miss family lunches, maybe I misread what you said. I think those doing the 19:5 do it daily. You actually hit the nail on the head about family lunches. We are only a one meal a day family here but if it was say 2 meals a day, the window thing is really contrary to the family social thing if one was at a table and couldnt partake in the meal. Particularly in European countries where they eat big breakfasts, lunches, late afternoon meals, teas and late suppers.

Hi @Juliana.rivers, I quite agree that newbies should not start with, or ever feel they should aim for a very short eating window. I began fasting with 5:2, and after switching to Fast-5 my window has naturally shortened after a year. I do not think shorter is better or set it as a target. I do not calorie restrict at all, and am always full when I close my window.

Thanks, yes agreed too. Many of us here "evolve" over a year or two, just what our intermittent fasting pattern should be long-term.

I'm currently maintaining, with a view to further weight loss in the New Year, as I've had major surgery, but I'm still generally just eating an evening meal...
I have found that my appetite has been re-educated, and I generally prefer not to eat during the day. On most days I'm doing something like 23:1, but there are a few 18:6 days along the way.

@Bracken - just to say that I find this very interesting as I've been very apprehensive about weight regain following surgery which is one of the reasons that I haven't booked my surgeries yet (altho' I'm also still researching appropriate rehab strategies that won't lead to loss of my already scant skeletal muscle).

I've been in some discussion with a dietitian who tells me that I shouldn't worry about weight regain as my appetite should spontaneously reduce in concert with the reduction in my activity levels. My work then will be to ensure that I'm getting the maximal nutrition that I can from what I'm eating (the low muscle mass already means that I have a scant TDEE). tbh, I wasn't sure that I believed this (as surgery seems to be identified as a major trigger for weight regain by many people who were previously in maintenance or having some weight change success).

Long-winded way of saying - I wonder if your re-educated appetite and natural transition towards 1 meal, and a short eating window, on some days is a response to your surgery and you're showing very helpful metabolic/self-regulatory flexibility in just the way the dietitian outlined? Thank you for sharing your experience as an experienced faster who's responding to surgery and other shifts.

@SSure
I moved towards usually just eating once a day a few months before having surgery. Interestingly, whilst in hospital I felt that I ought to also eat lunch as perhaps I was putting my body under too much pressure by continuing with this approach after surgery. However, I think that the pressure came from poor quality hospital food! I was happy to return home to my own cooking.

At first, I would occasionally eat an afternoon snack, but I soon returned to mainly just eating in the evening. I eat good quality food, largely vegetarian, pretty low carbohydrate because of a blood glucose scare, and eat lots of raw food. I'm not rigid about eating in any way, apart from the one rule that I do not eat meat - that's a matter of taste, rather than ideology. I've adapted my approach over the last year or so, but I think that I'm more in tune with myself than I used to be. I seem to have found what is right for myself. As I've lost weight I have naturally eaten less. Perhaps, however, when I decide that I want to lose a little more weight, things might be more difficult, but by that time I will be more active, so it might not be an issue.We'll see how things pan out over the Christmas period.

I am below my original target weight, helped by various medical procedures since September. I'm happy to " stay- put" for now, but I will reset my target downwards just a little in the New Year.

Once again a big thanks for all the advice - pleased to say I have managed 2 x 16-8 days in a row and have found it quite achievable - going to aim for a minimum of 4 days per week 16-8 and see where it takes me - thanks again

Hi! I'm currently 16:8 (10am to 6pm open window) usually 2 meals a day. Trying to keep the eating to circadian rhythm of light= eat, dark= don't but obvs difficult within deepest winter :0)
It works for maintenance but, for me, not to lose weight. I've stayed around 72.6kgs through this.
Also getting a 30 minute walk done before first meal has improved my energy levels.
Good luck @Wilson, fasting is worth it however you work it :0)