The FastDay Forum

Little question... How long do you fast for? I last ate 7pm last night... today ive only had coffee, water, Green tea and some fruit at lunch time. If i don't eat a "normal" meal till tomorrow morning that would mean 36 hours with only 500 calls... Or can i eat a "Normal" meal tonight after 7pm as i would have fasted for 24hrs then.

[Tracieknits]

The majority of us fast for 36-ish hours eating only 500 (or 600) calories. So I had a small snack last night at 9pm. I won't eat until dinner tonight at 6:30pm (we're having a turkey chili) and that will be about 500 calories. Then I won't eat again until breakfast tomorrow, which I'll try to hold off until 9am.

A lot of people have found 24 hours doesn't always yield good weight loss, because people are overcompensating before and after the 24 hour cutoff. But if you search the forum, you'll find lots of posts on the subject.

Hi and welcome.

It is a 32-36 hour fast, not 24.

Here are some tips:
5-2-diet-chat-f6/topic6317.html

It has to be around 36 hours. I'm fasting from dinner to day-after-fast-day breakfast. That can vary from 34 to 38 hours, depending on the time I have dinner and the time I wake up.

Thank you guys... Im just going to have my tea... Roll on bed loll

I guess I don't really understand the hours counted during fasting.

I "fast" two days a week, eating 500 calories on those days. In the book The Fast Diet, Dr. Mosely does talk about the benefits of fasting for a certain number of hours in the day, but his coauthor Mimi does what I do, just nibbling during a fast day, and she lost weight. I'm doing that too.

In the book and elsewhere Dr. M does state that you have to find a pattern that works for you.

Am I missing something? Thanks!

On another thread i discuss the good and bad of "grazing" on a fast day but that aside I look at it from the point of view of the "day of the week that it is" and never eat between midnight and dawn (assuming you arent a shift worker)

in other words if its thursday anytime from sunrise to midnight of that thursday then fast for that day of the week.. dont look at when your last meal was on Wednesday even if it was 7pm or 10pm and start munching.

This concept means of course your fasting for longer than 24 hours and often to 36 hours due to 8 hours sleep but thats just how the numbers go.

The association of the day of week to whether or not i can freely eat is just such an easy concept for me

Thank you Julilana! That's what I'm doing. I guess folks actually timing their fasts really confused me. I just fast two days a week. Period.

I'll go look for your "good and bad of grazing" post. Thanks again.

I think some of the confusion results from different interpretations of fasting for "a day". Some think that means fasting from dinner one night thru the next day and night so around 36 hours. And some have interpreted it to mean a "24 hour day" so from after dinner one evening until dinner time the next evening.

There was an early thread about which is better...24 hour or 36 hour...and the 36 hour seemed to get better weight loss results. That assumes no after dinner snacking. My fasts rarely last a full 36. More like 30 hours depending on when I stop eating one evening and when I have my first meal on my next feed day.

Thank you Julilana! That's what I'm doing. I guess folks actually timing their fasts really confused me. I just fast two days a week. Period.

I'll go look for your "good and bad of grazing" post. Thanks again.

Yep i like the "day of week concept".. today is Thursday and ive nominated it as my fast day for this week due to weekend activities.

I know i wont i calorie restrict all day today through to when i wake up tomorrow and then its Friday.

The DAY OF WEEK fasting concept (what day of the week is it and am i meant to be fasting or feasting) is a no-brainer.

my "no graze" posts.
5-2-diet-f7/5-2-diet-rules-t14-60.html

and

5-2-diet-chat-f6/things-i-do-to-avoid-hunger-t7686.html

I think some of the confusion results from different interpretations of fasting for "a day". Some think that means fasting from dinner one night thru the next day and night so around 36 hours. And some have interpreted it to mean a "24 hour day" so from after dinner one evening until dinner time the next evening.

There was an early thread about which is better...24 hour or 36 hour...and the 36 hour seemed to get better weight loss results. That assumes no after dinner snacking. My fasts rarely last a full 36. More like 30 hours depending on when I stop eating one evening and when I have my first meal on my next feed day.

You are right, O'Dell.

I think the 24 hour version is a misinterpretation. But as i know its a strong theme in this form, that "if it works for you keep doing it," so i wont imply its wrong, just not the intended viewpoint of the original 5:2 plan "bible:. But then again the ChristianBible (and Torah and Koran) has many interpretations for many people. Same book, same words different ideas emerge.

I used to do two 36 hour fasts a week, but it is just becoming too difficult for me. I end up craving everything and breaking after about 30 hours.
So going to give three 24 hour fasts a week a shot and see if that works better for me. I do admire those who do 36 hour water fasts - you people are amazing!

[Tracieknits]

I don't think a 36 hour fast is amazing. It's just not eating on Monday at all. So Sunday night I go to bed, and that starts the clock. I eat only 500 calories for all of Monday -- but I don't have permission to pig out at midnight! I go to bed as normal and then eat normally when I wake up Tuesday morning.

I think a few people might be getting tied up in semantics.

The caution is though, some people calling it a 1 day fast will then give themselves license to eat at 12:01 Tuesday morning saying "it's all good, I went a whole day" and they really are just cheating themselves because they won't get the same results as someone who waits until they wake up normally on Tuesday morning.

I really don't understand. I don't care what, when or how people eat, but please don't call it intermittent fasting or a 'variation' of 5:2. All that is being talked about is a daily reduced calorie diet. And it does not even have to be 'reduced calorie'. For instance, a noon to noon 24 hour 'fast'. I get up at 6 am and eat a 700 cal. breakfast. I eat lunch at 11:30 for 1400 cal. Next day, I eat a lunch at 12:30 for 1400 cal., and a 2000 dinner at 7 pm. Plug in any number of calories you want (higher or lower) and what you have are two consecutive days where you have eaten any number of calories you want to eat.

The question is what is the goal? Not the 'health benefits', because they require a more than a 24 hour calorie restriction. Not weight loss, because there is absolutely no calorie restriction when you can eat whatever number of calories you want on any day of the week. Not being hungry? It works fine for that.

Hi folks, read this with interest!

Reading the comments, I'm surprised my version of fasting works. I fast mondays and thursday, eating 500 cal over two meals: breakfast (8am) and diner (6pm) and nothing in btwn - drinking water only. I then eat normally the next day, having a normal lunch.

I've lost @ 15 lbs this why (over 6 weeks) and intend to carry on as it works for me. Not sure if I'm discilined enough to join the supa league of 24/36 fasts.

I suppose my advice is do what works for you and change if you're not happy with your progress. May try an all-dayer at some point.

Good luck in your endeavours.