The FastDay Forum

[Debs]

Hi there,

I am doing 5:2/4:3 to shift some stubborn weight but my Dearly Beloved is interested in the health benefits of fasting. He has a BMI of 21, a healthy weight and is fit but is interested in whether there is any hard data on the benefits of fasting in his case purely for the health benefits.
If anyone knows where we can find this out, it would be great.

Debs

Being in the same position as your partner, I've looked around for data as to the health benefits of fasting for those who are not overweight. I haven't yet found any studies. There are books about fasting to treat various diseases and ailments (Joel Fuhrman's comes immediately to mind, but there are plenty of others, some dating back 100 years or more) or to maintain health (going all the way back to the ancient Greeks), all of which point to the therapeutic effects of giving the body a break from digesting food.

Each week I'm doing one 32-hour calorie-free fast and five 16-hour fasts (the so-called 8-hour eating window). I have no statistics to offer, but I can tell you that I've experienced decided improvements in my energy, mood, mental acuity and digestion. After five months, I'm still working on the best way to maintain my weight without feeling stuffed on eating days, but it's worth the effort.

Hello,
I read your post with interest because I am probably an unusual faster to be, as I am in recovery from an eating disorder and I believe that this program will enable me to eat more freely whilst still allowing me some of the still necessary 'control'..any thoughts anyone_please don't think you will offend me!

Hi Roan24ruby and welcome!

I can't give you any advice regarding your eating disorder, but would suggest that you talk it through with your doctor or counsellor and get their opinions before commencing.

[Tracieknits]

Oh goodness Roan4Ruby - please don't! And thank you for saying I can take off the kid gloves and be honest.

I will be blunt. My mother had anorexia when I was a child. She was hospitalized and even grew fur on her stomach. It was a long time getting her to a healthy weight, which she has maintained for about 35 years. But even now, she sometimes gets a bit weird and freaked out about food. She might suddenly start eliminating all fats whatsoever from her diet, for example. My dad watches out for this and is always able to help her get back on track to a healthier mindset, but sometimes it takes a while.

I hope you have a counselor, doctor or partner you can speak to about this. From what you are saying, I think attempted 5:2 is an extremely bad idea for you and I beg you to reconsider. This is not the program for someone in recovery from an eating disorder.

I really hope there is someone in your life you can talk to. We don't always see ourselves or our own behavior very clearly.

Hi Roan,

Congratulations on your endevor to a healthy and sustainable recovery. I must agree that 5:2 is definitely something that you should not be doing at this point in your life. Any form of restriction I feel may encourage thoughts of deprivation and may lead to a binge-purge cycle that you should be avoiding at all costs.

Regular eating habits, at regular intervals is what you should be looking at. If you're looking to reap the benefits of IF, I would recommend the leangains approach with an 8 hour eating window.

DEBS, if you're husbands is also fond of IF I would suggest he reads Brad Philons book Eat Stop Eat which advocates a 24hr fasting period 1x or 2x a week with no calorie restriction. He provides pretty decent information on the benefits of IF and influence on overall health.

Good luck to the both of you!