The FastDay Forum

[Moogie]

In a bid to learn a bit more about our community's fasting habits, motivations and other interesting foodie/fasting stuff we're going to be running a poll each week and would appreciate it if you could take a moment to cast your vote on the matter!

For this week's poll, we are asking:

Do you vary your fasting methods?

Feel free to reply to explain your answer further, or if none of the answers are close enough for you.

Over to you!

[Tracieknits]

Absolutely! I have health issues, and sometimes fasting is just so difficult and painful - when my thyroid is hyperactive, I feel like I need to eat constantly, and I probably do with my elevated metabolism because I can't gain weight no matter how naughty I am.

My fasting has been going in cycles. Sometimes straightforward 5:2. Sometimes 16:8. Sometimes just maintaining and doing mini fasts as needed to maintain. I love that it's flexible.

I voted mix and match. I mainly do 5:2, sometimes 4:3, and a bit of 16:8 (also known as skipping breakfast) while I'm away, particularly with family etc.

When I started fasting last February, I was very influenced by Stephan Guyenet's writings about the usefulness of dull foods in weight loss. So I have been eating the exact same thing for my fast days for several months at a time. When I can't stand the sight of whatever I've been eating, I change the menu and eat that for a few months.

It worked very well for me. Knowing exactly what I'm going to be eating and when eliminates having to make any decisions or having to think about food on fast days.

Flexible dieting takes a lot more mental energy for me.

No, I stick to one method and that's suited me since 2011 and I feel no need to change it as I'm fortunate enough that it suits my life.

I like the ability to be flexibile tho' and if I need to switch to another pattern then I'm willing to do it (say, post-surgery).

@peebles - I like Stephan Guyenet's writings on food reward and used that for a period to check that I can distinguish between: 'head hunger' and actual hunger; eating food because I need it & it's appropriate v. being ensorcelled by food reward.

The dominant theme of my fasting is 4:3, but I do mix it up a bit. This week was sort of 4.5:2.5, and I've done ADF. Also non fast days I do a modified 16:8.

I did 4:3 when I was losing weight and stick to 5:2 since I am maintaining. I did try a bit of 16:8 but it doesn't suit me. I love having breakfast and I am more of an all or nothing kind of girl. I am crazy enough to look forward the fasts, even if they are decided on the spot.

I stick to 5:2 (apart from when I didn't earlier this year, as shown on my tracker!)
However, I skip breakfast on 'normal' days if I think I'm going to succumb to a treat (if I'm planning on going out for coffee).

I have ticked one method only because that is my almost invariable pattern ( basic 5:2) Occasionally if I have a week where I can't fit in 2 fasts because of social commitments I will do an eating window and fast through the day before going out for a special meal after which I eat and drink normally with no counting.

I pretty much do 5:2 strictly. I might on occasion skip a meal if I know I'm having a big meal that day.

I always say I stick to 5:2 Mon/Thurs which I do. But you got me thinking.
I gave up breakfast in my teens - zilch early morning appetite, and I skip lunch if I'm not hungry as @Ssure says distinguishing between 'head hunger' and actual hunger. Is there also a 'routine hunger' too? Oh, it's lunchtime, I will eat because that's what we all do at 1pm. At weekends I eat when I'm hungry but at work everyone breaks for lunch at 1pm in the café/club, if I'm not hungry I'll skip the 'routine'.
Not sure what that makes me - 52 with a varied window that suits me just fine?

Fairly twee but informative graphic about time-restricted feeding (quite lengthy, 8-12 hours) in a recently-published paper: Time-Restricted Feeding Is a Preventative and Therapeutic Intervention against Diverse Nutritional Challenges
http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abs ... %2900498-7
It's about mice, not humans, but the graphic and summary are OK and it seemed on-topic for anyone who is considering a similar window as an option or adjunct to 5:2.

•Time-restricted feeding (TRF) confines food access to 9–12 hr during the active phase
•TRF is a therapeutic intervention against obesity without calorie restriction
•TRF protects against metabolic diseases even when briefly interrupted on weekends
•TRF is effective against high-fat, high-fructose, and high-sucrose diets

ETA:

We show that TRF attenuated metabolic diseases arising from a variety of obesogenic diets, and that benefits were proportional to the fasting duration. Furthermore, protective effects were maintained even when TRF was temporarily interrupted by ad libitum access to food during weekends, a regimen particularly relevant to human lifestyle.

Been pretty much 5:2 purist since I began again 6 weeks ago, but I have done an occasional 16:8, mostly on one of those days when I know I'm having a bigger meal or I'm going out and am not quite as confident in my ability to calorie count. I've also switched my fasting days around a wee bit (Mon-Tues or Thurs-Fri) due to work or social commitments. Been debating trying a 4:3 but I reckon I'll hold off until I plateau my progress.

Hi - I am in the early stages of switching from 5:2 (which didn't suit me) to 16:8 which to date I have found to be very 'do-able' 4-5 days per week. If, however I don't see results from 16:8 on its own then I would consider mixing in a traditional 5:2 fast day per week potentially and see what happens. I find 16:8 much more consistent for me rather than going on and off fasting on 5:2 however, of course, proof will be in the results - biggest learning has been to make sure you tailor something that suits you and that you can "stay on" for the future

I find that an eating window is the most natural and flexible way for me to eat. I have forgotten what it is like to eat from morning to night and frankly, it does not appeal so I am very happy and maintain my weight easily with no angst, guilt our feelings of deprivation. Different strokes for different folks, horses for courses etc.

Ballerina xx