Facts of Fasting

[pkafka]

There are a lot of different approaches to fasting:

Water fasts, intermittent fasts, nut fasts, coffee/tea fasts. I would like for this thread to serve as a fast primer. Everyone please share the fasts you have done, and ask any questions you have about fasting.

I'll start things off with a question:

Of recent, I have been trying to fast whenever I can, skip meals as much as possible. And here is my question. Does having a bite of something, say a square of dark chocolate during an 18 hour fast, or replacing breakfast and lunch with coffee + cream change the effects of a fast?

For example, would totally skipping breakfast and lunch be a lot more effective than replacing it with a cup of coffee and cream?

Tarlach's eating regime kind of inspired this question. But everyone, please have at it!

-pk

[Posy]

Hmm, I’m going say you shouldn’t eat or have anything more than water, tea or maybe black coffee for typical fasting (every once in awhile). No dairy or chocolate…basically nothing that can take hours to digest. I think those things would effect the fast.

However if you’re thinking of fasting in terms of a lifestyle (just eating once per day as a rule) and dairy is an option for you, then I suppose you could have the cream in your coffee or a square of chocolate because there’s a difference in the goal right?

I pull a 24 hour fast every great now and then using Brad Pilons timing method that usually starts for me between 12 and 3 pm one day and ends at the same time the next. That way I’ve eaten breakfast or lunch before I start and get to eat dinner after I finish. So never missing a day of eating but still getting the full 24 hours in. I stick with tea and water, occasionally coffee.

[BarbeyGirl]

I do short (15 hour) fasts almost daily. Although I've never been the sort of person who can't stomach the thought of eating shortly after waking, I do like the feeling of getting up early, working out, then having some coffee and waiting several hours before eating breakfast.

I'd be interested in any information you guys have about whether there's a benefit to these brief short fasts.

[BMcD]

I find having dinner then going 24 hours fasted to the next dinner works best for me. Cold tea (I love Inko's Hint o'mint) is usually the only thing I have during the fast. Exercise on the fast day works really well too.

[pkafka]

Hmm, I’m going say you shouldn’t eat or have anything more than water, tea or maybe black coffee for typical fasting (every once in awhile). No dairy or chocolate…basically nothing that can take hours to digest. I think those things would effect the fast.

However if you’re thinking of fasting in terms of a lifestyle (just eating once per day as a rule) and dairy is an option for you, then I suppose you could have the cream in your coffee or a square of chocolate because there’s a difference in the goal right?

I pull a 24 hour fast every great now and then using Brad Pilons timing method that usually starts for me between 12 and 3 pm one day and ends at the same time the next. That way I’ve eaten breakfast or lunch before I start and get to eat dinner after I finish. So never missing a day of eating but still getting the full 24 hours in. I stick with tea and water, occasionally coffee.

I like your strategy, Posy... So you think that a little bit of calories changes actually changes the effects of an actual fast? Interesting... I will be doing more research.

Also, Barbey - I do frequent 15 hour fasts as well. It is easy really, not eating after diner, and skipping breakfast... But like you, I have no idea whether this is effective... Tarlach??? haha

-pk

[Tarlach]

I didn't answer before as I have no idea if eating a tiny amount would negate the benefits of fasting. It quite possibly will, if it is a on/off process ...

I limit my consumption to water (and espresso at worst). I doubt that black coffee is much different to water as it contains pretty much zero calories. Milk (or a square of chocolate) is starting to get a lot higher.

Looks like you want to aim for more than 15 hours. When you enter a state of fasting depends upon your last meal, body composition, insulin sensitivity, etc...

http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2008/8/11/part-1-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-fast-energy-production/

and here is a bit more info on one meal a day:
http://www.carnivorehealth.com/main/2009/12/6/one-meal-a-day-romanticism.html

Alternate day fasting is probably even better, but I love to eat too much to go for quite that long (my wife and I are working our way up to it though).
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/1/7

[Posy]

Well I hate to put the focus on calories (I‘m not a fan of numbers) unless that’s the main goal…fasting to reduce calories. Which some people want to do. But yeah, I think the minute you eat anything that the body has to work at to digest, you break the fast. I just don’t know how critical that all is if you’re going to only eat once a day as a rule. I think if you ultimately want the body to work in a true fasting state (whether it’s once in awhile or daily), then you’d want to avoid eating anything. But if you’re trying to work your way to that, retraining your body, then maybe it’s ok to have a little something till you get to the point of going totally without between meals. I think what you eat, when you eat is going to be more helpful getting from point A to point B without wanting to eat between…Like steak! :)

Tarlach, nice links.

I don’t “try” and go so long without eating, it’s all pretty random for me until I just simply get sick of food and then I’ll pull a fast. Otherwise I don’t pay any attention, maybe I’ll eat dinner and then not eat again till the next afternoon. Other days I’ll eat breakfast…like Barbey, at some point after waking cuz eew yeah, no food first thing! Recently I tried to eat meals at more regular times again which didn’t work out so well. I just can’t eat when I’m not ready to!

BMcD, I workout when I’m fasting too, never felt like I couldn’t.

[BarbeyGirl]

Thanks for the links, Tarlach. I've been reading through that Fitness Spotlight series over the past week, trying to learn whether IF is worth the trouble for me (I'm at my desired body comp and don't have any particular issues I'm trying to resolve.) :)