Duration of fasting

This topic contains 10 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by TracyJ 11 years, 2 months ago.

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normag

2:42 pm
7 Oct 13
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Apologies. I know I’ve seen this somewhere but can’t seem to locate it now I need to!

I have just had a large (healthy) lunch. I think I’m right in thinking I could start my Tuesday fast from 2pm today until 2pm tomorrow? I won’t feel the need to eat this evening and then I’m asleep for most of the fast. I can then have my 500 calls tomorrow and eat normally from 2pm tomorrow or do a 2 day consecutively fast. Am I correct. Is there a downside to this?

I would appreciate some advice as I’m new to this.

Thanks very much

TracyJ

3:00 pm
7 Oct 13
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You could do that yes. Whatever works for you.

For the IGF1 effect to kick in I believe there should be a genuine (eating nothing) period of 16+ hours in there somewhere but as long as you don’t have your 500 calorie breakfast before 6-7a.m. you would have that anyway.

Good luck.

normag

3:08 pm
7 Oct 13
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Thanks very much. Don’t remember reading anything about complete fast for 16 hours. Could you point me in the right direction?

TracyJ

11:12 am
8 Oct 13
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Hi normag, I don’t have the books so I’ve no idea if they mention the 16 hours but it was referenced in passing in the ‘Eat, Fast & Live Longer’ BBC documentary and Michael actually met 2 of the researchers who’s work is covered in the article in the link attached below.

http://io9.com/5979523/why-you-should-starve-yourself-a-little-bit-each-day

I’ve alwasy taken this as a part of the 5:2 for me so I always try to leave 16 hours between my last meal the day before and my first fastday morsel (I now do 20-24 hours on fastdays but that wasn’t the case to start with).

Drunkraffles

11:19 am
8 Oct 13
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I usually don’t leave that long to have calories – although I am only having 25 calories for milk in my morning coffee.

I have a cup of white coffee (25 calories) around 7.30 am, then I have a bowl of homemade carrot and coriander soup for lunch about 12.30(60 calories) then I have my evening meal which is usually around the 300 mark at around 6pm.

I have lost a decent amount of weight in the last 3 weeks so what I am doing must be working at the moment but is this right or the wrong way I am doing it.

TracyJ

11:31 am
8 Oct 13
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Drunkraffles, yeah, if you’re doing it for weight loss then I guess it doesn’t matter. I think 16 hours is the ‘golden-period’ for IGF1 benefits but if that’s not particularly what you’re doing it for then don’t worry about it. A lot of the health benefits will be a side-effect of losing weight anyway, so you’re still killing 2 birds with one stone for most of the associated health benefits.

Drunkraffles

11:36 am
8 Oct 13
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What is IGF1 please.

Tracy the reason I asked was I have read a few posts saying that the fat burning commences around 12 hours so you burn more calories the longer you can fast for. I had my fast day yesterday having a 300 calorie tea yesterday at 5.30 pm and only had fruit tea and black coffee (which I have decided I really do not like!) this morning to extend the fasting period to a 16 hours.

normag

11:40 am
8 Oct 13
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That’s interesting. Thanks for forwarding. I quickly read the book but just to be able to start immediately. I don’t recall reading about the 16 hours rule Does that mean you’re actually fasting for 40 hours then?

TracyJ

11:56 am
8 Oct 13
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Drunkflakes, if you read through the article I linked to then you’ll know as much about IGF1 as I do (the documentary had pretty much the same information, it was just more illustrative and relateable). It basically repairs you and I put my lack of eczema and generally improved skin, hormones and blood pressure down to that aspect of the lifestyle but I could be wrong, it could just be that losing some weight improved those things for me anyway – I don’t know.

normag, there are no rules to 5:2 other than those you make for yourself. If you want to have a 16 hour (genuinely no calories) fast in your 24 hour 2pm – 2pm fastday that’s fine, if not, that’s fine too. You’ll still have the weight loss benefit and presumably any other health benefits associated with that weight loss.

Drunkraffles

11:58 am
8 Oct 13
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Normag I don’t think so – I ate normally on Sunday and had a light tea around 6pm. I then had a cup of white coffee at 7.30 Monday morning which is when I start my fast day (never thought of the Sunday night bit as fasting – not sure if it is), soup for lunch, 300 calorie meal for dinner a few cups of white coffee throughout the day makes up my 500 calories. I would then have a cup of white coffee around 7.30am and then my soup around 12.30.

I suppose I am breaking the fast at 7.30 on the day after the fast as I am having 25 calories worth of milk – although I have never counted this in the past. Today I had black coffee so have fasted from sometime Sunday night through till 12.30pm today – I think!!!

TracyJ

12:07 pm
8 Oct 13
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To clarify: You are both doing different versions of the 5:2 (both totally fine and valid versions that other people on here are doing too).

normag, you are doing 2pm – 2pm that is a genuine 24 hour fastday.

Drunkflakes, you can time your fast however you like but if I were you I think I’d include the night prior to your actual fasting ‘day’. You’re doing a 36 hour (+) fast.