Why do different people react differently to fasting?

This topic contains 12 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by mojo56 9 years, 10 months ago.

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

mojo56

12:34 pm
9 Dec 14
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My husband and I have been doing 5/2 for about a month.
After a fast day I feel fantastic, ready for anything and positively elated. Hub is grumpy, ready to give up and so hungry he could put away the proverbial horse – and pretty much does if I don’t give massive support.
During the fast day itself I find it easy, could probably go all day without anything but water if I wanted. Hub finds it horrendous. We are trying different strategies of timing and size of meals but it is always the same. I have lost some weight and he has lost none.

The irony of course is that I am a healthy weight and don’t really need to diet (although am really keen on doing this for the health benefits alone) and hub is overweight and really needs to lose some. We are in our 50s, and generally well and active. We normally eat a pretty healthy diet, cook from scratch and grow our own vege.

There is lots of lovely advice on the forums to help me support him – we are both committed to getting his weight down. But has anyone any idea why the experience is so different for us? If I could find an answer to this maybe it will help me help him. Thanks everyone.

PeelyWally

1:27 pm
9 Dec 14
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Hi mojo. Congratulations on your weight loss and beginning to enjoy the associated health benefits of 5:2.

I’m in a similar position. My partner is significantly overweight and has been on a different diet plan for months now with no real observable weight loss. Like you, I have lost weight on 5:2 and do my best to encourage, but in the end it is down to the individual.

Everyone is different and 5:2 may not be for everyone. My partner is not interested in following it. If your partner is able to stick to the 600 calories or below on fast days, and eats below his TDEE on the other 5 then I’m sure you will both start to see progress.

I wish you both the best of luck.

mojo56

2:46 pm
10 Dec 14
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Thanks for your reply PeelyWally. I really hope that he will start to see some result soon and will post any progress here. If he can maybe your parter will be inspired to give it a go too….

PeelyWally

11:50 am
11 Dec 14
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I hope so mojo. Thank you.

puckertoe

4:51 am
12 Dec 14
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My husband is thin and I’m fat. He doesnt need to eat all day. I do. I think its something to do with insulin resistance. I am gradually getting a grip on my non fast day appatite after about 3 weeks on the diet and begining to shift a lb or two. I think that thin people can often have better blood sugar control and therefore dont get the hypoglycemia that can cause cravings. Dont know if this is the case but it’s what I believe is happening with us.

mojo56

8:09 pm
12 Dec 14
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Hmm, blood sugar control, hadn’t thought of that. If it is then wonder if it is the cause or the effect. Only way to find out is to get to goal weight and see how it goes. Strength to you.

Amazon

8:18 pm
12 Dec 14
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Maybe your husband should try eating a healthier diet replacing carbs and sugar with more veg, protein and fruit for a week or two before trying to fast. I have no idea what he normally eats, but if he cuts out the less healthy stuff and replaces it with something else first, and then tries fasting, maybe he’ll do better. It might also be a good idea for him to start with 1000 calories for a couple of fast days, and then gradually reduce it until he can cope with 600.

mojo56

1:23 pm
16 Dec 14
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Thanks Amazon. We do have a pretty healthy diet for basics – I grow lots of vege and we always cook from scratch. We also cut down on a lot of bread a few years ago. We are not big drinkers either. I think his problem is more snacking out with our main meal times. Not particularly junky as we live a long way from shops and temptation, but more nibbles of cheese, crackers with pate, bananas, grapes and yes, if they are in the house, biscuits. I can’t just not have stuff in as there are ravenous teenage boys in the house too! So I’m thinking he has to get the habit under control. We have not focused on non fast days very much yet. I figured that since we both eat a similar moderate portion at meal times, that since his TDEE is much bigger that mine, then the extra calories from snacking would be OK. But I haven’t done calculations and I hadn’t thought about topping up blood sugar and insulin resistance making the fasts so much harder. I will consider this all now. In the meantime he is pretty stressed at work just now and I don’t want to push him so he gives up, I’m sure the health benefits from the fast days will be helping whatever else is going on.

mojo56

10:44 pm
24 Dec 14
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Slowly, slowly catchy monkey….
Well, hub refuses to get on the scales but he has gone down a notch on the belt! Plus he is looking less plump in the face and fingers. He has cut down the complaining and seems to be keen to continue – for the moment we are doing a shorter fast from after breakfast the first day to lunch time the second. He still fits in his 600 calories but at least he is happier with it and something is happening. (I think its a bit of a cheat but hey, better to be positive.) We are working on chewing food longer and doing fewer snacks on eating days.

I have made my goal weight of 8.5 stone (at 5ft 2inches)and although I haven’t changed dramatically, my clothes are more comfortable and look better and I am feeling great. Now I’ve got my head round the diet I’m dabbling with fast exercise…

We will definately be continuing with this and are looking forward to a moderate but guilt free Christmas!

Best wishes and Merry Christmas to you all.

mojo56

12:19 pm
14 Jan 15
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Well Christmas and New Year came and went and of course we put on some pounds but we are back on track now.

New series on t.v. in the UK just now about the right diet for you and as hub is obviously a ‘constant craver’ then we are on the right diet for him so the question is why is he responding so slowly? Only watched the first episode so far but we notice that they make much more of avoiding carbs on fast days and the keytone thing. We have been concentrating on keeping to 600 calories and trying to eat things that keep you full longer, for example eggs and oatcakes (protein and low GI carb) for breakfast, but have not avoided carbs per se. Hub is also a tea drinker (without which he gets horrid withdrawl headaches) and has to have this as part of his calorie intake so milk (no sugar) is an issue – I’m about to investigate lacto free milk. Will try avoiding carbs over the next couple of fasts and let you know… Any support or comments would be great.

Cheers all.

mojo56

12:39 pm
14 Jan 15
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OK so just looked up lacto free milk and am guessing it won’t be any good – the lactose is simply broken up by an added enzyme called lactase so it becomes two different sugars but sugars (carbohydrate) none the less. He may have to work on black tea – yuk!

I also note that there is a another thread going about this programme. (Can’t remember what its called but once I’ve submitted this I’ll check it out and post it in case anyone is interested in following it too.) The intermittent fast not only avoids carbs but lasts 2 days so slightly different to the fast diet. We noticed they did this on the programme but didn’t realize this was to be their fast regime for the whole diet – also they are allowed 800 calories. I don’t think I will be able to get hub to do that so expect we will be sticking to what is doable.

mojo56

12:42 pm
14 Jan 15
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The thread is ‘just starting’ in welcome to the fast diet and exercise forums.

mojo56

1:53 pm
21 Jan 15
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Well what do you know, after 34 years married I don’t really know him at all! He decided to go for 2 consecutive days fasting and avoiding carbs and guess what he found it no harder and maybe possibly easier and the belt was so loose he decided to risk the scales and he is lighter than he has been for years! I did a bit of research and found that you can take up to 50g of carbohydrate and still maintain ketosis so he is sticking with a little milk in his tea but no major carbs or fruit or sweet vege at all. We didn’t over do it on the feed days and are now on round two – he’s gone off for a long walk with the dogs as I write. I so hope he can keep this up!