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Fasting discussion

Just adding my support @jpscloud (and to everyone else on here,) I have been doing IF and EF since diagnosis at the beginning of May. For me, fasting has happened naturally as a result of a keto diet which has helped my body get used to burning fat instead of carbs as its main fuel, then my own body fat stores, (of which there's a fair amount and which I'm very keen to get rid of.) This is why I don't get hungry so often any more. Low insulin enabling body-fat burning.

I don't plan my fasts; I listen to my body, if I'm hungry I eat, if not I let my body fuel itself by burning my own..err..flab

I have lost a fair bit of weight since May and have so much energy now. I'm due another Hba1c in 2 weeks so will let you know how it's impacted my blood glucose control. Good luck everyone
 

Thanks @chrestomanci! Planning fasts is difficult for me too, I have to allow for things to change, but then I can fall into too much eating and too little fasting as well.
 
I just finished four nights and three days not eating - with one meal in the middle cos I couldn't handle it! (That one meal made me feel soooooo much better.)

And I am very pleased to see my fasting blood glucose drop back down to prediabetes levels yesterday and today, after a worrying period of them being at diabetic levels again. (This is particularly worrying to me as I eat very low carb to keto. Which means it is my liver diabetically churning out the excess glucose.)

I am very envious of folks who can fast and not feel much hunger - that will never be the case for me. And I can't do anything seriously physical in the middle of a few-day fast without feeling like I'm going to die . Longer periods again of no food and I have to go to bed.

But the effect on my insulin production is clearly positive (as in lowering it, which of course periods of not eating will) and therefore putting less strain on my poor ol' overworking insulin receptors valiantly trying to stop the too much glucose getting into my already overstuffed and sick cells, and the excess insulin causing all sorts of trouble. (This is a simplified version of the theory of type two diabetes I am most convinced by, at least the kind of diabetes I have.)

The idea of course is that the fasting will give me extra time, you know, alive with functioning kidneys, and arteries able to do a good enough job pushing the blood around my body, and my brain.
 

Brilliant @AloeSvea - I'm now on school hols, so extended fasting is more difficult for me, but still generally not eating more than twice per day and always feel better for a longer period between eating.
 
I'm back! I hope. I'm fasting today, either 24 hours or 36, depending on how I'm feeling.

I have written off the past two months (the last six weeks have been spent in full relapse) having gained over a stone and raised blood sugars a couple of points.

Over the summer the weather stymied my plans for activity, I fell into mild to moderate depression and my eating habits were all over the place. No details, to spare my blushes, but honest reflection here in the hopes of getting myself back on track.

I did not enjoy the foods I was eating - another reminder that overeating sucks in more ways than one. I've managed to moderate the overeating a bit these last few days, and feel ready to try fasting again.

As far as food choices go, I am fairly confident that fasting will help me to make better ones overall, but I know those minor lapses will happen so I plan to use erythritol and xylitol in moderation (being aware that it is not ideal, but hopefully less harmful than sugar) to manage cravings.

Fasting made me feel great. I'm really hoping it will have the same effect again, as opposed to three meals-a-day calorie rerstriction which made me very miserable.

I am including some real-food - whole food carbs in meals for the moment, as sudden carb restriction can derail me completely.

I'll blather on in the forums as is my wont, it does help.
 
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I did 24 hours yesterday, feeling great. I did overeat slightly for my evening meal but didn't binge. FBG this morning is 5.6 down from high 7s recently, so very pleased with that.

I have a hba1c test coming up in October, which I expect won't be as good as my last one but if my relapse is over it should improve for the next one.

I had reheated new potatoes with my meal last night - blood sugar was 4.9 before the meal and went up to 7.3 two hours after eating. A bit of an undesirable spike, so I will aim to ditch the carbs gradually - I'm not sure I can do very low carb or keto but will try to get as close to it as I can.
 
At the August Bank Holiday I got very overheated and somewhat dehydrated, and something was changed - I am now eating very little and have no appetite.
This is rather odd after being so settled in my eating for the last few years, but it does show how things can change in surprising ways, and it was just like flicking a switch too.
I am choosing what I eat carefully to try to be as normal as possible, but I can't face salad or berries - I asked my husband to pick up some Livlife bread to see if I fancy that, and I had two slices with cheese and onion - but even that was an effort. It was almost 4pm and I had not eaten nor drunk anything but water all day
Most people would be losing weight hand over fist - mine totters down a little, then is back up again - though my waist is shrinking.
It is a form of unintentional fasting - I just wonder how long it will last, and what the eventual consequences will be. I fel fine, though perhaps less energetic than usual, but that is probably a normal response.
 
I have a question that I posted on this website before, but I would like to ask here too :

Do you think is possible to have a "rebound effect" after months or years doing IF , even If you keep with your low-carb diet and IF ? Its something that I am really curious because I havent got information about this and I think this is really interesting to ask
 
@Resurgam a shrinking waist is a wonderful thing.

On the subject of muscle loss.
Muscle repair requires some "metabolic products" which you only get from protein (the details escape me at the moment).
This means that if you are fasting, although you get most of your bodily requirements from the breakdown of fats there are some things that fat does not provide, so your body recycles a small amount of muscle.
I don't think that the muscle loss is significant, but there is a bit.

You are more likely to lose muscle because you are lacking in energy due to the fasting and your body doesn't think you need all that muscle when you aren't using it.
 
Hi @Jiro what kind of rebound are you thinking of? Weight regain, dietary lapsing or something else?
 
I'm starting a two day fast (ending tomorrow evening). Things have not being going well diet-wise and I've gained back the weight I lost during my fasting efforts, so I'm starting at 277lbs.

Last night I went berserk with "healthy wholegrain cereals" - forbidden fruit for me, and i know i might as well eat a packet of sweets. My FBG was 8.9 mmol this morning. It has been creeping up lately anyway, but usually not over high 6s or sometimes low 7s.

Time to shake off denial and take responsibility for treating my disease. Fasting is the cure for me, and I need to get regular extended fasts in my routine.

I think lapsing and regain is inevitable for me but fasting will mitigate that - I will ultimately fail, but I intend to fail as slowly as possible! And maybe, who knows, I might win. Let's give it a go.

Coffee with a small amount of cream this morning, lemon and ginger tea through the day

FBG 8.9
Weight 277lbs
 
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I had some hunger pangs in the evening yesterday but got past them and feeling great this morning. Looking forward to breaking my fast later - I'm having lamb loin steak with broccoli, fried onions and mushrooms.

Weekend will include some carbs, as will half term week. I'm hoping to do some serious fasting after half term.

FBG 6.5
Weight 274lbs

Coffee with cream this morning, and green tea with lemon through the day.
 
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