# Done Any Fasting? - another health post



## Guest (Aug 25, 2018)

Deleted


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

I've experimented with 5/2, 6/1, and longer water fasts, and am a longtime member of the FB group _Principia Lenta_.

I understand the link between fasting and autophagy, but I stick to IF these days (generally 18:6).

FWIW, I eat 100% meat. Some carnivores fast (both water and dry fasts), but most of us either stick to IF or dismiss fasting altogether (i.e. eat when hungry).


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## Dpock (Oct 31, 2016)

Shelley K said:


> Tens of millions of people worldwide fast every day because they don't have a choice, and I don't see how it particularly benefits any of them.


Starvation is not fasting. The latter is built around a diet to optimize both health and well-being.

Intermittent fasting is becoming very popular as a way to control weight, improve mood and feel more energy. Plug it into Youtube and you'll find a lot of information and testimonials.


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## MichaelRyan (Nov 23, 2015)

The majority of people who don't get adequate nutrition aren't starving from no calories at all, but rather are malnourished from lack of protein and diversity (ie they have diets heavy in corn, rice, wheat).

I'm healthiest and clearest thinking when I'm low carb and eat a couple meals a day.

What helped was actually having enough money to afford not to buy groceries and to not keep food at home (where I graze on things, esp. carbs).
Right now I can afford to eat out every meal, and I've benefitted from that a lot. I eat less and healthier, as counterintuitive as that may seem.

It helps that I live somewhere that food and rent is cheap. I spend more on breakfast than I do on housing.

My last hard core writing (3 novels in 4 months) drove me to binge on carbs, cigarettes, and to some degree porn.

Now that I'm in a less stressful mind set, I'm cigarette free, low-carb, and working on getting a girlfriend to replace porn hub.

Life's a balance.

Can't say I'm giving up drinking, but I switched from beer to vodka and water and a splash of lime.


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## Madeline_Kirby (Apr 14, 2015)

I practice intermittent fasting combined with a ketogenic diet. For me this means I get up, have a cup of coffee or tea with a serving of MCT oil, and don't eat anything until lunch. 

Productivity-wise, I am more alert and functional in the morning on just the oil/coffee mixture.

Health-wise, I have lost ~20 lbs. in the last three months and no longer have joint pain in my hands or hips.

I have tried other forms of fasting in the past, but was not pleased with the experience. My current regimen is working well for me and I have no plans to change in the foreseeable future.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

I feel pretty good if I stick to a low-key daily fast -- 14 to 18 hours without calories per 24-hour period. At the lower end of the spectrum, it's a breeze -- eat an earlyish supper and a lateish breakfast, and you have your 14 hours. At the upper end, I skip either dinner or breakfast. Even the shorter fasting period is great for avoiding bingey eating late at night, when I'm tired and no one's awake to see me pulling out the Ben & Jerry's.  

Apropos of kw3000's point about the sedentary writing life ... has anyone out there used an endless pool?


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

I was doing really well with IF a couple of months ago. I only ate between about 1 pm to 8 pm, and only water to drink. Combined with low carb eating, I was feeling better, more mentally aware and just plain happy. Lost some weight, got the blood sugar and blood pressure down. Then I got sick and basically fell of the wagon. Haven't managed to get back on again, but working on it.

Carbs make me fat, grumpy and brain dead. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how I should eat, but carbs are addictive. The more you eat, the more you want. Or at least, that's my experience.


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## Carol Davis (Dec 9, 2013)

No, I wouldn't. I eat 3 meals a day, sometimes with a snack in between, if I'm hungry.  Everyone's free to choose what works for them, but going without food for long periods would just made me obsess about when my next meal was rolling around.

I'm an omnivore. Everything in moderation. It works for me.


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## Madeline_Kirby (Apr 14, 2015)

Lilly_Frost said:


> For those of you who fast for a long time (14+ hours), don't you have problems with your blood sugar dropping? I do keto, and the few carbs I get tend to be of the leafy-green variety, but even so, if I go more than 6 or 7 hours without eating, I get a terrible headache/shakes/nausea.


It sounds like you might not be getting enough fat and/or salt. Most of my carbs come from tomatoes and eggplant. Leafy greens are good, but not enough on their own. Avocadoes are a necessity for me - a veg and a fat - mostly a fat. Also, try adding a small serving of nuts between meals - salt and fat. Sometimes, in the morning, I find coffee alone might upset my stomach - it's rare, but when it happens I eat a small piece of cheese and keep going.


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## Dpock (Oct 31, 2016)

Lilly_Frost said:


> For those of you who fast for a long time (14+ hours), don't you have problems with your blood sugar dropping? I do keto, and the few carbs I get tend to be of the leafy-green variety, but even so, if I go more than 6 or 7 hours without eating, I get a terrible headache/shakes/nausea.


I consume nearly 0 carbs. My IF schedule is no food until 6:00 pm, and I stop eating at 9:00 pm. During the fasting period, I drink only water, including two glasses a day laced with Himalayan Pink Salt for the potassium and minerals. That takes care of the headaches and could ameliorate your shakes and nausea.

(Via Dr. Rhonda Patrick (Youtube) I learned that black coffee and tea both break a fast.)

My energy and mental clarity, and especially focus, are great all day, and that's really added to my productivity. (This is where it all ties into the writing life. Before I started eating this way, my daily writing time was half of what it is today.).


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## EllieDrake (Jul 30, 2018)

Great post!

I've got a host of medical issues, so IF and diet have become tools to help manage symptoms. 

I use IF to manage pain and inflammation (Fibro sufferer here *sad wave*) as well as keep my tachycardia (Rapid pulse with syncope {fainting} episodes) under control. 

My regimen is one full day fasting, one day eating only when hungry. (Usually one-two small meals.) My meals are a balance of iron rich foods and greens (anemia) plus meat, but red meat in moderation with a heavy emphasis on fish. I drink copious amounts of water and tea and drink coffee and sugar free soda in moderation. 

Honestly, I just listen to my body. Somewhere along the way I got stuck in this "Three meals a day" mindset, put on weight, got terribly sick, then decided to go back to the way I used to do things. So far, so good. Improvement in pain levels, mood, productivity, and health. YMMV. 

It is fascinating to know it's a common thing. Most people I talk to about fasting look at me like I'm nuts. I am, but that's neither here nor there. xD


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## JDMatheny (May 7, 2017)

Anarchist said:


> I've experimented with 5/2, 6/1, and longer water fasts, and am a longtime member of the FB group _Principia Lenta_.
> 
> I understand the link between fasting and autophagy, but I stick to IF these days (generally 18:6).
> 
> FWIW, I eat 100% meat. Some carnivores fast (both water and dry fasts), but most of us either stick to IF or dismiss fasting altogether (i.e. eat when hungry).


Pretty much this for me as well. I generally eat two meals a day, late morning and evening, sticking with high fat hamburger and steaks. I've felt much better since going that route and have far fewer cravings.


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## dgrant (Feb 5, 2014)

Annie B said:


> I highly recommend looking up Dr. Jason Fung's videos on intermittent fasting and insulin resistance. It's very interesting watching and he's an actual doctor who backs up what he says with studies and research you can look into further.


Totally second the Dr. Fung recommendation; not only does he back up his talks with solid research and examples, but the guy has a gift for taking more esoteric bits of biology and making them understandable to those of us who haven't dealt with cell science in decades.

I personally do 16:8 because it fits best with my gym & work schedule. While I'd probably lose weight faster and be a bit healthier on 20:4, this manages to get two meals in a day every day on a set schedule, instead of having to try change my eating window back and forth almost every day. I also don't keto. I aim for low carb and don't guilt over the occasional chocolate cake slice, because I hit keto flu so hard, and no amount of bone broth or hydrate keeps me from getting really snappish, wiped out, and brain fogged for days. And since my job takes a lot of brain power, and I like to keep getting paychecks, I keep eating my carbs.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

I can't do fasting. There are too many places to get tacos around here.


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## Jotheboat (Jan 22, 2016)

Yes, at least 5 times a week. 
Within last 12 months diagnosed with T2 diabetes and a blocked aorta.
In both cases specialists say keeping blood sugars under good control is a must - done through very low carb, no ciggies and as much exercise as my body will allow.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

JDMatheny said:


> I generally eat two meals a day, late morning and evening, sticking with high fat hamburger and steaks.


Same here, eating mostly ribeyes and porterhouse. And I've never felt better.

It's not for everyone. But it definitely works for me.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

Jeff Tanyard said:


> Sounds expensive. But tasty.


Mealtime is my favorite time of day!


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

When I was working, up to about seven years ago, I ate only one late afternoon meal a day. I simply didn't get hungry. I was sitting in the car all day so not using up too many calories.

Since I retired, and especially since I lost my dogs, I am eating three meals a day and I've got careless and put on weight. A warning: when you get to 70, it takes a lot more effort to lose weight.


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## gljones (Nov 6, 2012)

I did the 5/2 fasting diet for several months.  Took some getting used to, but it worked for me and I lost a lot of weight.  I liked it because on the 5 days I could eat pretty much whatever, the 2 days of course were hard.  At any rate, I lost weight.  I don't really do it now, as I've been able to maintain my weight, but I suggest people try it and see if works for them.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

Puddleduck said:


> Could those who've said they eat only meat expand on that a little? I'm very curious. I didn't know anyone did that, since it's my understanding that vegetables contain necessary nutrients that meat doesn't.


If you'd like to investigate this way of eating, I recommend this site: http://justmeat.co/

I got started years ago after reading The Bear's (Owsley Stanley) posts on Low Carb Forum. Here's a PDF: http://justmeat.co/docs/the-bear.pdf

Two more fascinating reads: http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/all-meat-diets/ and http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/food/meats/

When it comes to diet and exercise, I never advise others. Everyone's different. That said, I _do_ recommend experimenting with various diet/exercise protocols and monitoring the results (digestion, energy, mood, joint pain, etc.).


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

Puddleduck said:


> Could those who've said they eat only meat expand on that a little? I'm very curious. I didn't know anyone did that, since it's my understanding that vegetables contain necessary nutrients that meat doesn't.


I've survived for seventy years without a single vegetable (except the ones I ate to decide I didn't like them). I eat dairy products, eggs, cheese, milk etc and yoghurt. Beef and poultry but not lamb. I don't eat meat from young animals, so no veal either. But vegetables, only potatoes, which I don't really see as a vegetable. I eat very little fruit, usually bananas, but nothing else.


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## Guest (Aug 26, 2018)

Great to see this thread. I'm even more motivated to develop our monkish ways. My husband and I started doing a proper fast on Fridays during Lent last year like in the old days (bread/water). My husband eats once a day during the work-week and the meal is typically high fat/protein low carb. I eat twice a day, once with my daughter when she gets home from school and again with my husband. Every quarter, we observe ember days, which are longer fasting days (Wed, Fri, Sat.). We've discovered numerous health benefits including some much needed weight loss, a decrease in migraines (for me), and better focus.

We also discovered Dr. Jason Fung's work and it makes terrific sense. 

LilyFrost, if you don't have fat reserves, you would feel faint and headachy while fasting. As others have pointed out, you may also have a problem with salt balance. I drink a glass of water with 1/2 tsp of Himalayan salt every morning. It *is* salty but interestingly quite refreshing.

Puddleduck, when you look across various cultures, they vary a lot in their diet. Some are vegetarian, others are very meat-based, but they all have adapted to eating what's in their environment. I don't think you need to worry about balance. If you want to fast, just stop eating one of your meals and go from there. But I hear you on the carbs. I love my carbs--rice, pasta, bread, fruits, you name it. I think sugar is the most addictive thing because my body screams for it when I first cut back.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

Doglover said:


> I've survived for seventy years without a single vegetable (except the ones I ate to decide I didn't like them). I eat dairy products, eggs, cheese, milk etc and yoghurt. Beef and poultry but not lamb. I don't eat meat from young animals, so no veal either. But vegetables, only potatoes, which I don't really see as a vegetable. I eat very little fruit, usually bananas, but nothing else.


I find this shocking. Do you have to take supplements?


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## Zelah Meyer (Jun 15, 2011)

I have deleted this post as I do not consent to the new Terms of Service that Vertical Scope are attempting to retrospectively apply to our content.  I am forced to manually replace my content as, at time of editing, their representative has instructed moderators not to delete posts or accounts when users request it, and Vertical Scope have implied that they will deal with account deletion requests by anonymising accounts, which would leave personally identifying information in my posts.

I joined under the previous ownership and have posted over the years under different Terms of Service.  I do not consent to my name, content, or intellectual properties being used by Vertical Scope or any other entity that they sell or licence my data to.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

CopperDog said:


> And grocery shopping means a quick walk to the meat case, instead of going up and down the aisles.


One of carnivory's greatest perks is simplicity when it comes to meal prep. I never wonder what to eat. The answer is always "steak."

And I _love_ steak.


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> I find this shocking. Do you have to take supplements?


No, I don't. I think this five a day lark is another new age fad that they'll change their minds about in a few years. I remember a time when they said that smoking was good for you.

Why should it be shocking.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

CopperDog said:


> Yep, my favorites are bone in ribeyes and t-bones, cut thick. This year the three closest groceries to me have been cycling through $6-7 /pound specials on these beauties, but I sometimes buy the whole ribeye as a vac-packed primal at CostCo or Sams and cut my own for a dozen or so meals at a similar price.
> 
> As the advertisement says "Beef, its what's for dinner"....and every other meal.


I love those specials. This summer, Stater Bros. has run bone-in ribeye and porterhouse at $4.99/lb. My freezer is jammed with the stuff. But buying the primal and cutting your own steaks... that's Level III carnivory. I have yet to reach that level. 

I follow a bunch of drool-worthy steak Instagram accounts... they're basically meat porn:

https://www.instagram.com/steakvideos/
https://www.instagram.com/ilovegrillingmeatdotcom/
https://www.instagram.com/vertsmoke/
https://www.instagram.com/overthefirecooking/
https://www.instagram.com/meatmeinheaven/

If I'm not eating it, I'm staring at it. I think I have a problem.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

Well, I hope you guys don't get scurvy. I can't see the logic in not eating vegetables at all unless you just really can't stand them. They're low calorie and contain a lot of vitamins and fiber. I like meat too, but vegetables and spices add a lot of flavor and keep you from over-eating. Meat and water diet sounds incredibly boring and like an eating disorder. 

Not sure I would trust "Owsley Stanley" either...apparently some hippie who made LSD and hung around with Ken Kesey lol. The promises of curing various ailments sounds no different than all the other pseudo-science out there regarding veganism, raw food and what-not. The super-restrictive diets just give you a bad relationship with food. Yeah, you lose weight while you can stand to be on it, but when you get sick of it the pounds will come back on and then some.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Ugh...don't get me started on all the pseudo-science and outright quackery out there in the diet/vitamin/supplement/whatever world. I will, however, make an e-book suggestion, in order to encourage "critical thinking" on all such matters. 

Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

Doglover said:


> No, I don't. I think this five a day lark is another new age fad that they'll change their minds about in a few years. I remember a time when they said that smoking was good for you.
> 
> Why should it be shocking.


I almost didn't see your reply. Hey, if you made it to 70 without vegetables you earned the right to do what you want by now


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## Starry_Knights (Sep 15, 2016)

Sorry, I think I made it sound like I was intentionally fasting when I'm not.    It's just that doing keto, I don't really get hunger pangs unless I go a LONG time without eating, like a day, so the need to eat sneaks up on me sometimes, and I wondered how on earth you all managed to go so long without crashing. 


I don't just eat leary greens, but I don't eat anything starchy like legumes or root vegetables, except for the occasional carrot as a snack. I do eat berries of some sort every day, but not many of them. And an avocado. And I just drink water. I don't like coffee, tea, or any of those hideous flavored waters. If I'm feeling indulgent, I'll have a glass of chocolate almond or coconut milk made with Truvia. I suppose I could need more salt, since I have low blood pressure naturally. When they take it at the Dr.'s office, I usually have to tell them the blood pressure cuff isn't broken and that my bp really is 90/60.


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

Paranormal Kitty said:


> Well, I hope you guys don't get scurvy. I can't see the logic in not eating vegetables at all unless you just really can't stand them. d then some.


Now you've got it. I really can't stand them and in 70 years, I've never had scurvy.


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

Jeff Tanyard said:


> Do you folks on the "carnivore" diet do a lot of deer hunting? Or some other kind of hunting? Or do you raise your own chickens or something? Because it seems like it would be a lot cheaper to stock your freezer that way than by always purchasing meat at the grocery store. You'd also have the whole "organic" thing going for you. Anyway, just curious.


shudder, shudder, vomit


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

kw3000 said:


> Or diverticulitis. Stay safe peeps.


Diverticulitis has nothing to do with vegetables. I get it, yes, but so does my sister-in-law who eats veggies and fruit till they come out of her ears.


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2018)

Ah! Looks delish Oakwood. 

For all the meat lovers, do you have a Big Green Egg? My husband cooks all our meat on it and the smoky flavor is what I love best. I never liked beef until I had steak grilled on the BGE. And roasted veggies, esp. eggplant, comes out like my mother's now.


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## Starry_Knights (Sep 15, 2016)

Vijaya said:


> Ah! Looks delish Oakwood.
> 
> For all the meat lovers, do you have a Big Green Egg? My husband cooks all our meat on it and the smoky flavor is what I love best. I never liked beef until I had steak grilled on the BGE. And roasted veggies, esp. eggplant, comes out like my mother's now.


I haven't tried roasting eggplant before, I'll have to give it a whirl.


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2018)

Lilly, we roast all kinds of veggies and even make pizza.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Interesting thread. I am on keto, mostly.  . I fell off a bit. Once I eat carbs, I can't stop it seems. Once I am settled on the low carb, I do just fine. I can't do nuts as I can't stop eating them.  . I can get bingey with that stuff. So its best if I don't do a lot of snacking like that. I try to have 2 meals a day and coffee of tea at some point with some butter in it. Or MCT Oil. But that stuff is expensive. If I get the munchies, I grab a couple of pickles. 

For me its about stopping the munchie/bread cravings, cholesterol, GERD control and other health things. I stopped GERD completely and was able to get off the meds. I didn't need to lose a lot of weight really, but since I collect it all in my middle, it got in my way. 
I didn't know I was doing some sort of fasting if I don't eat until lunch. It just depends on the day for me. The longer I don't eat a lot of snacks and small meals all day, the less hungry I am in between. Its like my body settles. 

I do eat veggies though. Cauliflower and broccoli and some others. Usually green stuff. I do add tomatoes to a romaine salad with radishes. I use radishes as substitute for potatoes. I couldn't afford to just eat beef and I like chicken. I only like certain fish so I don't eat it as often as I probably should. 

Not sure if I could go a whole day of not eating. But that isn't something that I want to do or need to do. really, eating  2 meals with all the nice fats and moderate proteins and low carbs is all I need. And a fat type snack in between. Cheese, butter in drink, salami stick, etc. 

So I guess I am doing whats called IF? I didn't even know. It just is. When I first started keto I was logging everything, trying weird snacks substituting flour and using almond flour. Now I don't really count a lot. I just know by now. 

You'll have to pry tea out of my dead cold hands though. Its my life blood. And a cup of coffee a day. Otherwise its just water, sparkly as I make it with the sodastream or just plain. I don't even like the taste of sweet stuff much anymore and that includes diet sodas. Yuck. And this is coming from someone that grew up eating a bar of milka chocolate a day more often than not.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2018)

CopperDog, thank you for sharing your observations. It is truly amazing to wake up one day and discover you no longer are in pain. I'm so happy that the meat only diet has worked so well. I was also very shocked when I started digging into the food guidelines and the cherry picking of data. I have often wondered who stands to gain from spreading misinformation and it points to the healthcare industry. Yup. It's BIG business.


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## Paranormal Kitty (Jun 13, 2017)

CopperDog said:


> As a nation, most of us are now at an age where we have all had the "eat your veggies, whole grains, and fruits" and "fat and red meat is bad" mantras pounded into us all of our lives.


I think we missed that one in Texas  I kind of feel like my family should adopt you though (they raise cattle...free beef for me).


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## MichelleShively (Aug 1, 2018)

thanks guys, very intresting and helpful tips. Going for my avocados


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

I have never done any fasting but believe in balanced eating without feeling hungry. If it helps you feel good then that's what one should do....


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## LiveWell-Amy (Jun 13, 2018)

No fasting but to burn fat, eat foods such as salmon, eggs, nuts, olive oil, peppers and green tea. They help trigger metabolism and stimulate fat burning...  That's what pundits say?


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I have being doing something called Circadian Fasting ... I watched a prime video called Fasting that explained it and it seemed very doable to me and it is! I have been doing it for over 3 weeks, with only one slip. Basically you stop eating before sunset and do not eat again for at least 13 hours. I have this Zero App I use to keep track and since I usually sleep through most of this time period it's not that hard. I usually close my "eating window" by 7pm or earlier then do not eat or have coffee till 8am. If I know I have to get up extra early, I will modify my stopping time to coordinate if I can. I have gone as long as 15 hours and been just fine.

I try to make good choices during the day but nothing is really off limits. I naturally eat less just because of the shorter time period. I lost 5 lbs after the first 2 weeks, will weigh in again this Friday which will make for week 4. I also keep track of everything I eat by photographing it and posting it on a special instagram account I have just for this. This helps me stay accountable and I did this before I started the circadian method and I had already lost 40 lbs doing just that.

Below is a link to the video which also goes into other forms of fasting.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

I don't believe in fasting to lose weight but it may be good to give rest to your stomach...lol


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