Friday is for fasting
My goals to continue improving myself have been moving forward very nicely and the 10 tips that helped me lose weight are still a part of my daily life, resulting in continuous weight loss. The first tip on that list is portion control, which was hard to get over at first but now I look at food much differently, it’s more like fuel to me. I also feel very lucky having started the change in how I eat (refusing to call this a diet) back at the end of the summer so that now, with the holidays here and it being cold and comfort food, well being comforting, I don’t have serious food cravings, they’ve all passed.
One change not on the list is one that started kind of by accident, frustration and stupidity. Fasting. Wikipedia has a ton of information on fasting for dozens of different reasons, none of which are really why I’m doing it. Mine started with frustration which led to a stupid idea that I’ve just kind of stuck with.
Photo by: jspatchwork
I weigh myself every Saturday morning, that’s the weight I use to check progress, but I often weigh myself during the week to see how things are going, understanding that my weight often swings a pound or more throughout the day depending on what I’ve eaten and what kind of cardio I’ve done. This particular week I weighed myself on a Wednesday night and was happy with a two pound loss. I made the mistake of weighing myself Friday night, before dinner and saw that I gained a half pound over the previous Saturday’s weigh-in, or two and a half pounds since Wednesday. I decided not to eat dinner and to limit my water intake that evening. Saturday morning I was down to what I weighed Wednesday evening, down 2 total pounds from the previous Saturday. This was a stupid mistake on my part, I understand that and don’t suggest that anyone starves themselves to lose weight, but I’ve continued to do it.
The following Friday I was tired, cranky and didn’t have any food left-over in the fridge and was in no mood to cook or go out to eat, so I chose not to eat dinner again.
Since I’ve switched to eating 4 times a day, I’m still getting 3 small meals in, and choosing not to eat a dinner on a day that I don’t work out is my way of portion control. It works for me, but I’m not sure how much longer I’ll continue to do it. The human body, my body, is something I’m still learning, expanding and pushing the limits of. Anyone out there fast for non-religious reasons?
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Comments
Lauren
Hey – I have fasted a lot over the course of my life, for a variety of reasons. Here’s what I can share.
In general, skipping a meal for most people won’t have adverse effects on them – but there are those, like people with diabetes, who should not skip meals for obvious reasons. And, those who work out a lot, have physically demanding jobs, or have been truly tested to have a high metabolism should not fast – that means you, Mike (as in reason #1).
And, not drinking water to meet a weight loss goal – really not good, especially for those who work out a lot. (And dehydration can happen quickly in some circumstances, which can be really dangerous; not suggesting you reached that level, of course.)
Why would you mess with what is working for you (i.e. your changes before the accidental fast) is my question. You’re eating healthy, and working out – there is nothing that will be better for your body overall and your weight loss goals than that.
Fasting to ‘cleanse’ is controversial (I know you didn’t mention that, I’m just bringing it up), and there’s plenty of urban myths out there about it. As an herbalist friend of mine puts it, “if your colon was actually dirty, you’d be dead, so there’s no reason to ‘cleanse’ it.” That being said, there is evidence that letting the digestive system have a break, i.e. fast, for a short period, can be beneficial – but again, since you’re eating healthy overall and working out, your system is likely working at a pretty optimum level, and you probably wouldn’t benefit that much from a cleanse or fasting.
I’m not a dietician nor do I have a medical degree – I’ve just studied nutrition all my life, along with alternative/ complimentary medicine, and tried lots of things, and have many friends who have solid/valid knowledge and experience with nutrition and exercise. Like anything, you’ll find people who agree and don’t agree with what I’ve said already (and who might take issue with me offering opinions and advice, period. Too bad, I guess.)
Hope you don’t mind unsolicited advice: You mentioned being too tired to go get something to eat – fasting won’t make you less tired or less frustrated. I’d focus on making sure you have your normal food ready at any time, so that when you’re tired you’re not put in that position again.
And, I’d ease up on the weight loss goal in regards to ‘must meet it no matter what’, which is what is implied in what you did. You’ve said yourself in previous posts you know you’ll hit plateaus – so, let yourself hit a plateau. When you’re tired and cranky and working lots of hours and not eating as you have been, you’re (anyone) is most at risk of plateauing and possibly gaining a few pounds.
Plus, it’s the holiday season of more junk and sugar in the workplace and everywhere, so when all that converges… stick to what works, ease up on expectations, keep working out, and best to pass on the fasting in general. Although skipping one meal a week really shouldn’t matter in the overall picture for most people, that being said, it makes the most sense to deal with the initial things that led you to accidentally fast, so that you don’t become obsessed with it, or with forcing weight loss.
Hope that helps somehow.
Be well,
Lauren
Lauren
P.S. I personally like fasting, and used to have no problem with it, but this was when working out was sporadic a long time ago. Once your body is used to constant/regular physical exertion, your body really depends on steady and good nutrition. Otherwise you fatigue really fast, and can be at risk of injury. Your body’s functions do slow down when fasting – which is interesting to experience – and there is a calmness and clarity that comes from it (at least for me) which is really nice.
But fasting too long bursts that bubble quickly, and then you’re just tired and cranky – and likely to overeat once you begin eating again.
How you break a fast is as important as how you start a fast, too. Keep reading lots of different sources before embarking on extended fasts, as they can be detrimental if not prepared for, managed, and broken with care. Find reputable sources, read their sources carefully, and talk to a doctor or two to be safe.
Lauren G.
I have tried fasting and it hasnt worked for me but I think thats because of my bodies demand. For most of my life I’ve worked out at least 4 days a week. I still do, most of the time for at least an hour, minimum. It just simply doesnt work for me, I turn into a b*tch and end up overeating.
Alison
I did a 10 day fast last year and it was amazing. I learned a lot about food while doing it– a lot of info I used to keep me on track with the fast, and I continue to use to this day. I don’t recommend skipping a meal to meet a weight goal– body weight changes throughout the day for everyone. And getting obsessed with a number is NOT a good idea. Feeling good overall is a great goal though. I did the fast to rid my body of the junk that has built up in it my whole life. I feel a million times better since doing it! I also wrote an article about it here
http://eskandalozine.com/page_8–_the_master_cleanse