Tuesday 21 August 2012

Reflections on fasting

Because I chose to do it for a bit of fun, I think it became manageable.

The things that helped were.

1. The sense of 'ownership' - I didn't feel I ought to do anything and hence wouldn't feel bad if I failed.
2. I adapted the routine myself and choose exactly what and when I ate. I chose some delicious food.
3. By having soup at mid-day it became familiar - something I do every day- and hence 'comfortable'.
4. By only setting myself two days, it became an easier task - I had the choice then how to carry on, and do another two days in the future if I want to carry on.
5. Having fasted I had no inclination to eat more on subsequent days though I was aware that I needed to eat more on the first breakfast and avoid strenuous exercise if I wanted to avoid feeling weak.

If one is thinking of reducing body fat it seems to me to be an excellent way forward: each time you do two days  you have the feeling of having made progress. You can then adapt to how long you want to carry on for and each time you know you will succeed a little whenever you do it.

Since doing this I have talked to someone who is fasting like this alternative days and she is already conscious of losing weight and managing fine, something born out by the TV program. Every alternate day may be too much but two days a week seems to be a very satisfying way of achieving weight loss if that's what you want.

1 comment:

Geoff Dellow said...

Since the above experiment I have talked with three people. One is curious and wants to be kept informed, the second has taken on fasting quite seriously - eating normally only alternative days. The last I've just been talking to - one of a retired couple, both of whom felt they needed to reduce weight and had become convinced by the TV program that not only it was beneficial to reduce body weight but that greater longevity was achieved anyway by fasting.
The man, I've just talked to, is very pleased that after three weeks he is down to the weight he was some time ago before he retired. His belt has needed tightening. He is fasting two days a week - each fast separated by two and three days alternatively. His fasting consists of confining himself to fluids. He finds he feels fit and that hunger is not a problem. He is carrying on with the same program until a pattern emerges.

As for me I feel the need to get fitter so that walking up and down Hoad and lifting myself up and down from a crouched position are no longer problems. This comes first in my set of priorities. Swimming weekly; vigorously for at least 30 minutes is an attractive proposition.