Re the focus on only doing this with a doctor's advice.

With regard to diabetes, the medical advice is colored by pharma, which makes billions on diabetes medicine. The current standard of care for diabetes that gets too far is to recommend bariatric surgery. That is because, like fasting, it reduces food intake and reduces insulin levels and viola, Type II diabetes is reversed. The medical community appears to be coming along slowly on this front. If he followed his doctor's advice of starting medication my DH would have been on medication for almost 2 years now and probably would still feel miserable, be gaining weight and getting worse. Yes, the side effects of diabetes medications are often weight gain, which exacerbates the illness. By treating the symptons and not the cause they are making patients sicker.

So, no, we did not follow the doctor's advice, we researched it and decided to starting with low carb (this was medical advice) and intermittent fasting, along with monitoring his blood sugar levels daily to make sure nothing was going wrong and the medical professionals could not be happier with his progress. Has he risked his health by skipping breakfast most days. Not at all. Is he healthier than he was 2 years ago, absolutely.

Managing insulin resistance is a matter of both meal timing and diet.

I absolutely agree that a patient that is taking insulin for diabetes needs to fast with doctor supervision as their medication needs to be adjusted as their insulin levels reduce as a funciton of the fasting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I just worry what it will do to vulnerable people, having people come on here to say they are going 2 full days without eating - often.

Bless your bleeding heart

Vulnerable people are also likely to take things like calorie counting to extreme. Should we avoid that topic too?

Anonymous wrote:

I just worry what it will do to vulnerable people, having people come on here to say they are going 2 full days without eating - often.

Bless your bleeding heart

Anonymous wrote:17 years prediabetic, never obese, never high BMI, extremely fit. Though some years can carry 10+ extra pounds Bad genetics. Routinely fast 14 hours - going on several years. My doctor encourages it. a1C and sugars great

My sibling (not in DC area) extremely fit, never obese but carried a few more pounds. Became diabetic last year. Now Routinely fasts 16-20 hours. Diabetes under control - A1C great now. Doctor encourages fasting as well and took him off meds

For me fasting has never equated to weight loss. My sibling had initial weight loss and now in maintenance. We both feel much better fasting. Don’t get those roller coaster sugar spikes as much.

We don’t fast during social events. We Eat healthy. Eat lower carb than most people - but not low carb.

I would strongly encourage fasting for anyone / diabetic but would not suggest as magic bullet for weight loss - maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. I’m skeptical on extremely long fast benefits.

I'm the one who keeps coming to be a naysayer - and will just say again: going 14 hours without eating doesn't sound problematic the same way as going 36 or 48 hours, routinely.

I trust people to do what makes sense for them. And I just worry what it will do to vulnerable people, having people come on here to say they are going 2 full days without eating - often.

17 years prediabetic, never obese, never high BMI, extremely fit. Though some years can carry 10+ extra pounds Bad genetics. Routinely fast 14 hours - going on several years. My doctor encourages it. a1C and sugars great

My sibling (not in DC area) extremely fit, never obese but carried a few more pounds. Became diabetic last year. Now Routinely fasts 16-20 hours. Diabetes under control - A1C great now. Doctor encourages fasting as well and took him off meds

For me fasting has never equated to weight loss. My sibling had initial weight loss and now in maintenance. We both feel much better fasting. Don’t get those roller coaster sugar spikes as much.

We don’t fast during social events. We Eat healthy. Eat lower carb than most people - but not low carb.

I would strongly encourage fasting for anyone / diabetic but would not suggest as magic bullet for weight loss - maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. I’m skeptical on extremely long fast benefits.

Anonymous wrote:[

You're talking to your doctor, and she's helping guide you - and that sounds different to me from the person who is hiding it from her kids by not being there for dinner during the week.
.

I was one of the two pps who wrote that on weekdays, all members of our families have different schedules so we often just can't have dinner all together. (For us, it was always like that, even before I started fasting.)

Either your reading comprehension is bad or you decided to read it as if we PURPOSEFULLY are not there for dinner.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.

I am the PP. my DH was diagnosed with diabetes almost 2 years ago. He was not obese but he was somewhat overweight and we were stunned as it sort of came out of nowhere. The doctor prescribed metformin and suggested a low carb diet. I read the diabetes code (by Dr Jason Fung, also author of the obesity code). My DH did not want to be on medication for the remainder of his life. Diabetes is a horrible diseased and Type II is entirely controllable by diet. DH monitored his blood sugar daily, never took the metformin, we took processed foods and most flour and sugar out of our diet and he started 16:8 intermittent fasting with the occasional 24 hour (dinner to dinner) fast. He went back to the doctor 6 months later, he lost 20 pounds and his A1C was in the normal range and it has been good ever since.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.

^ But I'll ask: Are any of you doing this at the urging of your doctor? Do you talk to your doctor about your eating patterns? Do the doctors tell you it's a good idea to go 48 hours without eating? Which doctor told you that, if so?

And are you fasting for some reason other than weight loss or weight maintenance? I'm not saying do you experience secondary benefits - like the mental clarity and feeling of control some of you have mentioned - but if you stopped losing weight, or stopped maintaining your weight, would you keep going two full days without eating?

Doctors don't really care what you're doing as long as you are staying healthy. If not fasting caused my weight to inch up and my blood sugar numbers to go up then that is when my doctor would say something via some sort of prescribed drug.

Is Metformin healthier than controlling your diet naturally? I don't think that it is. I think that you are far, far, far better off keeping your blood sugar levels at a good level through your diet. If fasting helps you to achieve that, then all the better.

I do a 36 hour fast once a week, sometimes twice a week AND I eat low carb. Works for me.

If you are dealnig with diabetes, and yur doctor knows what you're doing, that's your business

My concern is about the people doing this because they want to stay skinny. I worry that people on this board are encouraging them to do things that will hurt them mentally and physically. But I'm beating a dead horse now. We're all adults.

I think you might be surprised to find that many of us who fast aren’t skinny and not obsessed with weight/looks. I was 50 lbs overweight (so well into obesity) and starting to have health impacts. Weight Watchers didn’t work, even though I think I did it with fidelity. More exercise didn’t work. So I tried fasting and it worked. I told my doctor what I was doing and she said she’d been hearing more and more about it and would be interested to see how it went for me over time. I am still plump. I probably eat too many potatoes and too many desserts, but if I don’t fast I can’t regularly eat those things and I have to obsess about all my calories. I get no high, no joy, no control from fasting. It’s just a part of my week, and not one I think about too much. But you know what? I plan to grow old, and meet my grandchildren someday. If skipping a few meals a week gets me there I’m happy to do it.

You're talking to your doctor, and she's helping guide you - and that sounds different to me from the person who is hiding it from her kids by not being there for dinner during the week.

Sorry, I got very judgmental based on a few posts. For folks doing this thoughtfully, with the buy-in of a doctor - dealing with actual health problems, or for whatever reason - I'm glad it is working for you. I have expressed who I am worried this will influence - people who are looking to hack the system to stay skinny or get skinny, and are doing it secretively, that sort of thing. But I will bow out now. I am sorry for being judgmental broadly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.

^ But I'll ask: Are any of you doing this at the urging of your doctor? Do you talk to your doctor about your eating patterns? Do the doctors tell you it's a good idea to go 48 hours without eating? Which doctor told you that, if so?

And are you fasting for some reason other than weight loss or weight maintenance? I'm not saying do you experience secondary benefits - like the mental clarity and feeling of control some of you have mentioned - but if you stopped losing weight, or stopped maintaining your weight, would you keep going two full days without eating?

Doctors don't really care what you're doing as long as you are staying healthy. If not fasting caused my weight to inch up and my blood sugar numbers to go up then that is when my doctor would say something via some sort of prescribed drug.

Is Metformin healthier than controlling your diet naturally? I don't think that it is. I think that you are far, far, far better off keeping your blood sugar levels at a good level through your diet. If fasting helps you to achieve that, then all the better.

I do a 36 hour fast once a week, sometimes twice a week AND I eat low carb. Works for me.

If you are dealnig with diabetes, and yur doctor knows what you're doing, that's your business

My concern is about the people doing this because they want to stay skinny. I worry that people on this board are encouraging them to do things that will hurt them mentally and physically. But I'm beating a dead horse now. We're all adults.

I think you might be surprised to find that many of us who fast aren’t skinny and not obsessed with weight/looks. I was 50 lbs overweight (so well into obesity) and starting to have health impacts. Weight Watchers didn’t work, even though I think I did it with fidelity. More exercise didn’t work. So I tried fasting and it worked. I told my doctor what I was doing and she said she’d been hearing more and more about it and would be interested to see how it went for me over time. I am still plump. I probably eat too many potatoes and too many desserts, but if I don’t fast I can’t regularly eat those things and I have to obsess about all my calories. I get no high, no joy, no control from fasting. It’s just a part of my week, and not one I think about too much. But you know what? I plan to grow old, and meet my grandchildren someday. If skipping a few meals a week gets me there I’m happy to do it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.

^ But I'll ask: Are any of you doing this at the urging of your doctor? Do you talk to your doctor about your eating patterns? Do the doctors tell you it's a good idea to go 48 hours without eating? Which doctor told you that, if so?

And are you fasting for some reason other than weight loss or weight maintenance? I'm not saying do you experience secondary benefits - like the mental clarity and feeling of control some of you have mentioned - but if you stopped losing weight, or stopped maintaining your weight, would you keep going two full days without eating?

Doctors don't really care what you're doing as long as you are staying healthy. If not fasting caused my weight to inch up and my blood sugar numbers to go up then that is when my doctor would say something via some sort of prescribed drug.

Is Metformin healthier than controlling your diet naturally? I don't think that it is. I think that you are far, far, far better off keeping your blood sugar levels at a good level through your diet. If fasting helps you to achieve that, then all the better.

I do a 36 hour fast once a week, sometimes twice a week AND I eat low carb. Works for me.

If you are dealnig with diabetes, and yur doctor knows what you're doing, that's your business

My concern is about the people doing this because they want to stay skinny. I worry that people on this board are encouraging them to do things that will hurt them mentally and physically. But I'm beating a dead horse now. We're all adults.

I'm not dealing with diabetes but I know that I have the predisposition to develop it. That is why I am eating the way that I am. A side effect of eating this way has been weight loss. I am not skinny by any stretch of the imagination. It was good that I lost the weight that I did, I could lose more but right now I'm focusing on maintaining. IF has helped me to maintain.

I think it's cool. It takes discipline, that I'm not sure I have. I have enough discipline to cut sweets but am still trying to ignore cravings and temptation.

Couldn't you also consider fasting to be part of survival training? You'd probably outlast us if we had a famine or apocalypse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.

^ But I'll ask: Are any of you doing this at the urging of your doctor? Do you talk to your doctor about your eating patterns? Do the doctors tell you it's a good idea to go 48 hours without eating? Which doctor told you that, if so?

And are you fasting for some reason other than weight loss or weight maintenance? I'm not saying do you experience secondary benefits - like the mental clarity and feeling of control some of you have mentioned - but if you stopped losing weight, or stopped maintaining your weight, would you keep going two full days without eating?

Doctors don't really care what you're doing as long as you are staying healthy. If not fasting caused my weight to inch up and my blood sugar numbers to go up then that is when my doctor would say something via some sort of prescribed drug.

Is Metformin healthier than controlling your diet naturally? I don't think that it is. I think that you are far, far, far better off keeping your blood sugar levels at a good level through your diet. If fasting helps you to achieve that, then all the better.

I do a 36 hour fast once a week, sometimes twice a week AND I eat low carb. Works for me.

If you are dealnig with diabetes, and yur doctor knows what you're doing, that's your business

My concern is about the people doing this because they want to stay skinny. I worry that people on this board are encouraging them to do things that will hurt them mentally and physically. But I'm beating a dead horse now. We're all adults.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.

^ But I'll ask: Are any of you doing this at the urging of your doctor? Do you talk to your doctor about your eating patterns? Do the doctors tell you it's a good idea to go 48 hours without eating? Which doctor told you that, if so?

And are you fasting for some reason other than weight loss or weight maintenance? I'm not saying do you experience secondary benefits - like the mental clarity and feeling of control some of you have mentioned - but if you stopped losing weight, or stopped maintaining your weight, would you keep going two full days without eating?

Doctors don't really care what you're doing as long as you are staying healthy. If not fasting caused my weight to inch up and my blood sugar numbers to go up then that is when my doctor would say something via some sort of prescribed drug.

Is Metformin healthier than controlling your diet naturally? I don't think that it is. I think that you are far, far, far better off keeping your blood sugar levels at a good level through your diet. If fasting helps you to achieve that, then all the better.

I do a 36 hour fast once a week, sometimes twice a week AND I eat low carb. Works for me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.

^ But I'll ask: Are any of you doing this at the urging of your doctor? Do you talk to your doctor about your eating patterns? Do the doctors tell you it's a good idea to go 48 hours without eating? Which doctor told you that, if so?

And are you fasting for some reason other than weight loss or weight maintenance? I'm not saying do you experience secondary benefits - like the mental clarity and feeling of control some of you have mentioned - but if you stopped losing weight, or stopped maintaining your weight, would you keep going two full days without eating?

Anonymous wrote:There are real doctors at real research universities (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, USC, etc.) doing real research on the health and weight benefits of fasting.

It is providing real relief as in reversing diabetes and fighting cancer.

I really wish all of you people who are panicked by discussions of fasting would read some of the medical literature or even look for ted talks on this.

Peace.

If you have diabetes and your doctor tells you to fast for some period of time, fine. I have yet to see a person on this thread who says that she is engaging in a fast on doctor's orders, or with a doctor's advice. I see people encouraging each other on as a way to lose weight and insisting they've never had such a clear mind, or such a skinny body.