Daily Fasting Until Dinner

[leisly]

Hi everyone! I’ve been seeing a lot of people mentioning about fasting until dinner every day and I was just wondering if anyone has tried this and what their success has been. I know Brad Pilon mentions in Eat Stop Eat that fasting shouldn’t be intrusive on your lifestyle which I completely agree with. It just seems like the daily fasting until dinner would work with your lifestyle if you work during the day(like me) and then are able to break the fast if you regularly eat dinner with your family or boyfriend after work. If you have done this every day how do you feel? I’m sure it takes a little getting used to. Personally, I have no issues with a 24-hr fast once or twice a week, but I know fasting daily is a big step so to speak. I like the idea – please let me know your thoughts/experience.

[linda]

I have been doing this since last week and it is DEFINITELY working for me. I’ve gone from 141 to 137 since last Thursday. It definitely gets more automatic the longer you do it. The big thing is to not let yourself overeat at your evening meal. I also like to vary the sizes of my meals. Last night I only had a bowl of soup (300 calories) but the night before I had a big meal of 1500 calories. I lost weight both days!

This is definitley a do-able eating strategy that works with my lifestyle, and sounds like it might work for yours too. It really lets me feel full in the evening (which I like) and I don’t feel deprived during the day (anymore–I did the first few days but that’s it). I just spend the day planning out what delicious things I will be eating that night.

[susan]

It definitely takes getting used to, but there have been several periods of my life where I did it without a problem for weeks a row, while dropping weight easily. I’d give it a try! You may have to work up to it, though…start with 2-3 fast days in the week, then gradually add more.

Also, have a PLAN for your evening meal so you don’t overeat. Soup is great, like linda suggested. I also try to eat a salad or a bunch of veggies. I just feel good when I keep my veggie intake high. Also, don’t forget about a solid protein source! When you only have one, smaller meal, you do need to make sure it’s fairly balanced.

[linda]

I love tea while I’m fasting. You can find very flavorful tea that satisfies your craving to *taste* something. My favorite is the Lipton tea pyraminds–their white and green teas have all kinds of awesome flavors like mandarin orange, pomegranate-blueberry, tropical… I don’t even remember them all, but they are DELISH.

I do listen to my body and I don’t stick to the same time every day to end my fast. Somedays I need to eat around 4, some days I don’t feel like I need to eat until 7 or 8. If you start to feel so hungry that you’re going to binge, start with a broth-based soup! It will fill you up enough that you can make smart choices after that. I’ve said it before, but I love the miso soup packets you can get, either in the International Aisle of your grocery store or an asian market. The ones I have are only 10 calories per serving.

During the day I like to go into LoseIt (iPod/iPhone App) and start entering things in, deleting things, and planning my meal for the evening so I don’t go over. I’m still figuring this out, but that’s my plan!

[nancy]

I too have been having success with this method. I work during the day so I just don’t pack a lunch or any snacks. It was weird getting used to at first because prior to this I was in the eat 5-6 times per day camp and always had my snacks sitting around. I had to get out of the habit of always watching the time so I didn’t miss my snack time. I sure don’t miss that anymore! I totally agree with what linda said about planning your dinners. This is huge!! I have always been able to eat a decent meal when I knew what were having.

At first I would get hunger pains and was tempted to give in to them, but I’ve learned that it ALWAYS passes. Don’t let your body be in control… you have to control your body – beat it into subjection if you must. It WILL eventually obey.

[lisa]

Do any of you doing this have a problem with co-workers commenting that you aren’t eating? What do you say to them? Are you just open about fasting or do you find other excuses?

This is the hardest part for me – I feel pressured to eat at work. I experimented with lunch as my only meal and that works but then on the weekends I end up wanting dinner instead and it’s hard going back and forth. I feel like I would be better off getting into a fasting pattern that is consistent.

[linda]

Lisa, you could just say you had a really big breakfast. Or you’re “working through lunch”. Or skipping lunch to save money. Or just open up and be honest, that’s what I did with my classmates. We always get a break between classes for lunch, and I spend it with them while they eat. I just read and occasionally someone will notice that I’m not eating (it took them a surprisingly long time to notice) I just let them know what I was doing, but that did lead to a lot more questions and expressions of disbelief.

[helen]

I work in a team environment where there’s always a group of 4-5 of us working out at a client in a tiny conference room together, spending 10-12 hours every day in each other’s lovely company. Depending on which group of co-workers I’m working with that particular week/month, I will take different approaches.

1. For the healthy eaters and exercisers – I’m usually content to say I’m skipping lunch without any because… behind it. Sometimes, I’ll throw in that I’m going to the gym after work and don’t want to be full.

2. For the overweight and constant snackers – I’m not hungry doesn’t fly unless I have a “why” to back it up…. go to’s this time of year are that I had a big breakfast (I’ll usually mention my “great” breakfast earlier in the day as a preemptive move) or I’m not feeling too great.

3. For everyone else – If one of the above doesn’t seem appropriate, I can always use that I’m going out to dinner with my hubby or have a family dinner that night. Everyone I work with knows that I do a lot of family things (it’s the reason we moved back to Ohio last year) so it’s an easy way to stop additional questions.

I used to feel obligated to eat lunch in the close environment I’m in here, but I was surprised when I started skipping lunches how no one really cared. It was all in my head before.

[donna]

I’ve been eating just dinner since July and it worked really great so far, even though I was bingeing pretty heavily for a couple of weeks in between. For me, it’s absolutely the best way of dieting. I get so much more work done during the day without losing my concentration because of a heavy lunch and I can still eat a relatively large meal in the evening (which I just need to relax after work). Plus I’m saving money.

Another thing that I just love about it is that all the food tastes so much better when you haven’t eaten all day. I had lunch and dinner a couple of days ago because my boss invited us for lunch and I really didn’t enjoy it at all. The dinner just didn’t taste nearly as good as it normally did (although I was hungry).

I can only stress again that you NEED to plan your meal in advance. I always start with a large salad with vegetables and fresh herbs because it has a lot of volume and nearly no calories (if you make the right dressing).

As for inquiring coworkers: Keeping an empty bag of chips is a little bit too extreme for me (especially because my way of getting that empty bag would propably be to buy a full one and eat it), so I always just tell people that I can’t eat lunch because I’m extremely sensitive and get such a bad concentration low if I do and that I just have breakfast and dinner because of that. Nobody really cares about it anymore.

[susan]

I work long days – 10 hours – which typically cover breakfast and lunch. I work with a small group, from 2-4 other people, depending on the day and what’s going on. Some days everyone is busy and no one would care that I’m not having lunch. And I have been successful with just saying that I’m not hungry or that I had a big breakfast (assuming no one was paying attention to me at breakfast!), or that my tummy was upset. BUT, the hard part is doing this on a continual basis…If I say my tummy is upset every day they are going to tell me I need to go to the doctor!

And I don’t think they could fathom not being hungry every day. I could just eat a low-cal lunch to fit in, but I feel so much better when I can get a long fast in. I would like to be able to just “come clean” and tell them that I’m fasting but I don’t think it would go over well. One of my co-workers is a friend and is truly supportive and I know she would be cool, but the other three would be a pain in the butt. I guess I could start with telling my friend and try to go from there…maybe she can help me with my cover stories. LOL

[barbara]

I’ve experienced that when I try to fast longer than 24 hours, ie I don’t eat at ALL on any given day, I go crazy. It’s like too much pressure for me or something. I have done a longer fast, 4 days, but it was insanely hard for me. Pure will of steel brought me through it and that was IT. So the days that I have successfully eaten only dinner have been amazing and felt natural. Not easy, but natural.

I find that looking forward to something delicious that night gets me through the day – there is no dread when I wake up of, “Oh great. I get to eat nothing today.” I just really love my food! And that way, I can have WHATEVER I want to eat that night, even if it includes bread or chocolate or even wine. Obviously just not alot, but some.

[betty]

This is the plan I have been trying to follow. I eat in a five hour window each day (often less) but really struggle to do this on the weekends. When I am asked about not eating lunch it is usually on the rare occassion that there is a lunch meeting. This definately happens once very other month and I just go ahead and eat lunch because I don’t want to draw attention. But I am determined to stop doing this. I want to follow my plan better every day, even if there is a lunch meeting.

I have used a line on occassion that has worked. They say “What? Aren’t you eating lunch?” I pat my wide hips and say “I am tired of carrying my lunch all the time, so, no not today.”

I also follow Lent and during Lent and other fast times of the religious year, this is an easy excuse. No one questions it because they know I follow my faith.

The hard part is on the weekend when a friend asks me to go out to lunch with her, or I am asked on a lunch date with a guy. I hate giving up social events like this. I can handle being in a business meeting and not eating when others are but it is harder in a one on one social event.

I am seriously considering cutting out eating related social events for few months to get my head on straight and get some of this weight off. Then I will be able to handle watching others eat because my appetite will be under control. (I hope). The next work related lunch meeting isn’t until the end of March so it would mostly be personal life stuff (and leaving early from church without eating as well.)

I had good results in the past when I just stuck to eating in that window and watching my portions. I have gotten caught up in emotional eating and indulging myself for months and need to get back on track.

[Eva]

I have some thoughts about several issues brought up in this thread. FYI, I used to be a psychotherapist and confrontation was part of the job.

1) What to say to people who keep questioning why you’re not eating:

For me it’s easier to state that you’re dieting at the time the social engagement is made and if they’re not OK with it then something else has to be planned. This usually nips it in the bud. For spontaneous eating situations, just stating the fact that you’re dieting or don’t want to eat and saying that’s the end of the story. The other person continues to comment or question you. You just smile and look at them AND DON’T SAY ANYTHING ELSE. By not supporting your end of the conversation the other person will be forced to quit. By smiling and staring you are sending the message that you’re serious about not talking but don’t want to act bitchy about it. When it comes up again the next day with the same people, don’t say anything, just resume the smiling stare and they will remember what you said yesterday.

2) Being with one or two people who are eating and you’re not (like going out to lunch)and you don’t want to feel left out:

I will nurse a non-calorie drink through out the meal. If there you’re friend and you say ahead of time, like I mentioned above, it’s usually OK. Choosing more casual dining places are easier to sit in and not eat than in a very formal restaurant. If you can have some calories I will nurse a salad and sneak in my own low calorie salad dressing or toppings and seruptitiously apply them when the waiter isn’t looking. I have brought in many small food items in small baggies that easily fit into my purse. It becomes a fun secret joke between me and my friend. Always order salad dressing on the side and dip your fork into it and take some lettuce. When you’re done with your salad it will look like you didn’t touch the dressing yet there was some in every bite. There’s no solution if you WANT to eat the food at the restaurant and have no self control other than not being there.

3) Eating well when doing ultra low calorie:

I have been told that I should write a gourmet ultra low calorie recipe book. (I need to take my own advice more often and make some of those things ) I have had a good few days this week of doing 600-800 cal/d while having one meal. Using different ingredients to mimic high caloric ingredients is the key. But someone needs to do the experimentation. I have what I think are some good substitutions. Once I think them through, if others are interestEd, I’ll find an appropriate thread and start listing some recipes. Just made something the other night that tasted like a chocolate ganache filled croissant and it wasn’t a few bites. It was 6 inches x 6 inches in size.

[lindaG]

I think daily fasting is not something that can be maintained in the long period of time. I personally followed eat stop eat for the last 6 months and I love it! I posted my eat stop eat experience and weight loss results on this page.

[Author]

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