How long should I fast – 24 hr or 20 hr Fasting?

[Eva]

Does anyone know if it makes a significant difference to fast only 20 hrs vs. 24hrs?

I find that when I do a fast from say 6pm to 6pm, around 2pm I am SERIOUSLY counting down the last 4 hrs. I can’t seem to think of anything but being able to eat at 6pm. It’s very distracting and makes me not want to do a fast at all because I get so “edgey”.

I’d appreciate anyone’s input on this. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Start with 20 and do it a while. As you become more experienced with fasting it will become easier to do 24 hrs. As for the difference, there really is any appreciable difference as long as you do not do any compensatory eating to negate the deficit of the fast.

[Eva]

Thanks alexa! That does help! I will try the 20 hr fast. I’ll start at 6pm and break it at 2pm the next day with something light like Greek Yogurt or fruit and then go on to a normal dinner (500-700 cals).

I read in eat stop eat that the fat burning hormones spike at 18-20 hrs, so I just didn’t want to sabotage the fasts’ effects by stopping too early…thanks again!

[barbara]

I remember Brad Pilon talked about this and I think he said the major benefit will happen around 18 hours. So that’s always been the point I wanted to at least strive for and then see how far I get from there, but force nothing. I actually think it’s a pretty smart idea to keep listening to your body. It usually has a point – unless your eating habits are completely out of whack. Stretch a bit here, challenge a bit there… but never force.

[fredda]

There are a number or factors involved. At the beginning, I HAD to do the full 24 or I’d mess up. So I’d eat a late dinner, fast until st least that time, then have one meal and TRY to stop. It was best to just go to bed. Later and leaner, 18-22 became optimal but that meant an eating window. It was a very active step for me to learn to keep calories in check and now blow my fast.

[gemma]

I do the same thing the last 4-6 hours of a 24 hour fast. You will still get a ton of benefit from 20 hour fasts, but if you cut it short you will lose the last 4 hours of the fat burning hormone benefit (which continues to work for you after the fast). Even after doing lots and lots of 24 hour fasts and being at my peak in fasting endurance in the last 4 hours I always did the same as you. It is a definite mind game. Now that I’m lean I can’t even do 24, but I can do shorter fasts 15-20 hours and I’m still always checking the clock (checking it sooner now I believe because my body has far less fat reserves) and can’t wait until I get to eat!

[gemma]

The other thing you can try is to do the 20 hour fasts for awhile, and at some point try 24 again once you have built up more of an “endurance” for it. If it doesn’t work for you then that is okay too. I lost the bulk of my weight doing 15-17 hour fasts before I even know about eat stop eat. Most women do the less than 24 fasts once they get lean because the body just doesn’t have the fat reserves anymore and it just doesn’t feel right anymore.

[lindaG]

From my expirience, there is no big difference between fasting for 20 hrs vs. 24hrs. 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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