Is 72 hour fast good for you?

[Catherine]

Ok, I am new to this forum. After reading lean gains I thought I could fast for 12, no problem. Then I read about 24 fast with Eat-Stop-Eat. At first i was like holy cow 24 hours? But It made sense to me and now I’m trying it. But I was reading some forums and I found people were doing 72 HOUR FASTS! This blew my mind. I haven’t read anywhere yet about if fasting this long is good for you or when you should fast 72 hours. Once again, my mind was blown that people are going with out food for 3 days. What is your input on this and where read that you fast for that long?

[betty]

I am a person who implemented fasting into my lifestyle, however I think that fasting for 72 hours will not help you lose weight any faster. A friend of mine got me into fasting. He actually fasts for religious purposes. He states that it helps him connect with his ‘higher power’. Although I have not embraced his religion, I do find that fasting causes me to ‘dig deep’ internally. Not only is it a reminder of how powerful willpower can be; it also reminds me that I can do ANYTHING when I put my mind into it. I usually fast for 72 hours at LEAST twice a year. During that time, I only drink water. And once it’s done, I always feel empowered.

Usually I follow the 12 hour fast; where I stop eating at 8pm and don’t eat again until after 8am the following day. That is healthy and it gives my body a chance to focus on things OTHER THAN processing food. I would never use my 72 hour fast as a means of losing weight. For me, its spiritual and mental.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by betty.

[Julie]

There is no need to fast for 72 hour if your goal is weight loss. I actually found 20-22 hourscwas my sweet spot. Any longer and I binged. But now it isn’t something I can do in maintenance.

[Christi]

I’ve seen a few posts where people fast longer, but I think that there are no extra benefits for fasting for 72 hours as you are learning a lifestyle and how to control your food intake for long-term. Avoiding food all together for a few days could compound that issue vs helping. The goal is to create a healthy lifestyle that you can sustain as you reach your goals and then beyond. I utilize the 24 hr fasts once or twice a week and it helps my body and mind. I use it for many things like controlling my weekly calorie budget, after a M day to help provide a mental “reset”, if food has gotten out of control (it provides me with the proof that I don’t need as much food to function).

There are days when I eat lighter and other days when the calorie numbers are a bit higher. Looking at the calorie budget weekly vs just day to day – everything balances out and I can utilize the tools that work for me to help with that (like fasting, working out, getting enough sleep, sticking with protein focused meals, etc) You figure out what works for you as you try new things out and over time some of those things change. In the beginning, I was able to fast for an average of 16 hours. Going to 20hrs, I didn’t feel well. After several months, I just happened to do a 24hr fast or a little longer twice (by being too busy and stressed) and discovered I my body and mind could handle the longer fasts. That’s when I started incorporating them into my weekly routines.

Hope that helps. Stick with the basics and as you discover what does work for you, then you can play around with the smaller details.

[linda]

I done a 72 hour fast and I would strongly advise not doing it. Not because it is dangerous (it isn’t, if you are overweight and otherwise healthy) but because there is no real advantage or reason to do so. You will not lose weight any faster and may end up getting burned out mentally.

Fasting can be a valuable tool in teaching you the difference between real hunger and habit.
Most overweight people eat from reasons other than hunger. Habit plays a big role. Other things like emotional comfort and stress can trigger mindless eating as well. Learning to break old bad habits and establish new better ones is part of the weight loss process.

My advice is to fast no more than 24 hrs once or twice a week. Moderation is more likely to result in long term success. It really is about learning how to eat for the long term.

[lindaG]

I think that long fasts are 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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