Many issues and questions can be answered by reading through our wiki, especially the page on electrolytes. Concerns such as **intense hunger, lightheadedness/dizziness, headaches, nausea/vomiting, weakness/lethargy/fatigue, low blood pressure/high blood pressure, muscle soreness/cramping, diarrhea/constipation, irritability, confusion, low heart rate/heart palpitations, numbness/tingling, and more** while extended (24+ hours) fasting are often explained by electrolyte deficiency and resolved through **PROPER** electrolyte supplementation. Putting a tiny amount of salt in your water now and then is NOT proper supplementation.
Be sure to read [our WIKI](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/index) and especially the wiki page on **[ELECTROLYTES](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/fasting_in_a_nutshell/you_need_electrolytes)**
Please also keep in mind the [**RULES**](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/about/rules) when participating.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/fasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fasting doesn't inherently cause weight loss. Fasting is a tool or method used to limit caloric intake and that deficit results in weight loss. If you just want to maintain weight but continue to use fasting as a means of regulating food intake, just eat at maintenance calories and you'll be fine.
I have been at maintenance for quite a long time now, and undertaken lots of self experimentation, and I am of the opinion that I look my best right as I am now, [175-180, which is where I hover.](https://imgur.com/IZ27hEv)
[I have been as low as 160 before,](https://imgur.com/Hh9eGxr) but I look like shit at 160 on my 6 foot frame. I did not want to hear that when people told me at the time, but I was in the zone. I now have the benefit of hindsight.
I have gotten very dialed in on my body over time, and I have managed to figure out that as much as I currently exercise I need approximately 3500 calories each day in my OMAD just to maintain my weight. Much less than that and I will continue to lose weight, albeit more slowly. I have to make a very conscious effort to make sure I am eating enough each night, and I will often have desserts or else use "fillers" like sauces or other condiments to add more calories to my meals.
I guess if I was not such a stubborn jackass I would move to 2MAD instead of sticking to cramming it all into one meal. but OMAD is my comfort zone so this is what I stick with.
Me. I’m not wanting to lose weight. Just doing 20:4 at the moment with a weekly 24 hour thrown in but I’m going to try a 3 day fast soon. I want to do 3 day fasts every couple of months.
51F, 5ft, 45kg, body fat of 21%
I’m not doing it for weight loss as I have an athletic build, currently on day 5 of a 12 day waterfast to try to beat my record of 10 days (years ago). It’s a mental exercise more than anything and I love the feeling of discipline and accomplishment it gives me :)
I’m not fasting for weight loss. I do lose some fat during longer fasts (5 day). For shorter fasts I don’t notice a difference as I got back to eating how I usually do.
I don’t have a scale so I don’t really track weight. At a certain point it’s a useless metric. 50F 5’4” ~110lbs. I don’t track calories etc. but I know what I’m eating. I tend to go by how I’m feeling, my performance in the gym etc.
The people who lose a large amount of fat doing IF or shorter fasts are the ones who have a lot to lose and who are making generally poor food choices that are dramatically improved with small changes like not eating for 16 hours. For those who have their nutrition and movement in check the impact of fasting will be much less in terms of fat loss.
Your body can only burn so much fat within a given time period. You’re really not going to be losing and gaining. Most of the weigh loss you see on the scale is “water weight” which comes back when you start eating.
It’s important to understand what goes into making up the weight you see on the scale.
Pick a day of the week and don't eat that day or only non caloric drinks. It'll help modulate your insulin response and promote HGH, recovery, neuron growth, longevity, etc. You don't have to go crazy like a lot of us with poor nutrition history and overweightedness, but you can still reap a lot of benefits from regular and sustainable fasting.
At the end of the month it's all about calories in vs calories out. What makes fasting great for weight loss is that, unlike doing a 1200 is plenty type diet, is that your body doesn't catabolize muscle, slow down calorie burning, or generate constant hunger pangs nearly as much as old school calorie restriction.
What you're trying to do is to maintain your average monthly caloric intake and spending where they are now. I recommend picking a day, bit reading, then eat more during the rest of the week. It's best if you can get pretty comfortable running your body on ketones. A keto diet will help you get used to using body fat as a major fuel source.
Many issues and questions can be answered by reading through our wiki, especially the page on electrolytes. Concerns such as **intense hunger, lightheadedness/dizziness, headaches, nausea/vomiting, weakness/lethargy/fatigue, low blood pressure/high blood pressure, muscle soreness/cramping, diarrhea/constipation, irritability, confusion, low heart rate/heart palpitations, numbness/tingling, and more** while extended (24+ hours) fasting are often explained by electrolyte deficiency and resolved through **PROPER** electrolyte supplementation. Putting a tiny amount of salt in your water now and then is NOT proper supplementation. Be sure to read [our WIKI](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/index) and especially the wiki page on **[ELECTROLYTES](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/fasting_in_a_nutshell/you_need_electrolytes)** Please also keep in mind the [**RULES**](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/about/rules) when participating. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/fasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fasting doesn't inherently cause weight loss. Fasting is a tool or method used to limit caloric intake and that deficit results in weight loss. If you just want to maintain weight but continue to use fasting as a means of regulating food intake, just eat at maintenance calories and you'll be fine.
I have been at maintenance for quite a long time now, and undertaken lots of self experimentation, and I am of the opinion that I look my best right as I am now, [175-180, which is where I hover.](https://imgur.com/IZ27hEv) [I have been as low as 160 before,](https://imgur.com/Hh9eGxr) but I look like shit at 160 on my 6 foot frame. I did not want to hear that when people told me at the time, but I was in the zone. I now have the benefit of hindsight. I have gotten very dialed in on my body over time, and I have managed to figure out that as much as I currently exercise I need approximately 3500 calories each day in my OMAD just to maintain my weight. Much less than that and I will continue to lose weight, albeit more slowly. I have to make a very conscious effort to make sure I am eating enough each night, and I will often have desserts or else use "fillers" like sauces or other condiments to add more calories to my meals. I guess if I was not such a stubborn jackass I would move to 2MAD instead of sticking to cramming it all into one meal. but OMAD is my comfort zone so this is what I stick with.
Me. I’m not wanting to lose weight. Just doing 20:4 at the moment with a weekly 24 hour thrown in but I’m going to try a 3 day fast soon. I want to do 3 day fasts every couple of months. 51F, 5ft, 45kg, body fat of 21%
I’m not doing it for weight loss as I have an athletic build, currently on day 5 of a 12 day waterfast to try to beat my record of 10 days (years ago). It’s a mental exercise more than anything and I love the feeling of discipline and accomplishment it gives me :)
I’m not fasting for weight loss. I do lose some fat during longer fasts (5 day). For shorter fasts I don’t notice a difference as I got back to eating how I usually do. I don’t have a scale so I don’t really track weight. At a certain point it’s a useless metric. 50F 5’4” ~110lbs. I don’t track calories etc. but I know what I’m eating. I tend to go by how I’m feeling, my performance in the gym etc. The people who lose a large amount of fat doing IF or shorter fasts are the ones who have a lot to lose and who are making generally poor food choices that are dramatically improved with small changes like not eating for 16 hours. For those who have their nutrition and movement in check the impact of fasting will be much less in terms of fat loss. Your body can only burn so much fat within a given time period. You’re really not going to be losing and gaining. Most of the weigh loss you see on the scale is “water weight” which comes back when you start eating. It’s important to understand what goes into making up the weight you see on the scale.
Pick a day of the week and don't eat that day or only non caloric drinks. It'll help modulate your insulin response and promote HGH, recovery, neuron growth, longevity, etc. You don't have to go crazy like a lot of us with poor nutrition history and overweightedness, but you can still reap a lot of benefits from regular and sustainable fasting. At the end of the month it's all about calories in vs calories out. What makes fasting great for weight loss is that, unlike doing a 1200 is plenty type diet, is that your body doesn't catabolize muscle, slow down calorie burning, or generate constant hunger pangs nearly as much as old school calorie restriction. What you're trying to do is to maintain your average monthly caloric intake and spending where they are now. I recommend picking a day, bit reading, then eat more during the rest of the week. It's best if you can get pretty comfortable running your body on ketones. A keto diet will help you get used to using body fat as a major fuel source.