The Science of Fasting
Bump
So, long story short I was hit by a car the other day while out for my am run. I got a trip to the ER (driver fled, cop said he's getting a felony charge if caught) and luckily the only real injuries are a bruised ankle and (I **** you not) a "contusion to the right buttocks", which is on the discharge papers much to the delight of family and friends.
I'm in overall good health but my BP and cholesterol have been creeping up over the years. Less time in the gym more snacking, less time to cook as healthy....
During the follow-up with my PCP today she noted my BP at 142/88 and now wants me on low-salt high complex carb diet, and I'm also instructed to incorporate 16/8 fasting. She doesn't think I need BP meds, but I need to go back for another follow-up visit in 2 months. She is a force to be reckoned with, all 100lbs of her, so I guess Ima try this fasting. I need to overhaul my diet anyway and get back to a stricter gym schedule :hihi:
thankfully you're okay!
When I went in for my BP years ago and it was 155/115 I was immediately put on a DASH diet and it did wonders for my BP.
It wasn't that hard to do, after the first week. And the results were pretty incredible.
I also decided to lose weight and that also helped. 85 pounds later and I was 116/76 and I've pretty much been there ever since.
The one thing that convinced me to really focus on my IF is the last screening I had - elevated fat in my livers. A common issue with age, and something I can control - but IF is an efficient, effective way to get rid of it.
So, it's been 5 weeks of IF and running 2-3 times/week. 20 pounds down and clothes already fitting better. Though at 6'6" it doesn't show as much as on others. Still, it feels a lot better and I am pretty strict in counting calories (with LoseIt app), exercise 2-3 times/week, and min 16 hours fasting.
As Soggy pointed out, skipping breakfast helps a ton.
I tried IF last year, and figured I could have a cup of coffee - except I take cream and sugar. And though I wasn't aware of it, that 150 calories after a couple of coffees had stopped the fasting effects.
Five weeks of doing it properly and I can definitely tell the difference between this and the sorta IF I was doing.
I have two cups of coffee, still, with 2 tsp of 18% cream in it - that's 40 calories. Keep it under 50 and the fasting cycle continues.
I teach or exercise in the morning and many days I skip lunch. My fasting app tracks how long I fast for and most days I am at 18-20 hours because I'm not eating until I get home b/w 2-4 (I stop eating at 8).