What to Expect: Weight Loss

What Should I Expect When I First Begin Fasting?

If your goal for fasting is weight loss, one of the common questions I get asked is, “How much weight can I expect to lose?” The calculation roughly is: the average fat loss for 1 full day of fasting is half a pound. By one full day I mean if you eat on Monday, fast all of Tuesday, and then eat again on Wednesday. We can assume 1 pound of fat has roughly 3500 calories, and if your basal metabolic rate is to burn approximately 1800 calories a day, that results to ½ a pound of fat per day you are fasting. Initially most people will lose more than that because of the associated water loss. This is often seen if you notice after 1 day of fasting that you’ve lost 2 pounds, but then regain 1 ½ of it the next day. Essentially, you’ve lost half a pound of pure fat (which is amazing because fat loss is what makes you look and feel different overtime, whereas water weight loss fluctuates and isn’t permanent). It is also important to be measuring your weight loss results properly i.e. pay more attention to waist circumference as opposed to total body weight, which fluctuates more and includes a combination of body fat, muscle mass, water weight, and bone mass. Another marker of success that I like to use is to set out an outfit that you can wear but that feels tight because with the associated fat loss week after week, you will feel the change in how your clothes fit!

Another common question is whether fasting will work for women. The simple answer is yes. Both men and women lose body fat if they don’t eat for a while. Weight loss is also roughly equal between men and women using this method.

Although, because women often have a history of dieting compared to men, particularly with calorie restriction diets that lower their metabolic rates, this makes weight loss through fasting more challenging. Because of this, women sometimes need to incorporate longer fasts like the 30-hour and 42-hour fast to see similar results.

Weight loss for women often starts slower, taking more time to drop some of the water weight. After about 4-6 weeks, weight loss often ramps up. Men often lose one pound per fasting day for the first few weeks and then slows down after 4-6 weeks. Women have also often reported improved symptoms of PMS, menopause, and PCOS.

What to Expect: High blood Sugar

For those with type 2 diabetes and high blood sugars, you can expect blood sugars to drop with consistent fasting. In general, the longer you’ve had type 2 diabetes, the longer it will take to reverse it. However, the more intensive a fasting regimen, the faster you’ll see results. Typically, clients with high blood glucose levels come down quite rapidly so it’s important to ask your doctor to adjust your diabetic medications prior to fasting. Some thin type 2 diabetics are afraid to fast because they don’t want to lose any weight. But sometimes their weight is not high, but they still carry a lot of body fat and especially visceral fat in and around their organs, Fasting, along with proper balanced and nutritious meals will help reduce this.

What to Expect: Hunger

Yes, you will most likely get hungry during a fast when you first begin. I find it most helpful to expect it so that you can prepare for it. At first, we all think that we won’t survive because most likely every time you’ve felt the slightest urge to eat, you end up doing just that! This builds a habit in our brains and our bodies. But trust me, you’ll handle it in no time! Remember that hunger comes in waves. We assume that if we’re hungry, it will continue to snowball out of control. But in fact, these waves are not continuous. Ride them out by setting a 45-minute timer on your phone, and drink a cup of hot tea, coffee, or water. By the time 45-minutes is finished, the hunger would have begun subsiding or you’ll not be hungry any more! Obviously if you feel like something is not right, please eat! And start over again. If you continuously do this, your mind and body will definitely adapt.

In the first week, I also like to use some natural appetite suppressants just to get you into the rhythm of fasting. These include:

Add cinnamon or apple cider vinegar to water. These compounds slow stomach emptying, reducing hunger pangs. Rinse your mouth after vinegar to protect tooth enamel, and don’t sip throughout the day.
Drink tea, especially green tea. The chemical compounds known as catechins suppress the appetite and the caffeine increases basal metabolism.
Drink carbonated or mineral water to settle growling stomachs.
Drink some bone broth or pickle juice – it’s a great fasting aid, providing some electrolytes and helping you get over a hunger wave.

Stay out of the kitchen. It is hard to avoid eating when you are surrounded by food. Set yourself up for success by taking yourself out of the ‘danger’ zone where food cues are all around. Try going for a walk or meeting a friend for coffee instead. Working at home is sometimes too tempting to take a quick detour into the kitchen.

Distract yourself. Organize your storage room. Sort your laundry. Clean out a closet. Anything that takes you both physically and mentally away from food. Write a list of chores that need to be done. Start a home renovation project.

What to Expect: Stress

Stress makes many people break their planned fast. Try one of the following activities instead to help wind down at the end of a long day:

Hit the gym or join a yoga class.
Try meditating or journaling to help process the day’s events.
Take a relaxing bath or shower to calm yourself.
Or call a friend or a loved one you haven’t spoken to in a while who brings you joy.

Being consistent with your fasting is the most important thing you can do. Some days will be easier than others, and that’s okay. Be patient and kind to yourself.