/hb/ - Health & Beauty

I would think that fasting would make binge eating worse, since if you eat less often you'll be ravenously hungry when you finally do get to eat.

Funny you brought this up anon, because I've been doing it lately. Eating three meals a day just doesn't work for me, I don't lose a single pound doing that. So last week I only ate dinner and I lost 4 pounds! I gained 2 over the weekend by bingeing but I'll easily lose that again this week by doing the same thing.

Our bodies just aren't able to eat the way we force them to these days. Cavemen didn't eat as frequently as we did, neither did our recent ancestors between poverty and wars. I think there's a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to nutrition and dieting and it's deliberate in order to sell a product and keep you fat and unhappy. This "three meal a day" and in some cases, FIVE meals a day is a recent invention. If eating one meal a day works for you and you're not pumping money into some company selling you a product, why not do it?

I was looking at this lately, I think the general consensus is it can be really good for you but mostly only if you're a guy. There's barely any research into interminent fasting for women.

*The primary challenge for women is maintaining appropriate metabolic balance. Hormones in the female body experience a greater degree of flux and the demands of the reproductive system are high (even when a woman is not pregnant). A study in mice showed that female mice experienced menstrual derangement, ovary shrinkage and insomnia.1The overall impact on their health was drastic compared to the male mice in the study. While this does not directly translate to humans (and indeed, human studies are both necessary and lacking when it comes to sex differences in IF effects), it supports the idea that women need to approach fasting differently than men. Women may become discouraged by the data, believing that fasting may lead to metabolic disturbance, loss of period, or osteoporosis. These fears are largely unfounded. Unless a woman's BMI is under 18.5, she will experience [metabolic benefits] (intermittent-fasting/metabolism). Fasting is, of course, not suitable for pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant.

Women are also more prone to sleep disturbances than men. Someone who already doesn't get enough sleep may find that the combination of caloric restriction and lack of quality sleep can take a toll on the immune system, metabolic balance, and overall health. However, many people experience sound sleep when they fast. If any disturbances are present, they tend to disappear as the body adapts to fasting.

The restricted eating patterns of intermittent fasting may act as a trigger in people with a history of disordered eating. While eating disorders affect both men and women, an overwhelming majority of sufferers are young women of reproductive age. Concerns about triggering disordered eating are frequently cited as a challenge for women biohackers. However, the two should not automatically be conflated. The emphasis in IF is fasting for health and mental acuity rather than weight loss. Participants are encouraged to eat hearty meals after fasting, establishing a routine to follow. Anecdotally speaking, even women in recovery can successfully adopt an IF regimen. However, anyone with a history of disordered eating is urged to consult a doctor before beginning an IF regimen.

There is also a social aspect to consider. While much of our society revolves around consumption as socializing, women who don't partake may draw additional scrutiny and assumptions about disordered eating. Sadly, it is often the case that to be a woman is to invite comment on one's weight and eating habits.*

People suggest doing it two days a week to see how you get on but personally I find better benefits eating smaller but more frequent meals (I'll have six meals throughout my day).

>>2527
I really need to find something that can help me avoid binge eating. I thought having set times to eat would help, but you're probably right.
Thank you for all the responses so far!

>>2527
>>2531

I know it depends on the person, but honestly, when I fast (usually the 16/8 scale), when I eat I can't bring myself to binge, I don't know why. For example, I was preparing my lunch and felt kinda hungry so I drank a milk and strawberry smoothy. It's been like one hour since then and I don't feel even slightly hungry. Just like when a friend of mine said he would try Ramadan for a day, and he thought he would binge by the end of the day but he could only eat like a couple of dates and feel fullfilled.
I'd also recommend meal preping for the next day, cause then even if you feel hungrier than you will actually eat (not sure if that makes sense) and order something fattening, with meal prep you already have something healthy to grab.

Morning
>feta cheese and olives with seasoning & oil
>hazelnut coffee
>caramel coconut bits & nut mix

Afternoon
>edamame
>spinach omelet
>non-alcoholic beer
>debating having a banana, yogurt,and/or some chocolate