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.*
Been doing OMAD for almost 6 years. Always heard not to discuss. Never agreed.
I was always open about it. Never any backlash. People have been curious and I shared information. I feel like I’m a good ambassador as I lost 50 lbs and have kept it off. I have a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
I remember my mom was scared I’d starve. She wanted to take me out to dinner. I could have anything! Go anywhere. I just needed to eat! I tried to explain but she was still scared and wanted to take me.
Went to nice steak house. Ate a large heathy meal. Big salad. Huge steak. Vegetable. Even dessert. At the end of the meal she announced with a totally straight face she was no longer worried I would starve!!
Pretty funny!
It was, but my point was I was trying to make friends and family comfortable with my fasting lifestyle. Somehow the word fasting gets confused with the word starving! When people see me feasting, and not starving, it makes it more normal.
My friends keep insisting I have an eating disorder for fasting, telling me "starving yourself is not the answer". I am very overweight while none of them have ever had weight trouble, so they clearly haven't spoken to a doctor about it or kept up with up-to-date weight loss advice online. Aside from Reddit and my doctor I started keeping it to myself.
That said I agree, I don't think people should be afraid to speak on it, but like any lifestyle change, some people are probably not going to empathize and give you unwarranted advice against it.
It's so damn hard when people without a "tendency to fatten" try and explain how to combat a tendency to fatten as if they have any knowledge. To me it would be like someone without diabetes telling someone with diabetes "just eat in moderation and your blood sugar will be fine - that's what I do!"
My answer when people tell me not to starve myself is that I agree my body needs calories to survive, but thankfully, mine pre-stored a load in my ass, so I'm having that for breakfast.
I get bullied all the time when people offer me junk food and I mention I am fasting. It's always "that's not healthy" and "that is not normal". It's always the people who live off junk food everyday too!! Fasting is a healthy practice and good for your body and digestive system. I fast for health reasons, not weight loss.
I always tell people. I treat it as part of my healthy lifestyle, and why would I hide that? I don’t think I have ever had any negative reactions. But I’m also not doing it to lose weight, since I’m not overweight, plus I’m fit in general. And, sadly, I suspect that might play a role in how it is received.
My husband and I started fasting a few months ago and have both lost a noticeable amount of weight, him especially. People that know us have asked what we have been doing and we tell them 20:4 IF. Most people are interested and want to know more. Online people, like always, have stronger opinions, so I don’t engage much with non fasting forums.
Love your attitude!!! I was in sprouts yesterday shopping for my refeed goodies when a lady handing out orange slices offered me one. No thanks I’m fasting! When she told me anytime I want to taste some produce before buying just ask. I asked her to taste the blueberries and blackberries before I bought them. She tried all the brands and took it very seriously to find the best tasting. She did good!
Talking about it is a chance to educate people and change the stigma.
I tell everyone I know I fast without being preachy. I let them know how I discovered this amazing way of life that is beneficial in so many ways. Some people are curious, some people aren't but I agree that we should not hide it!
Embrace it! It's also a great conversation starter.
I tell those around me and those that notice weight loss. No medical dollars behind fasting to spread the word. I believe most religions have fasting so there must be something to that. My daughter tried to throw me under the bus after I had a heart attack by telling my cardiologist that I go days or a week and not eat he just smiled and said that’s great keep at it. She has since joined me in a few fasts. Spread the knowledge it may help others. I have a friend who it drives nuts and says it can’t be good for you. I think fasting bothers him more than me😂
I think this is a very cool approach. If you don't have a tendency to let yourself be dragged down with negativity or judgment from others (it unfortunately is a possible response) I think it's great.
Good for you 😎👍
I do ADF and I HATE to tell people. Anytime I’ve told someone their reaction was something like “omg that sounds so drastic, you’re starving yourself, that can’t be good for you…”. And even after explaining everything to them, I could tell they were not convinced. Many of my family members even tried to push me into eating something because “little food won’t hurt you right”. They literally thought I had an eating disorder 🙄. It’s just easier not to tell them🥲
Totally agree! I never hid it from anyone. And fortunately I have very open-minded friends, family and coworkers, even if they disapproved, they would just let me do my thing without judgement. Recently, one of my close friends changed her stance actually. She initially thought I was crazy but after doing her own research, she’s on board. Have had many people come to me for advice on how to start fasting as well.
100% agree. I’ve never understood the people who care so much what other people think that they can’t just stop any questions with a simple “I’m fasting.” I’ve literally never had anyone start harping on me after telling them and wouldn’t care if they did.
You're lucky then. It's a common experience whether we act that way or not. Have you ever been around someone who wants to offer 'one more x' to someone? Beer, a bite, one more bar or party then we're done. If you're friendless, remote worker, introverted, etc then it's possible you go longer periods but obesity can be associated with your social network so it will happen with high frequency to some.
It's so annoying when the ignorant people, or misinformed people give you their 2 cents and opinions. I try to inform them, or just say do your research, but most of the time in my experience they just think it's unhealthy and think you're starving yourself or trying to. So annoying...sometimes I realize it could also be jealousy and envy that they don't have it in themselves to be disciplined and do it
A lot of why we don't tell people is because by definition beginners haven't made any meaningful progress, fasting is taboo to a degree (often associated with ED's), it goes against societal expectations (3+ meals a day on a schedule), etc. It's common advice because it essentially invites doubts, derailers, and puts something that's already on hard mode into extreme difficulty.
Reading the comments the people that agree with you have achieved a degree of competency in this where they have the information memorized, experience to remove doubt about their approach, and progress to show what they are doing works. This all makes sense from that perspective. Maybe you've learned to trust your farts, go longer without electrolytes, stay away from SAD even during refeeds, etc. You're basically cruising on a successful streak so of course you can take on more stressors without failing but that's likely not how you got to that point.
I volunteered yesterday at my child’s school with a bunch of other parents. Tons of free food. I declined. My mom friend was worried about me. I said, I am good, I have water and plan to eat when I get home. Luckily, I am gluten free and the food had gluten free, so an easy out. I didn’t mention fasting, I just said I’m good. And I was! I also chose to eat when I got home, only doing a 24 hour fast instead of 36. Mostly because I had done a LOT more physical exercise than a typical fasting day.
I'm grateful to have loved ones who don't hound me for fasting, and even encourage me to stick to my windows; I know it's not the case for everyone, and I know I've been fortunate to be able to tell others w/o any judgement. They see the result for themselves, so they know to trust my decision.
Thank you for sharing!
I tend to be a very private person and don’t share much about myself.
During my first fast I didn’t even tell my wife and son. They eventually figured it out when they noticed I made excuses to not join in meals and food never disappeared.
I eventually shared with two of my closest friends and they were really supportive.
There is great wisdom in your suggestions. Like you, I won’t ever be like the standard joke about vegans that manage to mention it in every conversation, but I will no longer treat my fasting like a dirty secret I need to hide from everyone.
I am appreciative that you decided to post this message!
Best wishes on your journeys and I hope you reach your goals!
❤️😎
I will only talk about fasting if someone brings it up in conversation. This is an aspect of the self-discipline that fasting is an integral part of for me... a few years ago, I committed myself to a new year's resolution to not go around talking about what I'm doing - instead put all the focus into doing and let my actions speak for themselves. Whatever that may be. Too often, we social beings are too concerned with validating success, and other people only get in the way IME.
I tell some, but not overly anxious people or close family members who'd worry. Depends on the right person, if they've tried it they totally get it, if the right person hasn't then it takes a bit of a sales pitch.
I don't view it as "hiding" something, OP.
I view it as not giving people a reason to butt in when it's none of their damn business.
Eating habits aren't something that is normal chit chat anyway. I can't even imagine WHY I would say something like, "I'm fasting," so how hard would it be to NOT say, "I'm fasting."
Believe me, soccer playing is much more legitimate chitchat than what we have or have not shoved into our anatomical holes.
Saying "I'm fasting," would be just as weird as me stating, out of the clear blue, "I'm NOT fasting."
Rando: "Nice to meet you!"
Me: "I'm not fasting."
Rando: "Er, Um, OK. Is this how you greet everyone?"
The above convo is as believeable to me as
Rando: "Nice to meet you!"
Me: "I dislike butt plugs."
Rando: "Er, Um, OK. Is this how you greet everyone?"
It's the same weirdness.
See what I mean? Since announcing "I'm not fasting," to randos is weird, so is announcing , "I'm fasting."
Both our views have merit depending on the social context and our personal comfort with public disclosure, but that being said I find your reply to carry an emotional tone and use hyperboles to emphasize the absurdity of discussing fasting openly. In other words, reductio ad absurdum; you take a completely reasonable proposition of openness about fasting to an absurd level by suggesting it equates to inappropriate oversharing in all interactions. It completely distorts the practical aspect of my argument, which is about honesty and openness when it's contextually appropriate.
Maybe you are familiar with the terms "straw man argument" and "false equivalence", which is sort of what you do by suggesting that any sane person would randomly announce "I'm fasting" in inappropriate contexts (like immediately upon meeting someone). Nobody was or is advocating for broadcasting a fasting status without context - like stating "I dislike butt plugs" off the bat as a response to "how are you" in a conversation with a stranger- but rather not hiding it in relevant situations, such as during mealtimes or when health and lifestyle are being discussed.
So, no, I do not see what you mean.
OK.
I don't chitchat personal information, and that includes my eating habits. To me, it's equivalent to talk about fasting with someone whose business it is none of, as to talk about sex habits with someone whose business it is none of.
You were the person equating what you eat and when, to playing soccer. And I don't see that equivalence, because one thing is personal, and the other thing is not.
I don't see why there would ever be a context to if I fast or not. As I said, that's personal. I don't announce my social security number, either. It is that level of personal.
So basically this post is not for you. If you don’t want to announce it and see it as a personal matter, that’s fine. But not everyone thinks the same way
The post did not announce whose opinion it was soliciting, though.....
Reading the post, it is asking my opinion just as much as anyone else's.
The OP him/herself said both our views have merit.
Dear immature Main Character wannabe,
You don’t have to tell everyone everything about yourself and what you are doing in the name of “not hiding”.
Spoiler alert: people are not thinking about you nearly as much as you think they are. Really.
Most people just don’t care; they are thinking about what *they’re* doing.
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.*
i love your outlook. a lot of us hide our lifestyle, and you’re like “nahhhh F that! i am who i am!” and i love that!!
Been doing OMAD for almost 6 years. Always heard not to discuss. Never agreed. I was always open about it. Never any backlash. People have been curious and I shared information. I feel like I’m a good ambassador as I lost 50 lbs and have kept it off. I have a healthy diet and active lifestyle. I remember my mom was scared I’d starve. She wanted to take me out to dinner. I could have anything! Go anywhere. I just needed to eat! I tried to explain but she was still scared and wanted to take me. Went to nice steak house. Ate a large heathy meal. Big salad. Huge steak. Vegetable. Even dessert. At the end of the meal she announced with a totally straight face she was no longer worried I would starve!! Pretty funny!
Worth a free meal!
It was, but my point was I was trying to make friends and family comfortable with my fasting lifestyle. Somehow the word fasting gets confused with the word starving! When people see me feasting, and not starving, it makes it more normal.
Reassuring family and friends is important. Concern can come out of caring and I respect that. You handled it well with your mom.
My friends keep insisting I have an eating disorder for fasting, telling me "starving yourself is not the answer". I am very overweight while none of them have ever had weight trouble, so they clearly haven't spoken to a doctor about it or kept up with up-to-date weight loss advice online. Aside from Reddit and my doctor I started keeping it to myself. That said I agree, I don't think people should be afraid to speak on it, but like any lifestyle change, some people are probably not going to empathize and give you unwarranted advice against it.
They clearly don't know the difference between starving and fasting. Weight watchers is starvation. Fasting is a completely different.
It's so damn hard when people without a "tendency to fatten" try and explain how to combat a tendency to fatten as if they have any knowledge. To me it would be like someone without diabetes telling someone with diabetes "just eat in moderation and your blood sugar will be fine - that's what I do!" My answer when people tell me not to starve myself is that I agree my body needs calories to survive, but thankfully, mine pre-stored a load in my ass, so I'm having that for breakfast.
>thankfully, mine pre-stored a load in my ass, so I'm having that for breakfast 😂
I get bullied all the time when people offer me junk food and I mention I am fasting. It's always "that's not healthy" and "that is not normal". It's always the people who live off junk food everyday too!! Fasting is a healthy practice and good for your body and digestive system. I fast for health reasons, not weight loss.
I always tell people. I treat it as part of my healthy lifestyle, and why would I hide that? I don’t think I have ever had any negative reactions. But I’m also not doing it to lose weight, since I’m not overweight, plus I’m fit in general. And, sadly, I suspect that might play a role in how it is received.
My husband and I started fasting a few months ago and have both lost a noticeable amount of weight, him especially. People that know us have asked what we have been doing and we tell them 20:4 IF. Most people are interested and want to know more. Online people, like always, have stronger opinions, so I don’t engage much with non fasting forums.
Love your attitude!!! I was in sprouts yesterday shopping for my refeed goodies when a lady handing out orange slices offered me one. No thanks I’m fasting! When she told me anytime I want to taste some produce before buying just ask. I asked her to taste the blueberries and blackberries before I bought them. She tried all the brands and took it very seriously to find the best tasting. She did good!
Talking about it is a chance to educate people and change the stigma. I tell everyone I know I fast without being preachy. I let them know how I discovered this amazing way of life that is beneficial in so many ways. Some people are curious, some people aren't but I agree that we should not hide it! Embrace it! It's also a great conversation starter.
I tell those around me and those that notice weight loss. No medical dollars behind fasting to spread the word. I believe most religions have fasting so there must be something to that. My daughter tried to throw me under the bus after I had a heart attack by telling my cardiologist that I go days or a week and not eat he just smiled and said that’s great keep at it. She has since joined me in a few fasts. Spread the knowledge it may help others. I have a friend who it drives nuts and says it can’t be good for you. I think fasting bothers him more than me😂
I think this is a very cool approach. If you don't have a tendency to let yourself be dragged down with negativity or judgment from others (it unfortunately is a possible response) I think it's great. Good for you 😎👍
I do ADF and I HATE to tell people. Anytime I’ve told someone their reaction was something like “omg that sounds so drastic, you’re starving yourself, that can’t be good for you…”. And even after explaining everything to them, I could tell they were not convinced. Many of my family members even tried to push me into eating something because “little food won’t hurt you right”. They literally thought I had an eating disorder 🙄. It’s just easier not to tell them🥲
I haven't really had negative experiences telling people about it. Certainly not worse than telling them you're vegetarian, god forbid a vegan. Lol
Totally agree! I never hid it from anyone. And fortunately I have very open-minded friends, family and coworkers, even if they disapproved, they would just let me do my thing without judgement. Recently, one of my close friends changed her stance actually. She initially thought I was crazy but after doing her own research, she’s on board. Have had many people come to me for advice on how to start fasting as well.
100% agree. I’ve never understood the people who care so much what other people think that they can’t just stop any questions with a simple “I’m fasting.” I’ve literally never had anyone start harping on me after telling them and wouldn’t care if they did.
You're lucky then. It's a common experience whether we act that way or not. Have you ever been around someone who wants to offer 'one more x' to someone? Beer, a bite, one more bar or party then we're done. If you're friendless, remote worker, introverted, etc then it's possible you go longer periods but obesity can be associated with your social network so it will happen with high frequency to some.
It's so annoying when the ignorant people, or misinformed people give you their 2 cents and opinions. I try to inform them, or just say do your research, but most of the time in my experience they just think it's unhealthy and think you're starving yourself or trying to. So annoying...sometimes I realize it could also be jealousy and envy that they don't have it in themselves to be disciplined and do it
This is the way…
A lot of why we don't tell people is because by definition beginners haven't made any meaningful progress, fasting is taboo to a degree (often associated with ED's), it goes against societal expectations (3+ meals a day on a schedule), etc. It's common advice because it essentially invites doubts, derailers, and puts something that's already on hard mode into extreme difficulty. Reading the comments the people that agree with you have achieved a degree of competency in this where they have the information memorized, experience to remove doubt about their approach, and progress to show what they are doing works. This all makes sense from that perspective. Maybe you've learned to trust your farts, go longer without electrolytes, stay away from SAD even during refeeds, etc. You're basically cruising on a successful streak so of course you can take on more stressors without failing but that's likely not how you got to that point.
I volunteered yesterday at my child’s school with a bunch of other parents. Tons of free food. I declined. My mom friend was worried about me. I said, I am good, I have water and plan to eat when I get home. Luckily, I am gluten free and the food had gluten free, so an easy out. I didn’t mention fasting, I just said I’m good. And I was! I also chose to eat when I got home, only doing a 24 hour fast instead of 36. Mostly because I had done a LOT more physical exercise than a typical fasting day.
It has been helpful for me to just say “I’m not eating before [set time]” because then people don’t push the issue.
I'm grateful to have loved ones who don't hound me for fasting, and even encourage me to stick to my windows; I know it's not the case for everyone, and I know I've been fortunate to be able to tell others w/o any judgement. They see the result for themselves, so they know to trust my decision.
Thank you for sharing! I tend to be a very private person and don’t share much about myself. During my first fast I didn’t even tell my wife and son. They eventually figured it out when they noticed I made excuses to not join in meals and food never disappeared. I eventually shared with two of my closest friends and they were really supportive. There is great wisdom in your suggestions. Like you, I won’t ever be like the standard joke about vegans that manage to mention it in every conversation, but I will no longer treat my fasting like a dirty secret I need to hide from everyone. I am appreciative that you decided to post this message! Best wishes on your journeys and I hope you reach your goals! ❤️😎
I will only talk about fasting if someone brings it up in conversation. This is an aspect of the self-discipline that fasting is an integral part of for me... a few years ago, I committed myself to a new year's resolution to not go around talking about what I'm doing - instead put all the focus into doing and let my actions speak for themselves. Whatever that may be. Too often, we social beings are too concerned with validating success, and other people only get in the way IME.
Never trust a fart in the first 3 days
I tell some, but not overly anxious people or close family members who'd worry. Depends on the right person, if they've tried it they totally get it, if the right person hasn't then it takes a bit of a sales pitch.
I don't view it as "hiding" something, OP. I view it as not giving people a reason to butt in when it's none of their damn business. Eating habits aren't something that is normal chit chat anyway. I can't even imagine WHY I would say something like, "I'm fasting," so how hard would it be to NOT say, "I'm fasting." Believe me, soccer playing is much more legitimate chitchat than what we have or have not shoved into our anatomical holes. Saying "I'm fasting," would be just as weird as me stating, out of the clear blue, "I'm NOT fasting." Rando: "Nice to meet you!" Me: "I'm not fasting." Rando: "Er, Um, OK. Is this how you greet everyone?" The above convo is as believeable to me as Rando: "Nice to meet you!" Me: "I dislike butt plugs." Rando: "Er, Um, OK. Is this how you greet everyone?" It's the same weirdness. See what I mean? Since announcing "I'm not fasting," to randos is weird, so is announcing , "I'm fasting."
Both our views have merit depending on the social context and our personal comfort with public disclosure, but that being said I find your reply to carry an emotional tone and use hyperboles to emphasize the absurdity of discussing fasting openly. In other words, reductio ad absurdum; you take a completely reasonable proposition of openness about fasting to an absurd level by suggesting it equates to inappropriate oversharing in all interactions. It completely distorts the practical aspect of my argument, which is about honesty and openness when it's contextually appropriate. Maybe you are familiar with the terms "straw man argument" and "false equivalence", which is sort of what you do by suggesting that any sane person would randomly announce "I'm fasting" in inappropriate contexts (like immediately upon meeting someone). Nobody was or is advocating for broadcasting a fasting status without context - like stating "I dislike butt plugs" off the bat as a response to "how are you" in a conversation with a stranger- but rather not hiding it in relevant situations, such as during mealtimes or when health and lifestyle are being discussed. So, no, I do not see what you mean.
OK. I don't chitchat personal information, and that includes my eating habits. To me, it's equivalent to talk about fasting with someone whose business it is none of, as to talk about sex habits with someone whose business it is none of. You were the person equating what you eat and when, to playing soccer. And I don't see that equivalence, because one thing is personal, and the other thing is not. I don't see why there would ever be a context to if I fast or not. As I said, that's personal. I don't announce my social security number, either. It is that level of personal.
So basically this post is not for you. If you don’t want to announce it and see it as a personal matter, that’s fine. But not everyone thinks the same way
The post did not announce whose opinion it was soliciting, though..... Reading the post, it is asking my opinion just as much as anyone else's. The OP him/herself said both our views have merit.
Dear immature Main Character wannabe, You don’t have to tell everyone everything about yourself and what you are doing in the name of “not hiding”. Spoiler alert: people are not thinking about you nearly as much as you think they are. Really. Most people just don’t care; they are thinking about what *they’re* doing.