6 ms·
You should have read slightly further: Preliminary data show that STF [i.e. short term fasting] is safe, but challenging in cancer patients receiving chemother
by pygy_ 7y ago
You should have read slightly further:
Preliminary data show that STF [i.e. short term fasting] is safe, but challenging in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Ongoing clinical trials need to unravel if STF can also diminish toxicity and increase efficacy of chemotherapeutic regimes in daily practice.
- toomuchtodo 7y agoI do fasting myself, so I understand the challenges of doing it (although not while also having cancer and undergoing chemo). Have to have the physical and emotional fortitude to handle being hungry all the time.
- eloff 7y agoThis seems near trivial compared to the physical and emotional fortitude to handle having cancer and undergoing chemotherapy (taking low-dose poison in the hope it kills the cancer before you.)
- sowbug 7y agoMy experience was the nausea was far worse than any hunger. It didn't help that at the time I was encouraged to eat. I intentionally chose foods I didn't like so that I wouldn't associate favorite foods with nausea in the future. In retrospect I would have appreciated the option not to eat.
- toomuchtodo 7y agoI attempted a 24 hour fast a day ago based on this comment, and you’re right. It was very difficult to make it to the 24 hour mark without a substantial loss of energy (total fast, no food or water). I understand why it would be unreasonable to ask someone with cancer undergoing chemotherapy to attempt such a fast.
- lottin 7y agoFasting doesn't make you hungry all the time. After a short while the hunger just kind of goes away.
- gwd 7y agoFWIW I've done several extended fasts (5-6 days) and I experienced hunger the entire time. Lots of people apparently do experience what you describe; but not everyone. That said, people do who've never tried fasting seem to think that hunger will grow linearly; i.e, "If I feel this bad after 16 hours of not eating, how will I feel after 4 days?" Once my body switches to 'fasting' mode, the hunger remains, but stays at a manageable level.
- hanniabu 7y agoI'm assuming the parent was referring to something more similar to like when you need to go to the bathroom. Overall the urge is there, but on an hourly basis it comes and goes. If you don't go to the bathroom and hold it in, after an hour you'll probably forget about it, and then it'll come back a few hours after that. This has been my experience with fasting where I'll get really hunger, then my body will get over it, then a few hours later I'm hungry again. Seems like it's your body going through cycles of burning fat stores or something. Like oh you're not going to eat? Better start burning a bit of fat to tide us over, then that energy runs out and that's when hunger strikes again until your body goes through another breakdown cycle.