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I think fasting should only be done after talking to your doctor. Oftentimes, fasting is just another name for normalizing starving oneself, which is a type of

I think fasting should only be done after talking to your doctor. Oftentimes, fasting is just another name for normalizing starving oneself, which is a type of disordered eating.

mym1990 5y ago
Extended fasting is widely prevalent in many cultures, but I wouldn't consider those parts of the world as having eating disorders. Starvation in a bigger sense is a prolonged deficiency in nutrients and energy needs. Fasting doesn't have to be a set number of hours/days either. You fast every time you go to sleep.
- qeternity 5y ago
  Starvation mode is something most people do not understand. I can’t count the number of morbidly obese people I’ve heard tell me they need to eat 6 small meals per day so their metabolism doesn’t shift into starvation mode and they stop losing weight. The few studies we have on actual starvation suggest that the body’s BMR does not change substantially until > 10 days without food. Fasting and low carb diets have very similar effects, principally keeping insulin levels very reduced.
qeternity 5y ago
> I think fasting should only be done after talking to your doctor. This is what I’m talking about. You been told that it’s dangerous. The human body is incredibly well equipped to go a few days without food. Fasting for a day is absolutely not something that requires medical advice.
- justinator 5y ago
  To me it could be. I've seen disordered eating in my family (and have done it myself). to me, it's not a good idea, and anectdata on something like my health isn't what I suggest when people are looking for advice. Running right into "don't eat for a couple of days" is a lot more extreme than, "take a good look at your diet and make small adjustments, over time". I know it's not sexy or provocative, but it does work. And that's why I preempted my post with, "talk to an expert" rather than dismissing the whole idea. ie: don't trust some random person on an VC tech forum.

I think fasting should only be done after talking to your doctor. Oftentimes, fasting is just another name for normalizing starving oneself, which is a type of disordered eating.

mym1990 5y ago

Extended fasting is widely prevalent in many cultures, but I wouldn't consider those parts of the world as having eating disorders. Starvation in a bigger sense is a prolonged deficiency in nutrients and energy needs. Fasting doesn't have to be a set number of hours/days either. You fast every time you go to sleep.

qeternity 5y ago
Starvation mode is something most people do not understand. I can’t count the number of morbidly obese people I’ve heard tell me they need to eat 6 small meals per day so their metabolism doesn’t shift into starvation mode and they stop losing weight. The few studies we have on actual starvation suggest that the body’s BMR does not change substantially until > 10 days without food. Fasting and low carb diets have very similar effects, principally keeping insulin levels very reduced.

qeternity 5y ago

> I think fasting should only be done after talking to your doctor. This is what I’m talking about. You been told that it’s dangerous. The human body is incredibly well equipped to go a few days without food. Fasting for a day is absolutely not something that requires medical advice.

justinator 5y ago
To me it could be. I've seen disordered eating in my family (and have done it myself). to me, it's not a good idea, and anectdata on something like my health isn't what I suggest when people are looking for advice. Running right into "don't eat for a couple of days" is a lot more extreme than, "take a good look at your diet and make small adjustments, over time". I know it's not sexy or provocative, but it does work. And that's why I preempted my post with, "talk to an expert" rather than dismissing the whole idea. ie: don't trust some random person on an VC tech forum.