Do you do intermittent fasting?
- Yes
- No
0 voters
What health benefits have you seen?
I eat two meals per day in a time-restricted fashion. I normally limit eating to an 8-hour window, this leads to a daily intermittent fast of 16 hours. This tactic has led to better glucose numbers, less glucose volatility, and weight loss.
The professional advice to eat three meals per day with added snacks turned out to be unhealthy for me. I wish I would have wised up sooner. If anyone is interested in learning more on this topic, google “Jason Fung.”
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I haven’t tried it yet. I love meal time with my husband and haven’t wanted to give that up even for a short time. I usually don’t eat between 6:00 pm and 8:00 am though.
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I eat in a similar fashion to @Terry4. I’m up at 0330 and don’t go back to bed until 2200 or so. All of my food intake (usually 2 meals and a snack) are between 1000 hrs and 1600 hrs. If I eat later than 1800 hrs I have very high bgs at night, resulting in poor quality sleep.
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I eat one meal a day (OMAD). I do, however, have a large (20oz) cup of coffee every morning between 4-5am.
My only meal is eaten in a 120 minute window late in the afternoon (allowing a good 4-5 hours of digestion time before bed).
This regimen works well for me, as always, basal rates are of great importance.
Health benefits have ranged from better weight control, exceptional glucose control and predictability, and a major improvement to multiple inflammatory processes that I’ve lived with for some time.
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I fast to check basal rates.
I’m very similar in my eating pattern to @Terry4.
Only eating 2 meals a day and drinking coffee in the morning. I don’t fast intentionally but just naturally not hungry in the mornings and between meals. I also noticed that avoiding any food at least 5 hours before bedtime really mitigates dawn phenomenon the next morning.
I eat very low carb as well (most days I hardly eat 20 grams a day, mostly from vegetables) and it just reduced my appetite naturally over time so going many hours without food (but with water/tea/coffee) just came naturally after a year or so eating this way.
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Fascinating!
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There are times when I fast due to bg being too high and I wait for a correction or basal to drop it. Otherwise it can often cause highs. I seem to need to eat every 4-5 hours. But if I eat too often and at the wrong times I can get highs or lows. Nothing is ever predictable for me. I really end up starving alot. Now that I added in a tiny extra meal though I have gained weight, so unfair to be starving and gain weight. I cant do exercise any more due to lows.
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One meal a day takes a bit of practice. Try cutting out breakfast first (after all you’ve already been fasting about 12 hours when you get up in the morning, waiting another 6 till lunch isn’t going to kill anyone).
Like @MayaK I’m never hungry in AM and only want coffee. After a week or so of 2 meals you can eliminate lunch as well. 
The idea has been rolling around in my thoughts and nice to see conversations about meals and how many and why.
Currently contemplating two meals for me and will probably start tomorrow.
I had a past of super work load and not eating well and loads of stress.
Since my Type One diagnosis I have been the model low carb/ three meals a day.
It just “feels” off for me now. Been eating like this for one and a half years.
Low carb is still working but three meals just isn’t.
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I actually started intermittent fasting for 16 hrs IF / 8 hrs eat window, with weight training 4 times a week. Currently down 35 pounds
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Go with coffee in AM, it holds you over until at least noon.
Also, no snacking!! Snacking is habitual; healthy people don’t require any snacks. Good luck!!
I follow the same plan as Jim_in_Calgary, although take a smaller cup of coffee. In addition to the benefits mentioned by Jim, it soothes my gastroparesis.
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Do you put any cream or sweetener in your coffee?
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2 Tablespoons Heavy cream (36% Milk Fat)
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Total Calories: 100
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0 grams carbs
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10 grams fat
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0.6 grams protein
BTW, “breakfast” has been a marketing myth for almost a century now, thanks to Kellogg. It was all marketed to sell cereal. Me: Black coffee until lunch - no hunger at all…
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When I fast, I find I lose my appetite after about 12 hours, and then end up eating very little and being satisfied once I start eating again. If any processed foods with sugar get into my diet, I start getting hungry again, so it helps to completely avoid those whenever you can
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I have been doing 16- 8 IF for several years. I have started doing one meal a day recently. It definitely lowers my insulin resistance. Need to loose some weight, it is coming off very slowly. If I can keep up my weight loss, I anticipate eventually being able to cut my basal insulin dose, which should result in more weight loss.
I would like to do a 36 hour fast, but need to decide what to do with my basal insulin, it would seem that a low would result with no food coming in. I’m thinking of skipping a basal dose and dealing with possible highs with fast acting insulin until the following evening when I would take my next basal dose.
Anyone have experience with this? I am T2 and use Treshiba and Novolog, when needed .
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While I am not T2D, I find that my pump basal rate, if well-adjusted, does not require any change for a 24-hour fast. In fact a 24-hour fast can provide you with the opportunity to identify a good Tresiba basal dose for you. I have not fasted beyond 24 hours, but I wouldn’t anticipate much difficulty if I extended beyond 36 hours.
Technically, the basal insulin is needed to metabolize the glycogen output from the liver. The liver continues to release glycogen even when fasting. Your metabolism, of course, may vary.
The dividing line between basal and bolus insulin can become blurred. I’ve gone through times when my basal rate was subsidizing my bolus insulin and vice versa.
Good luck with your fasting experiment!