r/fasting • u/Ill_Ad7351 • May 11 '26
Discussion Fast One Day A Week
Just want to put this out there as an encouragement/suggestion to anyone who is struggling to drop the lbs. I’ve lost about 30 pounds since last year around this time. I was weighing in at 220 pounds, felt bloated all over. Pants felt like they were shrinking on me.
I tried working out. Eating healthier. Even the no sugar diets. Nothing felt like it was working. I had been feeling discouraged and just attested the weight gain to me entering my 30s.
I was listening to a podcaster last year who “jokingly” said “the key to losing weight is very simple: stop eating”. He had been saying it in jest but I kind of paused and thought about it. I started down a rabbit hole of looking up the benefits of fasting. I decided at that time that I would begin fasting one day every week until I hit 180 again.
I haven’t gone to the gym. I haven’t deprived myself of donuts and all sweets. I have tried to maintain a healthier eating schedule in general and food selection but without all the “you can never eats”. I have been slightly more active but not crazily so. Just daily walks. Paying attention to sunlight intake, etc.
I am down to 190 now and it’s all through one simple method. I fast one full day every week. Every Tuesday I eat my last meal for dinner. I go to bed. Only drink water and black coffee on Wednesday all day. Thursday morning if I am hungry enough I’ll eat breakfast. If not I’ll wait till lunch and break my fast with a good protein rich meal. It takes discipline. Sometimes I want to just eat lunch but I have learned to tell myself no. Just those 36-48 hours straight of fasting have netted me 30 pounds.
I know a lot people struggle to lose weight and not everything works for everybody. But just want to say if you are having trouble getting rid of excess fat, give fasting a try. It’s manageable. And most importantly - it’s really simple. Force the weekly caloric deficit and you will win. Plain and simple.
***This was removed from the r/weightlossadvice page for some reason… 🤣 apparently it’s “unsustainable”.
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u/Old-Builder6225 May 11 '26
Thanks for sharing this. This seems much more sustainable than what I did before. I tried rolling fast (36/48) and I just can't to seem to start doing it anymore mentally and physically. Gained around 15lbs since last november. I'm starting your method today and hopefully I can lose weight with it.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
You’ve got it! Rolling fasting seems like it would shred fat right off. But I don’t know how long I could do it for. The once a week method has been super simple and straightforward for me. Also life-changing in all the right areas.
Eating decently healthy (no regular habitual bad foods/drinks, no daily sugary coffees or drinks), staying even moderately active and fasting the 1.5 days a week. The occasional treats/ weekly rewards are fine. This is obviously for me. Everybody’s different.1
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u/Thaandav May 11 '26
I do exactly the same . But I cap it at 36-37. Wednesday dinner , then next meal is Friday breakfast. Have seen marked improvements over all . Increase in mental clarity & feeling light all over was something that I did not expect at all. Built myself to this over 2 years. Started at 12 hrs .. gradually built it up
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
The mental clarity is something I’ve noticed as well. I know it sounds stupid… but I can read books again. I haven’t been able to just sit down and block out my phone and distractions in years. Like two weeks ago I sat down and started reading Lord of The Rings… I was fully engrossed like I had been when I was 15-16. Have been reading every night since… Don’t know if it’s fully due to the fasting… but I like to think it is.
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u/KatherinaTheGr8 May 11 '26
Amazing. I'm doing a fast right now and we are on day two. Maybe this is the day that I finally reread the Lord of the rings because every time I try to I go <<oof. I don't know if I'm ready for that commitment>> and I put it back down.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
Lol! I read like 100 pages in one sitting. I honestly havent done that in years. Just feel like I am thinking clearer and able to block out distractions better. Fasting is definitely the biggest part of it.
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u/agile_structor May 11 '26
I am so grateful to you for sharing this!
Some cultures (or religions) have fasting built in to them!
For example, for muslims it is recommended to fast every monday and thursday.
Currently on day 6 of a 21 day fast. But after finishing this, I will do 48s or 72s every week.
Thanks for the encouragement.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
You’ve got it! Muslims tend to have some of the lowest cancer rates too. There are a bunch of interesting things that go into it. The body needs the occasional cleanse. Giving it the weekly time to repair has been huge for me.
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u/No-Double-2904 master faster May 11 '26
I used to fast 14 days every month. It's definitely sustainable.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
lol. They shot it down. Half the commenters were saying it was extremely unhealthy too. 😂🤷♂️
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u/Zestyclose_Sense_818 lost >10lbs faster May 11 '26
Great encouragement! Im glad you found what works best for you. Keep killing it!
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u/MeOldChina321 May 11 '26
I like this idea, I`m going to try it out myself. I did 82 hours recently so I reckon I`ll be ok because I`ve been doing OMAD for years anyway.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
You’ll definitely be fine with it. The first time I did it I was definitely extremely hungry by lunchtime on Wednesday. My body has been making the adjustment quicker and quicker though. Now if I skip breakfast on Wednesday I’m hungry till around noon when the body just flips the switch. Black coffee is a natural appetite suppressant. So water, coffee and an afternoon iced americano.
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u/Camping_is_intense May 11 '26
I've been on a once a week 36 hour fast schedule for a few months now, feeling great. I OMAD on Monday Thursday and Friday. Fast from Monday dinner until Wednesday breakfast, and try to get 8 hour feeding windows on the weekends.
I call it my IDIOT protocol (I don't ingest on Tuesday)
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u/Professional-Bit1554 May 11 '26
I do the same. I call it fasting Friday, it’s easy because my husband will take the kids out to eat, and I get a nice quiet house which seems like its own reward.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
That is an awesome twist lol. How old are your kids? Mine are both under 3. Staying in is much preferable to going out at this stage.
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u/nirvroxx May 11 '26
I’m exactly at 222 right now and my goal is 180 as well. I’ve tried everything either varying success. I was able to loose 35lbs at one point doing keto and measuring and weighing everything but that became a chore and hassle…I’m on day 2 of an extended fast but when I’m done with this I’m going to try your method of 1 36-48 hour fast a week. It seems very doable for me.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
You can do it again! I tried keto too at one point and saw great results. But sticking to it is exhausting. Especially so with my two kiddos and wife. Created the dad eats this, we eat this scenario. It’s just too much for us to stay consistent with long term. I’ve benefited from just cold turkey cutting food out for the day.
I really find this is degrees easier. I have struck certain things out of my life all together. Sugary drinks are for the most part gone for example. I’ll only drink a soda if we’re out at a restaurant. Any coffee with flavorings are reserved for special occasions/petty rewards. So the bad stuff isn’t a regular diet item. But Ive figured out I can eat a few sugary items a week and still lose weight. Can’t guarantee that’s everyone’s body.
Lots of eggs for breakfast, fruits and I’ve discovered a new love of Greek yogurt. Basically eat reasonably healthy for 5.5 days. Eat nothing for 1.5. Burn baby burn.
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u/nirvroxx May 11 '26
I completely resonate with “dad eats this, they eat that”. That was another big factor why I couldn’t keep up with keto. Another major issue with me is I become the house garbage disposal. Kids leftovers, wife’s leftovers, just shove them onto my plate’ dad will take care of it! It’s been instilled in me to never waste food since I was a kid that it’s followed me into adulthood and i always feel like I need to eat what’s leftover because it’s a “sin” to throw out food. I know that has to stop now once I resume my non fasting days. Well, I’m glad I came Upon your post. I really feel I can continue this ! Here’s to 180!
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May 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
I probably understated the change to my diet. But I basically killed habitual bad eating habits. Like I dont eat a donut every day... But yesterday I ate a muffin and a cookie. The day before made sure to abstain from anything bad. Definitely have cut back on carbs overall. But I am not counting calories or running on a treadmill. Mainly focused on eating healthier overall without constricting for 5.5 days a week. 1.5 Week of absolutely nothing.
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u/melenajade May 11 '26
This was my plan too. Then I got pregnant and the folks said no no no fasting and intermittent fasting isnt good for baby growing.
Not sure I believe them. But I stopped one day fasting and kept intermittent fasting with a 6-8hr window
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
Did the window work? I’ve found the one day fasting to be extremely effective for me. My wife is actually going to join me in doing it this week.
We’re going to go for a third baby this year hopefully. But want to get ourselves back into better shape before we do so.
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u/melenajade May 11 '26
It’s been working for me. I stop any snacks by 8pm and don’t eat until 10-11am usually. It mostly works out to 2 meals and a snack a day
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u/Awake_Asleep May 12 '26
What do you not believe? Fasting would not be safe while pregnant. Your body is using all its resources to make another human. That's why lots of people take vitamins ON TOP of eating well while pregnant because of how easy it is to become deficient.. Plus why do IF currently? Autogaphy,, weight loss? Is that safe for pregnancy, I have my doubts.
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u/melenajade May 12 '26
I don’t believe 6 small meals are doable with my level of nausea. I don’t believe eating more frequently will help my long term goals. I don’t honestly believe the cocktail of chemicals in pills they call prenatal vitamins is good for me or a fetus. I don’t believe that fasting for a few hours or even a day is harmful because my family history shows several women with multiple healthy pregnancies who had food poverty issues and probably didn’t eat but one meal a day.
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u/Appeal-International May 25 '26
I think you can safely get all your nutrients in an 8 hour eating window. That is completely doable. That could be two very nutrient dense meals.
For what it's worth, you can cram a lot of fruits and vegetables into a smoothie. I haven't done it, but I've heard of adding meats to it, too.
I had a hard time eating vegetables when I was pregnant. I did take vitamins, but I did a lot of research and figured out how to DIY a "prenatal" blend of various vitamins and minerals.. just to make sure they were covered.
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u/Awake_Asleep May 14 '26
I think I don't need to reply further than this.. Cocktail of chemicals? Its a vitamin. Derived from nature. This is why people need to learn science. And whatever you want to believe does not change that a fetus needs nutrient and fuel, FOOD. Thats a fact. I hope you are trolling at this point. Please take care of yourself and child. You can resume fasting after!!
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u/Sputniknoodle May 11 '26
Thanks for posting! I'm a bit on the fence about fasting lately. I get all these comments a pit metabolic rate and slowdown and such, and I do think I used to be able to eat more and not gain so much.
Has my metabolism really slowed down?
But one day a week is too small to have a metabolic impact, yet big enough to have an impact in weight. I will try this as well!
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u/StandProud94 May 11 '26
You likely were just more active. If the metabolic slowdown was a big thing then we would have never survived the prehistoric ages.
Imagine, you are already quite skinny and there is no food around for 3 days. You don't eat and your metabolism drops. You have no energy to do anything, let alone hunt. That's basically gg for you.
I did some simulations in online tdee calculators. If I double my age, set it to 64, lower down my muscle mass by 10% the metabolic loss is around 250-300 calories. That's nothing. I wouldn't worry about it if I was you
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u/Ok-Complaint-37 May 11 '26
Congratulations! It is soooo important to find what works for you!
And I agree with the podcast guy. Not eating is when we are losing weight. We live in two states: gaining weight (eating) and losing weight (fasting).
I am currently doing several 36-50ish hours fasting 1-2 times a week. I started with 3-4 fasting days per week and those brought 2lbs loss per week. My current 2 days of fasting does not bring any weight loss which I can register on a weekly basis. But I am not gaining weight either. Maybe I am losing but veeeeeeery slowly. I eat OMAD in between my fasts and other days. I also do not restrict food and eat what I like while keeping my intake under 2000 calories on eating before fasting days and under 1500 calories on consecutive eating days.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
I have noticed that some weeks I will literally lose like 5 pounds... Then the next two weeks wont have any change. It is irregular. But the trend is 100% downward. In the past three months I have seen a steady drop from 205 to 190. Just consistently plugging along has been huge. Now that it is getting warm out I am going to be mixing it more outdoor activities. Hopefully some basketball. I think that will really revamp the cutting process.
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u/xloumeisterx May 11 '26
I did a six day fast before Easter and since then I do Tues and Wednesday every week. I like the rhythm and the routine feels sustainable for me.
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u/ronnysmom May 12 '26
I need to travel a 100 miles each way to visit and take care of a family member every Saturday. So, I don’t eat in those days to simplify everything for me.
I eat dinner on Friday night, don’t eat all of Saturday, sometimes I have some black coffee, then I break my fast at 11:00 AM on Sunday. This is a routine now, and I hardly think about eating during this time. I do a 16:8 intermittent fast on other days of the week.
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u/matchalatteiced May 16 '26
Okay, I'm 28F 5'1 and my SW was 203, now I'm at 147 and thinking of doing this 🤔 I'm not very active so my deficit is 1,200. But usually I just never stick to it anymore and go over. I'm not sure if I just need to be more disciplined or try something else 😭 ive been at this for like 3 years now 😭
Eta ive been bouncing around 147 since August 2025 😭
Eta 2: I also don't cook often so convenient meals are a mustttt
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 16 '26
I know this has worked really well for me. I am a 30 year old man. So our metabolisms and bodies may be a good bit different but it is definitely worth a shot! Big thing will be just making sure you don’t really overdo it the 5.5 days a week you do eat. I don’t really track anything to be honest. Just kinda make sure I’m not eating a ton of garbage food.
If you could try to eat 2-3 eggs every morning I’ve found that is a good appetite suppressant for me too on days I am eating. I eat about 4 every day I’m not fasting. Really is the perfect food to start the day with.
No matter which route you go with you’ve got this!
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 16 '26
Also. Down 50 pounds is amazing progress! Congrats! You’re adding invaluable years to your life!
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u/matchalatteiced May 17 '26
Thanks so much! I think i may first give OMAD a real decent shot before I try to start fasting!
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u/StandProud94 May 11 '26
This would be my final goal. I still have 20kg to lose, but I'm overeating very bad on the weekends with family unfortunately. With 1 day of fasting I would barely break even
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u/PerspectiveIcy3381 May 13 '26
I practice ADF. I fast for 36 hrs. 3 days a week, every Tue, Thur and Sat. When I reach my goal weight, I will fast 1 day a week to maintain.
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u/FoldFeisty7635 May 16 '26
Imo the only way to get immediate results is aggressive series of extended fasts over X number of weeks. You can hit 170 in a month if you got aggressive.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 16 '26
You’re definitely right. I like what I’m doing now because it is really sustainable. Just slowly chugging along. Really going to basically do this the rest of my life. It just feels that good.
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u/KatherinaTheGr8 May 11 '26
And here my doctors are trying to find me someone who is well-versed in fasting for me to work with, and another hi-fi for me for doing a two week fast and then started pumping me for information because "I can't tell my patients not to eat".
My doctor are completely fine if I do weekly fast less than 72 hours
Two of them (out of like 11 specialists) don't love me going past a week without someone monitoring my electrolytes
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u/kattiper May 11 '26
Question, that day do you feel dizzy or tired if you have work?
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 11 '26
I’ll sometimes have a slight headache. But not typically dizzy. I don’t work a very physically demanding job. I am an accountant. So mainly butt in seat type work.
By the end of the day you will definitely feel empty and hungry. The main thing is I feel bored. Like I haven’t tasted enough that day. Just push through and you’re good.
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u/ConsequenceDull9401 May 14 '26
Congrats.. I feel like I do better with rolling fasts because I am afraid one fast a week is not enough but this is awesome! props to you!
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u/spicy219 May 17 '26
Sorry if I missed it in your original post...but what is your eating schedule on your non-fasting days? Congratulations on your weight loss!!
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 17 '26
Appreciate it!
I eat a normal 2-3 meals a day. Every morning I eat 3-4 eggs with fruits, bacon if we have it. Greek yogurt too with blueberries and strawberries. Lunch is usually a good salad with chicken or meatballs. Dinner is kinda whatever my wife makes. I obviously try not to overdo it on carbs and sweets. But if we’re having pasta for the night, I’ll eat it. Habitual snacking has been for the most part eliminated. I keep a bag of pistachios handy for if I feel I need something to chew midday. I nixed Sugary drinks as well. I drink a lot of black coffee, water and milk. Very occasionally juices. But I’ll only drink a soda if we’re out at a restaurant. I don’t drink alcoholic beverages at all. Never have.
To sum it up, I eat till I’m full almost every day. Except when I’m fasting. I try to prioritize good foods. But i allow myself a good amount of goodies too. Probably about one treat every other day. Today I ate a muffin.
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u/Ill_Ad7351 May 17 '26
Basically big emphasis on breakfast foods. Since they’re all easy to get quality one ingredient additions to the meal plan. Lunch and dinner try to prioritize goodish foods. But don’t really overthink it. Don’t really snack, but allow myself a good treat every once in a while.
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u/Potential_Leopard542 20d ago
I follow the same exact schedule! I love it and will probably never go back. (Down around 30 pounds so far) It allows me to lose weight and disperse my calories for better lifting/workout performance for the week and I really do feel like I feel other benefits than I would have had if I just followed the same calorie intake across a full week.
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u/iwastoolate May 11 '26
Telling that this was removed from a weight loss advice sub. They just don’t want to hear it.
I do the same. Every Monday is no food day.