Intermittent Fasting?

[Anxious 63]

Sorry to imterupt here but what do you guys think of intermittent fasting i am type 2 , do you think it truly works and how often should it be done , one more thing even a type 2 do you think you should eat say every 4to 5 hours even if you feel ill , or should you drink fluids and rest , oh one more thing what part does sleep play in diabetes , sorry to give such loaded questions be grateful for your thoughts

 

[PattiEvans]

Sorry to imterupt here but what do you guys think of intermittent fasting i am type 2 , do you think it truly works and how often should it be done , one more thing even a type 2 do you think you should eat say every 4to 5 hours even if you feel ill , or should you drink fluids and rest , oh one more thing what part does sleep play in diabetes , sorry to give such loaded questions be grateful for your thoughts

Hi there @Anxious 63. You have a lot of questions there and I do know some people who are best placed to answer them will not be looking at this thread. Why don't you start a new thread so people can give you their full attention? Sorry I can't be much help here. My comments look a bit odd, because the OP originally posted in the Low carb causing IR thread and it has now been split off.

 

[EllsBells]

Hi @Anxious 63 - that is a lot of questions with quite complex answers. Other T2s will be on here shortly to elaborate but here are some basics that I've learned over recent months.

Intermittent fasting: yes, it's fine for T2s to do. The length of time of your fast and the frequency is up to you. Many people skip breakfast and just have lunch and dinner but any meal can be missed out. Some people will do this daily and some will do it once or twice a week and others won't do it at all. Eating to when you feel hungry rather than when your body is used to getting food is a real paradigm shift but very helpful.

Meal spacing: Again, this is up to you. Some people eat all their meals within an 8 hour timeframe, others will eat little and often across the day. Some people will simply eat 3 times in a day. There are conflicting theories about whether it is better to keep your pancreas engaged in producing insulin at a more continuous but lower level throughout the day vs leaving longer gaps between meals to allow your pancreas to have a bit of a break. The longer the fast, the larger the break in activity. It is important to pick a method that you can live with and there is nothing to stop you doing different things on different days.

Sick days: There is a T2 sick day advice sheet in the Newbies section helpful advice (I think it is) that you may find helpful. Keeping fluids going in in is the most important thing.

Sleep: Poor sleep will lead to more elevated Blood Glucose (BG) readings. Losing weight (if you need to) will help improve sleep quality as will a regular bedtime routine.

I hope that helps a little.

Do you currently test you BGs through the day?

 

[Anxious 63]

I do sometimes check my BG , and yes i thought that poor sleep would elavate Blood sugar readings

 

[Grldtnr]

I occasionally skip meals, mostly supper, but I do try to eat breakfast every day, I don't always remember to lunch, but that's hardly more than a sandwich, but it's often the case I just don't feel like having Supper or if I do, only s small portion.
I make up for it latter, and have a big one every 2 or 3 days, but that's my new 'normal' , we are all different, one size doesn't fit all.

 

[AndBreathe]

Sorry to imterupt here but what do you guys think of intermittent fasting i am type 2 , do you think it truly works and how often should it be done , one more thing even a type 2 do you think you should eat say every 4to 5 hours even if you feel ill , or should you drink fluids and rest , oh one more thing what part does sleep play in diabetes , sorry to give such loaded questions be grateful for your thoughts

Anxious - Do you take any medication to help manage your diabetes? If you do, could you tell us what that is?

Whilst intermittent fasting is generally speaking safe for those living with T2, those in insulin or some other medication do need to take extra care as changing eating and drinking regimes can have unwanted consequences.

 

[Anxious 63]

Yeah i take Metformin and emplaglifzion for type 2 diabetes , on other meds to like statins and blood presure meds , and meds for anxiety and depression

 

[Eddy Edson]

Generally, IF is no better and no worse than any other weight loss strategy. As they say, the thing is to find a strategy which works for you and stick with it.

 

[Terry-J]

Lots of info on Youtube. Search for Dr Jason Fung who has several videos about diabetes, obesity and IF.