Day fast for correction of poor eating habits
 

If I have a bad day or week of eating improperly, I will take a one day fast. This usually results in my weight going down significantly and makes me feel more in control of my eating. Then I am able to get back to my 1200 calories a day lifestyle and keep the extra weight off. Does anyone else do this and is it okay to do?

I have a friend who does a day fast a couple of times a month, and he's thin. From what I know about fasting, and I'm experienced with it myself, is that day fasts are very healthy to practice. But I don't do them myself.

I try to do a 5-7 day fast every couple of years to rid my body of built up foreign 'toxins' (for lack of a better word) and to also rest my digestive system and to heal and restore vital organs. I drink only water during this time.

One thing to note for longer fasts, never set a time on them. When the hunger returns, that is when the fast should be broken; fast should not be broken according to a set calendar date.

I never fast on purpose, it just makes me mean, shaky and sick feeling. Also it saps all my energy, so even if I do workout, it's the "just marking time" kind. I have friends that fast for a day here and there (one that does it every week actually), and agreed they are all skinny, but I can't say that any of them are particularly "healthy" if you know what I'm saying. One of my SIL's fasts all the time, but her cholesterol is sky high and I've never seen her eat a vegetable that wasn't swimming in butter and cheese. Another of my SIL's fasts in order to earn food treats. I think she does about 1,000 calories/day, but when she wants to eat something insanely high in calories she'll just not eat for 2-3 days beforehand. Personally I don't think that's a healthy approach.

I do think that if it helps you "reset" your willpower and doesn't affect your attitude, and helps you get back in control it can't be all that bad in the long run.

I do believe in a one day fast when you feel the need to. I personally will do my one day fasts typically on Sunday.... to start my week out clean. And Sunday is usually my day that I use for rest and I usually stay home on that day.

Intermittent Fasting
 

The title can be used in many ways. Some are like yourself, with a one day, once in awhile as a reset. Some do up to two 24 hour fasts a week, and aim to eat well for the other days, but don't worry so much about indulging in the good stuff (booze, cheesecake) when the occasion arises. Some people do it daily, fasting for 14-16 hours and having the other 8-10 hours as the "eating window", and some even shrink that window, thinking that you are very unlikely to be able to pound down more calories than your body should be allowed to eat and lose weight or maintain in the eating window time frame (although some of us surely could pound down 3000 calories in under 8 hours!!). So the goal is still to eat the right amount of calories per day, overall, but your mind doesn't have to think about it all day long. Not having to think about food all day is one of the biggest reasons people do it. Looking forward to that really good meal when they break the fast is something many enjoy. And many really plan to have something really good for them, not like the unhealthy sister in law in that previous post! Some just need to clear out the damage from Mardi Gras or Christmas, and take a break from food for a day.
I also think that the common thought of several small meals a day fuels the engine can be debated (and I am not picking sides, this is not pro or con either way). You know how they tell you to charge your phone completely before using and letting the battery drain all the way before recharging, and if you don't you will set the battery max charge to a lower rate? You know how you keep plugging in your laptop all the time, giving it a charge before it actually needs it? It starts to run down faster, and you have to charge it more often to maintain it. Eventually, you have to keep the darn thing plugged in all the time because the battery won't maintain a charge, right? Some say this is the same as the body. Charging your batteries too often can shorten the battery life.

Just some food for thought, I suppose.

Many people feel the same way as you said, it helps clear the mind of the cravings, and helps get you back on track. It also helps balance out your calorie overages from the prior few days. It's not starving yourself to have the candy bar tomorrow, and that is not healthy, and that is how people can abuse the idea of intermittent fasting.
Different from multi-day or month long, or juice fasting, it's not meant to be more than 24 hours at a time without any food, and it's not meant to cut your overall calorie intake to unsafe levels. People like Brad Pilon would tell you that it wil become an eating disorder if you start doing it this way. He doesn't like more than 2 days per week, and no obsessing. It's about creating a balance.

Start a food journal. A food journal will enable you to see exactly what your eating habits really are. Most people do not actually have a good conception of how many calories they are eating and often underestimate this amount. Food journal is the one most thing you could do to lose weight; more important even than exercise or the contents of your diet.