Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy?
One thing is certain in the field of health: what is common wisdom today can easily become “misapplied science” tomorrow. What’s “in” this year may be “out” next year. Often it’s hard to arrive at the right answer.
For example: Oily fish is good for you because the Omega-3′s are so healthy, but oily fish is bad because it can be contaminated with heavy metals, but oily fish is good because recent tests prove it’s not actually very contaminated, but oily fish is bad because the fishing industry paid for those tests…you get my point.
The Fats vs. Carbs argument is another. So when a reader recently asked about regular fasting as a means of maintaining good health, I had to re-evaluate my point of view slightly. What I found surprised me and convinced me to add a new twist to my ongoing health-and-anti-aging regimen. It’s called Intermittent Fasting – or IF.
Twenty years ago, as I was first forming my Primal Health point-of-view (based on a model of how humans evolved), I found it very easy to embrace the concept of “grazing” that seemed to represent the collective conscious of the weight-loss-and-health movement at the time. After all, eating several small meals a day – grazing to maintain even blood sugar and to avoid having your body go into starvation mode and start hoarding gobs of fat – seemed to fit my picture of early humans roaming the plains of Africa foraging for roots, shoots, nuts, berries, grubs and the occasional road-kill leftover from a hyena feast. The explanation that we in the weight-loss business gave the public was that by maintaining this steady supply of protein, fats and carbs throughout the day we would never experience a wild swing in blood sugar due to rapid rises and falls in insulin, therefore we would be less inclined to store fat and more inclined to burn off our existing fat stores. Heaven help us if we skipped breakfast, overate or starved ourselves periodically. That would surely wreak havoc on the delicate hormonal systems keeping us in homeostatic balance.
Well, maybe not.
The truth is, many people have succeeded in losing weight and keeping most of it off using this simple grazing method, which consists of eating 5 or 6 small meals or snacks spread evenly throughout the day, with no single meal exceeding 600 calories and where each meal or snack contains a little protein. This grazing method is the ultimate in portion control: take the 2400 (or more) calories you might otherwise scarf down in 2 meals and simply spread them evenly throughout the day. I think it’s reasonable to project that many more have avoided or postponed getting type 2 diabetes using the same method.
But like many behaviors in the fitness and health world, there comes a point where the benefits decrease and we find ourselves on the dreaded plateau.
The first thing most people will tell you about their attempts at grazing is, while it usually works well if you are diligent, it’s pretty difficult to stick with, since you need to be near a source of quality food every few hours. If you work at home most days as I do, it’s not a problem, but it can make life difficult if you work in an office setting or happen to be a road warrior.
The next common issue is that after a few months of progress, you arrive at a frustrating point where the weight stops coming off, the initial high energy levels decline or you stop building muscle. That makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, since the body is so well-tuned to adapt to any situation – including a perfectly even flow of nutrients. In this case, the body’s reaction to this steady supply of nutrition is to actually decrease insulin sensitivity. It “knows” there will always be food, so it “down-regulates” insulin receptors, and probably down-regulates other metabolic systems as well.
In my Primal Health articles here at MDA, I am always looking at ways we can harness our DNA blueprint to maximize health. I like to see how we can shake things up a little and trick the body into burning more fuel, creating more lean muscle, repairing cell damage and staying injury- and illness-free. So when my 79-year-old buddy Sid at the gym started raving about his weekly 24-hour fast over a year ago, and my friend Art started writing about his own fasting experiences, I decided to look into it further.
The results were surprising and impressive.
Numerous animal and human studies done over the past 15 years suggest that periodic fasting can have dramatic results not only in areas of weight (fat) loss, but in overall health and longevity as well. A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gives a great overview of these benefits which include decreases in blood pressure, reduction in oxidative damage to lipids, protein and DNA, improvement in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, as well as decreases in fat mass.
How can you argue with results like these? And it all makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, because our predecessors almost certainly went through regular cycles where food was either abundant or very scarce. The body may have established protective mechanisms to adapt to these conditions by sensitizing insulin receptors when it was critical that every bit of food be efficiently used or stored (as in famine), or by desensitizing them when there was a surplus, so the body wouldn’t be overly-burdened by grossly excessive calorie intake.
Beyond insulin sensitivity, it appears that caloric restriction and intermittent fasting may “turn on” certain genes that repair specific tissues that would not otherwise be repaired in times of surplus. One could surmise that this adaptation serves to allow certain cells to live longer (as repaired cells) during famine since it’s energetically less expensive to repair a cell than to divide and create a new one. That might help explain some of the extended longevity seen in animal studies using caloric restriction and/or intermittent fasting (read about here, here, and here). Intermittent fasting has also been shown to reduce spontaneous cancers in animal studies, which could be due to a decrease in oxidative damage or an increase in immune response.
So, what are the practical applications of this research?
It depends. There’s probably no right answer (remember what I said at the beginning!) Art suggests mimicking the experiences of our ancestors, which is to say don’t plan any fast, just surprise your body every once in a while with 24 hours of little or no food. My friend Sid does his fast every Tuesday like clockwork, so he has a light final meal on Monday night and doesn’t eat again until Wednesday breakfast. He does drink water and a little juice on his fasting day. Some fasting programs suggest you take a two-week “cleansing” approach where you eat regularly every other day and fast (or eat 40% of normal) on alternate days for two weeks twice a year.
One thing that is most interesting about the intermittent fasting studies is that slightly overeating on the non-fasting days (to make up for the lack of calories on fast days) yielded similar results, so it wasn’t so much about total calories as it was about the episodic deprivation.
As for me, I’m going to try the once a week deal, but I’ll start by no longer agonizing over a skipped breakfast or late dinner. What I used to think was the end of the world might just be the beginning of a new one!
Let me know of your own fasting experiences.
Further Reading:
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
I used to do (once upon a time!) papaya juice fasts for 24-48 hours. While my whole system seemed to enjoy the “rest”… I dont think there were any long term beneficial results.. I think intermittent fasting is good for head and heart
gp in montana
My fasting experience has been successful. I did it three or four time a week. I know some people did it once or twice a week, but still achieving good results. March marks the 5th year of my IF. I lose weight, stay fit and feel much healthier than before. Though more people should go on the IF way of eating.
Just remember NOT to fast right after an intense workout and do give your body a chance to recover completely before start on a fasting program.
I agree with some of the users in here that drinking juice on a short fast is NOT ideal since your body will think you are on a low calorie-diet instead of really fasting.
I fast on water/herb teas once a week on a Sunday for 24 hours starting after lunch until noon on Monday. Again, the reason for Sunday since it is a quiet day for me and I have done my intense workout during the week, which my body completely recovered by then.
I alternated between drinking hot water with lemon and herb teas throughout the day. The kind of herb teas I drink are detox teas like kidney cleanse, liver cleanse, artichoke leaves etc.
I break my fast with a vegetarian protein shake, which consist of two tablespoons of organic brown rice sprouted powder (85% protein digestibility), two cups of coconut milk, one tablespoon of wheat grass, a large ripe banana or pear and a handful of baby spinach.
Cheers from Karl
Just curious what your IF schedule was like. I just started learning about IF, I would like to give it a try I just don’t know what to do. Thank you in advance.
This is interesting, because I have always been one of those people who can’t not eat for longer than a few hours. I my stomach would literally rebel if I didn’t eat, and I wouldn’t then be able to eat without feeling super sick and crampy in my stomach. Lately, I have been intermittently going for like 12 hours without eating, because I have time and access to good food in the mornings, (wake up at like 5 for breakfast), and after about 1pm I usually stop eating until 10pm, sometimes I don’t eat from 10 to 10, and I have found that it doesn’t hurt me like it used to any more, and I have been surprisingly ok with it. However, with workouts it seems to make me lag when I haven’t eaten.
There seems to be a great deal of confusion about the idea of fasting… With the so many variables at work, it seems that one beneficial step for fat loss (fasting after a workout to increase growth hormone release) would also be detrimental for muscle-building/retention (a catabolic state due to muscles being “starved” for food). Perhaps the best approach is to see what works for you, evaluate and measure your progress, and tweak appropriately.
The problem with juice fasts is you are still taking in massive amounts of sugar, thereby negating any health benefits
I knew a guy who did a juice fast one day a week. He said it cured his sleep issues and gave him greater mental clarity. Haven’t ever tried it myself. I’m way too much of a foodie.
i had similar results…with 48 hour fast…..There is actually some research that say fasting helps de-calcify the pineal gland….basically helps it reset and get all the fluoride and other crap out of your pineal gland.
Only problem with a juice fast is that you may be defeating the purpose. Many forms of juice are high in sugar and might lull one into thinking they are fasting when they are not really. I think you have to achieve that true low blood-sugar state to start prompting the desired changes.
Yes, fasting means water only. The moment you take in any external calories you break your fast. Then it becomes a low calorie diet not a fast. Juices are loaded with calories.
so no Tea or coffee?
Personally I find that drinking tea (no milk/sugar of course) or black coffee does not upset the fast the way juice or other caloric substances do. I just spent several weeks eating one meal a day (except sundays) and felt great by the end; to help me get through that last stretch before the meal I would drink coffee, and it was a nice boost, didn’t destabilize me like calories did. (I felt especially good the week I did zero grains – my main food was almond butter.)
I can personally attest to IF working wonders. Most people especially in the gym are so brain washed into thinking they need protein every 2-3 hours or they go into a catabolic state and wither into nothingness. I say the body is smarter than that and can do with what you give it.
Personally I do a daily fast and only eat from 1-7pm taking in enough calories that I would normally take in and focus on lots of protein, quality fats and vegetables. I mix in some carb up days whenever I need them for a more explosive activity such as playing ice hockey.
So far I have lost 10lbs of fat, gained 5 lbs of muscle and hover at around 8% BF. I have plenty of energy in the morning to do a strength workout 3x a week and add in some walking and hiking. Needless to say I had to see for myself and I did not lose any muscle during the fast but rather gained and lost fat. I am sure my LDL and BP have gone down, I have more focus in the AMs with only a cup of coffee (and I only need one to last me a whole day) and my life does not revolve around food and I enjoy my meals when I have them.
Best part is IF is a lifestyle, not a fad fast. You can do a 16-18hr fast daily(like I do, 24 hr fast 1-3x a week, or just fit it in whenever. That’s not even to say the healing powers of fasting go back 100s of years.
Sorry for the long post, but as a fitness professional and working with many people with chronic illnesses, I can’t stress this lifestyle enough.
sorry just to clarify too, it’s not a reduced calorie/calorie restriction diet, it’s just a smaller window of eating with the same healthy calories (within 10%) I would normally intake in a day. Also the fasting is strict water and only coffee for me, no sugar added. I also add in some apple cider vinegar and fresh lemons during the water fasting periods.
Mike
That sounds worth it! I believe i’ll give it a try, thanks for sharing how well it works, i’m convinced. Oh, i always drink water with a fresh squeezed lemon after a good work out.
Mark,
I have a friend that did drank juice for her fast. She did not complain about being hungry, it didn’t bother her not eating, You’re right, it does defeat the purpose. I told her i did not think drinking juice was a “fast” that she was just sacrificing eating.
I think that drinking juices and more so mineral based beverages are essential to physical health. keeping in mind that a certain amount of natural sugars are very good for the body. you may choose a more deprivation based fast but the body needs some form of nutrients in order to survive in a healthy manner. I started my fast two weeks ago. I only eat twice a week within a 24 hour basis and plan to go the entire month as a starting point. yes it doesn’t sound but so interminent but i find that my body does need these vitamins. i tried only on water and the effects were not favorable. nonetheless i think anyone at least trying a little deprivation in an overindulgent/obese country is admirable in there actions to break societies’ poor habits. anyway…the fast feels great and i encourage anyone to try as within reason.
Megs
Please be careful. What you are doing is definately not healthy. Even Alternate Day fasting is hard on the heart:
“This is not a positive report.
CONCLUSION: Chronic ADF in rats results in development of diastolic
dysfunction with diminished cardiac reserve. ADF is a novel and unique
experimental model of diet-induced diastolic dysfunction. [!] The
deleterious effect of ADF in rats suggests that additional studies of
ADF effects on cardiovascular functions in humans are warranted.”
Ahmet I, Wan R, Mattson MP, Lakatta EG, Talan MI. Chronic alternate-day
fasting results in reduced diastolic compliance and diminished systolic
reserve
in rats. J Card Fail. 2010 Oct;16(10):843-53. Epub 2010 Jul 1. PubMed PMID:
20932467; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2953475. ”
Please, Meg, reconsider and reinstitute at least 5 days per week of 2000 calories. Two days of water/lemon fasting per 7 day period is plenty for quick weight loss.
been fasting three days a week for three months– maybe lost a pound. on my eating days, it was maybe 1300 cals of very healthy foods. I run about 10 miles week. I’m about 190 at 5’4″ 34″ waist (rolly polly) very healthy, never get sick— just meant to be chubby I guess? before doing three days a week I was doing two for nine months– didn’t loose then either. I started two years ago with Tuesday fasts and daily 1200 cal days. over two years lost maybe 10 pounds? I’m close to 60, so maybe that’s it? people say I look early fortys, and that’s the way i feel— just thought by now I’d be.., maybe, 170?
That is not the type of fasting we are talking about. Eating only twice a weeks is starvation not fasting; however the compressed eating window or one or two 24 hour fasts thrown into the diet is healthy.
Furthermore, your dogma sounds extremely pro-ana to me, being a recovered anorexic(26,4’7,134lbs oh healthy!) I know the kind of things we come to beleive. This is not deprivation for the sake of deprivation, it is about health but it is a fine line.
Please do a little more research on the difference between intermittent fasting and eating disorders.
I’ve fasted for 24 hours on water only. I do feel better. Monday night to wednesday morning may be difficult. An easier 24 hr. fast would be to quit eating on say Saturday 2:00pm and eat again 24 hours later Sunday at 2:00pm. It seems easier, anyway.
Hi Mark
Inspired by Art Devany, I’ve been doing IF for a while now – combined with a low carb / paleo approach – and find it is realtively easy to stick to. I’ve leaned out a little bit from it and it actually frees up time from food prep.
Eades wrote about this earlier int he year on his blog too.
The method I use is typically to eat only in the evenings – like the Warrior diet or http://www.fast-5.com/ It is realtively easy to eat nothing during the day and feast at night. Loren Cordain had an article on this in his paleo newsletter a while ago
http://www.thepaleodiet.com/newsletter/newsletters/PaleoNewsletterVol1Issue3.pdf
saying that the evidence suggested that typically hunter gatherers would tend to eat big once a day. Which is sensible when you think about it – life was feast and famine in general and this approach mimics the same hormone drives.
IF you search pubmed for “intermittent fasting” there are loads of interestig articles. There are a few on my blog too.
How does that affect your workouts? Do you exercise in the morning on an empty stomach?
I don’t know loads about IF, but I’m curious enough I may try skipping breakfast. I did, however, used to run in the mornings before breakfast. I was a bit more into mileage back then than I am now, I can remember going for 6-8 miles before breakfast. Seeing as primal workouts are less demanding on glycogen stores, I can’t see it taking that big of an effect.
Lot of people do this, Chris:
- fast from 6 pm till noon (your body will do a cleansing during this time, and start cleaning out old broken cells)
- exercise vigorously at 11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. (right before you break the fast)
- then have a big healthy meal at noon, right after exercising (it needs to be within a half hour) (your body will use the nutrients to rebuild, repair and rejuvenate)
If you do it this way it’s important not to eat anything before you exercise, but eat very healthy foods (lots of healthy fats, carbs and protein) right after exercising.
How often do you recommend doing this? daily?
I read it too fast and thought it said Intermittent FLASHING. Keep’in cool in the summer!
Seriously, as I initiate a dramatic change in lifestyle to a Primal Diet, I have attempted to IF in the evening and it is too difficult at this time because of the already drastic reduction in caloric intake.
However, I am able to sustain on a High Protein Shake (Meal Replacement) at 5:20 AM until a 12:00PM lunch weekdays.
Honestly, I am not ready for any food consumption that early in the day. Shake and DCMF for breakfast.
While I think that intermittent fasting is reasonable within the context of how we evolved and life prior to farming, I do have one caution. If you are susceptable to gout you may not want to fast or try it in short bursts and build up to longer ones. I’ve had a gout attack flare up practically every time I’ve tried this (voluntarily or not). Fasting tends to increase uric acid levels and increase your risk of having an acute attack. That said, losing weight will significantly lower your risk for getting gout so I am working on lowering my weight and taking the med’s necessary to stave off an attack at the same time.
I was doing a shortened eating window like Mike OD up there (MOD, is that you?), but was having trouble getting in enough calories in a 4 hour window. I’ve since switched to a 24-on, 24-off plan and I’m enjoying it. I don’t have to gorge as much to get enough food, I don’t have to feel overstuffed, and I can maintain my bodyweight and activity. I’m doing 6:30pm to 6:30pm of fasting and then 6:30pm to 6:30pm of eating, usually four meals (dinner, breakfast, lunch, light dinner).
Scott Kustes
Modern Forager
Michael Eades had some great write-ups on IF’ing earlier this year. I’ve been doing low-carbing (which had already become second nature) with 18/6 IF’ing since then. All you have to do is skip dinner or breakfast most days (no snacking!), which is pretty easy if you’re working.
My feet hurt!
hahaha
I like what’s called low carb in this context. I’m referring to an earlier post where Mark describes a lunch salad. I like eating this way. I don’t know if I have my food/energy level dialed in or if I’m just more naturally aware I’m in need of a nap (no constant supply of energy coming in). Anyway, the post has inspired me to fast, today. I’ve done it irregularly (which is the right way I hear) from reading Devany’s blog.
What kind of exercise are people considering on fasting days? Mimic the ancestor and walk a lot like I’m in search of food? Maybe an occasional run and throw a rock like I’m aiming for small tree rodents?
I normally do 3 exercises (from a mix of about 30) at high intensity 2 to 5 days in a given week. I’m skipping that stuff today.
After reading about this last Fall, I started doing IF, and have continued to do it with good results. I generally eat from about 6pm to 10pm at night and fast the test of the time. It is a good weight-management tool. After loosing some weight initially, I’ve stayed pretty steady for the last 5 months. This of course is without making any concerted effort to lose, but it sure is nice to not have to worry about how much I eat or even what I eat, as long as most days I eat what I feel is an optimal diet for me healthwise. So I wouldn’t say there’s no plateau for IF’ers. I think there are plateau’s for just about any eating plan. But I also think IF makes it very hard to regain weight and also potentially has some great health benefits on top of it’s facility in helping one lose weight.
It was nice reading the posts. I have started this way of eating two months ago and have noticed incredible results. Mostly, I fast for 19 hours and eat in a 5 hour window. I have lost weight and inches, have more (lots more) energy, sleep better and seem more alert. Generally, I eat whatever I want to in my eating window, but since the weight loss has slowed down, I am considering making some modifications and lowering my carbs. A couple things I noticed–the flavors of all foods seem more intense, so be prepared for fruits to seem too sweet, and be careful to taste your food before adding salt.
You asked about exercise…well I will be 69 tomorrow, work full time and exercise 5 times a week. I do yoga 3 x and work out at a gym with a private trainer 2 x. I do all of the exercising in my fasting mode and have had only one time that I dot dizzy when going from lying down to standing quickly. That may have been due to dehydration, so I try to keep my fluids up during the exercise phase.
Looking forward to learning as much as I can about this way of eating.
MJ
Hello, I was wondering at time is your 4 hour window
thanks
This IF stuff is becoming quite a fad in the fitness world today. As interesting (and seemingly logical) as this article was, it lacks solid research to validate some of its claims. Much ‘promising’ research has only been done on animals. Take a look at this for more info:
http://alanaragon.com/an-objective-look-at-intermittent-fasting.html
PS… Don’t get dragged in by weight loss anecdotes! Many people will experience weight loss simply because they are NOT eating as much as they used to, because, well, their available eating times are significantly reduced.
Moe, do not downplay practical experience. Anecdotal evidence has its place in these types of issues where sufficient scientific evidence has not yet been completed.
Or you could just try it for yourself and experience the benefits first hand! Placebo or not you’ll look and feel better.
Have many of you tried the Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs. Its the one done by Beyonce with the Madal Bal Syrup. I am actually the US distributor of the syrup and thought some of you might be interested. The Master Cleanse makes fasting a bit easier than juice fasting because you get more calories from the syrup yet you still give your digestive system a rest. Over the years working with this diet I have heard so many miraculous stories that I really believe periodic fasting is the missing link in western medicine.
Be well,
Charlie Rebich
Hi,
I have been doing intermittent fasting (eating every other day) since January of 2007. I only use water on my days off food. Many people I explain this to say it sounds to difficult for them. However I found the body adapts and gets use to the routine, you have to stick with it or it becomes difficult. That is the only trick to it, just maintain the routine and you won’t be hungry on the days off, but if you cheat and make exceptions your system gets confused and you will have trouble. When people ask why your not eating today, just say you are detoxifying today(which is true), don’t say fasting or they may start to judge you because they may not understand etc. I’m also now a 100% vegetarian with I am enjoying very much and have never felt better in my life. I also completed a long fast (healing) in January for 14 days (water only) this was more difficult and I don’t recommend anyone to do this without a lot of knowledge on it first and even medical advice from a Doctor who knows the subject. I plan on a 30-40 day fast (water only) when I’m ready. The intermittent fasting will always be part of my life and I just would not be happy going back to eating food every day. If you have any questions I checked the notification for resposnes to this post. God Bless!
“I plan on a 30-40 day fast (water only) when I’m ready. ”
I really hope you’re not serious, because this is a recipe for serious health problems up to and including organ failure, hair loss, severe weight loss, and even death…
Many people complete 30-40 day water fast all the time. However, for the unexperienced faster you would want to be under medical supervison as you have to monitor the body carefully. For the experienced faster you will know already if you can undertake a 30
-40 day water fast. Also you would want to ‘fast prep’ meaning living a ‘very’ healthty lifestyle for as much time as it takes to be in excellent health – otherwise the toxins released during 30-40 days could cause complications. I’ve completed 5 – 15 day water fast with no supervision and no trouble and will complete a 30 – 40 day water fast when I know I’m ready for the journey.
There is over 100 years of medical data showing the safety of water fasting.
You posted this in January so you’re probably dead by now, but if you’re still in the process of “prepping”, please don’t starve yourself for 40 days. You will die. You’re a lunatic.
I’ve never starved myself and your generalization that fasting for 40 days causes starvation is incorrect. A complex organism in a true fasting mode has no direct biological relation to the state of starvation…starvation only occurs when all the bodies reserves are depleted and you start converting energy from the vital organs. A person in starvation mode would be hard to miss – skin would be tightly wrapped around all the bones and they would look like they should be dead. I’ve been fasting periodically for many years so my body is well adapted for this lifestyle. Anyone without years of experience should probably not attempt a 40 day water fast but rather stick to 15 days or less under medical supervision.
Final note: Comparing fasting to starvation has been an error I have seen in some medical books – this is due to lack of knowledge on the subject and also often used as a scare tactic to keep the general masses from discovering the power of fasting. However, I do not see fasting becoming very popular as many people I find ‘live to eat’ instead of eating to live.
i find it interesting how so much of this parallels the eating patters of an anorexic/bulimic.
i should do, i am both.
Hi Jordan,
What do you find to be the benefits of alternate-day fasting?
Hi I was just wandering around looking for more information on fasting, I myself am on my 8th day of just water, I am feeling so much better, I havent cheated once and I started at 242lbs and now Im at 217lbs, the weight came off quick in the begining and now I loose about 1lbs a day, I am so pleased that I dont feel hungery I never thought I could even go 1 day without food. So to anyone that has doubts( You can do it!)
Hi,
I have done the master cleanser and lost about 40 pounds, How many days have you gone and how many have you lost. I am now a hardcore grok, so no fear in gaining the weight back after losing it.
Peter
IF may be good for your health but not for losing weight. As soon as you eat the next day you start gaining it back at least for me.
One thing about water fasting is that it forces your body to use the energy stored to maintain activity. That’s its only choice, since no energy is entering the system.
Because of this and the fact that fat is the body’s optimal source of energy, IF is excellent for decreasing BF levels. I certainly suggest that everyone try short fasts at first, as recommended in the comments previous to mine. Maybe 16-20 hours at first. Maybe one day out of the week. Something like that.
As for you regaining some weight (did you mean fat or just BW?) after you stopped, it could just be water weight OR you were simply eating the wrong food.
Another thing to keep in mind is that body weight fluctuates to some degree. If you gained weight the day after your fast ended, it could simply be because you had extra weight in you! The food!
All the best,
well it has now been a little over a month and as I said I started at 242lbs and now Im at 192lbs. I have now started eating a little veggi broth and every other day a mashed up veggi like a carrot, I mash it so it digests faster and easyer, for me this whole thing has had to be a change that will be with me my whole life, you see my grandmother died at 700lbs, my mother is 450lbs and I have a younger brother that at 22 weights about 360lbs so my fasting has been to correct my eating habits and make the change that will keep me around longer for my 3 children, I cryed when my kids got excited that they could give me a hug and fit their little arm’s around me all the way, I feel great inside and out, I will never make excuses again!
I know this was 3 years ago.. but reading this comment made me want to cry (happiness and hope)! I hope you’re still strong!
I’m real inspired at this post. In my 20′s I IF’d after two childbirths and lost about 75 pounds after each child. I kept it off until age 35 when my job and a divorce got too stressful. Then at 40 I was disabled and jumped to 235 pounds with hypothyroidism. I fasted off 35 pounds three years ago. Then got into cycling and lost to 187. Then injured a knee for a year and up to 216. Last week decided to IF like when I was in my 20′s. I mainly fast and only eat a full large meal every 48 hours. I’m on blood pressure meds with a diuretic so on fasting nights I have bullion so I don’t get sick from the blood pressure medicine. I spice it up with jalapeno, fresh basil, chinese 5 spice, onion and it feels like a meal! If my stomach hurts I might have 4 crackers or a cup of soymilk right before bedtime and take calcium, vit D and magnesium. I am on calcium and D per my doctor for deficiency. I do this for 5 days then eat for two days. I just did my first week and went down a size. What I like about IF is freedom to eat foods I like again without guilt. I still eat mostly vegetarian but BBQ or ice cream doesn’t freak me out like it used to on occasion. I am prediabetic so I am hoping to lose 100 or so pounds in a year and reverse the diabetes and high cholesterol and not need blood pressure meds. I have to get my health back. Everyone nearly in my family is diabetic and I don’t want to be one. I’ve tried every diet in the world and IF is the only thing that works for me. I believed the media on low fat etc and I ended up fat again listening to the media and the government/ food industry hype. Never again! I IF’d from age 18 to 30 doing it two days a week for maintenance. I was in perfect health and slim. I **will** do it again. Also to Mary Titus. Watch the fats. The liver will turn it to glycogen and it becomes sugar in the blood on your morning fasting glucose meter. Fat is ok small amounts.The liver turns any food group into sugar as needed. Carbs spike glucose right away whereas fat becomes blood glucose 8 hrs later.
Soymilk? I hope you realize soybeans cause so many problems from reproductive organ disorders to hypothyroidism to brain shrinkage that they are basically well-marketed toxins, right?
Wow…that is amazing weight loss!!!! Did you notice having a lot of loose skin after losing so much weight so quickly? I enjoy fasting but never wanted to lose more than 10 lbs at a time so skin can catch up!!
I have being on a 20-hour daily fast since 04-01-07 and the result has being amazing.Prior to this fast ,i was lethargic,having chest pains,weighing 83kg(height 5ft 4inches),depressed.presently i am weighing 65kg which i have maintained for past 6 months.I have never experienced so much energy and happiness in my life.I am focused and rearing to go.I eat as much i like after 6pm daily and stop eating at 10pm.i have not being sick since i started this program.I hope this helps someone
Yeah same here atumu I have been doing 20-hour daily fasts on water for nearly 2 years I dunno if its working but I am about 54kg 5’7. I eat as much as I want anytime really. Sometimes I start at 8pm, sometimes I start at 5 – 5:30pm. But no earlier than 4:30PM. When its cold and rainy and I have got nothin to do in the evening I just start whenever.
One meal every second day would be the best lifestyle for humans-(super). The meal should be of the highest possible nutrition such as oranges and apples and only small amounts eaten over a few hours. If one absolutely feels they need more calories then adding juicing to the meal would work. But remember the trick is to provide only what the body needs nothing more and nothing less. All cells in their natural state are immortal until debris is introduced (caused by eating) which leads to cellular death-(aging). Since humans have no other method of cellular stimulation – (needed to live) besides eating we are stuck with eventual death. To reduce the speed of cellular death we need to eat only what is required for stimulation allowing human life using food types that have built in cellular protective characteristics such as anti-oxidants.
Boy I don’t know about just eating apples and oranges cause you would be a twig literally starving wouldn’t you? If you have NO protein you have NO muscle. Which means you can pump all the iron you want and its not gonna do anything if you can even still lift it. Won’t your body start eating your muscles?? Can’t you do a water fast like two to three days a week then on the other days eat 4 to 6 meals with lots of protein, complex carbs like red and sweet patatoes and veggies?? What do you all think?? Lose fat, still build muscle?
Interesting. Too intense for me, but I do a cleansing fast ever quarter. Stanley Burrough’s Lemonade Clease. I love that for 10 days or more. It renews my resolve to stay healthy. I started at 317 lbs now I am 227 lbs. Not sure of a weight goal, just a how I feel and look goal. These stories though encourage me. I commend anyone who sticks to what they believe in.
Actually Master Cleanse. It’s a whole lifestyle change. Eating veg. after a 10-60 day cleanse. Small amounts of fish organic only. I don’t striclty adhere, but I do get as much organic food as possible. I still do pork and beef a few of times a year.
Correct, absolutely correct. Young
children and adolescents need at least
3 meals a day. Young adults to age 30
probably only two. From age 30 or 35
to age about 50 one meal a day is
ideal and beyond age 50 only
one meal every two days. I currently eat
only once every two days. The single meal should include all food groups and, (unless you are trying to lose weight), enough
calories to keep the weight stable. Absolutely the worse diet you can have
is ‘grazing’; this overworks the Beta
cells in the pancreas (these produce insulin) and continuous eating is the major cause of the rise in maturity onset diabetes and obesity in our
society. The human body has evolved to
not only tolerate episodes of fasting
but this is the NORMAL metabolic state.
During fasting insulin drops and the
pancreas releases glucagon. Glucagon
raises the blood sugar and tells the heart to stop burning sugar and start burning fat; the heart is an obligate
fat burning organ but only burns fat
when the glucagon is switched on
(i.e., only during fasting). The heart is the only obligate fat burning organ in the body. Dominance of glucagon metabolism over insulin (in terms of time) slows down the aging process, raises the good lipoproteins and slows down the rate of vascular atheroma development. Hence it lowers the risk of
stroke and heart attacks (smoking is a much bigger risk factor however; so stop smoking before you even think about doing any fasting). It also reduces the blood pressure. It takes getting used to but, believe me,
it’s actually easy once you become accustomed to eating every second day
only. (N.B. I regularly swim 3 kilometers before I eat my meal, having
not eaten for at least 36 hours – no problem at all).
Hope this helps people.
greg, I love your type of knowledge, can you recomend books, or sources where an exposition of your thoughts can be found?
Why does everyone choose to do an eating window
at night? I much prefer to do breakfast thru
lunch and then fast for the rest of the day.
It just makes more sense to me. I have only been
trying it a few weeks just to loose some additional fat to increase my running speed. In the past the easiest way to loose weight was to
concentrate on limiting my evening meals. It also
frees up more time for you to do other things…
like the exercise of your choice.
I prefer the evening window because it allows me to have dinner with my family. I struggle with not eating in the evening when I have to cook and the rest of the family gets to sit down and enjoy it. I’d rather not eat while I am at work. I use my breaks to read my favorite books or magazines instead of eating then enjoy dinner with the ones I love.
Not everyone is the same. What works for you may not be ideal for others. For some people it may be easier to sleep through the first 6 to 8 hours of their fast. what better time to be hungry than when you’re asleep?
I do so in the evening simply because I’m not hungry in the morning. I’m at 84 kilograms, by the way. My healthy weight range is from 60 to 80, so I’m aiming for the happy medium of 70. Last Sunday, I started doubting the often repeated advice that breakfast was necessary for weight loss, and I stopped eating breakfast, starting my day with just water. At my age, 43, I don’t think I even need lunch. The usual mantra is that you’ll eat an entire warehouse full of food in the six hours a day that you’re not fasting. Ha! I’m eating the same amount at every meal as I normally do.
I like your concepts, Jordan. You would become
really lean and effecient on that type of diet.
Getting going on it would be an adjustment though…
Regarding the eating window. My theory behind eating a super only instead of breakfast or lunch is this: Digestion takes allot of nerve energy, if you eat breakfast and lunch the body is busy assimilating food all day. If you avoid eating breakfast and lunch, you instead detoxify all day (repairing) and you have all that extra nerve energy to use on what-ever you want…work etc. Some of the Free E-Books on my website discuss the NO breakfast approach to health.
Jordan,
Now I understand…you mean supper instead of
super, right? I thought at first you were saying
that eating once every other day would make you
a super human.