Alternate Day Fasting for Longevity page

[Loneketo]

I see many IFers, but haven't seen any other ADFers besides myself? I guess it could be called intermittent fasting as well, but has anyone benefited from it and/or currently lives like this now?

If you haven't done any research or heard about it here's a Link:

Alternate Day Fasting Continues to Look Promising

[oxide]

On this thread, you said you were a 15-year-old male.
good god, dude, get a grip.
You should be stuffing your face with protein and good fats and veggies and probably some white rice.
NOT fasting for "longevity" or any other reason for that matter.
If you deprive your body of nutrition while you're still growing, you'll probably cut your longevity short for some other reason.
Enjoy your youth,
And don't think of fasting until you're 30 or 30 pounds overweight (not likely), whichever comes later.

[Loneketo]

On this thread, you said you were a 15-year-old male.
good god, dude, get a grip.
You should be stuffing your face with protein and good fats and veggies and probably some white rice.
NOT fasting for "longevity" or any other reason for that matter.
If you deprive your body of nutrition while you're still growing, you'll probably cut your longevity short for some other reason.
Enjoy your youth,
And don't think of fasting until you're 30 or 30 pounds overweight (not likely), whichever comes later.

We share different interests, and it is probably concerning to hear a 15 year old practice ADF. But believing I will be deprived of nutrition because I cycle underfeeding/over feeding days won't happen if I eat a way that is nutritionally rich, and I do make sure I get everything and more. And you assume I fast for weight issues, I don't because I don't have them, ADF actually helped increase muscle mass and decrease or eliminated many health problems that regular Primal eating did not do alone. I know that is not the only way to get healthy and maintain health, but it worked for me and is still working.

My mother(for religious reasons) fasted 3x times a week as a teen and once fasted for 10 days. Is she weak and frail? No. Did She stunt her growth? Hell no. She's slightly above of average height for a women. When she stopped fasting as often, she started experiencing weakness, and more of many call "age-related" problems, but of course it can also be connected to her poorer diet, but's that's a different discussion.

[zoebird]

I consider ADF in the IF family.

Typically, it's one day of normal calories plus 10%-20% more (this is the average based on human observational studies and they eat aynthing they want, not paleo or whatever), and one day of 25% of normal calories (usually around 500). The studies show that it's very healthy, and I don't see why it would be unhealthy for a teenager per se, so long as that teenager is getting enough calories across both days.

A couple of my friends do ADR and/or a 5-regular calories, 2-25% days which is a loose extension of the same idea, but without the 10-20% variation that ADF tends to create. So, it's 2000 calories on 5 days of the week and 500 on 2 days (or whatever your own ratios might be). This seems to work really well for people -- though I don't know any research done in teens.

I also fasted a lot as a teen -- one because it was my natural tendency (ie, i tended to not want to eat breakfast, same as now -- so I would often eat between a 12 and 8 window), and two because of religious reasons (often day-fasts where you eat before sunrise and after sunset). I was also fine. I didn't do this weekly per se (the religious ones), but I did do them fairly frequently (once a month or so, usually for a run of 2-5 days).

We are mostly concerned because we do get a LOT of teens on here with the beginnings of eating disorders (extreme calorie restriction) and they see this as another "hiding" method. . . "i'm eating healthy, just IFing!" which is the same as "just paloe, so no pizza!" or "vegetarian!" is often used to cover for eating disorders. So, we are cautious.

[Zach]

I can see how ADF could be healthy as long as one is still getting quality nutrition AND plenty of calories. Eating is inherently damaging to the body, but under eating is worse. Giving your body a short rest from all the toxins found in food and then super compensating to still get plenty of everything the next day might work well for health. Its when people chronically under-eat when fasting that can have many damaging effects. Lowering hormone production, lowering metabolism and freeing fatty acids are all related to premature aging and disease.

[Damiana]

You are a 15 year old boy. Fasting is probably not a good idea unless you're willing to risk not reaching your full height. Seriously, fasting is a great way to lose fat, but not when your body is still growing and wanting ridiculous amounts of food (I've seen teenage boys eat, it's madness). I don't know whether or not you are overweight or just wanting to be healthier, but there are much better ways of going at it at your age. Really, just enjoy life and don't obsess so much over food right now. Your teen years are supposed to be fun.

[zoebird]

I'm not fasting to loose fat.

And, I did fast as a teenager, and I'm tall (for my family, for my sex). I don't think it hindered me at all. ANd, I ate a lot as a teen -- just not all day long/all the time.

[feren6]

I see many IFers, but haven't seen any other ADFers besides myself? I guess it could be called intermittent fasting as well, but has anyone benefited from it and/or currently lives like this now?

If you haven't done any research or heard about it here's a Link:

Alternate Day Fasting Continues to Look Promising

At 15, I don't think you have to worry about fasting for longevity. I'd just stick to Paleo and then try crazy other things when you're older. But if you really want to, and it's convenient, then go for it..as long as you understand it's about starving yourself. It shouldn't be about losing weight -- if it is, then don't do it.

[Loneketo]

At 15, I don't think you have to worry about fasting for longevity. I'd just stick to Paleo and then try crazy other things when you're older. But if you really want to, and it's convenient, then go for it..as long as you understand it's about starving yourself. It shouldn't be about losing weight -- if it is, then don't do it.

Haha, very convenient actually. Fasting feels just as good as eating so as long as I eat enough I won't lose weight, since that's not the point.

[ryanmercer]

You are a 15 year old boy. Fasting is probably not a good idea unless you're willing to risk not reaching your full height. Seriously, fasting is a great way to lose fat, but not when your body is still growing and wanting ridiculous amounts of food (I've seen teenage boys eat, it's madness). I don't know whether or not you are overweight or just wanting to be healthier, but there are much better ways of going at it at your age. Really, just enjoy life and don't obsess so much over food right now. Your teen years are supposed to be fun.

Except for 1/3 of the world fasts regularly every lunar year (Muslims...) LDS (Mormons) fast one Saturday evening to Sunday evening a month, etc etc. That's a lot of kids that aren't screwed up from fasting.