Has anybody actually read any of Dr Michael Mosley's books?
Eating only 800 calories two days a week reduces your total calorie intake - but is it "Intermittent Fasting"?
Calorific restriction suppresses the metabolism, and (Intermittent) Fasting stimulates it, so what does the "fast 800" diet achieve?
I hear that some members who have tried the "fast 800" diet have found that it does not do much for them - and they changed to "proper" 5:2: fasting two days a week. What do you do?
If you normally eat in a twelve-hour "Feeding Window", fasting for a day gives you a 36-hour fast.
I normally eat in a 4-hour window, so not eating for a day gives me a 44 hour fast.
(Intermittent) Fasting is not all about weight loss, and autophagy and Ketosis do not happen much until you have fasted for 20 hours or so. One we are in "Fat burning mode" we would get more benefit from fasting for two consecutive days a week? This would be a 68 hour fast for me: 14:00 on day 1 to 10:00 on day 4.
Autophagy "eats" or recycles unhealthy cells, rejuvenating you, and helping longevity and almost every disease except anorexia, scurvy, rickets...
Ketosis is the brain's preferred food - and it helps Alzheimer's patients.
5:2 is normally two now-consecutive days, but, once you are in "fat-burning mode" two consecutive days would give more than double the benefit... I fast 20:4 almost every day, so a two day fast, form 14:00 lunch to 10:00 breakfast gives a 68 hour fast.
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FMDs work like non-food fasting *if* the macros are right.
Blogger who explores the science of this thoroughly and who has experimented on himself and logged his blood results etc here: foreverfreefrom.com/fasting...
If they can achieve ketosis with an FMD, OK... but, if you take a bit of time to get into "fat-burning mode", so you can fast, fasting is free and effective... and good for you if you are not anorectic. I did not read every word, but I found no mention of autophagy... but I think it is, to a large extent, autophagy that increases longevity... would it no take less time to measure that waiting for mice (or people) to die?
He doesn't give a huge amount of advice about how to use the 500/600/800 calories (but is a proponent of the moderate-carb Mediterranean diet). So I meant to say that his plans could go either of the ways you suggested, depending how the user decided to 'spend' their calories.
I have read the "The fast 800". On page 41 there is a section called "Autophagy" and then on page 42 he talks about regeneration and how fasting triggers autophagy. He also recommends TRE combined with his 5:2 diet. I think, his point is that 800 calories a day keeps you in ketosis, therefore you get the benefits of fasting (losing weight, regenerate your body, improve your immune system and so on) without being completely food deprived. I reckon, he tries to propose "more manageable forms of fasting" (p.39). The Fast Mimicking Diet (FMD) was apparently developed to replicate the results of water fasting without the food deprivation.
I think the fast 800 - living on 800 cals a day for two weeks might be helpful if you have a lot of weight to lose. I have not tried his method, but used some of his suggestions about the Mediterranean diet that I found useful. I normally fast for about 18 hours a day and do not eat sugar and starchy carbs. This way I manage to maintain my weight.
As you no doubt know,I am very keen on fasting, along with all the many health benefits and knowing how it all works. But not all people are into knowing the science and watching documentaries, they just want to lose weight.
The good thing about the 5:2 thing is it got a LOT of people trying it (me included) and made them think about fasting as an alternative to constant calorie deprivation.
The 5:2 (following the TV documentary a few years ago) worked amazingly for me!! So I would never belittle it. It does a good job for a lot of people plus introduces them to fasting and gives them a way to try lose wieght and move deeper into it if they chose.
Autophagy? Ketosis? all the skin benefits? Anti inflammatory? ... I doubt it! But don't think it aimed at 'the enlightened' Just an introduction and weight loss route.
But I can tell you from experience that as a non fasting overweight persons view point it can work very well. I suppose it all depends how much you already know, as to if it is any use to you or not.
I know all that works. I feel it too on longer fasts. I just mean, that I don't think you would get all that with the '800'. but I think a lot of people are just looking for weight loss at the start. Some take to fasting and look further into it. 👀
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