Intermittent Fasting

[Janelily]

Intermittent fasting/ IF - I've been reading a bit on this and although it stands to reason, it goes against what I have programmed my mind to accept.

Any thoughts

[SillyKat]

Suppose it depends what you've programmed your mind to accept! I don't know a lot about it, but I think the theory goes that if you fast for one or two days a week then it shocks the body into burning up calories. However I also know that if you don't eat enough then your body natually assumes a famine and lays down fat as long-term fuel storage. So I don't really know where I stand on it. I like food too much to try it, I know that much!

[gingernut49 in reply to SillyKat]

Your body doesn't go into 'starvation mode' as you're eating normally on the following day. youtu.be/W9Aj6hRYg4A(Not working as expected?)

It's fab!

[Jlmitch]

It appears we have been told some things about weightloss that was scientifically incorrect and the results of trials or evidence data "bent" to fit a theory (eg eating cholesterol means your blood cholesterol will go up. Now debunked as rubbish!). Have you seen any of the Dr Jason Fung video lectures on you tube or read any of the articles on his web site? He says that the myth of your body going into starvation mode if you eat a very low calorie diet and the constant repeating of this to the "you must have breakfast to prevent your body going into starvation mode" is based on an incorrect interpretation of wartime trials where people were given v low calorie diets to work out how to deal with concentration camp victims. See his site here: intensivedietarymanagement.com

Obesity is all about insulin and fasting allows your body to reset the insulin secretion back to normal. The you tube lectures are very interesting. I think the first lecture debunks the starvation mode myth.

[SillyKat in reply to Jlmitch]

Oh well that's me told then! Still learning new things, thanks!

[gingernut49]

It really does work fantastically well! The 5:2 Diet (Fast Diet) is based on this, but just two non-consecutive days a week. This little video explains more youtu.be/W9Aj6hRYg4A(Not working as expected?)

Your body does not go into 'starvation mode' as you're eating normally the following day.

I lost three stone in six months, and the advantage of this method is that once you've lost the weight you want to you just fast one day a week to maintain. I've been the same weight now (and a size 10) for over a year.

Two books I'd recommend, The 5:2 Diet by Kate Harrison or The Fast Diet by Dr Michael Mosley.

[Penel]

If you are healthy, and have no history of eating disorders, your body should be fine with IF. Eating your evening meal at 7pm and then your break-fast at 7am means you have fasted for 12 hours, giving your body time to burn some fat. Some religions have periods of total fasting, rather than food restriction, with no ill effects as far as I know.

If you are interested in finding out how food affects our bodies, I would recommend the book "Fat Chance" by Dr. Robert Lustig who is an American obesity expert. He explains how sugar and processed carbohydrates mess up the way our bodies work and cause weight gain (it's not the eating of fats that is the problem!).