Alternate Day Fasting

[Zaphod001]

I have been using alternate day fasting with some success.  I have lost 20 lbs in 3 months.  I find it fits better with my busy lifestyle. Has any one lose had success this way?  I seem to be on my own with this method.

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

It just goes to show how we are all different.  I personally can't go more than 4 hours without food so a whole day (on just drinks presumably) seems a step too far for me.  It obviously suits you, so well done on finding your own solution, and one that works!

[IndigoBlue61]

You are not alone! I know several people who do similar to you 😊 Weight loss/management is a about finding what works for you. 20lbs is an excellent loss so well done! 😊 

[Zaphod001 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thanks for your support

[MW50]

The problem with fasting for weight loss is that it doesn't change the bad diet that caused the weight gain in the first place.  Unless you intend to fast every other day for the rest of your life you risk regaining weight as soon as you stop.

[Zaphod001 in reply to MW50]

This isn't quite true. If you return to your old habits of course you will put weight on. In fact the rebound weight gain does take place, as it would on any diet, but the weight gain is slower as you haven't pushed yourself totally into famine mode.  There are other benefits as well such as lowering total cholesterol even when eating fatty food on feasting days, eliminating the risk of diabetes, improved inflammatory markers including those involved in Alzheimer's.  It's a healthy way to live and you don't have to do it religiously even after you reach your target weight, you can use a modified version for weight maintenance.

[MW50 in reply to Zaphod001]

Sorry, I misunderstood your post, I had not realised you were having 800 calories on fast days.  I had wrongly assumed you meant liquids only followed by the same eating habits that caused the weight gain on the following day.  This is obviously a whole new science and I shall go and read up on it.

[Zaphod001 in reply to MW50]

Check out sciencebasedmedicine.org/in.... Some really good info here

Also Dr Christa Varaday has done some significant human clinical trial work.  Theres's an interview with her here healthyfellow.com/511/alter...

Let us know what you think

[miamia]

I totally agree with the comments below....great weight loss, but too strict for  me...!

[elliebath Maintainer]

Intermittent fasting does work, simply because over the week we reduce calories by at least 3500 ( = 1 pound of fat)

Not sure if alternate days suits everyone though, it depends how low you go on the fasting days. Generally 5:2 is achievable for many, but the secret is knowing what your fasting level should be, as it depends on your current BMR .  If you're a few stones overweight then a fasting day of 500 -600  works well , but when I calculated mine in order to shift my last 7lbs, I'd  have to "fast" on 350 cals 😕. 

As it is, I have since reached my target weight and am maintaining, but I often "fast" for several hours Eg: from 5 pm one day until around 3pm the next day , which is easier on a day when I can sleep longer!! 

[Zaphod001 in reply to elliebath]

Hi 

Thanks for your reply.  I researched this to see what the health benefits were and it seems there is no evidence to support the 5:2 diet.  It's an invention from Michael Mosely following his Panorama documentary Eat Fast and Live Longer.  Check out Christa Varaday's research which shows additional health benefits from alternate day fasting. 

Anyway back to my experience.  I have found that the optimum calorie intake is about 800 calories on fasting days which I normally consume in the evening which helps aswage hunger pangs when I go to bed. For me it's a psychological thing knowing I can eat largely what I want the next day, provided I'm sensible.  A chippy fish and chips will still hit the waist line!.  The weight loss isn't linear it varies day to day so I find it best to just way one a week.

That's my experience so far

[IndigoBlue61]

It just proves how we are all different and the 'one size fits all' is a fallacy 😊 We each have our own motivations and food related 'demons' to battle 😕 Well done Zaphod001  on you losses, keep up the good work! 😊

[Zaphod001 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Absolutely right.  IF isn't for every one but it works for me and I really believe it's a better way of eating. It takes a bit of mind over matter on your fasting day to get through.

[elliebath Maintainer]

Yes I saw michael moseley's  tv documentary and his book. 

But health benefits aside, for weight loss,  reducing calories on any day (or every day) can incur a loss as long as our net intake is  less than our body's maintenance level.  

Your 800 cals on alternate days looks quite generous and do-able to me,( it =  2 modest meals)  so Im pleased its working well for you.😊Btw, do you have much further to go?

[Zaphod001 in reply to elliebath]

When I started my target was to loose 20lbs to go on holiday which I've now achieved but to be honest I want to get my BMI below 30 (I'm 65 and have been advised that it's good to have some body fat as a reserve - somewhere between 20 or 30) it's currently 32 so I will get back on the system when I get back from my holiday in June.  The good news is that I feel much better day to day whilst using this system compared to the trudge of conventional dieting.  

I did see and article some years ago that stated dieting makes you fat.  It postulated that when you diet your metabolism slows down to match the smaller amount of calories, hence the nearer you get to your target weight the harder it gets. However your metabolism lags when you return to more normal eating putting on more weight more quickly than you loat it.  I've not experienced this with IF. When I've stopped before, the weight gain does happen but it's very gradual as you've not hammered your metabolism by reducing calories every day.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Zaphod001]

That's an interesting point.... I wonder if anyone else  reading this has experienced the same?  I guess you won't really know until you get to your target Bmi and maintain it. 

Im nearly 64 and in 2013 I was 2 stone overweight but I lost it slowly and have managed to maintain a Bmi 23 since april 2015.  When I reached target I didnt immediately increase calories straight away,  I did it little by little until I found my maintenance level. Obviously some days more, some days less but one year on, so far so good . Good luck with the final stretch of your journey too. 

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to elliebath]

That's encouraging that you are maintaining so well elliebath  😊 Not that I'm there yet!! 😕

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to IndigoBlue61]

You will do Anna, slow and steady wins the race! 

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to elliebath]

That's me! 9 months in, almost 15kg off, 9 to go . . . 😊 Good to hear that maintaining is achievable 😊 Thank you 

[Zaphod001 in reply to elliebath]

Thanks for that.  I hope to reach my first target this week, then a couple of weeks for a holiday and back at it for target 2