Intermittent Fasting

[EveHarrington]

Just wondering if anyone else does intermittent fasting?

I’m also over on reddit but many people there are extremely strict about fasting rules ie no meds while fasting, and well my body just cannot handle that. I’m also taking in electrolytes and salt as I have a hard time staying hydrated, so in all, only about 100 calories during my “fasting” time. (No electrolytes/salt WILL make my body go haywire!)

I’m essentially doing JUDDD Dr Johnson’s Up day Down Day diet with very low calorie down days and a 42-44 hour fasting window followed by a 6 hour refeed.

 

[Friday]

It’s an absolutely fantastic way to gain weight and slow your metabolism. I couldn’t recommend it more highly. As long as you can tolerate losing a little bit of weight in the beginning, and not everyone can, there’s no better way I know of to train your body to hoard every available nutrient long term.

As in most people will be able to go back on a regular diet fairly soon and still kept the weight on, & many will even keep gaining. If you’re lucky, you might be in the group that will gain for a solid 2 years after only a few months fasting, but even just the freedom of being able to keep the weight on regardless of diet/activity levels for a few years? Even if it takes you longer, with fewer gains, its still a huge relief to not have to struggle to keep weight on all the time! Ectomorphs will generally need longer to slow their metabolism than Mesomorphs; meanwhile people with histories of eating disorders, starvation, or yo-yo dieting will need hardly any time at all (their bodies are well practiced at assuming food scarcity to famine conditions at the drop of a hat... this is the crowd I’m in, used to drive my ex nuts, because as a body builder and an ectomorph he had to work really hard to bulk up, but all I had to do was forget to eat a couple times a week.).

Clearly, people on medications that increase metabolism and those with naturally high metabolisms will probably struggle more than most to balance it back downward. But if you’re chronically underweight, dealing with osteoporosis and/or other absorption issues, or are looking to bulk up (body building) before cutting? It’s really really worth it. As long as you can stand to lose the initial few pounds for the big gains later. If your nutritionist is recommending it though, they probably think it’s safe. Becoming an efficient metaboliser isn’t permenant for most people, though. So you’ll probably have to plan on cycling this into your lifestyle every few years, if you want to keep hoarding nutrients.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t start seeing gains right away (after the initial weight drop), especially if you have an eye towards increasing your bone density. Fat doesn’t weigh that much, and it’s the first place nutrients get sent to / most people get a nice good layer of fat first. It can take a little bit of time for your body to feel safe sending bulk to muscles, organs, and making your bones more dense.

 

[EveHarrington]

Ok. That’s not the kind of support I was looking for. I’ll head back to the other forum where I’m with like minded people.

BTW there is a lot of research saying how IF does a lot of positive things for the body.

Not to mention this style of eating is essentially how we evolved for millions of years, not 3 square meals a day.

Toodles!

 

[Sideways]

For no apparent reason, I was reading some studies to do with IF just recently. I can see if I can find the link, but it was in an ABC newsfeed and may no longer be available.

The study was an overview of the data currently available on IF. As well as comparing fasting window differences, it compared the data on medium-term outcomes for IF compared with other low-calorie based diet plans.

The strong message (from what I read, which is limited) was that while there is evidence to show medium-term weight loss from IF, there isn’t evidence to suggest that it’s from anything other than an overall reduction in calories.

The conclusion of the study was that lowering calorie intake, compared with energy output, seemed to be the reason people lost weight, whether using low calorie diets or IF, so that if it was easier for a person to intermittently fast, rather than adhere to a low-calorie diet, then that was beneficial overall. Because, ultimately, IF did less damage than obesity (BMI based).

There was some small evidence that different types of fasting windows made a small difference, but not so much that I’d have rearranged my life around one or the other (since any IF is going to require lifestyle change). But avoiding a morning fast, and large evening meal was preferable.

Idk, but certainly I’d watch the extra salt intake. Electrolytes get pretty complicated with psych meds in play very quickly. Rehydration with water is still the gold standard. Extra salt in your diet can have really disastrous (long-lasting) consequences in short periods, not only to your arteries and kidneys, but also to your teeth (particular phobia of mine).

Is it possible for you to get your bloods checked regularly to manage your electrolyte balance rather than adding salt?

ETA there’s quite a lot of evidence around I think about diets that severely restrict eating patterns, because they are notoriously difficult to maintain, and tend to send people into yoyo dieting patterns. The body thinking it is in starvation mode can be a powerful psychological force. So I think the best bet long term, would be to settle with an option that is realistic, so that fasting won’t longer term turn into a psycho-social issue for you.

 

[Friday]

Ok. That’s not the kind of support I was looking for. I’ll head back to the other forum where I’m with like minded people.

BTW there is a lot of research saying how IF does a lot of positive things for the body.

Did you even read what I wrote? It was 100% in support of intermittent fasting, with health benefit after health benefit listed. It’s also not some new fad-elicious pseudobullshit diet, either, but has decades of really solid use & consistent results because it’s biologically sound (even before we really understood what that meant). Whilst probably not millions of years of history -unless you’re talking evolutionary biology for mammals as a whole, but I’m not conversant enough in zoology to really comment- anthropologically speaking absolutely 10s of thousands of years... and that’s hardly anything to sneeze at! While it was most likely a far more organic process through most of history, there’s even one pretty damn cool account of a whole city that formalised it (gaming one day, eating one day).

But as I said above? IF is an invaluable tool for those looking to increase mass, repair organs, restore bone density, and get faaaaar more out of what you eat. How do you get anything bad out of that???

Hell... I was even all cheerleadery in a few places because it’s easy to get discouraged with this type of diet in the early days (esp if your metabolism is slow to react), when you’re dropping weight instead of gaining, or just adding a fat layer while your bone density tests are still coming back lousy.

Seriously, wtfo?

 

[Karolina12]

Two good books on IF are The Obesity Code and Delay, Don’t Deny. The second has a blog and also some very active and supportive Facebook groups. There’s also a good podcast. Lots of controversial opinions on it but I did it for a year and a half and felt so good and it improved my workouts and simply, worked with my lifestyle and lowered my stress about eating.

 

[EveHarrington]

It’s an absolutely fantastic way to gain weight and slow your metabolism.

I’m talking about weight loss, so telling me I’m going to become an even bigger hippo ? is not what I call support. In light of this, your entire post sounds very sarcastic to me. If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine, you could have phrased your post a bit differently than telling me it’s a fantastic way to gain weight.

I’ve had luck with IF in the past. Unfortunately one of my meds has put the weight back on, and quite quickly. I was looking for weight loss support. I now realize I need to seek support in the right places.

 

[blackemerald1]

Hey Eve, I think if you had mentioned the reasons behind wanting to do IF you would have received some similar advice and realised it may not necessarily be what you need in the long term.

Honestly Eve.. beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I know you have done a recent self-assessment of yourself and found yourself to be wanting. But be reasonable with yourself - those meds you are taking are so important for your mental health. Can you jump start your metabolism with a exercise program rather than IF?

but also to your teeth (particular phobia of mine).

^Yes... could not agree more. Salt will ruin your teeth. Please be careful. A dentist told me to wash my mouth with a home made salt wash after a extraction caused by a abscess.. It bloody nearly ruined my teeth. I'm still working on restoring the enamel.

Did you even read what I wrote? I

I did... thank you. :) I'm going to try it when my life settles down a little.

My youngest child used this to gain muscle. He believes it to be a very effective tool.

How do you get anything bad out of that???

^Nothing if you want to gain weight. lol... :)

 

[grit]

This is a great post. I never diet in my life but now with age and recovering from trauma my body has changed. I honestly feel it is OK to be hungry. We as society at least in North America have an aversion to allow hungry. So many people can't handle the ferling of hunger. We eat so mindlessly including me. So now I heard about this IF and thought yeah... I am up 16hrs and spend so much time looking for food and eating... So still learning but I am just becoming so concious about the amount I buy and eat or throw it out cause I ate out... What a waste.
Thank you for sharing this.

 

[VioletButterfly]

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I did a little research on this and the Keto Diet, and (qualify, qualify, qualify) you might want take a look yourself at the literature and speak with your doctor if you have any issues with your endocrine system, i.e. thyroid, adrenals, female hormones, before starting restrictive eating like this as it impacts many body systems.

 

[willhealeventually]

This is a great post. I never diet in my life but now with age and recovering from trauma my body has changed. I honestly feel it is OK to be hungry. We as society at least in North America have an aversion to allow hungry. So many people can't handle the ferling of hunger. We eat so mindlessly including me. So now I heard about this IF and thought yeah... I am up 16hrs and spend so much time looking for food and eating... So still learning but I am just becoming so concious about the amount I buy and eat or throw it out cause I ate out... What a waste.
Thank you for sharing this.

I agree with you @grit . I’ve changed my diet to eat only lean meats, fruits, and vegetables, almond milk over the past 6 weeks. And some days I skip dinner - maybe a couple times a week. I don’t eat any bread, sugar, dairy, or nuts. I lost 25 lbs so far and am still losing weight - nothing else worked for me. Also, I find that being used to eating less quiets my ptsd/anxiety symptoms. I also don’t eat anything after 8 pm and drink almond milk if hungry.
This feels like a life style change to avoid all processed foods. It doesn’t feel like a diet. As a bonus, it quieted my fybromyalgia symptoms.

 

[blackemerald1]

over the past 6 weeks.

I lost 25 lbs so far and am still losing weight

^Whoah! Are you under medical supervision? Because if ALL you are doing is diet change that might be unhealthy long term?