Intermittent Fasting?

[solascriptura]

I've heard this phrase buzzing around for a few years and I know what it means. Does anyone here have any personal experience with it whether positive or negative?

[Supertechmom]

I've been doing it for about a year.  I lost 40 pounds, dropped my morning fasting blood glucose from 140s to 80s and my A1c which wasn't all that high to begin with (5.9) dropped to 5.7 which is the high side of normal.   It has been the only thing that has let me lose weight.   The diet didn't work alone, exercise didn't work added to the diet but adding in intermittent fasting did the trick and got things moving.  I'm not hungry in the mornings and since I stopped eating junk, don't crave it either.

[solascriptura]

I've been doing it for about a year. I lost 40 pounds, dropped my morning fasting blood glucose from 140s to 80s and my A1c which wasn't all that high to begin with (5.9) dropped to 5.7 which is the high side of normal. It has been the only thing that has let me lose weight. The diet didn't work alone, exercise didn't work added to the diet but adding in intermittent fasting did the trick and got things moving. I'm not hungry in the mornings and since I stopped eating junk, don't crave it either.

Wow! Awesome results! What kind of fasting did you do?

[meganrussell]

I've done it before and lost weight pretty quickly. I would fast from 3 pm until 11 am each day. So basically fasting for 20 hours a day, only eating for four hours. I didn't necessarily diet - I ate whatever I wanted to but only in those hours. Obviously not lots of junk food but normal food, normal meals, the occasional cookie or ice cream. I need to do it again.

[teachermom2834]

I have been doing it for about seven weeks and have lost about twenty pounds. It is not all I am doing though. I am also counting calories and eating low carb. (I guess I decided I just needed to try everything at the same time).

 

I started with an eating window of noon to 8pm. Over time that has gotten smaller and smaller because I just am not hungry at noon and often don't eat until 2:00. I was an all day snacker and always ate breakfast as soon as I woke up. This has helped tremendously to keep cravings at bay and break the cycle of all day and late night snacking.

 

It is much easier to do than it sounds.

[kiana]

I did it for a while with 2 meals a day. I have stopped because I reached the weight I wanted to be (actually dropped below it) and was finding difficulty in getting *enough* food in with just 2 meals. So for me, it definitely worked nicely to lose weight. 

[MBM]

I intermittent fast all the time, eating in a 6 to 12 hour window, usually 2 meals and no snacking. The main reason for me is to reap the benefits of autophagy.

 

Sometimes I do longer fasts of 3-4 days of water, black coffee and unsweetened tea to induce even more autophagy. Fasting under the right conditions is extremely healthy.

 

Jason Fung (an MD) has written a book explaining how to fast, including intermittent, but you might be able to find the same info online.

[Supertechmom]

I just fast from dinner to lunch about 16 hours and then eat normally during the other 8.  I followed Dr. jason Fung's advice.

[Anne]

Do those of you who fast do this daily or twice a week or ?????

 

Thanks!

 

Anne

[MommyLiberty5013]

Wow this is helpful. I've never heard of this before. For health I really need to drop at least 40 pounds. I'm only 35, 5'3" and am nearing 200 pounds. Before 4 kids I weighed 136. My BP has always been great. My chloresterol is normal, ok but on the high end of ok.

 

I am horrible at real diets. I do occasionally go to aqua fit classes (my back is bad - and I see a chiropractor for that) but twisting even little bits causes me to go out and have pain. Anyway, I usually only have coffee in the morning and can go right through to lunch not eating.

 

I'm buying the book!

[solascriptura]

I read some articles lately and it seems that men get better results from intermittent fasting. I don't know if this is true or not. As a Christian, fasting for spiritual reasons is normal to me. I am trying to understand the physical benefits from it. I had alway heard that fasting is detrimental to the metabolism. Any opinions on this?

[Bluegoat]

You might find this a helpful article.

[Bluegoat]

I'm thinking of trying this, as it fits in well with religious fasts for me, anyway.  

 

I have to be careful though, as I have been known to faint in the morning if I don't eat - so I can't be doing morning fasts.

[kiana]

Do those of you who fast do this daily or twice a week or ?????

 

Thanks!

 

Anne

 

There are a couple of different ways. For one way, you fast daily but leave yourself an "eating window" of several hours and just don't eat outside that window. For another way, 2 days a week you would eat a very low intake (it's usually better to get approx. 500 calories of protein/veg than nothing at all) and the other 5 you would eat normally (and normally would mean normally/maintaining weight, not diet 5x/week and nothing at all 2x/week). 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I'm another Jason Fung groupie.

 

I've done OMAD for a couple weeks and it's awesome, leaves me feeling wonderful, but then some social engagements messed up my habit. I highly recommend going keto for a week before starting anything longer than a "skipping breakfast" type fast. This will allow your body to be ready for fasting and keep your hunger at bay.

 

OMAD = one meal a day

 

Benefits: some weight loss, incredibly high energy, incredibly deep sleep, more indulgent dinner portions which left me feeling very satisfied.

[Guest]

I can't really do it while nursing but it works great for me otherwise. I eat in a six hour window or so, usually a big meal and then some grazing, and just have water or coffee/tea the other eighteen hours.

[Mom-ninja.]

I do it a few times a week for the energy I have while fasting. I just feel better when I don't eat a lot. 

[madteaparty]

I'm another Jason Fung groupie.

 

I've done OMAD for a couple weeks and it's awesome, leaves me feeling wonderful, but then some social engagements messed up my habit. I highly recommend going keto for a week before starting anything longer than a "skipping breakfast" type fast. This will allow your body to be ready for fasting and keep your hunger at bay.

 

OMAD = one meal a day

 

Benefits: some weight loss, incredibly high energy, incredibly deep sleep, more indulgent dinner portions which left me feeling very satisfied.

Would something like freshly squeezed grapefruit juice break the fast? I'm assuming coffee and tea are ok. Thank you!

[Katy]

I have done it.  I lost the most weight on one meal a day.  I was working a very physical job at the time and occasionally added one snack a day too, usually 2-3 hours before my meal.  I tried to start the meal with 3-5 bites of protein and two servings of vegetables, and after that ate whatever I wanted. It was pretty great.  I've found it challenging to stick with kids having food around all the time.  Sometimes I just forget I'm not supposed to eat yet.

[Guest]

As a counter-point, here is a post about reasons women may not want to IF. (I have no skin in this game now, but anecdotally: I have fasted extensively and found that while I lost weight quickly, I also became very unhealthy in other ways. Obviously "fasting" and "IF" are not necessarily the same!)

 

http://paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/#

[solascriptura]

Would something like freshly squeezed grapefruit juice break the fast? I'm assuming coffee and tea are ok. Thank you!

It would. I read that you need to stay below 50 calories to remain in a fasted state.

[madteaparty]

It would. I read that you need to stay below 50 calories to remain in a fasted state.

My drop of half and half is more than that. Goodbye, IF :)

(Thanks!)

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Would something like freshly squeezed grapefruit juice break the fast? I'm assuming coffee and tea are ok. Thank you!

 

Yes.  Technically anything with calories will break the fast.  Fung recommends sticking to water, tea, and coffee, but says doing a fast+bone broth is better than not fasting at all, as is doing a fast+cream in your coffee (1-2tbsp)

 

But a lot really depends on what your goal is.  Someone mentioned upthread that they fast for autophagy reasons.  There is some really promising science on fasting and aging, and how putting the body into autophagy mode will help reduce many symptoms of aging, including cancers, degenerative brain diseases, poor immune function, etc.  For autophagy, it's actually MOST important to restrict proteins.  So in theory, a bit of grapefruit juice would not kick you out of autophagy.  

 

BUT, in the context of weight loss and insulin re-sensitization, what you really want is to keep your insulin as low as possible for as long as possible.  I am guessing that even though pressed grapefruit juice is pretty low calorie, all those calories would be sugar calories, and this would raise your insulin.  Things like bone broth and heavy whipping cream contain almost no carbs, and so keep your body in ketosis.  

 

If you decide to attempt fasting or a keto diet, do make sure you take potassium, magnesium, and sodium.  If you are faithful about keeping your electrolytes up, you should be able to avoid "ketu-flu" and feeling bad during your fasting.  If you just go with fasting plus a regular spread of food during non-fasting, you probably don't need to worry much about electrolytes unless you are doing a multi-day fast.   

 

Dr. Fung has some great videos on youtube and his book is well-done as well.  Here's a good video that explains the whys and hows of fasting and keto and why it works so well and quickly, compared to a traditional calorie restriction diet.  

[solascriptura]

As a counter-point, here is a post about reasons women may not want to IF. (I have no skin in this game now, but anecdotally: I have fasted extensively and found that while I lost weight quickly, I also became very unhealthy in other ways. Obviously "fasting" and "IF" are not necessarily the same!)

 

http://paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/#

Thanks for your input. I did read that IF works differently for men and women. Men seem to have far more and better results from it. That stinks.

[Guest]

Thanks for your input. I did read that IF works differently for men and women. Men seem to have far more and better results from it. That stinks.

Oh it works for women, especially if you look at personal anecdotes in the face of a paucity of data. Buuuut women tend to do better with shorter fasting periods than men, or alternating days and calorie levels instead of a hard core day or two fast. Also, if you have adrenal issues, eat to hunger and don't forcibly restrict or it will make things worse instead of better. It can be done, but don't ignore your physiological cues to reach an arbitrary set of time. If you cannot do it easily and comfortably it's not a great idea. But gradually adjusting your eating window? Just not a big deal and a lot of benefits can be seen even by switching to an eight hour window from a twelve or fourteen hour window most people keep.

[teachermom2834]

When people say IF can be bad for women, what exactly does that mean? I am doing well with it and losing weight without being hungry or miserable. Does that mean it is ok for me or is there some hormonal damage I am doing?

 

I have read before that it is not a great idea for women but seldom is that statement followed with why that is the case. I am enjoying the weight loss but not if I am setting myself up for some other issues.

[Guest]

When people say IF can be bad for women, what exactly does that mean? I am doing well with it and losing weight without being hungry or miserable. Does that mean it is ok for me or is there some hormonal damage I am doing?

 

I have read before that it is not a great idea for women but seldom is that statement followed with why that is the case. I am enjoying the weight loss but not if I am setting myself up for some other issues.

 

Not bad for, per se. Not as good for women as it is for men, possibly.

 

It effects female hormones differently than men's.

Edited September 1, 2017 by OKBud

[Guest]

When people say IF can be bad for women, what exactly does that mean? I am doing well with it and losing weight without being hungry or miserable. Does that mean it is ok for me or is there some hormonal damage I am doing?

 

I have read before that it is not a great idea for women but seldom is that statement followed with why that is the case. I am enjoying the weight loss but not if I am setting myself up for some other issues.

If you have fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbances beyond the first few days of adjusting, or amenorrhea it's too much for you. If you feel good you're fine. Really it's that simple :). You're not doing some secret bodily damage with it if you feel great and your body is responding favorably, but if you're showing physiological stress responsss you need to back off a bit.

[Nicholas_mom]

This--> autophagy ----is a new word!  I love it!  Over a year ago, I did a CLEAN Fast for 3 weeks, basically a shake or soup twice a day and 1 small meal.  I loved it so much!  Great things happened like wrinkles gone!   And skin so smooth! I wanted to continue the fast after 3 wks but I kept missing actually chewing and crunching foods.

 

This past summer I read a book that went over all the different fasts (1 day, 3 day, week and intermittent).  I started doing 16 hr fasting in the morning.  But weekends , I will eat 2 meals a day which includes breakfasts.

 

I need to read Dr. Fung's book!  Off to read! 

 

[MBM]

The best fast for a serious health problem like cancer would be distilled water in a medical setting. The reasoning is that anything ingested other than distilled water tells the body that food is close by which changes the body's reactions. Valter Longo is the researcher who designed the fasting protocols used alongside the treatment of cancer and he used distilled water. Thomas Seyfried, another researcher, recommends the same thing for cancer. Always in a medical setting.

 

Alan Goldhamer has been running a fasting clinic for years. He works with excellent researchers as well and none of Goldhamer's studies have been published. Fung's studies haven't been published either. The reasons their studies haven't been published is not because they're poorly designed.

 

Longo also designed two special diets-in-a-box. One is for people with cancer -- because there is still some benefit even on a low calorie diet -- and the other is for other medical problems or just better health.

 

Longo also is seeing good results in fasting studies of autoimmune diseases like MS. These are now being done on humans. Fasting for a period of time causes your body to create new stem cells, as many as 40%. These can be used all over the body.

 

Seyfried's work with cancer shows that it's the mitochondria that damage the nucleus and not the other way around. Fasting helps repair or dispose of damaged mitochondria. And it does other things but you'd want to read all this yourself. The short articles on the internet do a good job explaining.

 

Seyfried and Dominic D'Agostino work together on certain studies. Recently they've shown that adding hyperbaric oxygen treatments (hbot) gives even better results while fasting for cancer treatment. I believe those were not human studies, though. Can't remember.

 

I fast just to improve my general health. When I do, I always start by measuring my blood glucose. Then, the following night I start measuring my blood ketones. My goal is to get the ratio of glucose to ketones as close to 1.0 or below. This is what Seyfried calls the autolytic state and what he recommends. If my glucose falls too much, I eat olives and continue. My muscle does not deteriorate either according to scans. Fasting and starving are two different processes. Fung explains the difference and you can find a lot of his info on his blog. He has a great sense of humor, too, so it's not heavy reading.

 

Pregnant and nursing women, children, people with eating disorders, people with certain medical problems or taking certain kinds of medications should not fast. It is best to work with someone.

Edited September 1, 2017 by MBM

[MBM]

2016 Nobel prize for medicine or physiology awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi and his discoveries about autophagy.

 

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/japanese-scientist-won-nobel-prize-cell-self-eating/

 

YouTube and Ted Talk have some good info, too.

Edited September 1, 2017 by MBM

[SweetandSimple]

I've been trying an 8-hour-eating window, 11:30-7:30. It has been tricky because I get up at 5:45 and have always "needed" breakfast every day. I don't drink tea or coffee, so I just drink a lot of water until about 9:00 in the morning. At that point, I start feeling nauseous and HUNGRY. Even though it doesn't always sound appetizing, sipping a little chicken broth (I guess it should be bone broth, but I haven't managed to make any yet!) gets rid of the nausea right away and makes it possible for me to keep going.  I don't think I could do intermittent fasting without that little bit of chicken broth. 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I do this naturally.  But I don't think it would work if I weren't eating low carb.  Eating high carb makes my blood sugar go up and down..up and down so I find I have to eat often to control hunger.  This is definitely individual though so that might not happen to you.

 

 

[Supertechmom]

I should point out that the eating window time is healthy food.  Basically, you remove everything white and processed and most grains.   It turns out to be a whole foods, real food type of eating.   I still eat 3 meals and several snacks, I just eat it all in 8 hours.

 

The logic behind this is insulin is one of two hormones known to cause weight gain.  (I'm only discussing type 2 issues here) When you are putting food in your body regularly, insulin is always on. Insulin is what makes the liver and fat cells store their wares.  So, the more your body needs to produce insulin to handle the food you are eating , the more storage it creates.  We know when we start pts on insulin, they will gain weight over time.

 

So fasting for 16 hours means nothing went in.  Insulin isnt circulating trying to remove the glucose and pack it away.   Your body has to use it's stores.  It breaks insulin resistance over time because the insulin receptors aren't being bathed in a steady stream of insulin thus becoming less responsive and fatigued. As they become fatigued, Insulin has to increase production to force the receptors to open up and accept more glucose.  And the cycle continues.    We know when the pt starts taking insulin (type 2), their insulin needs will creep up over time.   Fasting gives cells an insulin time out so to speak.  Over time, they will become more receptive meaning the body can handle glucose with less insulin required. Less insulin means less storage of glucose.  Dr. Fung isn't as concerned with blood glucose levels as he is insulin levels.   You want your insulin level to be low.

 

I think everyone should get a glucose meter with the cheapest strips and eat like they normally do and test blood sugars.  Keep a diary, record your morning fasting glucose level, and then write down everything you eat and take a blood sugar 2 hours after each meal and after any drinks you have (like diet soda).   I discovered there are certain foods that spike my blood levels thru the roof and I no longer eat them.  Diet drinks are the worst for me and will send my blood sugars sky high.   Every now and then, I record them for two weeks just to see what changes I have made and further tweaking of my diet.   My sugars are much much better after I eat now and my fasting is way lower!

 

I truly have to stay away from sugar and highly processed food.  Maybe one day but currently my levels go too high.   So i stay way from highly processed food, ,gluten, grains, sugar, and  get in my veggies, fruits, nuts everyday. 

[regentrude]

The best fast for a serious health problem like cancer would be distilled water in a medical setting. The reasoning is that anything ingested other than distilled water tells the body that food is close by which changes the body's reactions. 

 

but distilled water has no electrolytes, so you would quickly develop an electrolyte imbalance which can be life threatening. How can that be good?

How does regular water that contains minerals tell the body "food is close by"?

[Laurie4b]

I do it for health reasons. For instance, there is this study that shows a survival advantage for breast cancer survivors of an overnight fast of at least 13 hours. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27032109   That study found that the longer sleep time was related to better glucose regulation and better sleep.

 

There is some research that an overnight fast of  at least 12 hours may decrease risk of Alzheimer's. It has to do with autophagy. Here is an article that mentions it: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/hospital-of-tomorrow/articles/2015/09/18/an-early-defense-against-alzheimers-disease

 

For weight loss: I love breakfast. I prefer to skip dinner. When I was working on losing weight, eating my last meal about 4:00 pm and skipping "dinner" was what moved the scale. I did that  once or twice per week. Often it was because I had just exercised and for me, that  often decreases appetite if I've exercised hard. But it seemed that I needed that for the scale to move. 

 

ETA: Here is an article from Scientific American with an overview of  research studies: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-intermittent-fasting-might-help-you-live-longer-healthier-life/

Edited September 1, 2017 by Laurie4b

[regentrude]

I should point out that the eating window time is healthy food. ... I still eat 3 meals and several snacks, I just eat it all in 8 hours.

 

So what is this supposed to do? It is pretty close to how many people eat anyway. If I skip early morning breakfast, I have a 6-8  hour window in which I eat.  I do not notice anything besides being very hungry at lunch time and making up for the missing breakfast by eating more at lunch. What am I missing?

[Laura Corin]

I was on the 5:2 diet for several years.  I lost a bit of weight and then maintained with no problem.  I tired of it in the end.

 

When I was in the middle, I went for a cholesterol check and it had worsened compared to pre-regime, so that promise didn't hold true.

 

 

[Kassia]

.  Diet drinks are the worst for me and will send my blood sugars sky high.   

 

Do you know why this is?  I'm asking because I drink waaaay too many diet drinks and my blood sugar has increased even though my diet is better, and I've maintained a significant weight loss for several years (I'm at a healthy weight now).  

 

ETA:  I found this:  http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20140917/artificial-sweeteners-blood-sugar#1   Very interesting.  

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2017 by Kassia

[Laurie4b]

So what is this supposed to do? It is pretty close to how many people eat anyway. If I skip early morning breakfast, I have a 6-8  hour window in which I eat.  I do not notice anything besides being very hungry at lunch time and making up for the missing breakfast by eating more at lunch. What am I missing?

 

I don't think you're missing anything other than that while many people may be like you, many others are not.  There are  significant numbers of people who consume the bulk of their calories in the time period of dinner to bedtime. Think: supper, watch TV and eat while watching   Some people even have bedtime snacks.  Some people consume the bulk of their calories in that time period and also eat breakfast and lunch and maybe snacks. Even if it is all pretty healthy food, it's too much time for insulin to be "turned on." So what comes more or less naturally to you is not natural to numbers of other people and they'd do better if their habits conformed to your "natural." 

 

 

Your natural habits may may it more likely that you are of normal weight, have normal glucose, are not insulin resistant, etc. 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I've been trying an 8-hour-eating window, 11:30-7:30. It has been tricky because I get up at 5:45 and have always "needed" breakfast every day. I don't drink tea or coffee, so I just drink a lot of water until about 9:00 in the morning. At that point, I start feeling nauseous and HUNGRY. Even though it doesn't always sound appetizing, sipping a little chicken broth (I guess it should be bone broth, but I haven't managed to make any yet!) gets rid of the nausea right away and makes it possible for me to keep going.  I don't think I could do intermittent fasting without that little bit of chicken broth. 

 

If breakfast is when you are naturally hungry, it seems a shame to skip it!  Could you skip dinner instead?  

 

 

 

So what is this supposed to do? It is pretty close to how many people eat anyway. If I skip early morning breakfast, I have a 6-8  hour window in which I eat.  I do not notice anything besides being very hungry at lunch time and making up for the missing breakfast by eating more at lunch. What am I missing?

 

 

Fasting doesn't necessarily HAVE to be about weight loss.  Fasting can help maintain or increase insulin sensitivity, and then there are the autophagy benefits mentioned upthread.  It's hard to know what a 12 hour fast does for any particular person.  The good habit of not snacking after dinner may simply lead to better overall health.  Many people don't have a 12 hour food-free window.  Not to pick on him, but my DH routinely has a bowl of cereal for "dessert" around 10pm.  He then gets up and eats breakfast at about 6am.  I think having that before-bed snack is probably a pretty common thing, especially in people who (*cough* DH *cough*) are not getting adequate sleep and make up for it with energy from sugar.  

[Supertechmom]

So what is this supposed to do? It is pretty close to how many people eat anyway. If I skip early morning breakfast, I have a 6-8  hour window in which I eat.  I do not notice anything besides being very hungry at lunch time and making up for the missing breakfast by eating more at lunch. What am I missing?

 

Yea what everyone else has said.....Most people eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack,snack,dinner, snack and then bed.  A lot do the "eat every couple of hours or 6 small meals a day".  None of it gives your body an extended break from insulin.   You probably aren't insulin resistant.  It isn't about the number of calories or food in mantra.  It is more about how your body handles the glucose.

[ktgrok]

I was on the 5:2 diet for several years.  I lost a bit of weight and then maintained with no problem.  I tired of it in the end.

 

When I was in the middle, I went for a cholesterol check and it had worsened compared to pre-regime, so that promise didn't hold true.

 

Were you losing weight at the time? Fat loss mobilizes cholesterol temporarily, leading to higher results. Once weight stabilizes the cholesterol levels go down. 

[ktgrok]

Many people don't have a 12 hour food-free window.  Not to pick on him, but my DH routinely has a bowl of cereal for "dessert" around 10pm.  He then gets up and eats breakfast at about 6am.  I think having that before-bed snack is probably a pretty common thing, especially in people who (*cough* DH *cough*) are not getting adequate sleep and make up for it with energy from sugar.  

 

Yup, that's me. Right down to the inadequate sleep and making up for it with food. Sigh. 

 

So I try to skip breakfast (other than some cream in my coffee) until around noon. That way I can still have a snack or small meal before bed. That's when I'm hungriest. Skipping breakfast is easy, giving up dinner or snack would be hard for me. Partly that is mental...that last meal or snack is the ONLY time I get to truly savor my food versus dealing with kids the whole time, eating standing up, being interrupted, etc. 

 

I like that time! I have a small meal or if I ate well at dinner I have just a snack or a nice decaf latte, etc. 

[Kassia]

Yea what everyone else has said.....Most people eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack,snack,dinner, snack and then bed.  A lot do the "eat every couple of hours or 6 small meals a day".  None of it gives your body an extended break from insulin.   You probably aren't insulin resistant.  It isn't about the number of calories or food in mantra.  It is more about how your body handles the glucose.

 

 

Interesting...I don't really eat meals, but prefer to snack all day from the time I get up until close to when I go to bed.  And my blood sugar level has increased.  I used to naturally do IF.  I wonder if eating all day has contributed to the increase in blood sugar.

[MBM]

but distilled water has no electrolytes, so you would quickly develop an electrolyte imbalance which can be life threatening. How can that be good?

How does regular water that contains minerals tell the body "food is close by"?

That is why both Longo and Seyfried recommend medically-supervised distilled water fasts. These are done in special clinics like Alan Goldhamer's where patients are always monitored. People don't necessarily immediately go into a life-threatening situation. It's highly individual. But again, these should be done at a place like Goldhamer's clinic. Here is an interview with Goldhamer if anyone is interested:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684131/

 

I probably didn't word the second part well. I am not at home and don't have access to my articles that explain this but the idea behind distilled water fasting is to remove nutrients so that the body will then respond to what is not there.

Edited September 1, 2017 by MBM

[Laura Corin]

Were you losing weight at the time? Fat loss mobilizes cholesterol temporarily, leading to higher results. Once weight stabilizes the cholesterol levels go down. 

 

I don't think so, but I can't remember.

 

One thing that I do think is interesting is the evidence that people who sleep less are more likely to be overweight.  That could be just the habit of grazing whenever awake and therefore taking in more calories, or it could be that it reduces the 'recovery' time between whilst asleep.

[Guest]

Sleeping less messes with your insulin and cortisol. It does happen to make you munchier but poor quality sleep is causative of weight gain. Some people go on sleep apnea treatment with supplements and cpap and lose many stones of weight!

 

And when you're sleeping bad it makes losing weight hard even when totally on plan. That's me right now, thanks Benny.

 

ETA - wow, that was some iPhone typo. Fixed it.

Edited September 2, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[Deb in NZ]

I did IF for a few years (the 5:2 diet, but fasting 3 days a week) & I lost 50 pounds, keeping it off for over 3 years.  BUT about a year ago our long, drawn-out home renovation reached the stage where we needed to demolish the kitchen & renovate it.  About the same time I began to get a lot more relief teaching (subbing) work.  The combination of no real  working kitchen for over 8 months & a lot of time working outside the home made IF just too difficult & I have regained most of the weight I had lost.  We should have our new kitchen should be in working order before the end of September & I plan to restart IF.  When I was following the 5:2 diet I slept better, had much more energy, felt overall more fitter, even with no increase in exercise, & was happy with how my clothes fit.  IF isn't a quick fix to being overweight.  You need to make it a long-term lifestyle change for true success.

 

[DesertBlossom]

I have never heard of this before. But I think I want to try this.