Alternate Day Fasting

[The Mad Monk]

...isn't "real" fasting, but it does represent a big reduction in calories.

First day, you limit yourself to about 500 calories, preferably in one meal.

Second day, you eat anything you want. Seriously.

Repeat until whenever.

Anyone else know anything about this?

[DaShi]

Sounds like a quick way to screw up your metabolism.

[The Mad Monk]

This is where I learned about it.

Watch Eat, Fast and Live Longer with Michael Mosley on PBS. See more from Michael Mosley.

[DaShi]

Too many Americans are too easily taken in by dieting fads.

[Aeson]

Sounds a lot like the "civ diet" I maintained through much of my twenties. Wake up, eat whatever you can find. Start the game. Then a couple days later ... crash. Wake up, eat whatever you can find ... start playing again.

[Hauldren Collider]

seems like it could really **** with your digestive system

[Dinner]

Sounds like a quick way to screw up your metabolism.

Yeah, you starve yourself and your body sheds muscle in order to save fat stores while slowing down your metabolism. A much better idea (if the goal is to lose weight) is to eat lots of little meals whose total is between 1000-1500 calories.

[The Mad Monk]

Watch the program through. It's a BBC documentary that is being shown on PBS right now. It's not your typical infomercial fare.

[MOBIUS]

Been doing the 5:2 diet (featured in, and because of, the show TMM linked - NOT the 'alternate day fasting' diet!) since September last year - it's the single best dietary thing I've done in my entire life!

The only other thing I've ever done is moderate my intake and eat healthily, with varying levels of guilt and abstinence thrown in. This is awesome, it's easy and I can eat what I like on the other five days after a modest amount of discipline on the other two. Never felt fitter, healthier, more alert - happier even!

If you want any info about it, ask away as I have about 7 months of 'data' to share now...

http://thefastdiet.co.uk/

[MOBIUS]

Yeah, you starve yourself and your body sheds muscle in order to save fat stores while slowing down your metabolism.

NO! Please try not to comment out of your arse without actually taking the time to understand the science behind it...

A much better idea (if the goal is to lose weight) is to eat lots of little meals whose total is between 1000-1500 calories.

NO! You'll end up feeling miserable and fall off the wagon in no time flat! Depends on what you want out of a diet. Weight loss happens to be a side effect with this kind of fasting. I'm doing it for the other health benefits pointed to in the scientific findings so far...

[MOBIUS]

seems like it could really **** with your digestive system

Actually, it feels like my digestive system takes advantage of the down time by detoxing!

A side effect I've noticed is that my biggest and healthiest ****s always seem to coincide with fasting days...

[MOBIUS]

Sounds a lot like the "civ diet" I maintained through much of my twenties. Wake up, eat whatever you can find. Start the game. Then a couple days later ... crash. Wake up, eat whatever you can find ... start playing again.

Anyway, I'm not saying it's the magic bullet or anything, but initial signs are that it works for me and completely supports my lifestyle!

[The Mad Monk]

On my fourth day now, a "feed" day. Going out for sushi a little later.

[Jon Miller]

Actually this seems similar to the 'standard' healthy diet (for either weight loss or muscle gain).

You pick a relevant average caloric intake, like 1800 for weight loss or 2700 for muscle gain.

Then you ladder:

Day 1: 1600 (2500)
Day 2: 1000 (1700)
Day 3: 2400 (3400)
Day 4: 1600 (2500)
Day 5: 1000 (1700)
Day 6: 2700 (3700)
Day 7: 2100 (3000)

So this would be:
5XDay N = 2200 (3600)
2XDay F = 800 (800??)

Maybe easier to deal with?

JM

[Jon Miller]

Alternate day fasting would be (1800 calorie diet):

Day 1: 2800
Day 2: 800
Day 3: 2800
Day 4: 800
Day 5: 2800
Day 6: 800
Day 7: 2800
Day 8: 800
...

Probably the alternate diet doesn't work for muscle gain, but the 5:2 diet looks very interesting (Somewhat because it is easier...).

JM