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.

[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

[Sava]

Eat healthy food. Exercise more. Build lean tissue.

This starving crap leads to being "skinny-fat" and low bone density.

You are better off doing high intensity interval training every other day.

[The Mad Monk]

I get enough of a workout on my property, thanks.

[Sava]

I get enough of a workout on my property, thanks.

Then why would you need to fast to lose weight? The only thing you will lose is lean mass. Your body needs food. If you want to lose fat, you need to raise your metabolism... not **** it up.

[The Mad Monk]

It's not about losing weight, it's about correcting and stabilizing blood chemistry, and thereby life extension.