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Recently I commenced an interesting regimen called intermittent fasting for the purpose of life extension and simplifying meal planning/preparation/cleanup, etc.
It is an evolving practice that requires that one limit food intake on select days to little to nothing, e.g. 400-500 calories from any source. On non-fast days there are no restrictions whatsoever; one may eat any and all the food one wishes.
After doing some research I selected an alternate-day-fast. I found that because I knew that the next day was a free-for-all (foodwise) the couple of hours I felt hunger in the afternoon were easily endured. I slept well and ate normally the next day, not gorging on food as I had hoped to.
How strange...and liberating.
As time went on, I found that I naturally ate less on the feast days. Why? I am not exactly sure.
I also saved a LOT of money, had more room in my fridge, had much more TIME to do other things as food took a back seat to life, and no longer planned my life around "meals" or "mealtimes".
And then my pants got bigger.
And my teeth felt healthier.
My heartburn practically disappeared.
My blood pressure went down ( I have been on Caduet for a few years now.)
I experienced no irregularity - in fact I was very content.
I am an early-retired woman in pretty good health, and I plan on continuing this regimen forever.
It seems I have fallen into a diet pattern thru this regimen that is very similar to "Paleo Dieting" with a few wrinkles. (I once tried the Atkins diet, which I HATED and did not work anyway.)
Recently my friend of 24 years jumped aboard and is shockingly melting the pounds off with no effort despite years of battling with her weight. It is sort of bizarre that I have not heard this mentioned in the MSM yet.
Has anyone else used this method with the success that we have had?
I have yet to find a downside except that I have to sometimes "shift" a food day by doing a demi-fast (or demi-feast) in order to accommodate dinner dates and functions like holidays where food must be shared as part of the communal experience.
I would be very interested in hearing others experience or opinions.
I have been doing it for almost three months already, and it doesn't get harder - it gets easier.
Also, there is no "cheating".. sometimes I have to skip a fast day for social reasons and I don't care.
I just return to the fast as soon as it is practical.
I don't believe that such a diet will extend your life, especially if you exercise and are an active person. If you exercise daily and lead an active life and eat 500 calories, you run the risk of blood sugar issues and energy deficits. The regulatory systems of your body can most certainly be stressed when having so little nutrition on which to draw - also it sounds like you eat whatever you want on the days you aren't restricting your calories - this is hard on the body - binge, restrict, binge restrict - how can that prolong your life?
If you want to lose weight, why not just eat small portions of a balanced diet and exercise more - then you get to eat every day, you can still lose weight and you don't have to do crazy things like restrict your diet to 500 calories. Honestly what is the point? Eating 500 calories in one day must surely give you periods of low energy and at the very least grouchiness. People dream up all kinds of odd ways to lose weight. Just eat smart and exercise - if you have enough self-control to periodically limit your diet to 500 calories, then you have enough will power to just eat normally - 3 to 5 small meals a day - lots of vegetables, some protein, a little fruit, limited fat, exercise, lots of water - make this routine a lifetime habit and you will be much better off.
Cattnap - did u read my entire post?
I DON'T binge on alternate days. I eat normally. That was my point.
And I don't get grouchy on the fast days at all. My heavens, how hard is it to go a day without eating 3 full meals?
I did not start this regimen with the intent to lose weight as I was not terribly overweight to begin with.
I don't weigh myself so I don't know the actual loss in poundage, but I look trimmer and feel better.
And I did not mention excersize in my OP. I excersize only occasionally, and not as part of a weight reducing plan. And not on the days i fast.
The benefits to me exceed the incidental weight loss.
It's a slow process and I don't know when or at what point this will stabilize, but i really don't care that much.
There is some experimental animal research suggesting that caloric restriction will prolong life. However, I have not seen the research on starvation on odd/even days. I think you're screwing with your metabolism and may actually put undue stress on your body via induction of an inflammatory process that could actually trigger heart disease and cancer.
Instead of alternate day starvation, look into caloric restriction. Still better, read Irving Yalom's book "Staring at the Sun" and just enjoy life!
I actually had an appointment with a surgeon for a non-related matter to this topic and he was talking about getting in shape and said he did an every other day fast. He had been doing it for years. That was the first I had ever heard about it until reading your post.
I personally have never tried it. I have fasted once a month but that's about it. I guess it would save on food and you probably would lose weight. I am not sure if it would mess up your metabolism.
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