Is intermittent fasting just another way of reducing calories, or is there more to it than that?

[losenotloose]

That's it really. Does IF do anything special compared to normal calorie reduction? I'd rather not read a whole book to find out so thought I'd check here!

No. There’s the added benefit of your body going into fat burning mode.

And clearing your brain of certain protein buildups that are thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s

Any diet will start burning your reserves if you go into calories deficit. Nothing special about any diet

So basically, yes it's just calories, but in a form that a lot of people can manage better than some other types of diet

The Fit and Fearless podcast covered fasting recently; I thought it was a good discussion. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p080c6tg

Not just about weight loss. It's also about autophagy.

No it’s not just about calories, it’s also about insulin production.

OP there are loads of videos on YouTube about this if you don’t want to read a book.

The key thing is your body having the chance to clean house, produces more human growth hormone etc.
I do 16 hours easily. I sometimes try to do more. When I feel like caving a bit earlier I try and remember it might help me look younger in the long run? Lol.

As a calorie deficit tool, it works for me! But I prefer to have an evening meal followed by a pudding and it allows those extra calories for me.

Thanks for the replies! I know I should do my own research but over the years I've read so many conflicting books eg veganism vs low carb, that I want someone to condense it down for me! I'll look into what's been recommended.

I don’t think it’s just calories at all.

I did it for a few months and lost 2 stone. Didn’t eat before 12 or after 6 and ate what I wanted during those 6 hours. Weight fell off and I was eating chocolate every day.

No its not just about calories. It’s about reducing your insulin so that your body burns stored fat.

So what does a body normally burn when in calories deficit then?

It is just calorie reduction. That’s it. Lots of ridiculous posts already on this thread.

Any diet will work provided you are in a calorie deficit, no deficit = no fat loss. It really is that simple.

@Needallthesleep if that were the case, why is it that people fasting can reverse late-onset diabetes, re-regulating their body's insulin use?

@RomeoLikedCapuletGirls do you have a link about the Alzheimer's? I hadn't heard that effect before, thanks

@bsc

There’s lots of academic research, like this. Google it

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29307281

@VivaLeBeaver how did you find not having breakfast?

Is there guidance about what you can drink as well? (I feel like I’d be drinking a lot of coffee in the morning to keep going.)

Tea, coffee and herbal tea are fine when you are fasting. Without milk or sugar / sweeteners obviously.

Many people avoid a lot of caffeine when they are fasting as it makes them shaky, but some people are fine.

About breakfast - you don’t get more and more hungry as the morning goes on. You might get hungry at mealtimes but it passes. If you eat LCHF, your body gets more fat adapted and you don’t get so hungry.

It’s hard to fast on a high carb diet as you get big swings in your blood sugar from all the carbs. That’s why you are ravenous before lunchtime after your toast and cereal breakfast.

The first few days were hard but you get used to it. Think it is mind over matter. Nobody will starve in that time frame.

Back on it today and made it to 11am before caving in. Seem to remember last time I built up to midday, pushing it back a bit more each time.

If you look on the OP of the main 5:2 thread on here, you’ll see loads and loads of links to the science behind it.

@bsc if you look up Bresden and ReCode. He wrote a book “The End of Alzheimer’s” which details what you can do to prevent it, one of the things being intermittent fasting.

Isn't Intermittent Fasting just 'going to bed early and getting up late'? Can it really be called Fasting if you are asleep for most of it?

I've never eaten breakfast, so quite frequently wasn't eating until 1pm and then final meal at 7. I still managed to pile on the weight.

ANYTHING, any diet, that makes you think about what you are putting in your mouth will work, imo. It's mindless grazing or eating out of boredom that does the damage.

@RomeoLikedCapuletGirls thank you for that!