Fasting - which method is best?

[runner2]

I'm talking science here...has any particular method been proven to be the most effective in terms of weight loss/weight maintenance/overall health?

So is the fasting impact in reality just the overall reduction in calories - rather than the ups and downs of insulin spikes due to carbs in the eating phase?

So is the fasting impact in reality just the overall reduction in calories - rather than the ups and downs of insulin spikes due to carbs in the eating phase?

I'm not going to pretend to understand the science (if there is any) but essentially, yes. As I understand it, the problem with traditional calorie deficit diets is that after a few days your body will slow your metabolism to compensate for the reduced energy available. By fasting and then eating normally for a short period, your body is fooled into keeping the metabolism at its normal rate. This means that more calories are burnt within a given period of time. This combined with the overall lower calorie intake, speeds up fat loss.

It's certainly working for me. I've never managed to shed fat so quickly before. I also think it is sustainable because there is no need to faff around with special recipes and ingredients. Water intake does need to increased though to compensate for the water not being absorbed from the solid food that would normally be eaten during the fasting periods.

"The obesity code" is a fascinating read which explores calorie controlled diets and other diets such as Atkins.

5:2 didn’t work for me, so I do 16:8. Sometimes it’s 14:10. Works well for me- lost nearly 3 stone so far. Really easy practically too.

there's a great subreddit about fasting, www.reddit.com/r/fasting

remember if you are doing an extended fast, to supplement with electrolytes otherwise it can be dangerous

Dr Jason Fung has a great book - the obesity code - seems to be all the rage right now.

Thanks all - it’s all quite complex - but if anyone could give me a one liner on Fungs conclusions in the obesity code I would be b grateful - I don’t have time to read the book - and I often find that these diet/self help books can be summarised is a short para - they just spin it out for 300 pages !

So does he say anything that I can do which will help me lose weight - eg alt day, LCHF, OMAD, 16:8, 23:1 ..... it’s all doing my head in!

Thanks for the link also!

I just spent ages writing a summary of the obesity code and lost it!! Annoying!

Basically insulin resistance causes obesity. Insulin causes insulin resistance. Food causes insulin. Therefore fasting prevents repeated insulin spikes. Fasting 24-36 hours is ideal. Do 2 or 3 24 hour fasts a week. Cut sugar and refined carbs. Low carb, low protein, increase fibre.

I didn't particularly read it as a self help book but it's a compelling read.

@magicmallow how long would you define an extended fast?

Thank you so much Halyard - so it is food in general (rather than carbs specifically) that causes the insulin spike?

It then says eat low carb, low protein, increase fibre — was there a decision on fat? And also are the measurements as to what is LC, LP and L / M / H fat?

Is fiddling around with BMR mentioned - or is it purely insulin balance that is needed. No calorie restriction on the eating days?

Anyone done this ? It sounds tough....!

It did mention those things but I'm afraid I haven't really remembered it all as i had it on audiobook in the car. Pretty sure fats were good. I don't know all of your abbreviations, sorry.

I've been doing a 21 hour fast each day. Apparently glycogen starts being used after 16 hours. 21 hours is really easy, I'm finding. Although it's a mental challenge. I feel I should be eating. More from habit, I think. I do get hungry but this passes within five minutes or so. I don't stay hungry for the whole fast

No calorie restriction on the eating days?

We don't count the calories do keep portion sizes moderate and consciously avoid snacking/eating for the sake of it.

For the fast days, I find not eating at all a lot easier than just trying to restrict myself to 5/600 cals as on the 5:2.

but do keep portion sizes...

The idea is that your body is designed to maintain homeostasis. If you lose weight, your body will lower its metabolism in order to keep it in its current state. Hence why you put weight back on quickly and easily. Apparently fasting is a way around that. And then the longer you stay at a lower weight, the more your body accepts the new weight as "your weight". But I missed the details of that bit

I do 16/8 three days a week (it’s the days that I work). I fast from 8pm until midday, so most of that time I’m asleep. I eat healthily in my 8 hour eating window. I’ve cut out snacking. Been doing it for 6 weeks and lost 9lb. It’s not been particularly difficult.

Thanks all really helps.....So looks like it’s all about reducing calories for the week overall, minimising insulin spike which makes you hungry and over eat and then tricks the metabolism to staying high!

That's the gist of it. It seems to work for me because I don't really get hungry on the zero food days. The odd twinge now and then but it only lasts a moment.

@Innishh I think you're correct somewhat but not fully. It's not necessarily the insulin which causes you to be hungry but when you use up your stores of energy you then start burning the glycogen.

@HalyardHitch How did you get on with your fast? I don't envy you having to fast but still make food for others. That is where I have it very easy. My husband gets quietly out of my sight, lol.

I put my video up just now. We already talked about some of these things but there is a bit more detail here, especially about why I do 3-4 day fasts rather than 1-2 days and also some extra precautions I take when fasting, especially regarding salts. It is just what I do and my take on the bare bones of a simple but safe fast.

@LimeJellyHead i watched your video very interesting, how often do you do the 4 day fasts and do you also do alternate day fasting?

Oh just re-read the thread and see you do OMAD mon-fri

Yes, I do OMAD Mon-Fri and I do a 3-4 day fast about once a month.