Intermitting fasting

[ickromhout]

I readand hear a lot about intermitting fasting (IF). Is that necessary for good health, is it necessary to loose weight? What is your meaning and experience? I did it for 1 week, eating between 12-20 and I was so hungry all the time. So I don;t know if this is ok?

I look forwrd to your answer.

[colonyofcells]

Dr Mcdougall does not promote eating within a limited period per day. I heard dr michael greger will soon release some reviews of eating within a limited window per day. I sometimes eat only once per day or 2x per day. Eating just 2x per day is quite easy to do. For people who exercise more, eating 4x a day is also quite normal.

[Risto]

The spelling you're looking for is "intermittent".

is it necessary to loose weight?

Certainly not, in the sense that lots of people have lost weight and kept it off without doing intermittent fasting.

In my experience the "feeding window" can be quite personal. I find it easy to skip breakfast, and often do if I've eaten a bit too much the previous day. On the other hand, stopping at six in the evening is very difficult for me. If I do that, I will feel hungry at bedtime and that's not comfortable. There's been lots of days when I've inadvertently ended up eating only two meals, at about two in the afternoon and around eight in the evening. I could probably sustain that, but I haven't tried for a longer period.

Chef AJ's teleclass with Jennifer Marano, co-founder of True North and wife of Alan Goldhamer. She talks about intermittent fasting among other things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG5uKDkdP18

[Helpinghands]

I try and make it a point never to go to bed unless four hours have passed since dinner. I simply sleep a lot better without a stomach full of food. And my morning blood sugar stays somewhere between 80 and 90 in the morning. Eating a couple hours before bedtime guarantees a morning blood sugar of 110 to 117. What's worse is my two hour post breakfast numbers jump to the 200/227 area.

[JeffN]

As usual, there is a little more (early) enthusiasm for the benefits of IF, especially as they apply to someone already following a healthy diet and lifestyle.

On Intermittent fasting, meal timing, meal frequency and restricted eating...

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=36724

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=26337

https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=46502

In Health
Jeff

[Taggart]

I tried Dr. Bert Herring's Fast-5 diet. I really wanted to do it, because the idea of only two meals a day instead of having to prepare three really appealed to me. Unfortunately, I had to give it up within a couple of weeks. I was feeling dizzy or light headed in the mornings and my blood pressure zoomed up past 140/80. This wasn't normal for me, so I went back to three meals a day with a snack in between.

[landog]

Nope!

[landog]

Is IF necessary to lose weight?

Please see "A Common Sense Approach To Sound Nutrition"

Learning and applying the properties of calorie density may be the best approach. If your diet consists entirely of foods low in the calorie density scale you will lose weight:

Code: Select all

The Calorie Density Scale
Foods                                                      Cal/lb
Vegetables -                                              60 - 195
Fruit -                                                  140 - 420
Potatoes, Pasta, Rice, Barley, Yams, Corn, Hot Cereals - 320 - 630
Beans, Peas, Lentils (cooked) -                          310 - 780


This approach works, and is straight forward to implement.

[smudgemom]

I readand hear a lot about intermitting fasting (IF). Is that necessary for good health, is it necessary to loose weight? What is your meaning and experience?

All the McDougallers have the science & studies behind their answers upthread...I'll be the first to say I'm not that smart, but I'll give you my take (!).

Follow enough gym rats on social media & you'll see a trend. All the talk of IF, fasted cardio, meal timing, feeding windows, 'stripping fat'....are all in the same breath as talk of proteeeeein. Very 'bro science', in my opinion. PLUS...I find their food talk is just a guise to brag about how kicka$$ their workouts are...and they go into minute detail of sets/reps/weights...of course, with the obligatory weight room picture in front of the mirror. You know that's the reason for the post.

[Helpinghands]

There is an absolutely fascinating video of a presentation done by Dr. Panda of the Salk institute on "timed eating". Amazing research and a real wakeup. I suggest anyone wanting to up the health benefits of a whole food plant based diet should watch this 47 minute presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPpAvvPG0nc

[ickromhout]

Thanks for all the answers!

[human vegetable]

When experimenting with intermittent fasting (the 16/8 time restricted feeding model), I have found that it makes quite a difference when you place your eating window.

First I tried skipping breakfast as generally advised, and that was really brutal! I was ravenous by lunch, and obviously I couldn't continue this self-imposed torture for long.

However, when I tried dinner-cancelling, I didn't experiencce any hunger. This rhythm of eating (having only a big breakfast and a big lunch) semms completely natural to me, and following it doesn't require any self-discipline at all.

To each his own, I guess. It might depend on whether you're a breakfast-eater, or not.

[BlueGene]

When experimenting with intermittent fasting (the 16/8 time restricted feeding model), I have found that it makes quite a difference when you place your eating window.

First I tried skipping breakfast as generally advised, and that was really brutal! I was ravenous by lunch, and obviously I couldn't continue this self-imposed torture for long.

However, when I tried dinner-cancelling, I didn't experiencce any hunger. This rhythm of eating (having only a big breakfast and a big lunch) semms completely natural to me, and following it doesn't require any self-discipline at all.

To each his own, I guess. It might depend on whether you're a breakfast-eater, or not.

Wow! I'm the exact opposite of you. I can skip breakfast with ease and not be hungry most of the day. If I do eat breakfast, I'm a lot hungrier throughout the rest of the day.

[colonyofcells]

Dr Mcdougall seems to recommend more meals per day rather than fewer meals per day. Fewer meals per day could cause some people to become hungrier and end up eating more. This question on meal frequency did come up in at least 1 webinar and I remember Dr Mcdougall did not actively oppose the idea of fewer meals per day and Dr mcdougall prefers to focus on the basics of the starch solution rather than debates about meal frequency.

[patty]

I have done the 5 hour window in the past and loved it. Then my schedule changed and i went back to eating when I was hungry. My daughter also liked it too. Only this time she is thinking a 8 hour window would be easier. I know she likes to eat with her family, where with myself it doesn't matter as I live by myself. My work schedule is the dominant factor and it is changing so a 5 hour window will be a option again for awhile. What I like is it gives the digestive system a rest and more of a pattern. Prepping and planing is important, which results in less obsessive thoughts about what food you are going to eat. Of course good habits of not drinking coffee or diet sodas is important. My daughter drinks tea. Dr. Greger has some good tea recipes if you are a tea drinker.

Aloha, patty