Skip to main content

Intermittent Fasting - further update

For those of you interested in intermittent fasting, there have been a few posts over recent days that you may like to check out:

Art DeVany proposes some mechanisms by which fasting may increase mental clarity

Robb Wolf looks at two seemingly contradictory studies on IF (also discussed here)

Marc discusses his approach

One of Art DeVany's readers explains his approach
For my eating, I like to visualize myself in a wild environment. What would I eat if I were trying to survive outdoors?

I am personally fasting about twice a week for 24 hours e.g. from 1pm one day to 1pm the next, as explained in the book Eat Stop Eat.
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Chris,

Thanks for all the great info you present. What made you choose the IF model you are going with right now ?

All the best,

Eddie
December 29, 2007 at 10:21 AM
Chris said…
hi Eddie

I suppose I first came across IF in Art DeVany's writings but I didn't really "get" it. The topic kept on popping up in places like in Robb Wolf's work and on the Eades blog, and I started to think on it a bit more. I read The Warrior Diet (the guy who first really popularised this I think) and then Fast 5 - which is a free little book worth the download. Oh - and there is a blog by a guy called Steve Mount. Also in thinking about it it started to make sense - the whole 3 meals a day thing was not necessarily "natural". So, I started to try that for a few days each week - basically eating only between 5pm and 10pm. At first there is a psychological fear that it will be impossible and damaging but it was Ok and I felt good.

However, after a few weeks, somehow even that seem a bit restrictive and so I shifted to something more random - like the Eades first threw out. About twice a week I will eat breakfast and lunch one day and then not eat until a late lunch or even dinner the next, getting at least a full 24 hours in fasted. So even when fasting I eat every day at some point. Plus now it is an occasional random stress rather than a continual one. I've been doing this for about 2 months now

The research is there I think that this is a beneficial way to eat. I've leaned out a bit and I feel fine on it.
December 30, 2007 at 2:11 AM
Anonymous said…
Thanks Chris,

I've seen your posts on the various boards and/or blogs that I enjoy as well. (At some sites my screen name is Cayenne.)

I have been doing Fast-5 since 2.27.07. and have enjoyed many aspects of it. Today, (12.30.07.) is the first day since beginning Fast-5 that I've had breakfast. Most recently, I think I was wrongly "using" Fast-5 as a "license" to binge on the (for me) wrong carb types & quantities. I have some concerns that my fasting BG has been climbing. (via testing.)

At the same time, I am now thinking along the lines that you apparently considered much earlier in your IF experience, ie; that daily Fast-5, (or anything,) might be too restrictive ( and seemingly counter to Dr. DeVaney's ideas about Power Law Distribution, etc.)

I am taking a break of indeterminate length from ("strict") Fast-5 and will be exploring a more truly "I", "IF" :-) Perhaps, a daily coin toss to determine fasts ? Same would simulate paleo-folks condition-uncertainty and more closely approximate Dr. Devaney's points.

More importantly, going back to basics, I am going to make sure processed carbs are out, and for a while, ( like Protein Power "Intervention" eat really low daily carb grams, )

Do you think buying "Eat, Stop, Eat", if I've read Fast-5, followed the various discussion groups, etc., really offers value ?

I look forward to following your blog further.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Eddie
December 30, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Chris said…
Hi Eddie

Should you buy "Eat stop eat"? To be honest, if you have read all the stuff that I link to on this blog about IF then that book will not really tell you much that you do not know already. It is different from Fast 5 - bigger and with quite an extensive set of references - but I do not agree with all that he writes - e.g. I am generally a low carb guy myself and he tends to think that carbs are not too important. It is a good book though and I'd still happily recommend it.


I thought about a coin toss or rolling the dice to determine that fast but in general I just do what fits with my life - I find it easy to eat a big Sunday lunch and then not eat again until Monday afternoon and then maybe to eat do the same on Wednesday / Thursday. I do not always have breakfast either even if I am not officially fasting - it depends how hungry I feel.


Thanks for the feedback and Happy New year to you too.

Chris
December 30, 2007 at 1:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dry January

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was taking part in "Dry January".  I didn't make a big song and dance about it, but I decided to go for a calendar month or so with no alcohol.  A few people have asked me about my experience, so here are a few points. Why take a break from drinking? Alcohol is an interesting topic.  As a drug it is widely accepted in society, central to so much of our socialising and leisure.  There seem to be lots of health benefits - so we are told - yet there are also a lot of problems in terms of health, relationships and lifestyle that come from drinking. Over a few years I'd begun to become aware and then concerned that I was drinking too much and too regularly.  I am in a busy and stressful job and sometimes a glass of wine after work to relax is really helpful.  But over time, one glass became two.  Two glasses became ....I might as well finish the bottle.  A habit got established....and was starting to get too e...
7 comments
Read more

So where have I been?

You will have noticed that this blog has been quiet for a while....  There are a few reasons for that, reasons that I thought I'd list here: WORK -  my day job has been incredibly busy and stressful this year. Working 10-14 hour days the last thing on my mind when I got home was putting something on here.  FACEBOOK/TWITTER - I suppose I've been using other channels to do some of what I used to do here. Quick fire posts pointing to interesting studies or news etc tend to get posted to Twitter (@chrishighcock) or to the Facebook Hillfit group http://www.facebook.com/groups/263083947097000/  REASSESSMENT - I've found myself less comfortable with some of the positions I've taken in the past. Sometimes I'm embarrassed by some of the things I've promoted. I'm not Paleo or low carb. I think Tabata and intervals are misunderstood and misapplied. I cannot really claim to be HIT.   I find myselfunable  honestly to post things on here and pretend that I am some sort o...
12 comments
Read more

Taking up space for a brief update

I've a couple of posts in draft that I will get up soon -  an update / reflection on Dry January and some thoughts on the scheduling benefits of short workouts if your life is busy.  Before that though, I am pointing to something else. However, I wanted to highlight something that is coming this weekend that I've been involved in.   Amber Rogers (Gokaleo and author of Taking Up Space ) has been pulling together a bundle of books from various authors with a common theme, one that I've been pushing here recently.   Keep it simple, avoid the hype, be patient, be consistent and flee the gurus.   I've talked before about how we get obsessed with pushing for more and more, when enough is OK.  I've given my view that so much of the health and fitness internet world is more like a gnostic religion than something that will benefit your life. There are other voices out there saying similar things and I'll be pointing to a bundle of books later this week ...
1 comment
Read more