Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 176 posts

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#131

Post by virtuallynathan »

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #130

So do we know enough at this point to confidently recommend a fasting schedule that ought to be safe and worthwhile for most adults? Or are we still bathing in incomplete/flawed studies, bad reporting, and the promotion of diet-fads? This sounds like something I'd like to try if the reported upsides are real, but I don't have a lot of time to filter out junk science.

It's a pretty easy n=1 trial -- stop eating at 8pm, and eat again at noon. Maybe exercise in the morning to accelerate the glycogen depletion. Try it for a month, report back!

There are many studies on this, the literature seems to suggest it works, and I can say it worked for me.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#132

Post by DoofusOfDeath »

philsnow wrote: post #119
kaslai wrote: post #56

I've had serious weight issues for my whole life, primarily due to my love of chocolate. As I approached 400 pounds, I took a hard look at myself and decided to make a change. For the past month (29 days now) I've been doing alternate-day fasting* where I eat about 2000-2500kcal on eat days and cap myself at about 100kcal of half-and-half with coffee on fast days (gotta get that joe). While a lot of it is no doubt no…

> My biggest take-away though is that fasting has helped me practice self-denial to the point where I can handle my sweet tooth very easily now. The difference in apparent willpower is so immense that I can hardly believe it myself. I also found this to be the case; once you have done it once or twice, subsequent times become easier. To anybody who has tried and given up early: it gets (much) easier. I have given up…

I've found that brushing and flossing my teeth right after dinner to be very helpful. It makes me think twice before snacking because I don't want to have to re-brush and re-floss.

It also seems to improve the outcomes of my dental checkups.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#133

Post by LrnByTeach »

martin-adams wrote: post #78
kaslai wrote: post #56

I've had serious weight issues for my whole life, primarily due to my love of chocolate. As I approached 400 pounds, I took a hard look at myself and decided to make a change. For the past month (29 days now) I've been doing alternate-day fasting* where I eat about 2000-2500kcal on eat days and cap myself at about 100kcal of half-and-half with coffee on fast days (gotta get that joe). While a lot of it is no doubt no…

I just listened to The Obesity Code by Jason Fung and my mind is kinda blown. Everyone you've said matches what the book covers. The takeaway points are: - Raised insulin is the key driver in weight by preventing the burning of fat and triggers the storage to fat. Insulin is the hormone that tells allows cells to absorb glucose - Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which happens over years of prolonged p…

Thanks for the Great takeaway points from The Obesity Code

> - Raised insulin is the key driver in weight by preventing the burning of fat and triggers the storage to fat. Insulin is the hormone that tells allows cells to absorb glucose

> - Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which happens over years of prolonged periods of raised insulin without periods of lowered insulin. Carbohydrates and sugar convert to glucose, insulin resistance prevents it being used by cells, triggering the ask for more glucose by those cells to be available, by way of asking for more insulin. Raised insulin and glucose contribute to more fat being stored.

> - The western lifestyle is based around eating evenly throughout the day reducing our fasted state. This means our insulin levels don't have a chance to lower.

> - Fasting is a way to give your body a break from raised insulin, use up the glucose energy first, then switch to fat burning (Ketosis).

> - Sugars and carbohydrates do not trigger the hormone that says we're full when compared.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#134

Post by DoofusOfDeath »

triviatise wrote: post #123
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I took up rock climbing early on, and in fact that hobby became motivation for losing weight instead of the other way around. I sped a good 6+ hours at the rock climbing gym every week. It was not sufficient to fight the compulsion and I still have to average around 1600kcal/day to maintain.

have you tried low or zero carb diets? I have found that I can much more easily go without eating on a high fat high protein diet.

This matches my experience. I've found that when I'm unable to resist the compulsion to eat, I can at least save on the calories and be better satiated by eating something high-protein rather than the carbs I'm craving.

Not a perfect solution, but it beats the heck out of losing control and bingeing on carbs.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#135

Post by fmihaila »

andreygrehov wrote: post #127
fmihaila wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No way?! How confident are you? Not just confident, but certain. From Jobs's authorized biography: To the horror of his friends and wife, Jobs decided not to have surgery to remove the tumor, which was the only accepted medical approach. "I really didn't want them to open up my body, so I tried to see if a few other things would work," he told me years later with a hint of regret. Specifically, he kept to a strict…

I read the book. It was a sarcastic comment. My point is that the reason why he died doesn't necessarily have to be linked with the Mucusless Diet Healing System, especially knowing that he didn't follow all the recommendations from the said book. The reason I made my original comment is because the benefits of fasting described in the submission are known for almost 100 years now (to a certain extent) and one may fi…

> I read the book. It was a sarcastic comment.

Your sarcasm was misplaced. You stated that "the problem is that Steve Jobs ignored Ehret’s concept of a “transition diet,” and became taken with the idea of being a fruit-only eater right away."

That was not the problem at all, as @stevehawk stated and my quote proves. You are pushing a pseudo-scientific book from 100 years ago and mentioned Jobs's name to enhance the recommendation's credibility. Jobs's belief in pseudoscience cost him his life.

> The reason I made my original comment is because the benefits of fasting described in the submission are known for almost 100 years now (to a certain extent) and one may find it interesting to know where the roots are coming from.

And the history of modern chemistry traces back to the days of alchemy; it doesn't mean there is any deeper truth to be discovered by reading alchemy books today.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#136

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

triviatise wrote: post #123
AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I took up rock climbing early on, and in fact that hobby became motivation for losing weight instead of the other way around. I sped a good 6+ hours at the rock climbing gym every week. It was not sufficient to fight the compulsion and I still have to average around 1600kcal/day to maintain.

have you tried low or zero carb diets? I have found that I can much more easily go without eating on a high fat high protein diet.

Yes. Believe me, I tried everything.

Also, IIRC, while fat doesn't produce a ghrelin response, protein still does.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#137

Post by gkfasdfasdf »

baud147258 wrote: post #54
throwaway413 wrote: post #44

Fitting to see this during this month, as it is currently the holy month of Ramandan for Muslims, who fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days.

Well, perhaps it's good for the metabolism of my muslim colleague, but right now his productivity is way down. Also I don't the ramandan fasting is particularly good since muslims usually eat a lot during the night to compensate.

Is your colleague a coffee drinker? It's common for muslims who regularly consume caffeine to go through withdrawal the first week of fasting. This can cause excessive tiredness and headaches. Also during Ramadan its common to make longer prayers at night, which can disrupt sleep.

Personally I just make sure I get enough sleep (even by taking naps during lunch) and taper off caffeine before Ramadan starts, and then I feel just as productive in Ramadan while fasting vs not.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#138

Post by andreygrehov »

fmihaila wrote: post #135
andreygrehov wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read the book. It was a sarcastic comment. My point is that the reason why he died doesn't necessarily have to be linked with the Mucusless Diet Healing System, especially knowing that he didn't follow all the recommendations from the said book. The reason I made my original comment is because the benefits of fasting described in the submission are known for almost 100 years now (to a certain extent) and one may fi…

> I read the book. It was a sarcastic comment. Your sarcasm was misplaced. You stated that "the problem is that Steve Jobs ignored Ehret’s concept of a “transition diet,” and became taken with the idea of being a fruit-only eater right away." That was not the problem at all, as @stevehawk stated and my quote proves. You are pushing a pseudo-scientific book from 100 years ago and mentioned Jobs's name to enhance the r…

I was wrong saying "the problem is", whereas what I should have said instead is that he didn't even follow the book, so there is no reason to avoid an interesting read.

> And the history of modern chemistry traces back to the days of alchemy; it doesn't mean there is any deeper truth to be discovered by reading alchemy books today.

You don't need a deeper truth, but be aware why the believed truth is truth, ie seeing the problem from all the angles. You don't know what you don't know.

Re: Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting

#139

Post by verall »

tstrimple wrote: post #84
pmarreck wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I become an asshole when I've cut most or all carbs. I don't know how to push through that.

Embrace it. Anger and hate burn more calories.

Anecdotally, anger and hate were keys in my diet-soda & coffee based IF diet that helped me lose about 20lb (165->145).

More seriously, my irritability and lightheadedness got alot better after about a week, and it was worth just embracing it until then.

Post reply on HN