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

Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

cell.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 159 posts

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#71

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

rtkwe wrote: post #47
davinic wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wondered this as well. In many of the intermittent fasting studies they kept caloric intake the same and showed that the benefits applied even when taking caloric restriction out of the equation.

A lot of diets, especially IF style diets, are pretty much just tricks to get you to eat less calorie wise. Intermittent fasting does this by just setting the simple rule, only eat during a relatively small window of time. It's easier to eat less during that period because there's only so much you can comfortably eat in that time. (Granted you can totally fit a whole day's intake in the IF period but it's harder).

> It's easier to eat less during that period because there's only so much you can comfortably eat in that time.

Unless you're a food addict, in which case you can trust me that neither time limitations nor discomfort is an obstacle to filling your gob.

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#72

Post by fauigerzigerk »

rsync wrote: post #62
dvt wrote: post #17

I fast, on average, once a week. At least once a month, I try to do an extended fast (2-5 days) to force ketosis. I also do intermittent fasting basically daily (I only eat between 12-8). Been doing this for about 4 years now. Some anecdata: - Fasting > 24 hrs paradoxically gives you an extreme boost of energy and mental focus. I especially love how my olfactory sense is extremely heightened. It's pretty cool and eve…

"Unfortunately, eating healthy is hard and kinda' sucks. Egg whites and chicken + broccoli gets old pretty fast." I welcome any opportunity to point to almond butter as an extremely dense, and healthy, source of calories. Easy to add to a smoothie. Speaking more broadly, I would have a hard time with IF, etc., were it not for shifting about 20-30% of my calorie input to nuts, generally. Mostly raw in form.

>shifting about 20-30% of my calorie input to nuts

I wouldn't do that. Nuts contain tons of metals that you don't want to overdose on.

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#73

Post by core-questions »

SwellJoe wrote: post #12
tempsy wrote: post #4

I was heading to the gym near the Twitter HQ in SF yesterday and saw Jack Dorsey walk past. He looked extremely thin and borderline sick to me. I think he does more extended fasts over the weekend but it’s a bit unnerving when someone in a position to influence behavior like he is seems to be taking fasting to an extreme.

I've seen a lot of people say stuff like this, but it's kinda gross. If you want to criticize things someone has said about their diet and health practices, that's fine (and hopefully, you'll cite sources for why they're wrong), but if you're going to make it about how they look, and make your own diagnosis about their health, that's not really OK. You don't know anything about the guy's health. He may actually be si…

> that's not really OK.

This kind of word policing is even less OK. It's not "gross" to make a comment about something you see and have opinions about, especially for a public figure. You're not shedding light on any subject, either, all you're doing is being offended-on-behalf of someone else; the world's got enough of that and it doesn't seem to be making any positive difference at all.

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#75

Post by clumsysmurf »

dvt wrote: post #17

I fast, on average, once a week. At least once a month, I try to do an extended fast (2-5 days) to force ketosis. I also do intermittent fasting basically daily (I only eat between 12-8). Been doing this for about 4 years now. Some anecdata: - Fasting > 24 hrs paradoxically gives you an extreme boost of energy and mental focus. I especially love how my olfactory sense is extremely heightened. It's pretty cool and eve…

I would think minerals would not be readily absorbed without stomach acid from a meal.

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#76

Post by l_t »

pizza234 wrote: post #59
torben-friis wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you fit? as in, do you lift weights or are active in sports that require strength? I ask because I wonder about the effects of extended fasts on muscle loss/retention, a big problem cutting weight for some people is that they get rid of some muscle mass along with the calories they wanted to eliminate.

I'm personally very skeptical [as well]. I notice that almost nobody that recounts their fasting experience ever mentions sport. I personally found very hard already to progress on weightlifting during diet cycles, as I need to cut on volume significantly; can't imagine to do that while fasting, unless fasting would "flip a switch" in how the (my) body works, which I doubt.

I've experimented with fasting and weightlifting and I want to share some thoughts.

First, fasting does not require that your overall calorie intake is reduced. If your cut-goal is 2000kcal per day, you can fast in the morning and eat all 2000kcal in the afternoon. Ultimately, I find this is actually an easier and less hunger-inducing way to each your cutting goals.

Second, you're right. Doing weightlifting while fasted is hard. It's better to coordinate your gym schedule with your eating schedule so that you can eat -- I like a simple protein shake -- before and after the gym.

Third, I'm seeing a lot of folks talking about intermittent fasting ("IF") and day-long fasting in the same breath. I think IF is great for weightlifters on a cut diet. But I think day-long or multi-day fasts are different and should only be done occasionally (weekly being the most frequent) if you are trying to progress with weightlifting. YMMV.

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#77

Post by whycombagator »

dvt wrote: post #17

I fast, on average, once a week. At least once a month, I try to do an extended fast (2-5 days) to force ketosis. I also do intermittent fasting basically daily (I only eat between 12-8). Been doing this for about 4 years now. Some anecdata: - Fasting > 24 hrs paradoxically gives you an extreme boost of energy and mental focus. I especially love how my olfactory sense is extremely heightened. It's pretty cool and eve…

> Egg whites and chicken + broccoli

As an aside, a meal consisting of just this isn't very balanced. There is effectively 0 fats in it. Egg yolks are actually quite healthy and would have rounded this meal off nicely

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#78

Post by camillomiller »

dmd149 wrote: post #57

Been doing intermittent fasting for a long time now and have been doing ADF for the last few months. I lost fat and retained lean muscle while - eating between 3000-6000 calories on eating days - running 30-35 miles per week - weight lifting 3x per week Here is a reddit post about my progress with some documentation including pics of recent DEXA scans. https://www.reddit.com/r/leangains/comments/cliuqk/been_prac...

I train 3-4 times a week (calisthenics). I tried 5 days of intermittent fasting for 5 days. I was DYING for food in the morning even on the 5th day, I drank way too much coffee, and in the end what really convinced me I had no reason to keep on doing this was HOW BAD AND SICK my (normally fine and healthy) breath smelled. Like, friends felt compelled to actually ask me why that was the case (yes, good friends will tell you if you have smelly breath). I suppose it was because I quickly went into ketosis, but overall it wasn't a pleasurable experience. I went back to my regular balanced breakfast as part of my varied vegetarian diet. I guess IF just doesn't cut it for me and maybe I don't have the patient to turn myself into a smelly monster just to follow some popular nutrition fad, especially considering I'm well into my weight and I have low body fat. Just my 2 cents. Internet doesn't convey smells yet, and that's great news for all the crowded fasting online communities out there, I guess.

Re: Alternate Day Fasting Improves Physiological and Molecular Markers of Aging [pdf]

#80

Post by dvt »

whycombagator wrote: post #77
dvt wrote: post #17

I fast, on average, once a week. At least once a month, I try to do an extended fast (2-5 days) to force ketosis. I also do intermittent fasting basically daily (I only eat between 12-8). Been doing this for about 4 years now. Some anecdata: - Fasting > 24 hrs paradoxically gives you an extreme boost of energy and mental focus. I especially love how my olfactory sense is extremely heightened. It's pretty cool and eve…

> Egg whites and chicken + broccoli As an aside, a meal consisting of just this isn't very balanced. There is effectively 0 fats in it. Egg yolks are actually quite healthy and would have rounded this meal off nicely

My daily intake was 175g protein, 150g carbs, and 50g fats. To hit those macros reliably, egg whites for breakfast and chicken (or tuna) for dinner will quickly become a status quo :)
Post reply on HN