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Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

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Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Self control is best method for maintaining weight, as it's free and guaranteed to work if used. Studies done on it do not, as far as I've ever seen, back up the idea that it "works if used" in anything but the most tautological sense (ie. "Anyone who fails clearly didn't actually exert self-control"). If you're aware of any studies that show enduring weight loss in any but a small minority of participants with any…

Self control is a fantastic way to quit cigarettes, alcohol, and other addictions, why would food be any different?

Food can't enter your body legally if you don't consent?

Well if you have this self control in the first place, you would not need to quit - if you are addicted, you lost the control over yourself.

So pure self control probably won't cut it for most people. Talking about myself: I can go past just so many sweets till I falter. I didn't got the chocolate bar today but ate the cake at the birthday. I knew it will hurt my progress at the gym but I was just to tired from self control that I just gave in.

And then I am telling me; I must get better at self control. But how?

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Self control is best method for maintaining weight, as it's free and guaranteed to work if used. Studies done on it do not, as far as I've ever seen, back up the idea that it "works if used" in anything but the most tautological sense (ie. "Anyone who fails clearly didn't actually exert self-control"). If you're aware of any studies that show enduring weight loss in any but a small minority of participants with any…

Self control is a fantastic way to quit cigarettes, alcohol, and other addictions, why would food be any different?

It's not any different, in that it doesn't work for any of those either, on average.

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also something I was wondering, the repeated emphasis on short-term benefits has me wonder how the participants did after the trial. This right here is the first and most important reason to be skeptical of any study on weight loss. None of these things ever turn out to do anything useful on a time horizon that matters. If you want to know how to lose weight for a few weeks you don't need a peer reviewed journal, j…

Aside from what others have pointed out that it's perfectly okay for a scientific study to have limited scope and not try to solve the entire problem of how to lose weight and keep it off, which inherently requires following and monitoring people for a very long time, even the case you're describing here isn't necessarily all bad. Given a person undergoes an intervention, succeeds in losing 40 pounds, then gains it a…

Yo-yo dieting can potentially create its own health risks.

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#84
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Self control is a fantastic way to quit cigarettes, alcohol, and other addictions, why would food be any different?

Food can't enter your body legally if you don't consent? Well if you have this self control in the first place, you would not need to quit - if you are addicted, you lost the control over yourself. So pure self control probably won't cut it for most people. Talking about myself: I can go past just so many sweets till I falter. I didn't got the chocolate bar today but ate the cake at the birthday. I knew it will hurt…

If you have ever changed anything about yourself, I would start there.

I have had to relearn self change multiple times, because it feels just as hard every time.

I changed from a night person to a morning person by first declaring truthfully to myself "many things will be easier if I was a morning person." (work, sleep, schedules, etc...) When you state something truthful to yourself, and you believe it, then you can't let it go.

Then I go for a single moment of success, the first win. With food, I did it by accident by missing a meal because I was engrossed. Then I realized I was more hungry and enjoyed my dinner more than most I could recall in recent history, because I hadn't snacked, and I skipped lunch. I wanted this feeling again. But the next day, I was hungry again, and it sucked. I was in pain and just wanted to eat.

Eventually I read somewhere that hunger pain is temporary and you just need to be patient through it. I drank coffee, tea, water, hot cocoa, anything to get through hunger pain. And the first time that it worked was eye opening. I found that I (me, not a pill, coach, friend, wife) I successfully fought off hunger pain with reason, practice, environment, tools (drinks) and I made it through the day without snacking or eating a meal until dinner.

I have many stories of changing something about myself, the are all similar in the emotional turmoil you feel trying to take control.

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#85

I found that OMAD (one meal a day) works well for me. I've been consistently losing 1-2kg per month on it, and it's something I feel I could sustain forever.

How do "losing 1-2kg per month" and "forever" play together?

OMAD can be tweaked for stable weight - e.g. by increasing the eating window from 1 hour to 2 hours, by eating more, or by adding an extra meal once in a while.

Weight loss slowed down naturally once I've reached a healthy weight range.

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#86
This is the first of these kind of articles I see in a long time that actually has a tangible number for "calories allowed on a 'fasting' day", my main point usually being: does the milk in my coffee count against the fasting, or something like diet coke.

No, I really don't want to start a discussion on this - I just find it funny that most of them seem to imply fasting as 0.0 calories per day, without explicitly mentioning it. And then the discussion about the coffee follows...

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#87

Having water fasted many times, I swear this has something to do with burning all the stored glycogen. I have no backing other than what I’ve experienced myself. I get really hungry for a week after a fast and continue to lose weight or stay the same. Anecdotally, I’ve chalked this up to as long as your glycogen bank isn’t full, you can pretty much eat whatever you want. Water fasting is glorious btw.

For anyone considering zero-calorie fasting for more than 1 day, please read up on it first. Pay special attention to the need for salt. You need to start every day of the fast with a glass of saltwater, on the order of 3 teaspoons of salt. If you take hot baths, you will perspire and need more salt. Take a glass of saltwater to the tub with you. Because if you sweat in the tub there is a good chance walking to the kitchen will be a panic-inducing challenge. Also, it is best to do extended fasts, at least after day 3, on vacation/holiday. You may not feel like doing much.

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#88
post #64

Eat 500cals for two days. I'll just be fat.

I tried fasting as well. Every Sunday I would limit myself to about 400cals. I was miserable and mean. It wasn't a good strategy for me. I'm having a lot more success with a changed way of life, but to do that I also needed the support of those around me. In particular I needed to get my wife on board to help me make better food choices and to have healthy choices at dinner time. She has been incredible and very supp…

Sounds like a lot of work compared to just being fat. ;)

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#89

Having water fasted many times, I swear this has something to do with burning all the stored glycogen. I have no backing other than what I’ve experienced myself. I get really hungry for a week after a fast and continue to lose weight or stay the same. Anecdotally, I’ve chalked this up to as long as your glycogen bank isn’t full, you can pretty much eat whatever you want. Water fasting is glorious btw.

For anyone considering zero-calorie fasting for more than 1 day, please read up on it first. Pay special attention to the need for salt. You need to start every day of the fast with a glass of saltwater, on the order of 3 teaspoons of salt. If you take hot baths, you will perspire and need more salt. Take a glass of saltwater to the tub with you. Because if you sweat in the tub there is a good chance walking to the k…

There’s many supplements that help with this. Someone refers to it as snake juice. Various salts and minerals

Re: Intermittent fasting 2 days vs. 1 day per week

#90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would drink water for 5 days. It's not too difficult. The hardest part is the boredom. I'm quickly reminded how much of my life revolves around food. Farmers market, grocery shopping, happy hours, cooking dinner, work lunches, events, etc. You suddenly have all this free time. For me, I just play a lot of golf to take my mind off of it. If you want an easy version, look up fast mimicking diet by Dr. Longo. Prolon s…

This was my experience as well. The longest I've gone on a water/coffee fast is 7 days, and after the initial 24 hours of hunger subsides, the biggest factor was psychological. I learned that I often use food to relieve boredom, and it's honestly a struggle for me to find a replacement activity which is equally satisfying.

What do you do to get back to eating food normally?
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