Intermittent Fasting? (IF)

[5cary]

Those who have tried it care to comment?

I'm fairly fit already, workout regularly, and eat pretty good (beer weakness notwithstanding). I'm within 5-7 pounds of my "fighting weight" (and I maintain that with some effort), so I'm not looking for some miracle diet or massive lifestyle change, but I'm curious enough to try something different. Conventional wisdom talks about 6 meals a day (which I subscribe to - and have done with success).

But being the open minded, 21st Century, global citizen that I am (right?), I'm open to trying this to see how it affects *me*. I searched this forum and read some of the flamewars in the diet threads and did a search for IF specifically. I've read much of leangains.com and bodyrecomposition, so all I'm looking for is some personal experience and success/fail stories in this particular group. From reading here, it seems some have tried it.

[Heartbreaker]

You'll just be tired when you fast, and if you do it to the point where you lose weight your cal maintenance will go down, so you will gain it back when you stop the intermittent fasting. The problem with any diet that greatly limits calories is you will lose at much lean body mass as fat, so even if you see results on the scale you won't look any better, feel any better, or be in better shape anyway. 6 meals a day is good. Just eat cleaner and you will get fast results.

[BooneGA]

I disagree. IF works and many people have a lot of success with it. The whole 6 meals a day makes sense only if you are trying to keep your caloric intake under 500 per meal in order to avoid an increased insulin response. The whole "keep your metabolism up" is bull from what Ive seen lately.

Like any diet involving calorie restriction it should be cycled a few weeks on (2-3) and one week off in order to avoid having your body adjust to the lower intake.

-Rick

[Rmplstlskn]

More than weight loss, IF is best suited for detoxification, cleansing and cell purification... all related to your overall health. Now days, with the "manufactured food" we have, IF can help you live longer and be more healthy...

Rmpl

[JeffWard]

I'm a fitness and nutrition professional, 16 years running.

Fasting is probably the WORST thing you can do to your metabolism and lean muscle mass.

Combine all the elements of the top accepted dietary regimens out there, from the American Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Zone, Palio, Atkins, South Beach, etc, etc, etc... Find what 90% of them have 80% in common, and you'll find the truth.

This is a low simple/processed carbohydrate, modestly high protein, high fiber diet, with significant healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat intake, emphasizing real food, and lots of water, spread over 5-6 smaller meals per day.

Your body will function best here, and with a decent amount of exercise, and proper calorie intake, reach ITS genetic maximum/optimum body composition. For some people, this is single-digit fat levels and a 6-pack. For others, this is simply healthy and "teens" BF%.

Radical departures from this are generally unhealthy, but exceptionally lucrative if you're trying to sell a book... since desperate people will do anything for a quick fix, or to "prove conventional wisdom wrong". Conventional wisdom exists for a reason. Science.

A few VERY unique individuals have found UNIQUE results from unique diets, workouts, etc... But for 90% of the population, the formula is the same.

JeffWard

[dookie1481]

I'm a fitness and nutrition professional, 16 years running.

Fasting is probably the WORST thing you can do to your metabolism and lean muscle mass.

Combine all the elements of the top accepted dietary regimens out there, from the American Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Zone, Palio, Atkins, South Beach, etc, etc, etc... Find what 90% of them have 80% in common, and you'll find the truth.

This is a low simple/processed carbohydrate, modestly high protein, high fiber diet, with significant healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat intake, emphasizing real food, and lots of water, spread over 5-6 smaller meals per day.

Your body will function best here, and with a decent amount of exercise, and proper calorie intake, reach ITS genetic maximum/optimum body composition. For some people, this is single-digit fat levels and a 6-pack. For others, this is simply healthy and "teens" BF%.

Radical departures from this are generally unhealthy, but exceptionally lucrative if you're trying to sell a book... since desperate people will do anything for a quick fix, or to "prove conventional wisdom wrong". Conventional wisdom exists for a reason. Science.

A few VERY unique individuals have found UNIQUE results from unique diets, workouts, etc... But for 90% of the population, the formula is the same.

JeffWard

Jeff, would you care to critique/read this with an open mind?

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top...-debunked.html

FWIW, Martin only sells consultations, and he may have a book in the future, but he is not a charlatan like some of the schmoes out there. He has posted on a number of forums giving out advice and refining his methods for years.

[dookie1481]

Conventional wisdom exists for a reason. Science.

I guess I missed this the first time I read your post, but this argument seems to ignore all the advances we have made by challenging paradigms throughout history.

Flat Earth, relativity, manned flight, you name it. If we had stuck to conventional, conservative science none of these would have been possible.

In the 80s, we KNEW that eating fat made you fat.
In the 90s, we KNEW that eating CHO made you fat.

The 6 meal a day paradigm isn't based in much science, just the ramblings of genetically gifted, PED-using BBers, and backed by the supplement industry and its' propaganda arm, the muscle and fitness magazines.

There is nothing wrong with measured skepticism, but dismissing a concept out of hand isn't good science.

ombine all the elements of the top accepted dietary regimens out there, from the American Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Zone, Palio, Atkins, South Beach, etc, etc, etc... Find what 90% of them have 80% in common, and you'll find the truth....
Radical departures from this are generally unhealthy, but exceptionally lucrative if you're trying to sell a book... since desperate people will do anything for a quick fix, or to "prove conventional wisdom wrong".

So you attempt to marginalize those who promote IF because they may have a financial incentive, but a couple of paragraphs before that, you cite Atkins and Zone as being the standards for nutrition?! I would wager that those two combined are at least a billion-dollar industry.

[theblackknight]

I'm a fitness and nutrition professional, 16 years running.

Fasting is probably the WORST thing you can do to your metabolism and lean muscle mass.

Combine all the elements of the top accepted dietary regimens out there, from the American Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Zone, Palio, Atkins, South Beach, etc, etc, etc... Find what 90% of them have 80% in common, and you'll find the truth.

This is a low simple/processed carbohydrate, modestly high protein, high fiber diet, with significant healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat intake, emphasizing real food, and lots of water, spread over 5-6 smaller meals per day.

Your body will function best here, and with a decent amount of exercise, and proper calorie intake, reach ITS genetic maximum/optimum body composition. For some people, this is single-digit fat levels and a 6-pack. For others, this is simply healthy and "teens" BF%.

Radical departures from this are generally unhealthy, but exceptionally lucrative if you're trying to sell a book... since desperate people will do anything for a quick fix, or to "prove conventional wisdom wrong". Conventional wisdom exists for a reason. Science.

A few VERY unique individuals have found UNIQUE results from unique diets, workouts, etc... But for 90% of the population, the formula is the same.

JeffWard

Finally,some pants on bottom, real advice. You should post more here, just to keep the durp down.

[Hobbes]

Again, intermittent fasting is a lot more than just not eating. You should look into it a little bit.

[dookie1481]

Finally,some pants on bottom, real advice. You should post more here, just to keep the durp down.

Care to explain your issues with IF instead of posting trite little quips?

Have you inquired enough to know what you're talking about?