WSJ Article about Intermittent Fasting and Calorie Restriction

[MattTuck]

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304854804579234140222181848


Seems that it might also have some cognitive benefits.

[crownjewelwl]

worked well for me...i'll give all these things a try

the first couple of times you try to fast, it is pretty hard...but it isn't a true fast...you eat a couple of small meals

but when you wake up the next morning you feel GREAT

and if you skip a week or two, you can get right back on track

[Chris]

My wife has done this for the past 6 months or so with great success.

[wallymann]

nice way to mitigate over-indulgence during the holidays.

[bargainguy]

Not a new idea. Life Extension became quite popular in the 70's with the premise of longer life and better health with extreme calorie restriction.

They suggested some weird stuff too, like Hydergine - a presciption med used in dementia to improve mental alertness - to the point where it was suggested you ask your doctor for an Rx even though there isn't a chance you'd meet dementia criteria for prescribing the drug in the first place.

[carpediemracing]

I found the statement about the lack of calories causing stress (and therefore releasing hormones) interesting.

"The thinking is that fasting for periods of as short as 16 to 24 hours seems to induce a state of mild stress in the body. The brain releases additional neurotrophic proteins that help stimulate and support the growth of neurons and other cells, heightening their responsiveness and activity."

I found that the one time I truly dieted I could get into a pretty good run of being wired, feeling less need for food, being more energetic (but also cold, meaning my metabolism was slowing down).

It's also a bit alarming since people with some (low intake) eating disorders have typically described this feeling of being in power etc. It's possible that the eating disorder habit/s cause the same mild stress.

[Mikej]

I have actually been doing this since the end of the season, but didn't know it was studied. I have been eating only salads and fruit at work and trying not to eat after rides. I feel much better and sleep super deep and am ready to go at 5am.

[Vinci]

I think I used to do this on accident for a number of years.

I would get busy with projects or work and then forget to eat, or eat very little, then finish up my project and eat normally the next day. Looking back, this sort of "forget to eat" thing probably happened a couple times a week.

During that period, I was always more productive and never rode stronger. I never thought that my diet had anything to do with it, since I generally ate crap food when I did eat (high fat, lots of carbs, etc.).

[biker72]

Pre 1987 when I was still heavy, (300+ pounds), I went on dozens of diets. They ALL worked. Went off the diet and the pounds came back plus a few.

Post 1987 I did a lifestyle change. More fruits and veggies, less fat and almost no red meat.

I've kept the weight off.

[MattTuck]

Pre 1987 when I was still heavy, (300+ pounds), I went on dozens of diets. They ALL worked. Went off the diet and the pounds came back plus a few.

Post 1987 I did a lifestyle change. More fruits and veggies, less fat and almost no red meat.

I've kept the weight off.

Good point. I think that the reason people are having success with these diets is because compliance is easier.

I found the statement about the lack of calories causing stress (and therefore releasing hormones) interesting.

"The thinking is that fasting for periods of as short as 16 to 24 hours seems to induce a state of mild stress in the body. The brain releases additional neurotrophic proteins that help stimulate and support the growth of neurons and other cells, heightening their responsiveness and activity."

I found that the one time I truly dieted I could get into a pretty good run of being wired, feeling less need for food, being more energetic (but also cold, meaning my metabolism was slowing down).

It's also a bit alarming since people with some (low intake) eating disorders have typically described this feeling of being in power etc. It's possible that the eating disorder habit/s cause the same mild stress.

Yeah, that is the ghrelin, I believe. a hormone that is released when you're hungry but it generally causes more alertness and awareness. The evolutionary argument is pretty compelling. When our ancestors were hungry, we needed the highest level of mental capability possible to improve the chances of a successful hunt or search for food.

[crownjewelwl]

it's ironic that good health is a lot about tricking your body

[Louis]

How would fasting affect one's ability to exercise? (I only skimmed the story.)

[MattTuck]

How would fasting affect one's ability to exercise? (I only skimmed the story.)

The article isn't specific. It is more focused on intermittent calorie restriction, (ie. cutting calories way back on some days, but still consuming some, mostly protein. It probably wouldn't affect exercise too much, unless you're exercising a lot and need constant refueling as a result. It might not be wise to exercise first thing in the morning after a restricted calorie day.

But if you're doing 2+ hours on the bike a day, you probably don't need to worry too much about losing weight.

[Louis]

But if you're doing 2+ hours on the bike a day, you probably don't need to worry too much about losing weight.

Not at this time of year, I'm not...

[professerr]

Like, Vinci, I've intermittently fasted over the years "accidentally" when I get wrapped up in some project and forget to eat. Problem is that whenever I do this, everyone around me becomes an incompetent, lazy fool. Or I become a grumpy ass. Not sure which, but I've got a feeling it is the latter because whenever I've not eaten for a while, people surreptitiously leave snacks nearby for me to "find."

[carpediemracing]

But if you're doing 2+ hours on the bike a day, you probably don't need to worry too much about losing weight.

It depends on the person, at least it does for me. I found that unless I focused on calorie restriction I could do a pretty heavy riding schedule and not lose that much weight, tapering off at a "high normal" weight.

In 2009, prior to going on that diet I mentioned, I was racing Sat/Sun (net time 1-2 hours each day), doing a 2-2.5 hour group ride Monday, racing Tuesday (net time about 2 hours on the bike), and racing Wednesday (net time about 3 hours mainly easy - track). I'd do an hour or so on Friday or Saturday to get ready for the race/s that weekend. This was by far the most I was riding/racing for a while. I started the year at about 190-195 lbs (5'7"). I got to about 185-188 on this schedule, not paying too much attention to what I was eating. I was at this weight for about 6 years at that point, hitting 190-200 in the winter and hoping to get under 180 before the summer's end.

At the end of August I crashed really hard. A short wheelchair experience followed by about two months of a cane (and not able to drive etc) and I was at about 183-185 lbs.

I went on a diet in October, first time in my life, starting at 183 I think, and ended up getting into the low 150s (Dec 2009 - Jan 2010) before I started eating more so I could train. I saw 149 once or twice but not consistently enough to say "I weigh 149". I started racing in 2010 at about 155 lbs. I stopped weighing myself when I stayed at 158 lbs after two months of racing. I followed basically the same schedule as 2009 except I did a group ride on Wednesday instead of racing that day.

After a few years (with other things in my life) I now weigh in the 170 lbs range, peaking at 181 in March (and focusing on losing weight for 2014 from March of 2013 until now).

What I found is that riding doesn't automatically lead to weight loss, even if I'm eating well and riding lots. I need to really control my caloric intake to lose weight. Riding alone doesn't do it because I get more hungry when I ride more.

Of course that's me. One friendly rival told me that he eats as much as he can in the off season so he doesn't lose too much weight. He's about my height but tries to stay at 140-145 lbs, apparently a good racing weight for him. He can sprint extremely well (he normally destroys me and the only thing I can do is sprint) but can race well in hills also. He loses weight when he stops riding, like 15-20 pounds or more, and worries about getting too thin. I laughed - I wish I had that problem!

[Climb01742]

An advantage of the one day calorie restriction is its psychological practicality. Knowing you could eat normally tomorrow would make it much easier to eat less today. The larger the window of change (or diprivation) the harder it is to commit to or stick to.

Another advantage for an athlete training would be we could probably synch-up lighter training days with calorie restriction days.

I don't know enough to comment on the biological merits of calorie restriction this way, but it would seem to be mentally more feasible.

[Fixed]

Thursday is my fast day last meal Wednesday at 8pm next meal Thursday 4pm mostly vegan diet .
And lots of yoga practice took me to the lowest weight of my adult life
Cheers :)6' 145

[PapaGanoosh]

I did intermittent fasting as part of a gym regimen and felt that I was losing focus while I was in class during the fasting period. I still felt strong in the gym though so that was a tradeoff. Guess it depends. But then again I was fasting for about 16 hours every day...

[Louis]

Is there such a thing as a "liquid only" fast (other than water, which I assume is a must during any fast, unless you're doing something really kooky) and if so, what are good options?