I've been fasting, and thinking about fasting for many years. I have been writing about it, and there are lots of great comments, take a look here. Seems a lot of us are very interested in fasting.
For almost a decade I fasted one day a month, as part of a spiritual meditation practice in the 70's. While the fast day was a bit difficult, I felt great the next day and subsequent weeks. It helped me keep my appetite in check, and my weight loss maintained.
Today I read in the March 2009 edition of the Nutrition Action Health Letter, an excellent and easy-to-read source of healthy news published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest
that fasting and overall calorie restriction can lead to longer lives, sometimes 25-30% longer in animals. This is not tested in humans, though, yet movements of people who are restricting their calories indicate growing interest.
In the article, Mark Mattson, the lead researcher in a study conducted by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on calorie deprivation in mice said, "we think the fasting imposes a mild stress that triggers adaptive responses in the cells...this ultimately enhances their ability to cope with more severe stress." Interesting, does fasting help us cope with stress better? By putting stress on ourselves by eating less (up to 25% fewer calories) do we learn to better cope with other stress?
The article also mentions a study of every-other day fasting leading to weight loss and lower fasting insulin levels (a marker associated with longevity) in the Pennington study. The people involved said that fasting every other day "was no picnic," however! So that's probably not an option for most people. Seems extreme to me, and not something I'd do.
Eric Ravussin, chief of the Pennington program, says, "The solution may be an intermittent, modified fast in which people eat about 25 percent of their calories instead of zero percent on their fasting days." That might be a more tolerable, and effective approach.
My personal experience is whenever I don't give in to foods, particularly high-calorie or high-fat ones like ice-cream or desserts, I instantly feel better. The act of renouncing excess, unnecessary food does indeed help me handle stress, and feel better about myself, in addition to maintaining my weight.
I recommend taking a look at the Nutrition Action Health Letter article, and the Pennington Study, and also doing some more detective work yourself on the subject of fasting. Of course, ask your doctor if fasting and calorie deprivation is right for you if you are interested in, or planning to fast before you do it.
I'd love to know your experiences with fasting and calorie deprivation. Please post them below right now, while it's on your mind.
Fasting Every Other Day
Wednesday March 11, 2009
Filed Under: Calorie Restriction, Diet, Dr. Norris, Dr. Norris Chumley, Dr. Norris Chumley Satisfied Life, Fasting, Food, Health, Weight Loss
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About Dr. Norris Chumley Satisfied Life
Dr. Norris J. Chumley is a doctor of theology and the arts, and has lost 160 pounds and maintained it over 16 years with God's help. The author/host of "The Joy of Weight Loss: a Spiritual Guide to Easy Fitness," and many TV programs and DVD's, including "Spiritual Guide to Weight Loss" and "30 Days to Spiritual Well Being," Dr. Norris also does private consultations, leads workshops and lectures nationally. He has been a featured Beliefnet daily columnist and contributing editor for many years.
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I as of July 1st have been fasting one day on and one day off as an experiment to see if i get the same results as a nine day liquid fast i did a few months ago. The days i eat, any thing goes and when i fast i drink water, soy chocolate milk, and juice. Today is the third and my second fast day. We , including my wife, are trying this until July 31st, which will be a total of 16 days fasting. On the nine day fast my blood pressure became normal, i still took my medication, my mind was more clear and alert, memory improved ,rashes cleared up, among other things. It was great! This is was my personal experience and i am not recommending this for any one else. Thanks
Fasting helped me lose a lot of weight fast at 16 years old. The only thing that I did was starve for about two or three days and then refuel on basic protein-filled foods such as beans and corn.
After a couple of days you will lose the will to eat and go into "starve mode", but before that there is an incredibly uncomfortable hump where you may not have the will to say no to food. If you can make it past this, keep going for a few days, and refuel properly, you will be fine.
I was at my best health and fitness when I fasted every other day.
When I fasted I just drank waster. No juice. Juice made be hungry.
I would watch others eat and felt the pain of not eating. The pain then went away. I even fasted at club med. A place with great food plus I was paying for not eating.. The day I fasted I sat at the table. Talked about all the great food. Did you taste the Pompano? or How is lamb?.. The day I ate I never had a desire to overheat. I did the same moderate exercise when I fasted as when I didn't. If I had a meeting in Chicago and if it was on a fast day I would fast.
I was thin I was happy I was in shape. When I woke up after a 24 hour fast I had tremendous energy. One day I went to far at the gym. I swam, I ran on the track spent time in the sauna and past out.
That did for me. I would love to try fasting again but I am afraid I might go to far. Its great to feel like superman but my exercise should stay moderate.
I spoke to my doctor about this diet. He said “it sound a little extreme for me.”
I asked him “doc could this diet do damage to my health? He thought for a while and said “No.”
He said I was probably dehydrated in the sauna and that is why I passed out. Stay out of the sauna.”
I would like to join a group of people eating every other day and meeting online or in person and talking about it. Believe it or not I was very happy on the diet or lifestyle.
Please let me know your thoughts on this.
Bill billemny@gmail.com
My brother lost 70 lbs in 4 months fasting every other day. He used ice water to curb his apetite and keep hydrated. This also sped up the diet. the suprizing thing was his skin shrunk with him.. It has been 2 years and he hasn't gained a pound he eats every day a normal diet of about 1800 calories per day and looks great. I weighed 175 and It took a while for me to get the courage to try it. I was worried about just gaining it all back, but I did start what my family lovingly refers to as the "Von" diet and I feel amazing. After just 4 fasting days I have lost 11 lbs. I feel like my body has been "reset". you have got to try it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a 63 year old woman who has done yo-yo dieting for many years. As a result I have totally screwed up my matbolism and find it very hard to lose weight and keep it off. I recently ran across a medical artical indicating that an every-other day, modified fast could result in resetting one's metabolism, as well as lowering LDL, blood pressure and blood sugar. The fast mentioned was based on non-dairy, clear liquids as well as three or four cups of clear broth a day. It goes on to say to eat "normally" the following day. I've been trying it for two weeks now and I'm very happy with the results. Losing 8 pounds is great, but what I'm more impressed with is how much more alert and energetic I am. The miraculous thing is, on non-fast days, I am not plagued by cravings. It's the easiest thing I've ever done. I hope to be able to keep it up.
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