Fasting Every Other Day
Wednesday March 11, 2009
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...
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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"No single approach to weight loss works for everyone. We urge you to consult with your physician before making any significant changes in your eating habits or physical activities to ensure that what you propose for yourself is nutritionally, mentally and physically sound, safe, and healthy. Copyright © 2008, by Magnetic Arts, LLC, all rights reserved."
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I have been on a Calorie Restricted (CR) diet for 5 years (with lapses). I lost and kept off over 20 lbs. At 61 years old I still occasionally run in competitive 5K races and win medals in my age group (second place competing against 30 in my group is best yet). A paper just published by a lead researcher in CR at Washington University St. Louis is the best summary/overview of the current state of scientific research related to CR that I have ever read. It also includes a nice discussion of aging, the driving interest behind CR research (some topics: “What is aging”; “Is primary or intrinsic aging preventable”; “Is secondary aging preventable?”). For the most part the paper is straightforward and easy to read. And it just nails on the head the science and the outstanding questions. I have included the abstract below.
Bob
The scientific basis of caloric restriction leading to longer life.
Fontana L.
Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2009 Mar;25(2):144-50.
PMID: 19262201
Abstract
Purpose of the review: The present review discusses the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of calorie restriction in modulating metabolism and aging.
Recent findings: There are currently no interventions or gene manipulations that can prevent, stop or reverse the aging process. However, there are a number of interventions that can slow down aging and prolong maximal lifespan up to 60% in experimental animals. Long-term calorie restriction without malnutrition and reduced function mutations in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway are the most robust interventions known to increase maximal lifespan and healthspan in rodents. Although it is currently not known if long-term calorie restriction with adequate nutrition extends maximal lifespan in humans, we do know that long-term calorie restriction without malnutrition results in some of the same metabolic and hormonal
adaptations related to longevity in calorie restriction rodents. Moreover, calorie restriction with adequate nutrition protects against obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, which are leading causes of morbidity, disability and mortality.
I have been using Intermittent Fasting to reduce my weight for 10 weeks now ( Since Jan 1st 2009 ) I have lost 12% body fat and 29lbs.I still eat every day. I started with two fasts per week, going from 6.30pm to 6.30 pm , so breaking the fast with the evening family meal. For me it has been the easiest thing I have done. I do not consider it a diet as I am not restricting any foods, I simply eat less.I suffer from Asthma and I have seen a huge improvement in relation to my health while doing I.F over the last 10 weeks. My only regret with Intermittent Fasting is I did not start using it years ago. You certainly become more aware of your body and learn to understand when you are truly hungry. One of the reasons we gain weight is we simply under estimate the number of calories we eat, intermittent fasting makes this easy, as you are not consuming any calories during the fasting period. In my experience I have found it easier to do a fast for 24hrs, than to try and reduce the calories from my diet on a daily basis.
I recently did the 21-day Daniel fast for spiritual reasons. Basically, you still eat every day, but you do not eat meats, sweets, etc. I lost 20 pounds. After the fast was over, I was noticed that I was craving the healthy foods like vegetables, and my homemade bean soup. Of course, when I gave into eating sweets again, it was all downhill from there. I plan to add fasting back to my routine in some form. It's great for the body and the soul!
When I was a teenager I was given diet pills and told to fast 3 days a week by my doctor because of a weight problem. This plan worked but I gained the weight back. I lost weight again semifasting by eating extremely small portions such as spinache and beans for dinner or just half a cantelope for dinner. This worked as well but I gained the weight back again. I think a small reduction of calories and a slower weight loss program might be better because you wouldn't be starved and nostalgic for food and binge.
I first fasted with one similar to the Daniel fast mentioned above. I did it once a month but got severe headaches and had to stop. Due to a health issue (food allergies) God put me on a restricted diet and I lost 20 lbs, which I have kept off for over half a year now. I go back and forth with the fasting. I was doing a partial fast once a week for a while having only fruits/veggies for a day and I have found that helps with my overall health, especially the food allergies. Sometimes I will do a complete fast with only water. Interestingly I don't get the headaches anymore since I lost the 20 lbs and got used to having less food overall. I like the idea Dave mentioned above about fasting from 6:30 to 6:30. I will try that! I also find that when I'm exercising regularly (pilates lately) I want to eat healthier than when I don't exercise regularly.
I am 83 yrs young, and I have tried all types of weight loss diets etc. Most helped, but I always gained my weight back. A few years back, I weighed in at 225lbs. After reading so many ways to lose weight and it didn’t work. I started my own schedule. I ate health food, but in moderation. When I got the urge to eat more I would drink a large glass of water. I have a gym in the lower level, and went for ½ hr on my stationary bike. My morning is a small dish of fruit, a cup of decaf, a glass of purified water, orange juice with 1 ½ Tsp of whole ground flaxseed meal mixed into my OJ.
Lunch a salad, with walnuts, lettuce, sweet onion, beets, with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A little
Sea salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. I sprinkle of fresh home grown Italian Basil. Fini. Dinner ½ the normal size;
And a glass of red wine.
I weigh 179lbs-have been down and have kept my weight within 5lbs.up. I go to Yoga class 3 times a week for one hour. One day of weight lifting, approximately for 1hr. and treadmill for ½ hr. Amen
For all who believe as I do in the holy Bible...many scriptures speak about fasting. What I have noticed is that most comments on fasting in there start with, "When you fast...". That shows me that it is not about, "If you fast..." The Daniel fast is really awesome but there are so many others to choose from. The idea is to cleanse body and soul.
Beware of starving, though! That is never a good idea because everyone already knows that the metabolism slows down, entirely.
The Daniel Fast looks much like regular Orthodox fasting. During Lent, Advent, Wednesdays, Fridays, and other fasting times, Orthodox Christians are to abstain from meat, dairy, wine, and oil. If one kept all the fast days religiously (pardon the pun), about half of the year would be spent fasting! The research described above does indicate that this is actually a very healthy way to live. Wow!
Fasting is but one spiritual exercise; it does reduce stress from overeating and compliments intention in your body/mind.
I think fasting is good for you especially from a spiritual standpoint. But some individuals give fasting a bad name. When we see these fasting diets that celebrities such as Beyonce do we get negativity from other so called experts on eating. They tell you to never fast and that it is harmful. But fasting to me can be very beneficial if done right.
Fasting is something that I was introduced once I was introduced to Christ. It is not always something that I run to (the whole denial thing) but once I am fasting I feel lighter and all around healthier. Our church is currently in the midst of a Daniel's Fast until 100 souls are saved, which is great, but the byproduct of that is that we will emerge healthier in the process.
Hi, dr. norris, i love your column, i have never really fast, buti looking to see what goes with every other day.
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.
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