The FastDay Forum

No you lovely people, that's not half the winning lottery numbers for ths week but a question about fasting.
I have seen a short thread on another board but after some debate with my OH, I wondered if there was any new evidence to suggest what the most effective fast period is ( including calorie allowance )?
I currently go from Saturday aout 7:30 pm to Monday 7:30am only consuming my 500 cals and then again on another day.
In the book it is suggested a 24 period is sufficient for all of the good effects to work and elsewhere a 16 hour period is mentioned and I'm not sure if that s a total fast or calorie restricted.
Thoughts anyone?

[carorees]

Apparently Krista Varady is looking at this at the moment. Noone knows what the best fast period is for getting the benefits beyond weight loss. The problem is that there are so many benefits gained from losing weight that this hides the others. For example, if you follow the diet as laid out by Dr Mosley, you go for around 36 hours with 500 cals (for a woman), done twice a week, this represents an approx 20% decrease over the week in calorie intake which is about what most studies of dieting generally use. If you fast for 24 hours but then eat a normal dinner you will likely not have so great a calorie reduction over the week so even if 24 hours of no cals is better than 500 over 36 hours with respect to the "other" benefits, the smaller weight loss will counteract this!

Personally, I'd stick to what you are doing because I think it gives a reasonable weight loss without affecting ones life too much!

Some of the trials have a single lunch meal on the fast day, so Day 0 ends with dinner, fast day 1 has a 500 calorie lunch, day 2 starts with breakfast This is probably done as much to control what the subjects eat as anything (meal provided in a clinic). This is similar to what you do, and probably fits people that don't work shifts or keep unusual hours.

The breast cancer intermittent reduced calorie diet had eating throughout the "fast" day.

Hi both,
Thanks for the replies.
I was going to mention the Genesis diet which is 600cals but stipulates what you eat.
Hmmmm, the problem with this for me is that weight loss is a 'sign' that something is happening. I don't have scans and regular tests so unless something odd is flagged, I don't have any evidence of benefits.
Perhaps I'm just odd but I am sure some flab should have gone in the 5 months I've been doing this? I am quite clearly a scientific oddity which needs to be put in room 101!
I'll carry on for the time being and be pleased for everyone else's results.
Xx

[carorees]

Hi Lolli

If you are not losing any weight you might need to check a few things. Recalculate your daily energy requirement (see the link in the essential links post in the resources section) and work out your fast day allowance. This will check that you are actually in energy deficit.

Also see this for some ideas.

Thanks Lolli for your reference to the Genesis diet, that sent me to Google and hence I started a new thread: http://www.52fastdiet.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=364

You are welcome Dominic x
Caroress, I ave calculated and recalculated.
I've used several weight-loss websites to calculate BMR and used the fatchicks one too.
All very similar and I always err on the side of caution regarding exercise.
Checked with GP and practice nurse and weigh my food too.
I am diet resistant unless I really reduce calories, then it works!

[carorees]

Oh, that's a shame Lolli. Don't know what else to suggest really. As you say, if you can get some other benefits even if no weight loss, that is something to be pleased about!