The FastDay Forum

http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering ... iterature/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-an ... z2c9qNFlso

It does scare me but it doesn't surprise me. I mean, I don't expect to starve for 2 days a week and feel great.
On the other hand, every diet has its pros and cons and if I'm losing weight while not feeling deprived, then I can take feeling crappy for a while. If I was following any other diet, I would feel more crappy for a longer time.

I feel great, but concerned about masculinizing effects as I am 41.

Forearned is forearmed.
in other words, knowledge is power. If you recognise any of these things, maybe it's time to do a rethink?
Only a suggestion, as I have felt fine all through to now.
And no, I have no masculinizing effects (she says, reaching for the razor and shaving brush )

I will probably continue until I lose the weight.I really wanted to keep going though.

[carorees]

I replied on the other thread where you mentioned this as follows:

Interesting link, thanks. my feeling is that the article mainly talks about ADF or daily fasting with an eating window. Twice a week fasting is a lot less severe. Also, the rat studies must be considered in the light of the higher metabolic rate of rats such that a 24 hour fast for a rat is like us fasting for several days, so one can't really extrapolate to humans. However, the advice to listen to our bodies and not to overdo fasting is very sound.

I just weigh up the advantages of working towards obtaining a more healthy BMI and being constructive about this with exercise and 5:2, a method of weight loss which is proving to be successful. Then I cast my mind back to when I was heavier and the things which worried me which I could have been likely to be heading for eg hypertension and consequent medications, diabetes and medication for that. The wear and tear on heart joints and unhappiness etc re knowing I should be up to 15 kgs lighter.

i think all things in moderation, keep an eye on how you feel, know your body and how it feels and get tests done at your medical check ups if symptoms show up

Can someone summarise the points of the article here.

here's my pennies worth....as ever there is not enough research and data regarding women. And the main worry of the whole article was about fertility in women of childbearing age. I don't care about that issue. I am well over having children lol. Others will of course if they want to have children.I could rant and rave about the usual focus on our ability to procreate as if it was considered the only function of a woman. I won't.
Interestingly the focus was on people of normal weight and the view is that people of normal weight or should I say, women, shouldn't use extreme fasting e.g. every other day because it interferes with reproductive cycles. Surely it's a well know and documented fact that women who diet to extreme stop having periods etc etc?
I really think this article is pretty useless considering nearly all the experiments and data are about rats.
As gillymary put it just trust your own instincts and listen to your own body. It's easy to focus on bad things and be scared when we don't have the full facts. x

I found the articles very interesting, but that was it! As Drilakila says, didn't everyone know that anorexics lose head hair, gain body hair, lose teeth, stop menstruating etc etc? I know this article was not about anorexia but that is the extreme end of food deprivation so I feel it is pertinent to mention it. Personally, I don't think IF/ADF/5:2 or any of the other regimes which people on this forum practice are in any way related to the more extreme elements of dieting, it is like comparing moderate drinkers with alcoholics, a totally different species.

Thank you Milfrie for the post but, for me, it changes nothing. If anyone identifies with any of the topics/symptoms raised then it would make sense to investigate further but for the rest of us, with no health issues, I would not worry.

Ballerina x

I am pretty sure that 5:2 does something to my hormones because my periods have changed significantly!!! They have gotten quite worse and I'm on the pill, which has always kept things mild and smooth.
I am seeing my OBGYN in September or October and I'm not worrying much since I know that diets do that to women.
Hopefully, when I stop 5:2 things will improve. Unless I have to continue it in order to maintain and I will continue till I grow a moustache or become addicted to Gaelic footy.

Fasting has not given me any masculine traits but NOT fasting has definitely given hubs some feminine traits like, big breasts and a pregnant looking stomach, I'd say that was a very feminine look!

Ballerina x

that's excellent Ballerina! I like it <3

From the article the point at which problems are reported (in rats) is 40% CR.

6:1 = 11% CR
5:2 = 21% CR
4:3 = 32% CR
ADF = 38% CR

Unless you're aggressively beyond ADF in total weekly calorie restriction you just can get there on the Fastdiet.