The FastDay Forum

Paul, it's amazing. YOU ARE AMAZING. Thanks so much. All the links are fantastic. I can't wait to share this with friends and hopefully the WI. I'm trying to tweak their interest gradually and hope to demonstrate by not only example but by talks. Thanks again. Monty

Thanks, Monty.

TBH, it's been something I've been intending to do for a while now, and to get all (well, most of) the references in one place is useful.

I've just posted my notes on my blog:

http://nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/intermittent-fasting-and-calorie.html

It's a work in progress - I didn't include any of Carorees' excellent suggestions up-thread, for instance, so I'll be tweaking it whenever I get the chance.

[carorees]

I didn't include any of Carorees' excellent suggestions up-thread, for instance,

What???!!! Humph!

so I'll be tweaking it whenever I get the chance.

Oh, OK then....

Looking forward to seeing it...

Your notes look like the basis of a really good talk, Breadandwine - everything covered but nothing too techie for the non-scientists.
Well done

Thanks, Phoenix. I've finally managed to get around to adjusting my notes - but it is still a work in progress.

A few things off the top of my head:
Evolutionary rationale for feasting/fasting.
Rat studies don't necessarily transfer to man. A day without food to a rat is much longer relative to their lifespan than a day without food for a human!
Most studies in humans have used very different protocols so it is very hard to compare the studies.
Differences between simple calorie restriction and calorie restriction via fasting (eg preferential loss of fat).
Religious fasting very well established

"Evolutionary rationale for feasting/fasting" - covered.

"Rat studies don't necessarily transfer to man. A day without food to a rat is much longer relative to their lifespan than a day without food for a human!" - not covered.
"Most studies in humans have used very different protocols so it is very hard to compare the studies." - not covered.

My take on this is, I freely admit, extremely simplistic.

Animal studies, beginning in the 1930s, alerted scientists to the possibility that fasting would be good for humans as well as animals. Since then, the studies on humans - even given the different protocols - and the evidence mounting from poster/bloggers (conducting their own experiments), Mike Mosley himself, have shown, to my satisfaction, that some form of fasting is good for the great majority of us. In so many ways.

After monitoring of what has been written on IF over the last 12 months, the only deleterious effect I can identify is that many fasters report feeling cold. And even that is a signal that the body is working more efficiently.

"Differences between simple calorie restriction and calorie restriction via fasting (eg preferential loss of fat)" - not covered. Calorie restriction on its own is not the subject of this study.

"Religious fasting very well established" - not covered. Sorry, Caro, I just couldn't see where I could fit religion into my notes (admittedly it's late! ) - and, TBH, I'm not looking at the historical practice of fasting, I'm more interested in what is happening today.

I'm open to challenge on any of the judgements I've made above. My intention in collating all the info I have on IF is to have a comprehensive resource which I can disseminate to anyone who is interested. If others wish to pass this info on to their friends (a practice I would encourage), a mention would be nice - but it's not essential!