The FastDay Forum

[carorees]

The only IF studies in normal weight people has so far been in those fasting during Ramadan as far as I can tell. Of course Ramadan fasting is a very different regime from what we are doing.

This all makes great reading and motivation. I've been doing this since august and still going strong. I only had a stone to loose and my weight is pretty stable and I eat whatever I like on feed days. I still feel like I may lose another pound this month. I feel great, have more energy and love eating what I want and not feeling guilty!

We are focusing here on the dieting side of IF, and that is a valid discussion. But let's not lose sight of the separate (supposed) benefit of IF from the 'repair mode' - this comes not from Dr Varady's research but from Valter Longo and Mark P Mattson. This is the 'big win', otherwise as you say 5:2 is really just another diet, albeit one that is easier for most of us to follow.

See http://crabsalloverhealth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/mark-butcher-emails-michael-mosleys.html for some reported comments made afterwards by all the experts on the original Horizon programme - especially Dr Mattson's comments about giving the brain a workout by fasting. This wouldn't apply to a regular diet.

These comments also give a pretty unequivocal answer to the question for 5:2ers of whether it is better on a fast day to eat all the calories in one go or to spread them over the day (sorry, off topic I know).

Dominic

Just found this!! Thank you Dominic for posting - so interesting and contains the answers to questions I have been asking since starting 5:2 and then 4:3 at the beginning of January. I'll make some modifications to what I'm doing and push on.

I'm pleased to be of service, Marlene

There is so much good information here on this forum now (not only from me of course ha ha), but it is actually quite tricky finding what you need. The advanced search is a good tool though. I find myself using it to locate stuff I remember reading a week or two ago but which is now buried under thousands of newer postings. If you never read it in the first place then finding that hidden gem is harder!