Does anyone fast regularly?

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Beerthoven

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I've been experimenting with a restricted calorie diet for the past month or so. I eat about 1700 calories a day 6 days a week, and nothing at all 1 day a week.

On the days I fast and the day afterward, I have a noticeable burst of energy and optimism. I really like it, and I'll probably keep doing this just for that reason.

At first I was hungry a lot, but that has gone away and I don't feel it much anymore.

I'm doing this more for self-control rather than weight-control (its an exercise in discipline) though combined with increased exercise I have managed to lose about 20# in 3 months.

Has anyone else experimented with a restricted calorie diet? Have you had similar results?
 
by dropping cals to 0 your body will try to store every cal you get as fat. Your metabolism will be slower than my 40 yard run time
 
by dropping cals to 0 your body will try to store every cal you get as fat. Your metabolism will be slower than my 40 yard run time

That's not necessarily true. If you cut calories across the board for days on end, then yes, your metabolism will slow. However, this method involves fasting only one day per week. There have been studies that show irregular reduced caloric intake will not trigger a lowering of the metabolism. Also, with increased exercise this is a winning diet:

Calories in < Calories Out = Weight Loss
Calories in > Calories Out = Weight Gain
 
That's not necessarily true. If you cut calories across the board for days on end, then yes, your metabolism will slow. However, this method involves fasting only one day per week. There have been studies that show irregular reduced caloric intake will not trigger a lowering of the metabolism. Also, with increased exercise this is a winning diet:

Calories in < Calories Out = Weight Loss
Calories in > Calories Out = Weight Gain

ok yes this is simplistic at its best.

Metabolism is best when its constantly fueled- constantly pumping insulin and keeping things on an even keel. 5-8 meals a day small in size will keep energy levels maxed while keeping metabolism maxed as well. It will also allow for more indiscriminate "cheating" as excess calories are quickly discarded vs hoarded.

Ive actually seen more people lose weight on a diet like this
Mon-thurs 1500 cal
Fri 3000 cal
Sat-Wed 1500 cal
Thurs 3000 cal
 
Now that is absoloutely true. The same person on a 1500-2000 calorie per day diet eating 2-3 meals will gain more weight (or lose less, depending on exercise) than a person on a 3000 calorie per day diet eating 6-8 small meals per day. The metabolism gets fired up, and just burns calories all day long, regardless of exercise.

You know that really skinny guy at work who just eats candy bars and soda all day? This is why. Then again, he's more prone to diabetes, kidney stones, and a whole host of other diseases...
 
Metabolism is best when its constantly fueled- constantly pumping insulin and keeping things on an even keel. 5-8 meals a day small in size will keep energy levels maxed while keeping metabolism maxed as well. It will also allow for more indiscriminate "cheating" as excess calories are quickly discarded vs hoarded.

Where are you getting all of this from?
 
Where are you getting all of this from?

Lets ask this guy-

Ironman_Magazine_2002_-_3.jpg


He seems to know a thing or 2 about nutrition
 
On the days I eat, I normally eat 5 times, with two of those times being somewhat bigger meals (lunch and dinner) with 3 snacks during the day, and a beer or two at night.

I have been also doing pilates and free-weights 4 times a week and walking 20-30 minutes 3-5 times a week during the day at work to keep my metabolism up and build muscle tone.

I'm not fasting one day a week in order to lose weight, though I do think it's helping (20# lost in just over 3 months is fast weight loss, IMO). I'm doing it mostly as an exercise in self discipline, a mind-over-matter kind of thing. My body does seem to respond well to it. I feel lighter and clearer headed in an odd sort of way.
 
I used to when I was practicing hatha yoga, but my body can't handle fasting and the blood-pressure meds. Never noticed much difference.
 
I think that the fasting to develop self discipline is a great idea. I've been trying to work on a better diet recently. I've started snacking through most of the day and not eating a huge breakfast or lunch. I also don't pound down supper like I used to.

Fasting also gives you extra time to meditate and pray (if you are religious), set your priorities and contemplate the bigger issues in life.
 
I once drank nothing but water and took multivitamins for about 5 days. I was also running about 2 miles a day. I lost about 10 pounds in 5 days, it was crazy. Looking back I am like "Wow that was impressive" but at the same time, it freaking sucked pretty bad.
 
I once drank nothing but water and took multivitamins for about 5 days. I was also running about 2 miles a day. I lost about 10 pounds in 5 days, it was crazy. Looking back I am like "Wow that was impressive" but at the same time, it freaking sucked pretty bad.

Did you gain the weight right back after you came off the fast? I would think that those 10 lbs was mostly water-weight??
 
Check out Tom Venutto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle. When you do not eat regularly your body goes into starvation mode. On the fasting question. I did the Master Cleanse for 30 days. I would not do it for that long again. Now I just eat 5-6 small meals a day drink a ton of water and work out 5-6 days a week
 
Did you gain the weight right back after you came off the fast? I would think that those 10 lbs was mostly water-weight??

I gained some of it back but getting into daily running improved my habits. I gained maybe 5 of it back. That was like 3 years ago though, and I have certainly gained it back and then some.

It probably was mostly water weight. It was also pretty warm out so when I was running, I was losing major amounts of water. I was also taking in a ton of water because I was taking Hydroxy Cut, and my friend who is a workout goon said you have to drink crap ton of water when taking hydroxy cut.
 
marathon runners aren't fat. maybe you should worry less about your diet and start running marathons.

They often aren't terribly lean either, compared to other athletes.

There are plenty of fat people running marathons non-competitively.

Either way you are confusing causation with correlation.

If you want to be a great marathon runner, be born a freak. If you want to be a great basketball player, be born a different kind of freak.

If you want to lose weight, eat less and or exercise more.

Being a bad marathoner won't make you look just like a great marathoner.
 
And steroids.

You really think that? You also think all blacks are criminals?


This guy gets tested at every competition he ever went to. He is a natural BB.

At 5’ 11", La Cour’s competition weight ranges from 213 to 230 well-conditioned pounds.

Is 213-230 crazy for a guy at 5'11?
 
You really think that? You also think all blacks are criminals?


This guy gets tested at every competition he ever went to. He is a "natural" BB.

At 5’ 11", La Cour’s competition weight ranges from 213 to 230 well-conditioned pounds.

Is 213-230 crazy for a guy at 5'11?

Track athletes get tested at every competition too, and by organizations that actually intend to enforce substance bans. We all know that is not a perfect process.
 
Track athletes get tested at every competition too, and by organizations that actually intend to enforce substance bans. We all know that is not a perfect process.

While true- Same goes with the Olympics. Is everyone who sets a world record a Steroid user?
 
No- I was correlating the 2 in the exact same thought process.

The same thought process would be something along the lines of accusing the guy of using cocaine or some other drug. Or accusing all body builders of using various drugs. Turning it into a race issue is disingenuous and unfair.

Just my thought. Parker can defend himself.
 
While true- Same goes with the Olympics. Is everyone who sets a world record a Steroid user?

Probably not, be we know that a fair number of them are and we know that a sophisticated doping and masking program stands a very decent chance of beating a the most difficult testing programs in the world, let alone a competition (known time) testing program.

We also know that there, for whatever reason, are two kinds of natural bodybuilding shows. The ones where the bodybuilders look like guys from the 50s (pre drugs) and the ones where the bodybuilders look like the guys from the 70s (open drug use but much less aggressive than what is used today by "pros").

I call these natural shows and "natural shows". Sure I have no proof drug use is the difference, but I sleep fine at night having drawn that conclusion.
 
Probably not, be we know that a fair number of them are and we know that a sophisticated doping and masking program stands a very decent chance of beating a the most difficult testing programs in the world, let alone a competition (known time) testing program.

We also know that there, for whatever reason, are two kinds of natural bodybuilding shows. The ones where the bodybuilders look like guys from the 50s (pre drugs) and the ones where the bodybuilders look like the guys from the 70s (open drug use but much less aggressive than what is used today by "pros").

I call these natural shows and "natural shows". Sure I have no proof drug use is the difference, but I sleep fine at night having drawn that conclusion.

Yes but I think some of your logic is flawed. Today with nutrition information, vitamins and lifestyles that can lead to life a life in bodybuilding you are going to see a much larger advance in the human body. The ones doing the Regular Pro are 50-90lbs heavier at the same height with the same or lower BF.

Most Steroid test you fail if a masking agent is found. The most common being finisteride- a common prescription drug given for hair loss. You still get a big fat fail. But anyone that works as hard and get tested as much as a lot of the Naturals would never risk the shame of getting nailed on a drug test. Hell they would be ostracized from the sport- even the non-natural comps.

Again most steroids are detectable well over 9 weeks and some being over 24 months. And its not random testing for these guys.
 
I eat 5 times a day. First meal is Egg Beaters and a sausage patty before I'm hardly awake.

Started the regime about 16 years ago when I was pushing 190 (at 5'8"). Dropped 45 pounds in 6 months and have been hovering between 147 and 153 ever since. Work out 4-5 days a week.

Some days I have to force myself to eat the next meal.

Then I get home and lay in to my luscious homebrew.

I do that for the hops benefits. :D
 
I know what I'm doing may not be ideal from a nutritional point of view, but I don't think I'm hurting myself any, either. Missing two meals once a week is not going to push my body into starvation-survival mode. I am exercising regularly, putting on muscle mass, and still losing weight.

Fasting is an interesting twist for me. By training myself to deal with discomfort, to deal with hunger, I'm strengthening my will power and it feels good.

By fasting and eating smaller portion sizes when I do eat, I get full a lot faster, can go longer between meals, and need smaller snacks than I used to. That is a lifestyle change that will hopefully stay with me long after I stop fasting.

I started this week's fast tonight. I ate dinner tonight and all I'll consume until dinner tomorrow night is water and maybe some tea. I'm looking forward to it.

Anyone want to join me? :fro:
 
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