Teach me about Fasting (Fasting Bro's GTFIH)

[MikeMcMann]

TL : DR

- I believe Fasting (simulating famine) trains our bodies to believe times of Famine are amongst us and it better learn to keep and store fat effectively for the upcoming Famine.
- I don't like any extreme behavior that is not meant to be maintained and think it sets up potential YoYo effects.

- i believe it is far more effective simply to slightly moderate your diet and activity to achieve the same outcome but over a longer period of time
- I believe these adjustments that become your new norm are far more sustainable

-----------------


I recently turned 50 and in the lead up to that big bday I have got myself into arguably the best shape I have been in since University.

I am not a believer in extreme's and have always followed a 'moderation is key to change' type mentality. I have never done a 'diet' and instead make micro changes to my diet which are meant to achieve a result and be permanent. I've need to lose 10-15 lbs at times but would target changing my diet slightly and upping my activity slightly such that I would lose that weight 0.5-1 lb a month over time. I just think that is far more sustainable than doing a strict diet to cut X pounds in y weeks when that diet is not how you will eat after. I think I avoid YoYo'ing more with my method.


So thus my hesitation around fasting which so many people are recommending to me.

Fasting seems completely unnatural to me.

I get that Fasting will force your body to tear into the stores of fat to find fuel but in my uneducated opinion you are sending a signal to your body that 'given the chance it should grab and hold onto stores as we live in a feast/famine time'.

Here is my bro science analysis so hang on...


There is a reason our bodies evolved to store fat and there is a propensity towards obesity in people coming out of regions (africa) where feast/famine occurs more than in areas where that was not traditionally not the case. That is because the people with the best chance to survive where the ones able to add and store fat better than their peers. Those genes passed on in greater propensity. Their bodies knew they would have times where their might be more food and it needed to grab it and store it as much as possible for the times of famine. As these people have moved to areas of no famine (US) they just bloat up, due to this propensity as their bodies are still reacting to the possibility of famine.


So back to Fasting...

My view (bro science) is that you are signaling to your body that we have not left behind the period of feast and famine and that it needs to be ready to store as much fat as possible for as long as possible due to potential famines. As opposed to conditioning your body through balanced diet with no fasting that there is no need for the big storage (fat) as things ate stable and predictable here now.

Sure you can Fast and stay fit as most people who Fast are super focused on being fit to begin with but I think you are setting yourself up for a bigger fall should your diet degrade and you trained your body to horde in times of feast.

Thoughts?


also I liken it guys who go from Binge drinking to Tee totaling. I see these guys regularly who over drink and then suddenly they are 'getting healthy' and will drink nothing. I prefer a more constant but moderate drinking than binge and purge.

 

[Twerknasty]

Don't eat for as long as you can!

 

[lts5025]

Nothing magical about IF, it’s simply a mechanism that makes it easier to control caloric intake. There are benefits to occasional fasting, but I’ve seen nothing that indicates daily intermittent fasting provides more benefits than fasting a few times a year.

 

[Deleted member 220895]

more like Fad-sting... amirite?

 

[mb23100]

It's a foolish practice. Just eat healthy

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

I stop eating at 10pm and don't eat till 10am the next day - not sure if this is considered fasting (or intermittent) anyhow. Seems to work for me.

 

[minute bull]

Well, the next installment follows Dominic Torretto as he's falsely sent to maximum security solitary confinement and comes out looking like Ludacris.

I stop eating at 10pm and don't eat till 10am the next day - not sure if this is considered fasting (or intermittent) anyhow. Seems to work for me.

Sounds like sleeping.

 

[SammyPops]

I perfer reverse fasting.

 

[MikeMcMann]

Nothing magical about IF, it’s simply a mechanism that makes it easier to control caloric intake. There are benefits to occasional fasting, but I’ve seen nothing that indicates daily intermittent fasting provides more benefits than fasting a few times a year.

I am not convinced it makes it easier to control caloric intake. Rarely have I seen things in the extremes work as well as simple moderation does.

It's a foolish practice. Just eat healthy

I tend to think that and think that the people who typically do it are super health conscious so they can get away with it and avoid the perils i think are self evident.

I stop eating at 10pm and don't eat till 10am the next day - not sure if this is considered fasting (or intermittent) anyhow. Seems to work for me.

I try not to eat after 7pm (unless i am out socializing) but whatever time i get up (usually around 6am'ish) I am going to have my breakfast.

I've also changed the order of my meals around such that breakfast is simple oatmeal with maybe some almond butter mixed in, lunch is now my bigger meal where I will have meat or whatever, and dinner tends to be something lighter like my homemade veggy/seafood soup or some type of hearty salad. I used to eat my heaviest meal in the evening for dinner.

 

[Horse Style]

Wouldn't it be easier to just do research instead of posting a bro science essay?

 

[ithinktheymad]

I thought that thread title said something completely different initially.

 

[lts5025]

I am not convinced it makes it easier to control caloric intake. Rarely have I seen things in the extremes work as well as simple moderation does.

First of all, IF isn’t exactly EXTREME, as far as diets go.

I don’t practice IF, but if I were to do so, adhering to the most common 16/8 protocol would be as simple as skipping breakfast and not snacking after dinner.

I don’t do it because I find it hard to function in the morning without breakfast, but I’ve certainly had days where I’m too busy for breakfast and wind up doing IF by accident, no worse for wear.

Like most diets, it will work well for some, not so well for others.

 

[MikeMcMann]

Wouldn't it be easier to just do research instead of posting a bro science essay?

Not necessarily is sherboro's bring the knowledge backed up by citations. Could save me a ton of time searching through the contradictory stuff.

 

[Starck]

I control my caloric intake much easier on IF. Every day, I only eat between about 7am to 1pm. No calorie counting, just eat until full and don't gain weight. Obviously it's going to vary from person to person, but I geberally feel better/healthier and control my eating more effectively while on IF.

 

[MikeMcMann]

First of all, IF isn’t exactly EXTREME, as far as diets go.

I don’t practice IF, but if I were to do so, adhering to the most common 16/8 protocol would be as simple as skipping breakfast and not snacking after dinner.

I don’t do it because I find it hard to function in the morning without breakfast, but I’ve certainly had days where I’m too busy for breakfast and wind up doing IF by accident, no worse for wear.

Like most diets, it will work well for some, not so well for others.

Ya I already am getting to a point where I will have no snacking after dinner and dinner will be no later than 7pm. Unless I am out socially then both these rules are breakable.

I do however eat breakfast each morning. Typically oatmeal with fruit and a spoon of almond butter.

I believe in just eating well generally and doing moderate exercise and that has worked for me but more and more people I know, who are into fitness all seem to think I should be fasting as well. I get the recommendation so much but as I said up-thread it seems so counter-intuitive to me that it would be a good thing to do to your body.

 

[MikeMcMann]

I control my caloric intake much easier on IF. Every day, I only eat between about 7am to 1pm. No calorie counting, just eat until full and don't gain weight. Obviously it's going to vary from person to person, but I geberally feel better/healthier and control my eating more effectively while on IF.

If I was to try it I think these are the hours I would set as well. I am too conditioned to breakfast to go without and I could just do a decent lunch and skip any food after that for the rest of the day.

 

[jojoRed]

It's a foolish practice. Just eat healthy

Ignorant statement, ancestors worked just as efficiently if not more efficiently than we do right now and they were never sure when they were going to get fed.

Once youre used to it, yoour body will function just as efficient without the need to constantly eat the sugary bullshit yall eat.

 

[Starck]

If I was to try it I think these are the hours I would set as well. I am too conditioned to breakfast to go without and I could just do a decent lunch and skip any food after that for the rest of the day.

Most people who do it skip breakfast, but I'm like you, love to eat something shortly after I get up. I eat a small breakfast, then a big lunch, and nothing at all for the rest of the day. No hunger at all. Everyone is different, though.

 

[VulcanNervPinch]

TL : DR

- I believe Fasting (simulating famine) trains our bodies to believe times of Famine are amongst us and it better learn to keep and store fat effectively for the upcoming Famine.
- I don't like any extreme behavior that is not meant to be maintained and think it sets up potential YoYo effects.

- i believe it is far more effective simply to slightly moderate your diet and activity to achieve the same outcome but over a longer period of time
- I believe these adjustments that become your new norm are far more sustainable



Thoughts?

 

[MikeMcMann]

Ignorant statement, ancestors worked just as efficiently if not more efficiently than we do right now and they were never sure when they were going to get fed.

Once youre used to it, yoour body will function just as efficient without the need to constantly eat the sugary bullshit yall eat.

I am not doubting that answer but it is not compelling either.

people 'did' and 'survived' a whole bunch of stuff they had to, simply because they had no option. That does not mean that is optimal however.

Again I am not taking a position as much as pointing out that its not that simple.