5/2 fasting - discuss . . .

[LordGrover]

Halb said:

LordGrover said:

Halb & O_C - YHM.

Ta man, not read it yet. I have a lot to read at the moment and a bust weekend!
After chatting to people, I may try the keto thing first. I need to sort out the fridge first though.

It's only a reading exercise re leangains. Only takes an hour to read; 70 pages double line print with plenty of white space. Interesting nonetheless.

[Hoofy]

Had a go at fasting for 15 hours just to see the effect. Mentioned it to quite a few people. Every person with a weight problem is suddenly an expert in dieting and healthy eating. Talking the talk, but limping as usual...

Oh and the usual moscience... breakfast like a king etc.

Edited by Hoofy on Friday 24th August 19:19

[P1H]

khushy said:

My Fasting days occur on my two intense training days at the VeloDrome which happen in the evening. If I eat anything more than a VERY light breakfast and a couple of pieces of fruit on those training days I have an overwhelming urge to puke it right up during the session in the evening and afterwards I am never hungry anyway - The sessions are VERY intense indeed - usually 2.5 to 3 hours with Welsh Cycling's fastest cycling talent.

I train on a Tuesday & Friday evening - so I am working out what to do about bringing the days together some how?!?!?!

khushy

I've no doubt it works for you but I can't understand it. How can 600kcal ever be sufficient for a training day? I'm no stranger to crippling high intensity sessions which, in the morning, are bearable without much breakfast. But I would have thought training in the evening after eating so little would seriously detriment performance. Regardless of the fact you don't feel hungry surely there is just no fuel in the tank.....

[Carrot]

P1H said:

khushy said:

My Fasting days occur on my two intense training days at the VeloDrome which happen in the evening. If I eat anything more than a VERY light breakfast and a couple of pieces of fruit on those training days I have an overwhelming urge to puke it right up during the session in the evening and afterwards I am never hungry anyway - The sessions are VERY intense indeed - usually 2.5 to 3 hours with Welsh Cycling's fastest cycling talent.

I train on a Tuesday & Friday evening - so I am working out what to do about bringing the days together some how?!?!?!

khushy

I've no doubt it works for you but I can't understand it. How can 600kcal ever be sufficient for a training day? I'm no stranger to crippling high intensity sessions which, in the morning, are bearable without much breakfast. But I would have thought training in the evening after eating so little would seriously detriment performance. Regardless of the fact you don't feel hungry surely there is just no fuel in the tank.....

Depends how much fat you have.

In my case, I could probably cycle all the way to New York!

[Hoofy]

It doesn't work like that, though - your muscles will get tired long before you hit Cornwall (unless you live in Cornwall).

As for running on empty, apparently it's possible. Only way is to try.

[P1H]

Hoofy said:

It doesn't work like that, though - your muscles will get tired long before you hit Cornwall (unless you live in Cornwall).

As for running on empty, apparently it's possible. Only way is to try.

Yeah I agree, I've no doubt the the human body can continue doing strenuous exercise on next to no energy, we wouldn't have survived long if our ancestors laid down and died everytime they got pekish.

I know you can tap into fat stores. I know next to nothing about the biology of it. But, I thought the body is far more effective at using energy from carbohydrate rather than fat which is why 'hitting the wall' is so difficult. If that is the case surely you perform worse if you rely on fat stores..... I'm happy to be corrected!

[Hoofy]

P1H said:

Yeah I agree, I've no doubt the the human body can continue doing strenuous exercise on next to no energy, we wouldn't have survived long if our ancestors laid down and died everytime they got pekish.

I know you can tap into fat stores. I know next to nothing about the biology of it. But, I thought the body is far more effective at using energy from carbohydrate rather than fat which is why 'hitting the wall' is so difficult. If that is the case surely you perform worse if you rely on fat stores..... I'm happy to be corrected!

Have a look on the Training thread. Lost_BMW just posted a lifting session while fasting.

There's an argument to suggest that cavemen (and indeed lions, tigers, tyrannosauruses etc) hunted when they were hungry. (Although, I think for cavemen that is questionable as they must have learnt to cook and store food... if we're so close to cavemen, why can I not eat raw chicken? At some point, cavemen must have been able to survive eating raw meat before they discovered Zippo lighters. )

[T40ORA]

Hoofy said:

... why can I not eat raw chicken?

Sushi?

[T40ORA]

Hoofy said:

Had a go at fasting for 15 hours just to see the effect. Mentioned it to quite a few people. Every person with a weight problem is suddenly an expert in dieting and healthy eating. Talking the talk, but limping as usual...

Oh and the usual moscience... breakfast like a king etc.

Edited by Hoofy on Friday 24th August 19:19

I've been doing this now for eight days. I ate about 9pm yesterday and 'broke my fast' at 14:00, with a nice large lunch. I have trained only three times this past week due to work constraints, and although it wasn't fasted (hit the gym early evening) I have experienced no problems with either tiredness or hunger. And I have lost nearly 1kg of fat, despite having drunk a couple of pints each evening. Early days yet to say what effect it will have on my training/muscle mass (I trained at two unfamiliar gyms this week so could not compare like for like with weights) but so far it seems to be working. And it is strangely nice to have the feeling of a much more completely empty stomach and intestines.

I will be continuing with the IF for a while.

[Hoofy]

T40ORA said:

Hoofy said:

... why can I not eat raw chicken?

Sushi?

Is sushi raw chicken?

[T40ORA]

Hoofy said:

Is sushi raw chicken?

Apparently it is raw anything, or so I was told by a chef at a cookery demonstration. Although, like you, I wouldn't do raw chicken. Used to eat beef carpaccio though.

[HonestIago]

Firefoot said:

A chap at work has been doing this for the past couple of weeks since he watched the program. I tried explaining to him that fasting on 600 cals for 2 days will not negate the fact that on non fasting days he eats rather a lot (he has a 3 course meal plus wine for tea pretty much every evening and has done for as long as I've known him).

Having said that, even he has managed to see a couple of pounds come off so it must be doing something

Just who is missing the point exactly though? The benefits of fasting are not just weight loss! Even if aggregate calorie intake is at maintenance level, it is still far better to have the two fasted days. Nothing wrong with a 3 course meal plus wine every evening if fasting throughout the day and/or having 2 very low calorie days per week.

[Firefoot]

I know what you are saying and totally agree, but he is doing this for weight loss, and he doesn't plan to stick to this eating plan long term. As soon as he stops the fasting days and goes back to having 3 course evening meals every day he will wonder why he has put the weight back on.

I've been trying to make sure he realises this. (having seen him yo yo diet for at least 12 years)

[Hoofy]

Isn't this fasting business supposed to be a lifestyle thing rather than a one-off?

[HonestIago]

Hoofy said:

Isn't this fasting business supposed to be a lifestyle thing rather than a one-off?

To realise longterm health benefits, yes.

[HBFS]

HBFS said:

I found the TV program quite interesting. Though it wasn't as professional or as well proven as I would have liked it to have been.
However, It did help me reach the conclusion that I could not fast. It's not for me.

Anyway, I've been dieting for 6 days now. Nothing special, just calorie restriction. My daily cap is 1200, I just eat any food so long as it doesn't go over the reasonable fat and carb restrictions. I'm getting more exercise (Aiming for 3 hours a week+) and eating healthier.
So far I've lost dead on 4 pounds, apparently I should only be loosing about 1.7 a week.

Have lost a further 10lbs since the above post.
Fasting really isn't for me but today has been the first day where I've burned more calories than I've taken in (BMR is 1700 cal, burned and additional 1250 calories at the gym and walking. Ate about 1220 calories.)
Surely doing this would be healthier than fasting and will have achieved a similar effect?

Exercise started at 5pm ish and ended at 8PM. I think that will be why I have not felt hungry at all.

So, how do people think this compares against fasting?

Edited by HBFS on Saturday 15th September 22:10

[RH1NO]

No way could I do this.

I have a BMR of about 3000 cals per day, I have around 2300-2500 per day alongside the gym, creates a defecit and I'm not always starving!

Works for me.

[Flibble]

RH1NO said:

No way could I do this.

I have a BMR of about 3000 cals per day, I have around 2300-2500 per day alongside the gym, creates a defecit and I'm not always starving!

Works for me.

How do you have a BMR of 3000? I reckon you have to be about 6'8, 23.5 stone and in your early 20s to have a BMR that high.

[Dan_1981]

Are people still sticking to this?

Am interested in trying it.

Have been using Myfitnesspal for quite awhile to track my intake

I can get by day to day on about 1200 caolories with very little excercise - but I do find myself hungry or craving a haribo or something.

Of course take aways and beer and stuff like throw me off massivly.

So I figure something like that might work for me?

I'm 5 ft 10, currently 74kg

Is it really as simple as two days at 600 calories and then up to 2500 for the other 5 days?

[IroningMan]

Dan_1981 said:

Are people still sticking to this?

Am interested in trying it.

Have been using Myfitnesspal for quite awhile to track my intake

I can get by day to day on about 1200 caolories with very little excercise - but I do find myself hungry or craving a haribo or something.

Of course take aways and beer and stuff like throw me off massivly.

So I figure something like that might work for me?

I'm 5 ft 10, currently 74kg

Is it really as simple as two days at 600 calories and then up to 2500 for the other 5 days?

Apparently so. Two (non-consecutive) days at 600 and the other 5 at whatever is 'normal' for you - unless 'normal' is piling on the pounds.