ADF - A diet that works and is good for your health!

[tjlazer]

As others have pointed out its a very simple formula to stick to and by not affecting non fast days allows you to live a normal life rather than worrying about the number of calories in your beer. The fast days itself are tough at first but do get easier and, as pointed out above, supposedly reduced the growth hormone levels that are responsible for all manner of ills. I also continued to work out on fasting days and actually quite enjoyed it after the second session (initially I felt like I was literally running on empty) my body responded well to the experiment and I was noticeably leaner than I've been in the last 5 years, even with regular exercise as the additional fat loss helps cut away at the timber around the middle and give more definition. Give it a go and see how you get on. I'd say it's a lot easier than regular dieting and certainly more fun due to the 5 "normal" days in the week. It also impacts on overall food consumption, you become more aware of your intake so I think that's a great help if you have problems with portion size.

[BuzzLightyear]

Yes, I guess I'm trying to find out for myself if the hypothesis is correct - at least as far as I reasonably can without access to specialised equipment.

Today is my first day of reduced calorie input (not fasting in the traditional sense, really). The food I have had for breakfast and what I have bought for lunch and dinner adds up to almost exactly 600 cals and I am drinking water (quite a lot) and black coffee (just 1 or 2 cups)and may have an apple after dinner tonight.

I have been to the gym this morning (one of my regular, bi-weekly visits). Whilst there, I tried the weight / BMI measuring scale device. I don't know how accurate these are (not very, I suspect) but thought it would provide a comparison if I repeat it every couple of weeks: It showed my weight as 16st7 and calculated my BMI at 30.7, body fat at 31% and body fat mass at 32.5kg, so we'll see how that goes. Obviously, this will not show any change in cholesterol and other indicators but I will see if I can find a reasonable means to track any such changes.

Anyone else want to join in...?


PS I do not have any medical conditions (that I know of, anyway - had a check-up fairly recently) and would advise anyone thinking of following this or any diet to get a medical check-up before commencement, especially if they do or think they may have any such condition.

Edited by BuzzLightyear on Tuesday 2nd October 12:21

[rudecherub]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I agree, having switched to 'Atkins' low carb limited refined carbs, avoiding refined sugar, is better.

And while I've just started doing ADF I'm not suddenly going mad on the refined sugar or worse allowing transfats back.

Although I'm eating more carbs, for preference reasons it's granary bread et al

What interests me is the health benefit beside weight loss, as my weight was okay due to low carbing.

As said up thread, it fits with the Paleo approach, which is some days you didn't get to eat so much, others you'd feast because your hunt was successful.

It also made sense of WWII situation, where people were healthier despite not having access to much high quality protein and fat.

[Tiggsy]

rudecherub said:

As said up thread, it fits with the Paleo approach, which is some days you didn't get to eat so much, others you'd feast because your hunt was successful.

This! Today I've had a coffee and a90cal biscuit - at 3pm I have a 1hr gym session.....at 4pm I'll eat, then again at 9ish. Both meals will be great, 2k cals for the day in total though (maybe a bit less)

In my mind it's not dead lifts followed by M&S Moroccan chicken......its all day hunting my food, a fight to its death and chow time!

[Asterix]

How are Bam Bam & Pebbles?

[BuzzLightyear]

So how do you go about cutting out refined sugars? Aren't they in just about everything sweet these days?

[Tiggsy]

BuzzLightyear said:

So how do you go about cutting out refined sugars? Aren't they in just about everything sweet these days?

I dont really eat anything sweet (enough to worry) - i used to, because come 10pm I'd be hungry (having had 6 small meals that day) - now at 10pm I've just finished a huge bowl of meat! (bison)

[Fozziebear]

BuzzLightyear said:

So how do you go about cutting out refined sugars? Aren't they in just about everything sweet these days?

Cut out all the soda, chocolate, sweets, sweetners, processed meals, macdonalds, lattes, almost everything you buy and eat/microwave/oven cook without having to prepare individual ingrediants to make a meal. My rule is if it comes ready made in a box or packet it's not going in my belly, if I have to chuck fresh ingrediants into a pot to make a meal it's good. You just have to be smart and choose wisely, no need to starve yourself, just be sensible and just put some effort into looking after yourself. Then train like a warrior to burn the calories!

[BuzzLightyear]

Thanks for that Tiggsy and Fozziebear! Not sure that is something I can easily tackle just at the moment as well but I will bear that in mind for a longer term goal, to reduce those things you mention.

I have just got home and am feeling pretty damn hungry now - hope my dinner fills me up a bit

[rudecherub]

BuzzLightyear said:

So how do you go about cutting out refined sugars? Aren't they in just about everything sweet these days?

I've certainly gone down the cook only with fresh / unadulterated ingredients route, and it's rewarding.

Thing is it isn't always easy or practical, it's a lot like trying to properly Kosher in a gentile world.

What I think ADF offers, from what I've read, is that you can eat whatever you like on non fast days. I wouldn't go as far as to say eat only macdonalds and chocolate bars, because the fast days are repair days, doesn't mean self abuse with spoons of sugar and trans fats are on.

What I'm doing on eat days is sticking to lowish carb diet, meaning high protein high fat, but if I want an occasional pizza, or a curry n' trimmings at the weekend, then I do.
Plus the Red wine and 70/89% chocolate now and then.

[Halb]

BuzzLightyear said:

So how do you go about cutting out refined sugars? Aren't they in just about everything sweet these days?

As said above, eating fresh prepared is the best way. But there are alternatives. I look at ingredients.
I don't like cooking, Yorkshire Provender make soup without added sugar, you can buy no added sugar jams, peanut butter. There are goods out there that don't have it.

[Fozziebear]

Halb said:

BuzzLightyear said:

So how do you go about cutting out refined sugars? Aren't they in just about everything sweet these days?

As said above, eating fresh prepared is the best way. But there are alternatives. I look at ingredients.
I don't like cooking, Yorkshire Provender make soup without added sugar, you can buy no added sugar jams, peanut butter. There are goods out there that don't have it.

Just be carefull of the extras they chuck in. Sweetners, bulking agents, aspartame etc, even the anti rusting agents, same as alloy wheel cleaner

[Halb]

Fozziebear said:

Just be carefull of the extras they chuck in. Sweetners, bulking agents, aspartame etc, even the anti rusting agents, same as alloy wheel cleaner

I don't eat sweeteners, or other things of that nature.
A quick check of the ingredients should be enough, YP seems to be wholesome food. But after doing some reading companies like to hide certain products with bad names under alternative names. You need to trust the maker. There are a lot of good ones out there though. Bought some peanut butter this week, no added anything, apart from salt I think.

[a311]

Do those who are or have done the ADF train on the fast days? I'm about 4 weeks back into tight calorie counting and exercise monitoring and find that I'm absolutley shagged come Fridays. Currently trying to stick to 1900 cals per day through the week which although I've always thought seems low (6'4" ~17st) I try to stick to it anyhow. I can imagine I'd pass out if I tried to do my non-weekend 4 mile runs on 600 cals.

1900 cals is quite allot if you eat right and bugger all if you don't.

I'm going to try and see if the Horizon show is avaible online as although I'm not personally interested in trying it for myself it sounds an interesting watch.

[Hoofy]

http://youtu.be/Pfna7nV7WaM

Dunno about running on just 600 calories but I've worked no problem on a fast (in fact, I appeared more alert ). I've also pedaled a gym bike before breakfast with no problems either. The body figures it out. Like when we hunted mammoth. "Wait, Og, I haven't had my fried eggs, bacon and toast yet!"

But don't many early morning runners train before breakfast, anyway?

[BuzzLightyear]

A311, as I said earlier, today was my first day at 600calories which coincided with one of my gym visits. It wasn't deliberate and I think where possible, I will avoid combining the two (I generally go to the gym near my work as and when I have the time to fit it in but try to do a Mon or Tues and a Thurs or Fri).

I don't know if combining the two would have a faster or better effect butI have certainly felt hungry today and will have to make sure I don't compensate tomorrow by over-indulging!

[Fozziebear]

Once a month I don't eat from 2100hrs to 2100hrs the following day, I train on this day with no issues. I drink just water, no tea or coffee. I find it toughen me up and my body/mind enjoys the food when I start eating again. Your body can adapt to whatever you want it to, it's the mind that takes a bit of persuasion

[Tiggsy]

a311 said:

Do those who are or have done the ADF train on the fast days?

Yep - with no issue. In fact, I feel lots better.

I recently did a whole days basketball tourny - pretty much non stop HIIT from 9am to 5pm. VERY full on, far more energy sapping than anything I'd do in the gym or running. Had a VERY small bowl of porridge at 6am and a handfull of nuts during the day....litterally, a handfull. I felt great! Got home and ate a 2000 cal meal (all good food stuff). Was a great day for exercise, cal reduction, and felt good doing it. Very happy.

Unless you are well under 10% BF I'd expect most humans to be able to do a hard days work on stored fat levels. As said above, cavemen didnt have pancakes before a hunt.....I used to take my dogs running before breakfast, I'd do 5 miles - they probably covered at least twice that, came home and ate. This "I need to eat to do something" thing is very modern human!

[Carl_Spackler]

I've been doing this for 4 weeks now, 2/5, since watching the bbc documentary.

The first 2 weeks I got it wrong and did 2 days in a row, plus I didn't eat anything other than a bowl of porridge in the morning, crikey it was hard! and the whole your body goes into starvation mode and stores fat nonsense, is nonsense, I must have lost 1/2 a Stone in 2 days!!

So I'm now doing it correctly, fast on a Monday and a Wednesday, but I still try to fast a little more than 600 cals, I've a pretty sedentary job so feel 600 is a bit much for me.

I've not lost any weight, nor have i put any on, but I'm doing it for the health benefits, not to lose any weight so that suits me fine.

I now look forward to a Monday fast as it's quite cleansing, I feel that the crap I've been eating and drinking over the weekend is getting cleared out my system as I burn it off, taking my "tank" to empty. (PH analogy)

All in all I'm enjoying it.

[Hoofy]

Starvation mode would only kick in after a month of ultra low calorie dieting. Given that you're eating what ever the hell you want every other day, I can't see why starvation mode would ever make itself known apart from hearing it from those who think it kicks in after five minutes.