Pocket Guide to Intermittent Fasting | The poor, misunderstood calorie

Pocket Guide to Intermittent Fasting | The poor, misunderstood calorie

Posted on June 4, 2013 | 21 Comments

 

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is all the rage these days, and there are a variety of different protocols out there, pioneered by people ranging from Ori Hofmekler (The Warrior Diet), Kate Harrison (The 5:2 Diet), Michael Mosley (The Fast Diet), Bert Herring (Fast-5), John Daugirdas (The QOD Diet), and Martin Berkhan (LeanGains), all the way to Jack Kruse (Epi-paleo Rx).  

Chances are you’re probably unwittingly already doing one of them, at least intermittently.  

The theoretical benefits are seemingly endless (albeit via few human trials), beyond the scope of my brain.

• Non-IF: grazing; 6-8 meals per day.  Only significantly fasting duration occurs while asleep.

• Normal-ish?: 3 squares.  Two 5-hour fasts, then fasting while asleep. 

• Eat Stop Eat or The 5/2 Bikini Diet: Eat only a small dinner 2 days/wk (600 kcal), eat normally other 5 days.

• ADF: Alternate Day Fasting – 75% restriction on day 1; 25% surplus on day 2. 

• Leangains: Skip breakfast. 

• The Warrior Diet: Skip breakfast & lunch. (+1) 

• EOD: eat only Every Other Day.  36 hour fasts – from dinner on day 1 until breakfast on day 3.

Some of them have data (much of this was taken from my article over at BuiltLean), most of which only looks at feeding frequency, not diet per se (except Klempel).

Divide and conquer

ADF (75% restriction on day 1, 25% surplus on day 2) (Klempel et al., 2013)

They tested this with low fat and high fat versions (all food was provided and both diets worked, with a modest advantage of HF over LF):

Fat mass declined slightly more on HF, and muscle actually increased in both groups, slightly more on HF.  The changes in muscle mass are surprising, as there was no exercise intervention and protein was held at 15% in both groups (but varied between 19 & 94 grams/d).

Leangains – (Lefitsky and Paconowski, 2013) :/
 
The Warrior Diet (Stote et al., 2007)

Technically, this diet was designed “to reduce meal frequency without caloric restriction.”  Disadvantage: the participants were hungry (this wasn’t assessed in Klempel’s ADF study).  And even though they tried to maintain weight, they couldn’t.  Warrior dieters lost 1.7% of their body weight.  However, similar to ADF, body fat declined [markedly, by 11.8%] while muscle actually increased [modestly, by 1.6%].

EOD (Heilbronn et al., 2005)

LOL body weight if you only eat every other day:


By the end of the study, they lost 2.5% body weight and 4% body fat.  Thus, fat comprised 57% of the weight lost (body fat declined slightly from 23.7 to 23.0%).  It seems difficult to completely make-up for an entire days calories on the subsequent “feasting” days – the participants were encouraged to eat as much of whatever they wanted until they were satisfied and still couldn’t maintain weight.  And resting metabolic rate declined by about 100 kcal/d which, as Anna pointed out here, might bode well for longevity.

Under weight stable conditions, EOD doesn’t seem to affect body composition but still hampers energy expenditure (-59 kcal/d in this study Soeters et al., 2009).

ADF vs. The Warrior Diet vs. EOD

ADF: inferior to The Warrior Diet and seems like it would require tedious “calorie counting” (I’d feel like a sucker doing it).

The Warrior Diet (one big meal per day): unwitting weight loss, and improved overall body composition.  +1.

EOD: weight loss, but lose a lot of muscle too.  Not good in terms of body composition, but the reduced metabolic rate may be beneficial in the long run (?).

BTW wrt The Warrior Diet… 2500 kcal is a lot of food to consume in a 4 hour window:

• 9 large potatoes (3.3 kg, 7.3 lbs), or
• 3 sticks of butter (25 tbsp, 356 grams, 12.5 oz), or
• 2 bars of Scharffen Berger’s 99% Cacao (491 grams, 17.5 oz.)

calories proper

Study: Fasting stimulates HGH, good for heart and overall health

Study: Fasting stimulates HGH, good for heart and overall health

By Kathleen Blanchard RN G+ April 4, 2011 - 1:26pm for eMaxHealth

 

 

Periodic fasting protects lean muscle mass, lowers cholesterol and stimulates HGH

In findings that build on previous studies, researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute say fasting at regular intervals promotes heart health and lowers the chances of developing diabetes and coronary artery disease. The researchers say fasting also stimulates levels of HGH, or human growth hormone, that can protect lean muscle mass.

Fasting stimulates HGH

Human growth hormone is a protein that the scientists say is stimulated during fasting. In their study, the hormone increased an average of 1,300 percent in women, and nearly 2,000 percent in men. HGH is important for maintaining muscle mass, immune function, breaking down fat in the body, maintaining strong bones and for glucose regulation.

Fasting lowers chance of common diseases

The researchers say the new findings support past studies. Dr. Benjamin D. Horne, PhD, MPH, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and the study's principal investigator says fasting could lower the chances of developing common diseases.

"The confirmation among a new set of patients that fasting is associated with lower risk of these common diseases raises new questions about how fasting itself reduces risk or if it simply indicates a healthy lifestyle."

Dr. Horne explains fasting produces hunger that releases cholesterol, allowing the body to use fat as fuel. The result of fewer fat cells is reduced risk of diabetes from insulin resistance. The findings were presented at the 2011 annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans.

Fasting studies

For the 2011 study 30 patients were followed who drank only water and ate nothing for 24 hours The researchers enrolled 200 individuals for two separate trials who were patients and healthy volunteers and recruited at the Intermountain Medical Center. The researchers compared results of lab work and physical exams during fasting and periods of eating.

The first studies were conducted in 2007 by the team and included 4500 individuals. The finding suggested a 39 percent lower chance of coronary artery disease and was conducted among Mormons who routinely fast. The new trials add evidence that fasting is healthy and could lower the chances of heart disease and diabetes.

In the 2011 studies, the researchers found study participants who fasted for 24 hours and drank only water had elevated levels of HGH, a 14 percent increase in "good" HDL cholesterol and a 6 percent increase in "bad" LDL cholesterol that the scientists say reduces fat cells, lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

The researchers note more studies are needed to understand the effects on the body before making any specific recommendations. Dr. Horne suggests fasting may one day be prescribed as a prevention treatment for coronary artery disease and diabetes. It's important to speak with your physician before engaging in a fasting program. Some people with low blood pressure, on certain medications and with certain medical conditions may not be able to abstain from eating for 24 hours.

Intermittent Fasting - 2000% Boost in HGH (More Muscle & Less F...

Published on 31 Jan 2013

read the study here http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/study-...

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­user=RespectTheVessel

Low Carb Cory makes use of performance-enhancing substances. Yes, it's true. How else do you think he's able to get so ripped in so short a period of time, while maintaining (and gaining) both strength and muscle? Does he use steroids? Does he use a testosterone booster? Does he use the stuff that Lance Armstrong used? No... The Low Carb Legend has something even better: It's the HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE (HGH) produced by his own body! And guess what? Every time the Legend fasts for over 18-24 hours, he produces about 2000% more of it than you, if you're not fasting along with him. Sound like science fiction? More like science FACT, as this number is backed by a number of scientific studies. Read more about the effects of fasting on HGH at one of our hero's favorite

Lose Weight with Intermittent Fasting and High-Intensity Interval...

Published on 29 Apr 2013

http://www.DrMikeLara.com Intermittent fasting is a nutritional strategy that combines periods (hours) of fasting with non-fasting. High-Intensity Interval Training is an exercise strategy that combines very brief periods (seconds) of high-intensity exercise (e.g., sprinting, weight lifting) with short rest interval. Together, intermittent fasting and high-intensity interval exercise promote improvements in health that include: reduction of visceral body fat, improvements in lean muscle mass, improvements in good HDL cholesterol, improvements in glucose metabolism, increases in insulin sensitivity, reduction of high blood pressure, and reduction of inflammatory markers (cytokines). 

In this video, Michael Lara, MD, a board-certified physician, medical researcher, and recreational athlete (open-water swimming, trail-running, crossfit, weight lifting) discusses the benefits of intermittent fasting, high-intensity interval training and how combining the two can lead to reductions in risk for the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dementia, and even cancer. 

Dr. Lara also discusses his new book, "Pumped: How To Harness The Power of Intermittent Fasting and High-Intensity Interval Training To Maximize Fat Loss", which is available at Dr. Lara's website: www.drmikelara.com

Eat Stop Eat | The Fasting Diet | Intermittent Fasting | Brad Pilon

Eat Stop Eat | The Fasting Diet | Intermittent Fasting | Brad Pilon

Eat Stop Eat is the ultimate carb cycling diet. It's also the ultimate protein cycling, calorie cycling, fat cycling, sodium cycling diet you will ever try. 

Here are some of the great benefits that Eat Stop Eat can offer you:

You don’t have to worry about food all day. Eating every three hours, cycling your protein and your carbs, measuring your glycemic index, I don’t think any of these things are needed for solid long lasting weight loss. With Eat Stop Eat you can forget about all of these obsessive compulsive eating habits.

Your metabolism will not slow down and you will not go into “starvation mode”. With Eat Stop Eat you will clearly see the research behind why short periods of fasting will NEVER cause you to go into starvation mode. Your metabolism will stay just as high as it ever was (In fact, some research suggests it may even go higher!)

Your Testosterone levels will not plummet. Short period of fasting for weight loss will not cause your testosterone levels to plummet, in fact, they are typically HIGHEST when you are fasting (unless you are a mouse). Truthfully, losing excess weight could be one of the best things any man or woman could do maintain healthy levels of testosterone

You will not get light-headed and cranky! In actuality its a myth that not eating causes you to become cranky or light headed. From my experience it is actually a mental 'addiction' addiction to eating that makes most people get cranky when they don't eat. Eat Stop Eat can help you to break the 'food addiction' that causes this reaction.

You don’t have to avoid going to restaurants with your friends. Eat Stop Eat is flexible. Spending months hiding from your friends because you are on a restrictive diet is a thing of the past. Now you can enjoy the freedom to live normally (and still lose weight) with Eat Stop Eat.

You will save money. Eat Stop Eat won’t ask you to start drinking goat milk or rice milk or any other expensive food that you really don’t like. With Eat Stop Eat you will learn why you don’t have to spend any extra money on “special foods”.

You will boost your body fat burning hormones. With Eat Stop Eat you will reap the benefits of naturally increasing the exact same hormones that celebrities are paying thousands of dollars for in an attempt to stay lean, muscular and young looking.

You will not have to take any weird supplements or eat special foods. Let’s face it. A good nutrition program should not ever have to rely on supplements to help you lose weight.

You will still have great workouts. Think not eating for a couple hours is going to ruin your workout? Think again. You can still have amazing body fat burning and muscle building workouts while following Eat Stop Eat.

You will not lose ANY of your hard earned muscle. Eat Stop Eat will show you the scientific facts behind why a lot of what you are told about dieting and muscle loss is nothing more than diet industry scare tactics.

You will lose weight, and this weight will be all body fat. With the Eat Stop Eat program, weight loss is steady and consistent, and the weight you will lose will be body fat.

You don’t have to avoid carbs, or fats. Forget about eating canned tuna and low fat cottage cheese for days on end, and Eat Stop Eat was designed to work in the real world, so that people can eat real foods.

You don’t have to eat mega-doses of protein every day. Do you think you need to eat 50 grams of protein every 2-3 hours so you can gain muscle mass. Think again. With Eat Stop Eat you’ll learn the real truth behind muscle mass and dieting. Goodbye expensive gross protein shakes.

You will not have to take any weird cleansing products or laxatives. Eat Stop Eat is an advanced fasting diet that is based on real world science. There are no weird potions or laxatives involved.

You can follow the diet you like best. With Eat Stop Eat you can follow any style of eating you like, after all, Eat Stop Eat doesn’t tell you what you can and can’t eat, that’s all up to you.

You will be productive. With Eat Stop Eat, you won’t go into a super low productive funk like what happens with some traditional diets. In fact, many people have told me that they are their absolute most productive on their fasting days!

You will have energy. With Eat Stop Eat you will not feel tired, cranky or lethargic. In fact, I'm guessing you will feel energized and alert

  I've managed to put on muscle while losing fat at the same time with Eat Stop Eat, and I have the DEXA tests to prove it!

The pictures above are of me. The first one was taken more than 6 years ago. It was after 5 months of dieting for my first bodybuilding show. I planned my meals, ate well over 200 grams of protein per day, did cardio in the morning, weights at lunch, then cardio again at night. I thought this was 'as good as it gets'. I believed that hard work, dedication, sacrifice and suffering were the ingredients needed to have the body I wanted. 

The second picture was taken three years later, after three years of following the Eat Stop Eat Diet Plan. No more suffering and sacrifice.

The third picture is 6 years later (March of 2012). In the last 6 years I've realized that Eat Stop Eat is all I need to stay lean. No more obsessive compulsive dieting, no more mega-dosing protein and no more planned cardio.

As you can see, my background is pretty unique. How many other people are there in the world, who have worked in research and development for the weight loss supplement industry for almost a decade, left that industry to study the metabolic effects of short periods of fasting, and who are avid weight trainers, and then decided to share this information in the form of a book?

I may very well be the only person in the world with this type of experience, and it is this experience that makes Eat Stop Eat so unique, and so unlike any other nutrition book in existence.

Eat Stop Eat is not about eating certain amounts of food in certain food groups, nor does it push any special ‘rules’ on you about what you can and can’t eat.

What it does do is show you the simplest, easiest way to lose weight, along with all of the science facts that support it.

This is strategic weight loss at it's finest - All of the hormone-manipulating, calorie-cycling, weight-loss-causing techniques you could imagine, rolled into one simple to follow, easy-to-start diet plan.
 

Eat Stop Eat PDF - Review and Download

Eat Stop Eat PDF Download Free - You Won't Believe The Results

Isabella+ • February 26, 2013 • 6 Comments

The Eat Stop Eat PDF Download is based on the concept of intermittent fasting, its written by Brad Pilon. Which supports everything referenced in the Eat Stop Eat PDF with scientific evidence by explaining intermittent fasting and it is benefits.  

Typical diet advice is usually to consume six small meals each day, don’t skip breakfast and eat simply a certain amount of calories.  This type of fasting is the practice of completing a couple of 24 hour fasts during weekly, consisting only of water, and after that eating sensibly the rest from the week.  It is very accommodating and helps your overall nutrition plan.  

Some things were simpler than I was expecting, and some were shockingly troublesome.

This is a Eat Stop Eat PDF Review – Visit The Official Site Here

Who is Brad Pilon?

Brad Pilon recently worked at on of the top supplement companies in the world as a ‘Research & Development Manager’. He would travel all over the world to meet with the industries leading researchers of weight loss and muscle building. Brad Pilon takes his years of expertise to debunk all the garage the food and supplement companies tell you. He’s an expert when it comes to intermittent fasting when its related to weight loss and gaining lean muscle. He goal has always been to share the truth about the weight-loss and supplement industry, and to help people lose weight and gain muscle. You can read more about Brad Pilon over at the – Brad Pilon Blog.

What is Eat Stop Eat PDF?

The Eat Stop Eat PDF is a compilation of research studies related to the health, weight-loss, and muscle gaining benefits of intermittent fasting. Its a very short but thuro read, its a must read for anyone that is considering fasting for weight loss, or looking for that “magic pill”. Because, intermittent fasting is as close to a magic pill as your going to get. Brad Pilon mentions the different ways we are brainwashed by marketing from the supplement and food industry.

What are The Eat Stop Eat Benefits?

• Insulin levels decrease & insulin sensitivity increases


• Blood glucose levels will decrease


• Increased lipolysis and fat burning


• Weight loss and fat loss increases


• Chronic inflammation decreases


• Increase growth hormone production


• Helps prevent cancer


• Detoxifies the body of toxins and impurities


• Better mental clarity

Check out these other health benefits of fasting , and there are even more benefits of fating discussing in the Eat Stop Eat PDF…

Does Eat Stop Eat Work?

 

Yes, it does. It works be decreasing you overall caloric intake for the week by up to 25%. How does it do this? By using the intermittent fasting techniques suggested by Brad Pilon. Everything suggests you follow in the Eat Stop Eat PDF is backed 100% by scientific references to the suggested studies Brad is talking about.

The Eat Stop Eat PDF does not provide diets to lose weight, it actually promotes a health lifestyle unlike most of the popular guaranteed weight loss books on the market. Eat Stop Eat does on the other hand promotes “healthy weight loss”. Providing you with a simple to follow intermittent fasting “diet” that will have you losing weight effortlessly. I personally believe that if you choose to follow the intermittent fasting diet outlined by Brad Pilon, you will find that its the best way to lose weight. While I’m actually writing this review while I’m 13 hours into my fast.

Eat Stop Eat is definitely the easiest and most effective weight-loss plan I’ve even been on. You won’t have to eliminate the food you love, the Eat Stop Eat PDF suggests that when you’re on an intermittent fasting program that you’ll be able to burn fat during your fasted days and maintain/loss fat on your feed days (this of course depends on your daily calorie consumption).

The first couple times I did intermittent fasting I found it quite difficult to not give into the cravings that would always creep up on me around the 12-14 hour mark. But none-the-less after 3-4 fasting days you’ll be able to power through the “hunger pains”. I also find I have so much more energy and I don’t need to take mid-day naps.

The Good

• Very short but very descriptive (takes less the 2 hours to complete)


• Professionally written and based off research and not theory


• Doesn’t try to persuade you this is the best fat loss method around, but gives you the scientific facts as to why it works and is effective


• Advocates a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise rather then putting you on a fad diet


• Compared to other diets I’ve been on, the Eat Stop Eat program aims for flexibility


• Teaches you everything you’ll ever need or what to know about how to fast successfully

The Bad

• Brad talks about his past about how he’s just an average guy, wasn’t needed. I was sold once I purchased the PDF


• Near the end Brad Pilon seemed to contradict himself from the earlier declarations made about metabolic results due to fasting


• Also near the end facts start to get a bit repetitive

Eat Stop Eat PDF Conclusion

The Eat Stop Eat PDF is a very good book explaining the different health benefits of fasting for fast loss and gaining lean muscle. I found eat stop eat to be much better than ‘The Miracle of Fasting’. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone I know that workouts out, eats healthy, and just overall wants a healthier lifestyle. I dont regret buying this book. It takes the minimalist approach to weight-loss and will require little effort if any from anyone who tries it.

Brad Pilons approach to the weight-loss industry is a fresh approach that I enjoyed, Brad Pilon focuses on explaining the scientific facts of fasting and not focusing on what you should and should not be eating. You’ll should be able to read the book in just over an hour, which will give you a few life changing tips to add to your weekly regime.

My Philosophy of Intermittent Fasting | Brad Pilon's 'Eat Blog Eat'

My Philosophy of Intermittent Fasting | Brad Pilon's 'Eat Blog Eat'

by Brad Pilon

In a day an age where science is EVERYTHING, we sometimes forget that philosophy is the ‘thinking of thinking’ and needs to play an important role when we discuss how we should eat. After all, we shouldn’t confuse data collection with wisdom. The more we simply absorb data without truly critically analyzing its meaning, the more we can potentially fall victim to many of the diet and nutrition scams that are so prevalent in today’s world.

We have an unbelievable amount of data, and thanks to our  love affair with the ‘sound bytes’ that come from science we have all but abolished philosophy as a discipline, save for the quotes that occasionally appear on a person’s Facebook update status.

But philosophy is of critical importance if we are to truly understand how and why we eat.
It’s been said that philosophy calls us when we’ve reached the end of our rope. The insistent feeling that something is not right with our lives and the longing to be restored to our better selves will not go away.

I’d be willing to guess that ‘end of our rope’ ‘somethings not right’ and ‘restored to our better selves’ would accurately describe how many feel about nutrition and deciding what to eat.

We become philosophers to discover what is really true and what is merely the accidental result of flawed reasoning, recklessly acquired erroneous judgments, and the well-intentioned but misguided teachings of experts and gurus.  In this sense, philosophy and the scientific collection of data aren’t really opposites but rather necessary components of the whole ‘picture’.

No mater what nutritional beliefs you hold true, you will probably agree when I say that we simply cannot eat everything that is available to us on any given day. food is simply too abundant, too available and too cheap for us to live in a constant state of eating at raw impulse. Unless you are impoverished, the fact is there is more than enough food available to you – emphasis on more than enough. If you were to eat on impulse you would quickly become obese. We don’t need any more data collection to support this concept, but we do need to investigate what stops us from eating in this manner. Why we don’t all become obese by our tenth birthday.

In order to not gain an unbelievable amount of weight during our lives we must practice some form of restraint. In other words we ask ourselves, either consciously or subconsciously, “What is the right thing to do now – Eat, or not eat?”

The balance and proper use of this question is largely what determines whether or not we eat enough to gain weight.

This is the basic most fundamental philosophy behind intermittent fasting. If you consider Intermittent Fasting to be the ability to practice patience when it comes to the act of eating -  a conscious polite restraint when it comes to food intake, then the philosophy is simply - we do not have to eat all the time, therefore we are free to choose when we eat.

Intermittent fasting also involves minimizing the importance you place on large grandiose nutritional choices, instead, allowing you to concentrate on the small but significant inner food choice we make multiple times though out the course of any single day – should you eat or not eat?

In much of the world, how, what, and when we eat is a matter of habits. Habits that are learned, then reinforced over and over on a day-to-day basis. And while it is difficult, the truth is it IS possible to break old habits and it IS possible to create new ones.

You can think yourself lean and muscular. However, this is no easy task.

The first step is to separate yourself from the mob and decide to be extraordinary. As ridiculous as it sounds, simply accepting the concept that we do not have to eat all the time and therefore we are free to choose when we eat, is enough to already separate you from the way the majority of the population thinks about food.

Start with this fundamental belief then add in some concept of physical work, remembering that tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Your physical work doesn’t have to be complicated but it does have to involve a high degree of effort.

Finally, be careful of slipping back into old habits. Once we fall, however slightly to im-moderation, momentum gathers and we fall right back into our old habits. This is one of the areas where Intermittent fasting can be extremely helpful. A break from eating can serve as a ‘reset’ when bad habits begin to creep back into our lives.  It’s a way to practice patience and to reinforce the understanding that it’s OK to wait to eat. You can wait for something better, or a better time, or a better person to eat with. You simply do not have to eat all the time.

My belief is that you can be a lean, muscular, healthy person without being obsessive about your food choices. You can accomplish this by being the type of person who realizes that since we do not have to eat all the time and we are free to choose when we eat, and by understanding the importance of physical training in this process.

That is my philosophy of Intermitent Fasting, and it’s the basis of Eat Stop Eat