Eat, Fast and Live Longer (BBC Program)

mfpcopine

Here's a link to a BBC program on benefits of fasting and calorie restriction that recently was rebroadcast on PBS. It's been available on YouTube, but has not been viewable everywhere.

The journalist, Michael Mosley, has a medical degree and has been covering science issues for many years.

At the beginning, he discusses Calorie Restriction (CR);

at 23 minutes, turns to straight fasting for four days, consuming only 50 calories a day;

at 45 minutes, he evaluates Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), a time of Intermittent Fasting (IF).

Although he had success with all of the methods (he lost weight and key indicators improved), he ultimately decides to stay with a form of IF called "5:2," which involves eating normally five days a week while fasting (consuming no more 600 calories a day for men, 400 to 50 for women) on two days.

This is a great introduction for people with questions about fasting and calorie reduction.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2363162206

DatMurse

sounds like garbage.

i want to ask you something.

can you live the rest of your life like that?

mfpcopine

sounds like garbage.

i want to ask you something.

can you live the rest of your life like that?

It would be nice if you'd watched the video before commenting. Apparently, thousands of people all over the world are living like this. The program discusses a range of approaches and there are many more still about which one can read.

I did a form of IF for 30 days and got down to my lowest weight in some time. It's especially hard for me because I'm not overweight, I'm trying to lose some vanity pounds. I stopped Fast Five almost 30 days ago, and though my weight has gone and up and down a few pounds, I've maintained my weight loss. I and some other people are organizing a 4 week IF challenge in which I'm going to try another form.

It may be that some people won't have to do it full-time, but these approaches have been very successful and sustainable for many people.

ilovedeadlifts

sounds like garbage.

i want to ask you something.

can you live the rest of your life like that?

i agree here.


Do any of these people actually live active lives or compete in any sports?
I don't see me being able to do the things I love to do if I'm fasting all the time.............


eating the right amount of food and exercising works 100% of the time, and it's sustainable.

Defren

I live in the UK and saw the program when it was first broadcast. Micheal Mosely is a super man, and he reports things as they are. I tried the 5:2 fast, I did it for 6 weeks and I hated it. It did nothing for me weight or shape wise either. I then learned men have much better success than women, and that was my experience too.

DatMurse

sounds like garbage.

i want to ask you something.

can you live the rest of your life like that?

It would be nice if you'd watched the video before commenting. Apparently, thousands of people all over the world are living like this. The program discusses a range of approaches and there are many more still about which one can read.

I have known about this program way before pbs release it
due to social life I would never follow such a program

redheaddee

Ugh. Thanks but no thanks. This does NOT sound like a way I want to live my life.

VeinsAndBones

As a growing teen, I don't think this is particularly good for me Thanks for the info though

WaterBunnie

Here's a link to a BBC program on benefits of fasting and calorie restriction that recently was rebroadcast on PBS. It's been available on YouTube, but has not been viewable everywhere.

The journalist, Michael Mosley, has a medical degree and has been covering science issues for many years.

At the beginning, he discusses Calorie Restriction (CR);

at 23 minutes, turns to straight fasting for four days, consuming only 50 calories a day;

at 45 minutes, he evaluates Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), a time of Intermittent Fasting (IF).

Although he had success with all of the methods (he lost weight and key indicators improved), he ultimately decides to stay with a form of IF called "5:2," which involves eating normally five days a week while fasting (consuming no more 600 calories a day for men, 400 to 50 for women) on two days.

This is a great introduction for people with questions about fasting and calorie reduction.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2363162206

Are you sure it was 50 calories per day? I thought it was 500?

Lib_B

I am a woman and I have had luck doing an 16/8 fasting regimen (which seems to work better for women) or even at 14/10. It's helped in terms of my body fat percentage. It's not a calorie restrictive diet unless you want it to be. It works for me because I have an 'all or nothing' personality type. I know that from 9 PM until 1 PM I'm on 'fast' and I don't eat. Then from 1 PM until 9 PM, I eat my required calories for the day. I work, therefore the fasting workout is not an option for me, though I wish it was. It creates satiety where grazing never did that for me. I basically eat two meals a day and get all my macros that way. It works for me. Many body builders use it to get rid of that last bit of fat. I'm not advocating for severe calorie restriction, but whatever floats your boat. There is science backing up that CR diets lead to longevity. Again, not advocating, but I do think there may be something to it. Bottom line, I think every individual needs to do what works for them and there seems to be an abundant amount of research that supports MANY different programs.

Lib_B

Here's a link to a BBC program on benefits of fasting and calorie restriction that recently was rebroadcast on PBS. It's been available on YouTube, but has not been viewable everywhere.

The journalist, Michael Mosley, has a medical degree and has been covering science issues for many years.

At the beginning, he discusses Calorie Restriction (CR);

at 23 minutes, turns to straight fasting for four days, consuming only 50 calories a day;

at 45 minutes, he evaluates Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), a time of Intermittent Fasting (IF).

Although he had success with all of the methods (he lost weight and key indicators improved), he ultimately decides to stay with a form of IF called "5:2," which involves eating normally five days a week while fasting (consuming no more 600 calories a day for men, 400 to 50 for women) on two days.

This is a great introduction for people with questions about fasting and calorie reduction.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2363162206

Are you sure it was 50 calories per day? I thought it was 500?

I think it was typo

Iron_Feline

I've watched it - I tried it - I didn't even last one day.

I was starving all day - and couldn't stop thinking about food. Plus my job is far to active to be able to cope on 500 cals a day. It wouldn't fit into my life very well either.

It's just another way to lose weight - and I'm not convince all his results weren't just due to losing weight tbh.

EDIT: there are also no long term studies on this to back up all the claims yet.

Vailara

Thank you for the link. I saw the programme when it came out, and even bought the book (Michael Mosley went on to publish a diet book called "The Fast Diet").

I had a couple of tries at it and didn't get to grips with it. I didn't feel the benefits of fasting (you are supposed to feel more energetic), and felt hungrier on the non-fast days (you are supposed to feel less hungry and continue to eat slighlty under your TDEE - which actually doesn't make sense for maintenance now that I think of it).

It does seem to work for some people though, and the idea IS that it's easy to keep up for life. There are only two days a week of altered eating - the rest of the time, you don't really have to think about it. I can see why some people would find that easier to do compared to daily calorie counting.

cereal_eater

Other forum threads on the subject -

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/695846-alternate-day-fasting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/696356-horizon-eat-fast-and-live-longer
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/695882-horizon-bbc-programme-eat-fast-live-longer
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/695809-uk-programme-on-fasting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/694043-intermittent-fasting-bbc-programme-monday-6th-aug
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/694394-bbc-article-the-power-of-if
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/696021-eat-fast-and-live-longer

(edited to correct links )

Graelwyn75

As a growing teen, I don't think this is particularly good for me Thanks for the info though

As a growing teen male, I do not think wanting to be 125 Ibs at 5'10 is going to be particularly good for you either, lol.
Just saying.

AllonsYtotheTardis

sounds like garbage.

i want to ask you something.

can you live the rest of your life like that?

It would be nice if you'd watched the video before commenting. Apparently, thousands of people all over the world are living like this. The program discusses a range of approaches and there are many more still about which one can read.

I did a form of IF for 30 days and got down to my lowest weight in some time. It's especially hard for me because I'm not overweight, I'm trying to lose some vanity pounds. I stopped Fast Five almost 30 days ago, and though my weight has gone and up and down a few pounds, I've maintained my weight loss. I and some other people are organizing a 4 week IF challenge in which I'm going to try another form.

It may be that some people won't have to do it full-time, but these approaches have been very successful and sustainable for many people.

According to your ticker, you are already noticeably below 100 lbs. If you're still trying to lose additional vanity pounds, I'd say you have some issues you need to work through before spouting garbage like this documentary, trying to get everyone else to starve themselves. Just because other people do it, does not automatically make it a good idea.

caribougal

If you watch the documentary and follow the science, the benefits of doing regular intermittent fasts relate first and foremost to lowering your levels of IGF-1, a hormone involved in cell growth and thus aging and age-related diseases. Intermittent fasting may drastically lower IGF-1 levels and this is being investigated as ways of reducing incidence and progression of various cancers. It's a hot topic in prostate and breast cancer research. Experiments with mice show significant gains in healthy longevity and neurological health (delayed onset of dementia and Alzheimers). There is debate whether the benefits of fasting carry over from mice studies to humans. This is not about just losing weight or fat, which will of course help your metabolic markers. It's about playing with your circulating levels of growth hormone.

It is a viable alternative for some people to help eat at a calorie deficit. Some people prefer the freedom of eating at maintenance 5 days a week, and fasting only a couple of days a week. They can focus more on weekly calorie goals than daily goals, and that can be liberating.

Or, with a Leangains style of IF, you might regularly go 16 hrs fasting and eat in an 8 hour window. or 19/5, or 20/4, whatever works for you. For lots of people it's no big deal to skip breakfast and take a later lunch, and is more satisfying to have more calories to work with during the eating window.

It's not something you can try for one day. The first day you fast, you absolutely are hungry and very aware of the fact that you're not eating. It's definitely a mental challenge in the beginning. As the body adjusts, many people find it much easier to fast for those hours. And LOTS of people exercise just fine in a fasted state, or eat a small amount before exercising and then the rest of their calories after working out. Or, they don't work out on fasting days.

IF warnings:
- It's not recommended for children, pregnant women, or women trying to get pregnant, diabetics, or those on certain medications. Check with your doctor.
- Most studies about IF were done with men, not with women.
- If you have a tendency or history of an eating disorder, avoid IF. It can be triggering.

I just started 5:2 this month. I try to fast Mondays and Thursdays, so today is a fast day. I am skipping breakfast and lunch and will eat a healthy dinner under 500. Then I can eat closer to maintenance for a couple of days, and through the weekend. My weekly cal goal comes out pretty close to when I was eating at a daily deficit.

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. But I'm finding it an interesting thing to try. It's nice to change up the calorie deficit approach as I get closer to goal, and if it helps me to live longer in good physical and mental health... bonus.

JUDDDing

i want to ask you something.

can you live the rest of your life like that?

I think so.

I've been doing alternate day fasting since 1/1 and it's pretty automatic now. And I'm down 40 lbs - which I am happy about.

I understand your concern - it would suck to lose all of your weight then go on a free for all afterwards and gain it all back.

But after a few weeks, your body adjusts and fasts get really easy. I am only a sample size of one, but I have more energy and more clarity on fasting days.

It's had a HUGE impact on my type II diabetes and my blood sugar is now normal (A1C 5.6 as of last Monday).

And, surely it is only psychological, but this way of eating seems to have changed my way of looking at food - I think in a healthy way.

And socially, it's not as awkward as you might think to go out to dinner and not eat. Or if you want to eat on a fast day - there's not much guilt about "ruining your diet", since it's just one day - and you can just diet again tomorrow.

Plus, with only half the eating - you save money and time.

sijomial

sounds like garbage.

i want to ask you something.

can you live the rest of your life like that?

You should try reading the book!
And yes you can live with an intermittent fasting routine - tens of millions of people fast in various forms after all.

Always amusing that the people that condemn it haven't actually researched it.

PikaKnight

If you watch the documentary and follow the science, the benefits of doing regular intermittent fasts relate first and foremost to lowering your levels of IGF-1, a hormone involved in cell growth and thus aging and age-related diseases. Intermittent fasting may drastically lower IGF-1 levels and this is being investigated as ways of reducing incidence and progression of various cancers. It's a hot topic in prostate and breast cancer research. Experiments with mice show significant gains in healthy longevity and neurological health (delayed onset of dementia and Alzheimers). There is debate whether the benefits of fasting carry over from mice studies to humans. This is not about just losing weight or fat, which will of course help your metabolic markers. It's about playing with your circulating levels of growth hormone.

It is a viable alternative for some people to help eat at a calorie deficit. Some people prefer the freedom of eating at maintenance 5 days a week, and fasting only a couple of days a week. They can focus more on weekly calorie goals than daily goals, and that can be liberating.

Or, with a Leangains style of IF, you might regularly go 16 hrs fasting and eat in an 8 hour window. or 19/5, or 20/4, whatever works for you. For lots of people it's no big deal to skip breakfast and take a later lunch, and is more satisfying to have more calories to work with during the eating window.

It's not something you can try for one day. The first day you fast, you absolutely are hungry and very aware of the fact that you're not eating. It's definitely a mental challenge in the beginning. As the body adjusts, many people find it much easier to fast for those hours. And LOTS of people exercise just fine in a fasted state, or eat a small amount before exercising and then the rest of their calories after working out. Or, they don't work out on fasting days.

IF warnings:
- It's not recommended for children, pregnant women, or women trying to get pregnant, diabetics, or those on certain medications. Check with your doctor.
- Most studies about IF were done with men, not with women.
- If you have a tendency or history of an eating disorder, avoid IF. It can be triggering.

I just started 5:2 this month. I try to fast Mondays and Thursdays, so today is a fast day. I am skipping breakfast and lunch and will eat a healthy dinner under 500. Then I can eat closer to maintenance for a couple of days, and through the weekend. My weekly cal goal comes out pretty close to when I was eating at a daily deficit.

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. But I'm finding it an interesting thing to try. It's nice to change up the calorie deficit approach as I get closer to goal, and if it helps me to live longer in good physical and mental health... bonus.

Great post! And I'd like to add that if you have migraines - you might want to avoid IF as well. Not eating triggers my migraines and they can last 2-3 days.

caribougal

If you watch the documentary and follow the science, the benefits of doing regular intermittent fasts relate first and foremost to lowering your levels of IGF-1, a hormone involved in cell growth and thus aging and age-related diseases. Intermittent fasting may drastically lower IGF-1 levels and this is being investigated as ways of reducing incidence and progression of various cancers. It's a hot topic in prostate and breast cancer research. Experiments with mice show significant gains in healthy longevity and neurological health (delayed onset of dementia and Alzheimers). There is debate whether the benefits of fasting carry over from mice studies to humans. This is not about just losing weight or fat, which will of course help your metabolic markers. It's about playing with your circulating levels of growth hormone.

It is a viable alternative for some people to help eat at a calorie deficit. Some people prefer the freedom of eating at maintenance 5 days a week, and fasting only a couple of days a week. They can focus more on weekly calorie goals than daily goals, and that can be liberating.

Or, with a Leangains style of IF, you might regularly go 16 hrs fasting and eat in an 8 hour window. or 19/5, or 20/4, whatever works for you. For lots of people it's no big deal to skip breakfast and take a later lunch, and is more satisfying to have more calories to work with during the eating window.

It's not something you can try for one day. The first day you fast, you absolutely are hungry and very aware of the fact that you're not eating. It's definitely a mental challenge in the beginning. As the body adjusts, many people find it much easier to fast for those hours. And LOTS of people exercise just fine in a fasted state, or eat a small amount before exercising and then the rest of their calories after working out. Or, they don't work out on fasting days.

IF warnings:
- It's not recommended for children, pregnant women, or women trying to get pregnant, diabetics, or those on certain medications. Check with your doctor.
- Most studies about IF were done with men, not with women.
- If you have a tendency or history of an eating disorder, avoid IF. It can be triggering.

I just started 5:2 this month. I try to fast Mondays and Thursdays, so today is a fast day. I am skipping breakfast and lunch and will eat a healthy dinner under 500. Then I can eat closer to maintenance for a couple of days, and through the weekend. My weekly cal goal comes out pretty close to when I was eating at a daily deficit.

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. But I'm finding it an interesting thing to try. It's nice to change up the calorie deficit approach as I get closer to goal, and if it helps me to live longer in good physical and mental health... bonus.

Great post! And I'd like to add that if you have migraines - you might want to avoid IF as well. Not eating triggers my migraines and they can last 2-3 days.

Ugh, migraines! My mom and sister suffer from them, and I feel like I dodged a bullet there. Interestingly, my mom hasn't has a single migraine since she retired!