24Hr Fast

neil4ad
neil4ad Posts: 42 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been seeing quite a bit of contradictory information online about the benefits/drawbacks of a 24 hour fast, yet I can't find anything written by someone who seems like a qualified medical professional on the subject. On the one hand, some claim that fasting (ceasing to eat at 9pm and then not eating again until 9pm the next day) while drinking lots of water has a cleansing effect that also spurs the release of Human Growth Hormone. Others claim that fasting in this manner breaks down muscle mass in a way that is counter-productive for anyone engaged in strength training (as I am).

Does anyone have any thoughts?

thanks

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    there is an eat stop eat group on here that you could join ..

    I used to do intermittent fast (IF) lean gains 18/6 where I would fast for 18 hours with a six hour eating window. I did that for about six months, but after a while I just felt like I was spending all night eating and getting dinner ready. So I switched back to about four meals a day...

    I did have success with IF/Lean gains and liked it...so you should read up on Lean gains or eat stop eat..

    www.leangains.come for more info on the 18/6 16/8 program...
  • retiree2006
    retiree2006 Posts: 951 Member
    Personally I'm not into anything other than the old tried and true...eat less (and/or healthier) and move more. I figure why do anything, like fasting, when I don't see any real benefit to it. But some feel it helps them, fine. 24 hours won't hurt you, unless you have a medical condition that would advise against it, but I just don't see it as making a big difference. I'd probably be so hungry that I'd overeat and undo any "good" after the 24 hours were done!
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I've been seeing quite a bit of contradictory information online about the benefits/drawbacks of a 24 hour fast, yet I can't find anything written by someone who seems like a qualified medical professional on the subject. On the one hand, some claim that fasting (ceasing to eat at 9pm and then not eating again until 9pm the next day) while drinking lots of water has a cleansing effect that also spurs the release of Human Growth Hormone. Others claim that fasting in this manner breaks down muscle mass in a way that is counter-productive for anyone engaged in strength training (as I am).

    Does anyone have any thoughts?

    thanks

    www.leangains.com

    He fasts a bit differently than a 24hr fast, but I can promise you he's not breaking down lean mass.

    eat-stop-eat-free-download.jpg

    The above gentleman is Brad Pilon. He's the author of 'Eat-STOP-Eat', which is a book detailing the benefits of 24hr fasting 1-3x a week. I don't think he's suffering any loss of lean mass either.

    http://bradpilon.com/meet-brad/

    I also perform intermittent fasting myself, although I use a mix of the two protocols. On non workout weekdays, I perform a 24hr fast, but get my full calories in -20%. On workout days (Mon/Wed/Fri), I utilize more of a leangains format, and eat my full calories plus 20%.
  • neil4ad
    neil4ad Posts: 42 Member
    This is all really helpful: Ndj and Cris, the leangains site is pretty convincing, and retiree, I concur that one can't just use fasting (if one does it) to just eat junk!

    If anyone else has more stories/experience to share, it would be welcome.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    If anyone else has more stories/experience to share, it would be welcome.

    My own results. 90 days of low rep bodyweight strength training, Eat-STOP-Eat, and a slight average caloric deficit for the week. The result was 40lbs of scale weight loss, and 8" off my waist total.

    2012-10-23063957-1.jpg
  • neil4ad
    neil4ad Posts: 42 Member
    That's super impressive Cris -- and inspirational to see others do it.
  • Garlicmash
    Garlicmash Posts: 208
    I use to do 24 and 48hr fasting to raise money and didn't have any trouble doing it at all but i did drink fruit juice while doing it which would of helped.
    but as for what it does to the body during that short time I'm not sure apart from loosing a lb or a few once from it. some say it cleans the body a bit.
    does anyone really know .
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    This is all really helpful: Ndj and Cris, the leangains site is pretty convincing, and retiree, I concur that one can't just use fasting (if one does it) to just eat junk!

    If anyone else has more stories/experience to share, it would be welcome.
    I do 20/4 IF so I fast 20 hours a day and eat during a 4 hour window right after I workout.

    This picture is before I started doing anything as far as lifting/dieting/etc.
    13a28574375f1fb526634987eff2ad73_zps9f235687.jpg

    This pictured is after I started dieting and doing cardio but before I started lifting or IF'ing.
    224aaf266778113e65a6549a4b7ee688_zps6b81e976.jpg

    This picture is while diet+lifting+IF'ing
    8659585a20d9f936180f7501345c5dff_zps10dfa601.jpg

    Edit: fixed pictures
  • neil4ad
    neil4ad Posts: 42 Member
    One more question (if anyone is still reading this): On days that I don't fast, I find that I tend to stay at or just above (within 200 cals or so) of what MFP calculates I need to eat in order to lose .5lbs/week. But on the days that I fast, I fall far below my calorie requirements for the day. Though 6 days of the week I am above, my weekly total is about 600-700 less that what I should be eating. Am I correct that this is a bad thing, and that I should try to stick to daily limits (and bring my fasting day total up closer to minimum required calories)?

    And thanks for posting all the info, everyone.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    One more question (if anyone is still reading this): On days that I don't fast, I find that I tend to stay at or just above (within 200 cals or so) of what MFP calculates I need to eat in order to lose .5lbs/week. But on the days that I fast, I fall far below my calorie requirements for the day. Though 6 days of the week I am above, my weekly total is about 600-700 less that what I should be eating. Am I correct that this is a bad thing, and that I should try to stick to daily limits (and bring my fasting day total up closer to minimum required calories)?

    And thanks for posting all the info, everyone.
    If you're set for .5lb/week (250 daily deficit) and you eat up to 200 calories above it (nearly maintenance) you'll be fine. Just keep doing what you're doing.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    That's super impressive Cris -- and inspirational to see others do it.

    Thank you! If you look at the bottom left picture (front facing) you can see the tie on my PJ pants is very loose. 90 days prior to that picture...it wasn't. That day was the last day I tied them, and they haven't been untied since.

    @justsomerandomgirl...

    WELL DONE!!
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    One more question (if anyone is still reading this): On days that I don't fast, I find that I tend to stay at or just above (within 200 cals or so) of what MFP calculates I need to eat in order to lose .5lbs/week. But on the days that I fast, I fall far below my calorie requirements for the day. Though 6 days of the week I am above, my weekly total is about 600-700 less that what I should be eating. Am I correct that this is a bad thing, and that I should try to stick to daily limits (and bring my fasting day total up closer to minimum required calories)?

    And thanks for posting all the info, everyone.

    The first question is, how much are you actually losing a week? If the answer is 1lb or less, I'd say leave things alone. The number on MFP is a guess based on input which may or may not be accurate (usually the activity level input is the culprit for inaccuracy). If your losses are within a reasonable range, it may be that MFP has guessed high. If they are too great, then increase your calories (whether on fast days, or feed days doesn't matter). It's the results that count here, and the results which should be used as your guide :).
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    That's super impressive Cris -- and inspirational to see others do it.

    Thank you! If you look at the bottom left picture (front facing) you can see the tie on my PJ pants is very loose. 90 days prior to that picture...it wasn't. That day was the last day I tied them, and they haven't been untied since.

    @justsomerandomgirl...

    WELL DONE!!
    Thanks :) you too
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    NOT A GOOD IDEA
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    NOT A GOOD IDEA
    Explain pls
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    If anyone else has more stories/experience to share, it would be welcome.

    My own results. 90 days of low rep bodyweight strength training, Eat-STOP-Eat, and a slight average caloric deficit for the week. The result was 40lbs of scale weight loss, and 8" off my waist total.

    2012-10-23063957-1.jpg

    Ummmmmmm...nice results!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    There's a lot of people doing 5:2 fasting (especially in the UK). There are a couple of groups on MFP.

    Very similar to the Eat-Stop-Eat method but designed to be easier to conform to as you are allowed 500 calories (for women) or 600 (for men) on two non-consecutive fasting days a week.

    The recommendation for this method is to eat at maintenance on your five normal eating days. As I'm now maintaining my weight I'm eating a calorie surplus on my five normal days.

    Here's the website if you want to read up on it - http://thefastdiet.co.uk/
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    NOT A GOOD IDEA

    Explain pls

    I don't think she'll bother. I find that most people that oppose short term fasting are ill informed to begin with, and often the type to base sweeping opinions on very little information.

    These people also rarely take the time to defend their commentary.
    There's a lot of people doing 5:2 fasting (especially in the UK). There are a couple of groups on MFP.

    Very similar to the Eat-Stop-Eat method but designed to be easier to conform to as you are allowed 500 calories (for women) or 600 (for men) on two non-consecutive fasting days a week.

    The recommendation for this method is to eat at maintenance on your five normal eating days. As I'm now maintaining my weight I'm eating a calorie surplus on my five normal days.

    Here's the website if you want to read up on it - http://thefastdiet.co.uk/

    Just out of curiosity, how is this easier to conform to than Eat-STOP-Eat, which allows you a normal sized dinner on your fasting days (which can be anything from 300cal to 1200cal, depending on what a 'normal' dinner is for you)? It seems to me that only allowing 500-600cal for everyone across the board would be more difficult for some to conform to. I for example, regularly have a 1200-1500cal dinner. With the ESE method, this still gives me 1800-1500cal for a deficit 2x a week.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    NOT A GOOD IDEA
    Explain pls

    Pretty sure she's a troll. If you go back and read the majoirty of her responses/posts.... you'll see what I mean.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    NOT A GOOD IDEA
    Explain pls

    Pretty sure she's a troll. If you go back and read the majoirty of her responses/posts.... you'll see what I mean.
    The sad thing is that I don't think she is :ohwell: I think this is real life for her.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    NOT A GOOD IDEA
    Explain pls

    Pretty sure she's a troll. If you go back and read the majoirty of her responses/posts.... you'll see what I mean.
    The sad thing is that I don't think she is :ohwell: I think this is real life for her.

    Probably. I'd just be happy if she gave us an opportunity to enlighten her.

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