Discussion about autophagy to avoid loose skin

Autophagy was really only recognized a few years ago and a lot about it is still unknown. They Scottish guy who water fasted for 382 days and went from something like 460 to 180 pounds did have his skin "shrink" back which is indeed unusual and I would suspect it was a combination of the effects of autophagy and that he was pretty young as I recall so his skin would have had more elasticity.

I look forward to seeing more research on autophagy as the years go on, not simply from a cosmetic standpoint but from an internal effects standpoint as well.

MsBaz2018 wrote: »

lowcarbmale wrote: »

One claim in the video by Dr. Bosworth is "The difference between someone who has lost 100lbs on a low calorie diet vs. someone who has 100 lbs while igniting their autophagy is a skin curtain" (she is talking about flabby skin in the arms or in the ambdomen)

Can people on here who have lost significant amounts of weight while doing strict intermittent fasting (16/8 or longer) over a long period of time confirm that there is something to this (less loose skin)?

But... How would they know if they have less skin? Less than something they didn't do?

I am quite curious to read the answers to your question though

And that is a problem and I certainly see where you are coming from since it isn't like you can choose to only have autophagy work on ONE of what my wife calls her "bat wings" (the sagging bicep skin) or only on your abdominal skin but not your inner thighs.

As far as doing it with IF, especially with smaller daily restrictions like 16:8 or even 20:4, is that you aren't maximizing time in a state where autophagy is happening for a long enough period of time. From what I have heard and read about it in general, I am feeling like the biggest benefits may come during periods of extended fasting.

Getting back to the first part though, as I said, it can be hard to quantify since you can't really test different areas the same. Even if you were to do trials on twins in similar states with controlled diets and eating windows, individual differences could make it tough to assess. Having lost 114 pounds since March through LCHP that then added in 20:4 IF and now doing Keto and IF instead of the LCHP, I can tell you that my "bat wings" compared to my wife's (who has lost 50 pounds in that time and over 100 overall) are much more not nearly as dramatic as hers (or my mother's for that matter) but is that because of the 20 hour fasting window everyday..... or is it because I am a male and they are females..... or is it because they are 7 and 20 years older than me respectively?

It will also be interesting to see if, in the long run, if there might be a difference in gains in skin reduction based on how fast the weight loss was for the persons comparatively. Might there be differences for the person who is 400 pounds and loses 200 pounds in a year compared with losing that same amount over 2 or 3 years. Might the person who lost it faster, doing OMAD and extended fasting, be at a greater autophagial disadvantage with regards to sagging skin than the one who lost the weight slower by doing 16:8 and no extended fasting.

Time will tell.

Genetics and age are both huge factors in skin shrinkage after weight loss . . . and the shrinkage at goal isn't the long-term result (my loose skin kept shrinking well into year 2 of maintenance, even at age 60-61). No one's N = 1 result is really going to tell you much, in this context.

lowcarbmale wrote: »

Maybe somebody can share his or her experience with skin shrinkage or if they experienced any difference in speed of skin shrinkage when starting IF or prolonged fasting periods (like water fasting etc.)

I still don't understand how we jumped from yeast/mice/alzheimer diseases to the deductions that 1)autophagy "eats" loose skin 2) fasting induces autophagy in humans.

Having said that, your point about "speed of skin shrinkage" is a good one. I have 100 lbs total to lose. If I have loose skin and autophagy/IF/loose skin is still a debate in one year I'll try it on myself

I've eaten 16/8 or even smaller windows for years.

I've lost 90 pounds and kept it off going into my 4th year now.

I have ridiculous amounts of loose skin.

It should be noted the exercise also promotes autophagy, and I've exercised all through my weight loss.

I think, when trying to attribute different results concerning loose skin to various protocols meant to ameliorate it, the simplest explanation is the most likely -- age and genetics.

jemhh wrote: »

AnvilHead wrote: »

MsBaz2018 wrote: »

lowcarbmale wrote: »

Maybe somebody can share his or her experience with skin shrinkage or if they experienced any difference in speed of skin shrinkage when starting IF or prolonged fasting periods (like water fasting etc.)

I still don't understand how we jumped from yeast/mice/alzheimer diseases to the deductions that 1)autophagy "eats" loose skin 2) fasting induces autophagy in humans.

And also because putting forth such wacky, unproven ideas sells lots of books and "supplements" to naïve, desperate people who are looking for the "magic pill" for weight loss. People want to believe there's a 'secret' out there, and they'll try anything that somebody claims is effective - especially if they use lots of pseudoscience and cherry-picked studies to make it sound legitimate. Just ask Fung and Taubes, it's worked out real well for them.

All of this. The woman in the video is a felonious liar who had her convictions overturned on a technicality. That she'll hawk anything to make a buck, whether to pay her legal fees or to line her coffers, is not a far fetch.

When I finish working my abs, which are actually in pretty good shape, it's not a good look for me. All the loose skin gets bunched. If a commercial came on right when I am looking at that in the mirror, there is a lot I would be willing to believe, or at least want to. She is preying on that.