Fasting Mimicking Diet

Hi!

Who is following this diet? I like to see how this is working for you :) and if you bought the Prolon Kit.

Thanks
«1

Replies

  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    @Djproulx, thank you for your post and taking the time to share. I’ve not read the book but am aware of his work through Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s Found My Fitness website and YouTube channel.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    @pierinifitness, I also enjoy listening to Dr Patrick. Particularly enjoy her discussions with Joe Rogan.

    Regarding the fasting mimicking diet, I was compelled to comment because its easy for MFPers to have a hair trigger reaction regarding anything that sounds like a "lose weight fast" marketing scheme. In this case, Longo has written a 300& page book focused largely on research findings leading him to some conclusions about the role nutrition, lifestyle and genetics play in longevity. The fasting mimicking discussion is only one chapter in the book.

    My conclusion was that the book was worth the $20 I paid for it. :)
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    @Djproulx, I’ve been fasting 22 hours a day and abstaining from meat the past 43 days while eating at maintenance and this will end in 2 days. While it’s not the extended fast that Professor Longo writes about, it is nonetheless a prolonged period. I’m toying with the idea of getting some blood work done tomorrow to compare with results I have from my birthday (about 2 weeks prior to beginning this experiment.). If I can remember, big if, I’ll do this tomorrow.

    Thanks again for sharing, enjoy your day.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Djproulx wrote: »
    @pierinifitness, I also enjoy listening to Dr Patrick. Particularly enjoy her discussions with Joe Rogan.

    Regarding the fasting mimicking diet, I was compelled to comment because its easy for MFPers to have a hair trigger reaction regarding anything that sounds like a "lose weight fast" marketing scheme. In this case, Longo has written a 300& page book focused largely on research findings leading him to some conclusions about the role nutrition, lifestyle and genetics play in longevity. The fasting mimicking discussion is only one chapter in the book.

    My conclusion was that the book was worth the $20 I paid for it. :)

    Except $20 is not $200+
    I water fast sometimes and have very low calorie days sometimes, but it's done for cultural reasons (like during lent) or when I want to experiment with something and have a specific plan to balance my calories out. Most of the people who get suckered into this go in with the promise of "lose weight fast". They are not doing it with a plan, not working on their habits, and do not fully grasp that it can be dangerous if not done properly. Best case scenario is that they end up spending their money and losing some weight only to regain it because they learned nothing about creating a proper weight management strategy. I don't even want to talk about the worst case scenario of starvation diets.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    edited April 2019
    tmpecus78 wrote: »
    Any "diet" that requires you to buy their food is trash. That should be a red flag.

    I agree with you on this point. This is NOT the case. The BOOK is NOT telling people they need to buy Prolon.

    IF YOU DECIDE TO READ THE BOOK, I believe it is Chapter 6 that describes the role that fasting (or mimicking a fasted state) plays as part of the overall approach esposed by the author. Remember, this is merely one tool and the thrust of the chapter on fasting is focused on improving cellular function.

    The book describes years of research into "blue zone" populations, etc, and attempts to distill those clinical findings into actionable steps people can take to help slow the aging process and be healthy for a the longest possible time. THAT is the overall message of the book.

    As far as whether anyone wants to try a fasting mimicking protocol, (with or without buying Prolon) is up to the individual.

  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    I don't have a problem with a $20 book, it's the $249 box of stuff...Intermittent Fasting as a viable weight loss tool is one thing...fleecing people for a beautifully packaged box that's worth about $10 is a whole other thing. If you know something that makes this plan worth that kind of money, please let us know.

    I can (and do) practice Intermittent Fasting and I just eat the food from the Fred Meyer. I stay at weight, my bloodwork is great at age 65. I don't believe for one minute that this particular concoction of ingredients is better or leads to longer life than fresh fruits and vegetables, fats and proteins in the right proportions to maintain or lose weight. If I wanted, I could cut back my food to 800 calories per day for a week and I'd be no better or worse off than the expensive thing.

    I'm certainly not interested in defending or justifying any business's pricing model for a product.

    Again, having read the book, I thought some context would be useful based on comments posted here. I believe that many readers would find the book and research interesting. Whether a reader decides to investigate Prolon versus other fasting methods is a separate question.

    With that said, I think that Longo wrote that proceeds from Prolon sales would be used to support his research on aging. (He works at USC, but I can't remember the name of his research center.)

    Remember, I haven't bought the product, nor have I suggested that anyone else do so.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    Djproulx wrote: »
    @pierinifitness, I also enjoy listening to Dr Patrick. Particularly enjoy her discussions with Joe Rogan.

    Regarding the fasting mimicking diet, I was compelled to comment because its easy for MFPers to have a hair trigger reaction regarding anything that sounds like a "lose weight fast" marketing scheme. In this case, Longo has written a 300& page book focused largely on research findings leading him to some conclusions about the role nutrition, lifestyle and genetics play in longevity. The fasting mimicking discussion is only one chapter in the book.

    My conclusion was that the book was worth the $20 I paid for it. :)

    Except $20 is not $200+
    I water fast sometimes and have very low calorie days sometimes, but it's done for cultural reasons (like during lent) or when I want to experiment with something and have a specific plan to balance my calories out. Most of the people who get suckered into this go in with the promise of "lose weight fast". They are not doing it with a plan, not working on their habits, and do not fully grasp that it can be dangerous if not done properly. Best case scenario is that they end up spending their money and losing some weight only to regain it because they learned nothing about creating a proper weight management strategy. I don't even want to talk about the worst case scenario of starvation diets.

    @amusedmonkey . I think your comments (bolded) are probably true and I tend to agree. This is why I felt compelled to write in the first place. I think the string of posts here are largely focused on the Prolon product and price tag, which makes perfect sense, given the OP's question. I was more focused on the book's broader set of topics, many of which interested me and I hoped offered perspective. Therefore I may have muddied the waters by discussing the book and perhaps not doing justice to it. Full disclosure: I'm not a scientist, just a guy who likes to read. :)

    So I take your comments as intended - for those who don't have a plan and some understanding, following a fasting plan will not produce some miraculous "cure", and at worst, could have negative health (and/or financial) consequences.



  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
    Djproulx wrote: »
    I don't have a problem with a $20 book, it's the $249 box of stuff...Intermittent Fasting as a viable weight loss tool is one thing...fleecing people for a beautifully packaged box that's worth about $10 is a whole other thing. If you know something that makes this plan worth that kind of money, please let us know.

    I can (and do) practice Intermittent Fasting and I just eat the food from the Fred Meyer. I stay at weight, my bloodwork is great at age 65. I don't believe for one minute that this particular concoction of ingredients is better or leads to longer life than fresh fruits and vegetables, fats and proteins in the right proportions to maintain or lose weight. If I wanted, I could cut back my food to 800 calories per day for a week and I'd be no better or worse off than the expensive thing.

    I'm certainly not interested in defending or justifying any business's pricing model for a product.

    Again, having read the book, I thought some context would be useful based on comments posted here. I believe that many readers would find the book and research interesting. Whether a reader decides to investigate Prolon versus other fasting methods is a separate question.

    With that said, I think that Longo wrote that proceeds from Prolon sales would be used to support his research on aging. (He works at USC, but I can't remember the name of his research center.)

    Remember, I haven't bought the product, nor have I suggested that anyone else do so.

    That context is certainly useful, thanks @Djproulx

    I'm leaving my orignal comment partly as a reminder to myself that there may be more to the story, but I also stand by the part about purchasing such a diet, although the context you brought would have had me toning it down a bit.

    I do support research into how various WoE plans can impact age related concerns...mostly just wanted to say thanks for posting the info about the authors longer term goals.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    Djproulx wrote: »
    tmpecus78 wrote: »
    Any "diet" that requires you to buy their food is trash. That should be a red flag.

    I agree with you on this point. This is NOT the case. The BOOK is NOT telling people they need to buy Prolon.

    IF YOU DECIDE TO READ THE BOOK, I believe it is Chapter 6 that describes the role that fasting (or mimicking a fasted state) plays as part of the overall approach esposed by the author. Remember, this is merely one tool and the thrust of the chapter on fasting is focused on improving cellular function.

    The book describes years of research into "blue zone" populations, etc, and attempts to distill those clinical findings into actionable steps people can take to help slow the aging process and be healthy for a the longest possible time. THAT is the overall message of the book.

    As far as whether anyone wants to try a fasting mimicking protocol, (with or without buying Prolon) is up to the individual.

    Not sure why you are getting so defensive. My comment was not referring to "the book."

    I fast 23 hours daily and do long extended (5 day) fasts a few times a year.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    tmpecus78 wrote: »
    Djproulx wrote: »
    tmpecus78 wrote: »
    Any "diet" that requires you to buy their food is trash. That should be a red flag.

    I agree with you on this point. This is NOT the case. The BOOK is NOT telling people they need to buy Prolon.

    IF YOU DECIDE TO READ THE BOOK, I believe it is Chapter 6 that describes the role that fasting (or mimicking a fasted state) plays as part of the overall approach esposed by the author. Remember, this is merely one tool and the thrust of the chapter on fasting is focused on improving cellular function.

    The book describes years of research into "blue zone" populations, etc, and attempts to distill those clinical findings into actionable steps people can take to help slow the aging process and be healthy for a the longest possible time. THAT is the overall message of the book.

    As far as whether anyone wants to try a fasting mimicking protocol, (with or without buying Prolon) is up to the individual.

    Not sure why you are getting so defensive. My comment was not referring to "the book."

    I fast 23 hours daily and do long extended (5 day) fasts a few times a year.

    Then I misunderstood your comment. My apologies. I was reacting to the "requires you to buy their food" part of your post. That requirement would be a red flag to me. :)

    As I mentioned originally, in the overall approach he suggests including a fasting effort occasionally as part of your overall nutrition plan. Sounds like you are doing something similar.


  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    I’ve never tried the FMD, I would be worried about how low the protein consumption is, but Longo advocates low protein in general for longevity. I want a muscular body esthetically, I’m not sure I’m willing to give that up to live to 90 instead of 85. His work is very interesting though. And there are diets out on the internet that mimick the FMD if you don’t want to fork over the money. Day 1 of the FMD diet wants you to eat 1090 calories, 10% protein, 56% fat, 34% carbs, then Days 2-5, 9% protein, 44% fat and 47% carbs.
  • hellonew2015
    hellonew2015 Posts: 327 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Okay, I found a YouTube promotional video.

    They send a box with powdered soups and/or "nutrition" (nut) bars and small packets of olives, tea, and a "supplement" and you have to eat ONLY that for five days? It's powdered soup, tiny packets of oil and some sort of bars (?) UP TO 800 calories on Day Three...uh, no.

    Ha.

    It's Longo. I should have known.

    They say, "We've taken the thinking out of it for you."

    Yeah. Ya think? :lol:

    I see a whole bunch of problems with this diet, but wanted to comment on the bolded above.

    OP - if you don't have to think, then how are you going to maintain. I know that most people assume they will maintain, but only a small % actually do.

    Learn good habits. Permanent changes come from figuring out what needs to change.
    [/quot

    I have been maintaining for years! Read the science behind it to learn more. The kit is just an expensive tool to use or simply DYI following the chart given to hit the macros and nutrients required. My skin was glowing, my tummy was super flat after following this approach and I felt great.

    This is not mainly for weight loss, the science behind it is amazing to me.
  • hellonew2015
    hellonew2015 Posts: 327 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    Okay, I found a YouTube promotional video.

    They send a box with powdered soups and/or "nutrition" (nut) bars and small packets of olives, tea, and a "supplement" and you have to eat ONLY that for five days? It's powdered soup, tiny packets of oil and some sort of bars (?) UP TO 800 calories on Day Three...uh, no.

    Ha.

    It's Longo. I should have known.

    They say, "We've taken the thinking out of it for you."

    Yeah. Ya think? :lol:

    I see a whole bunch of problems with this diet, but wanted to comment on the bolded above.

    OP - if you don't have to think, then how are you going to maintain. I know that most people assume they will maintain, but only a small % actually do.

    Learn good habits. Permanent changes come from figuring out what needs to change.
    [/quot

    I have been maintaining for years! Read the science behind it to learn more. The kit is just an expensive tool to use or simply DYI following the chart given to hit the macros and nutrients required. My skin was glowing, my tummy was super flat after following this approach and I felt great.

    This is not mainly for weight loss, the science behind it is amazing to me.

    Your tummy is flat due to genetics, not supplements or food choices.

    I can guarantee the "science" behind this is junk science, or just as bad my results were x, y, and z......I know, I know "I have to read the book".............if this is truely a magic bullet, people wouldn't have to ask what this is, because they would already know.

    If you've been maintaining for years, why are you here? Are you trying to pump up sales.....do you get a commission?

    1- You should read the book.
    2 - MFP is used to lose weight,maintain and gain.
    3 - Making assumptions without having facts is a waste of energy and time.

    Thank you for your negative support keep up the good work. LOL..and Happy Earth Day!
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    So the main goal for me is longevity/detox/health boost from within, if you read about the Longo approach you may look at it from a different perspective. It is a specific combination of all 3 macros and low calories for 5 days to repair/generate new cells in your body and to be repeated once a month for 3 or 4 months in a row. The kit is SUPER expensive, it is an easier way to hit the macros and calories allowed, supplementing with nutrients to make the transition smoother without having to think about it but I would not buy it. I have done it on my own and felt great after 5 days. I like very much the science behind it and losing a few pounds is a plus. Let's' say you are on your last 5lbs to hit goal and it seems super difficult to lose this will help you do that. It did it for me. I just wanted to hear from people who did it and how they felt.

    Uh...your body is generating new cells all the time. That's, what it's designed to do. That's one of the many reasons you're supposed to feed yourself adequately, so your body can do all its' processes like making new cells. Does Longo explain that science in this waste of money called a book?

    Also does he explain what exactly your body is detoxing from that your liver and kidneys and lungs aren't already getting rid of? Is it supposed to be able to mimic chelation therapy or dialysis or something?