The psychological benefit of time-restricted eating (e.g. 16:8) is the reason for the popularity and often not emphasized in papers. For myself and apparently many others, it is far easier to limit the hours of eating than to restrain yourself during a meal. Simple rules are the best rules for habit formation.
What Is 'Gall's Law'? Gall's Law states that all complex systems that work evolved from simpler systems that worked. If you want to build a complex system that works, build a simpler system first, and then improve it over time.
@Bob the absolute best thing we can do to promote autophagy is hard exercise. It free like starvation (intermittent fasting) but also requires effort and therefore not fancy topic for videos or books.
Tried IF eating only in a 6 hour window and 2 meals. Put weight on. I am now just eating less. Think it is working. Eat only breakfast and supper. Measuring what I eat. Not happy but feeling less bloated and am slowly losing weight
I engage in intermittent fasting which to me is fasting 16 hours per day. This still leaves me 8 hours in which to eat. And certainly part of the idea was to reduce calories. But also gives my organs and digestive system a rest. I lost 15 pounds and noticeable body fat. I'm keeping it off, not to mention I feel better. It's a way to eat I can stay on for the rest of my life. I get plenty of protein and have always worked out.
Fasting is not all about weight loss for me. It's about resting my system and getting regenerated. I feel amazing after my one day of fasting of the week. I sleep better and I have very vivid dreams. The next day I have a lot of energy and even a much better mood. I did my first fasting (a week) 30 years ago before it was trendy.
Really people don't realize that when you fast your body is really finally able to relax digestion is labor intensive I agree with your ideas about fasting making your sleep so much better I mean just one day of fasting is so good for your sleep
@@arlenmargolin4868 "finally able to relax" - it's debatable. Does it need to? Does your heart have a brake? No. It's pumping all the time and resting is included to this process.
I think what you say is very good, but maybe you can add thinking about why digestion seems to be tough for you, do the fasting of course but also find those foods that make digestion tiring for you
@Cypher possibly? Were any of us around to know if they snacked all day? They would eat jerky, berries and nuts. Possibly munched on all throughout the day to sustain their energy.
Doing a 22.5/1.5 OMAD time restricted schedule has been a God send for me. No calorie counting & at least 90% plant based. The only sugar I use is in my morning coffee and very little then, once a day. Have lost 127 lbs. so far over 18 months. In 100% agreement with Perry.
@@andriyandriychuk Besides losing weight, reducing the inflammation in my joints and becoming calmer and more relaxed, no. At this point I rarely eat animal products and if I do it's small fatty fish.
Yes to plant based!!! I vary my IF (16/8, 18/6, 20/4, no fasting on weekends, rest from exercise on Sunday). I am 62 years old and post-menopausal, 103 lbs., 20.1 BMI. I feel so much better with IF and plant based (mainly, but I occasionally have fish and eggs). No calorie counting either. My resistance training? Straight leg pushups and tricep dips, Pilates reformer and cadillac.
I OMAD rarely but skip breakfast every day. Lifesaver for this human - and OMAD produces even better results. Not in it for the calories, in it for the energy (and general health).
@@peterb31 I doubt gordon brown is doing keto on a plant-based diet. Also, if it's only good for people if they are also doing keto, it undermines the purported value of it not requiring such limitations. Which doesn't mean that people don't eventually add them as their discipline grows and their attachment to low nutrient foods wanes.
Assuming all forms of calorie restriction are equal, one thing that isn’t being discussed is sustainability. Restricting calories is excruciating for me. I’m eating food I’m not terribly fond of and I stop eating arbitrarily, often when I’m still hungry. It’s excruciating and miserable. Then I find the resistance to snacking extremely difficult. With IF (16:8) my eating is time restricted, not calorie restricted. When I’m not eating, I simply don’t eat. I don’t have to worry about healthy snacks or overeating between meals. When I do eat, I eat until I am satisfied. For me, IF is far more sustainable way to restrict calories and manage my diet.
I agree 100%. I have done diets over the years with good results, but the problem is that they have not been sustainable. Last year In January I started IF and borderline Keto (i.e. restrict carbs to less than 30g per day). At 64yr old I went from 95Kg to about 80Kg by June. Since then I went back to a near normal carb intake, but trying to cut back on excessive snacks or sweets. What I have continued with is IF of about 18:6. What I really like about IF is that I don't feel hungry and at dinner I don't limit myself on what I eat, but eat until satisfaction. I have so far been maintaining my weight and feel very confident that I can keep this up for the rest of my life.
if you find fasting too hard, just don't do it. There is nothing special about it. Eating in a caloric deficit if your goal is fat loss will work just as well as anything else.
Fasting teaches you not to respond to every last impulse to eat. That is a huge benefit I don't hear many talk about. That training stayed with me after a two-week trial of IF; I have maintained my weight loss, am not tempted to eat the way I did before.
I feel great with IF (18/6 and 20/4), low carb/no sugar. No bloating, clarity of mind, and I feel great. Not overweight just doing it to feel better. Don’t like sweet food so that helps. I’ve done IF for most of my life. Didn’t know it was IF.
I did OMAD two day a week for religious reasons and I lost weight so easy, even though I would eventually eat bad food. That massive caloric deficit covered all my mistakes and it was easy sailing. I did it for religious and self-disciplinary reasons, but was greatly pleased by the side effect of weight loss. I went from 240 to 175 over the span of maybe a year.
I tried IF and I felt great. I don't care what others tell me, it's how it affects me. I'm my own Doctor. I lost weight, I dropped my blood sugar, my cholesterol is down, I eat better in my 18:6/16/8 routine, I sleep better, I started dreaming again, I think clearer and I don't feel as hungry anymore. I encourage people to try it and I endorse it. But obviously it's not for everyone - pregnant women, people who have eating disorders etc. The proof is in the pudding
Newbie here, I needed to drop 25 to 30 lbs and this is at 61 yrs old. Fasting worked for me. But in reality it's nothing more than eating less. Fasting put eating less into an easy to follow regimen. I follow an 18/6 plan, skipping breakfast. But I also cut the garbage, I cut grazing and only eat good healthy foods. It was a big change but one on it I have no issues. I lost 26 lbs in 48 days and now I'm in maintenance mode. No sugar, red meat, dairy, wheat and most grains, I'm eggs, chicken and veggies. I'll have some cheese when I make like keto pizza or other keto meals requiring cheese. I'm not craving food like I used to and going 18 to 24 hrs without a meal is easy now. Best I've felt in years.
For the first 15 months of fasting, I was strict about eating super clean, but ate between 3 and 9 pm. I feared starting to start eating earlier, because I didn’t think I would have the self control to stop eating earlier. Once I got my weight where I wanted it, I switched from 18-6 to 16-8, about 11am-7pm , 3 meals, less focus on omega3 and a bit more carbs but with no snacking between meals and no water after 7 to help with sleep. I started fasting because of pinched nerves in my feet and pre diabetes. Thanks to fasting, eating a mostly paleo, organic diet, and so many different people’s help, I’ve reversed a very high percent of my health issues resolved
@@alisherxolmirzayev4203 To the best of my understanding, grass fed butter and MCT oil benefits outweigh their risk. Pasture raised pork (including bacon) profile is almost as stark compared to other, but is not very accessible. Otherwise, I limit sat fats.
Could you please make a video over intermittent and extended fasting that DOESNT have to do only with weight loss. I think a lot of us here would like to hear your thoughts on fasting for other benefits like metabolic rest and potential for immune system benefits. Thank you! 😌
Yes, please, and what about autophagy. That's why I do it, but recently heard Peter Attia cast doubt on whether a 16 hr- 20 -hr fast has triggers autophagy.
Having IBS initiated by Gilbert’s Syndrome, i find the fasting can rest my digestive system and allow me to break an attack and get some respite. It feels like it resets things somewhat. Great videos; thankyou!
Intermittent fasting for me has been THE way to cut caloric consumption, because I've learned to adapt to the initial feelings of hunger in ways other than stuffing my face. Over time, and not all that much time, I've grown to be comfortable living this way, and am comparatively free of food cravings as a result. Hungry never means really ravenous any more. I don't think I could have done this on a high-carb diet, however. Cut carbs, don't fear the right fats, eat enough protein and do weights, not just cardio--that has been my recipe. In this way, IF certainly CAN be "superior" to just cutting calories on a continuous eating schedule--despite the technical conclusion to the contrary of some studies--because it is far less likely to result in a feeling of regular deprivation, simpler in execution, and not a struggle at all to continue indefinitely--at least for those of us who have adopted it. That may well be why it is popular. I vary my fasts as they fit the day. Basically never shorter than 16 hours, never longer than 24. Probably average in the 19-21 range. 1-2 meals in the "feeding window." When I do eat, I don't worry at all about total calories--just try to get the right balance of healthy, broadly spread and sourced low-carb foods, more or less on each meal, with plenty of fiber. The one thing I don't do, though, because I have a family, is eat my main meal earlier in the day in harmony with my "circadian rhythm." Instead, it's during a early dinner with the gang, and I don't eat for several hours thereafter before bed. I also do have about 4 eggs/week, though, and also eat animal protein, usually but not always lean, without worrying very much about either. Bio markers all in good ranges so far. In fact, almost all of them are better than the last time I had a panel, before starting IF. LDL cholesterol is up somewhat, but still well within the normal range. Living this way, I've dropped 30 pounds or so. I actually don 't know the exact number because I tried IF not so much to lose weight, but to gain more control in my relationship with food, so I didn't even weigh myself when I started. I wasn't clinically obese, or even close to it, but I wanted to feel more in charge of my hunger. And IF has done the trick for me. I've ended up pretty lean by any reasonable measure, so now it's just maintenance. I'm interested to see whether I can add muscle tissue on IF. We'll see.
Yeah I've had a similar experience doing 16/8 just makes it so much easier for me to eat less carlories. My cravings for crap and junk food are totally gone. I found that it comes really naturally for me. I've never gotten hungry in the morning... I only ate breakfast because that's what people said you were supposed to do. I've actually been needing to get myself to eat more because I was losing *too much* weight lol. I'm working on adding muscle currently as well
That was my case in the first year of IF and low-carb. Then, in the second year, the Hb1C increased and the cholesterol figures are well beyond the normal. Now, I am planning to do my blood work every 4-6 months and increase the carbs and exercising, while decreasing the butter and eggs intake.
@@asociatiaademed7417 I think you missed all the new information on butter and eggs butter does not make you fat, eggs are totally okay doctors that are totally healthy are eating three and four a day with four strips of bacon everyday and in perfect shape check out Dr Eric Berg he's been eating three and four eggs a day with five strips of bacon for 20 years and all his blood work comes out perfect
@@arlenmargolin4868 Butter and eggs increase the cholesterol by 10%-20%. It is true that most of the cholesterol is made by the body, but this accounts for only 80%, not for 100%. The cholesterol values have nothing to do with the body fat. There are skinny persons who have high cholesterol. It is also true that there is no precise association between cholesterol values and cardio-vascular diseases risk. But is also equally true that there is no proof that such an association cant exist. The cholesterol values of Berg's wife are far outside the recommended levels, although I agree that there is nothing clear in those recommended values. I have to stress that there are no scientific proof for any of Berg's statement. They are all based on judgment alone. For most of his statements is to early to assess whether they are beneficial or detrimental on long term. For the time being, I can only say that on short to medium term keto diet looks as a convenient path to eliminate insulin resistance. However, periodic checks should be performed to make sure that there is no negative impact in other parts of the metabolism. === Moderation is the key, in my personal view. I can say that 2 eggs a day may be safe (proving there is one day a week without eggs), bacon-yes, but nor a bacon-intensive diet and so on. There is also a need for exercising, good sleep and socializing. Keto is not a miracle diet, anyway.
Saying that you're intermittent fasting is a great way to get out of eating garbage on social occasions or work. When someone brings in donuts and cookies, and you're the only one not eating them, saying you're IF works great!
Well said. Time restricted feeding is a great form of self discipline, especially for those who were sugar addicted. Going low (refined) carb has nearly eliminated my sugar cravings, but it isn’t always easy.
@@Nicksonian Obviously it is impossible to plan for every contingency but around holidays I try to keep a supply of bananas on hand in case of cakes/cookies. In the event I feel overwhelmed and on the verge of cheating I grab a banana and a cup of black coffee. It is “dessert-ish” enough to take the edge of for most sweets cravings. Although if someone at work brings in cannolis from Termini Bros. all bets are off. I am having a cannoli. 😂
I fast Mondays each week 24-26 hours.. I don’t up my calories after, and Monday is my cardio and weight training day, I feel full of energy and works for me. Along with low carbs after 14 months I’m down 120 lbs. I worked up to 24 hour fast ( 2, months to get there)
IF worked for me I lost 77 pounds in 9 months I was 235 pounds got down to 158 pounds, my A1C was 13.5 after the 9 months it was reduced to 5 and I was able to exercise and run 8 miles at the age of 59 years old the same distance that I trained for track and field in the off season when I was 18 years old in high school after 41 years , intermittent fasting works and it has made me a skeptic because it’s free and so many people have gotten tremendous benefits and I feel medical professionals who trash it maybe in bed with big pharma , and the food companies because it threatens their bottom line , I’m off my diabetes, high blood pressure medications if more people do IF and see those results big pharma and the food industry they would go bankrupt .
Basically I found that eating in an 8 hour window every day helped me drop 45 pounds over 18 months. I now eat in that same way and I balance carbs and animal foods about 75-25 and am maintaining my weight at 133 to 138 lbs. My 8 hour window begins at 11am; ends at 7pm because it fits my daily schedule. I have cut out sugar and all processed foods and grow my own microgreens and eat significantly reduced pasture raised animal proteins and organic carbs whenever possible. As someone motivated by my conditions of heart disease and CVD, this style of IF has been a God send. I am immersed in your unbiased presentations and find them extremely helpful in assessing how I approach my health. Thanks.
I started 16:8 back in Feb. along with regular weight lifting. My body weight has not changed at all, however my waistline has reduced by a full 12cms. Very happy with that outcome!
I have started 16:8 in march, now at the end of september I have almost -20kg (from 113 to almost 93). The key is also being - no snacking junk. Nothing else changed in diet.
16/8 has worked very well for me. I have been on it for 7 years, and I have consistently lost about 10 pounds, which is not an easy task. Having a fixed eating window also helps me cut way down on the night time snacking, which is super unhealthy. I'm a black coffee drinker in the morning, this helps tremendously with being able to skip breakfast.
I'm not sure if it was intermittent fasting or the caloric restriction that came with it but one benefit I noticed that wasn't discussed here was... The ability to break away from what I would call craving addiction. After certain amount of time of intermittent fasting, I no longer felt like I was being deprived and I lost the cravings for the sugar loaded highly processed junk food had snuck into my diet.
Hmmm. .i had the same experience. I actually thought that getting rid off the cravings had something to do with me changing my diet to a vegetarian/ Mediterranean/ no junk food diet. Not sure labels apply to my diet or to the fasting. I just eat my last meal of the day no later than 3 pm and i do have breakfast first thing in the morning. But i noticed almost immediately the cravings were gone. ( once the chsnges were i.plemented) Also I reached my ideal weight.
Exactly. For me that has been the number 1 benefit of IF. I basically have lost all desire to gorge in a chocolate cake as an example. I tried every possible diet prior to IF and the cravings never disappeared. I know now I can have a slice of cake at a birthday party and not feel any need to go for seconds. I also feel like I have more energy and the little things in life don’t bother me as much anymore.
Totally the same what I am experiencing during now 10 weeks of 16/8 intermittent fasting and a vegetable focused diet. Not vegan or vegetarian, still eat some meat, eggs, cheese, but I am primarily eating a lot of vegetables, and also a bit of whole grain like oats and rye, a few nuts and a few berries. I've been losing around 1 kilo of weight per week and doing some moderate weight and cardio excessive (running, on stairs, biking) for around 30 min or so per day. Visibly a slight muscle growth, noticeable leaner appearance overall, including my face which is a very nice bonus, I think I look a lot better which is a wonderful boost to self confidence and motivation to keep doing this. I used to have a proportionally larger tummy compared to my body size, which clearly high amounts of both visceral and subcutaneous fat. In the 10 weeks this has almost all but vanished. There's still some left, it seems like this may be the last fat that the body sheds, but at this point I feel like im 85% there before reaching the point where I need to shed no more fat and can increase my calories during the eating window or even increase the eating window maybe an hour or two.
im omad myself. the thing is that. with normal eating habit. and like video said. with just eating less. you solely depend on your will power. and will break eventually. theres a youtuber explained this phenomenon. will power for a loser so what we can do? just eliminate the use of will power altogether. in form of intermitten fasting. thats why IF is super powerful. easy to do and most ppl have succeed. any diet is the best if you can stick with it
I think a lot of the appeal of IF is that it is likely not bad for you, at a minimum, and is really convenient. Also, I know this is just an anecdote, but I find I can think more clearly when I haven't had food yet, and I have read many other ppl saying the same thing.
Yeah when I was on 20 hr IF, my concentration went from borderline ADD to laser precision, it was nuts, and you don’t really notice it until your off the rails looking back like, whoah, I was in the zone
@@mannikrupp5228 I'd be interested to understand the duration of these studies wrt cognitive performance. Is it the short-term gain of eating that works to improve brain function (I'm not a doctor, I barely understand this topic), which will lead to a "mental crash" an hour-or-so later? Vs the non-eating person who has "longer term" / "all afternoon" mental energy?
@@mannikrupp5228 I wonder what data you are referring to? As far as I know, fasting improves cognitive performance through several pathways. It seems to stimulate BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor). Also, it acticates sirtuins, which are "survival genes" and which also seem to cause alertness. There are probably more factors at play, too.
I've been fasting intermittently for years, before it even had a name. That's because I don't like eating late at night and I like having breakfast late in the morning. So I automatically end up with a fasting period of 16 hours. Maybe you could also call it intuitive eating, because it came naturally to me.
I love the way everything is explained. I do more prolonged fasting. Usually, 48 hrs, 72 hrs, 120 hrs and more. I am more insulin sensitive. I don't look at the calories, I have plenty stored, I started the journey last Feb. 2022 from 260 lbs to 180 lbs today (August). I am a trial by itself. I believe in autophagy, in human form. To achieve, it you need 48 hrs and more fasting hours. The biggest take away is that my A1c went from 11 last Feb. 2022 to 5.5 just last month. It works you just need to believe that refined sugar and refined processed carbohydrates made us all more sick than having natural forms of sugar in what we ate.
What I found was eating two meals a day widely spaced worked well for me. That gave blood sugar levels and fasting insulin time to drop to baseline levels prior to the next meal. AND YES, I ate fewer calories. I found once past the first week it was easy to do. So, I ate my first meal at 10:00 AM and my last at 6:00 PM and bed by 10:00 PM. There have been days where I ate a snack of about 200 calories between those two meals, but that is rare.
Good video. I've been doing OMAD for a month now with keto and low carb dieting. As well as full body workouts, with sufficient protein intake, and I have lost 30lbs. I've never felt so great in my life. You should do some videos about what actually happens on a cellular level with fasting, if there is enough science based evidence on it.
I did that in my late 40's and I never felt better in my life. The fasting gave me energy for explosive full body workouts with compound sets without feeling hungry.
I did that for 10 years , felt great but eventually that raise my BP to 140/90 and early signs of CV disease. So be careful in the long run. Had to go WFPBSOSF and after 18 months stopped pills and after 2 years BP down to 105/70.
The reason why I try to limit my time eating to 8 or 9 hours a day is because I find it has trained my body to regulate blood sugar highs and lows better. I used to feel ravenous at times and now I never feel that way. I just feel better in general. Intermittent fasting hasn't helped me lose weight by itself. I have to reduce calories at the same time to get any improvement. Love your content! It has been very helpful in rebuilding my trust of the medical community.
Intermittent fasting, which I started with 12 hours fasting and before I knew it was 16-18 hours. I do not have hunger, but I force my self to eat one to two meals a day. I eat enough to feel full. I limit the sugar. I keep changing what I eat, because I get tired of the same foods quickly. I lost 50 lbs in the last 2 years. I make my own pineapple vinegar which is similar to apple cider vinegar, that is a game changer.
Thanks 🙏🏻, obviously because of the different metabolism, rats and human cannot be compared, 16 hours fasting for a 🐀 is a tremendous metabolic challenge. IF brings a re-education of the bad eating habits we have developed in the last 40 years.
I've been experimenting with fasting for several years now (2x/week, 1x/week, alternate day). They've all contributed to pretty dramatic weight loss, but they've all been challenging to implement. Looking back, probably the greatest benefit has been my reduced appetite overall. Whereas before I used to eat three meals per day, now I only eat two, I feel full more easily, and tend not to eat past full (i.e., overeat). Where I only used to go into ketosis only on fasting days, it now happens practically every day because I've just naturally reduced the amount I eat, and don't feel deprived at all. I'm 62 and feel healthier that I've ever felt in my life, but I'm obliged to point out that I also switched to a vegetarian diet when I started fasting, and have been consistently doing aerobic and strength training.
I reversed my type 2 diabetes with OMAD. Now, I am convinced that my remission was probably just caused by my weight loss. I dropped from 174 to 142 in about 10 weeks.
I find it much much easier to just leave a meal out than concentrate on every meal to stop before I feel I got enough. I maintained training and added walking during 16/8 fasting and left out all concentrated carbs. It worked like magic I don't care if it was calorie deficit. It just worked.
Valter Longo talks about his 3-5 day fasting or "fast mimicking" protocols for improving autophagy and adjusting IGF-1 levels. I'd love to hear what you can find about that. Including perhaps an interview with him.
IF may work for some. I eat a regular diet and I've lost a significant amount of bodyfat. I say find what works for you. One size does not fit all! Excellent video!Thanks
We'll have to agree to disagree. I actually didn't intentionally fast. I am particularly busy on my FB awareness page each June. Two years ago I kept posting later and later i.e. pushing back breakfast. Half way through June I wondered why my stomach was flat and did some research. I'd never heard of IF prior to this. My dodgy knee and hip is a thing of the past as is my brain fog and GERD. I haven't lost a lot of weight but I've regained muscle and gone down a few sizes in clothes. I am almost 70, have no health issues I know of and don't take any medications. I fast 18 or 19 hours a day every day, eat two medium sized meals with no snacks and don't have to bother about calories. I truly wish I'd stumbled across this year's ago...I've never felt so well.
There no agree to disagree as he’s all on the science and what I like about him is how he will change based on the newest paper. Look at his recent posts on this where he’s like oh wow it works….. now that may change again lol. I’m with you in terms of how my own body responds to IF btw
@@britpopification yeah but there’s a downside to that too, science is slow and time consuming it also makes mistakes regularly and is not 100%, intermittent fasting had been beneficial for 100 if not thousands of years but scorned hadn’t declared it healthy, so following the science can actually keep you behind the curb, in saying that it’s always best to inform yourself with the latest data, you need to use a combination of objective and anecdotal subjective information applied with critical thinking, unfortunately though most people- including many drs are philosophically ignorant when it comes to epistemology.
@@Vgallo We follow science because fundamentally anecdotal data doesn't tell us anything useful. Firstly because often things just get better on their own without any intervention, but anecdotally we tend to associate the improvement with some change we made. Secondly because people are very bad at tracking all the changes they made. They might believe all they did was start fasting, but in fact they also increased their overall protein intake and became more active or they increased their sleep, etc. Then we also have consider that an intervention may have hidden downsides. Fasting is a good example of something that may have hidden harmful effects. We know from research that telling parents their children have been given sugar results in them rating their children as difficult and hyperactive. We also know that telling someone who believes they're gluten intolerant that they have ingested gluten causes them to develop symptoms and vice versa they develop no symptoms when they unknowingly ingest gluten. Now of course if fasting is otherwise harmless then there is nothing wrong with someone making themselves feel better by doing it, but we'd need science to know the potential risks. And as many harmful practices teach us sometimes it is better be behind the curve.
There is a simple and powerful superiority of IF: it is a very easy method. You save time, money, nerves and anxiety. You don't have to count calories and you get to enjoy a good meal without feeling guilty of possible over-eating. You never feel hungry and food is not your problem or enemy. And your weight just drops off with no noticeable efforts - something that is very hard done (not impossible, but just hard) when trying to count calories in order not to eat too much. I started IF about a year ago and I don't intend to stop it ever. BTW, I just wanted to become less dependent of my constant food cravings. I didn't even dream of losing much weight. But I got rid of over 25 kilograms of body weight, my blood test shows significantly better results and I feel wonderful.
This is the first I've ever heard the idea that intermittent fasting in itself causes weight loss. I've used it in the past as an aid to restrict calories. Eating less often is suppose to suppress hunger and your body isn't constantly producing glucose from constantly eating small meals. I chose to eat two meals a day in a six hour period and fast for 18 hours. Even though I was in a caloric deficit, I felt energetic which made it possible for me to have daily explosive workouts. For me it seemed sustainable day to day where I always felt tired and hungry on regular reduced calorie diets.
18 hour fasting is sustsainable, great for weight management, and you can eat whatever you like. I have been doing it for two years and always maintain my ideal weight. I eat from 8am-2pm, then fast for 18 hours. My breakfast is at 8am, and my dinner is at 2pm. Done. I do drink water to stay hydrated during the evening.
I don’t actually care about rat studies and if it is applicable to humans or not. IF works for me. First, it is easier for me just do 16/8 or 18/6 than count calories. plus, on IF, there is no hunger as it could be on caloric restriction. Normally, I skip breakfast and just drink warm water until lunch which is around 12-1 pm then dinner around 6-7pm. Feel better than before and stay at desired weight.
You talk a lot about calories. I stopped eating when I wasn't hungry so I don't eat breakfast. I stopped eating processed sugar and dramatically reduced my intake of processed carbs. It was never about weight loss, but better health. I immediately had better health (lower cholesterol so not on statin meds and thyroid function improved and now not taking thyroxine). I have lost a surprising amount of weight, but it was reducing the sugar and simply eating when hungry that caused the change. I feel better. The bloods show my health is better. It was easy to do and continue. I'm actually eating more, so can highly recommend this. It's not a diet, I'm not rigid about the food but pay attention to nutrition. My GP is happy!
his take on people being sedatantary on fasting days is actually spot on.. you will lose muscle mass if you do so.. but if you workout on fast days your body will preferentially burn fat rather than breaking down musle.. just writing what i have felt by doing n=1 experiment
For me the benefit of restricting my feeding to 10 or 11 hours per day (last food by 6) is that I sleep better. Another thing I've noticed is that if I eat a high glycemic index food for breakfast, like quick oatmeal, I have bad hunger cravings the next morning. And sometimes the same night. Slower food for breakfast like steel cut oats or beans don't have that effect.
Hello! What do you think about the benefits of long fastings? My own experience was pretty positive. I fast for 13 days when I was told about the return of a lymphoma cancer 7 years ago, the results on the tep scanner were very interesting, with the disappearance of most of the traces in the body (sorry about my lack of english vocabulary in this field :) ) Greetings from France
Wow, I'd love to hear more about these cases. What caused you to go on a fast, was it in response to the cancer, or something you did on a regular basis?
Amen to that. I’ve watched hundreds of TH-cam videos and read books. NMS is the most balanced, authoritative, rational, believable source I’ve found…and being a retired journalist, I take such things very seriously. Sadly, you can’t pay any attention to popular media when it comes to health and nutrition.
@@NutritionMadeSimple My pleasure. Before I fell down this rabbit hole of divergent nutritional advice, I was a moderate thinking the Mediterranean diet offered the most benefits. I read The Case Against Sugar and Blue Zones years ago. I followed Fuhrman, Gregor, and the like. But then keto started to take over my brain, and then the very convincing Diet Doctor people got me thinking about increased-protein keto. Dr. Berry, Berg, Ekberg, preach bacon and eggs. Sisson, Binkman, Perlmutter, Taubes, etc. are go, go keto. But now that I’ve come across your channel, I’m thinking I was right to begin with. Interesting that I find Mediterranean so appealing. Keep up the good work.
I love the science and data he gives. I like that he breaks down the evidence. I’ve been doing IF for almost a year. It’s helped keep my insulin and blood sugar levels down. Thanks for the info!
I found that, for me, fasting taught me how to feel hunger but not respond by eating and this even felt pleasurable. So, your review does not take that into account because calorie intake was controlled by external factors. I believe fasting increases mastery over one’s own caloric intake.
Absolutely. Learning not to give in to cravings and using time to restrict calories are really important for long term weight management. Insulin regulation and aiding the body to use fat as the primary energy source seems an added benefit.
@@chrisemblen7812 “using fat as the primary energy source” is not an added benefit, it’s just biology and calories. Yes, it may be using fat more for energy, but that doesn’t mean you’re losing any more than you would by eating a bit less food in a day, especially after he talked about the study displaying a greater amount of lean mass loss than fat mass
It's hard to convey in words how incredible the content of this channel is. Gil goes far beyond nutritional science to touch on topics such as psychology, epistemology, and much more. A rare gold mine on TH-cam.
The loss of lean mass confirms what I suspected was creating an issue for me when I incorporated intermittent fasting into my life. Here's my experience and thoughts on much of what you touched on, but not in the order you addressed the topic. I have historically exercised a lot but hadn't for close to a year before starting again, which also included intermittent fasting. I exercise a lot, including cardio (mostly running) and weight training. My intermittent fasting was initially influenced mainly by Dr. Berg at the time. If I wasn't hungry, I didn't eat. I fasted every day for between 16-24 hours. It wasn't difficult as I rarely experienced hunger pains. I lost weight fast and put on some muscle, but I did not get anywhere near the hypertrophy I was accustomed to in the past. I just couldn't get my physique back. But I liked that I seemed to exercise better in a fasted state. While not gaining the hypertrophy I was expecting, I was still throwing around a lot of weight, and I do mean throwing. I experienced periods of intense stamina and strength output. But I never got past my historical personal bests. For example, I'd start my bench press by warming up with 135 lbs, which was a struggle. I would then work my way up and back down, finishing with 135 lbs again. But on this 12th or 13th set, I would suddenly experience an intense infusion of energy and strength. I was literally throwing the weight. The plates were bouncing, and I would have thrown the weight up in the air if I didn't maintain a grip. And I did this for many reps. It was crazy. I'd never experienced anything like this before. This happened while in a fasted state. But I didn't outwardly appear to be gaining any muscle mass. I was more cut but not bigger. While doing this, I was also running close to every day. I had my best run of the summer, up until that point, while in the 16th hour of my fast. I started with a little hunger, but that quickly faded when I began my run. After which, I fasted for another two hours before I began to feel hunger pains returning. In both examples, my understanding is that I drew on my glycogen reserves to achieve the bursts of energy and strength and also kill the hunger pains, temporarily. The intermittent fasting also greatly affected my mood. I often experienced a natural high. I'd feel giddy. It also reduced my social anxiety greatly. I was eating two small meals a day. My diet consisted of: a green smoothie with a 1/2 cup steamed spinach, an avocado, half a green apple, non fortified nutritional yeast, veggie based protein, and coconut milk. Lots of eggs, and salmon. Sometimes tacos, including the nutritional yeast.
Hard training and performance requires high levels of blood glucose. I’m going through a similiar phase right now (16/8, 2 meals, no snacks) but find on balance I have to eat high carb meals to perform, reducing a lot of the leafy greens. The other problem is the body only absorbs 25g of protein per hour, which may indicate eating round the clock is better for recovery and muscle growth.
Another great video. 16/8 IF combined with occasional 42h fast helped me drop 50 pounds (and to keep them off now for over two years). I take the point that this is probably just because of calorie restriction. However constant calorie restriction makes me miserable while fasting is very easy, especially skipping breakfast. So it is a game changer from an adherence perspective (for me and my family at least). Random point for thought: in all these weight loss studies, it would extremely helpful if people tracked how far people are below their "highest ever weight". My point is that if I enrolled into an IF study tomorrow, I would not lose any weight (given weight set point). But had I enrolled in the same study two years ago, I would have lost a lot coming from an unhealthy diet. The starting point is hugely important but to my knowledge never tracked.
That protein note is so important. It’s been found that eating protein first in a meal makes one feel sated and full a lot longer, making it easier to take that 8 or so hour fast in the middle of the day
May there be a difference between ADF and other specific time types of IF? Many proponents recommend something like a 16-18hr fasting window Perhaps extension of the window beyond a certain point may slow metabolism, to a point that negates the advantage it has over basic energy restriction. Just as caloric inclusion is important in studies - fasting window should be assessed at different time intervals, yes?
Excellent video. I do IF plus gym work and have lost a lot of weight. I thought at first that it was due to some special thing in IF. Thanks to your video I now think that my weight loss is mainly due to calorific restriction over 9 months. But - IF is easier in the sense that it is easier to manage.
I think this is an excellent summary of Intermittent Fasting. There is so much hype out there that it is good to get a balanced perspective. For what it is worth I had been coming to similar conclusions - IF is no better than calorie restricted eating for losing weight. What I did get out of this was the importance of continuing exercise when doing IF, otherwise fat loss will be worse than with simple calorie restriction. What I do like about IF is that it is simple to follow, in my case eat one day and fast the next. Have only been doing it for a couple of weeks and have dropped 5kg from being only slightly overweight at the start.
I’d like to see a study considering the psychological impact of fasting. For many it may be a good way to train the mind and limit compulsive eating habits.
i use IF simply because it's easier for me than to check every meal, i.e. what you said around 11:00 with IF i can restrict intake without sacrificing too much processing-time. also, enjoying two meals fully for me is better than enjoying three meals a little.
I've come to accept that the main benefit of IF is the associated caloric restriction. For me, this has been worth it. I have lost many extra pounds over many months and this feeding schedule has now become a healthy life habit.
I like way he adopted an analytical approach to the research. Sometimes I think research findings sre just glibly quoted without looking at methodology or possible bias. Surely whether someone follows IF,TRE or calorie restriction the plan must suit the individual and their lifestyle ensuring long term commitment?
Like others have already said, I feel IF makes it easier for some people to lower calorie intake and even reduce them more than what they'd be able to achieve without IF. I saw you mention it in another video comparing studies, that how easy each person found it to stick to their respective eating guidelines was an important factor. After watching a lot of content on IF I gotta say there are a lot of 'markers' one can measure in terms of benefits or results from IF and they depend on what other conditions one applies: keto, plant based, low-carb? Excercise or not? More cardio or more resistance training? Taking care of sleeping habits? etc etc...
"The thing that worked for me has to work for everyone else". That's probably the most important point. Lots of videos imply that there is a magic bullet to fix your problems. Our bodies are too complicated for that. I started seeing a doctor for weight loss and pre-diabetes. I was put on an extremely low carb/low sugar diet and I'm no longer pre-diabetic and 80 lbs lighter (still have a ways to go before I'm no longer obese). Whenever someone asks me what my secret is, the first thing I say is that I went to a doctor and they told me what to do... And we tweak it often. The rules my doctor gave me are for me, based on my specific blood work, personal, and family history, and progress at that specific point in time. Sure lots of it is probably good advice for everyone (exercise for example) but others were based on the fact I was almost diabetic and 335 lbs. Dietary restrictions that I followed were good for me because my body wasn't processing sugar properly. For a different person I suspect those same restrictions may cause as much harm as good. This is why we've slowly tweaked things as my health has improved - I'm not the same as I was when this all started.
I have been using intermittent fasting for about 10 months. Lost 40lbs, but that is probably due to the removal of most carbs as well and calorie restriction. For me, it's just easier to reduce overall calorie intake with fasting than just eating less over multiple meals. The other benefit, is the subjective, but consistent feelings I have when deep into an 18hr+ fast. I feel a rush of alertness, energy, and general well being that just stays the whole day, and when I do eat, I don't have that sluggishness afterward. Some of the psychological benefit is due to added self-esteem from succeeding at a self-imposed discipline, which I think is a highly valuable life skill. There is also the joy of eating when you have abstained for so long. You can eat whatever you want guilt-free, because you have earned the right. Purely psychological, but an enjoyed benefit.
I’d like to see the effect of each method on longevity, because that’s the benefit I’ve heard touted most about intermittent fasting. The fact that it matches calorie restriction in terms of fat loss did not surprise me at all. Now that I’ve been intermittent fasting for a couple years, I find that I prefer not eating all day. It reduces the need to plan meals and increases mental clarity.
Not all of us practice intermittent fasting for weight loss, and it's unfortunate that so much emphasis is placed on that. When you eat real, nutrient-dense food (meat, fish, eggs, cheese) and avoid all processed foods and sugar, wheat, and grains (low carb), your body is happy and at the correct weight. Also, cholesterol is a critical part of good health. We couldn't function without it. All the hype about good and bad cholesterol was a pharmaceutical lie to sell drugs. Eating less often, not less, is the crux of fasting, because digestion is labor intensive. When you fast, your body has time to go into repair mode. There's your benefit.
Not only that, it helps with insulin resistance and to me, it helped me to control my apetite. which kind of sounds opposite bc one would think that not eating makes you more hungry.
@@PaulinhaCardoso88 I know exactly what you mean! I think it's related to what you eat. When I eat carbs, such as rice, I keep eating and eating, whereas a 300-gram ribeye fills me up and lasts for hours! 🥩 🥩 🥩
@@TerriblePerfection Oh gosh, yes. Potatoes... bread (brown or white), even the 'healthy ones' like pumpkin nd sweet potatoes. It's hard to eat moderately... Rice! Oh god I love rice, I can eat it alone as a whole meal and my joints on the next three days HURT like I have arthritis. Beans, my stomach burns like the fire's in hell. Funny thing, I don't have gas anymore LOL! Only get it when i have an open weekend (about once every 6 weeks). Of course sweets are another problem. I only indulge during summer and I have to have cherries and strawberries bc I love them and they bring me joy.
@@PaulinhaCardoso88 😂 I still haven't tamed my sweet tooth either! I know fructose is just sugar but I still rationalize it, in my case for a mango. How much can we give up before eating is no longer a pleasure?! 🤷🏼♀️
@@TerriblePerfection Oh yea! The cravings... I cannot live without chocolate. It's my 'cigarette'? I eat 10 to 15gr sugar per day. But still within the Keto parameters. But the other fruits, I'm Brazilian living in the Netherlands and that's a no brainer, fruits here SUCK (Bananas... oh geesh.. people here have no idea what good bananas are.) apart from turkish grapes, dutch cherries and strawberries. But honestly, everytime I see fruit I think, Nature's Candy.
It works if it works. Worked for me because it was convenient, i didn't feel much discomfort at all. Clearly, if someone doesn't feel good with IF... won't work on them
I'm interested in intermittent fasting not because of its (empty) promises of weight loss but of its potential positive effect on longevity. I wonder what research says about that one day - or is there already any good evidence in that direction?
Great video, but I would suggest changing the title to something like Does Intermittent Fasting Work FOR WEIGHTLOSS. I know you mentioned autophagy, but the cited benefits of fasting go way way beyond losing weight.
definitely. we inserted that note about half-way through that other parameters generally follow the trend of weight loss bc we thought the video mentioned weight a lot and not so much glucose, cholesterol etc but yeah those things tend to go hand in hand
16:8 IF works for me. Lost 12 lbs in first few weeks and have maintained target weight for 3 years running. Also on IF I always have satisfying meals versus feeling of deprivation if I were to reduce calories at each meal. Each to their own. Good luck!
It would be interesting to find out if time restricted eating (16:8 or OMAD, etc.) results in higher compliance than a prescribed diet with a dictated number of calories. Personally, I couldn't imagine counting calories, but not eating after dinner every day and having a late breakfast are pretty simple rules to follow, and I've been doing it for multiple years now. I suspect other people who follow an IF lifestyle will say the same. I wonder if there are people who say counting calories and keeping below a certain calorie count is easier than having a restricted feeding window. I think simpler is better.
Thank you! That was very informative. In my specific weight loss journey, intermittent fasting was the Only way that I was successful in significantly reducing my weight and improving my bio markers! But in my mind i always viewed it as a tool in my toolbox to improve my health and not the magic formula, and never was I fanatic about it which I think is a dangerous slippery slope. In my personal experience, when I over-indulged in my eating windows, my weight loss stalled, no matter if I was fasting or not. But I found that I rarely had the capacity or the temptation to over indulge, or over compensate with IF while this was very common when I used to calorie restrict without IF. So from that angle, IF had a special benefit in my personal experience. It also made my tracking of calories and macros much easier and more convenient, and it encouraged me to eat healthier and cook at home by avoiding to snack on ultra processed hyperpalative food when I am outside either on the road or at work. It was the perfect tool for my own busy lifestyle. Thanks again for the reality check though! I loved your style, demeanor and the emphasis on research findings, in the video! Please keep up the good work.. there is a lot of hype out there, and we as viewers need someone like you to intelligently dispel these myths! Definitely a new subscriber!
I did intermittent fasting for 2 years straight. Actually, time restricted feeding between 12 - 7pm. I was fine with it. I did some 48 - 72 hour fasts but after reading Valter Longos Longevity Diet book, following True North clinic, Loren Lockman etc .... A lot of time, effort and studying this, I now do 2 5 days water fasts per year. Once in May, once in August and I get a great reset from it, and its a great mental cleanse as well. My protocol is sipping water all day, monitoring blood pressure, checking for things like headache etc. Beyond that, a few times per month I will eat once per day and that is basically my protocol.
Love your videos! Seems the studies mentioned were more about weight loss, and that's well and good. I'd be curious to know if there are studies that focus more on the other so-called benefits of fasting, namely autophagy and mental clarity, which are often cited by those that practice intermittent and/or prolonged fasting.
Exactly.. and how about what the people being tested prefer. Do they prefer to restrict calories or just do IF. To me calorie restriction is too complicated to implement AND i would definitely get more hungry if ate frequently
Several studies he cited indicated that other IF benefits are not conclusive. As far as scientists are concerned IF may or may not have additional benefits. I'm doing 18/6 IF for about three months. Started IF, brunch and eating early dinner only, because of my indigestion problem. More exercise and eat a little less than before... Lost a few pounds. I didn't see any significant health improvement as other people's cases.
Thank you for the balanced review of all those miracles we want so desperately to believe in. Any updates in the intervening two years? Probably not surprising if not, because there is little money to be made in straightening out our eating habits unless someone is selling books or special supplements. An 8-16hr intermittent fasting plan, coupled with low carb helped me to lose 40 pounds over the last year, largely by forcing me to be mindful about what I ate when I could eat. Every body is different, however, and it is early in my re-education on nutrition so I will stay tuned! Edited to add that yes, I see you have a more recent video. Thank you!
16/8 fasting mixed with some keto healed my fatty liver. A 30 day follow up and my doctor was shocked. Fasting has helped me learn to eat when I’m hungry, not because it’s 8am and it’s time to have breakfast. Or it’s 5:30, dinner time. Your body will tell you what it wants.
My stubborn menopause weight only responded to intermittent fasting. My calorie intake is the same but I usually eat from 11am to 5pm and that finally started getting rid of the stubborn weight.
I’ve red that intermittent fasting (only eat between 12 and 7pm) has long term benefits by allowing your liver and other organs to rest for longer Would be nice to investigate!
This is a great video. I think both diets work based on the lifestyle of the individual. Because I am real busy during the day, it was easy for me to fast. I just would have a harder time counting calories. With fasting, in 6 months, I dropped 70lbs. But because fasting it easier to ignore the type of food you eat, it can still effect you negatively. My sugar was still high. So what I did was implement a ketogenetic diet, and morning yoga exercises, and my sugar dropped significantly. I also have way more energy and dropped some more weight. I am keeping tabs and seeing my doctor often, so I hope this continues to progress for me. But this video has great information for folks just jumping straight into intermediate fasting.
I don't agree. Fasting help to restore outdated and dead cells. By the way, what did he mean when he said 'Does intermittent fasting work?' is he saying fasting works for weight loss? Fasting is recommended for longevity, to starve cancer, and to protect ourselves from deadly diseases like diabetes 2.
I do a relaxed IF of 3 meals within a 10 hour window and 14 hours fasting. I think the advantage of IF is that the fasting window eliminates the late night and between meals snacking of junk food on top of regular eating. Add exercise to it and the weight comes off. It’s dieting on easy mode.
Instead of intermittent fasting or alternate day fasting, what about longer term fasting of 3+ days? Does fasting for 10 days kill off cancer cells or other autophagy claims?
As far as I know there isn't a method to quantify autophagy in humans. (yet?) Physical exercise also stimulates it. Cancer patients are in an increased risk of wasting away (okexia?), not sure how much fasting they should be doing.
I've lost 18 lbs in three weeks doing OMAD (one meal a day). I asked, 1), Is it due to reduced caloric intake? 2). Cleaner diet, mainly salad with eggs, veg, and berries with cream for desert? 3). Reduction of refined sugar.? Excellent video.. It encouraged me to continue on my path. I have food addiction problems. Reducing my intake to one hour a day is an effective way to combat the addiction.
One meal a day (OMAD) helped me pass a weight loss plateau and lose very hard 5 kilograms. After that I switched to fully vegan 🌱, whole-foods plant based, and found that I keep losing weight (in a slow but steady manner) so I stopped the fasting and keep enjoying my food 😉 Thanks a lot for the amazing videos as usual. And the reminder that meal timing is still relevant !
The benefits of fasting transcend fat loss and drive longevity factors such as autophagy and energy diversion. If the body is digesting only one load of food per day it can use the saved energy to heal the body.
So glad you back man! Another good one. Thanks! I do IF for years and started because of the things they said and what were based on animal data: longevity etc.. Nowdays I know - also from this great video - it just one way that works for me. Keep up the good work!
All diets work because people on diets eat consciously. They put it back on after because they stop eating consciously. To lose weight, walk more and think about what your eating.
I really don’t like these kind of videos because they discourage people. It’s true that intermittent fasting works by restricting calories. It’s also true about the fasting aspect as it gives your digestive system time to do it’s job. Both are true. Who cares which reason someone chooses to do this for. One meal a day will work for every human being on Earth. If your window is from 11am to 6pm, then intermittent fasting probably isn’t going to work. I disdain the idea that it’s better to remain obese than to lose weight for what you think are the wrong reasons.
You are just absolutely amazing! I admire the work you put into your content, thank you for removing barriers to healthy living-such a beautiful gift to the world. Thank you!!!!
Okay fair enough. But caloric restriction IS the benefit. Especially for a society that overeats and goes to restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory. You teach your body to temper its hunger urge. Those that criticize caloric restriction in terms of diet being unsustainable are referring to people who eat the same and try to exercise off additional calories. Intermittent fasting if based on caloric restriction is sustainable for me. I think benefits of giving your organs and hormonal systems a rest are probably not measurable in human studies but is certainly suggested by animal studies. Plus don’t we know that excess calories is inflammatory in general?
I was led to believe that in 2016 Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel prize in medicine for work on autophagy where the cellular recycling process occurs in human cells is activated when fasting - and that our cells would not survive without it. So stating that it was performed on lab mice only makes me question this statement of fact. thank you Dr.
Studies my foot. I lost 20 kilos doing 16 to 20 hrs IF for a few months. As well reduced carb intake. It has to be combination IF, type of food and exercise.
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The psychological benefit of time-restricted eating (e.g. 16:8) is the reason for the popularity and often not emphasized in papers. For myself and apparently many others, it is far easier to limit the hours of eating than to restrain yourself during a meal. Simple rules are the best rules for habit formation.
That's exactly right.
What Is 'Gall's Law'? Gall's Law states that all complex systems that work evolved from simpler systems that worked. If you want to build a complex system that works, build a simpler system first, and then improve it over time.
@Bob the absolute best thing we can do to promote autophagy is hard exercise. It free like starvation (intermittent fasting) but also requires effort and therefore not fancy topic for videos or books.
Totally agree! It's actually a lot more fun to do than eating less portion each meals
Tried IF eating only in a 6 hour window and 2 meals.
Put weight on.
I am now just eating less. Think it is working. Eat only breakfast and supper.
Measuring what I eat.
Not happy but feeling less bloated and am slowly losing weight
I engage in intermittent fasting which to me is fasting 16 hours per day. This still leaves me 8 hours in which to eat. And certainly part of the idea was to reduce calories. But also gives my organs and digestive system a rest. I lost 15 pounds and noticeable body fat. I'm keeping it off, not to mention I feel better. It's a way to eat I can stay on for the rest of my life. I get plenty of protein and have always worked out.
The biggest "special" advantage to time restricted eating over regular caloric restriction for me is that it helps me manage hunger better.
Fasting is not all about weight loss for me. It's about resting my system and getting regenerated. I feel amazing after my one day of fasting of the week. I sleep better and I have very vivid dreams. The next day I have a lot of energy and even a much better mood.
I did my first fasting (a week) 30 years ago before it was trendy.
Really people don't realize that when you fast your body is really finally able to relax digestion is labor intensive I agree with your ideas about fasting making your sleep so much better I mean just one day of fasting is so good for your sleep
@@arlenmargolin4868 "finally able to relax" - it's debatable. Does it need to? Does your heart have a brake? No. It's pumping all the time and resting is included to this process.
I think what you say is very good, but maybe you can add thinking about why digestion seems to be tough for you, do the fasting of course but also find those foods that make digestion tiring for you
@Anhedon yes they probably ate berries and bugs whenever they could during the day. Regardless, stop relying on evolutionary biology so heavily
@Cypher possibly? Were any of us around to know if they snacked all day? They would eat jerky, berries and nuts. Possibly munched on all throughout the day to sustain their energy.
Doing a 22.5/1.5 OMAD time restricted schedule has been a God send for me. No calorie counting & at least 90% plant based. The only sugar I use is in my morning coffee and very little then, once a day. Have lost 127 lbs. so far over 18 months. In 100% agreement with Perry.
And no side effects?
@@andriyandriychuk Besides losing weight, reducing the inflammation in my joints and becoming calmer and more relaxed, no. At this point I rarely eat animal products and if I do it's small fatty fish.
Yes to plant based!!! I vary my IF (16/8, 18/6, 20/4, no fasting on weekends, rest from exercise on Sunday). I am 62 years old and post-menopausal, 103 lbs., 20.1 BMI. I feel so much better with IF and plant based (mainly, but I occasionally have fish and eggs). No calorie counting either. My resistance training? Straight leg pushups and tricep dips, Pilates reformer and cadillac.
I OMAD rarely but skip breakfast every day. Lifesaver for this human - and OMAD produces even better results.
Not in it for the calories, in it for the energy (and general health).
@@peterb31 I doubt gordon brown is doing keto on a plant-based diet. Also, if it's only good for people if they are also doing keto, it undermines the purported value of it not requiring such limitations. Which doesn't mean that people don't eventually add them as their discipline grows and their attachment to low nutrient foods wanes.
Assuming all forms of calorie restriction are equal, one thing that isn’t being discussed is sustainability. Restricting calories is excruciating for me. I’m eating food I’m not terribly fond of and I stop eating arbitrarily, often when I’m still hungry. It’s excruciating and miserable. Then I find the resistance to snacking extremely difficult. With IF (16:8) my eating is time restricted, not calorie restricted. When I’m not eating, I simply don’t eat. I don’t have to worry about healthy snacks or overeating between meals. When I do eat, I eat until I am satisfied. For me, IF is far more sustainable way to restrict calories and manage my diet.
that's a good reason to do it!!
I agree 100%. I have done diets over the years with good results, but the problem is that they have not been sustainable. Last year In January I started IF and borderline Keto (i.e. restrict carbs to less than 30g per day). At 64yr old I went from 95Kg to about 80Kg by June. Since then I went back to a near normal carb intake, but trying to cut back on excessive snacks or sweets. What I have continued with is IF of about 18:6. What I really like about IF is that I don't feel hungry and at dinner I don't limit myself on what I eat, but eat until satisfaction. I have so far been maintaining my weight and feel very confident that I can keep this up for the rest of my life.
if you find fasting too hard, just don't do it. There is nothing special about it. Eating in a caloric deficit if your goal is fat loss will work just as well as anything else.
Fasting teaches you not to respond to every last impulse to eat. That is a huge benefit I don't hear many talk about. That training stayed with me after a two-week trial of IF; I have maintained my weight loss, am not tempted to eat the way I did before.
IF is restricting calories 🤦♂️
I feel great with IF (18/6 and 20/4), low carb/no sugar. No bloating, clarity of mind, and I feel great. Not overweight just doing it to feel better. Don’t like sweet food so that helps.
I’ve done IF for most of my life. Didn’t know it was IF.
I did OMAD two day a week for religious reasons and I lost weight so easy, even though I would eventually eat bad food. That massive caloric deficit covered all my mistakes and it was easy sailing. I did it for religious and self-disciplinary reasons, but was greatly pleased by the side effect of weight loss. I went from 240 to 175 over the span of maybe a year.
I tried IF and I felt great. I don't care what others tell me, it's how it affects me. I'm my own Doctor. I lost weight, I dropped my blood sugar, my cholesterol is down, I eat better in my 18:6/16/8 routine, I sleep better, I started dreaming again, I think clearer and I don't feel as hungry anymore. I encourage people to try it and I endorse it. But obviously it's not for everyone - pregnant women, people who have eating disorders etc. The proof is in the pudding
Newbie here, I needed to drop 25 to 30 lbs and this is at 61 yrs old.
Fasting worked for me. But in reality it's nothing more than eating less.
Fasting put eating less into an easy to follow regimen.
I follow an 18/6 plan, skipping breakfast.
But I also cut the garbage, I cut grazing and only eat good healthy foods.
It was a big change but one on it I have no issues.
I lost 26 lbs in 48 days and now I'm in maintenance mode.
No sugar, red meat, dairy, wheat and most grains, I'm eggs, chicken and veggies.
I'll have some cheese when I make like keto pizza or other keto meals requiring cheese.
I'm not craving food like I used to and going 18 to 24 hrs without a meal is easy now.
Best I've felt in years.
Hello from Chile.
Fasting worked for me to lower insulin resistance and stay fit. I live with it and i am healthier.
For the first 15 months of fasting, I was strict about eating super clean, but ate between 3 and 9 pm. I feared starting to start eating earlier, because I didn’t think I would have the self control to stop eating earlier.
Once I got my weight where I wanted it, I switched from 18-6 to 16-8, about 11am-7pm , 3 meals, less focus on omega3 and a bit more carbs but with no snacking between meals and no water after 7 to help with sleep.
I started fasting because of pinched nerves in my feet and pre diabetes. Thanks to fasting, eating a mostly paleo, organic diet, and so many different people’s help, I’ve reversed a very high percent of my health issues resolved
So, what do you think about saturated fat? As I know in paleo you eat mostly saturated fat and most people say that it is bad for your health.
@@alisherxolmirzayev4203 To the best of my understanding, grass fed butter and MCT oil benefits outweigh their risk. Pasture raised pork (including bacon) profile is almost as stark compared to other, but is not very accessible.
Otherwise, I limit sat fats.
Could you please make a video over intermittent and extended fasting that DOESNT have to do only with weight loss. I think a lot of us here would like to hear your thoughts on fasting for other benefits like metabolic rest and potential for immune system benefits. Thank you! 😌
I was curious about the same thing
Yes, please, and what about autophagy. That's why I do it, but recently heard Peter Attia cast doubt on whether a 16 hr- 20 -hr fast has triggers autophagy.
@@WendyWahman link to that video or name of the video?
Same. I have no need to lose weight, but I'm interested in the possibility for reduced inflammation and improved digestion.
Unfortunately if there isn’t a paper on it he won’t comment on it. But so many other benefits that those of us who fast can attest to.
Having IBS initiated by Gilbert’s Syndrome, i find the fasting can rest my digestive system and allow me to break an attack and get some respite. It feels like it resets things somewhat.
Great videos; thankyou!
Me too
Yesss!!!! Same
Intermittent fasting for me has been THE way to cut caloric consumption, because I've learned to adapt to the initial feelings of hunger in ways other than stuffing my face. Over time, and not all that much time, I've grown to be comfortable living this way, and am comparatively free of food cravings as a result. Hungry never means really ravenous any more.
I don't think I could have done this on a high-carb diet, however. Cut carbs, don't fear the right fats, eat enough protein and do weights, not just cardio--that has been my recipe.
In this way, IF certainly CAN be "superior" to just cutting calories on a continuous eating schedule--despite the technical conclusion to the contrary of some studies--because it is far less likely to result in a feeling of regular deprivation, simpler in execution, and not a struggle at all to continue indefinitely--at least for those of us who have adopted it. That may well be why it is popular. I vary my fasts as they fit the day. Basically never shorter than 16 hours, never longer than 24. Probably average in the 19-21 range. 1-2 meals in the "feeding window." When I do eat, I don't worry at all about total calories--just try to get the right balance of healthy, broadly spread and sourced low-carb foods, more or less on each meal, with plenty of fiber. The one thing I don't do, though, because I have a family, is eat my main meal earlier in the day in harmony with my "circadian rhythm." Instead, it's during a early dinner with the gang, and I don't eat for several hours thereafter before bed. I also do have about 4 eggs/week, though, and also eat animal protein, usually but not always lean, without worrying very much about either. Bio markers all in good ranges so far. In fact, almost all of them are better than the last time I had a panel, before starting IF. LDL cholesterol is up somewhat, but still well within the normal range.
Living this way, I've dropped 30 pounds or so. I actually don 't know the exact number because I tried IF not so much to lose weight, but to gain more control in my relationship with food, so I didn't even weigh myself when I started. I wasn't clinically obese, or even close to it, but I wanted to feel more in charge of my hunger. And IF has done the trick for me.
I've ended up pretty lean by any reasonable measure, so now it's just maintenance. I'm interested to see whether I can add muscle tissue on IF. We'll see.
Yeah I've had a similar experience
doing 16/8 just makes it so much easier for me to eat less carlories. My cravings for crap and junk food are totally gone.
I found that it comes really naturally for me. I've never gotten hungry in the morning... I only ate breakfast because that's what people said you were supposed to do.
I've actually been needing to get myself to eat more because I was losing *too much* weight lol. I'm working on adding muscle currently as well
That was my case in the first year of IF and low-carb. Then, in the second year, the Hb1C increased and the cholesterol figures are well beyond the normal. Now, I am planning to do my blood work every 4-6 months and increase the carbs and exercising, while decreasing the butter and eggs intake.
I did fasting on a high carb diet and got excellent results.
@@asociatiaademed7417 I think you missed all the new information on butter and eggs butter does not make you fat, eggs are totally okay doctors that are totally healthy are eating three and four a day with four strips of bacon everyday and in perfect shape check out Dr Eric Berg he's been eating three and four eggs a day with five strips of bacon for 20 years and all his blood work comes out perfect
@@arlenmargolin4868 Butter and eggs increase the cholesterol by 10%-20%. It is true that most of the cholesterol is made by the body, but this accounts for only 80%, not for 100%. The cholesterol values have nothing to do with the body fat. There are skinny persons who have high cholesterol.
It is also true that there is no precise association between cholesterol values and cardio-vascular diseases risk. But is also equally true that there is no proof that such an association cant exist.
The cholesterol values of Berg's wife are far outside the recommended levels, although I agree that there is nothing clear in those recommended values.
I have to stress that there are no scientific proof for any of Berg's statement. They are all based on judgment alone. For most of his statements is to early to assess whether they are beneficial or detrimental on long term.
For the time being, I can only say that on short to medium term keto diet looks as a convenient path to eliminate insulin resistance. However, periodic checks should be performed to make sure that there is no negative impact in other parts of the metabolism.
===
Moderation is the key, in my personal view. I can say that 2 eggs a day may be safe (proving there is one day a week without eggs), bacon-yes, but nor a bacon-intensive diet and so on.
There is also a need for exercising, good sleep and socializing. Keto is not a miracle diet, anyway.
I do 16/8. I simply skip the breakfast. This greatly increases my morning productivity.
Saying that you're intermittent fasting is a great way to get out of eating garbage on social occasions or work. When someone brings in donuts and cookies, and you're the only one not eating them, saying you're IF works great!
can't argue with that strategy :)
Well said. Time restricted feeding is a great form of self discipline, especially for those who were sugar addicted. Going low (refined) carb has nearly eliminated my sugar cravings, but it isn’t always easy.
@@Nicksonian Obviously it is impossible to plan for every contingency but around holidays I try to keep a supply of bananas on hand in case of cakes/cookies. In the event I feel overwhelmed and on the verge of cheating I grab a banana and a cup of black coffee. It is “dessert-ish” enough to take the edge of for most sweets cravings. Although if someone at work brings in cannolis from Termini Bros. all bets are off. I am having a cannoli. 😂
Lol yes so true. And easier to explain than saying I’m kosher
@@Nicksonian CC.
I fast Mondays each week 24-26 hours.. I don’t up my calories after, and Monday is my cardio and weight training day, I feel full of energy and works for me. Along with low carbs after 14 months I’m down 120 lbs.
I worked up to 24 hour fast ( 2, months to get there)
IF worked for me I lost 77 pounds in 9 months I was 235 pounds got down to 158 pounds, my A1C was 13.5 after the 9 months it was reduced to 5 and I was able to exercise and run 8 miles at the age of 59 years old the same distance that I trained for track and field in the off season when I was 18 years old in high school after 41 years , intermittent fasting works and it has made me a skeptic because it’s free and so many people have gotten tremendous benefits and I feel medical professionals who trash it maybe in bed with big pharma , and the food companies because it threatens their bottom line , I’m off my diabetes, high blood pressure medications if more people do IF and see those results big pharma and the food industry they would go bankrupt .
Completely agree sir. OMAD is working wonders for me as well.
Basically I found that eating in an 8 hour window every day helped me drop 45 pounds over 18 months. I now eat in that same way and I balance carbs and animal foods about 75-25 and am maintaining my weight at 133 to 138 lbs. My 8 hour window begins at 11am; ends at 7pm because it fits my daily schedule. I have cut out sugar and all processed foods and grow my own microgreens and eat significantly reduced pasture raised animal proteins and organic carbs whenever possible. As someone motivated by my conditions of heart disease and CVD, this style of IF has been a God send. I am immersed in your unbiased presentations and find them extremely helpful in assessing how I approach my health. Thanks.
I started 16:8 back in Feb. along with regular weight lifting. My body weight has not changed at all, however my waistline has reduced by a full 12cms. Very happy with that outcome!
Muscle weighs more than fat.
When you build up muscle you can weight more on the scale while still loosing inches
Niiice!
I have started 16:8 in march, now at the end of september I have almost -20kg (from 113 to almost 93). The key is also being - no snacking junk. Nothing else changed in diet.
*** Dr. Jason Fung has entered the chat ***
16/8 has worked very well for me. I have been on it for 7 years, and I have consistently lost about 10 pounds, which is not an easy task. Having a fixed eating window also helps me cut way down on the night time snacking, which is super unhealthy. I'm a black coffee drinker in the morning, this helps tremendously with being able to skip breakfast.
I'm not sure if it was intermittent fasting or the caloric restriction that came with it but one benefit I noticed that wasn't discussed here was...
The ability to break away from what I would call craving addiction.
After certain amount of time of intermittent fasting, I no longer felt like I was being deprived and I lost the cravings for the sugar loaded highly processed junk food had snuck into my diet.
Hmmm. .i had the same experience. I actually thought that getting rid off the cravings had something to do with me changing my diet to a vegetarian/ Mediterranean/ no junk food diet. Not sure labels apply to my diet or to the fasting. I just eat my last meal of the day no later than 3 pm and i do have breakfast first thing in the morning. But i noticed almost immediately the cravings were gone. ( once the chsnges were i.plemented) Also I reached my ideal weight.
Great insight. Been intermittent fasting for sometime and I completely agree with you.
Exactly. For me that has been the number 1 benefit of IF. I basically have lost all desire to gorge in a chocolate cake as an example. I tried every possible diet prior to IF and the cravings never disappeared. I know now I can have a slice of cake at a birthday party and not feel any need to go for seconds. I also feel like I have more energy and the little things in life don’t bother me as much anymore.
Totally the same what I am experiencing during now 10 weeks of 16/8 intermittent fasting and a vegetable focused diet. Not vegan or vegetarian, still eat some meat, eggs, cheese, but I am primarily eating a lot of vegetables, and also a bit of whole grain like oats and rye, a few nuts and a few berries. I've been losing around 1 kilo of weight per week and doing some moderate weight and cardio excessive (running, on stairs, biking) for around 30 min or so per day. Visibly a slight muscle growth, noticeable leaner appearance overall, including my face which is a very nice bonus, I think I look a lot better which is a wonderful boost to self confidence and motivation to keep doing this. I used to have a proportionally larger tummy compared to my body size, which clearly high amounts of both visceral and subcutaneous fat. In the 10 weeks this has almost all but vanished. There's still some left, it seems like this may be the last fat that the body sheds, but at this point I feel like im 85% there before reaching the point where I need to shed no more fat and can increase my calories during the eating window or even increase the eating window maybe an hour or two.
im omad myself. the thing is that. with normal eating habit. and like video said. with just eating less. you solely depend on your will power. and will break eventually.
theres a youtuber explained this phenomenon. will power for a loser
so what we can do? just eliminate the use of will power altogether. in form of intermitten fasting. thats why IF is super powerful. easy to do and most ppl have succeed.
any diet is the best if you can stick with it
I think a lot of the appeal of IF is that it is likely not bad for you, at a minimum, and is really convenient. Also, I know this is just an anecdote, but I find I can think more clearly when I haven't had food yet, and I have read many other ppl saying the same thing.
Yeah when I was on 20 hr IF, my concentration went from borderline ADD to laser precision, it was nuts, and you don’t really notice it until your off the rails looking back like, whoah, I was in the zone
I’m the opposite. I have so much more mental clarity after I’ve eaten. I just have barely any patience when I’m hungry.
@@cookiediangelo8511 How do you feel when you are not hungry and haven't eaten yet? Do you still have worse mental clarity?
@@mannikrupp5228 I'd be interested to understand the duration of these studies wrt cognitive performance. Is it the short-term gain of eating that works to improve brain function (I'm not a doctor, I barely understand this topic), which will lead to a "mental crash" an hour-or-so later? Vs the non-eating person who has "longer term" / "all afternoon" mental energy?
@@mannikrupp5228 I wonder what data you are referring to? As far as I know, fasting improves cognitive performance through several pathways. It seems to stimulate BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor). Also, it acticates sirtuins, which are "survival genes" and which also seem to cause alertness. There are probably more factors at play, too.
I've been fasting intermittently for years, before it even had a name. That's because I don't like eating late at night and I like having breakfast late in the morning. So I automatically end up with a fasting period of 16 hours. Maybe you could also call it intuitive eating, because it came naturally to me.
I love the way everything is explained. I do more prolonged fasting. Usually, 48 hrs, 72 hrs, 120 hrs and more. I am more insulin sensitive. I don't look at the calories, I have plenty stored, I started the journey last Feb. 2022 from 260 lbs to 180 lbs today (August). I am a trial by itself. I believe in autophagy, in human form. To achieve, it you need 48 hrs and more fasting hours. The biggest take away is that my A1c went from 11 last Feb. 2022 to 5.5 just last month. It works you just need to believe that refined sugar and refined processed carbohydrates made us all more sick than having natural forms of sugar in what we ate.
Insanity
As opposed to autophagy in...Great Ape form?
I also know another way to lose weight quickly. Cut off your legs! Guaranteed result.
What I found was eating two meals a day widely spaced worked well for me. That gave blood sugar levels and fasting insulin time to drop to baseline levels prior to the next meal. AND YES, I ate fewer calories. I found once past the first week it was easy to do. So, I ate my first meal at 10:00 AM and my last at 6:00 PM and bed by 10:00 PM. There have been days where I ate a snack of about 200 calories between those two meals, but that is rare.
This works well for me as well.
Good video. I've been doing OMAD for a month now with keto and low carb dieting. As well as full body workouts, with sufficient protein intake, and I have lost 30lbs. I've never felt so great in my life. You should do some videos about what actually happens on a cellular level with fasting, if there is enough science based evidence on it.
I did that in my late 40's and I never felt better in my life. The fasting gave me energy for explosive full body workouts with compound sets without feeling hungry.
Who cares what happens to your cells when you can list up 83,000 rAnDomIzEd CliNicaL TriALs!
I did that for 10 years , felt great but eventually that raise my BP to 140/90 and early signs of CV disease. So be careful in the long run. Had to go WFPBSOSF and after 18 months stopped pills and after 2 years BP down to 105/70.
@@stan8926 WCRBGDEF what??
@Jake Salvador
Why do you say "Good video"?
The video did not support any of what you experienced.
the best and honest approach about how to look upon all those things through which influencers/salesman promote their hidden interests
The reason why I try to limit my time eating to 8 or 9 hours a day is because I find it has trained my body to regulate blood sugar highs and lows better. I used to feel ravenous at times and now I never feel that way. I just feel better in general. Intermittent fasting hasn't helped me lose weight by itself. I have to reduce calories at the same time to get any improvement. Love your content! It has been very helpful in rebuilding my trust of the medical community.
That borderline a normal eating pattern.
Breakfast 9am
Lunch 1.30pm
Supper 6pm
Intermittent fasting, which I started with 12 hours fasting and before I knew it was 16-18 hours. I do not have hunger, but I force my self to eat one to two meals a day. I eat enough to feel full. I limit the sugar. I keep changing what I eat, because I get tired of the same foods quickly. I lost 50 lbs in the last 2 years. I make my own pineapple vinegar which is similar to apple cider vinegar, that is a game changer.
Thanks 🙏🏻, obviously because of the different metabolism, rats and human cannot be compared, 16 hours fasting for a 🐀 is a tremendous metabolic challenge.
IF brings a re-education of the bad eating habits we have developed in the last 40 years.
I've been experimenting with fasting for several years now (2x/week, 1x/week, alternate day). They've all contributed to pretty dramatic weight loss, but they've all been challenging to implement. Looking back, probably the greatest benefit has been my reduced appetite overall. Whereas before I used to eat three meals per day, now I only eat two, I feel full more easily, and tend not to eat past full (i.e., overeat). Where I only used to go into ketosis only on fasting days, it now happens practically every day because I've just naturally reduced the amount I eat, and don't feel deprived at all. I'm 62 and feel healthier that I've ever felt in my life, but I'm obliged to point out that I also switched to a vegetarian diet when I started fasting, and have been consistently doing aerobic and strength training.
Lol that sounds like great evidence for the benefits of more plants, exercise and strength building!
Have you had a calcium heart scan to see if you have any plaque?
@@Hanover-ek4jy Yes! My coronary calcium score is zero!
@@anonimushbosh Yes, I agree. I credit all three for my good health.
I reversed my type 2 diabetes with OMAD. Now, I am convinced that my remission was probably just caused by my weight loss. I dropped from 174 to 142 in about 10 weeks.
I find it much much easier to just leave a meal out than concentrate on every meal to stop before I feel I got enough.
I maintained training and added walking during 16/8 fasting and left out all concentrated carbs.
It worked like magic I don't care if it was calorie deficit. It just worked.
Valter Longo talks about his 3-5 day fasting or "fast mimicking" protocols for improving autophagy and adjusting IGF-1 levels. I'd love to hear what you can find about that. Including perhaps an interview with him.
IF may work for some. I eat a regular diet and I've lost a significant amount of bodyfat. I say find what works for you. One size does not fit all! Excellent video!Thanks
We'll have to agree to disagree. I actually didn't intentionally fast. I am particularly busy on my FB awareness page each June. Two years ago I kept posting later and later i.e. pushing back breakfast. Half way through June I wondered why my stomach was flat and did some research. I'd never heard of IF prior to this. My dodgy knee and hip is a thing of the past as is my brain fog and GERD. I haven't lost a lot of weight but I've regained muscle and gone down a few sizes in clothes. I am almost 70, have no health issues I know of and don't take any medications. I fast 18 or 19 hours a day every day, eat two medium sized meals with no snacks and don't have to bother about calories. I truly wish I'd stumbled across this year's ago...I've never felt so well.
There no agree to disagree as he’s all on the science and what I like about him is how he will change based on the newest paper. Look at his recent posts on this where he’s like oh wow it works….. now that may change again lol. I’m with you in terms of how my own body responds to IF btw
@@britpopification yeah but there’s a downside to that too, science is slow and time consuming it also makes mistakes regularly and is not 100%, intermittent fasting had been beneficial for 100 if not thousands of years but scorned hadn’t declared it healthy, so following the science can actually keep you behind the curb, in saying that it’s always best to inform yourself with the latest data, you need to use a combination of objective and anecdotal subjective information applied with critical thinking, unfortunately though most people- including many drs are philosophically ignorant when it comes to epistemology.
How did you gain muscle without doing anything that is required to build muscle?
@@Vgallo We follow science because fundamentally anecdotal data doesn't tell us anything useful. Firstly because often things just get better on their own without any intervention, but anecdotally we tend to associate the improvement with some change we made. Secondly because people are very bad at tracking all the changes they made. They might believe all they did was start fasting, but in fact they also increased their overall protein intake and became more active or they increased their sleep, etc. Then we also have consider that an intervention may have hidden downsides. Fasting is a good example of something that may have hidden harmful effects.
We know from research that telling parents their children have been given sugar results in them rating their children as difficult and hyperactive. We also know that telling someone who believes they're gluten intolerant that they have ingested gluten causes them to develop symptoms and vice versa they develop no symptoms when they unknowingly ingest gluten. Now of course if fasting is otherwise harmless then there is nothing wrong with someone making themselves feel better by doing it, but we'd need science to know the potential risks. And as many harmful practices teach us sometimes it is better be behind the curve.
There is a simple and powerful superiority of IF: it is a very easy method. You save time, money, nerves and anxiety. You don't have to count calories and you get to enjoy a good meal without feeling guilty of possible over-eating. You never feel hungry and food is not your problem or enemy. And your weight just drops off with no noticeable efforts - something that is very hard done (not impossible, but just hard) when trying to count calories in order not to eat too much. I started IF about a year ago and I don't intend to stop it ever. BTW, I just wanted to become less dependent of my constant food cravings. I didn't even dream of losing much weight. But I got rid of over 25 kilograms of body weight, my blood test shows significantly better results and I feel wonderful.
This is the first I've ever heard the idea that intermittent fasting in itself causes weight loss. I've used it in the past as an aid to restrict calories. Eating less often is suppose to suppress hunger and your body isn't constantly producing glucose from constantly eating small meals. I chose to eat two meals a day in a six hour period and fast for 18 hours. Even though I was in a caloric deficit, I felt energetic which made it possible for me to have daily explosive workouts. For me it seemed sustainable day to day where I always felt tired and hungry on regular reduced calorie diets.
18 hour fasting is sustsainable, great for weight management, and you can eat whatever you like. I have been doing it for two years and always maintain my ideal weight. I eat from 8am-2pm, then fast for 18 hours. My breakfast is at 8am, and my dinner is at 2pm. Done. I do drink water to stay hydrated during the evening.
I don’t actually care about rat studies and if it is applicable to humans or not. IF works for me. First, it is easier for me just do 16/8 or 18/6 than count calories. plus, on IF, there is no hunger as it could be on caloric restriction. Normally, I skip breakfast and just drink warm water until lunch which is around 12-1 pm then dinner around 6-7pm. Feel better than before and stay at desired weight.
You talk a lot about calories. I stopped eating when I wasn't hungry so I don't eat breakfast. I stopped eating processed sugar and dramatically reduced my intake of processed carbs. It was never about weight loss, but better health. I immediately had better health (lower cholesterol so not on statin meds and thyroid function improved and now not taking thyroxine). I have lost a surprising amount of weight, but it was reducing the sugar and simply eating when hungry that caused the change. I feel better. The bloods show my health is better. It was easy to do and continue. I'm actually eating more, so can highly recommend this. It's not a diet, I'm not rigid about the food but pay attention to nutrition. My GP is happy!
his take on people being sedatantary on fasting days is actually spot on.. you will lose muscle mass if you do so.. but if you workout on fast days your body will preferentially burn fat rather than breaking down musle.. just writing what i have felt by doing n=1 experiment
For me the benefit of restricting my feeding to 10 or 11 hours per day (last food by 6) is that I sleep better.
Another thing I've noticed is that if I eat a high glycemic index food for breakfast, like quick oatmeal, I have bad hunger cravings the next morning. And sometimes the same night. Slower food for breakfast like steel cut oats or beans don't have that effect.
Hello!
What do you think about the benefits of long fastings?
My own experience was pretty positive. I fast for 13 days when I was told about the return of a lymphoma cancer 7 years ago, the results on the tep scanner were very interesting, with the disappearance of most of the traces in the body (sorry about my lack of english vocabulary in this field :) )
Greetings from France
Was it a water fast our vege juice fast you did? 😊
@@1973sophia Hello
It was an only water fasting 😉
Wow, I'd love to hear more about these cases. What caused you to go on a fast, was it in response to the cancer, or something you did on a regular basis?
Lovely video! You are the best science based nutrition video content I have ever come across, thank you!
balanced, rational, interesting as always great video Dr. thank you very much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Amen to that. I’ve watched hundreds of TH-cam videos and read books. NMS is the most balanced, authoritative, rational, believable source I’ve found…and being a retired journalist, I take such things very seriously. Sadly, you can’t pay any attention to popular media when it comes to health and nutrition.
I deeply appreciate that, George! :)
@@NutritionMadeSimple My pleasure. Before I fell down this rabbit hole of divergent nutritional advice, I was a moderate thinking the Mediterranean diet offered the most benefits. I read The Case Against Sugar and Blue Zones years ago. I followed Fuhrman, Gregor, and the like. But then keto started to take over my brain, and then the very convincing Diet Doctor people got me thinking about increased-protein keto. Dr. Berry, Berg, Ekberg, preach bacon and eggs. Sisson, Binkman, Perlmutter, Taubes, etc. are go, go keto. But now that I’ve come across your channel, I’m thinking I was right to begin with. Interesting that I find Mediterranean so appealing. Keep up the good work.
IF is alpha and omega. If paired with physical activity the results are magical. No confusion, I have tested it from the year 2020 to date.
I love the science and data he gives. I like that he breaks down the evidence. I’ve been doing IF for almost a year. It’s helped keep my insulin and blood sugar levels down. Thanks for the info!
I found that, for me, fasting taught me how to feel hunger but not respond by eating and this even felt pleasurable. So, your review does not take that into account because calorie intake was controlled by external factors. I believe fasting increases mastery over one’s own caloric intake.
Absolutely. Learning not to give in to cravings and using time to restrict calories are really important for long term weight management.
Insulin regulation and aiding the body to use fat as the primary energy source seems an added benefit.
@@chrisemblen7812 “using fat as the primary energy source” is not an added benefit, it’s just biology and calories. Yes, it may be using fat more for energy, but that doesn’t mean you’re losing any more than you would by eating a bit less food in a day, especially after he talked about the study displaying a greater amount of lean mass loss than fat mass
It's hard to convey in words how incredible the content of this channel is. Gil goes far beyond nutritional science to touch on topics such as psychology, epistemology, and much more. A rare gold mine on TH-cam.
Glad you enjoy it! :)
The loss of lean mass confirms what I suspected was creating an issue for me when I incorporated intermittent fasting into my life. Here's my experience and thoughts on much of what you touched on, but not in the order you addressed the topic. I have historically exercised a lot but hadn't for close to a year before starting again, which also included intermittent fasting. I exercise a lot, including cardio (mostly running) and weight training. My intermittent fasting was initially influenced mainly by Dr. Berg at the time. If I wasn't hungry, I didn't eat. I fasted every day for between 16-24 hours. It wasn't difficult as I rarely experienced hunger pains. I lost weight fast and put on some muscle, but I did not get anywhere near the hypertrophy I was accustomed to in the past. I just couldn't get my physique back.
But I liked that I seemed to exercise better in a fasted state. While not gaining the hypertrophy I was expecting, I was still throwing around a lot of weight, and I do mean throwing. I experienced periods of intense stamina and strength output. But I never got past my historical personal bests. For example, I'd start my bench press by warming up with 135 lbs, which was a struggle. I would then work my way up and back down, finishing with 135 lbs again. But on this 12th or 13th set, I would suddenly experience an intense infusion of energy and strength. I was literally throwing the weight. The plates were bouncing, and I would have thrown the weight up in the air if I didn't maintain a grip. And I did this for many reps. It was crazy. I'd never experienced anything like this before. This happened while in a fasted state. But I didn't outwardly appear to be gaining any muscle mass. I was more cut but not bigger.
While doing this, I was also running close to every day. I had my best run of the summer, up until that point, while in the 16th hour of my fast. I started with a little hunger, but that quickly faded when I began my run. After which, I fasted for another two hours before I began to feel hunger pains returning. In both examples, my understanding is that I drew on my glycogen reserves to achieve the bursts of energy and strength and also kill the hunger pains, temporarily.
The intermittent fasting also greatly affected my mood. I often experienced a natural high. I'd feel giddy. It also reduced my social anxiety greatly. I was eating two small meals a day. My diet consisted of: a green smoothie with a 1/2 cup steamed spinach, an avocado, half a green apple, non fortified nutritional yeast, veggie based protein, and coconut milk. Lots of eggs, and salmon. Sometimes tacos, including the nutritional yeast.
Hard training and performance requires high levels of blood glucose. I’m going through a similiar phase right now (16/8, 2 meals, no snacks) but find on balance I have to eat high carb meals to perform, reducing a lot of the leafy greens. The other problem is the body only absorbs 25g of protein per hour, which may indicate eating round the clock is better for recovery and muscle growth.
Another great video. 16/8 IF combined with occasional 42h fast helped me drop 50 pounds (and to keep them off now for over two years). I take the point that this is probably just because of calorie restriction. However constant calorie restriction makes me miserable while fasting is very easy, especially skipping breakfast. So it is a game changer from an adherence perspective (for me and my family at least).
Random point for thought: in all these weight loss studies, it would extremely helpful if people tracked how far people are below their "highest ever weight". My point is that if I enrolled into an IF study tomorrow, I would not lose any weight (given weight set point). But had I enrolled in the same study two years ago, I would have lost a lot coming from an unhealthy diet. The starting point is hugely important but to my knowledge never tracked.
It is obvious, that calories are the only culprit here. But it is much easier not to overeat when you are intermittent fasting.
Another one swung out of the ballpark, fantastic video Dr. Gil! Thank you!
Thanks!
That protein note is so important. It’s been found that eating protein first in a meal makes one feel sated and full a lot longer, making it easier to take that 8 or so hour fast in the middle of the day
May there be a difference between ADF and other specific time types of IF?
Many proponents recommend something like a 16-18hr fasting window
Perhaps extension of the window beyond a certain point may slow metabolism, to a point that negates the advantage it has over basic energy restriction.
Just as caloric inclusion is important in studies - fasting window should be assessed at different time intervals, yes?
Excellent video. I do IF plus gym work and have lost a lot of weight. I thought at first that it was due to some special thing in IF. Thanks to your video I now think that my weight loss is mainly due to calorific restriction over 9 months. But - IF is easier in the sense that it is easier to manage.
I think this is an excellent summary of Intermittent Fasting. There is so much hype out there that it is good to get a balanced perspective. For what it is worth I had been coming to similar conclusions - IF is no better than calorie restricted eating for losing weight. What I did get out of this was the importance of continuing exercise when doing IF, otherwise fat loss will be worse than with simple calorie restriction. What I do like about IF is that it is simple to follow, in my case eat one day and fast the next. Have only been doing it for a couple of weeks and have dropped 5kg from being only slightly overweight at the start.
I’d like to see a study considering the psychological impact of fasting. For many it may be a good way to train the mind and limit compulsive eating habits.
i use IF simply because it's easier for me than to check every meal, i.e. what you said around 11:00
with IF i can restrict intake without sacrificing too much processing-time. also, enjoying two meals fully for me is better than enjoying three meals a little.
I've come to accept that the main benefit of IF is the associated caloric restriction. For me, this has been worth it. I have lost many extra pounds over many months and this feeding schedule has now become a healthy life habit.
Another great vídeo. Unbiased analysis of current scientific literature. Thanks for digesting it for us (pun intended) :-)
I like way he adopted an analytical approach to the research. Sometimes I think research findings sre just glibly quoted without looking at methodology or possible bias. Surely whether someone follows IF,TRE or calorie restriction the plan must suit the individual and their lifestyle ensuring long term commitment?
Like others have already said, I feel IF makes it easier for some people to lower calorie intake and even reduce them more than what they'd be able to achieve without IF. I saw you mention it in another video comparing studies, that how easy each person found it to stick to their respective eating guidelines was an important factor. After watching a lot of content on IF I gotta say there are a lot of 'markers' one can measure in terms of benefits or results from IF and they depend on what other conditions one applies: keto, plant based, low-carb? Excercise or not? More cardio or more resistance training? Taking care of sleeping habits? etc etc...
"The thing that worked for me has to work for everyone else". That's probably the most important point. Lots of videos imply that there is a magic bullet to fix your problems. Our bodies are too complicated for that. I started seeing a doctor for weight loss and pre-diabetes. I was put on an extremely low carb/low sugar diet and I'm no longer pre-diabetic and 80 lbs lighter (still have a ways to go before I'm no longer obese). Whenever someone asks me what my secret is, the first thing I say is that I went to a doctor and they told me what to do... And we tweak it often. The rules my doctor gave me are for me, based on my specific blood work, personal, and family history, and progress at that specific point in time. Sure lots of it is probably good advice for everyone (exercise for example) but others were based on the fact I was almost diabetic and 335 lbs. Dietary restrictions that I followed were good for me because my body wasn't processing sugar properly. For a different person I suspect those same restrictions may cause as much harm as good. This is why we've slowly tweaked things as my health has improved - I'm not the same as I was when this all started.
I have been using intermittent fasting for about 10 months. Lost 40lbs, but that is probably due to the removal of most carbs as well and calorie restriction. For me, it's just easier to reduce overall calorie intake with fasting than just eating less over multiple meals. The other benefit, is the subjective, but consistent feelings I have when deep into an 18hr+ fast. I feel a rush of alertness, energy, and general well being that just stays the whole day, and when I do eat, I don't have that sluggishness afterward. Some of the psychological benefit is due to added self-esteem from succeeding at a self-imposed discipline, which I think is a highly valuable life skill. There is also the joy of eating when you have abstained for so long. You can eat whatever you want guilt-free, because you have earned the right. Purely psychological, but an enjoyed benefit.
I’d like to see the effect of each method on longevity, because that’s the benefit I’ve heard touted most about intermittent fasting. The fact that it matches calorie restriction in terms of fat loss did not surprise me at all.
Now that I’ve been intermittent fasting for a couple years, I find that I prefer not eating all day. It reduces the need to plan meals and increases mental clarity.
Not all of us practice intermittent fasting for weight loss, and it's unfortunate that so much emphasis is placed on that. When you eat real, nutrient-dense food (meat, fish, eggs, cheese) and avoid all processed foods and sugar, wheat, and grains (low carb), your body is happy and at the correct weight.
Also, cholesterol is a critical part of good health. We couldn't function without it. All the hype about good and bad cholesterol was a pharmaceutical lie to sell drugs.
Eating less often, not less, is the crux of fasting, because digestion is labor intensive. When you fast, your body has time to go into repair mode. There's your benefit.
Not only that, it helps with insulin resistance and to me, it helped me to control my apetite. which kind of sounds opposite bc one would think that not eating makes you more hungry.
@@PaulinhaCardoso88 I know exactly what you mean! I think it's related to what you eat. When I eat carbs, such as rice, I keep eating and eating, whereas a 300-gram ribeye fills me up and lasts for hours! 🥩 🥩 🥩
@@TerriblePerfection Oh gosh, yes. Potatoes... bread (brown or white), even the 'healthy ones' like pumpkin nd sweet potatoes. It's hard to eat moderately... Rice! Oh god I love rice, I can eat it alone as a whole meal and my joints on the next three days HURT like I have arthritis. Beans, my stomach burns like the fire's in hell. Funny thing, I don't have gas anymore LOL! Only get it when i have an open weekend (about once every 6 weeks).
Of course sweets are another problem. I only indulge during summer and I have to have cherries and strawberries bc I love them and they bring me joy.
@@PaulinhaCardoso88 😂
I still haven't tamed my sweet tooth either! I know fructose is just sugar but I still rationalize it, in my case for a mango. How much can we give up before eating is no longer a pleasure?! 🤷🏼♀️
@@TerriblePerfection Oh yea! The cravings... I cannot live without chocolate. It's my 'cigarette'? I eat 10 to 15gr sugar per day. But still within the Keto parameters. But the other fruits, I'm Brazilian living in the Netherlands and that's a no brainer, fruits here SUCK (Bananas... oh geesh.. people here have no idea what good bananas are.) apart from turkish grapes, dutch cherries and strawberries. But honestly, everytime I see fruit I think, Nature's Candy.
It works if it works. Worked for me because it was convenient, i didn't feel much discomfort at all. Clearly, if someone doesn't feel good with IF... won't work on them
I'm interested in intermittent fasting not because of its (empty) promises of weight loss but of its potential positive effect on longevity. I wonder what research says about that one day - or is there already any good evidence in that direction?
The best part about the 16/8 fast is not eating a few hours before bed time
Great video, but I would suggest changing the title to something like Does Intermittent Fasting Work FOR WEIGHTLOSS. I know you mentioned autophagy, but the cited benefits of fasting go way way beyond losing weight.
definitely. we inserted that note about half-way through that other parameters generally follow the trend of weight loss bc we thought the video mentioned weight a lot and not so much glucose, cholesterol etc but yeah those things tend to go hand in hand
@@NutritionMadeSimple awesome, thank you very much. Love your content!
16:8 IF works for me. Lost 12 lbs in first few weeks and have maintained target weight for 3 years running. Also on IF I always have satisfying meals versus feeling of deprivation if I were to reduce calories at each meal. Each to their own. Good luck!
It would be interesting to find out if time restricted eating (16:8 or OMAD, etc.) results in higher compliance than a prescribed diet with a dictated number of calories. Personally, I couldn't imagine counting calories, but not eating after dinner every day and having a late breakfast are pretty simple rules to follow, and I've been doing it for multiple years now. I suspect other people who follow an IF lifestyle will say the same. I wonder if there are people who say counting calories and keeping below a certain calorie count is easier than having a restricted feeding window. I think simpler is better.
Thank you! That was very informative. In my specific weight loss journey, intermittent fasting was the Only way that I was successful in significantly reducing my weight and improving my bio markers! But in my mind i always viewed it as a tool in my toolbox to improve my health and not the magic formula, and never was I fanatic about it which I think is a dangerous slippery slope. In my personal experience, when I over-indulged in my eating windows, my weight loss stalled, no matter if I was fasting or not. But I found that I rarely had the capacity or the temptation to over indulge, or over compensate with IF while this was very common when I used to calorie restrict without IF. So from that angle, IF had a special benefit in my personal experience. It also made my tracking of calories and macros much easier and more convenient, and it encouraged me to eat healthier and cook at home by avoiding to snack on ultra processed hyperpalative food when I am outside either on the road or at work. It was the perfect tool for my own busy lifestyle. Thanks again for the reality check though! I loved your style, demeanor and the emphasis on research findings, in the video! Please keep up the good work.. there is a lot of hype out there, and we as viewers need someone like you to intelligently dispel these myths! Definitely a new subscriber!
I did intermittent fasting for 2 years straight. Actually, time restricted feeding between 12 - 7pm. I was fine with it. I did some 48 - 72 hour fasts but after reading Valter Longos Longevity Diet book, following True North clinic, Loren Lockman etc .... A lot of time, effort and studying this, I now do 2 5 days water fasts per year. Once in May, once in August and I get a great reset from it, and its a great mental cleanse as well. My protocol is sipping water all day, monitoring blood pressure, checking for things like headache etc.
Beyond that, a few times per month I will eat once per day and that is basically my protocol.
Love your videos! Seems the studies mentioned were more about weight loss, and that's well and good. I'd be curious to know if there are studies that focus more on the other so-called benefits of fasting, namely autophagy and mental clarity, which are often cited by those that practice intermittent and/or prolonged fasting.
Exactly.. and how about what the people being tested prefer. Do they prefer to restrict calories or just do IF. To me calorie restriction is too complicated to implement AND i would definitely get more hungry if ate frequently
Several studies he cited indicated that other IF benefits are not conclusive. As far as scientists are concerned IF may or may not have additional benefits.
I'm doing 18/6 IF for about three months. Started IF, brunch and eating early dinner only, because of my indigestion problem. More exercise and eat a little less than before... Lost a few pounds. I didn't see any significant health improvement as other people's cases.
Thank you for the balanced review of all those miracles we want so desperately to believe in. Any updates in the intervening two years? Probably not surprising if not, because there is little money to be made in straightening out our eating habits unless someone is selling books or special supplements. An 8-16hr intermittent fasting plan, coupled with low carb helped me to lose 40 pounds over the last year, largely by forcing me to be mindful about what I ate when I could eat. Every body is different, however, and it is early in my re-education on nutrition so I will stay tuned! Edited to add that yes, I see you have a more recent video. Thank you!
16/8 fasting mixed with some keto healed my fatty liver. A 30 day follow up and my doctor was shocked. Fasting has helped me learn to eat when I’m hungry, not because it’s 8am and it’s time to have breakfast. Or it’s 5:30, dinner time. Your body will tell you what it wants.
My stubborn menopause weight only responded to intermittent fasting. My calorie intake is the same but I usually eat from 11am to 5pm and that finally started getting rid of the stubborn weight.
I’ve red that intermittent fasting (only eat between 12 and 7pm) has long term benefits by allowing your liver and other organs to rest for longer
Would be nice to investigate!
This is a great video. I think both diets work based on the lifestyle of the individual. Because I am real busy during the day, it was easy for me to fast. I just would have a harder time counting calories. With fasting, in 6 months, I dropped 70lbs. But because fasting it easier to ignore the type of food you eat, it can still effect you negatively. My sugar was still high. So what I did was implement a ketogenetic diet, and morning yoga exercises, and my sugar dropped significantly. I also have way more energy and dropped some more weight. I am keeping tabs and seeing my doctor often, so I hope this continues to progress for me. But this video has great information for folks just jumping straight into intermediate fasting.
I don't agree. Fasting help to restore outdated and dead cells. By the way, what did he mean when he said 'Does intermittent fasting work?' is he saying fasting works for weight loss?
Fasting is recommended for longevity, to starve cancer, and to protect ourselves from deadly diseases like diabetes 2.
I do a relaxed IF of 3 meals within a 10 hour window and 14 hours fasting. I think the advantage of IF is that the fasting window eliminates the late night and between meals snacking of junk food on top of regular eating. Add exercise to it and the weight comes off. It’s dieting on easy mode.
Instead of intermittent fasting or alternate day fasting, what about longer term fasting of 3+ days? Does fasting for 10 days kill off cancer cells or other autophagy claims?
As far as I know there isn't a method to quantify autophagy in humans. (yet?)
Physical exercise also stimulates it.
Cancer patients are in an increased risk of wasting away (okexia?), not sure how much fasting they should be doing.
I've lost 18 lbs in three weeks doing OMAD (one meal a day). I asked, 1), Is it due to reduced caloric intake? 2). Cleaner diet, mainly salad with eggs, veg, and berries with cream for desert? 3). Reduction of refined sugar.? Excellent video.. It encouraged me to continue on my path. I have food addiction problems. Reducing my intake to one hour a day is an effective way to combat the addiction.
One meal a day (OMAD) helped me pass a weight loss plateau and lose very hard 5 kilograms. After that I switched to fully vegan 🌱, whole-foods plant based, and found that I keep losing weight (in a slow but steady manner) so I stopped the fasting and keep enjoying my food 😉
Thanks a lot for the amazing videos as usual. And the reminder that meal timing is still relevant !
The benefits of fasting transcend fat loss and drive longevity factors such as autophagy and energy diversion. If the body is digesting only one load of food per day it can use the saved energy to heal the body.
So glad you back man! Another good one. Thanks!
I do IF for years and started because of the things they said and what were based on animal data: longevity etc.. Nowdays I know - also from this great video - it just one way that works for me. Keep up the good work!
All diets work because people on diets eat consciously. They put it back on after because they stop eating consciously. To lose weight, walk more and think about what your eating.
I really don’t like these kind of videos because they discourage people. It’s true that intermittent fasting works by restricting calories. It’s also true about the fasting aspect as it gives your digestive system time to do it’s job. Both are true. Who cares which reason someone chooses to do this for. One meal a day will work for every human being on Earth. If your window is from 11am to 6pm, then intermittent fasting probably isn’t going to work. I disdain the idea that it’s better to remain obese than to lose weight for what you think are the wrong reasons.
IF indeed does “work” but that work goes far beyond calorie restriction and weight loss, which are just side effects of IF!
You are just absolutely amazing! I admire the work you put into your content, thank you for removing barriers to healthy living-such a beautiful gift to the world. Thank you!!!!
Okay fair enough. But caloric restriction IS the benefit. Especially for a society that overeats and goes to restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory. You teach your body to temper its hunger urge. Those that criticize caloric restriction in terms of diet being unsustainable are referring to people who eat the same and try to exercise off additional calories. Intermittent fasting if based on caloric restriction is sustainable for me. I think benefits of giving your organs and hormonal systems a rest are probably not measurable in human studies but is certainly suggested by animal studies. Plus don’t we know that excess calories is inflammatory in general?
Excellent video. This is the kind of skeptical perspective that's very much needed.
I was led to believe that in 2016 Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel prize in medicine for work on autophagy
where the cellular recycling process occurs in human cells is activated when fasting - and that our cells would not survive without it. So stating that it was performed on lab mice only makes me question this statement of fact. thank you Dr.
Studies my foot. I lost 20 kilos doing 16 to 20 hrs IF for a few months. As well reduced carb intake. It has to be combination IF, type of food and exercise.