20 hours without food: The intermittent fasting experiment
Ed. note: This part 1 of a post that was written on Saturday after a day of trying intermittent fasting, or IF. Note that fasting is not starvation, and is a discipline that has been practiced for thousands of years by cultures around the globe. That said, I approached it as an experiment, with some pretty surprising results.
The idea of intermittent fasting (IF) has intrigued me for some time. I am a big fan of the website Fitness Spotlight, and have read their exhaustive research on the subject of IF several times, always wondering whether it is realistic for me. Today, I gave it a shot.
A little context: Before I tried the fast I had a doctor’s appointment at which I discovered a) that I had already lost two pounds on the year at that point, and b) my blood pressure was surprisingly good (122/78) despite increased stress right now. This was great news since it was a significant improvement from borderline high blood pressure a year ago, and made me feel as though my longterm dietary changes have helped my overall health. Of course one measurement is not enough to establish a trend, but I’ll take it until the next BP check. Although I am far from in ideal condition weight-wise, my other vitals appear to be pretty good.
Good news at the doctor’s office, even a little, is a great energizer.
Second, this morning I got up with the kids at around 7:00AM, and felt motivated to go hard after my general dietary goals. I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything last night after about 9:00PM or so. Having been reading about the paleo/primal methods of eating over the past few days, and the use of intermittent fasting in combination with it, it occurred to me that I was in an ideal state to give it a try. I knew that I had a 3-mile run scheduled for the afternoon, so I was curious to see not only how I would deal with it throughout the day, but how it would affect my energy levels.
Why fasting?
In the bigger picture, I am intrigued by fasting because in a sense it de-emphasizes food as something to obsess about. Current trends in the diet world often include eating lots of small meals and pre-packaged snacks to “keep the fire burning”. I think there is some merit to this perhaps (stabilizing metabolism makes sense intuitively); but I think the opposite end of the spectrum is worth exploring. In many countries around the world people do not seem to need to eat constantly just to stoke the fires; when it’s time to eat, it’s time to really eat. When it’s time to do something else, food isn’t part of that activity. I’m not sure which way is better, but I have a feeling that thinking about food all day long by scheduling everything around 6 or more eating times and bringing snacks and drinks with us everywhere from car rides to doctor’s visits may not be the best solution.
That was a long way of saying I enjoy keeping an open mind on the subject, especially because there are simply no one-size-fits-all absolute truths in diet and exercise.
I also think that giving your digestive system a break, or an opportunity to recover, makes intuitive sense. Whether or not it leads to effective cleansing and restoration I can’t say; but it seems logical to give such a vital system a break once in a while.
[ed. note: I'll discuss more of the benefits in part 2.]
Quick summary of intermittent fasting (at least the way I did it)
For the uninitiated, the rules of intermittent fasting are relatively simple: No food at all for a set period of time, but water is fine. Water with lemon is preferred in part because it helps with hunger and additionally because it’s good for your liver. Note that in religious disciplines it is not uncommon for water to also be prohibited during a fast. This is far from a religious thing for me, so I opted for the water.
One of the chief strategies in intermittent fasting is to use your sleep time to your advantage. Sleeping for 6-8 hours means you don’t eat during that period; so starting a fast the night before is a great idea, and ultimately what I did.
Generally folks who fast successfully seem to fall into two categories. Quoting from Mike’s article on Fitness Spotlight (“Intermittent Fasting 101: How to start burning fat“):
- Daily Fasting: Typically done every day and only giving the person a smaller eating window in which to get their calories. (for example, a 18hr daily fast would mean someone would only eat every day between the hours of Noon and 6pm). You will see varying times from 15-19 hours for daily fasting as seen with the Warrior Diet, Leangains, and Fast-5 approach.
- Fasting 1-3x a week: This could also be called alternate day fasting/calorie restriction (for those doing it every other day). This is just fasting of usually longer periods 18-24 hours but only 1-3x a week. Many variations to play with here like the Eat Stop Eat method (24 hr fasts 1-2x a week).
I chose the latter option, fasting for 20 hours.
Finally, another key to fasting is what is called “clean eating” during eating times. This basically means eating whole foods with an eye on nutrients and meeting caloric guidelines. Again, the idea is that if you need to be eating at a calorie level that will keep your metabolism flowing, but if you are trying to lose weight, that you maintain a healthy caloric deficit. I’m not too concerned about the calories; but the nutrition is essential.
Heavy disclaimer: I should take a moment to note that if this is something that interests you, you should definitely read not only the Fitness Spotlight article, but do your research, talk to a doctor, etc. Fasting is certainly not for everyone, particularly people with known or underlying health conditions. This particular article makes it pretty clear that there is no magic formula for fasting that will work for every person. Your approach to fasting may be radically different from another person, ranging from a wider window of eating daily to 24 hour periods. Combining exercise can be effective, but it depends on whether you are an irregular exerciser or an athlete in perpetual training. In other words, this is not a one size fits all situation – there are simply too many variables. As Mike says, if something isn’t working for you, change it!
Common fears of fasting
If you read any of the forums where folks discuss the idea of fasting, you quickly notice that people generally fall into either the “I do it and love it” camp or the “oh my Lord that is so bad for you/dangerous/I could never do that/you could die” group. I am somewhere in the middle – listening to the concerns on one hand, but interested in the benefits as well.
The most important factor that seems to get confused is that contrary to the fearful mindset, you are not starving yourself. You are simply changing the time at which you eat. In fact, the idea is to reduce the window during the day in which you eat, but when you do eat you emphasize greater quantities of whole foods that provide the necessary nutrients and calories for a healthy diet.
The mental game
As longtime readers of Almost Fit know, I have clearly identified that food has some significant emotional ties for me. In fact, that is the biggest challenge for me diet-wise. The physical feelings don’t generally bother me when I’m less than full; it’s the emotional part that gets a little (or a lot) funky. When I’m trying to make a significant dietary change I almost always get irritable and, on a bad day, a sense of “hungry desperation” takes hold. I can get quite emotional about it, and completely irrational. Not fun.
So how would IF affect my emotional state?
Additionally, I purposely avoided activities that might bring out cravings. Television was off limits, as well as any reading on new recipes for lemon bars or smoked bacon.
The physical game
Physically I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had a strategy: Stay busy, and stay hydrated. Simple as that. I knew for sure that I’d feel the pangs of hunger, but I was more curious about the blood sugar effects.
I was also really interested in my overall energy level with no food; so often we convince ourselves that lack of food is the cause of low energy, when in reality it may be that the real culprit is poor food choices.
Lastly, knowing that I had a 3 mile run scheduled, I was really interested to see how I’d feel pushing exercise on nothing but water. Would it cause low energy, cramping, lightheadedness, or worse?
Going for it
With a plan in hand, I chose to go for it – I decided to try a 20 hour fast, which meant I would not be eating until 5PM. I also knew that if things got too frenetic I wasn’t exactly stuck on a desert island; I could always stop if it started to feel wrong.
So how did it go? Stay tuned for part 2.
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Hmm…I’ve read a bit about this and might give it a go sometime. Looking forward to part 2.
.-= AndrewENZ´s last blog ..Weigh-in Monday #2 2010 =-.
Well aren’t you the master at building up the suspense…? That’s a real life cliffhanger, there, Jeremy!
20 hours without eating: Intermittent fasting part 2 | AlmostFit.com Says: 12.01.10 at 7:43 am
[...] 2 of a series that was written after a day of trying intermittent fasting, or IF. As I explained in part 1, fasting is not starvation, and is a discipline that has been practiced for thousands of years by [...]
I am in the group of ‘do it and love it’. I do IF 3-4 times a week. Many of my friends thought that I am crazy and had never had an intention to try. But I’m sure if they ever try it, they’ll love it.
.-= Intermittent Fasting Success´s last blog ..Eat Stop Eat – All About Flexible Intermittent Fasting =-.
I’ve been using Intermittent Fasting for over a year now, and I still feel a devilish sense of guilt for its ease of adoption, its on-going effectiveness, and its sustainability.
My IF pattern is a combination of Lean Gain, Warrior Diet, and Fast-5. I typically eat my first meal around 4 or 5 PM. Sundays are usually the only day I eat brunch with my wife. Periodically I use ESE for a 22-24 hour fast, especially around major holidays that center around food.
I do strive to eat nutrient-dense foods, but I still enjoy a lot of the foods feared by dieters or followers of popular diets.
Great article encompassing the concept and styles of IF!
Best,
Johnny
Back Squat Handstand Walk 04-14-2010 | Crossfit Initiative Says: 13.04.10 at 5:02 pm
[...] Yet another intermettent fasting article: http://almostfit.com/2010/01/11/20-hours-without-food-the-intermittent-fasting-experiment/ [...]
I really like the “Eat Stop Eat” approach to Intermittent Fasting much better than the “Warrior Diet” approach.
I did the Warrior Diet for one year and although I didn’t lose any muscle mass and it felt okay, I could never get really lean. I don’t know if it was a flaw in the program or simply that I ate too large of meals at night.
I have done “Eat Stop Eat” for years successfully and here is the biggest tip that makes this diet (way of eating) work wonders.
*Tip: Make you one meal on your IF days a regular size dinner. So it winds up being a really low calorie day.
…this creates a weekly calorie deficit and allows you to lose body fat over time and get really darn lean. You won’t lose muscle due to the HGH surge that happens during a short-term fast. I can’t say enough about doing Intermittent Fasting in this manner.
Works extremely well!
-George D
.-= George @ Gain Muscle Now´s last blog ..A Personal Trainer Can Motivate You To Lose Weight =-.
@George – thanks for posting your thoughts here. I’ve been back to IF in the last couple of weeks, but it really is kind of simplistic, and without a lot of basis in knowledge of the science of it all. I am definitely (and finally) going to check out Eat Stop Eat, as I’ve heard so many positives.
Thanks – your comment really hit home
.
Did you have any negative effects after you discontinued your fast when it came to blood pressure, or ability to fall asleep?
.-= Melak´s last blog ..HGH – Human Growth Hormone – Advice HGH =-.
I’m currently doing eat-stop-eat once a week (had my first 24hr fast on wednesday).
It was difficult, but it is ‘meant’ to get easier.
Will try it for 2 months and see if the results are worth it.
Never heard of intermittent fasting before but sounds like a disaster waiting to happen for anyone with a binge eating problem or blood sugar issues.
Haha, I almost didn’t comment until I read the one above. The old binge eating and blood sugar issues. Both false and supported by much research. Regarding the former, well that’s a non-brainer isn’t it? IF you binge, THEN fasting for 24 hours is going to cut out a few of those binges out isn’t it? AND once you realise that weight loss is about calories in vs calories out, THEN you’re obviously going to lose weight. Studies have also shown that EVEN if you DO overeat straight after a fast, then it’s still more likely the case that you’re still not going to be able to consume as many calories if you’ had not fasted. It’s a winner all the way.
I do find it hilarious that people are ‘experts’ on the dangers of fasting but have never really read any of the science behind it. The very same people will CONSUME and BUY INTO fad diets and diet products when the real issue is that they are CONSUMING too much in the first place – that’s WHY they are fat! Time to consume less.
On the blood sugar question, I’m not a doctor and can’t really comment on anyone else’s experience but my own, but I will say that the 24 hour fast had very little effect that felt like blood sugar spikes or drops. I find that for me, those blood sugar effects are most common when I’ve eaten or drank mostly sugar and caffeine (things like juice and coffee alone, or very sugary pastry with a couple of cups of coffee) and haven’t followed it up with protein of some sort. That’s completely non-scientific, but seems to be what leads up to that feeling.
As far as IF in relation to blood sugar, I definitely didn’t get that really low blood sugar feeling. In the follow-up to this article I mentioned that around noon I felt a little “jittery”, but I think it was more caffeine related than low blood sugar. Your results may be dramatically different – I can’t say – but for me, IF was a success.
Glad you gave it a try! I’ve been doing IF, similar to hte FAST5 method, for about 2 years and I love how easy it is. Your body really gets used to it.
Farmers had animals that weren’t doing so good health wisethey refused to eat and in doing so actually regained there health. cortisol is a hormone that increases when you fast and is anti inflammatory. The body is a amazing thing.
.-= Gordon´s last blog ..Working out till you puke is not healthy =-.
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I cannot imagine going without food for 20 hrs. I salute you.
Victor Collins´s last [type] ..Kim Kardashian is "My Beyonce"?