Archive for June, 2009

Fasting is an interesting idea.  The way Brad Pilon explains it in his Eat Stop Eat program, you should be able to eat at maintenance most days of the week, fast for 1 or 2 days, and be able to lose weight.  The theory mostly makes sense to me.  I still have some questions about how many calories your body really uses when you fast or what effect this may  have on your metabolism.  But when you think about the number of calories you generally eat in a day, not eating for 1 or 2 days per week should equate to at least a pound of weight loss.

I have only tried fasting twice, so I am far from an expert on the subject.  All I have is my own experience on which to comment.  But so far, I’m really not impressed with my own weight loss (which I’d really prefer to think of as fat loss) experience with fasting.   The data:

Fast #1 

• Length: 24 hours
• Calories consumed during fast: whatever is in a couple packets of Splenda
• Time of day started/ended:  9:00 am
• Eating at maintenance/deficit on other days: maintenance
• Weight loss at end of fast: 1.5 lb.
• Weight loss as of 3 days later: 0.

Fast #2

• #Days since prior fast: 6
• Length of fast: 24 hours
• Calories consumed during fast: whatever is in a couple packets of Splenda
• Time of day started/ended:  9:00 am
• Eating at maintenance/deficit on other days: slight deficit
• Weight loss at end of fast:  3.5 lb.
• Weight loss after 3 days:  0

The bottom line on my two fasts:  no effect at all.  Again, this only represents two fasts, and things may change as you fast more.   However, given that fasting is something of an extreme experience, it is not something I want to jump into regularly without due analysis.  It is strange to me that there would be no net loss after two fasts within a week.  (The weight lost right at the end of the fast could be attributed to there being no food in the digestive system at that point and although attempts were made to avoid it, slight dehydration.)

To verify that there were no changes that the scale alone couldn’t detect, I also measured body fat using digital calipers and took measurements.  The measurements were exactly the same, taken 3 days after each fast, and body fat was up by around 1% after the second fast.  That of course, is well within the margin for error for the device.

There are some other benefits to fasting which cannot be overlooked.  During both of my fasts, I enjoyed a terrific night’s sleep.  In addition, I was generally free from the hassle of cooking for about a day each time.  Some people report being more creative or more alert, although I never experienced that.  I did feel refreshed and somewhat “cleansed” after each fast, as if I had reset my system.  That part was great.

 I’m not sure why I didn’t have success with my two attempts.    My instinct is that I burned so many fewer calories because of the lack of the thermic effect of food (the calories expended by consuming and processing food)  that a large enough deficit was never created by the fasts.

 Maybe the next fast would be different.  I am not convinced that fasting won’t work for me.  I will probably try again at some point.  Some people do seem to have success with intermittent fasting for weight loss or management, so there must be a way to make it work.  

For the meantime, I am putting intermittent fasting on hold, except to the extent that I may try eliminating an occasional evening meal.  My strength and endurance goals take priority over fat loss at the moment, and my weekly workout schedule doesn’t leave room for being low on energy.  However, the subject is intriguing, and I would like to collect more information about others’ experiences with fasting.  Please comment and let me know how it has worked for you.

Remember:  Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition plan, including a fast.  My experiences should not be considered recommendations for anyone else.