Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I've decided to give my body a break once a week and drink only water every tuesday

I did it yesterday and I have to say it felt quite good and was surprisingly easy

Does anyone else give their bodies a day off once a week? Is it better to IF every day instead ala lean gains? or both?

Cheers

flag	asked May 23 2012 at 6:14 HuntingBears 5,509●3●15●40

	just curiosity... are very-low-carb? I am starting to think that VLC paleo people have an easier time fasting. Fasting was somehow harder when I increased my carbs – Francisco Garcia May 23 2012 at 11:27
	doing this today! except for me it's only water and coffee – CS May 23 2012 at 12:18
	I do this on Wednesdays. I start with the intention of going until noon and then see where the day takes me. Sometimes it turns into more of a 24 hour fast. Sometime I do it on other days too, depending on how I feel. I eat a fair amount of carbs but am probably still considered low carb compared to people on the SAD. I have found that the ore I do it the easier it gets, without a doubt. And I definitely drink coffee while fasting. I'm not skipping coffee any time soon. ;-) – spayne May 23 2012 at 13:21
	Hey HB, just an aside, I noticed you are new here and have had some posts expressing your confusion about paleo in general. Typically, IF is something you shouldn't try unless you're well into paleo (MDA recommends 3 weeks): marksdailyapple.com/…. Sounds like you had a great experience tho, so don't let me rain on your parade. And please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Just a friendly expression of concern. :) – PaleoVenus May 23 2012 at 14:25

daz · Answer 1 · 2012-05-23 08:00:23Z UTC

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If you just want to give your "insides" a bit of a rest, then i think doing a water fast once a week is a great idea.

answered May 23 2012 at 8:00

daz
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Betsy Marshall · Answer 2 · 2012-05-23 11:02:33Z UTC

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I have to wonder; if you are fasting everyday, can it be called intermittent? or just a very strict eating schedule? which to my mind is about as un-paleo as you can get- i'd be willing to be persuaded, but tend to think our ancestors were more likely opportunistic eaters..if food was there you ate; if not -you fasted. (though really, you want to eat enough to avoid the 'famine response'. just my .02 lira.)

answered May 23 2012 at 11:02

Betsy Marshall
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I actually said I was fasting once a week, also if our ancestors had access to tescos and cupboards filled with food they would eat it like we do, but they didn't so they evolve to cope and benefit from the resting periods between meals so we can benefit from this as their ancestors, also the 'famine response' kicks in after at least 7 days from what I've read so I wouldn't be too worried about that. Both times I've fasted for the most of the day I've felt really good, probably because my body isn't wasting so much energy with digestion and it can focus on other things, you should try it – HuntingBears May 23 2012 at 11:32

yeah but when is food not available? i mean yeah, it does happen but not that often.. not often enough to reap the benefits from fasting then and then only. – CS May 23 2012 at 12:27

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yes food is never unavailable nowadays, do you people not understand this?? it's called REFRAIN, it has BENEFITS – HuntingBears May 23 2012 at 12:35

Paleo is NOT about re-enactment. Idea behind LG (and similar schemes) is to reap the benefits of hormonal conditioning. But you are right, LeanGains style IF is not truly intermittent, but getting the term right doesn't really serve any purpose other than straightening semantics. Everybody calls it IF already so the damage is done. – Wisper May 23 2012 at 18:55

hm, I see it as the opposite problem. LG seems properly termed as intermittent (as in "alternating" or "recurrent") and fasting for 24-48 hours at unpredictable times is just a plain fast now and then, but doesn't warrant the term "intermittent." – PaleoVenus May 23 2012 at 21:51

Flip · Answer 3 · 2012-05-23 10:13:52Z UTC

Absolutely a great starting-point. I'm following intermittent fasting for about 9 months now, 16h-18h fast and a 8h-6h fed time.

Recently add on top a 24 hour fast every 2 weeks, due to some restrict college schedule and poor food choices outside home.

Experiment and thinker a bit whit that, try to implement a random day instead of a rigid "Tuesday-fasting-day-every-week" thing.

Best regards

CS · Answer 4 · 2012-05-23 12:13:56Z UTC

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http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/#axzz1vh6jL2Sq

.. and boom goes the dynamite.

answered May 23 2012 at 12:13

CS
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Josh M · Answer 5 · 2012-05-23 13:20:30Z UTC

I usually do a daily fast of 16-18 hours as I rarely eat breakfast (just not hungry in the morning) and I usually do a 24 hour fast 2 times in every 8 days. This is not something I sat down and decided to do, it has just developed a natural rhythm over the years. I am also LC-VLC (have been for years).

Elunah · Answer 6 · 2012-05-23 13:38:23Z UTC

Intermittent fasting is most effective when done consistently. If you're interested in fasting, I recommend picking a specific program and sticking to it. You're much more likely to benefit if you use an established protocol with a supportive community. I use Martin Berkhan's Leangains.

Consistency gives your body a chance to acclimatize to periods of lower liver glycogen, makes it easier to fast (due to habit), and more frequent fasting can also reduce your overall caloric intake, if that's one of your goals.

PaleoVenus · Answer 7 · 2012-05-23 14:19:24Z UTC

Someone already posted the MDA link, which is quite helpful for picking apart the various fasting methods and their benefits. I found this paper (easy, fun read) extremely helpful as well. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/intermittent-fasting

I think the moral of the story is do what works for you depending on your goals. Fasting once a week will reap the long-term benefits of calorie restriction and longevity. Something like leangains will also get you the long-term benefits but has a specific focus on maximizing your daily metabolic cycles to build muscle and burn fat.

IF once a week, good idea?

7 Answers