Some biases info: I am an IF follower at an 18 off / 6 on ratio.

I feel compelled however to note a few things.

1. IF at caloric surplus is completely different from IF at maint, which is completely different from IF at deficit and all of this is confounded by training.

2. IF at consistant surplus for example hasn't been shown to have very many positive effects on lipids etc. The MAJORITY of studies are not done for people training / @ surplus or maint, they are done on people attempting to lose weight, hence @ deficits.

3. There are a few studies on IF that are not positive at all, these occur @ surplus/maint: see this longecity thread for references -> http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/47354-mess-up-your-heart-with-intermittent-fasting/

I think this is amazing, this is the first time i see a documentary about IF, on the mainstream media.

Thank you for sharing.

P.D. I've been fasting intermittently for the las 6 months, i feel great

from what i got from the video, protein restriction could just do the same thing

I watched the BBC video and tried the Italiano - the 3.5 day fast. It was a spontaneous decision, started after dinner on a Sunday and abandoned in a panic on Wednesday evening, because I hadn't bothered to look into how to properly break the fast. I had a dinner party to go to that Saturday and didn't have a week to unwind, and the host would've kicked me in the nuts had I shown up with diluted juice. Just accelerated it and was fine.

Anyway, it was a breeze. No hunger, worked each day, even continued exercise, which may not have been prudent (sprints on stationary bike Monday, weights Wednesday - dropped top set).

It's a shame to think that if I persisted for another half day, I would have defeated all the nascent cancers I've accumulated over time.

I regretted it. Gave up a lot in terms of physical performance, although it hasn't taken all that long to get back. Plus, it fed into some bad eating patterns that I hadn't fully appreciated at the time.

I'm sure this would have benefits if done properly, but in my case, it only underscored the potential drawbacks of eliminating hunger in the face of marked caloric deficits.

I've been 16/8 for well over a year, but lost the weight I needed to and may go back onto breakfast. As far as fasting in general? Might just run 20-24 hours once a month to tap into some of the benefits.

Looked into the extended (juice) fasts out there on the internets - 9 days, 15 days, 30 days - they're bananas. People do some crazy sh_t, me included.

The Fast Diet by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer was written as a spin-off from the documentary. It is cheap and available from Amazon UK. They've also set up a website at http://thefastdiet.co.uk. The documentary can still be seen at http://vimeo.com/50912488

One important dimension that not emphasized in the documentary is the regular (HIT type) workouts. alternating day feasting (ADF) and calorie-restriction are promising avenues, However, a workout regime should also be incorporated into any dietary system in order to increase the chance of a long and healthy life. BTW, I am surprised when the alternating day feasting lady ordered fast food on the eating day. May be it is done to show that you are free to eat anything on the eating days.

I prefer Eat, Feast and Live Fuller.