I wish that more people were aware of this metabolic effect and mechanism. When we're young and physically active, we require more energy to act, and eat more. I also reckon that we should be more active, and that people aren't is why they are obese.
However, I noted that my habit of eating immense and frequent meals that I required when I was logging, fishing, and other physically demanding occupations was dramatically counterproductive when I hit my mid-30s, and no matter how hard I worked, I just couldn't burn that food off.
So, I fasted. Rather than eat paltry meals that left me feeling unsatisfied, and yearning for more food in that meal, prompting negative feelings about dieting and cheating, I just stayed hungry, or not eating, until I had a full meal. I found one full meal a day left me plenty of energy for working construction, and each meal was very satisfying, rather than frustrating.
It's hard to convey what a difference my feeling about food and eating has made on my ability to maintain my regimen and weight. I do gain weight in winter, and get back in shape in the summer, because construction work is seasonal, but I reckon that's also a natural cycle, as humans evolved in a seasonal world.
Long story short, it is as different as night and day between fasting and dieting. The latter leaves you struggling and dissatisfied with every meal, while the former does the opposite. Given the very common failure of dieting to deliver satisfactory results, I am confident that the mental discipline necessary to maintaining a regimen in the terrible negative mental state that meals too small to satisfy produces is perhaps the dominant factor.
It's a lot easier to simply refrain from eating, even for days at a time, than it is to eat only unsatisfying meals. When one does eat a fully satisfying meal, but only once a day, eating is a joy, and maintaining a regimen becomes highly positively reinforced by that satisfaction, which is a primal biological feature of being alive.
Fasting works with our natural processes, and dieting against them. This research indicates many more reasons to support that conclusion, as our bodies have many different mechanisms that show positive responses to temporal caloric restriction (fasting).
I would only add that since most have gone to snacking before bedtime it's no longer a fast. It may not be promoted by government agencies but if you keep up on what the new trends are it's now called cleansing the body or detoxifying and it's gotten to the point it's so popular, and like anything that gets popular, there are some programs that go to the extreme, hence why you see Dr Oz doing so many shows on the right way to fast or detox.
I figured this out decades ago, mostly because of economic reasons.
I still enjoy food, and its difficult to sustain in winter though. I've lived on one meal a day, often skipping breakfast, with no ill effects, for years at a time.
I find if I can maintain this habit, fasting 16 hours+ without eating, I can easily lose 1KG a month.
I've been toying with the idea, but my wife (30-year nurse) often discourages me from trying. I didn't realize that Big Pharma was even putting out disinformation about fasting. Can't trust anybody.
I wish that more people were aware of this metabolic effect and mechanism. When we're young and physically active, we require more energy to act, and eat more. I also reckon that we should be more active, and that people aren't is why they are obese.
However, I noted that my habit of eating immense and frequent meals that I required when I was logging, fishing, and other physically demanding occupations was dramatically counterproductive when I hit my mid-30s, and no matter how hard I worked, I just couldn't burn that food off.
So, I fasted. Rather than eat paltry meals that left me feeling unsatisfied, and yearning for more food in that meal, prompting negative feelings about dieting and cheating, I just stayed hungry, or not eating, until I had a full meal. I found one full meal a day left me plenty of energy for working construction, and each meal was very satisfying, rather than frustrating.
It's hard to convey what a difference my feeling about food and eating has made on my ability to maintain my regimen and weight. I do gain weight in winter, and get back in shape in the summer, because construction work is seasonal, but I reckon that's also a natural cycle, as humans evolved in a seasonal world.
Long story short, it is as different as night and day between fasting and dieting. The latter leaves you struggling and dissatisfied with every meal, while the former does the opposite. Given the very common failure of dieting to deliver satisfactory results, I am confident that the mental discipline necessary to maintaining a regimen in the terrible negative mental state that meals too small to satisfy produces is perhaps the dominant factor.
It's a lot easier to simply refrain from eating, even for days at a time, than it is to eat only unsatisfying meals. When one does eat a fully satisfying meal, but only once a day, eating is a joy, and maintaining a regimen becomes highly positively reinforced by that satisfaction, which is a primal biological feature of being alive.
Fasting works with our natural processes, and dieting against them. This research indicates many more reasons to support that conclusion, as our bodies have many different mechanisms that show positive responses to temporal caloric restriction (fasting).
Thanks!
According to my aunt your body fast every night, that's how the word breakfast came about. You break the fast from dinner time till morning.
Auntie's not wrong, but that's not what this article is about, nor my comment. Have you any thoughts on those matters?
I would only add that since most have gone to snacking before bedtime it's no longer a fast. It may not be promoted by government agencies but if you keep up on what the new trends are it's now called cleansing the body or detoxifying and it's gotten to the point it's so popular, and like anything that gets popular, there are some programs that go to the extreme, hence why you see Dr Oz doing so many shows on the right way to fast or detox.
I figured this out decades ago, mostly because of economic reasons.
I still enjoy food, and its difficult to sustain in winter though. I've lived on one meal a day, often skipping breakfast, with no ill effects, for years at a time.
I find if I can maintain this habit, fasting 16 hours+ without eating, I can easily lose 1KG a month.
interesting
I've been toying with the idea, but my wife (30-year nurse) often discourages me from trying. I didn't realize that Big Pharma was even putting out disinformation about fasting. Can't trust anybody.