review of Time Restricted Eating studies

[audreyh1]

I think probably the most important thing is digestive rest. If you don't do anything else, at least give your body a break and don't eat or drink beverages other than water or black tea/coffee for 12 hours.

 

[unclemick]

Sten Eckberg, Utube. 10 lbs so far. Been dinking around with 'intermittent fasting" for a month or so. One meal a day except when I crack and eat ice cream with Hersey's chocolate within 4 hours. 2-3 inches off the waist so I'm happy. Expect to lose discipline thru the holidays somewhat.

Heh heh heh - old habits die hard - thirty years of NOLA fried seafood platters and chili cheese fries and now in KC land of BBQ.

 

[googily]

On the second front, IF has been the best method I've come across to date to reduce my calories in order to lose weight. My system finds it easier to go long periods without eating, and then eat well when I do eventually, rather than to continually be ingesting small meals, which are harder for me to put the brakes on, calorically speaking. To date I've lost 15 pounds, but more imporatantly to me, it feels like a lifestyle I can keep up forever. One larger meal a day, often times enjoyed socially, then a small second meal, and that's about it.



So, while no doctor by any means, my body appears to be communicating that it really likes my IF efforts, and so I have no plans to change anything. IF is also allowing me to avoid constantly rising and plunging blood sugar levels, which often leads to the shakes and fatigue in my case, and I am feeling better than I have in years.

This is me. About a decade ago, during an intuitive eating phase, I figured out that I was never really hungry for breakfast, and so stopped eating it. The better to have two larger meals! I think 16:8 or 18:6 allow me to maintain my weight, but I'd still like to lose another 25 lbs. I'm starting to experiment with a couple 24s or 40s each week (though I've just been on vacation and so have to restart). I think tbh I wasn't eating enough on low carb--and then I'd end up shoveling non-LC food in as my body screamed for nourishment. I'm upping carbs somewhat and trying to eat to satiety rather than thinking about calories, with the longer fasts taking care of the necessary calorie deficit. (My blood glucose levels are low and react pretty much exactly how the experts say it should optimally work.) I already feel a whole lot better.

 

[Time2]

I am a big fan of Cronometer as daily calorie and nutrient tracker. I did a Keto diet for about 3 months and weighed and logged everything that I ate.
It didn't take long for my to see I was low on several nutrients. I made those up with a daily vitamin. The program has many items by brand name and it makes it pretty easy to log items you eat. Not affiliated, just found it very helpful.

https://cronometer.com/

 

[sengsational]

So for the past 8,000 years (agriculture + honey), humans have been eating in way the human body is not adapted for?

Yes, except there was significant scarcity during most of that time. I'd guess that subsistence farming isn't something that was a big problem for health. I'm not sure I'd call-out honey separately. Not much different than a tree with ripe fruit. Pre-agriculture, one might find either, and it wouldn't last long. Post agriculture, maybe they had access to more and stored it (or in the case of fruit, dried it). Either way, I don't imagine the supply was very extensive.

Are most keto/time restricted/intermittent fasting practitioners generally suffering from a disorder of one kind or another?

Considering "most" is 51% or more, I'd have to say "yes", but that's a wild guess. There are many that I've engaged that just feel better when they forego the SAD, but have no "problem" they're trying to solve. Some just want to ward off "diseases of aging" and don't have disease or conditions they're trying to treat. But, lets face it, the obesity epidemic means a lot of people have a reason to change how they eat, and pretty much all of the temporary weight loss diets haven't been shown to work over the long term. So a permanent change that is expected to last one's whole life is called for.

 

[chassis]

Yes, except there was significant scarcity during most of that time. I'd guess that subsistence farming isn't something that was a big problem for health. I'm not sure I'd call-out honey separately. Not much different than a tree with ripe fruit. Pre-agriculture, one might find either, and it wouldn't last long. Post agriculture, maybe they had access to more and stored it (or in the case of fruit, dried it). Either way, I don't imagine the supply was very extensive.

Considering "most" is 51% or more, I'd have to say "yes", but that's a wild guess. There are many that I've engaged that just feel better when they forego the SAD, but have no "problem" they're trying to solve. Some just want to ward off "diseases of aging" and don't have disease or conditions they're trying to treat. But, lets face it, the obesity epidemic means a lot of people have a reason to change how they eat, and pretty much all of the temporary weight loss diets haven't been shown to work over the long term. So a permanent change that is expected to last one's whole life is called for.

Good stuff. Scarcity sounds like calories in-calories out to me. Do you agree?

 

[sengsational]

Good stuff. Scarcity sounds like calories in-calories out to me. Do you agree?

It's directionally correct, but in modern times, inaccurate enough to be pretty much unhelpful. Pre-agriculute humans had to expend energy to eat... completely intertwined. I'm no anthropologist, but I imagine lots of people took their last few steps searching for food. Find food:live. Don't: die. The body goes into the equivalent of "battery save mode" when it gets low on energy, but at some point it gets to 0%, and you're toast.

 

[Pellice]

A relevant story on switching on longevity in a recent Washington Post article. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/longevity-research-diet-exercise-tips/2021/10/10/edb5cdc2-2856-11ec-9de8-156fed3e81bf_story.html

I've really come to the conclusion that either we don't have a grip on general rules for nutriition (in spite of 2500 years of close and recorded observation) OR that individual differences rule the day.

 

[googily]

A relevant story on switching on longevity in a recent Washington Post article. https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...b5cdc2-2856-11ec-9de8-156fed3e81bf_story.html

I've really come to the conclusion that either we don't have a grip on general rules for nutriition (in spite of 2500 years of close and recorded observation) OR that individual differences rule the day.

It's a little concerning that that article relies so much on Valter Longo--the protein sparing modified fast is a moneymaker for him (Prolon) so he's not really a completely neutral observer.

 

[qwerty3656]

Good stuff. Scarcity sounds like calories in-calories out to me. Do you agree?

But calories out is not constant

https://youtu.be/iPNzwUY486A

 

[chassis]

People posting links (QWERTY and others) please post the punchline and your perspective.

I think that is a site guideline and even if it wasn’t it would be good etiquette. I don’t read 99% of links offered. I want know what YOU think.

 

[Jenna]

I have been time restricted eating for the last 3 years. I lost a size about every 3 months going from a size 12 to a size 6. I don't weigh myself except at the doctor. The first 2 years I ate in a 4-6 hour window. I started with an 8 hour window and reduced it slowly. I eat as much and whatever I want in my eating window although I want more nutrient dense foods now along with sweets every day. Other good resources, Dr Jason Fung and Delay Dont Deny by Gin Stephens. Now I vary between 4-8 hours for my eating window I never imagined I could do this for longer than a week or two. Now I can't imagine not eating this way.

 

[chassis]

@Jenna it's good that you achieved some progress.

@all in this thread - isn't eating in restricted window binge eating? It seems that way to me.

 

[chassis]

Are time restricted eating, keto and intermittent fasting the latest expressions of Jainism?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism#Food_and_fasting


Jain monks eat once per day. "Advanced" Jain laypeople and some monks refrain from eating after sunset. Nothing is new under the sun.

 

[googily]

Are time restricted eating, keto and intermittent fasting the latest expressions of Jainism?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism#Food_and_fasting


Jain monks eat once per day. "Advanced" Jain laypeople and some monks refrain from eating after sunset. Nothing is new under the sun.

There's even the Monk Fast, which is a 36-hour fast. On my phone, so no link, but easily Googled.

 

[MarieIG]

Sten Eckberg, Utube. 10 lbs so far. Been dinking around with 'intermittent fasting" for a month or so. One meal a day except when I crack and eat ice cream with Hersey's chocolate within 4 hours. 2-3 inches off the waist so I'm happy. Expect to lose discipline thru the holidays somewhat.

Heh heh heh - old habits die hard - thirty years of NOLA fried seafood platters and chili cheese fries and now in KC land of BBQ.

Stumbled on Sten Ekberg maybe six weeks ago; and have been trying to follow his program. Love his videos. I haven't measured it, but my waist does feel smaller as well.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

I am a big fan of Cronometer as daily calorie and nutrient tracker. I did a Keto diet for about 3 months and weighed and logged everything that I ate.
It didn't take long for my to see I was low on several nutrients. I made those up with a daily vitamin. The program has many items by brand name and it makes it pretty easy to log items you eat. Not affiliated, just found it very helpful.

https://cronometer.com/

I second this endorsement of the excellent Cronometer. Have used it for many years to track my daily nutrient and calorie intake. That and intermittent fasting (time restricted eating) have both been tremendously beneficial to my health and happiness.