Fasting Every Other Day: New Diet Plan?

Takes a while to get used to, kinda like warrior diet. It's good to fast.

If you are going to fast every other day, make the days you eat healthier fruit/vegetable days. You will feel so much better and your weight will drop considerable. I fast all the time.

I did the every other day fasting for about 4 months about a year ago. The last two months, I did it only 3 days a week. It is not that hard to do. In fact I prefer it to other dieting that I have done. I was not rigid in my adherence the last two months. If I had a job interview or a special occasion, I put off the fast until the next day. The really wonderful thing about it was that my blood sugar is almost normal now. When I stopped the diet, I did gain some weight back, but my blood sugar did not rise. I am about to start it again. I am a believer in its health benefits.

People please DO NOT do these diet

The reason this diet failed is the sugarless gum and sugarless beverages which stimulated the hunger response. It will be interesting to see the results of the diet if just water were given.

Any suggestions about what to do about the dull headache I get from not eating on fast days?

"Any suggestions about what to do about the dull headache I get from not eating on fast days?"

Eat something. Fasting isn't healthy, hence the headaches.

Angela, drink plenty of water, maybe some tea to help you detox. Have a colonic.

Ben, your claim is unsubstantiated.

Sounds like a fancy name for anorexia if you ask me.

It is an idiot's response to fast every other day. It's not healthy. Why don't you, I don't know, eat lots of fresh healthy food and go for invigorating walks???

Lay off the creamy sugary fatty food and do some exercise - not go off on some crackpot idea

I would think this plan would backfire at some point. If you eat 0 calories one day, but are freakin' starving the next day and wolf down 4000 calories (very possible to do if you are very hungry), then what's the point? I don't see how it's any healthier than eating moderately every day. I suppose some people fast for religious reasons, but not on a regular basis. Sounds like a setup for lack of hormone response after a while...diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc.

Hi there guys im fasting in the month of ramadan. the problem is, i was fasting on the first day and my last lesson @ skl was games, and we played hockey. This really tired me out and when i got back home i thought i was gonna collapse. My whole body was really achy, and i had a throbbing headache. Even when it was time 2 eat, i couldnt. So i had a paracetomol...seemd to work but then in the early hours of the morning, when i woke up 2 eat, i could hardly push my toothpaste out. I really want to keep fasting, and theres no point of not doing so if i cant really eat that much, so do i continue to fast or not?

Regarding the Ramadhan thing, intense exercise is not recommended unless it is the late evening. I've been practicing ramadhan my whole life and after about a week you get used to the fast. Make sure you eat a high protein with EFAs meal in the morning. It will hold you all day. The headache comes from low blood sugar. If you eat more protein and fat at suhur your blood sugar will remain stable. If you must exercise or play a sport during the day plan on eating immediately at sunset. Protein followed by starchy carbs is best. Eat again 2 hours later. And drink plenty of water at night. You may find it difficult to sleep at first, but you will be ok. A basketball player here in the US fasts and continues to play well. I know it is a sacrifice, but that is the point of Ramadhan isn't it. Plus it is only for a month. Ramadhan Mubarak!

Thank you, ramadan mubarak 2 u 2!!!

Maryam, thanks for the info...I always wondered how athletes who practiced Ramadhan were able to perform even though they fasted during the day. Now I know :)

If I practiced what I preached, I wouldn't have a weight problem or be in a diet blog searching for a quick fix. I am not trying to advise anyone to ever try what I have tried without a doctors consent. I do have a lot of facts I have compiled from medical sources that I keep on a web site. Therefore, I am not mislead easily by what I read. I attempted for years to fast one to three days with success once in a while. It always gave me a jump start on a diet with an immediate loss. Now the most I can manage is one day. I do it about once a month. For me it does refresh my system and reset my inner thermostat for the conversion of food to energy. I usually don't do any extra exertion during the fasting. Neither would I drive a car on "E".

i have not tried the warrior diet or fasting but here are some interesting things to ponder.
1.carbs are better tolerated in the morning,fats in the evening.this compells me to think that in those days plant foods would be more readilly available to these ppl(gathering)in the morning,and would probably be their first food choices after waking.we're talking berries,and other fruits.what ever would be available in that area,and in that climate.
2.hunting would take all day.finding,killing,dragging and cleaning.or if the the hunt failed,scavenging meat from animalkills. they would get home and prepare the meat and eat at night.the fact that are body works better this way is physiology.check it out,it's for real.another big advantage of this is you are not only eating your protein and fat at a time when your body can best use it,you are also not eating carbs at night that would blunt normal gh secretions that happen at night while you sleep. carb intake at night will lower or shut down gh response.again,this can be verified.now when i say this i'm speaking more about how i think older civilizations ate,more so than the warrior diet.on the warrior diet you can eat carbs at night and i disagree with that.
3.eating this way,small amounts of fruits and vegetables during the day,big meat meal at night,also set you up for another positive.eating more protein will not allow you to use more protein. so eating 6 meals a day containing protein will not increase protein synthesis.what it will do is ramp up your metabolism,which is good. what will happen is your body will get better of disposing of left over protein,but not at using it.one way to better protein synthesis,is by protein fasting.big game cats,and other predators usually eat like this.another interesting thing is that although we are omnivores,are digestive tract is more like a carnivores.short and simple.herbivores have very complicated digestive tracts.
4.the great rocky marciano ate like this during training.
alot of ppl say the warrior diet won't work for hard training atheletes,but it worked for rocky.rocky had a unreal work ethic and fought at a very hard pace.every night after training he would go to a local steak house(which he made famous)and would have a large salad,a large steak,baked potato,glass of wine,a loaf of bread,and some other things i don't remember.

I’m new to this, are any of you people registered dieticians?
I was also wondering does one study count as scientific proof?
Anecdotal information is nice would it be too much to as for one to reference a source?

Mike, I'm not a registered dietitian, but let me tell you: fasting every day is one of the dumbest diet plans I've ever heard of. Just Google "starvation mode" and you'll see what happens to your metabolism when you fast, and what happens when you later eat. Doing this every other day, repetitively, sounds like the most efficient way to make your metabolism really slow.

I was interested in this topic because I was planning to start the One-day diet, which I did 3 weeks ago. I am starting week 4 today. It involves a semi-fast every other day. On my "fasting" day, I can eat raw fruits and veggies (with the exception of a few, such as bananas), along with 10 of their food tablets, which contribute some carbs, protein, fat, and vit's. On the alternating days, I eat as I please. Obviously, the healthier the better. Contrary to what I thought, I really don't have a voracious appetite on my eating days. During the fasting days, I think about all the treats I wish I could have, but when the time comes, I don't want them. I have also been able to run or weight train on my fasting days. I think the fruit sugar keeps my blood sugar stable enough to exercise. On occasion, I feel light headed for a minute or so. It really hasn't been bad, but I need to plan for the time when I come off the diet (after a total of 3 months), so I don't gain everything back. I have been pleased with it so far and do not find it too difficult to follow. I have lost 7 lbs so far.

Allison,

I am interested in your post as I too just signed up for the one day diet. I was nervous that it was a scam, and so I was looking for information. I am glad to hear the program is working for you, I am excited to start my 3 month span. Do you take the vitamins that they recommended? How about the "energy crystals"?

Faith, I do take the Sun Crystals capsules, but not quite as many as they suggest. I take 2 in the am on both fasting and eating days and then usually 1-2 in the pm on fasting days. Since I drink coffee on my eating days, I don't usually take the capsules in the pm (too jittery otherwise). Did you sign up for the weight loss study where you are paid at the completion of the 3 months? It will be interesting to correspond with you about your progress!

Headaches when you don't eat can be caused by two things, low blood sugar and caffine withdrawal.On the days you eat make sure to eat foods that don't raise your blood sugar too high or you will get the opposite ( and equal) reaction of low blood sugar.Caffine is the worst headache causer in the universe! And they put it in Excederine! Guaranteed to cause you another headache and a vicious cycle is born.It is natural to fast. Our ancestors did not have a McDonalds on every corner in the wilderness.

Oh yes and one more thing, when you fast BE Sure to drink lots of water! Dehydration will also cause a headache.

Scientists do not have all the answers.They are in it for the grant money.YOU are the only expert you need, your body tells you what it wants. Some bodies need fasting, others don't. Do not do heavy exercise while fasting.Fasting is for resting the body and communing with God.Did I spell that right?Now I'll shut up.

I tried d warrior 2 weeks n i was so weak n irritable n dizzy. U cant evn get outa bed. And i dont eat sugar anyways. I upped d smoking 2 help me starve. I only ended up w/ severe headaches n body aches n hav startd 2 gain bak al d weight i lost.Yeah al dis cuz im 2 lazy w/ routines lik exercise.Diets suck!

I dont kno but I tink starving smoking n being on coffee is completely suicidal. Is it? BTW guyz nice work w/ dis blog interesting stuf.Stay healthy n diets stil suck.At times I admire Bulimic b****es.No offense.Lol!

Oh Rawk, You get real sick trying to give up too much at once! Stop smoking, get used to that, THEN fast.Coffee withdrawal and recovery takes about two weeks. Give yourself time to heal. Extreme fasting is not safe until you fast like one day a week for months.Your body will freak out when you shock it with too much too soon.Drink water while you fast, don't excercise and just rest.Yoga stretches help relieve the stress and irritability.

are we allowed to hav sugar free gums during the day in this diet??

hi evry1, i just wanted to inquire abt another thing....how much is it that one really loses in onw week time ,on this diet??

I fasted and feasted for three months, I went down one dress size, it does take discipline on the fasting days as there are definite times during the day that the hunger pangs really set in especially at night, and as the months progressed I seemed to stop losing weight which was frustrating and I became concerned if the weight loss was fat or muscle also on the fasting days the hunger grew worse over time not to mention the irritability. On the feasting days the excess food felt like it was an overburden to the system, so now I have stopped this diet and have concluded that it is too extreme to stick to for any length of time.
I am now trying a one meal a day diet -a big breakfast with plenty of protein and fast for the rest of the day.I do enjoy eating and giving the body a rest but in what proportions is the tricky part.
I hope this diet will bring better health results.

I had heard about the "one day diet" on the radio and called because they said they would give me $1000 for trying it. While talking to the gal on the phone she told me the main ingredient in their magic vanilla wafer is "Glucomannan" which is derived from the "Konjac Root". I decided not to do the one day diet and pay her $159.00 over the phone. However, I started researching Glucomannan and found out that it is a really good dietary fiber that has been used in Asia for thousands of years. It comes from a tuber. Swedish hospital in Seattle did a study with obese people who took Glucomannan while watching their diet. The results were really good. I WAS about 100 pounds over weight and I decided to buy some Nature's Way Glucomannan Root capsules. They were $10.59 for 100. I would take 3 pills 20 minutes before each big meal (not before snacks) and then ate a moderate carb, low fat, high protein diet. I have to say that I felt so full and was able to make it longer between meals. I also became more "regular" if you know what I mean. I have lost 35 pounds so far and feel healthier than ever. I just do not think that the "fast every other day" is so great. I mean, if you like to stuff your face like I used to, then it may be due to an underlying addiction to food or using food as a crutch. I finally had to just read myself the "Riot Act" and say "enough is enough". You can do it too, you just have to want it bad enough. It took me ten years of being 80 to 100 pounds overweight before it finally clicked and I finally wanted it bad enough. I wish everyone of you who is reading this blog success in your weight loss.

Faith and Allyson,

I too started the 1 say diet study. I am a 6 foot male. I was very athletic but had knee surgery and balooned to a wopping 228 lbs. I started the One day diet the week of Thanksgiving and in the first 10 days lost 7 lbs. The next 5 days I lost 5 1/2more for a total of 12.5. I have not weighed in again since, as I will on Dec 23rd. Judging from my very noticable apearance change, I am guessing I will be down another 5-10 lbs by next week for a total f around 20 aftera month, including Thanksgiving. I am a true believer, I feel GREAT, I have so much energy. I agree toatally with Allyson that while I think about the treats on diet days, I actually don't want them either when the time comes. The fruits are awesome, I am eating more fruits now than I ever have. My goal is 40 lbs in 90 days. I am 25% there afterthe first 2 weeks. I plan on reaching my goal well before the 90 days. Good luck to both of you. The one day diet is AWESOME. Oh yeah, my blood sugar is down and so is my blood pressure. The onl side effect is having to buy new clothes!

For a much safer version of "fasting" every other day, see Jim's review of The Enjoyable Diet, May 5/05.

After reading with interest the mouse experiment, of every other day fasting, I thought I try it. I'm not fat 6'3" & 198.

While working in Puerto Rico I was receiving a cafeteria lunch every day.
So I reasoned that if I could go 24 hours without eating I'd see what happens. One day would eat lunch before noon and skipped dinner and breakfast, next day I'd have lunch just after noon and the eat a very large dinner and breakfast. First thing I noticed is how my sense of smell and taste elevated and perhaps my hearing as well. The way it worked out is that I would dream of meals to eat the next day when on the fasting day, then when it came time to eat I really couldn’t eat vast meals so I ended up losing weight, three inches off the waist in two weeks 36=> 33. I really felt alive really cared about eating when normally I hadn't.

A year later I tried a 36 hour fast and it was a real strain, couldn't sleep. I think slipping into this fasting mode by gradually eliminating meals is best, so as not to shock your system.

This is an interesting forum, thanks

I have fasted every other day for about 2 months now. On days that I exercise or days that I have lunch appointments and the like for work, I'll slip in a meal... or I'll just eat 2 days in a row and then fast 2 days in a row. I must say that the results have been stunning. I've lost 24 pounds. 4 inches off the waist line... 38 to 34.

But I wouldn't recommend this to everyone. I introduce fasting and prayer together and believe that it has been the Lord that has empowered me to fast. I do get slightly irritable on the days that I am fasting but have gotten used to it. Prayer helps.

Also... my stomach/appetite have really shrunk... On the days that I do eat... I don't binge and I don't eat beef/pork anymore. Just chicken/fish.

Once again, it's not easy. I ask God for help all the time.

I have been alternate-day fasting for about two weeks now and I have to say it is going very well. I work at a desk job, so the no-eat days aren't particularly hard on me, energy-wise. Fortunately I'm a pretty mellow guy as it is, so I don't find I get too cranky. My plan is to do it for a full year and Blog the results. If you're interested in following my progress, check out http://everyotherdayfast.blogspot.com/

Chris, allyson, and faith

Hi I recently ordered the one day diet, with the waffers. They are so backed up on the orders that it is taking forever for it to get to me. Anyhow I was wondering how your progress is coming along.

Fountain of Youth?

I just read an article on this diet a few days ago. At first glance it sounded like a pretty bad diet plan to me. But then the article went on to discuss how there is mounting evidence that this diet not only helps you lose weight but may help you live longer as well, a lot longer.

Studies in which they have starved yeast cells every other day showed a lifespan increase by a factor of 6 and studies that have starved mice every other day increased their average life span by a factor of 3. That's pretty significant.

They think that starvation actually may kick start a natural survival mechanism in your body that slows cell division down. Normally, cells divide with no problems. But as you age, your cells tend to make more mistakes when replicating your DNA and this is often times what gives you cancer.

I'm not promoting this diet in any way, I don't think they know enough about it just yet. But it was food for thought. Maybe they've hit upon something that actually slows the aging process.

Here's the link to the article if anyone wants to know more:

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2006-01-18/news/feature.html