{"id":9840,"date":"2024-01-18T20:30:11","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T13:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9840"},"modified":"2024-01-18T20:30:11","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T13:30:11","slug":"putting-the-benefits-of-fasting-for-weight-loss-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=9840","title":{"rendered":"Putting the Benefits of Fasting for Weight Loss to the Test\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>For more than a century, fasting has been used as a weight-loss treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-018-24146-z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">talked<\/a> about the benefits of caloric restriction. Well, the greatest caloric restriction is getting no calories at all. Fasting has been <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23529969\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">branded<\/a> \u201cthe next big weight loss fad,\u201d but it has a long history throughout various spiritual traditions, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29987704\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">practiced<\/a> by Moses, Jesus, Muhammed, and Buddha. In 1732, a noted physician <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/5936189\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a>, \u201cHe that eats till he is sick must fast till he is well.\u201d About one in seven American adults today <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/17444963\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> taking that advice, \u201cusing fasting as a means to control body weight,\u201d as I discuss in my video <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/benefits-of-fasting-for-weight-loss-put-to-the-test\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benefits of Fasting for Weight Loss Put to the Test<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Case reports of the treatment of obesity through fasting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jbc.org\/article\/S0021-9258(18)88204-7\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">date<\/a> back more than a century in the medical literature. In 1915, two Harvard doctors indelicately described \u201ctwo extraordinarily fat women,\u201d one of whom \u201cwas a veritable pork barrel.\u201d Their success led them to conclude that \u201csuccessive moderate periods of starvation constitute a perfectly safe, harmless, and effective method for reducing the weight of those suffering from obesity.\u201d\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The longest-recorded fast, published in 1973, made it into the <em>Guinness Book of World Records<\/em>. To reach his ideal body weight, a 27-year-old man <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4803438\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fasted<\/a> for 382 days straight, losing 276 pounds, and managed to keep nearly all of it off. He was given vitamin and mineral supplements so he wouldn\u2019t die, but no calories for more than a year. In the researchers\u2019 acknowledgments, they thanked him \u201cfor his cheerful co-operation and steadfast application to the task of achieving a normal physique.\u201d\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>In a U.S. Air Force study, more than 20 individuals at least 100 pounds overweight and most \u201cunable to <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/5952593\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lose<\/a> weight on previous diets\u201d were fasted for as long as 84 days. Nine dropped out of the study, but the 16 who remained \u201cwere unequivocally successful\u201d at losing 40 to 100 pounds. In the first four days, the subjects were noted as losing as much as four pounds a day, which \u201cprobably represents mostly fluid,\u201d mostly water weight as the body starts to adapt. But, after a few weeks, they were steadily losing about a pound a day of mostly straight fat. The investigator described the starvation program as \u201ca dramatic and exciting treatment for obesity.\u201d\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Of course, the single most successful diet for weight loss\u2014namely no diet at all\u2014is also the single least sustainable. What other diet can cure morbid obesity in a matter of months but practically be guaranteed to kill you within a year if you stick with it? The reason diets don\u2019t work, almost by definition, is that people go on them, then they go off of them. Permanent weight loss is only achieved through permanent lifestyle change. So, what\u2019s the point of fasting if you\u2019re just going to go back to your regular diet and gain right back all of that lost weight?\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Fasting proponents <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4162668\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cite<\/a> the psychological benefit of realigning people\u2019s perceptions and motivation. Some individuals have resigned themselves to the belief that weight loss for them is somehow impossible. They may <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/13888431\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">think<\/a> \u201cthat they are \u2018made differently\u2019 from those of normal weight\u201d in some way, and no matter what they do, the pounds don\u2019t come off. But the rapid, unequivocal weight loss during fasting demonstrates to them that with a large enough change in eating habits, it\u2019s not just possible, but inevitable. This morale boost may then <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4162798\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">embolden<\/a> them to make better food choices once they resume eating.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The break from food may <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4172144\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allow<\/a> some an opportunity \u201cto pause and reflect\u201d on the role food is playing in their lives\u2014not only the power it has over them but the power they have over it. In a fasting study <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4172144\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">entitled<\/a> \u201cCorrection and Control of Intractable Obesity,\u201d a patient\u2019s personality was described as changing \u201cfrom one of desperation, with abandonment of hope, to that of an eager extravert full of plans for a promising future.\u201d She realized that her weight was within her own power to control. The researchers concluded: \u201cThis highly intellectual social worker has been returned to a full degree of exceptional usefulness.\u201d\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>After a fast, newfound commitment to more healthful eating may be <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4160746\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">facilitated<\/a> by a reduction in overall appetite reported post-fast, compared to pre-fast, at least temporarily. Even during a fast, hunger may start to<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/5952593\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> dissipate<\/a> within the first 36 hours. So, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/13888431\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">challenging<\/a> people\u2019s delusions about their exceptionality to the laws of physics\u2014thinking they are \u201cmade differently\u201d\u2014with \u201cshort periods of total fasting may seem barbaric. In reality, this method of weight reduction is remarkably well tolerated by obese patients.\u201d That seems to be a recurring theme in these published series of cases. In the influential paper \u201cTreatment of Obesity by Total Fasting for up to 249 Days,\u201d the researchers <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4162668\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">remarked<\/a> that the \u201cmost surprising aspect of this study was the ease with which the prolonged fast was tolerated.\u201d All of their patients \u201cspontaneously commented on their increased sense of well-being, and in some, this amounted to frank euphoria.\u201d They continued that, although \u201ctreatment by total fasting must only be prescribed under close medical supervision,\u201d they \u201care convinced that it is the treatment of choice, certainly in cases of gross obesity.\u201d\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Fasting for a day can <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27597946\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make<\/a> people irritable and <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26032787\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">feel<\/a> moody and distracted, but after a few days of fasting, many <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24434759\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> feeling clear, elated, and alert\u2014even euphoric. This may be in part due to the significant rise in endorphins that accompanies fasting, as you can see in the graph below and at 5:48 in my <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/benefits-of-fasting-for-weight-loss-put-to-the-test\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>video<\/strong><\/a>. Mood enhancement during fasting is <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24434759\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thought<\/a> to perhaps represent an adaptive survival mechanism to motivate the food search. This positive outlook towards the future may then facilitate the behavioral change necessary to lock in some of the weight-loss benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-100381\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-48-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><br \/>Is that what happens, though? Is fasting actually effective over the long term? There <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/4172144\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">are<\/a> articles with titles like \u201cDeath During Therapeutic Starvation for Obesity.\u201d Is fasting even safe? We\u2019ll find out next.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>This is the sixth in a 14-part series on fasting for weight loss. In case you missed any of the others, see the related videos below.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>My book <em>How Not to Diet<\/em> is all about weight loss. You can learn more about it and order it <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/book\/how-not-to-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"et_social_bottom_trigger\"\/>  <\/div>\n<p><script>\n            !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n            {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n                n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n            if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n            n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n            t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n            s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n                'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n            fbq('init', '1582627921973608');\n            fbq('track', 'PageView');\n        <\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For more than a century, fasting has been used as a weight-loss treatment.\u00a0 I\u2019ve talked about the benefits of caloric restriction. Well, the greatest caloric restriction is getting no calories at all. Fasting has been branded \u201cthe next big weight loss fad,\u201d but it has a long history throughout various spiritual traditions, practiced by Moses, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}