Can Fasting Boost Fat Loss?
I’m on a plane to Iceland as I’m writing this …
And just finished up a conversation with another fitness expert whose on the same trip. You see, we’re working on a program together for a national magazine…
…and we’re discussing strategies to help boost fat loss and ramp it up for maximum results.
One topic that came up — what about fasting. Is fasting effective for fat loss? And being the nutrition nerd that I am … I happened to pull up a study I had sitting on my computer that looked at that very topic. The study was unique in that they had the subjects (men and women) fast every other day for 22 days.
They didn’t compare weight loss to a group that didn’t fast, but they reported on the results from this group.
Did it boost fat burning? How did they rate their hunger? And, at the end of this, is it really feasible anyhow?
And the results?
- It DID boost fat burning (oxidation).It IS feasible.
- Hunger was continuously rated high and that feeling didn’t decrease over time as some suggest it should.
- They did suggest it is feasible; however, because hunger cues never decreased, they also stated that it’s unlikely for people to maintain anything like this on their own
Mohr Results Bottom Line:
Our goal is to offer programs/options that are long term solutions…even if the short term "quick fix" seems to be the answer. Very occasional fasting can offer a unique approach to understanding physiological hunger a bit better (vs. psychological hunger)…and it’s something we’ll explore in future blogs, but long term, we’re not fans of regular fasts.
September 23rd, 2010 at 8:24 am
Would you lose a good chunk of muscle mass if you fasted every other day?
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Chris and Kara Mohr Reply:
September 26th, 2010 at 11:31 am
Yes, I believe you would … every other day is too much in my opinion if you did plan to incorporate a fast.
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September 24th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
With Terri’s question in mind, I’ d like to know what you think of
“Eat Stop Eat” ?
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Chris and Kara Mohr Reply:
September 26th, 2010 at 11:29 am
I haven’t actually read it, so hard to comment on the specifics…I don’t know how much Brad recommends fasting throughout. Have you tried it?
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Dave Reply:
September 29th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
He recommends one or two 24 hour fasts a week, but eating everyday. I have not tried it yet, which is why I was asking for you opinion.
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Chris and Kara Mohr Reply:
September 29th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Got it – I’ll reach out to him and get a copy so I can check it out. Not sure what you mean by eating everyday and fasting 1-2x/week.
October 1st, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Fasts start in the evening, 6:00 pm to 6:00 pm the next day, so you do eat every day.
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