The Science of Fasting

I have refrained from clicking into this thread (having finally done so, I am alarmed at the number of references to fisting. To be fair, it's only 2. But I was expecting none).

ETA: I stand corrected. In the time it took me to write my original post, the number of references rose exponentially.

ANYWHO, I don't even know what doc this is referencing. My foray into intermittent fasting was by way of Dr. Jason Fung's "The Obesity Code". Dr. Fung is a UCLA-trained nephrologist who runs a clinic in Toronto treating Type II diabetes advocating dietary management.

When I am truly low carbing (instead of pretending I am low carbing), a 16/8 regimen comes easy. I am not even hungry till 16 hours in. But in that 16-18 hours, I always hit my "wall". If I am trying to do a multi-day fast, I will have to push through the 16 (usually by drinking water or just going to sleep).

But once I push through, that's when it really begins. Instead of feeling enervated or foggy or weak, you feel energized and clear. Surprisingly, you can totally work out (unless you're doing something on an "extreme" level). No bonking.


The hard part is not hunger, it's missing the activity of eating. Which makes sense when you think of how much of eating is not true hunger but habit or "boredom" or socialization. Still, it surprised me. And that's harder to power through than hunger, so I usually top out at 72 hours and that's fine for me.

What intrigues me most is the process of autophagy (for which you have to go 18-24 hours). Autophagy was the subject behind the 2016 Nobel prize for medicine

Anybody that knee jerk reacts with "Oh, starving yourself is SO unhealthy" doesn't have the first inkling what fasting is. I learned so much about my body's reactions to food and digestion and how much of our eating is "accidental" (it's possible to attend parties, gatherings or even restaurants without eating but difficult). I absolutely, unequivocally believe in the science of it, though. It's not about having an eating disorder.