As I discovered protein power and other ketogenic diet approaches last year I tried the keto approach and it brought down to under 70kg for the first time in my adult life in 3 weeks (weight loss of about 5kg ). I sure got lean, but of course a lot of that lost weight was water/carbs. I realized that my anaerobic fitness level decreased noticeably as there were no carbs for fuel. So, there was the catch..

Now I have been recently reading about intermittent fasting and after couple of 20hrs or so – once a week fasts I can say it’s really working well for weight management. I haven’t been running much lately (apart from one 15km race), so I can’t say much about how my clycogen stores are affected. That said, I am curious how fasting metabolism works with regard to low carb diet (vs just normal keto diet without fasting).
- Does 24hr fast first use liver/muscle clycogen for fuel (as in keto induction) and only after those reserves are used would turn burning fat? The reason why I am asking is I would like to stay on low carb diet (but still enough to keep my muscles loaded) but be able to partake on endurance outdoor sports. I have read the GI of different carb foods is not so much of a concern when IFing, but low carbing has helped with bloating and joint function as well (not to mention flue free winters here in cold and dark Scandinavia!)

Thanks,

Tero

P.S. As a foodie and industrial designer I have been very pleased to read about your and MD’s sous vide developments! Great stuff!

Thank you, Dr. Eades, for putting this information out where I and others have been able to read it and become more aware and knowledgeable. I am looking forward to reading more of your blogs.

No, it hasn’t been done. I want to do a comprehensive post on it when I do it, which means digging out and critically reading all the scientific literature since I last posted on the subject, and I just haven’t had the time.

Also, Seyfried has continued to publish interesting studies, see for example:

Epilepsia. 2008 Nov;49 Suppl 8:114-6.
Targeting energy metabolism in brain cancer with calorically restricted ketogenic diets.
PMID: 19049606 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2007 Feb 21;4:5.
The calorically restricted ketogenic diet, an effective alternative therapy for malignant brain cancer.
PMID: 17313687 [PubMed]

I checked and the link doesn’t work. I’ve switched blogging software since I wrote that post and many of the links pre-switch don’t work. I’m out of the country right now, but when I get back, I’ll work on getting that link operational.

Thanks for the heads up.

I just read your article which states that Intermittent Fasting isn’t all that good? I still want to give it a try but now I am unsure as to what you think is best as of now.

Thanks,

Jane

It works great for a lot of people; not so great for others. The only way to find out is to give it a try.

I just read your post about intermittent fasting which led me to this article.
I am 18 years old and weighed 225 pounds when I was 16. A change in lifestyle led me to lose weight. Currently, I am 165 pounds but I still have high fat content on my buttocks, thighs, stomach, and arms.

I am interested in beginning Intermittent Fasting for all the health benefits. However, I am not so familiar with low-carb after the whole Atkins scare. It seems to me that low carb diets are good as long as they are followed properly.

What are the guidelines for a proper low-carb diet? Meaning, am I allowed to eat cheese and butter and high fatty foods? If I DO eat carbs, what kind of carbs should they be? e.g. fruits, vegetables? Are whole-grain carbohydrates OK?

I want to lose/burn the fat that I have in various regions of my body but more importantly, feel strong and healthy.

Thanks,

Violet

Hi Violet–

MRE

I’m also taking many supplements, which perhaps, slows down my weight loss a bit. OTOH, I am at an upper age level, so it behooves me to lose weight slowly (slow and steady, with persistence).

Thanks for all your educational information!