Fasting vs Cutting Calories, which is better? | New Trial

A new clinical trial pits Fasting against Calorie Counting for weight loss and metabolic parameters. Which strategy will come out on top? How do they affect body weight, cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure? A detailed look at the new trial.
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References:
1-www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.73...
Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Nutrition Made Simple!.
#NutritionMadeSimple #GilCarvalho
0:00 New trial pits Fasting vs Calorie Counting
1:51 The results
3:48 Weight maintenance
5:10 Weaknesses
6:40 Take-aways

[@BobSmith-fx9sz]

Fasting is easier to manage as there's only one variable to think about: time. Calorie counting every bit of food is exhausting and carries an uncertainty with it.

[@dudleyhardial2273]

Three years ago, I did a 16/8 intermittent fasting regimen on a low fat vegetarian diet. By doing this I was able to lose thirty pounds over a year. The intermittent fasting helped by stopping me snacking. Even though I was consuming a large amount of carbohydrate, it was mainly whole carbs as I restricted processed carbs, which helped with keeping to a low calorie diet.

[@privtprofile24]

Yup its all about just being able to cut calories. Different things work for different people but in the end its all about calories in calories out.

[@Bankai90]

I find that so interesting, since for me high carb makes me so ravenously hungry. I basically eat all day, yet am never satiated while my stomach almost hurts from all the food and constant digestion. While the only time I was able to drop to like 9% BF at ease was with doing no grains. I was still getting carbs in, fruits, occassional potato. Because of all the data I keep tryharding to do a majorly WFPB diet, but god. It just makes me feel not good lol

[@scienceislove2014]

​@@privtprofile24nope... It's easier for a scientifically uneducated human to conclude ...but I'm so sorry it's not that simple.. Long term effect could be different ..

[@Atypical_Chad]

​@Bankai90 So, it makes sense to drop to a low BF with taking grains out. That's essentially necessary to get that low. Meals would be primarily veggies and a high protein source. Does your diet otherwise have high protein sources (in my preference, plant-based) with every meal? Trying to figure out why the crazy hunger would be a thing.

[@carnivoroussarah]

​@@Atypical_ChadHunger signaling is controlled primarily through protein intake so they likely weren't eating enough protein.

[@pcfreakx]

Dr Gil, cause of your channel I've switched my keto/low carb diet (I'm a former pre-diabetic, NAFLD, etc) to a Mediterranean style diet. Chicken and salmon, beef only when I go out. I appreciate how data centric your channel is (former research biologist here).

[@pkerber]

The planet would be grateful if you cut out all meat. Animal agriculture is contributing massively to climate change.

[@chewiewins]

Done same, Keto reversed my HbA1C but doubled my LDL-C. Now doing Portfolio Diet (& with Mediterranean focus) to get cholesterol back down and hopefully keep HbA1C down

[@unitedintraditions]

Me too...Gil and Physionic are great Science based nutrition

[@AZ89231]

Keto KILLS!!!

[@SuperAngelic5]

Just got back from my cardiologist. I eating low carb with lots of meat to lose weight, but he suggested Mediterranean. Heart health is primary for me.

[@Masterr59]

I've done both over the years, starting when I was 17 and just cutting calories. I counted calories on and off with adding more exercise for the next 7 years, bouncing up and down with 40 lbs, and eventually hitting my heaviest at 320 lbs. I used Fooducate to scan all of my foods, again by counting my calories. It was quite miserable to do every day, and my cravings never changed from wanting to eat the junk food. Fasting is very simple and easy for anyone to ease into because telling you when to eat is less intimidating than saying what to eat. My 24-36 hour fasts had the most anti-inflammatory effect on my body I had ever felt, with chronic pains I was dealing with, particularly in my feet, being severely reduced even still at over 300 lbs. And with that, I noticed my cravings going way down, where I cared less and less what I ate, as well as my appetite for how much. I was feeling full faster. With this major shift in my cravings, I was then able to cut more and more unhealthy diet choices out of my diet, which sped up my weight loss as well. I've done IF and periodic prolonged fasts for 3 years now, and have lost over 100 lbs and still losing. I'm almost 29 but in better shape than when I was 20. I do definitely stand by fasting helping you with balancing your hormones, and being easier to stick to initially, which will in turn if you actually try, help you also slowly make the permanent changes to your diet. Your taste and cravings will change, making you want to eat healthier, and missing the sweets less and less. I 5 years into counting calories, I still wanted to go out and get ice cream at 2am. Now I am happy going home and cooking for myself. I do believe fasting helped jump start this change!

[@Utrilus]

I just cut calories. I looked at what I regularly eat and after looking at them it made ballparking my portions fairly easy. Losing weight at a steady pace. Like I know that "pizza is about 800 to 1000 per 100g" so I know how much to count for. Same with eggs, chips, chocolate... I think I just easily memorized the numbers. 🤔 3 months in I've lost 15 pounds, I notice my craving for chips and junkfood is less. Or I've just found it easier time to ignore when I know I've got this limited window of food I can eat. 😂However, I still eat a pizza in the morning, tho a slice instead of the whole thing. I think what works for me is that I have an easy time guessing, and It's not like I need to be all that accurate. Just got to eat some amount less than my bodies needs. When I eat more one day my bodyweight seemingly stabilizes for a few days. So there isn't much pressure or stress for me to do it either. Long as most days I hit the mark. I also don't exercise, cause that just kills all my motivation and mood. I tried dieting 4 years ago, back then I was too ignorant to count calories, so I just worked out to lose weight and it was working. After reaching a healthy-looking weight I mentally crashed and 3 years later I was overweight again.

[@VictorAGDTrades]

Is true fasting helps you apreciate foods like grilled vegetables, salads etc. I literally crave vegetables with some chiken or any meat inteat when I was calorie counting I was just thinking on sweet stuff to do cheat meals on and savotage my progress

[@sandraelder1101]

I really like your video format - talk, share the data, give commentary. No frills, no cutsie editing or animation. Straight to the point.

[@josecobos6105]

The best one is the one you can stick to long term.

[@billtrudell1636]

I have done intermittent fasting and keto for over 2 years lost over 80 lbs. After 6 months my A1C dropped to 4.7 my triglycerides from over 500 to under 100 my blood pressure is as my doctor says is fantastic usually 114/63. After 7-8 months I had feeling in the soles of my feet return and just over 2 years my toes had feeling return. So so far I improved my health greatly and reversed type 2 and almost completely reversed neuropathy. This works for me.

[@kattenihatten]

Adherence is so immensely important. It doesn't matter how good your theoretical diet is, if no one can stand to follow it for any length of time.

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

exactly

[@flynnoflenniken7402]

I remember when the popular diet advice I was hearing was to eat 6 tiny meals spread throughout the day to supposedly "supercharge" your metabolism. Kinda the opposite of intermittent fasting. Even if that did actually work, that just seems like a giant headache that would have me thinking and stressing about food all day. For my mental health it's not worth it. On the other extreme end, fewer meals makes it harder for me to reach my protein goals for the day. So for me, it's just however many meals I need to get the amount of protein I'm after. Usually two or three meals puts me about where I want.

[@liviuperianu5499]

Following the low-carb Mediterranean diet for 3 years, lost for good 35 kg in the first 5 months

[@jedinxf7]

​@@flynnoflenniken7402for a person who is trying to lose body fat and retain muscle, getting enough protein throughout the day *and* getting it in limited enough quantities to be reasonably utilized for its anabolic purposes will necessarily require more meals. if I'm eating 180g protein a day for my cut, 2 meals is not going to cut it. 4 or 5 meals with 35-50 grams of protein each would be manageable. eating 90g of protein in a meal is really not an optimal way to consume protein for anabolic purposes.

[@gio7602]

This just proves that adherence in IF (intermitting fasting) is better and more sustainable something that was expected tbh

[@gypseetim]

Really interesting study, especially the adherence factor. Please keep doing more videos, it's a breath of fresh air in between all the clickbait sensationalism.

[@wojtek1582]

I greatly prefer fasting. I am currently using 20h or 18h fast each day with almost vegeterian diet deprived of things with added sugar and highly processed foods (refined grains including except white rice from to time). I choose products rich in nutrients and drink a lot of water and different types of tea. This system is easier for me as I do not need to focus on counting calories and it is awesome for training your organism to not to demand food all the time which greatly helps in avoiding snacking. You also spend less time eating or preparing food ;). I now rarely feel hunger and if it appears it is in last hour of the fast. My time window is also earlier then in the research above. I have last meal around 3pm and not later then 4pm. I would love to move it earlier but work hours make it difficult. My weight is going down very nice - 1kg weekly on average in last 6 weeks. This probably means that I have an average daily deficit of 1000 kcal. Important thing is that I am not very active person (though I walk more then average person, but no special training except small amount of resistence exercises). Still results are really great, I do not feel strong hunger and I do not have cravings.

[@Nicksonian]

Adopting time-restricted feeding, I’ve found, is much easier to follow than calorie counting. I did the My Fitness Pal food log for awhile, but it is tedious. I ate breakfast ever day for my entire 66-year life, but I’ve found that giving it up has been pretty easy. Now I don’t eat until after noon. I still have about 10-15 pounds to lose so I’ve started a no-eat Monday routine which results in a 42- to 48-hour fast. That is easier than I thought it would be and the purported benefits go beyond weight loss.

[@pauljansen6650]

Best part of counting calories is that you understand how much calories is in all the normal foods you eat. Even 3 months is invaluable.

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

@@pauljansen6650if you are already an experienced calorie counter, you can guesstimate pretty accurately without actually doing the measuring/counting - so liberating!

[@magdoc1192]

I’m there with you… no food Monday is my go to method for weight maintenance.

[@clairsadler5989]

I really like the schedule of three meals for day - 8:00-9:00 a.m. range, noon range, and a 4:00-6::00 ( finishing time) range depending on life events. I follow the Canadian Food Guide for portions and balance and have a calorie deficit that is not debilitating. I have lost 45 pounds in about 9 months. My key is consistency but 80 -20 percent, and lots of cardio ( running, walking, dancing) and weights/toning three times per week. I love it and will continue in a step by step maintenance mode in September ( one year). I'm 59, female, and enjoying my routine as I go. I lean Mediterranean. Cheers.

[@backwoodstrails]

The fact that Gil has 184K subscribers and the guy that does the competitive eating has over 3million subs tells you all you need to know!

[@wojtek1582]

Well, but Adam from BeardMeetsFood is a lean person. He even at least once shared how he takes care about his weight. He has around 150-160 pounds and he doesn't look like a short person.

[@jamescalifornia2964]

🤔❓️"Competitive eating " ...

[@wojtek1582]

@@jamescalifornia2964 Yep, who eats more hot dogs in 10 minutes, challenges to eat 20k kcal burger in one hour and so on.

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

There are also all those channels spreading misinformation with a lot more subscribers. People are more interested in the sensational claims of pseudo scientists than real science.

[@keithsmith9833]

I started low carb eating about 9 weeks ago. I eliminated bread, pasta, rice and any sugar. I limit myself to 100g of net carbs a day. Before I started I was 210 pounds. I’m now 192. My blood pressure has gone from 125/68 to 110/65. It’s about finding what works for you and what you can sustain. I don’t miss the foods I’ve eliminated. Occasionally I’ll have something sweet but it’s a treat and not a regular thing. Find what works and stick with it.

[@jamescalifornia2964]

NO🚫POTATO

[@keithsmith9833]

@@jamescalifornia2964Correct, no potatoes either.

[@jamescalifornia2964]

@keithsmith9833 ~ It seems we are doing the same diet - with similar results. 👍

[@jbldn]

Your channel is a hidden gem. Especially your seed oil video was a true eye opener. Your closing comment here is spot on. Diet wars have turned into a quasi religious debate and people struggle to accept that different strategies work for different people. Thank you

[@Themata]

Wonderful, thanks. I actually gave up IF after a number of videos (not only yours) said it was not beneficial. Sadly I consequently put the weight back on. This video gives me the impetus to get back on the horse 💪

[@hellobbd]

Great video!

[@MichaelToub]

Great Video!!

[@wesmorgan7903]

love the videos mate, would be awesome if you show some screenshots of the studies your referencing

[@MichaelGGarry]

Fasting is only helpful in some people to help them limit calories, its calories that are key. I think BioLayne will be happy to say more on this :D

[@AndrewPawley11]

Excellent!

[@richarddoan9172]

i think there are two very important questions. (1) Which plan had the best results for people who adhered to it? (2) Which plan was easier to adhere to? (I have no idea if these were addressed in the paper.) If you're making a personal decision you want to know the answer to both questions. If you're making population level recommendations, I think you care less about the details.

[@anathardayaldar]

Sounds like it comes down to personalities. Some people types find it easier to fast, some would rather reduce calories.

[@virginiemazy7054]

Thanks! Very interesting!

[@jedinxf7]

yes and I absolutely despise the tendency to conflate the two in contemporary discourse. adherence is still a choice even if it is a harder one. population level recommendations should consider it, individual optimization does not have to unless the individual needs it.

[@MothershipVideos]

Awesome...thanks.

[@Fomites]

Good discussion. Thanks.

[@AvengerNk]

Thanks Gil. Reliable as always

[@annaj.4740]

Very good video, THX 🌹

[@sebacatana]

Great, another one. Put it on top of the pile...

[@rafaelgelpi2718]

Double cheers to you! I’m astonished that you maintain a calorie deficit and are able to do all that exercise

[@kestag2110]

I'm more calorie restricting. When I needed to lose weight to get to a normal weight from being overweight, I did TRF and it worked well and got me beyond my goal. I'm at a healthy weight but now want to lose 2kg more (I'm going on a cruise at the end of the year and want some wiggle room), I'm just eating less during the day. I'm with Dr. Gil, do what works for you.

[@erharddinges8855]

All the infos from GIL are of best practical use and up to date. He does very much criical studies for us to provide insights that are sustainable and ready to use well in everyday life. Many thanks!

[@LinusBerglund]

I avoided sugar, added sugar, oil, products with oil, and nut butters for three months and lost 10kg. I think people don't appreciate how hard it is to eat too many calories without added oil and sugar.

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

I cut out processed food with the same results, even though I still eat lots of nut butters (with no added sugar) and olive oil. I didn’t even plan to lose weight, just wanted to eat healthy to control my blood pressure - the weight loss was a side effect! That was a year ago and I haven’t put the weight back on - processed food is what makes people fat!

[@magdoc1192]

You make great videos, I like your balanced approach to subject mater. You have been a good influence during my health journey. I’ve tried a lot of things during my four year health journey. During this past year I have been fasting one day a week, every week except vacation (only black coffee or tea for at least 36 hours) and I don’t count calories the remaining days. This approach allows more flexibility on eating days (no thinking required). I do mostly follow a Mediterranean diet with virtually no processed foods and no simple sugars. I’m at a good BMI and feel much better and enjoy the food. I discovered that fasting is easy for me, calorie counting was effective but not so easy. Each person must find the easy path on their own journey, and make it enjoyable. The journey gets easier with time. I’m coasting effortlessly 😊.

[@jacobstaff549]

I can't explain how happy iam for your channel.. always educational always with science... ❤❤❤ thank you.. love from Greece 🇬🇷🙏

[@astronaute]

We need a study including 36h fast, once per week, and compare that to cutting calories and IF.

[@edbarnard7157]

36 hours is an amazing fat burner and very easy to do. I have lost 23 pounds in 6 weeks of 36 hour fasting 2 to 3 days a week and like I say very easy to do. I actuually look forward to the fasting days when I feel the best. This by the way will definitely reduce your APOB levels and A1C. I plan to do one 36 hour fast per week along with Omad 2 days a week which will easily take me to my 40 pound weight loss target and easy to maintain

[@stephanieakers934]

Do what works for you! That is so true. So glad I finally found what works for me! Intermittent fasting is my jam. But I think an 8 hour eating window will probably not work for most people if they eat continually that whole time. Not eating between meals and cutting sugar are the things that made IF work for me.

[@rafaelgelpi2718]

I’m mostly WFPB since March of this year, I’ve lost weight and gotten my lipids under control. I’ve tried IF 16/8 and found that I can’t eat enough vegetable & grain calories unless I eat snacks or lots of nuts and seeds which have lots of fats. Any practice hints for dealing with insufficient calories in the 16/8 IF time period? Thanks

[@stephanieakers934]

@@rafaelgelpi2718 definitely need to focus on healthy fats - avocado, olive oil, seeds

[@deancoder8356]

Great review! It would be wonderful if we could move from diet being a religion to a more widely accepted view that different diets can work for different people. This understanding has certainly been a journey for me.

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

Yes, I didn’t realise this was going on until I started watching these videos. An interesting phenomenon - then again, most religions have dietary restrictions, so perhaps not surprising after all.

[@ukestunner]

It would be interesting to see comparisons between 5/2 fast (with calories restricted to 500-600 on fast days), or even alternate day fasting, and either of the two methods described here.

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

You can always do a mix and match - that’s the beauty of it, whatever works for you. I don’t think one works better than the other.

[@debstayblessed9549]

I heard fasting at least 16hrs can initiate autophagy with all the health promoting benefits. Counting calories and control qroup doesn't reap those type of benefits. Thanks for the video.

[@julietyson3731]

Would love to hear your thought on diet, etc for those who work the night shift. Early eating is great but that’s my sleep time. Do I just push my early eating to the afternoon ( my wake up time?) thanks love you channel

[@DrDGr2]

Thank you. A topic that it might be interesting to have your thoughts on is the reaction pp have after eating. Flush of the face, nose dripping, bloating….. all those signs that one might want to solve. Thanks!

[@GlennHanna8]

Thanks for sharing. This appears to be another indicator supporting the simplicity of the calories-in vs calories-out philosophy. I would suspect insulin sensitivity to be better in the IF group, but it doesn't appear to be significant. 8 hours is currently what I do to maintain weight. When I want to lose weight I cut the feeding window down to 4 hours or less. It's summer time for me and physical activity naturally increases and I have to eat more before or after a long day of exercise or else suffer injuries. Which 6 months did these people do the trial? Was it random for each person or conducted at the same time? Winter or Summer etc.

[@Nhkg17]

Another study that showed that if you eat in the second half of the day, the only benefit of fasting is a reduction in calorie intake. So I don't fast. I don't need to lose weight and I'm not capable of fasting more than 4 hours before falling asleep.

[@drentsheideschaap]

I lost 13 kg in a year without eating less or intermittend fasting. I just walked more and was more active.

[@TangoMasterclassCom]

It always comes down to the same thing... you lose weight when you consume less calories than you burn. You can do that in a healthy, sustainable way or not. You can go on a whysky diet (or any other fad diet) and loose weight. You can also eat very healthy and gain weight (if you eat more calories than you burn).

[@AlexandruNicolin]

I'm a 40 year old, 185 cm (6'1") tall man. I combined both methods and it was quite effective in terms of weight loss. In 3 months of eating just breakfast - my meal time was generally between 8-11 am and lasted for an average of 20 minutes each day - and with an average of just under 500 kcal daily intake I managed to lose 29 kg (64 lbs), dropping from 110 (243 lbs) to 81 kg (179 lbs). Surprisingly I didn't see any dramatic loss in energy, and in fact quite the opposite, I became more active as I dropped the first 15-20 kg. The only minor inconvenient were occasional dizzy spells when I got on my feet too fast, but there was nothing dramatic. Blood tests were quite normal afterwards, with the exception of cholesterol: HDL was slightly under the normal limit (32 vs. 40), LDL was slightly above the normal limit (127 vs. 100), and total cholesterol elevated, but still within normal limits (173 vs. 200). I was a bit worried, until I found a couple of studies online that explained it. In shorts, it's a *transient* effect of a lot of your own fat being mobilized to feed your cells, because glucose and glycogen were almost non-existent due to the very deep caloric deficit. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2035468/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1314244/ Later edit: In the mean time the urine work came back, and one parameter is really high, ketone bodies at 50 mg/dL, which is moderate ketonuria. But considering both my blood glucose is 73 mg/dL and Hb A1C 5.06%, well within the normal range, it means I'm not diabetic. Also kidney related parameters such as creatinine and urea are in the low normal range. I have no symptoms of ketoacidosis, but in the morning I did get an odd taste in my mouth something between really bad tasting toothpaste and the aroma of nail polish remover. I just dismissed it as an aftertaste of the toothpaste I was using before I went to sleep, but now it makes more sense. My conclusion is that just my body, due to the deep caloric deficit, has been undergoing very strong ketosis for the last 2 months at least, and the byproducts just dumped overboard. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995232/

[@peterfaber7124]

Do you know of any studies where the goal was to get to normal BMI? That would be really interesting.

[@jamesgrobholz1652]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but there were 2 major variables not controlled for in this study: (1.) there was no group who received nutritional counseling/guidance without calorie restriction or fasting, and (2.) accounting for the degree of physical activity. Might average out, but not sure if the sample size is large enough to not skew results.

[@zhilahaghbin4766]

Dr. Gil, thanks much, I would you to know your experience on EPA/DHA /fish oils if they raise LDL and cholesterol and cause AF. Dr. Mohammad Alo said that in interview with Simon Hill, thought now relevant to today topic, but thought you might see it.

[@radmehrabdolahi1346]

Much respect sir, I wish you could have left an email on your channel so we can send you suggestions and thoughts for your future videos?

[@markbrooks6979]

I wish they would have had the fasting group eat the same kinds of foods the reduced calorie group, or added a group that reduced calories but ate whatever they wanted.

[@okamsug]

In the end, as we've already known for many years now, it's all about the number of calories. If you need to lose weight, you need to reduce the number of calories you take whatever method you choose to do.

[@jedinxf7]

no one needs to lose "weight." people need to lose fat. if some diets result in more muscle catabolism because of silly timing and sillier macros, they are simply suboptimal. one of the easiest things I could do to lose weight is stop lifting , let my muscle atrophy, and give bulimia a whirl. but that is not a healthy decision for any purpose. a bad diet based solely on negative energy balance is only a variation on that foolish theme.

[@razhua]

great vid as usual. at least the fasting group does not have be thinking about the calories. grea advantage if they can adjust to the fasting window

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

When you reduce the feeding window you naturally end up eating less - no calorie counting - so much easier! Plus, you save some time as well not having to prepare an extra meal! 12 pm to 8 pm window works best for me too - especially when I don’t have to get up early.

[@jamescalifornia2964]

🎉 Do BOTH ! ☺️👍

[@MikeDirnt78]

Thanks doc. I just read the glucose revolution book. Do you think the order of food eaten (vege, fats, proteins, fruits, carbs) during a meal matters ?

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

Get a CGM and see it for yourself! I was a bit sceptical about those claims as well but everything checked out! And if you go for a brisk walk right after eating, you can eat all the carbs you want (within reason) without a spike because your muscles immediately use up the sugar! The reason the veggies first method works is because you line your stomach with fiber so the carbs (sugar) won’t go straight into your blood stream. Same calories though, so I’m not sure how much it would affect weight loss, but definitely works for blood sugar control.

[@thiagomilagres5184]

Thank you for your amazing work. I would like to suggest a topic for a future video. Several people, such as Dr. Michael Greger, have claimed that under certain circumstances, fasting could actually worsen 'bad' cholesterol levels. This seems to be particularly true when most of the calories are consumed at night. I've also seen the opposite: some studies even suggest a decrease in 'bad' cholesterol. Since you've made several videos on fasting but haven't specifically addressed this issue, I would appreciate your typically balanced view on this topic. To sum up, my question would be: if two people eat exactly the same foods in a day, but one eats throughout the day and the other eats OMAD, is there a reason to believe that the second approach would lead to worst LDL cholesterol levels?

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

Interesting proposition. I would like to know how this scenario would affect blood sugar! I’m one of those people who eats frequent small meals (but within an 8-10hr window and mainly whole foods) - I tracked my blood sugar with a CGM for two weeks and I was able to stay under 6 mmol/L (108 mg/dl) most of the time. I wonder what happens if someone eats the exact same food as One Meal A Day. This is not something I could test on myself, as I simply can’t eat that much in one go, but I really want to know if it would affect blood sugar in any way!

[@Kingofwebsites]

What do you think of a 3 hour eating window- particularly for someone with a fast metabolism?

[@YaletownTrekker]

Interesting that there was less variability in results for the fasting group compared to calorie restriction group (as shown in the ranges in the line charts).

[@petercottantail7850]

That was only the average, you can see the chart that the lowest points of the fasting group are almost the halfway point between the calorie restricted group and the group that didn't modify their diet at all (it fluctuates of course) The variance in calorie restricted diets is interesting and makes me wonder if there were any other factors that were omitted like if the ones saying they adhered to the diet were consistent at all. Most likely to give benifit of the doubt, it was how much exercise each one performed since that wasn't enforced. And of course metabolism being a factor would explain why the range was so high. If thats the case then exercise's benifit to weight loss seems to be better for calorie reduced diets or less effecienct for fasting plans on average but again that can't be said with confidence if litterly no one exercised but we have no idea cause the study didn't say which ones individually did. I personally was a bit disappointed in the lack of variables covered in this report and seeing the range of calorie change without any additional info felt like a missed opportunity. I get the point was to do this for casual weight loss strategies

[@1m2ogaming]

Can you do some research about what is the best way to get fat free muscle mass. Is it with cutting body fat and keeping it around 10-15% and alternating between cutting(-500kcal) and bulking(+200-300kcal). Or trying to do body recomposition or are there more optimal ways for cutting/bulking kcal of course accounting for muscle to fat ratio loss/gain.

[@markotrieste]

One reason for the limited amount of weight is the requirement not to change physical activity during the trial. IF works great for me, but it is just one pf the tools I use. Resistance training, running, meditation, low carb, simple foods are the other arrows at my disposal.

[@psionikable]

Can you do a video looking at studies of fasting vs calorie restriction over much longer periods of time?

[@VirgoVibe]

(This may be included in the actual study but) Would be interesting to know if the participants had a large amount of weight to loss. Maybe that is why they didnt' lose that much during the 6 months. Great video as always! Glad IF works for some people, I tried IF for a year and I just ended up eating the same amount of calories so didn't lose anything. I'll experiment with changing the fast to later in the day instead of earlier in the day.

[@Vezmus1337]

The participants were obese.

[@sammavitae114]

He started the video by saying the participants were in the obese category - probably based on BMI.

[@cydeYT]

When do you think the skin video will get released?

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

we've gone through some of the literature but haven't yet found a guest with expertise in this area to bring on so it's uncertain

[@cydeYT]

@@NutritionMadeSimple Dr. Tray possibly?

[@therhysfoster]

Hey Dr. I've been doing the carnivore diet for over a month now. Eggs, red meat and fish. My acid reflux, bloating, headaches, joint paints, bowel issues have all disappeared. But after watching some of your videos, I have learned that having a high saturated fat diet could lead to heart issues in the future. I like the benefits of this diet (these symptoms have been with me EVERY day up until I started the carnivore diet) but I obviously do not want more serious issues in the future that could be caused by this diet. I found a study that says looking at cholesterol as a whole is a better marker for risk of CVD. It also states that they found replacing saturated fats with linoleic acid such as vegetable oils increased the risks of CVD and replacing refined carbs with saturated fat decreased the risks of CVD (contrary to what other studies state). So I am just wondering if you are able to take a look at this study and maybe do a recap on the whole carnviore diet as it's been a few years since your last review of some of these carnivore diet videos / carnivore supportive doctors. I believe a review of this study would be a good addition to the recap video too. I'm lost at the moment. I don't want these issues that I used to have but the only thing that seems to work is the carnivore diet. It's probably due to the fact that I've cut out all junk food, processed food, reduced my sugar and don't eat anything that has more than 1 ingredient in it, but at the same time, going back to a "normal/standard" diet is also quite worrying because these symptoms could vary well flare up again. I would really appreciate a response and a video would be amazing! :) Here's the study/article menitoned above: bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/15/1111 God bless from the UK

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

hi. the key is to retain the lessons learned (low in ultraprocessed foods, finding a diet that satiates you) while patching up the weaknesses. gradually introducing some vegetables/fatty fish/legumes should result in a more balanced diet and moderate long-term risk exposure

[@mattlevault5140]

This is good news but hardly surprising. For me, IF cut calories. I do a minimum of 8/16 (often 6/18) with a 24 hour fast about once every two weeks. Once my body acclimated to the schedule, it's fairly easy to do. I've found that I simply CAN'T consume as many calories in the shorter feeding window. Over 2 - 3 years, I've achieved and maintained about a 20% weight loss (45 pounds). Also went for pre-T2D to the low end of normal for my A1C.

[@chewiewins]

Switching from Keto to Portfolio diet but plan to continue Intermittent Fasting and occasional OMAD. Hope keep HbA1C down and bring down LDL-C

[@chewiewins]

@@atentoasuapalavra4394 yep Doubled from 81 to 165

[@chewiewins]

@@atentoasuapalavra4394 good luck, let us know how it goes. Key is stopping Ketosis (& cut saturated fat) for me.

[@johngriswold2213]

Would love to see studies that are not aimed at obese people but targeted instead at mildly overweight or normal weight people trying to construct the most healthy habits.

[@shashwatsingh2748]

Should I take Choline supplement on a Vegan Diet?

[@Marbleheadjed]

Could you do intermittent fasting 4 days a week pr would that be unhealthy?

[@alpacamale2909]

I lose weight by drinking alcohol on the weekends. Whiskey specifically. A lost amount of it gets turned into fat and between the long hours of sleep and the hangover I pretty much despise food for the entire weekend. Yes I know it's bad but it by doing it I managed to lose 18 kilograms in a year which I hadn't been able to do for 15 years. I love food too much. Now I feel so much lighter and the benefits outweighs the risks. People around me say they've never seen that before, but here am I, 64kg from 82 in a year. And I don't think I am killing my liver from drinking only on the weekends, I don't drink too much anyways, I get drunk easily and I probably had a fatty liver 1 year ago anyways.

[@MrMohshehab]

But there is much more benefits to IF than just losing weight like Autophagy, controlled appetite, gut healing, Microbiome health.

[@nicktheodorou3474]

There isn’t any evidence of this when calorie are kept equal between fasting and calorie restriction.

[@davidperfette1425]

Fasting works great as long as I'm able to exercise regularly. It's a struggle when I'm injured. I love how I feel going for a run well into a fast. It kills any hunger I may have been experiencing and gives me a better overall feeling than running a few hours or so after my last meal. Same thing with weight lifting. I have better workouts fasted.

[@kollectart389]

Hello from Paris! You re my favorite youtuber. I have a question that is related to IF and autophagy. I get it that to this day there are just no evidence that IF works better and that autophagy is a thing for humans... On the other hand i see a lot of people saying that when they fast and lose a lot of weight (those for whom IF is working...), they dont get that surplus of skin caused by losing weight too fast. And the hypothesis is that autophagy "eat" those excess of skins... Is there any study that could let us know if theres is some truth to this ? Thanks for the good work !

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

hi, we have a video on autophagy in the works, I´ll try to remember that interesting Q but we'll send out a community post soon to ask for burning Qs, definitely pitch that in! :)

[@kollectart389]

@@NutritionMadeSimple Thanks !

[@youtuber1650]

I only eat when I'm hungry. In between I don't eat. I don't call that fasting. I call it not eating because I'm not hungry.

[@IonTrone]

slightly off-topic, maybe I'm sheltered, but it's the first time I recall hearing "adherence" pronounced without the "h" :)

[@fitstoic1329]

can you do a video on GMO foods and if there is scientific data to support mass hysteria against GMOs

[@EmilEngholmSrensen]

I have been doing 16-18 hours fast, and i can eat my maintenance, and more, in those 6-8 hours. When doing this kind of research, it needs to be iso-protein.

[@johnroyle5926]

Time-restricted eating works well for me, but not for my wife. I follow the noon - 8pm eating window, for social reasons, just as in this study. Once in a while I snack a bit after 8pm, but almost never eat before noon. I became used to the regime, and have now continued it for over 5 years. I'm not continuing to lose weight, my weight is pretty stable (6'6", 200lb). I find the TRE to be preferable for me because when I do eat, I can eat until satiated. I am careful not to over-eat -- just to satiety and not beyond. I eat lots of vegetables, mono-saturated olive oil & nuts for fats, lean meat, mostly chicken, fish, some bison, some dairy. Some fresh fruits too. I especially try to avoid refined sugar & refined flour in foods. I find it's an easy eating pattern, and I don't obsess over calculating calories. My wife, on the other hand, feels weak and starts getting migraines when she tries skipping breakfast, so it doesn't work for her.

[@drott150]

For people who have a very high daily activity level, is there any evidence those people can consume much larger amounts of fat (especially saturated fat) and carbohydrates without harming themselves? For instance, my BMI is 21 and I burn around 3400 calories a day with intense hiking in the Colorado mountains (at altitudes exceeding 13,000', which also burns more calories than at sea level for same level of exertion). I've been struggling to maintain my BMI at 21 and seem to be slipping down to 20 or who knows where it will stop. So, I eat French toast with butter and maple syrup with bacon (all organic, whole grain, no nitrites etc), hamburgers and pizza 2-3 times a week in an effort to keep weight on (the rest healthy foods, much of it plant based). I had one blood test done recently which revealed an LDL of 105, trigs 27 and A1C of 5.2. Is there any merit to the idea that you "burn up" excess sugars and fat as long as you engage in high activity levels that consume all of the high calorie foods you take in, including foods high in saturated fat and carbohydrates? I never see this type of lifestyle analyzed or discussed, probably because it's relatively rare. But it would be good to know some basic guidelines that take into account activity levels, which for some include intense daily exercise.

[@nicktheodorou3474]

Yes. It is the reason endurance athletes have some of the lowest risk of all cause mortality and type 2 diabetes even though they suck on sugar all day. If your keeping your carbohydrate load below what you muscles are utilising then there isn’t a problem. Even if it is sugar, counter to what you hear, otherwise every endurance athlete should be dead. There is more controversy around fats so can’t really comment.

[@Bankai90]

@@nicktheodorou3474 dk where you got that from, but "extreme" endurance athletes often have a higher CVD risk compared to the average joe. But it seems that exercise overall is helping a lot to nullify all kinds of negative effects from anything really.

[@nicktheodorou3474]

@@Bankai90 There are several studies looking at the risk of cyclists due to the amount of sugar they consume and the outcome was they had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and increase insulin sensitivity. Yes, extreme endurance athletes have a increased risk of cardio vascular disease but they train in a band of diminishing returns for every little marginal gain.

[@yasim9435]

I don’t know the study details but is seems that age would have significant effect on the result as fasting has significantly different effect on body in older age

[@rafaelgelpi2718]

Dr Gil says “use what works for you” which means that if you fall in love with a particular diet or strategy and it doesn’t work for you, you should move on; that assumes that you’ve the sense not to adopt a Twinkies and soda pop diet if you find that it “works”

[@FloraJoannaK]

I've done 16/8 intermittent fasting with whole foods for over a year now, basically daily. Anecdotally, it does work. I've gone from 108kg to 99kg, waist to hip 89cm/109cm moved into 80/105cm range. I'm less skinny fat, and more muscular and lanky nowadays, being 198cm tall. It's quite possible my visceral fat has reduced by a lot, as laboratory tests show good results in general. It's all about lifestyle. I do weight training daily, and walk to places if I can. In one year, a 9-10kg drop in weight, which has so far stuck, along with increase in muscle mass and energy levels is quite the result. So, do give IF and fasting in general a shot, forum. Pay attention also to the gut microbiome, and increased amount of fibre and a variety of vegetables.

[@sevdarasdaras]

Sugar consumption? The food eaten by the fasting group? Hello?

[@petar.dj98]

Can you make a video reviewing Bryan Johnsons Blueprint mealplan and protocol? He’s a billionaire who invests a lot in his longevity and he posts everything he does. Was wondering specifficaly if his mealplan is a healthy option for most people

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

Waterfasting for 7 days, I tried it, and it was easy after several attempts buy me to start. I can not find any downside to this. What can you tell me ? I also did a 22-day fast and felt great. Given that we must have gone without eating at times in the past. Do you know of any trials of no food. No half eating, just complete no eating for many days.?

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

@atentoasuapalavra4394 I am only talking about myself, and my experience The first days were the hardest and then day by day. I was surprised how easy it was, but temptations were not far away. Hahaha.

[@ZsuzsaKarolySmith]

I remember seeing a documentary about this somewhere in Russia - people had amazing health benefits from fasting for several weeks, but they were under medical supervision.

[@bryanleaman5942]

I've heard so much about how losing weight helps reduce cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose, so why didn't they see any change in their bloodwork? Was their weight loss of 4-5 kg just too little?

[@pietro8246]

Adherence is on the individual and no diet or lifestyle change will magically work if you aren't disciplined. Love yourself enough to take care of yourself......

[@Klyttorius]

I wish these studies would measure the sex hormone profiles of the people too. I've seen people like MorePlateMoreDates show some evidence that fasting over time may decrease total testosterone levels more so than if one weren't fasting.

[@f.-j.j.5738]

Please please please a video on how to safely lose weight as a breastfeeding mom without compromising my milk supply.

[@bobanefecco]

I'm an Italian 50 years old, height 183 cm. I've been on fasting 8-16 for about 1 month now. And I cut white sugar and most of carbohydrates (no bread, pasta, no sweets, little fruit etc.) Started at 82 Kg (180 punds), now I'm at 78.5 Kg (173 pounds) and feel better than before, less "swallen". I think I have done both fasting and restricting calories (because it's difficult to eat the same calories cutting off carbohydrates and sugar and eating only 2 times a day. You naturally intake less calories). And I think I lost weight so quickly mainly because of "water-loss". In fact I lost all the weight in about 3 weeks, this last week on the same regimen I lost only 0.5 Kg. (fat ?) Bye.

[@thuggie1]

I tend to like fasting counting calories just annoys me

[@esotericsolitaire]

I lost 10 pounds in one year just from fasting. I am now in the process of cutting calories. These are the only techniques that work for me, particularly calorie cutting. Do I hear a duh?

[@mattclark6482]

I have come to the conclusion (from my anecdotal experience). The benefits of fasting are largely psychological. It's much easier to just tell myself I'm not going to eat during this period than it is to repeat the continued pattern of eating smaller amounts. Its kind of similar to smokers being stuck in the pattern of putting a cigarette in their mouth.

[@davidperfette1425]

That is a plus, but the benefits go well beyond the psychological. Andrew Huberman does a great job of synthesizing all the benefits per all of the research over the past fifteen years. Effects of Fasting and Time Restricted Eating on weight loss and health.

[@Brzeczyszczykiewicz_Greg]

To me, its not really fasting unless you dont eat for 3 days. Stuffing your face at all hours got so normalized in the US that even medical journal call it "fasting" if you skip breakfast lol.

[@respectfuldebates]

Hate it when researchers treat 16;8 hour fasts combined with ad libidum eating as 'fasting' and are done with it. What about stricter fasting regimens: Like weekly water fasting for more than 24 hours, and completely skipping a meal daily? Been doing a weekly 36 hour water fasts, skipping dinner. I have lost a lot of weight, reduced blood pressure and cholesterol all the while, having a regimen that is easy to stick to.

[@jft8994]

Peter Attia concluded that several of his patients doing fast had lost weight, gained fat and lost muscle mass with a Dexa Scan several months later. He was fond of the 3 day fast and does not recommend it anymore. More studies going against the intermittent fasting fad. Whatever the type of diet, keto, carnivore, mediterranean , as long as a calorie deficit is created, people will lose weight. Removing carbs will help for sure people with sugar craving. The problem is the lack of protein in the system in the morning for many hours and the need to eat more than 100 grams of protein for people doing OMAD in one meal. The cannibalization of the muscle mass is not a great idea certainly when getting older. Attia and several others recommend weight lifting and make sure that the protein intake is high.

[@ianlanford6922]

the main different to usual eat less move more than IF is that you are eliminating will power needed for the diet. in IF you are forced to eat at time period. its like a working hour. so you know when to eat, how many more hours to complete it. while in just counting calories, ppl tend to underestimate their caloric intake. so they tend to overeat. and also if you look at the research. they restrict the caloric counting group with certain food. while in IF group they can eat anything. thats not the reality.

[@Joseph1NJ]

The study was funded by NIH, so why is it behind a paywall?

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

access is determined by the journal it's published in. but I completely agree it's Kafkaesque that the public pays for the research then is asked to pay to see the results... :(

[@FS-my4wv]

You may add a few years to your life with the right dietary choices, but they won't be your best years. 😊 Pass me another cheeseburger and chocolate cake for dessert please.

[@RichRich1955]

I eat in a 23.9999 hour window