I think I am going to end up on a one meal a day (OMAD) or some kind of 2-3 day fasting/feeding cycle (alternate day fast) of a heavier carb day (with tuber starches) day followed by a low calorie (with no starches, ~700 calories of veggies/salad) trying to drive ketosis on a rhythmic ~48-72 hr cycle.
I've been documenting one meal per day for more than two years. I'll share my experience that IF, fasting and CR(ON) are beneficial habits (for me) even if no one yet understands mechanistically how. With time, patience and care, you can feel it for yourself -- lighter on your feet, less body wide inflammation, stronger, looser limbs, more endurance, clearer thinking, brighter eyes, better sleep, better skin, and other intangible attributes.
My issue is sustainability -- can I keep doing it even through temptation, peer pressure, on days I don't want to, or just can't or just get damned tired of it?
So I set little flexible goals for myself, and use gimmicky tricks to stay motivated. Cronometer helps. I document what I eat and when, how many hours have elapsed between my last meal and now?
Today, Sunday 10/8/17 -- I'm eating between 1-4pm. That daily feeding window has fallen into a natural rhythm of between 1-4pm, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. I avoid night eating. Every day I'm aiming at IFing for more than 20 hours. How many days in a row can I keep my record going of 20+ hours? I reward myself for doing it. It might sound silly or obsessive, but it's a pattern. Training my body is something like training a dog's: use positive reinforcement.
I combine the daily intermittent fasting with more extended fasts of less than ten days. Monthly fasts sometimes, other times they're seasonal. Is it too much? Too little? Shrug... Science drops away. More than ten days of water-only, though, might require supervision. I get too weak, too dizzy to perform.
My diet remains strict, too: almost exclusively whole plants -- fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, rarely grains but sometimes sardines.
If fish, then fish low on the food chain, and sardines are indicated by the Monterrey Aquarium as presumably more environmentally sustainable. Big maybe.
But don't think any disciplined lifestyle behavior is actively repairing damages caused by intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Maybe IF, fasting, CR and a plant based Mediterranean diet are healthier than alternatives.
Meanwhile, we're in limbo that might last years or decades; we're waiting for the first leg of legitimate anti aging technology to emerge, like Waiting For Godot, which may be senescent cell removal. But until then, what else can we do? Stay disciplined, stay focused and informed, keep our collective eyes on the first bridge.
Edited by sthira, 08 October 2017 - 04:47 PM.