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I disagree completely. Regular caloric restriction has its place, exercise has its place, and intermittent fasting has its place. My wife and I are long distan

by elif 7y ago

I disagree completely. Regular caloric restriction has its place, exercise has its place, and intermittent fasting has its place. My wife and I are long distance hikers. That means carrying 10-15kg up and down mountains for 10-14 hours per day every day for 3-6 months. It also means literally counting every calorie--because you have to plan it in week-long intervals and also optimize it for minimal weight and sufficient nutrients. Sounds like a perfect recipe for weight loss right? Enter 'hiker hunger.' Appetite is completely elastic. Your ability to perform depends on your brain's ability to produce happy endorphins and satisfaction signals etc. That's where intermittent fasting is crucial. You exercise your body's regulatory functions. It's not just some belief or willpower or placebo I mean: at a chemical level you transform the function of your neurochemistry to improve your metabolic process.

jniedrauer 7y ago
> That's where intermittent fasting is crucial Would you be able to use IF during a thru hike? I suspect that the answer is no. The weight gain problem for distance hikers is after the hike is finished and we reduce activity significantly. I've solved that by training for distance races when I'm not hiking. Zach Bitter, the current 100 mile record holder, put it in a way that makes a lot of sense to me[0]. For a mere mortal, fasting for 6 hours puts you in the hole for about 700 kcal. A world class athlete like him is at more like a 2000+ kcal deficit. It's impossible to catch up once you get that far behind, and you end up losing weight and injuring yourself. I only burn about 800 kcal during training on an easy day, but I still find it nearly impossible to catch up if I miss a meal. I'm already eating 5x a day. It's hard to cram 5 full meals into a few hours. [0]: https://zachbitter.com/blog/2014/04/06/intermittent_fasting_feast_or_famine_for_endurance_athletes https://zachbitter.com/blog/2014/04/06/intermittent_fasting_...
- elif 7y ago
  Of course not. And weight gain is not contained to "after the trail" And weight loss is not guaranteed. It's great that you've found something that works for you. Like I said, it works for me too. Bodies are different though. "I've hacked around this problem" != "This problem is illusory"

by elif 7y ago

jniedrauer 7y ago

> That's where intermittent fasting is crucial Would you be able to use IF during a thru hike? I suspect that the answer is no. The weight gain problem for distance hikers is after the hike is finished and we reduce activity significantly. I've solved that by training for distance races when I'm not hiking. Zach Bitter, the current 100 mile record holder, put it in a way that makes a lot of sense to me[0]. For a mere mortal, fasting for 6 hours puts you in the hole for about 700 kcal. A world class athlete like him is at more like a 2000+ kcal deficit. It's impossible to catch up once you get that far behind, and you end up losing weight and injuring yourself. I only burn about 800 kcal during training on an easy day, but I still find it nearly impossible to catch up if I miss a meal. I'm already eating 5x a day. It's hard to cram 5 full meals into a few hours. [0]: https://zachbitter.com/blog/2014/04/06/intermittent_fasting_feast_or_famine_for_endurance_athletes https://zachbitter.com/blog/2014/04/06/intermittent_fasting_...

elif 7y ago
Of course not. And weight gain is not contained to "after the trail" And weight loss is not guaranteed. It's great that you've found something that works for you. Like I said, it works for me too. Bodies are different though. "I've hacked around this problem" != "This problem is illusory"