Our hunter-gatherer ancestors spent hours each day searching for food that was only intermittently available. They'd fast, and then they'd feast. These ancient humans developed a "thrifty" genotype that helped them adapt to these cycles of want and plenty.Today, we carry this same genetic makeup with us, and several animal studies and few small human trials indicate that there may be, for us too, health benefits to alternate-day fasting, a regimen that somewhat mimics the irregular and unpredictable food intake pattern on which our ancestors evolved.
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From a practical standpoint, it's unclear whether people could stick to an alternate-day fasting regimen for any length of time. Researchers have suggested that the regimen is easier than daily calorie restriction, but is it easy enough? Many subjects in the Pennington study reported feeling hungry and irritable on the days they fasted, and that probably would limit the number of people who could sustain this pattern of eating for very long.
I for one have found this regime much easier than daily calorie restriction. Being short, in my forties and not all that active, my daily calorie requirements to maintain my bodyweight are already quite low. This makes it difficult to cut out enough calories to lose any weight -- indeed I have found it impossible to lose weight that way. I've been able to lose weight via total fasting, but found that difficult to maintain. This "regime" works for me. Again, I just wish that I had found it years ago when my weight first started ballooning out of control.
Worked out on the Nordic Track for 20 minutes while watching TV. My favorite program, The L Word, is coming back this Sunday. Yay! I love that show.
Breakfast: 1 pear
Lunch: slice of spinach, zucchini, tofu lasagna
Dinner: steamed brussels sprouts
Snack: air popped popcorn with nutritional yeast, a tiny bite off one of those white chocolate macadamia nut cookies
Shared a bottle of champagne with my boyfriend for New Years Eve
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