Got back from Australia on Thursday morning. From a fasting perspective it was not the best trip, but not disastrous. Over 10 days I managed three fasting days. I tried more, but invariably was going out to dinner and then would have a glass of wine…..
Anyway, I am not too disappointed. On Friday here, I had a fast day, and I am fasting again today, so effectively I will have managed to have had five fasting days in the last fortnight.
This will be my last fasting day for the next week though – on Tuesday I leave for my bike ride from Geneva to Nice and I really think it would be both unwise and impossible to continue during that. The ride is from Wednesday to Saturday, so I am thinking that two eating days before the ride will be necessary to get my glycogen stores fully up to speed (i.e. carbo loading) and then the Sunday following the ride I will also eat as a normal day to recover.
I am treating this as a week off, and quite looking forward to it. When I have previously done long rides like this I have not lost any weight – I don’t know why , perhaps replacing fat with muscle?? – but anyway I am not worried for this week. Just want to enjoy the ride.
I had blood tests done in Australia, and my doctor had a set of results from 2007 which provided a good baseline. My fasting glucose in 2007 was 5.5 mmol/L; in June this year when I had some test done it was 5.8; and last week it was 5.2. My cholesterol level went from 4.9 mmol/L down to 4.4 mmol/L (at the lower middle end of the normal range of 3.9-5.5). (Unfortunately, the test did not split up into HDL and LDL cholesterol).
When I did the tests in 2007 I was about 15 kg lighter and very fit, so the fact that my numbers are lower than then to me says that this diet is doing something positive.
The only negative is that the weight loss is perhaps a bit slower than I hoped. I think I am still losing weight – I was measured at the doctor and was 108.8kg which is down about a kg from my previous measure, but using a different set of scales. Anyway, I want to up the rate of weight loss and so I have decided to severely cut down my alcohol consumption and see if that helps.
altdayfast 
I’ve been doing this for a few weeks now. Weight loss is slow, but biggest difference seems to be in loss of inches. Although I didn’t take measurements before I started I am already down a couple of notches on my belt. Also feel a bit more energetic. I’ve mainly stuck with day on day off, but now switching to fasting on Mon, Wed and Fri only as I was finding it really hard at weekends to stick to. Keep your updates up, I find it motivates me more knowing others are also doing it! Keep up the good work.
looks all good for you Alldayfast. For me its a bit mixed, still doing a 4 :3 mix and the last 3 weeks have shown a variable weight loss/ gain thing, however overall feel better and so will continue. I have no blood tests in the past to compare with so no reason to get some done but a friend will get some done soon. Hope the weight loss sorts out soon as I would like to loose 10 lbs over the next 10 weeks aaahhhhhhh
Good to hear the positive health news from your tests. Enjoy you cycling holiday, it sounds great. Hope you get good weather.
As I mentioned on an earlier thread I am a keen amateur chess player. Interestingly I have had some suprisingly good results recently-earlier this week I won a complex 4 hour game against a far higher rated player (300 fide points higher than me for any chess players reading). Could I have increased my brain power during my eight weeks 5:2 intermittent fasting? Could I be growing new brain cells? Would be handy at 54:). Any one else noted improvements in mental performance, eg word finding, cross word solving? Too early to say there is a possible link, but I am interested to see if my chess rating improves over the next 6 months.
I would certainly say that both my energy levels and my concentration level were a lot higher (I’m also 54, and yes, new brain cells would be a bonus!) Altdayfast – you’re doing great, don’t beat yourself up about having to (ahem) ‘readjust’ occasionally. Have a good trip.
Good luck with the ride!
Micky B, I read an article in New Scientist this morning which was looking into research on the causes of Alzheimers (I forget how to spell it!). It looks like it could be tied into Insulin response, whereby a lack results in particular proteins attaching themselves to the brain, affecting cognition. Trials squirting Insulin up sufferers’ noses resulted in measurable improvements in memory tests etc.
Also putting 2 groups of volunteers onto a low GI and high GI diet for a period resulted in measurable changes in IQ. (+ve for low, -ve for high).
And didn’t the Horizon program touch on this as well – fat rats are stupid rats!?
So the implication is that diet and lifestyle can have a direct effect on the brain, so maybe the fasting regime could be having an effect on your chess….
Thanks Steve, just read that New Scientist article- very interesting. It is also pretty scary that the massive explosion of type 2 diabetes could be followed by a massive explosion in Alzheimer’s disease. It also indirectly supports Alternate day fasting, or its 5:2 version, as both of these seem to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, among many other benefits. Good reason to keep at it!
All looking good. I’ve found a marked slow down of weight loss in the last couple of weeks, although when I take stock, I have lost just a few pounds short of 2 stone since the beginning of August, so perhaps I shouldn’t be too hard on the diet.
I commented a while ago about the unevenness of the fat loss – face, arms, legs, neck, rump etc are getting skinny, but the belly/ torso less so. I was particularly bothered about the ‘moobs’ that we overweight men develop, and that they were not even starting to lose fat, leaving me in quite an odd, and embarrassing shape. I was looking forward to having confidence to start swimming again by now, but I’m still not ready to unleash this unsightly figure on unsuspecting bathers.
I went to the Doctors for another matter and mentioned the fat distribution in passing,leading her to recommend some general bloods etc. The results have come back indicating a pituitary gland tumour (pending further tests), which is causing the moobs to remain. Had I not started on this diet, I would have just continued to think I was a fat bloke with a fat chest, and not pursued it further. Thankfully, there is a very good chance of medication treating the problem successfully.
The moral of this tale is – gents, dont ignore the moobs!