Intermittent fasting or Alternate-day fasting

Question
Hello, thank u in advance!!!!! I lost 30 pounds by giong without food for twenty hours, I would drink water and then eat flaxseed then whatever the heck I wanted....EXPLAIN how that worked!!!! Cause I did exercise thirty minutes but did nothing except cardio and fiber and water and pretty much anything I wanted, im a big eater too! Ive maintained the weight loss by sticking to it, but from a scientific standpoint explain this.

Answer
Dear Brian,

Congratulation on your remarkable success, which is completely in line with scientific data. As an example, I'll describe only one out of many current studies that will perfectly explain your results.

It is currently broadly discussed that Intermittent fasting or Alternate-day fasting may be a more feasible alternative to prolonged calorie restriction not only for for increasing the life span but also for metabolic normalization and prevention of premature aging of the brain. Studies conducted in Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, reported changes in utilization of metabolic fuels before the intermittent fasting protocol and on day 22. Fat oxidation ("burning") increased from 64 to 101 grams in 24 hours while carbohydrate "burning" decreased from 175 to 81.

While glucose levels were not significantly changed, insulin concentration decreased two times and ketone concentration increased from 0.05 mmol/L to 0.4 mmol/L explaining the fat burning increase. Interestingly, all the significant changes occurred sharply on day 22 while the day 21 parameters remained practically same at the baseline.

Also, since these two (calorie restriction and intermittent fasting) approaches are being discussed interchangeably, you might want to read more:

How can calorie restriction improve brain function?
http://agelessbrain.com/2010/10/how-can-calorie-restriction-improve-brain-functi...

An intermittent ketosis plan?
http://agelessbrain.com/2010/08/carbohydrate-addict-diet-an-intermittent-ketosis...

The seven effects of ketone bodies making them powerful neuroprotectors
http://brainfuels.com/2010/08/the-seven-effects-of-ketone-bodies-making-them-pow...

Source:

Leonie K Heilbronn, Steven R Smith, Corby K Martin, Stephen D Anton, and Eric Ravussin. Alternate-day fasting in nonobese subjects: effects on body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:69?3

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