[HorizonXP]

Because most cannot do it safely. Besides caloric intake, food provides our bodies with a lot of essential nutrients, minerals, vitamins, electrolytes, and even water that our bodies cannot obtain otherwise. Also, over long enough periods, your body will have to start breaking down muscle fibers to provide the amino acids it needs to repair other structures due to wear-and-tear.

To supplement all of that without food is certainly possible, but not easy without a ton of research and a plan. Given that most people cannot stick to a normal reduced-calorie diet, it’s a leap to think that full-on fasting will be possible for the general populous.

That said, I do intermittent fasting all the time, and occasionally do a 24-36 hour fast if I feel I need it. I don’t have an eating disorder, but there are times where my calorie surplus gets away from me during family occasions. The longer fasts help me get back on track, especially in tandem with a hard weightlifting workout at the gym to use that surplus to its fullest potential.

[aylmao]

A muslim friend of mine suggested that I fast with her for Ramadan. I only did it for one day, but honestly it was a pretty interesting experience.

I come from a country where skipping a meal is unthinkable and grew up thinking it was unhealthy to not eat when you're supposed to, let alone not eat at all.

During that day I was surprised how "energized" and focused I felt after the initial lunch-time "hump". I reached a point at which I just wasn't hungry any more; I wasn't feeling full of energy but I wasn't tired either, and I was very focused for some reason.

[HorizonXP]

Oh same here. Anytime I tell people I do keto, or IF, they lose their minds. The good thing is that I’ve always done my own thing without regard for what others think (hopefully within reason).

What you found is exactly how I feel daily. By sticking to keto, that loss of focus is minimized as less energy goes to my gut for digestion.

[tudelo]

IF makes sense. You will be hungry later whether you eat now or you don't. Keto, I'm not so sure about.

[MisterBastahrd]

When I did keto, the biggest thing for me was that while I eventually got hungry, it wasn't like one of those "gnawing at your gut" types of hungry. It was very mild. Problem with keto for a lot of people is that they don't consider the problems that a lack of soluble fiber in their diets can cause. I love salads and pickled veggies so it wasn't a big issue for me (I also ate some chia seeds once a day), but others would probably have issues.

[ambicapter]

> I was very focused for some reason.

Maybe because it was time to hunt... :P

[e40]

I've been doing IF for almost a year, and I don't consider it a diet anymore. I consider it my new way of life. I was absolutely blown away with the increase in energy I got when I started doing the fasts. I do 3 24 hr fasts a week, and on non-fast days I usually have dinner and either lunch or breakfast.

[linkmotif]

Simulating the human condition in the post-human world.