John Berardi recently did some fasting experiments that got a lot of attention. He tried one-day-a-week fasts, short daily fasts, along with some combinations and variations of those two. Reading through the document, however, there are a number of statements that don't seem to add up. He didn't seem to consider hunger in general, or eating to hunger and satiety, as important tools in weight loss.
John's goal was to lose 20 pounds, even though he was already lean. Here's one quote from the article when he did an intermittent fasting protocol. It shows that this is a mechanical diet, and that there is no connection to hunger or satiety in the plan:
"Because you have to meet your daily calorie quota within fewer meals, you sometimes have to eat until you’re feeling more than 100% full.
At times the meals felt too big, like I was force-feeding myself."
Okay, so let me get this straight: he is trying to lose weight, but yet he is force-feeding himself at meals?? That doesn't sound very logical to me.
This came from a forced schedule that he followed:
"Noon Workout session with 10 g BCAA during session
1:30 PM Eat first meal, largest of the day
4:30 PM Eat second meal, moderate sized meal
8:30 PM Eat third meal, moderate sized meal"
Why not just eat to satiety during the 8-hour window? How could that be any less effective? Why eat at these exact prescribed times if he's not hungry at these times? And above all else, why force yourself to overeat at meals if you are trying to lose weight??
Even if he was looking to cap total calories for the day, I don't see any benefit to strictly scheduling the food intake. Better to eat to satiety and at least not be hungry some of the time.
This leads me to my next point. He generally limited the calories per day and tried to consume a similar number every day. Why not add some flexibility to this? You could cap the total number of calories for a week, and still allow some day-to-day flexibility. Hunger is not 100% equal every day – some days the body might need more or less calories. Even when aiming for a weekly calorie deficit, I don't see any benefit of rigid day-to-day calorie caps.
Something else that was prominently mentioned in the document was moodiness and food cravings. In my view, this goes hand-in-hand with not eating to hunger and satiety. You are not giving the body what it wants when it wants it.
You could argue that what he is trying to do, going from 10% bodyfat to 4%, isn't natural and cannot be obtained by natural eating to hunger and satiety in the first place. This could be true. Even given that, there is no reason to totally ignore hunger and satiety (i.e. force yourself to overeat or eat only at prescribed times) during this period. After all, he states in the document that he wants to remain at this new weight long-term. I would argue that in the long run, you can't do this by ignoring the body's signals for hunger and satiety. To do so is just spitting in the wind.
from what i can tell, his program was to reduce bodyfat, not necessarily weight. i suspect that is why he felt the need to overeat after fasts. he wanted to retain lean body mass.
In general, you can maintain lean mass when dieting by resistance training. I don’t see how overeating at meals would specifically help with lean mass. The extra calories would contribute to both excess fat and excess lean mass, which kind of cancels each other out if your goal is lower body fat while maintain lean mass.
I think the section you’re quoting is when he was doing Leangains, which recommends getting 60+% of your daily calories on training days in your first meal after your workout.
If I’m remembering correctly, the non-workout days have a calorie deficit, adding up to a weekly deficit.
Now, that said, I’ve been experimenting with a Leangains-type diet and have noticed the following:
a) I was not dropping weight or fat even though I was HUNGRY on my non-training days and, seemingly, below my caloric needs (let me add: my body tends to adapt quickly to changes in calories by NOT changing my body weight… I’ve fasted for 4 days without losing a pound!)
b) On my low-carb non-training days, I’m particularly moody
c) Fasted heavy raining after being glycogen depleted makes me EXHAUSTED after my workout.
d) After I started using my treadmill desk and walking 3-5 miles/day, I started losing some fat, but barely any weight. And I feel more carb-depleted than ever.
Let me add to the above: I’m a competitive sprinter which, by definition, means my body does some things that most people’s do not. Just this morning, I started thinking, “Okay, I think I’m done with carb and calorie cycling.”
Yes, that section was from his Leangains part.
As to your part a, I think it’s a classic example of your body being hungry, yet not enough food is being taken in, so the body holds onto weight.
Following hunger would lead to better results in my opinion.
Matt,
My N=1 is right in line with you. When I try and cut calories, my body seems to hold on to the weight for some reason….espcially when I’m lifting heavy also.
When I pay attention to my hunger (and eat more), body composition improves rapidly and i look more lean if that makes any sense at all.
I’m 5’7 and weigh 170. When I listen to the “true” hunger signals and eat accordingly, I look pretty solid and ripped at 5’7 and 170. when i try to eat “less”. I drop down to 168 and I seem “fatter”
Again this is purely n=1 sharing of information.
Marc
“After all, he states in the document that he wants to remain at this new weight long-term. I would argue that in the long run, you can’t do this by ignoring the body’s signals for hunger and satiety. To do so is just spitting in the wind”.
Agreed.
In order to successfully maintain a new body composition one cannot constantly be suffering from hunger pangs. I learned this from personal experience. Eventually hunger wins. One must find a style of eating that satisfies them physically, emotionally, and mentally. For me, corn on the cob satisfies any desires for sweets. Of course, i don’t only eat this food, but i eat it often alongside meals.
Good site, by the way. I have only just come across it.