The FastDay Forum

Looking at the data from the full paper I see the IGF-1 level of the most restricted group (600 - 650 cals, <40g carbs, 2 consecutive days per week)
"reduced" from

Geometric mean 154.8, 95% CI 133 - 180 ng/ml at baseline

to 148.8 ( CI 124.6 - 177.7 ) after 3 months. Which is basically the same.

The group with extra fats & protein available was very similar, but the continuous energy reduction group had much lower levels at baseline and also showed little change with time.

Does this tell us that the high protein (71 grams) used in the "2-day diet" and perhaps its dairy components may prevent any benefit to IGF-1 levels ?

Insulin levels and HOMA insulin resistance assessment improved to statistical significance with the most restricted group but otherwise the benefits seem largely to be restricted to weight loss and the consequences of that loss.

I will let the men and women of science hash out all of the metabolic details.

I am keeping this whole deal really, really simple.
With a starting wright of 318lbs at age 57 I know that that is not a sustainable way of living and I have only one way to go with this. Lose weight or lose my life earlier that I should.

If this WOE does nothing more that get me to a normal weight and state of fitness then it has done what I want it to. Anything beyond that is gravy. The benefits of going from over 300 pounds to 160 pounds, which is my goal, will be plenty.

I can stick with this WOE and am seeing results doing this that I have not seen with other methods. This works for me.

It is my hope that once I return to better health I will be around long enough to see the men and women of science to nail down all the facts. At this point I don't care about all of those details. If I stay the way I am I won't be here to much care about the science end of 5:2.

Svelt2b wrote: I can stick with this WOE and am seeing results doing this that I have not seen with other methods. This works for me.

Loved your post. I came down a long way before I started this, and you're right, there's nothing easier...but the best part is...It only gets easier, the longer you do it.

Great work!

A while back I posted a link to a study about IGF1 and calorie restriction in humans saying that protein restriction is needed too. Looks like it might be true.

DrM restricted protein with 5:2 and got a decrease in IGF1, so it would be good to get results in a proper study population

Interesting PhilT - as was Caroline's thread a while back. Can only agree with Svelt2b (great post) and say that the weight loss and subsequent health benefits are enough for now. The potential benefits of 5:2 / protein restriction and the consequential reduction in IGF1 obviously requires some serious studying and may well be outside of our timescales, maybe even lifetime (who knows). In the meantime I'm happy to continue being a guineapig - I know my internal organs are whispering "thank you 5:2, thank you" - if I listen hard enough I KNOW I can hear them