Ep. 317 - Alternate Day Fasting vs. Daily Intermittent Fasting | New Research on Fat Loss | Strategic ADF for Visceral Fat | Quality of Life Improvements | Fast Cycling Strategy | New Fasting Persona Quiz!
In this research-focused episode, Dr. Scott Watier and Tommy Welling break down a groundbreaking four-week study from the Journal of Clinical Nutrition comparing alternate day fasting (true zero-calorie fasting days alternating with unrestricted eating days) against standard 16:8 time-restricted eating, revealing that ADF produced £1.4 more total fat loss and significantly greater visceral fat reduction than daily intermittent fasting—the stubborn metabolic fat that drives disease. The hosts emphasize the surprising finding that the ADF group was the only one showing increased activity energy expenditure and improved quality of life scores despite being in an aggressive caloric deficit, demonstrating that people actually felt better and moved more naturally rather than experiencing the typical diet misery. They provide crucial context on metabolic adaptation, explaining why the slight decrease in resting metabolic rate and T3 thyroid hormone with ADF only becomes problematic if prolonged, which is why they recommend strategic 2-4 week ADF cycles followed by foundational 16:8 or 18:6 fasting to protect metabolism while still achieving powerful visceral fat loss. This episode delivers the practical framework for using ADF as an intermittent power tool within a sustainable fast-cycling lifestyle—not as a white-knuckle permanent strategy like Angus Barbieri's 382-day fast or repeated brutal 72-hour fasts—while protecting muscle mass through resistance training and adequate protein to create lasting body composition changes without sacrificing energy, sanity, or long-term metabolic health.
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Article Links:https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0261-5614%2825%2900247-X