thermogenesis (or feeling colder)

[buffetjunkie]

Years ago, I started 24 hour intermittent fasting after reading a post by Michael Eades http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/intermittent-fasting/fast-way-to-better-health/.  I was able to do the fasts pretty easily.  I did notice, however, that I seemed to be perceptibly colder most of the time.  As time passed, my eating habits gradually turned into more of a eat-once-a-day pattern mostly because it was easier, but also because I didn't particularly like feeling cold.

Then Michael Eades did a follow up post years later http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/03/03/real-life-extension-caloric-restriction-or-intermittent-fasting-part-2/ raising concerns about decreased thermogenesis, increased blood sugar and increased blood pressure in some people.

I find the deconditioning diet very interesting because it seems to tie together a lot of the dietary science that I am inclined to believe to be true.  However, its similarity in many respects to intermittent fasting have me wondering if the deconditioning diet would have similar effects to thermogenesis, increased blood sugar and blood pressure.

Two things I did not do while intermittent fasting are taking cold showers and weight lifting consistently.

Wonder if anyone successfully deconditioning themselves has felt colder?

[Todd Becker]

Welcome to the forum, buffetjunkie!

The research I've seen on intermittent fasting is all over the map.  I've seen research pro and con.  Here is a summary by Alan Aragon that I would characterize as balanced but slightly negative:
http://www.alanaragon.com/an-objective-look-at-intermittent-fasting.html

But Aragon seems to have recanted his position:
http://www.leangains.com/2010/03/alan-aragon-on-intermittent-fasting.html

Regarding blood sugar, the experience  of most IFers is that blood glucose drops and is better controlled.  See the post by Lee Shurie:
http://shurie.com/lee/writing_defeat_diabetes.htm

If you are concerned about being too cold, then I would definitely consider cold showers.  I experience the thermogenesis very directly and it lasts for many hours.  Tim Ferris has a good discussion of this in his new book, the 4-Hour Body.

Keep us posted on your experimentation!

[UrsusMinor]

A lot of people report being cold when they cut calories, and, as Eades has noticed, for most people IF means a calorie reduction. The only remedy I know of is jacking up your EPOC through exercise (resistance or HIIT).

Note that Eades didn't think the levels of increase in glucose or blood pressure were clinically significant. But I don't think prolonged caloric deficits are healthy in any case. I think one of the reasons that "cheat meals" (breaking the diet, say, once a week) work so well for many people is that it prevents the body from slipping into a state of lowered metabolism.

Martin Berkhan (of Lean Gains) has used IF very effectively for fat loss and body recomposition, but Martin does some serious resistance exercise along with IF.

[Todd Becker]

I've posted some thoughts and recommendations about what to do if you are feeling colder after practicing calorie restriction, in response to a similar question by Steph on this post:

http://forum.gettingstronger.org/index.php/topic,62.msg641.html#msg641