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Comment by drewblaisdell | Hacker News Reader

So far in 2018 I have had one ~1300-1500 calorie meal per day for all except maybe ten days (where I have gone out for drinks or have extra food late in the evening with friends).

The strangest thing so far is how much my body has adapted to this - I skip breakfast and lunch every day, yet don't feel particularly restricted (save socially), hungry, or weak.

I am just one person, but I now intuitively feel that whatever passes for a "reduced-calorie diet" these days is what used to pass for normal. It feels normal, at least.

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I had a same experience... decided at the start of January to cut out almost all sugar (and the nutritionally empty foods that delivered it).

Once I decided that, it was surprisingly easy to say 'no danish mid-morning, KitKat after lunch, or candy mid-afternoon'. When the hunger pangs came, I'd go for a 5 minute walk or head up to the work gym for a quick 30 minute session. Then in the evenings, I found I was still much less hungry. Dinner was 2/3 the size as before, and no desire for dessert afterwards.

I was surprised how my body felt this new routine was perfectly fine!

I lost a steady 2 lbs a week through January and February, and am now back to the weight I had 25 years ago.

Whether or not this qualifies as a "reduced-calorie diet", it feels great!

This calorie amount cannot possibly apply to everyone. For example, if I spend an hour weight training and then later in the day go for a 1-hour job...I'd be in a calorie deficit for that day.

Similar for me, doing low calorie intake for most days and it feels norm now. Inconvenient downside I feel more in social domain than in physical domain.

How much weight have you lost? Were you somehow obese? Were you fit? Have you lost muscle mass?

Sorry if I'm getting too personal, genuinely interested.

I have lost ~10lbs, but I was not overweight (on the high side of normal BMI, but I also lift weights). My muscle mass seems unaffected (or even slightly greater) - these days at the gym I only aim to maintain what I have, and my lifts have even improved slightly.

I see, thanks.

What prompted you to go for just one meal a day?

I lift as well but I only eat larger amounts during recovery. I am also training less as my priorities have shifted for a period of time.

I have a few questions to put this in context: How often do you work out and at what intensity? Do you have a desk job? How many hours do you sleep per day?

(sorry for this becoming an AMA)

I lift weights three times a week to medium-low intensity (squat/deadlift/bench). I sit/stand and code full time. I sleep at least eight hours a day (sometimes more).

I have recently started doing something similar. One longer-term concern for me is non-macro nutrients (i.e vitamins/minerals). Have you had any thoughts about doing supplements?

I'm also somewhat worried about the bioavailability of supplements...

Couldn't you just eat more nutrient dense (but low calorie) foods at your one meal? Veggies are a prime example.

You must either be quite short or female. The average healthy male would be losing weight very quickly at such a large deficit.

I am 5’8, and if you are familiar with studies of someone similar doing the same thing, I would love to see them. :)

I imagine you are still losing weight? Otherwise eating like 1000kcal below maintenance would be defying thermodynamics.

What are you basing this assumption on?

The point of the study was that reduced calory intake seems to reduce metabolism, which is already vastly varied between two individuals.

If you're basing your assumption on internet TDEE calculators those are often wildly misleading, and generally overestimate values.

But on the other hand it's extremely hard to know how many kcal you eat, so if he's basing his intake on labels, those are usually too low (within regulation guidelines) because manufacturers want to sound "healthier" than they are.

But to my main point: If you keep as even intake as you can for a few weeks, and you don't lose weight, that is your maintenance, no ifs or buts.

How were the first few days though?

Tough. I stopped eating breakfast (for the most part) a couple years ago, so this time it was just skipping lunch and eating an early dinner. Still, it took less than a week for this to become normal for me, and it has not been difficult to maintain (except socially).

I have a similar diet.

In the morning, I drink a slimfast. The high protein helps keep my hunger quenched. I'll eat a small bar for lunch. Then, I'll have a normal dinner.

Also, I've cut out all soda and sugar from my diet.

I've lost almost 50 pounds so far.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and since changing my diet and losing weight, by blood sugar is that of a normal healthy person.

Being diagnosed has blessed me with the motivation to not just "go on a diet", but to change my life.

Taking out the bulk of the sugar you take in regularly is a helpful preparation for that kind of diet. Sugar creates short spikes and constant appetite. When you get rid of that, the longer distances of not eating become much less of an issue.

I skio brrakfast and eat a single larger lunch. If feel it’s easier to skip dinner this way since I get hungry right around when I go to to bed. No acis reflux this way either.

How do you even deal with that? I'm on the lower end of BMI (still in the normal/healthy range). I am constantly in a state of starvation. My body burns through food like it's nothing. I have to eat 2 main meals per day to even sustain myself properly. The thing about low calorie intake increasing your lifespan freaks me out.

Just fast metabolism. Consult your doctor and adjust it.

Relax. Exercise will do more for you than restricting you diet will. Eat healthy (whole grain, lots of fiber, and greens, and drink water) and don't skip exercise for a long period.

In India, there are monks who live without any food (and water as well) for more than a month or so. Initially, I did not believe but then I confirmed from many people and it was true. They basically do meditation during that period and gain their energy from nature.

That would be the only 10 hour youtube video I would pay for. A timelapse of anyone doing that.

Some proof for down voters:

1) https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Jain-monk-co...

2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prahlad_Jani

Your second link points to:

> Prahlad Jani (Gujarati: પ્રહલાદ જાની), also known as "Mataji", (born Chunriwala Mataji, 13 August 1929) is an Indian breatharian sadhu who claims to have lived without food and water since 1940

Since 1940? This link just substracts credibility from your initial post.

It's going to take more than some news article and some heavily criticized studies to establish such an improbable claim.

Watch this documentary and see what people say. Hey HN folks, Sometimes science does not explain everything.

http://www.lightdocumentary.com/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/Ul82-jaDmlY

These people still exhale CO2 and water vapor. Unless you believe that matter spontaneously appears inside their bodies they have to lose weight.

No, only the things which can be explained.

Send them to famine struck countries, get them to teach people how to get by without food and "gain energy from nature". I mean it. It would save lives. Over 20 thousand people die EACH DAY from hunger and malnutrition. Do they need a better incentive for sharing the trick? And if it can't and won't be done, then at least out of respect for the starving, let's zip it please.

Fasting for a month is possible, but not drinking water will probably kill you within a few days. Here is a medically-supervised fast of over 300 days.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2495396/pdf/pos...

I've done a lot of fasting, and the main cause of failure on a fast for me is not drinking enough water.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families...

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