EatQOD

The link is here:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/5/1138

Krista A Varady, Surabhi Bhutani, Emily C Church, and Monica C Klempel
Short-term modified alternate-day fasting: a novel dietary strategy for weight loss and cardioprotection in obese adults
Am J Clin Nutr 2009 90: 1138-1143

The absttact is here:
Background: The ability of modified alternate-day fasting (ADF; ie, consuming 25% of energy needs on the fast day and ad libitum food intake on the following day) to facilitate weight loss and lower vascular disease risk in obese individuals remains unknown.

Objective: This study examined the effects of ADF that is administered under controlled compared with self-implemented conditions on body weight and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk indicators in obese adults.

Design: Sixteen obese subjects (12 women, 4 men) completed a 10-wk trial, which consisted of 3 phases: 1) a 2-wk control phase, 2) a 4-wk weight loss/ADF controlled food intake phase, and 3) a 4-wk weight loss/ADF self-selected food intake phase.

Results: Dietary adherence remained high throughout the controlled food intake phase (days adherent: 86%) and the self-selected food intake phase (days adherent: 89%). The rate of weight loss remained constant during controlled food intake (0.67 ± 0.1 kg/wk) and self-selected food intake phases (0.68 ± 0.1 kg/wk). Body weight decreased (P < 0.001) by 5.6 ± 1.0 kg (5.8 ± 1.1%) after 8 wk of diet. Percentage body fat decreased (P < 0.01) from 45 ± 2% to 42 ± 2%. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triacylglycerol concentrations decreased (P < 0.01) by 21 ± 4%, 25 ± 10%, and 32 ± 6%, respectively, after 8 wk of ADF, whereas HDL cholesterol remained unchanged. Systolic blood pressure decreased (P < 0.05) from 124 ± 5 to 116 ± 3 mm Hg.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that ADF is a viable diet option to help obese individuals lose weight and decrease CAD risk. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as UIC-004-2009.

This is a very important paper in the area of alternate-day fasting, since it basically shows that it works and is well tolerated. Again, note that the people doing it lost an average of 0.68 kg/week, or about 1.5 lbs/week. The participants also had nice drops in cholesterol and triglycerides, and also a nice fall in blood pressure. They didn't mention anything about keeping sodium intake constant.

In this study, the participants ate all food on the OFF day between 12 noon and 2 PM. There was no attempt to ensure lots of potassium was being eaten or that higher sodium foods were consumed. Basically they gave them a chicken enchilada, chicken fettuccini ,or a vegetarian pizza, plus some sides.

But their version of the diet did seem to work over two 4-week phases - the first where diet was being supervised, and the second 4-week period when participants were self-selecting their food.

If this diet is going to get wider acceptance, forma studies such as these are an absolute necessity.

It's interesting to note that they had all participants eat the food on their fasting day between 12 and 2pm, whereas with the EatQOD you eat very small portions or calorically small meals throughout the day.

This brings to mind a question....they say that having smaller meals throughout the day helps you with your metabolism...but is one day, every other day not doing that enough to slow down the metabolism? Couldn't we say just the opposite, that an on day, every other day, is enough to trick your body in to thinking you're not dieting?

I do understand your concern for the need to maintain salts, potassium, etc. during off days, though.

Exona,
The advantages of keeping sodium and potassium constant needs to be examined in a controlled study. It may be more important for some people than others. There are a lot of theoretical reasons why you would not want to yo-yo on your sodium intake (hormones like renin and angiotensin and aldosterone that get stimulated with salt depletion, and then the aldosterone might still be active the next day while you're eating). But I have been impressed with some people who eat QOD and take in very little food at all during the off day.

The importance of prolonging the fasting interval is a hot topic mostly among those people who are doing caloric restriction in the hopes of living longer. I think whatever works for you is OK, since I believe that the QOD diet is really an intermediate, transitional step that is done to get down to target weight, followed by intuitive eating, avoiding sequential food overload days, avoiding sugar, etc.

Thanks for your interest. I hope the diet will work for you. Good luck!