science

Not to mention these results could provide some very dangerous ideas to those with eating disorders (diagnosed or not). Losing 5.7kg (12lb) in three days sounds insanely dangerous. Going for very long is hella dangerous because you're not getting necessary nutrition. That's why there's a minimum calorie intake for dieting and it is dangerous to go below that.

The article says it was "fat and lean mass" not water weight. And while the "lean mass" (which I guess could be water) retuned after eating again, the "fat mass" did not.

You will drop a bunch of water at the start if you are eating carbs beforehand because of the water holding the glycogen in your muscles. As you use the glycogen the water holding it also goes, so it isn't fat loss, just water weight.

I think that's for the whole week, but even then, it depends on the person's weight to begin with.

Looks like it's 5.7 kg loss in a week, the weight loss is sustained after resuming eating for 3 days

Researchers followed 12 healthy volunteers taking part in a seven-day water-only fast. The volunteers were monitored closely on a daily basis to record changes in the levels of around 3,000 proteins in their blood before, during, and after the fast. By identifying which proteins are involved in the body's response, the researchers could then predict potential health outcomes of prolonged fasting by integrating genetic information from large-scale studies.

I have done it quite a few times its actually not that bad. The first 24 hours is usually the worst and then the hunger goes away most of the time. You get reminders that you are hungry but it doesn't last. Its no where near as bad as people think it is from the first hunger pangs you just have to get over that initial hump.

Hunger is entirely a hormonal thing. It's basically a form of anxiety your body induces to make you want to eat. After about 18 hours without food your body switches itself into different hormone state where you just don't experience hunger the same way.

You could do what I just did and get a horrible stomach bug that leaves you in bed for four days dreading the thought of food and barely able to suck down half a glass of water! -5/10 would recommend active effort to avoid.

RIP myself, silver lining though lmao

Edit: I did lose ~10lbs though likely a fair amount is water weight

I mean, not eating is a diet? This seems to be directly addressing one part of that equation: you don't even 'need' exercise for simple fat loss. Though of course an actual balance you can keep up perpetually is much better, but this definitely directly touches diet.

I've heard on quite a few shows that exercising doesn't actually do much for losing weight. It's healthy for you but not a good way to lose weight, apparently. Pretty interesting.

I can't imagine human diets used to be as predictable as they are now, especially in winter. Attempting a diet that includes fasting doesnt seem unreasonable as part of a larger plan.