There was a great episode of Horizon titled Eat, Fast And Live Longer which tackled the benefits of fasting. Even a very reasonable fasting routine seemed to have a non-trivial positive effect on the show's host. It was convincing enough that I gave it a shot, and though I haven't been able to stick with it (or an exercise routine, for that matter), I felt significantly better in the ~week following even a one day fast.
One of the things suggested by a researcher in the episode, is to make your "cheat day" the day following a fast. Tell yourself that you can eat anything you want, because (and this was certainly my experience) even if you intend to binge heavily, you most likely will not. You will, however, still feel incredibly satisfied after devouring that bag of chips, or splurging on the cheesecake after dinner. I can't remember the exact number, but the researcher mentioned that during this routine, the subjects would only eat around 10% more than their recommended daily caloric intake.
Yeah, that show [1] suggests that there are number of positive effects to limiting calories and protein intake, such as reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, cognitive disorders, and an increase in (neuronal) cell-repair and longevity.
Something that I have noticed is an increase in self-control. Previously my relationship to food had been rather habitual and sometimes even addictive. I've found that fasting has made it a lot easier to control what I eat on the other days...
One of the things suggested by a researcher in the episode, is to make your "cheat day" the day following a fast. Tell yourself that you can eat anything you want, because (and this was certainly my experience) even if you intend to binge heavily, you most likely will not. You will, however, still feel incredibly satisfied after devouring that bag of chips, or splurging on the cheesecake after dinner. I can't remember the exact number, but the researcher mentioned that during this routine, the subjects would only eat around 10% more than their recommended daily caloric intake.