By Phil Drolet
On Becoming Superhuman: Fasting for Fast Weight Loss, Better Health, and Supreme Fitness
3 months ago, I stumbled across a fascinating article on something crazy called Intermittent Fasting (IF). I couldn’t believe what I read about this unusual practice. Consisting of regular 16+ hour fasts (no food, only non-caloric drinks), Intermittent Fasting has been shown scientifically to help achieve fast weight loss, better health, and increased fitness levels.
As a student of Optimal Living, I knew I had to dig in and learn more. And thus began an incredible journey down the path of intermittent fasting, towards my craziest challenge so far.
The Evolutionary Perspective
Before I begin this story, let’s take quick walk up our family tree, all the way back to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, to understand this whole Intermittent Fasting concept.
Now these guys, the hunter-gathered, they didn’t eat 3 meals at day at regular intervals like most do now. No, instead they went hunting & gathering, sometimes for days, before finding something good.
As leading neuroscience & ageing expert Mark P. Mattson tells us, “our ancestors consumed food much less frequently and often had to subsist on one large meal per day, and thus from an evolutionary perspective, human beings were adapted to intermittent feeding rather than to grazing.”
Hmm interesting. Could it be that modern society has put the human specie “zoo-like” environment, and our eating patterns have become progressively less optimal?
And more importantly, what happens if we start eating the way we’re evolutionary programmed to?
The answer, it turns out, is “amazing things”.
The Mind-Blowing Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Here are the scientifically proven benefits of doing regular fasts of 14+ hours for women, and 16+ hours for men:
- Increased Fatty Acid Oxidation (Body burns more fat as energy, leading to fast weight loss)
- Increased Cell Resistance (Slowed down ageing process, improved immunity)
- Increased Insulin Sensitivity (Less fluctuation in blood sugar levels, more constant energy & mood levels)
- Reduced Cortisol Production (Lower stress levels)
- Reduced Inflammation (Faster body healing, repair, and recovery)
- Reduced Cancer Cells Proliferation Rate (Reduced incidence of several types of cancer)
- Reduced Cognitive Decline for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
- Reduced Incidence of Heart Disease
Not bad eh! And you haven’t heard the craziest part yet: most people start experiencing these benefits within 2 weeks of starting to fast!
Oh, and if it weren’t enough, here’s a study that simply blows my mind: In the1930s scientists studied worms on an intermittent fasting cycle, and compared them with a control couple group of worms of similar genetic make up eating normally. On average, the worms on the IF cycle outlasted their counterparts on a regular diet by 19 generations (!) , while still maintaining their youthful physiological traits. The life-span extension of these worms was the equivalent of keeping a man alive for 600 to 700 years. I know these are only worms, but still… make you wonder what’s possible for humans… and superhumans!
For more information on the health benefits or the scientific evidence behind it, check out this research from the National Institute on Aging’s Laboratory of Neurosciences, this joint study between Stanford, LSU, and UNO, this article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, this article from the LA Times, or this blogpost from Michael R. Eades, MD.
My Thoughts As I Discovered This
This was all phenomenal stuff, no doubt about it. And as someone who loves experimenting, often with the goal of optimizing body, mind, and health, it was very alluring.
However, there was one major issue separating me from these incredible benefits. I had to FAST to obtain them! I had to abstain from my beloved food for 16 hours at a time! How the hell was I supposed to do that?
To put you in context, I’m like the anti-fasting guy. I usually eat every 2 hours, and I’ve always been a big believer in the 6-small-meals-a-day concept. I bring snacks everywhere I go. The Asian girls in my classes always giggle when they see me peel and eat hard boiled eggs in the middle of a lecture to get my protein fix.
The other problem is that when I go without food, I feel like crap. As soon as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) sets in, my energy drops and I get cranky.
“Yeah”, I thought, “You know what? Screw this fasting thing. I love food too much, and this is crazy anyways”.
Turning Point: The Universe Gets Involved
Later that night, something strange happened.
I grabbed the Men’s Health magazine issue next to my bed for a little pre-sleep reading. I opened the magazine randomly in the middle. The article that was in front of me? A piece on Intermittent Fasting titled “The World’s Most Effective Diet”.
Wow.
I’m a big believer in the flow of the universe, and that signs are the universe’s way of hinting us the right direction. As I read the MH article, I was moved by the great insight the author provided as he related the day-to-day lifestyle of an “intermittent-faster”, and describe all eloquently all the ways it had improved his life.
I couldn’t help but think the universe was telling me something. This article was no coincidence, it was a sign.
I pondered on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wisdom that “all life is one big experiment. The more experiments you do, the better.” and right there and then, I made a decision: “Intermittent Fasting for 16 hours, starting right now. Let’s do it.”
Boom!
I turned off the lights and closed my eyes, hoping to sleep for as long as possible. I didn’t know it then, but it was the beginning my craziest experiment so far…
The First Day of Fasting
I woke up around 10am feeling nice & fresh, excited about the challenge that lay ahead. I wasn’t allowed to “break fast” until 5:30pm, so I had solid 7.5 hours of no-food time ahead of me. All righttttt!
I thought about it, and couldn’t even recall the last time I’d gone more than an hour before having my morning smoothie. I remembered wondering what I had gotten myself into, but I had committed to this little project and there was no way I was backing out.
I did a little yoga, took my (cold) shower, and prepared my “copious” breakfast: a liter of green tea.
I headed over to my computer, knowing full well that the key to this whole operation was to keep myself busy all day. I started working on my upcoming eBook. I immersed myself in it, and before long I had an hour of good writing under my belt, and it was time to make more tea.
Over the next few hours, I had little waves of hunger come in and out, but overall I felt focused and achieved a great state of flow.
After 3 hours of solid creative work, I decided to step outside and enjoy the afternoon sunshine. I got on my bike, and went cruising around Perth, enjoying life. I had this “Zen energy” and actually felt really good. I couldn’t believe how well this experiment was going.
When I got back from my bike ride, I remembered I had to do something. It was Sunday 4pm, the weekend market was about to close, and I didn’t have my groceries for the week. That’s right, I had to go grocery shopping. I had to go buying large amounts of delicious food after 15 hours of fasting, without eating any of it. The stakes had just been raised.
I walked into the market, and my nostrils were immediately flooded with the wonderful aromas of fresh baked bread and croissants. I felt this sharp pain in my stomach, and thought about turning around. But no, this was a challenge, and pushing myself through this could only make me stronger.
I got everything I needed, paid for my stuff, and even managed to remain courteous to the cashier despite my advance state of hunger. As I walked out, I looked down at my watch. 5:00. 30 minutes to go. I just had to go home, put the groceries away, then I would cook one hell of a feast.
I felt a bit woozy driving home, my mind was a bit foggy as I unpacked my groceries, but before I knew it, my iPhone alarm went off. 5:30pm. A proud smile beamed over my face. I had just crushed this fasting day, put myself out of my comfort zone, and come out a bit stronger on the other side. Best feeling ever.
And then, it was time for some fooooood!!! :)
Milestone & Learnings
Last weekend, after 3 months of tinkering, I successfully completed my 10th day intermittent fasting (every Sunday, except for 2 times where I just totally forgot and smashed a smoothie before realizing is was “Fasting” Day).
While I’m still fairly new to all this, I’ve already learned from cool stuff from the experiment.
1. On fasting days, I appreciate my food SO MUCH more. That first bite of food after 16 hours without it is blissful, and the subsequent ones are amazing.
2. I experience a high level of mental clarity, as more of my energy is being using for cognitive activities instead of the digestion process.
3. I’m more productive and get more stuff done, because I spend less time preparing & eating food.
4. It’s making me mentally tougher, it’s increasing my self-control. While cold showers give me a “let’s do this”-type mental toughness, fasting helps me remain focused & persistent over a longer period of time. Both are equally important part of getting my mind where I want it to be.
Stepping Things Up: Training in a Fasted State
On the 10th Day of Fasting, I celebrated by pushing the envelope a bit. Stepping things up if you will.
I was chilling at the beach, and eventually got restless from too much reading & journaling, so decided to get up and go for a run along the water. This would be my first ever “fasted training session” and besides being fun, this run would serve 2 purposes:
1. Put my body under more “stress”, thus possibly “supercharging” the benefits of the fast.
2. Allow me to enjoy the sights provided by the return of Australian summer & bikini-season :)
The workout was amazing, I felt light and fast. I didn’t get tired, my mind felt clear, and I even received a few smiles from the ladies.
Overall, great success.
That night, happy with my first fasted training, I found myself thinking how I could take this Intermittent Fasting experiment to the next level…
The Universe Gets Involved- Round 2
The next morning, I decided to do a bit of research about intermittent fasting & training. The very first article I found, on Fasted Training, absolutely blew my mind.
This article by Intermittent Fasting expert Martin Berkhan looked at a groundbreaking study that looked at 2 groups of subjects, and put them on a cycling training program for 4 weeks. One group would do the training in fasted state, while to other group would have food before training. At the end of the 4 weeks, when comparing the results 2 main findings were discovered:
1. The fasted group increased VO2Max by 9.7% vs 2.5% for the fed group. This means that the fasted had a significantly greater fitness improvement.
2. The fasted group increased Glycogen Storage (how much energy is stored in the muscles) by a whopping +54.7% vs. 2.7% for the fed group. This is of particular interest for endurance athletes because it allows for greater energy reserves. Think of it as a bigger fuel tank on a racing car.
The article also taught me something very interesting: Kenyan runners, arguably the best endurance athletes on the planet, are known to do most of their training in a fasted state.
Wait, what? How did I not know this?
My head was spinning as I browsed over to another website, and made this equally shocking discovery:
“Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah reported that fasting—not eating or drinking anything but water—for 24 hours once a week may be linked to a lower risk of these diseases. Researchers then compared the subjects’ post-fasting blood samples to those taken after a day of normal eating. The results? The scientists observed that the male participants’ levels of human growth hormone (HGH) were 20 times higher on the days the men fasted than when they followed a regular day of eating.”
20 times more HGH? WHAT??
For those who don’t know what it is, HGH is pretty much the “superhuman” hormone. It’s a commonly used substance in illegal doping protocols by high-level athletes.
I sat there, pondering the facts that Intermittent Fasting could make me fitter, increase my energy reserves, and naturally enhance my HGH levels?
And then it hit me. The study described by Berkhan was based on a 28-day cycle, and the big event on my athletic calendar, the Anaconda Race, was exactly 28 days away. Another sign.
I don’t mess around when the universe gives me not one, but two signs about something. It was time for radical action.
The 28-Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge
From reading through all the literature, it was clear that the more frequent the fasts the better. So to create the optimal protocol, I would have to fast EVERYDAY. Hmmmm.
I saw there thinking and realized that because fasting is a challenging practice and require a certain amount of willpower, the only way I could do it is by using my tried & tested “Challenge Method”.
“99% is a bitch, 100% is a breeze” -Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul
Right there & then, I COMMITTED to the 28-Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge: a 16-hour fast, every single day, for the next 28 days. No excuses, no bullshit. Just a month of willpower, focus, and intent.
But I knew it wasn’t going to be easy: for next 28 days, I will wake up around 10am, and don’t eat anything until 7pm . Then I devour my biggest meal of the day, and have another medium meal at 10pm, another one around 1am, and a small one at 3am. Rinse & repeat.
Yup, I’m crazy like that. But it makes life more exciting. :)
Want to get involved?
If you’ve read this far, you must be thinking this all sounds pretty exciting. Why not give it a try? Just do one day of fasting. If you’re a woman, go for 14 hours. Men, go for 16 hours.
And if you’re still unsure… Honestly, what’s the worst that can happen? You’ll be hungry for a few hours? Big deal. Think about the billion of people out there who do it everyday… because they don’t have a choice.
If it goes well, try doing it once a week for a month. As Mark P. Mattson tells, ”in normal health subjects, moderate fasting — maybe one day a week or cutting back on calories a couple of days a week — will have health benefits for most anybody.”
Whether you do it like me and fast from bedtime to night time, or any other way, doesn’t matter too much. Find what feels right for you.
And if you’re afraid this might impact your energy levels or concentration levels, consider this: I wrote this entire article in a fasted state. Came out all right didn’t it? :)
So… who’s up for a challenge?
If you’re up for it, commit right now, by posting in the comment section below. And let us know how it went after you’ve done it!
Trust me, you’ll be happy you went for it.
To challenging ourselves & having fun!
Cheers,
Phil
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[...] program for several years, this totally contradicts what I used to believe me. Check it out, there's some truly mind-blowing stuff in there that's sure to make you look at optimal nutrition [...]
Phil, I'm not sure I understand your math. You wake up at 10am, and have nothing to eat until 7pm. That's 9 hours. To reach the 16 hours would mean that your last meal was 7 hours before wake-up time, hence 3am? I don't get it.
What about this: I have my last meal of the day at 7pm, and don't eat anything until 11am. Would that work? I could get in a workout between the time I wake up and the 11am meal time, but it just feels counter intuitive to basically skip breakfast; I'd be willing to try, though!
Let me know.
-Seb
Hey Seb!
Yes you're correct, my last meal is at 3am, right before I go to bed, then next time I eat is 7pm. I edited the post to make it clearer.
Yeah the way you proposed would totally work. The benefits are seen within 2 weeks… could be your secret weapon for the Half Marathon Challenge!!! :)
Well, I don't have 2 weeks before the race. But I will try this for sure, see what happens. Now I only need to find another challenge to motivate me after the race is done and dusted.
We'll come up with something :P
I've already got some ideas for you!
"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" (The Alchemist) :) hehe, I'm reading it right now, had to write the main thought when I read this article :)
wow…gotta say very interesting challenge… But, honestly I'm afraid to try this a little bit. I've had problems with my weight (underweight) some time, I rarely ate when I was on College last year, I couldn't eat all day, I just managed to eat when I came home in the evening every day. That didn't do me no good. Towards the end of the year I ate less and less and I lost totally 7 kg (15 pound?), and that is allot for me, I was skinny already. So in the end, it didn't look so good. Also it didn't feel good. In the last 3 months (over the summer) I've been eating allot and working out, and I finally managed to put back what I lost, now I'm eating whenever I can, breakfast is the most important, i make meals for college and eat snacks and dinner. I finally feel great.
So just because of that I'm not really confident with this challenge, it sounds a little risky for me :/
But I can't say it doesn't sound amazing…when I read the effects… I really love challenges like this, but I am afraid a little that it will get me back to that state.
If I misunderstood something please explain a little more. :)
Great article btw!
Hey Ivor!
I think you should check out leangains.com and see the results of the guys who've gone through it. I know it's hard to believe but it really does look like this protocol could be beneficial for muscle mass gain as well.
The important thing is to take BCAA's (Brain-Chained Amino Acids) during the fast, 3x10g before, right after, and 2 hours after training. This will minimise protein breakdown and effects of the fast on the muscle. And then when you do eat, you get the anabolic effect of the fast with the increase of HGH and other processes.
Honestly I think it's worth a shot, 1 day won't hurt and it'll be an experience :P
I IF daily! Usually for about 16hrs, sometimes a little more or a little less. I found my body naturally gravitated to it once I switched to Paleo eating in January. I'm just not hungry during those hours!
I've found it to be so convenient as well, as it's one less meal to shop for, prepare, or worry about. And as you mentioned above, when I do eat it always tastes fantastic! I have great energy, my blood sugar and moods are stable, and it definitely helps with fat loss.
The research on IF is interesting, and I hope it will help me in my goal to live beyond 100 :)
Yeah I love having to prepare less meals too!
I was quite into the idea of living to 100 for a while, in fact my first blog was called 100 Happy & Healthy years :P
Have you read "Healthy at 100" and "Dare to be 100"? Great books on the topic.
And btw I think it's totally within our power to live to 100 and be fully healthy. But these days I'm focusing on learning how to most enjoy the present :)
I haven't heard of those books but will check them out. I also think it's completely possible to live beyond 100 in a good state of health; body and mind both.
Enjoying the present is definitely important, too! By acknowledging each day I think we learn to enjoy the journey rather than just training our sights on the end-goal. Definitely a more fulfilling and fun way to live IMO :)
Wise words!! :)
Cool Phil,
I was just thinking about doing a cleanse. Never tried one before so I thought it might be a good idea to clean out the old system. I was actually worried about the not eating part though because like you I have always been a believer of the six meals per day. I am going to take a look at some options for cleansing and also take your research into consideration to try to combine the forces and get some great results. I will let you know how it goes. My main goal is to get rid of excess foods that have not digested in my body and sort of hit a reset button. Any cleanse that you have done or heard about that you can recommend? Also I have been thinking about digestion lately because of the Gracie diet. As you probably know the Gracie family developed a diet that basically gives food combinations that allow for easy digestion. Although I eat a fairly healthy and balanced diet I find at times that my combinations or timing of meals causes poor digestion (high energy consumption and even a heavy feeling in the stomach at times). I think that fasting may help me listen to my digestive system by making it silent for a few hours so that it is easier to pay attention when it does speak up again… if you know what I mean. Anyway I will re share this for sure man.. thanks for the cool research, It came at a good time for me.
Hey Walter!
Yeah I didn't find any specific evidence of the cleansing effect, but I personally believe it. When the body has no food to digest, the liver and other organs can focus on cleansing processes instead.
As far as specific cleanses, I tried my own last week, made like 3L of fresh lemon juice and drank a big glass every morning.. It worked well but it was rather, extreme. haha.
I know about the Gracie Diet, I love listening to Rener's philosophy on food. I've definitely integrated some of their principles in my own diet. Personally my best trick to increase digestion is to make sure I have raw fruits & veg with each meal. That way you're guarantee to have some live enzymes to help the digestive processes.
Keep experimenting & let me know how it goes!!
The Universe indeed!!! I started doing intermittent fasting & fasted cardio 3 months ago also….. I do the Warrior Diet and fast every day about 14 hours before my workout and recovery meal, then fast the rest of the day most days till 6! I NEVER thought I'd get my waist whittled down ever again and had really given up. I turn 41 this Saturday….people have stopped calling m'aam in public. I've gotten guesses on my age as being early 30s… it's great! IF for life!
Wow Anon that's amazing. Congrats!
And that's in only 3 months! Shows for powerful this is eh..
Did you find that it got a lot easier as you went on? Do you still get hungry in the middle of the fast?
Keep it up :)
This made me think of the Alchemist as well Ivor. Such an amazing novel.
I'm a little hesitant on this one as well, as I also eat about 6 meals a day, but I'm on day 10 of the cold shower challenge and I absolutely love it, so I might as well trust you on this too!
Nice congrats on making it through the first 10 days of the Cold Shower Challenge! The hardest part is definitely behind you.
Give it a try for 1 day.. Honestly if it works, you'll be so happy you don't have to worry about eating all the time.
The 16 hour with no food makes life so much simpler!
Hi Phil,
Great article! I'm definitely keen to give it a go. I was wondering though (and this may sound stupid)… is it still fasting if you're asleep? I've heard (perhaps incorrectly) that the digestive system slows right down when you're asleep so technically if you eat before going to bed isn't the food just sitting in your gut waiting?
Hey Jack! Thanks!
Yeah it counts as fasting while you're sleeping. You still digest your food normally.
So yeah in practicality, if you sleep for 8 hours you only really consciously fast for 8 hours, it's not that bad at all.
I probably should do more research on this but my dad, a doctor, told me that your metabolism slows down while you’re sleeping therefore it’s not quite the same.
But even if we considered digestion to be normal in sleep, to “fast” for eight hours could mean to simply eat breakfast at 10 and dinner at 6 (with lunch in between), which to be honest is pretty much my normal weekend eating patterns anyway. Can this really be called “fasting”? And could it really make that much of a difference?
I love your enthusiasm and I reckon the BELIEF that it’s working is probably more valuable than whether it is actually working or not, but I must say it all sounds a little bit like quasi-science to me.
Hey Jack,
Yes your metabolism does slow but the protocol takes that into consideration so doing the 8+8 = 16 hour fast works.
The 16 hours has to be in a row, doesn’t matter at which point in the day so whatever works for you. Personally I prefer having food right before bed because I find if I go to bed hungry I don’t sleep as well. So if I get it correctly and you’re fasting from 6pm to 10am and you feel all right, then go for it.
Everythign is backed by science (the links are in the article below the health benefits facts). I will write my “post-experiment” article in the next few weeks and as you will see the measures I was able to collect show very clear improvements (among others, dropped my BF% from 12% to 8% in 30 days.. don’t know any other healthy method that would do that)
Anyways, I think it’s always better to self-experimetn and see how we feel with it all. What’s the worse taht can happen?
i'm in,
on my third day of fasting. i do my feeding from 12pm to 8pm . and fast the rest, i usually sleep at around 3am but this timing schedule works for me,
and i have one meal pre workout and two medium meals after during feeding.
excited to see how much fat i can shed
and if i get increased HGH. just icing on the cake
Nice, welcome aboard!
Have you thought about doing your workout fasted (having your first meal post-workout)? That's what seems to really generate the "superhuman" effects such as the HGH & Glycogen Storage increases.
[...] fasting………the Universe keeps waving IF at me……….. Today Grokker phildrolet posted a blog on IF. I've tried the 24h 2x per week thing (a la Eat-Stop-Eat), but the LeanGains 14-16 hour IF sounds [...]
Amazing how religous ceremonies of ancient times have impact on our body machines. If they knew it all allong without the state of the art science of today.
I will start tomorrow with the fasten challenge for a month and will do it 1 day on, 1 day of. I'l wait till the sunset before I enhance eating.
I love what you are doing, it inspires me.
Gr. Joseph Cornel
Hey Joseph! Yeah it's interesting how fasting actually is instrumental in certain cultures yet for reasons totally different than those outlined in this article.
Good job for stepping up to the challenge! I reckon 1 day off 1 day on is perfect, I'm thinking it's what I'll settle down for when I'm down with the 28 days.. Fasting everyday is not easy ahha
I've been wanting to do IF since reading about it in the 4HB. Tim does it once a week and it coincides with cheat day on the slow-carb diet, so once you're done you have free reign on whatever you want to eat.
I started doing Occam's Protocol again yesterday and am committed to doing 2 more weeks of it, but I'm gonna add a secret weapon to it: IF once a week. If the HGH spikes it should allow for even more massive growth. Plus I started eating white meat again, aiming for 5kg of muscle gain in 2 weeks. If our little Perth experiment proved anything, this is more than possible.
Do you think IF on workout days would be the best way to do it? I'm just worried if it's done on a workout day, my body's not going to have any fuel for the workout
Hey buddy, to be 100% I haven't looked into the specifics of IF & weight gain: I'd recommend you look at http://www.leangains.com that's what the site is all about.
I'm definitely interested to hear how it goes.. I can't get over the 20x HGH levels.. Man those traps are gonna be HUGEEEEEEEE hahaha
Took a long look at leangains.com. Looks like working out in a fasted state is actually recommended, with a massive meal right afterwards
I did that today, big time! Went & played soccer HARD for 1.5 hours at the very end of my fast… Then cooked a big dinner for everyone in the house. Dude I was bottomless it was awesome haha.
Finished things up with pear dipped in raw chocolate fondue.. omg
Hey Phil,
I'm not sure why you stay up until 3am, perhaps you are doing the polyphasic sleep.
http://www.highexistence.com/six-tips-and-tricks-…
But for most of us that are not, would results be similar if we went to bed at midnight 12am, do a 16 hour fast, huge meal at 4pm, then small meals at 7pm, 10pm and then midnight right before sleeping?
Thanks
Naomi
Hey Naomi,
Yes I do polyphasic sleeping- I generally sleep from 3am to 9am then take a 1 hour "napatation" (30 minutes meditation, 30 minutes nap) later on, either around 5pm or 9pm depending on my workout schedule.
I go to bed this late because I'm most productive/creative between 11pm and 3am for some reason.
Anyways, yes the protocol would absolutely work on a more "regular" sleep schedule like the one you wrote.
Good luck & let me know how it goes!
Phil
Hey Phil,
I'm into paleo nutrition, crossfit, and ocassion intermittent fasts whenever it feels natural.
I want to know if you have any scientific qualifications for advocating women try a 14 hour fast compared to the 16 hour male fast.
If you don't, I want to ask you sup with that? Because in my research forays into IF I've never seen any mention that women shouldn't fast as long because of physiological reasons.
Ashleigh
Hey Ashleigh,
Thanks for your question. I've based my recommendation on the Leangains program which has been having tremendously successful results for many years. You can find out more here http://www.armilegge.com/lean-gains-explained.
Also, check out this interview with Martin Berhkhan http://www.leighpeele.com/martin-berkhan-and-inte… – he addresses your question at #8.
It appears that women will have lower blood glucose level after fasting, which makes the fast more challenging.
But as with anything, I recommend self-experimentation. Find what works for you. But generally speaking, it appears that 14 hours is a good guideline for most women. If you can do more without negative effects though, I'd imagine there would be benefits to doing so.
[...] Oh, and I had an empty stomach because of my Intermittent Fasting experiment. [...]
This style of eating totally appeals to me right now since I find I'm only really hungry within certain hours of the day, and I'm eating at others because I'm supposed to (i.e. first thing in the morning).
Would love to hear your thoughts or maybe you can point me to resources on results of IF in endurance athletes. These days running is my primary fitness focus, with a little yoga and strength training thrown in for fun and balance.
Hey Liisa, seems like your body is trying to tell you something :)
Here's are 2 good article on IF & endurance athlete.
http://suppversity.blogspot.com/search/label/inte… (a bit on the scientific side but the general idea is that training fasted is Ok and will have long lasting benefits)
http://www.leangains.com/2010/05/fasted-training-… (shows that training fasted will increase VO2Max & Glycogen storage more than training fed).
All in all I believe IF for endurance athletes is great, but it's a fairly novel concept, hence why I'm running this little experiment on myself :)
Dude you are a NUT… Not just because you do these crazy things, but I THINK they are crazy, until I read an article and am like DAMNT!!!! I have to fast now…
I just got comfortable with cold showers!
Once a week, starting now!
Boooom!!! Hahah dude you know you love it :P Stepping out of our comfort zone, a little bit more each day .. it the (bad-ass) way to live :P
Let me know how the first one goes!
The Warrior Diet is very easy to do. It's more a cycle of undereating/overeating but all I have most days is a scoop of whey and some blueberries after my workout. Then I fast the rest of the day on tea, Master Cleanse lemon drink, etc. I'm rarely hungry and if I do feel hungry most days I tough it out. At 6 I have my main meal based on paleo/primal nutrition due to being blood type O. I'm a little plateaued at the moment but am going to increase my weights and lower my carbs several days a week over the fall and winter to prevent regain. Actually I'm starting to think this way of eating may have stabilized my weight indefinitely. I am underweight somewhat but at least I'm not losing more muscle and gaining body fat like I was before. IF is good for that.
Cool thanks for sharing, I'll check it out!
I'm at Day 20 of the Challenge and it's going well but definitely will be looking to try something a bit different once this is done. Maybe do IF 3 days a week and something else a bit less extreme on the other 4 days? We'll see.
Cheers!
Can't wait for the results of the blood/muscle tests!
It's going to be hectic! I gotta get in touch with the researchers actually to get a second sample in a couple weeks.
I have no insights as to what those are looking like yet, I can tell BF% is most definitely going down!
[...] I’m not doing Intermittent Fasting, this is what I have for breakfast everyday, and it totally [...]
Not fasted for ages, first one of a new weekly regime starts today 4pm – 7am. Going for 15 hours because it fits..!
Awesome Kate! Way to step up, good luck.
PS Remember, tea is your friend :)
Yo chienne, j'ai pas tout lu, mais que est-ce que tu crois que l'efficacité de cette méthode a un lien avec avec le fait que le corps fait le bilan des liquides quotidiennement et le bilan des solides à tous les 3-4 jours.
Je sais pas trop honnêtement ! Je connais pas encore ce principe la, on en jasera dans le temps des fetes!
[...] the next 4 months, magic unfolded. My motivation to train hard, develop my Jedi Mind Tricks, try crazy experiments, and work hard on becoming the best Phil Drolet reached unprecedented heights. I really started [...]
Hey Phil, great article!
I am a Muslim, and I would like to point out that in my religion we do a similar kind of fasting for a full month every year, its called Ramadan… where we don’t eat or drink(here is the little difference) for as long as there is sun in the sky, so it normally ends up with not eating from 5am until 7pm at the very least… and your experiment along with all these studies just cemented what I already love and like about my religion! Not only does it allow you to experience and feel what other unfortunate people around the world are feeling BUT it also has a lot of health benefits like you stated in the article!
Also, there is a lot of other tips about diet in our book that I believe have been backed up by studies to show their benefit for as far as I know, if you are interested I will put in the time to translate and put it up here :)
[...] now, most of you probably have probably read my article on the mind-blowing benefits of Intermittent Fasting (IF), and are aware that I recently went 25 days in a row of IF, fasting for 16 hours daily and [...]
Another great article!
I read up on your cold shower challenge a few months back and I had to do it!
Now that the cold showers are a routine, I would love another challenge and it looks like that I found it.
Lets give it a go!
Awesome Armin, way to step up to the plate!
Let me know how it goes!
Btw, i personally found fasting to be easier than the cold showers.. It’s more of a “endurance” challenge, but with green tea, and a bit of willpower, it’s not nearly as bad as we think.
Let me know how it goes! Cheers!
Hey Phil,
First off I want to say thank you for doing this blog for it is something I’ve been interested in for awhile. But, I want to say this, My finace and I went on a 21 day water fast (nothing but water for 21 days) though harsh but I do understand what you are saying about the benefits. Within 3 days on the water fast, my breathing was tremendously improved,my old sports injury of 5 years was healed, greater mental clarity, and greater ease of movement. So, I’m definitely on board with 14 hour fast since for me it will be a piece of cake. I will make sure I’ll update my progress.
Damnnn 21 day water fast??? That’s just incredible.. wow! Must have been pretty wild by the end.. Did you feel really weak? How was it?
Lol as you say, 14 hours will be a piece of cake. Must have been quite special by the end.
Improved breathing is definetely something I’ve noticed too! My nose was always sorta half blocked which totally annoyed me, and within 3 days, boom, perfect breathing.
Damnnn 21 day water fast??? That’s just incredible.. wow! Must have been pretty wild by the end.. Did you feel really weak? How was it?
Lol as you say, 14 hours will be a piece of cake.
Improved breathing is definetely something I’ve noticed too! My nose was always sorta half blocked which totally annoyed me, and within 3 days, boom, perfect breathing.
Awesome Armin, way to step up to the plate!
I personally found fasting to be easier than the cold showers.. It’s more of a “endurance” challenge, but with green tea, and a bit of willpower, it’s not nearly as bad as we think.
Let me know how it goes! Cheers!
Well, for me I’m a little bit overweight so I didn’t really feel weak. But, my fiance (someone who has competed in ironman competitions and very health conscious) he at the end felt very weak. He went from 180 to 159 in the 22 day water fast. We only consumed distilled water for they say it was the best water for fasting. With the information that energy not being used for digesting goes into healing the body and renewing body parts and a higher sense of mental clarity. We had to do it! We both dropped a lot of weight, I suffered from having irregular digestion and now that is no more, my husband and I both had crazy spiritual revelations (that’s a whole another story) and I had suffered from asthma but no more thanks to my new lungs.But, we did this for spiritual reasons and health reasons. And We’ve been on the renewing your mind, creating your own destiny bandwagon for months. It’s crazy how the information that you’re showing is something that me and my fiance have known for months but never knew someone could all put everything into regimen (lumosity,fasting, meditation with holosync, exercising, alpha brain, green tea, etc) but I guess all things are possible. So, thank you Phil for helping me change my life. I have ordered everything and I’m ready to share this experience with you. For I believe in you and the feel good lifestyle.
So. lets feel good and change the world
K.
Wow incredible, I kinda feel like I’ll have to try something similar down the road. I’ve had 1 24-hour fast so far and it wasn’t so bad, but talking in terms of weeks is a whole other ball game. In due time.
Very cool that you and your fiance are “on the bandwagon” as you say, for me too the whole self-development thing really only started 1.5 years ago (I was already doing a lot of fitness and ate fairly well), but wow how quickly things can change once we commit to it. I can’t even imagine where we’ll be in 5.. 10 years if we continue on this path. Good times ahead.
And yes, let’s change the world. There’s so much untapped potential out there…
Wow incredible, I kinda feel like I’ll have to try something similar down the road. I’ve had 1 24-hour fast so far and it wasn’t so bad, but talking in terms of weeks is a whole other ball game. In due time.
Very cool that you and your fiance are “on the bandwagon” as you say, for me too the whole self-development thing really only started 1.5 years ago (I was already doing a lot of fitness and ate fairly well), but wow how quickly things can change once we commit to it. I can’t even imagine where we’ll be in 5.. 10 years if we continue on this path. Good times ahead.
And yes, let’s change the world. There’s so much untapped potential out there…
Uhuu, another great article!
Since I came across your website few weeks ago, I’m trying to read the articles on a regular bases. And this one comes just in time (yeah, a sign from the Universe!) to support my decision in keeping up with the fasting I’ve already started. My way – twice a week for 24 hours. (I actually adopted this from Brad Pilon’s book Eat Stop Eat; also a nice piece of information on the subject). It’s been just few weeks now that I’ve been doing it but it feels awesome. And about the training while fasting – last time I decided to have my Karate class on a fasting day – was great! Absolutely no lack of energy, would say even the opposite. ;)
Well, my commitment is a year-long, so I hope that sometime in the middle of the year I’ll already have a Success Story to send you, along with the meditation practice. :)) Cheers!
[...] that I consider it as such (it’s also one of my great allies in my regular bouts of Intermittent Fasting). Made from high-quality Gyokuro green tea leaves that are crushed and pulverized, Matcha Green [...]
Hey good article, and very informative. Did you mean increased insulin sensitivity in the benefits column? Insulin resistance is associated with diabetes, weight gain as well as Polycystic Ovarian syndrome. :)
Hey Callie, thanks for your kind words and for the heads-up. You’re absolutely right, not sure how this crept in there (and that no one noticed it).
The increased insulin sensitivity has been one of the greatest benefits for me- I’ve gone from needing to eat every 2 hours to being comfortable going 5-6 hours without food on Non-fasting days whenever the situation requires it! It’s great!
I’m just a little unsure why the post title includes the phrase “becoming superhuman”. It just seems a little pretentious based on your actual level of fitness. Looking at your picture on the right, it looks like you shouldn’t be fasting. You should be eating about 3 12oz steaks a day, before the next girl you shake hands with breaks your arm off.
Lol. I’m 6’2 195 lbs @ 10BF% right now.. Not exactly scrawny..
And it’s called on BECOMING superhuman.. not on BEING superhuman :P
I’m on a quest to achieve exceptional levels of health, energy levels & performance in the things I do.. hence the title.
And I’ve rolled BJJ with black belts on a fair few occasions and come out with all my limbs intact thankfully.
Do you think that the 4 hour body testosterone boost of 3 brazil nuts, vit d and fermented cod liver oil before bed and upon waking would effect the fast?
I eat between 11am-7pm and take these at 8am and 11pm.
Sorry Phil,
I forgot to say Hi.
Phil I saw your pic on the leangains fb page and you’re pretty shredded. I wanted to know what your macros and calorie breakdown was for it on training day and rest days or what you think worked best.
Im starting soon and am wondering how to break it down, and did you do a recomp or a cut?
[...] To learn more about this great Optimal Living practice, read my article On Becoming Superhuman: Fasting for Fast Weight Loss, Better Health, and Supreme Fitness. [...]
Hi Phil
I am a bit late to this article but just read it after checking out other info on the web about intermittent fasting. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for the article it was one of the best and most honest ones I found. I started intermittent fasting today and so far have fasted for 15 hours. I plan to break the fast with a salad in the next hour or so which I am looking forward to immensely! I will then eat another healthy but substantial meal to then fast again until tomorow.
I have to say it was actually much easier than I ever imagined with the odd grumble which actually was vaguely pleasant! Like many people I eat at mealtimes ‘when you are supposed to’ rarely snack but it occured to me today that I rarely feel any hunger pangs! I realise that I do not normally allow myself to get to the point of being hungry (like there is something wrong with that normal feeling!?) The danger I guess there is that when you feel the hunger pangs you then reach for the biscuit barrel or some other non-ideal food for a quick fix. Since those foods are not a big issue for me I am hoping this way of eating can work for me long term for optimum health.
Wish me luck!
Ali
Loved this post! I’m already on day 3 of fasting. Love this whole site btw. So much great material. Just in the last 3 days i’ve spent a minimum of 2 hours on this site. Keep up the excellent work and thank you for helping me improve my life
Hey Ethan, thanks a lot brother! So stoked you’re connecting with the material.
I’m still doing 16 hours of fasting 5 days a week.. and honestly it’s become super easy. OUr body is incredibly adaptable.
If you ever have any questions or need advice with any of the strategies on the webiste, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!! Cheers!
So…you walked to the grocery store but drove home? Not a big deal but these are the sort of little inconsistencies that make me question your credibility. Come on dude – proof read or something!
Hey Dave, if you re-read it actually says:
“I walked INTO the market, and my nostrils were immediately flooded with the wonderful aromas of fresh baked bread and croissants. I felt this sharp pain in my stomach, and thought about turning around. But no, this was a challenge, and pushing myself through this could only make me stronger.”
For the record, this is an older article and I do have an editor now.
Cheers,
Phil
[...] On Becoming Superhuman [...]
Hi Phil,
I just find out your blog today and reading it for 6 hours now. My journey begin with “Limitless” and the details brought me to here with fasting. Just wanted to let you know your blog rocks and keep up the good work.
I am from Turkey and I am a muslim. We have a fasting month which is coming up nearly in next month. According to our religion, in fasting month (Ramazan) we are not allowed to eat or drink between the sun rise and sun set. But after reading this article I think I will starting fasting a little bit earlier this year :)
Thanks for your guidence!
I’m in!
Hi Phil,
Yesterday I have read your article http://www.thefeelgoodlifestyle.com/on-becoming-superhuman-how-to-get-smarter-increase-your-iq-become-limitless.html
and I’ve decided to give several things a try. I started lumosity, doing more exercise, and I want to get started with intermittent fasting too.
But I’m a little worried about intermittent fasting. As far as I know your body needs a certain amount of vitamines and stuff like protein, carbohydrates, etc, each day.
So does that mean that you basically have to eat all of it in one meal?
Diets that tell me to eat less always scare the hell out of me, because I am a big believer of eating a lot (but not too much). So I hope IF is about eating less frequently, but not less?
If it really is about eating less, then please tell me how it fills in for the daily amount of vitamines, proteins, carbohydrates and stuff you need.
I have read a lot of articles about IF through the links you gave but didn’t find an answer on the question yet. Please help.
Thanks!
Hey Brecht!
In Intermittent Fasting, you still want to consume roughly the same amount of food as you would usually, except you compress it into a smaller period of the day. That actually makes it quite fun, for half the day you don’t have to worry about eating, and the other half you can really eat without limiting yourself.
As far as getting enough nutrients, this won’t be a problem, especially if you add these foods to your diet http://www.thefeelgoodlifestyle.com/the-feel-good-diet-10-superfoods-for-better-health-fast-weight-loss-and-increased-energy.html.
Good luck & have fun!
Phil
Hell, why not? I’ve been looking for something to fill my time with since I finished school!
Great, although now you’ll have even MORE time since eyou won’t have to worry about eating :) Will be a good challenge though!
Hi Phil,
Thanks for a great article on intermittent fasting that is not overly technical, but still speaks to the science behind it. This idea is rather new to me and I’ve been reading a variety of articles, including the Leangains site that you reference, which is also very good, but sometimes I get bogged down in all the specifics…
I have a few questions and wonder if you would be so kind as to answer them. You mentioned somewhere — maybe in a comment to a post? — that you were going to go into a routine of doing intermittent fasting with the 16/8 protocol only some days and not the others. Did you do that? How is it working for you? Having read over there on Leangains that timing and consistency are key for the “entrainment” (or something like that, meaning your body adapts and looks for a feed at the times you are now eating), I would think that mixing in some days of not doing the schedule would throw that off.
I’m doing a 14/10 protocol myself, with my eating window from 12 noon to 10 pm. This is only my fourth day, but already I’m finding it much easier to get through the morning and today when I started really feeling hungry, I looked at my watch and it was 12:10! This from someone who always had to eat immediately upon waking and then every several hours. I have a reputation of getting cranky when I’m hungry too. I’ve been experimenting with what I eat that first meal too. I know the Leangains site is very specific about what each meal should contain, whether it’s a training day or not, and so on. That brings me to my next question. I’m not a bodybuilder, though I do work out with weights 2-3 times a week. Mostly I run and bike, which was why I was especially happy to see someone like you trying out the intermittent fasting. What do you eat for your first meal post-fast? And the others? You don’t need to give me a specific menu, but some suggestions around ratios of carbs/proteins/fats would be helpful. I think different athletes have different nutritional needs, according to their sports and goals.
Finally, if I’m working out in the morning during the fasted period, is it necessary to use the BCAA or some other supplement, or can I just wait until noon to break the fast? I’m not doing major endurance work when I run or bike — right now usually about 45-60 minutes, 4 days running, 2 cycling, 1 day rest. I’ve been OK without anything, but I don’t want to be doing something that is counterproductive (ie breaking down muscle instead of building it) just because my timing if off.
That’s all my questions for now. Ah, is there a follow-up to this article? I know you were training for a serious event when you wrote this one and I’d like to know how you did and also how your measurements/analyses post-protocol comparted to those prior.
Thanks so much!
great article, tq.. i been practicing IF once a week for almost a year now especially a day after my binge day and it really work but i normally do minimum of 18 hours
female 38 yrs old..
Great stuff Wawa! Keep it up :)
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Plz respond as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. thanks
Hey I built it myself using WordPress and getting a free theme online.
If I was to do it again though I would probably get a premium theme from Wootheme or Theme Forrest. I also have a virtual assistant from India who helps me with some of the technical tasks regarding optimizing the layout and such.
Hi Phil !
Do the 16 hour fast can be done by the sleeping hours?
Congratulations for your Job, I’m a big fan !
Greetings
Hey Miguel!
Yes sleeping hours count towards the 16 hours.
Thanks & good luck!
Phil
Brilliant article! Something I’ve been doing naturally anyway until I strayed afew years ago but I’m back on now but the support ingot from these posts is very welcome! I fast from 3 or 4 until7 or 8am which suits me fine! I used to be very light and am looking forward to returning to that weight! Thanks!
Great stuff Marilyn, hope you’re back on it :) I took a little break myself and decided to get back to it tomorrow. Cheers!
dude.we muslimd fast 30 days ayear since centuries but we do not eat or drink from sunrise to dawn during ramdan month
Yeah I know Ahmed. The no-drinking part must be really hard though!
Not long ago i stumbled on your document and still have already been looking at coupled. I would like to convey my affection of one’s writing expertise and power to help to make viewers read right away for the conclusion. I would like to study modern content and also to reveal my personal feelings along with you.
Hi Phil,
Thanks for the motivating article! I just stumbled across IF haphazardly last week. I can’t recall what I was originally searching for on the Net, but it lead me to IF, and straight away I was fascinated by what I was reading. I went Paleo a year ago and it has done wonders for me physically, mentally and emotionally. That being said, I had hit a plateau and wondered if I would be able to lose (literally) the last 10 lbs? Anyway, I read about IF last Thursday and started it on Saturday. On Saturday I did the 24 hr (8pm-8pm) fast. I was amused, I didn’t have any strong hunger pains nor cravings! So I thought if I could feel good on my first day I’ll continue with the Lean Gains method for 2 weeks and see what results I’ll have. I’ll keep you posted. I’m just surprised at how well my body has adapted thus far, that says a lot to me already on how I’m “programmed” to eat. ;-)
Awesome Liz! Yeah I think IF is the best way to lose that pesky last 10lbs (it was for me anyways). It’s been a couple weeks now, how’s it coming along?
It’s coming along very well, thanks! I switched from the Leangains method to two 24hr hour fasts during the week. I find this method to fit in better with my lifestyle….much easier to socialize with friends. So far I lost 2 lbs, not a huge difference, but finally the scale is moving…and in the right direction! :-) Thanks again Phil! Oh by the way, there was a fasting documentary on the BBC. You can catch it on YouTube
Nice!! Congrats!! Yeah 2lbs might not seem like much, but now you’ve got momentum and you know this is working- this is great news!!
Thanks a lot for sharing the link to the documentary, I look forward to watching it. It’s awesome to see IF getting more mainstream exposure :)
I was just wondering, ive started my first day of 16/8 today. I’ve chosen to fee from 9am to 5pm, it fits in with my kids and I can eat straight after my morning weights sesh. Will it still be as beneficial in these hours. I suffer from chrohns disease and looking at new ways to combat it. Also, if the first meal after training is the biggest does that mean the following two meals are smaller? I’m still slightly confused on this part. Today I had 2 meals with meat and veg and subway. 2.5 litres of water and a diet soda.
Any help for a newbie would be sensational.
Hey Emma! Those hours are totally fine, it doesn’t matter much as long as you do 16 consecutive hours of fasting.
Yeah like you said, the first meal after the workout is the biggest one and the 2 other ones are smaller (not small, just smaller).
So meal one = big, meal 2 = normal, meal 3 = normal.
Listen to your body, eat healthy foods and you’ll get some great results.
I’ve been doing a modified paleo diet for about a year and started the 16 hr IF 3 days ago. Really easier than I thought.
Nice! That’s what I’ve been telling people for almost a year now.. it’s not nearly as hard as we think. Keep it up Chuck!
I really like IF. I’m losing the last of my belly fat and abs are showing through. I haven’t lost any strenght and my energy has become more stable. Even after 16 hrs of zero calories my mind is clear and focused and my weight training is better than ever. I also started cold showers and quit coffee about a week ago. I usually run, not jog, in the morning and have a cayenne pepper and v8 cocktail at the end of my 8 hr eating period. I think the cold showers and high intensity cardio is is important to keep my metabolism from slowing. Thanks Phil! Keep the strategies coming.
Nice dude GREAT work!!
Way to apply the strategies I talk about, that’s awesome. Looks like you’re well on your way to getting straight-up RIPPED.
Keep it up Chuck!
Hi Phil – I’m looking into trying this fasting having read several articles and the most appealing one looks like the 8/16 version however I can’t find any articles or studies that suggest there are health benefits with this type of fast. Your reference articles are for intermittent (whole) day fasts an dthis is the only material I can find too. Are you aware of any material/tests that suggest 8/16 fasting offers health benefits?
Cheers, Richard
Hey Richard! For more about the 16/8 split, I encourage you to check out http://www.leangains.com – it’s based all on that split (and the results they get are quite spectacular). You can also check out this article-> http://artofmanliness.com/2012/01/25/intermittent-fasting/
Good luck!
Phil
Hey guys i am doing tapout xt, this will be my 3rd week of doing it, and today i am doing the 24hr. fasting trial, i started it at 3p.m. yesterday, to 3p.m. today. So far it is going pretty well, but i did cheat and got up at around 8 a.m. good luck to everyone on their fitness journey.
Great Dennis! How did it go in the end? And what do you mean when you say you cheated?
Hi Phil,
The Bbc programme above got me interested in IF as I usually don’t get up til 10am I was thinking of doing a 16h fast with 8h feed between 12pm to 8pm this should suit me fine as its easy to maintain, but in Eat Stop Eat he says to do a 24h fast once or twice a week now as I want the fastest possible results could I combine the two diets for example one 24h fast from 12pm to 12pm the next day and automatically go into the 16/8h fast for the rest of the week?
I will also include some kettlebell workouts during the week!
Would that be fairly safe to try I’m 35 year old male and in good health!
Thanks for taking the time to read my comment!
Enda.
Hey Enda,
Glad you’re interested in IF!
First off, doing 12pm-8pm would actually be 20 hours :P.
My best advice to you honestly is to experiment with it! Everyone’s body is different but I think to start doing the 24h + 6x the 16h might be a bit intense to start with. I’d say start out with maybe 16h 3x a week, and build it up every week.. always tracking how you feel.
And the kettle bell workouts are a great idea!
Cheers!
Phil
What do you eat after your fasts as it seems counter intuitive to all the things that I know about health and nutrition to slow down the metabolism through starvation all day and then eat one big meal before bed so that it sits in your inactive body all night.
What foods do you eat that late at night as I was always taught no carbs after 6pm and how do you feel about what I was saying?
What do you eat after your fasts as it seems counter intuitive to all the things that I know about health and nutrition to slow down the metabolism through starvation all day and then eat one big meal before bed so that it sits in your inactive body all night.
What foods do you eat that late at night as I was always taught no carbs after 6pm and how do you feel about what I was saying
hey seb,
that’s incredible! actually IF is kind of part of my religion …quite similar actually ..
see am a Muslim and it is part of my religion to fast for thirty days it is called the month of “Ramadan” but our fasting requires us not to eat anything the whole day and we break our fasting the minute the sun sets. it is actually not that difficult so you can survive without that cup of tea you drink..
really nice post ! :)
Hey Phil,
I’m in High School. I’m 17 years old. I am 6’5 220 lbs. I just found out about IF a few days ago. I’m on day 2 of fasting. The universe gave me “signs” also. I got a video in my subscription box from somebody I never subscribed to and it was on INTERMITTENT FASTING. Blew my mind. I wake up, go to school and eat at about 8 in the morning and again around 11:30. I use the 20/4, 20 hours of Fasting and 4 Hours of Food. I workout for 2 Hours after school and I’ve been dropping weight. I find that COLD water often extinguishes any feelings of HUNGER. I been wanting to lose weight for basketball and this girl I like. I’m doing IF for a better lifestyle. Today, I found myself after a 2-hour workout having enough energy and the mood to walk 4 miles back to my home. I found myself in this “Zen-Mode” and I was truly enjoying life. It is only my 2nd day, but I believe I’m going to continue it forever. I’m not going to stop until I’m happy with the life I worked for. No Bullshit, No Excuses. Focus, Intent, and WILLPOWER!
Great Article, man. I hope the best to you in the future.
I did my first fast yesterday from 0200 to 0200 as I am on night shifts at the moment, I initially found it difficult as I was very hungry and used to eating big (but healthy) meals, but after a few hours and alot of sugar free diluted juice I managed to overcome the hunger pains, I am yet to try working out in a fasted state but i’ll let you know
:-)
Hey Phil,
Thanks for the great article. I’m on my third day of fasting. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions I’ve been having. First, I got myself down to a lower eating window 2:30p.m to 9:30pm. But I am unable to workout until around 7p.m, is it alright to eat before I work out, or am I losing the benefits of I.F. Also, to give myself energy in the morning I have been drinking an energy drink called Rockstar Xdurance, It has 20 calories and 2 grams of sugar. Will drinking this during my fasting time break my fast? Thank you for taking the time, It has been difficult getting any answers other places.
Brian
Hey Brian,
Good job for hopping on the IF train. To answer your questions- no you don’t miss the benefits of IF by exercising during your eating window (exercising while fasting is just like a bonus).
With regards to the energy drink, I don’t think it really affects the fast per say, but I would encourage you to stay away from energy drinks as a general rule. They’re bad news. Too much caffeine and full of chemicals and artificial sweeteners. Green tea, yerba mate and even coffee are much healthier options.
Keep it up man!
Phil
Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga
group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Cheers
He! No that’s fine as long as you link back to this site and give me credit for my stuff. :)
Cheers,
Phil
For those people who are incapable and scared of fasting ( like me) :) i hope i can give a tip.
Its called the ten percent rule:
Try to leave ” ten percent” space in you stomach empty after every meal….dont fill it up hundred percent. Our stomach can digest and absorb nutrition far effectively if the stomach is only 90 percent full instead of hundred percent. And leaving ten percent space also sens a signal to the brain that we are fasting to some extent and the brain signals the glands to produce some human growth hormone (HGH)
I just came across the ”hara hachi bu rule” in another article just now. I dint know the site already posted something similar. 20% rule is even better.
Hi, my name is nikki. For a long time now I have been suffering from mild gastrointestinal distress, and have also not had a monthly cycle in 8 months, but am not pregnant nor on bc. I was researching green tea fasts and happened upon this page. I am going to try it out every other day for a month and see what happens. This truly excites me, as not only will it help me to eat healthier when I do eat, it will also save me moneyand overall just be a wonderful experience. Thank you so much for publishing this article, it could be the answer ice been searching for.
I am in a fasted state right now, day 4. I dont even know when I am going to stop yet. I have done this before and I know how it feels, which is why I’m doing it again.
My next meal is at 9pm, thats about an hour after I get home. I havent been eating the cleanest foods religiously or anything but its still working. Sometimes I dont get hungry, and I have been put off some foods like the mayo in the burger king bun, shees they put alot on.
I get full pretty quickly, which could probably tell me that my stomach is shrinking.
I dont know if it would be good for everyone, but it works for me. This isnt a diet, diets suck up so much time and wasted energy.
I also lift dumbells at home. I have 3kg and 5kg, but will be upgrading to slightly heavier weights soon. Fat is literally melting off me and ive noticed it in my arms and around my waist so far. I have about 40 pounds to lose, I’ve started walking more and taking stairs instead of elevators. Im not quite the superhuman yet, I feel like Im not far from being one!
Guess I should also mention I am fasting 24hrs. From 9pm to 9pm the next day.
Yes I agree, i was in the prison of 6 meals a day concept for many Years. This is really the best Life style (Eating Patter) I have ever experienced.
I want to ask you a quest. Is there any cheat day strategy in the Intermittent fasting 16 / 8 Fast eat concent ?
Hi, my question is: When you fast for 24 hours and you eat normally again the next day, do you not pick up the weight you lost and more? That is according to what I have read. I read your article on 21 ways to loose weight and do most of them but have been battling to loose my last 10kg to reach my goal weight. I have lost 23kg over the last 18 months and are desperate to reach my goal now and if IF will help I’m all for fasting 24 hours once a week. Your advice will be highly appreciated. I’m sick and tired of this weight loss battle!!!!!
Thanks so much for this post and others. My brother and I are finding some great info in your writing. I wanted to thank you for this article because of an odd thing…I force myself to eat during the day. I have always had this ‘odd’ habit of only eating in the evening, much to the chagrin of every trainer I’ve ever had. I despise breakfast, I don’t like the slowdown at lunch to eat…I prefer to eat only in the evening post 1800. It’s not unusual for me to ‘forget’ to have that evening meal and to even blow by a couple days without eating. Everyone to whom I’ve ever told this oddity has looked at me with incredulity, I’m downright un-American! I’ve too long forced myself to eat off my body’s desired schedule. Now, I’m not that weirdo at all!!! In fact, for me to IF every day all I need to do is shrug off what my trainers, doctors, teachers…every other person who has ever heard my eating habit story…and return to what I feel natural. I’m lucky!
I have religiously been doing this for a month now and have only lost 2 pounds, BUT I really feel this is a great step for me because it is building my self control muscle. Dieting is torturous for me and I have never been able to stick to it long enough to make a difference but it is a LOT easier to manage when I eat than what I eat. I don’t know why I haven’t lost more weight, it isn’t like I am sitting around eating cookies for 8 hours each day. I hadn’t heard that women are supposed to do 14 hours instead of 16 hours. That would make my life a lot easier. Maybe I will try that instead.
It’s a nice article, I’ve enjoyed reading it and it was interesting to find out how much research had been done to discover the benefits of fasting. You have done really good job!
One thing to note here, is that the practice of such fasting is nothing new at all. It was introduced by Islam over 1400 years ago for its spiritual, mental, health and many other benefits. Millions of Muslims (men, women, even a lot of kids 7 & up) fast 30 days in a row every single year and the Islamic fast is actually even bit more challenging (absolutely no eating and drinking allowed from dawn till sunset – this year it was approx. 4am – 8pm; and then a generous meal is eaten). The 30 days in the month of Ramadan (and that is the most active and productive month for Muslims!) are obligatory on every sane & healthy person, however there are many other days of recommended fasting in Islam: every Monday and Thursday (that’s 2 per week), so called “white days” (approx 3 days when the moon is full) in each month and it has been said that the best type of fasting is the fasting of Prophet David which means fasting every other day alternately.
Personally I usually loose about 10kg in the month of Ramadan every year and I’m able to accomplish much more many tasks than during other times. If you really want to challenge your mind and body, read more about Islam and you shall find many tips on how you can successfully improve your performance :)
Hey Phil!
I stumbled upon your site when I was doing research on the benefits of hot/cold showers. I loved your article on cold showers. Your attitude about taking control of your emotions to accomplish difficult tasks is compelling.
I am embarking on a 40 day water fast. I’m currently on day 2. I was looking around your site for a “Water Fast Challenge” but couldn’t find anything. Have you ever tried a water fast? If so, how did it go for you? If not, I’m keeping track of mine at http://youwontdieifyoufasttherightway.blogspot.com if you’d like to see my journey and maybe get encouraged to tackle that challenge too.
During my fast I’ll be practicing different cleansing techniques, and one of them is hot and then cold showers. I’m gonna keep your breathing tactic in mind.
Take care,
Mandy
THanks for sharing Mandy! I’ve bookmarked your blog so I’ll be checking. I’m really intrigued because I’ve done several short fasts (16 to 24 hours), I’ve never even considered doing a water cleanse. How long are you doing for? What do you expect to happen?
Read this article..n loved it..later figured out that i have been following this Intermittent Fasting, once a week on fridays. Now that I am more aware about this..should do on a serious note..hope i get the anticipated results.
[...] http://www.thefeelgoodlifestyle.com/fasting-for-fast-weight-loss-superior-fitness-and-better-health…. [...]
This sounds really interesting, and makes tons of sense, specially the beginning part of the article. We were hunters and gatheres, never really had the abundace of food we have today, genetically we must be wired for shortage in food.. Im going to give the IF plan a try. I’m going to try it one a week to start with, do you think I would see the health benefits with just one day a week? Thanks for all your hard work Phil
I blog often and I really appreciate your content. This article has really peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your blog and keep checking for new information about once a week. I subscribed to your RSS feed as well.
[...] learn more on IF, check out my article on it. I also recommend the book Eat, Stop, Eat by Brad [...]
Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Many thanks, However I am having difficulties with your RSS. I don’t know the reason why I can’t join it. Is there anyone else having similar RSS problems? Anyone who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!!
This page certainly has all of the information and facts I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Hey Phil! my names katelyn, and i am 17 years old, 5′ 4″, and about 148 pounds. My friend just told me about this whole fasting thing a little while ago because i have been trying to cut down fat, and i have a few problem areas that frustrate me, like everyone else. so i was thinking about trying this out. so im on break right now and theres about 15 more days till school starts again so i thought this would be a good way to try it out. but im not sure exactly how i could get started with this.. especially since the time i wake up now will be different from when i go back to school? does it matter if i change times all of a sudden? and i wanted to make clear about how long you fast. what i understand is. fast for 14 hours, and skip breakfast, drink coffee, eat healthy. so if during break, i wake up about 10 am every morning, i start eating how long after i wake up
I want to to thank you for this very good read!! I absolutely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have got you book-marked to check out new things you post…
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate your efforts and I am waiting for your next post thank you once again.
Excellent post. I definitely love this site. Thanks!
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes that will make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
I stumbled across IF yesterday and since then have literally reading evey piece of info I can find online and have watched TONS of videos on YouTube. I am SO fired up and can’t wait to begin my fast! I am starting this evening. I will stop eating tonight at around 7pm and will resume eating tomorrow around one-ish.
My current stats are as follows:
Female
Age 35
Height 5’7
Weight 210 ——> Goal Weight 165
BMI 32.9 ———> Goal BMI 25.8
Thanks for all the great information and inspiration!!!! Wish me luck!!!!
Hi there! Interesting article! In July of this year, I decided to go on a low carb regime, starting my day with a cold shower and black coffee. Delaying breakfast til 3 hrs after the coffee. My last low carb meal is usually around 7/8pm so technically i fast untill 11/12 in the morning) around 14/15 hrs fast. I have lost 2 stone (28lbs) and feel fitter than I hAve ever felt in my whole 58 years!’ So yes IF really does work!
Hi I have a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon and a tsp of honey in the morning upon waking and half a glass of warm cinnamon water with honey before hitting the sack. Will that impede the IF? Btw very helpful article. I only started on Friday and doing ok so far. I have an irregular work schedule which means sometimes I finish eating by 8pm, sometimes at 9pm or 10pm. Will that make a difference or does it need to be the same time everyday? Many thanks!
can I do my exercises 7 hours before breaking my 16 hour fast?
Hi there, thanks for sharing that insight. My one worry is that you seem to be leaving long periods in between meals and wouldn’t this require more will power than most of us have.
I’m curious to discover out what weblog system you will be utilizing? I’m experiencing some small security issues with my latest web page and I would prefer to uncover a thing more risk-free. Do you’ve any suggestions?
I’ve read this article so many times. I’ve done 24 hour fasts once a week for about six months now. I love the results. I’m finally going to try daily fasting. I hope I can make it the next 28 days!!
Hey there!
I’m a 32 year old woman on my second day of intermittent fasting. Just had my first meal of the day a short while ago and, yeah, everything tasted so much better. The protocol i employ is 14 hour fast – 10 hour eating “window” and it doesn’t feel difficult at all. I have my lats meal at 9 pm and the next one (first meal of the following day) at 11 am. It really feels easy skipping breakfast as long as i get to have my water/green tea/ and most of all my cup of black coffee :) I intend to add some training too (treadmill and some weight work) and i’m really anxious to see the results. Will take my measurements today and see how this goes. Good luck to everyone and good health.
after reading your posting, I started 13 days ago the IF, the first day (as a test of willpower and mostly because I was curious with 24h+ fasting from sunday 9pm to 11pm monday night. my usual eating habit (i work at late shifts of 1.30 pm to 10 pm) was 2 missed meals^^ I became “dizzy” in the late hours of the 26h-fasting-test, but it was okay. since monday, the 11th I only eat my prepared meal in my “lunch break” at 6pm and my meal at 11/11.30pm. (I usually sleep from 2am to 10am^^). the first days I became more agressive, got headaches, but thats over at the 2nd week. I lost weight, thats nice. I often think clearer than before, but it became more and more a test of willpower… especially the last hour of the 18h fasting (I go for 16, but I am way too addicted to it^^) is the strangest time on the day, its not hunger, its just pure desire to eat ;D my habits of eating have changed and the food too… into “if I eat, only the best, I can afford” o_O not that unhealthy stuff, I ate way too often X-D thank you for inspiring me. 1h and 4 minutes to go to the next eating-window :)
I have a muslim best-friend who has to fast once every month due to her religion. Reading this article, I thought to myself, how hard could this be? If it has good benefits, then to heck with hunger. I’m in (: I’m slightly worried about how this will affect my track career, but I’m willing to give it a shot. Every Thursday for a month. If it works for me, then I’ll start doing it more.
Thank you for this article
xxx
Awesome excited to hear about it Kaylie! Fasting greatly increases Human Growth Hormone (HGH) production in the body which I believe can have some great benefits for track.
How about avoiding food after 3 or 4 pm every day? That’s what I do for the most part and it’s really effective. Is it better to fast during the day and eat at night? I feel like it would be not as effective, heehee ^-^
♥ Annusya ♥
I was looking for this particular info for a very long time. Thank you and best of luck. tiffany and co singapore http://www.zice123.com/thread-64500-1-1.html
Would coffee with cream in the morning, before the 14 hours is up, throw everything off? I find it easy to do, but I love the coffee and can’t drink it without cream. Thanks! You’re the best!
Brenda
I have been doing mini fasting for the last 4 months! I lost 12kgs and by mini fasting I have managed to keep that weight off. I do it every day. Just got used to it now. I eat dinner at 8pm (low carb) then eat nothing until midday the following day. I drink green tea, and black coffee and water
Have felt amazing since I started it
I read this last night . It makes complete sense. I started fasting since 12am and its almost 2pm. I did some of my daily excesises in the morning and still felt great.
To be honest I once eleven in the whole small meals throughout the day etc, cutting out fats and all that. I always watched my sister and she would just eat so much, practically two dinners a night but no breakfast (she’d have to get the kids ready) and not even a small lunch most of the time maybe a coffee. Here’s the kicker – SHE NEVER HAD NOR HAS ANY ISSUES WOTH WEIGHT. My weight fluctuates so easily and I do martial arts and everything ! Then I realize this fasting thing must be the key. I was my skinniest when I only ate one big meal a day either lunch or dinner but I wouldn’t feel deprived as long as it had most of my calories (well it was more like small lunch big dinner). I think this fasting stuff must be the key to finally stabilizing my metabolism! I might even be a dude and do the 16+ hours fasting instead of 14+ hours recommended for women. I know this sounds bad but I honestly feel better eating one big meal one small meal a day, the snacking makes me gain weight!
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Great! Started IF today!
I will try to drink water / tea and eat only proteins once a day, i.e. fasting for 24 hours, everyday for 30 or 40 days – I want to lose 40 pounds. What do you think about it?
Best,
im 50kgs overweight and starting IF on Monday- weekends are bad for me, will be updating my progress
Hi there!
Great article man! The only one more thing I would add is to learn to listen to your intuition and use the Law of Attraction to become smarter and reach your goals. Otherwise very useful information! Keep doing what you do! :)
I read your article. Im committing to trying it tomorrow, n if all goes well the next day too. I can do this!
I started reading about fasting 2 weeks ago I have done 4 fasts so far, today the longest, 7pm last night till 5pm today. It really wasn’t hard at all. I then ate a decent sized meal and desert and that was enough for the night. I will keep going with this for life.
So I have a question. I’ve recently discovered this way of thinking and eating. My question is, I don’t ever have time to workout until about 4:00PM, will working out while in my feeding period still reap benefits?
I’ve been on the Naturally Slim weightloss diet for about 9 months now and a part of that diet is basically fasting around 12-16 hrs a day. The one difference is that during the fasting time, you can drink a very watered down 1 parts orange juice to 8 parts water mixture–which helps keep your blook sugar from tanking. There are other parts of this diet which help people lose weight and keep to a healthy weight but the not eating for long stretches–the suggestion is eating just once or twice a day–is part of it. The system has worked for me and some of my friends at work who also have done it (it was sponsored by our work). I’m interested in your evidence for what it does. Thanks!
How do you think about ending a 8 hour window with a workout?
LG suggests ending the fast with a work out, but i have a job and the schedule doesn’t simply fit for me
So i eat breakfast at 8, lunch 12, dinner 5 and then play tennis till 6pm..
and i dont eat after that.
is this okay regimen?
Hi, Love the intermittent fasting and my blood pressure which has been very high for years is now normal! I have been doing the 16:8 for 8 weeks now, lost 16lbs, the first 14lbs were really easy but now the weight loss has stopped, eating very clean and sticking to the 8 hour window. I do an hour of speed walking every morning but nothing in the evening. Can you help me with how I can kick start my weight loss again? I have 3 stone to lose!!
did you eat normally during 16:8? or did you plan carefully??
just wondering,, cause i just started 16:8 too !