Intermittent fasting

Key Insight

● Time‑restricted eating/intermittent fasting/autophagy is something that has become very popular recently, but for a good reason. Now countless studies discuss many benefits of this eating pattern. This pattern actually imitates what we evolved to expect: calories are not always available and not in unlimited quantities. Longer periods without calories allow better insulin sensitivity, liver rest, digestive rest, reduce inflammatory processes and generally better health and even longer life. Positive effects on mental processes are also commonly mentioned.

● If you have excess weight this is probably the easiest way to lose weight if we manage to combine it with a small caloric deficit (we consume fewer calories than we burn during the day).

● The rules are very simple (which is likely the reason this eating pattern is very successful): ○ Do not consume any calories in the first 60 minutes after waking. If you drink coffee (and you shouldn’t drink it in the first 90 minutes after waking) drink it without sugar or with stevia (a little milk is okay). ○ Choose when you want your first meal (most people choose around 11:00–13:00) and after the first meal consume all calories you plan for that day within the next 6–8 hours. ○ After the first meal, you must not consume any calories until the next day (including alcohol).

● A few tips that can help: ○ Gradually introduce this pattern, shifting a bit on the upper and lower ends of the start and end times until you reach the desired time. My body adapted relatively quickly (about 10 days), after which I no longer felt hungry in the morning or evening, except when I deliberately create a caloric deficit. In a caloric deficit you will feel hunger more or less all the time (even after a modest meal) but that is normal because the body does not want to lose calories. A good indicator that you’re in a caloric deficit is a constant hunger. The body has a highly precise “accounting” system for calories and for sleep). ○ First resolve the time constraint and allow your body to get used to it, then change the eating method and quantity (and also change the eating method and quantity gradually, not simultaneously). ○ All planned training sessions should be done before consuming the last calories to help nutrition and muscle recovery. It is also good before consuming the first calories. ○ I postponed adopting this routine for a long time because I feared losing muscle mass. In fact I lost fat and preserved lean mass (percentage I gained muscle). Inflammatory processes in my body decreased significantly, my face looks leaner and belly fat is about 80% less (I’ve always eaten healthy anyway, but now the difference is noticeable), and I feel much better and more energetic.

● After a while, when your body gets used to the regime described above, it is advisable to introduce slightly longer fasts: ○ Once a week – Only one meal. All calories consumed in about 30 minutes and nothing before or after. On this day you should avoid intense training. Light cardio (Zone 2) is okay. ○ Once a month – Not a single meal. This is practically a 40‑hour fast. We normally eat the last meal, then next day we eat nothing (except water and electrolytes) and then the following day resume the normal meal schedule. On this day, when you’re not consuming calories, you can go for a light walk (Zone 1 cardio) with electrolyte supplementation. You will very likely feel hungry and tired during this day, but that is normal, especially in the first few cycles. ○ Once a quarter – A three‑day fast. This can be challenging but provides many health benefits and helps prevent many dangerous diseases and increases lifespan by about 35%, especially for those over 40. Autophagy mechanisms kick in strongly here, cleaning the body of damaged and dying cells. The liver and digestive organs rest well, and cells restore insulin sensitivity to factory settings. The same rules apply as for the “Once monthly” fast with one more day added after the first day of fasting. This is essentially a ~65‑hour fast. Once again, our bodies are evolutionarily very well adapted to periods without calories and, if you’re healthy, nothing bad will happen during this fast.