Intermittent fasting comes in many forms.  There is Brad Pilon’s  “Eat Stop Eat”, Ori Hofmekler’s “Warrior Diet”, Jason Ferruggia’s “Renegade Diet”, and the newest best-seller “The 8-hour Diet” written by David Zinczenko.  The IF protocol that I first came across is Martin Berkhan’s “Leangains”.  All of these diets have different names, and slightly different rules, but at the end of the day, they are all just utilizing the concept of Intermittent Fasting.  In the case of “The Warrior Diet” you can have small snacks  throughout the day and then gorge on a giant feast at the end of the day.  In the case of Eat Stop Eat, every week you pick a day where you don’t eat anything all day.  With Leangains, you fast during the night and morning, then you have eight hours in the afternoon and evening to eat.  IF is a concept, and a damn good one, that WILL result I positive changes in body composition without always feeling like you are being deprived, as you would feel on a traditional diet.

Some of the many IF options.


The science behind this approach is based on the manipulation of the hormone insulin.  Without getting too far in over my own head, the idea is this:  When you are trying to lose fat, insulin is bad (in fact it stops any chance of fat burning).  When you are trying to build muscle, insulin is more powerful than steroids (it is responsible for allowing muscle cells to absorb nutrients after a workout).  By fasting during the mornings, insulin remains low. This means that your fat stores are available to be used for energy, and your body will burn them up.  After a workout, you eat a big filling meal of healthy carbs (and maybe some unhealthy ones, if you are so inclined) and insulin spikes way up.  This starts the muscle building process by allowing damaged muscle cells to take in all those nutrients and grow. By manipulating insulin in this way we can lose fat and build muscle at the same time….or to be more precise, we can burn fat, and build muscle in the same day.


Insulin up, fat burning down.

For information on any of the approaches I mentioned above, just  google any of the names in the first paragraph.  Most of them have good websites with lots of information.  I personally use a mish-mash of all the approaches.  Once you understand the concept of manipulating insulin, the name you attach to the plan is irrelevant.  I use an approach that is convenient for my lifestyle right now, and that I never consider to be a burden or hindrance.  On an average day, this is what I do.

1.       I wake up in the morning and go for a nice long walk.  This wakes me up, burns some extra calories, and I’ve heard that walking is also good for you.  While I walk I listen to audiobooks…makes the whole process a little more entertaining.

2.       Throughout the morning I drink a black coffee, and as much water as possible without running to the bathroom every thirty seconds.

3.       At about 2pm I stop fasting.  I generally find that I’m not that hungry, so I’ll eat some almonds, eggs, or a protein shake.  Just something light.  Depending on how I feel, I may have several small snacks like this during the afternoon. The key here is to keep insulin low, by not eating carbs, so your body can continue to burn fat.

4.       At six o’clock, regardless of what is going on in the world around me, I eat the largest salad known to man. It is full of fresh organic leafy greens, some colorful veggies, and is topped with a dressing of olive oil, and apple cider vinegar (supposed to be really good for the digestive tract).

5.       After my salad, I eat a nice big serving of protein (typically chicken or fish), and depending on whether or not I have exercised, some carbs.  After a big workout this could be a super-sized serving of carbs, or after a moderate workout a normal serving.

6.       After dinner If I’m still hungry, I may have some small snacks, or a dessert made with some healthy coconut cream or fruit etc.

7.       Then the fast begins again, and it’s a good thing because I’m usually pretty full, and have no interest in eating any more.
The creator of Leangains at a few points along his journey with IF.

I love this approach to dieting, and it really doesn’t feel like a diet to me.  I get to eat a huge meal every day, and never feel like I have to restrain myself from eating things. The fasting part can take a while to get used to, but once you’ve adjusted it becomes super easy.  The other day I was busy and actually forgot to eat until four in the afternoon.  I didn’t feel the slightest bit hungry, even though I was out running around.  Hunger is caused by a hormone called ghrelin, and it adapts quickly when a set schedule is followed….I’ll save that for another post though.

Give fasting a try.  It may be a little tough for a couple of days, but once you’re ghrelin levels get all straightened out you’ll be loving the extra few minutes it saves you in the morning.  Let me know how it goes on my facebook page www.facebook.com/fittaiwan