Imagine having breakfast, lunch and dinner and still do intermittent fasting and gain the benefits. That should be acceptable to all.
16.8 is the normal so far, and one needs to skip a meal which is not okay to some, especially when it’s breakfast on the block.
It’s possible to win going slow and steady. Remember the tortoise who won the race against the hare. He has been winning ever since in every motivational story.
Consider this, have the breakfast at 9 am, lunch at 1 pm and dinner at 7pm. That looks normal, isn’t it? Just that, don’t have anything other than water from 7 pm to next day 9 am. Well there’s sleeping time of 7 to 8 hours in it.
14 fasting hours have at least 2 hours of burning of stored fat. Weight loss and the numerous other IF benefits follow.
What about autophagy, the dream benefit of IF! High intensity workout would induce that. But HIIT is not for all. Remember the tortoise is the hero and he needs to win.
I am on a 20.4 schedule and I used to workout real hard burning some 1400 calories in such moves. Lost 14 kgs and waist size shrank 4 to 5 inches.
Initially the energy was good. Then some anxiety with all the talk about losing skeletal muscles in longer fasts and strenuous workout. Oh no, and hence workout calories reduced to 800. Hopefully autophagy is happening.
I also started with 16.8 and two meals. But how about 14.10 and three meals! Now the question is why everyone is not doing it. Let’s do it, for the benefits are many.
Intermittent Fasting has numerous benefits. Starting with the basic weight loss to such unbelievable benefits like prevention or reversal of deadly diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and even Cancer.
There’s one beautiful thing also in there, anti-aging! How cute is that! Especially for someone like me.
A Japanese study in 2019, on four humans,reveal many things. Yes only 4 people, but humans. And if nothing else, it’s sure to lead to extensive studies to make us all look younger.
Scientists found 42 beneficial compounds, 30 more than previously found in 34 to 58 hours of fasting. These compounds that assist in slowing aging are activated some 60 times their normal when fasting extends to 58 hours.
I am already on a 20 hour fasting, daily, hoping to bring in ‘autophagy’ the 2016 Nobel Prize winning revelation that repairs damaged body cells for numerous benefits including anti-aging.
Perhaps I may move to a 58 hour fast, once in a quarter, to look young.
I am a dedicated practitioner of intermittent fasting and to me, it’s the best wellness program available.
I have been reading a lot on the subject and have been listening to many opinions, research findings and guidelines.
And, in turn, the key messages are passed on to a small group that I mentor on the subject.
Individual objectives vary. For example, I started with desire to lose weight. 14 kgs down in an year and half, I have perhaps met it.
Now I am looking for autophagy stage and hence extended the fasting hours to 20.
Reading and listening to many articles and videos on IF, I get the feeling that each expert has own objective and design.
That’s why this idea. Why don’t I extend the mentoring to cater to individual needs of the participants. It’s not managing their goals (at least initially) but to facilitate it.
This is not to show off, as much more are to be achieved. This is a promotion of something I am passionate and upbeat about. That’s Intermittent Fasting.
I have been sincerely following Intermittent Fasting since January 19, 2019 and I love the results. I am in fact mentoring a group to showcase the best wellness program.
I used to be waist size 40 at one time. Well I was 38 when I started Intermittent fasting. Some 14 kgs down now, I am acquiring a new wardrobe with size 34.
Credit goes to Intermittent Fasting, given that my regular workouts of swimming and gym are in jeopardy. Of course I workout with modified exercises and intense yoga.
Weight loss is just a side effect of the benefits rich intermittent fasting. But reductions in waist size and belly fat are just priceless.
These three things in the title would define wellness to a great extend. In fact time restricted eating and intermittent fasting are both sides of the same coin.
In time restricted eating, one consumes all the food during a short period of time. Say it’s 12 hours or even better, eight or 6 hours. This is unlike the present habit of eating or snacking for about 15 hours in a day.
One researched example shows the significance. A group eating the same food/ calories during 15 hours and another group eating the same food and calories during a window of 10 hours showed significant differences. The group eating 15 hours were obese, and developed many diseases while the 10 hour group were healthy and fit.
Intermittent fasting also shows the same results and has been acclaimed as a tool towards a well managed wellness.
Now researchers are revealing the role of circadian habits. In fact the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine in 2017 was awarded to scientists for their study on circadian rhythms.
Listen to this TED talk by researcher Dr. Satchin Panda on Circadian Habits. Listen carefully, this has the potential to shape the future of wellness, diet, exercises, sleep, cancer and other diseases.
Intermittent Fasting, as we know, is the best wellness program. It can do many wonderful things and probably could prevent and reverse such deadly problems like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and even Cancer. It can also help lose weight.
I lost about 8 kgs in the first few months of starting the fast about a year and a half back. Then it plateaued.
Though disappointed a bit at the stoppage of losing weight, the desire to look good and to wear a six pack kept me focused and be strict with fasting, supplemented with a fairly rigorous workout schedule.
In the process, I kept reading and listening to experts in the field. I also mentor a small group of intermittent fasters and share with them the research findings and personal experiences. We exchanged notes.
Adopting some the new techniques learned and staying sincerely on course with increased intensity, I could feel good results in the bathroom mirror. But there was a problem! I didn’t have a weighing machine in Bangalore where we stayed back for the past nearly 5 months due to the lockdown.
And I just got this machine through amazon and it’s another 3 and half kilos off for me, making it a total of about 12 kgs through intermittent fasting.
It’s also discipline! And when we talk about discipline, the best in class is military. So regimental best describes my totally repetitive, strict and rigid discipline when it comes to diet, exercises and wellness programs.
I do Intermittent Fasting 16 to 19 hours a day, 7 days a week and it’s strict water only fast.
My daily yoga lasting an hour and a half involves the same asanas, the same breathing and the same stretches.
My crunches, running and walking are at the same pace, same numbers and same periods of time every day.
People rightly alerts me on the need to have variations. True, but I will need a trainer to manage the resultant complexity.
The benefits will be better with variations. I can’t manage complexities and hence I am regimental.
Still I believe there are benefits. Certainly so. We usually ignore most benefits as usual. If we know what we would be without the regimen and discipline, the benefits are so huge.
I feel happy when I think how i would be; without fasting, workouts and a bit too much of show off!
I have 5 hours to eat in a day, and here’s my broadcast message to the Intermittent Fasting Group that I mentor.
Broadcast on Intermittent Fasting: I thought it might be a good idea to list my activities while on a strict intermittent fasting, to our group. Please give feedback, advices and any comments that you may have. My Intermittent fasting starts with a Keto dinner at 6 pm and lasts for about 19 hours till a good lunch at 1 pm. I have only water during this 19 hours, no black coffee, no green tea. Hopefully, autophagy is on work! The lunch is mostly carbs with rice, vegetables, meat etc followed by liberal helping of papaya and mango. I go for a few blocks of Amul dark chocolate. Snacks include good things like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and not so good things like savouries and few bakery items. I have coffee with milk and no sugar and occasional green tea during the 5 eating hours. The Keto dinner at 6 pm could be quinoa with vegetables and eggs in butter with meat topping, the same with barley rice instead of quinoa, cream of mushroom soup, mushroom omelette cooked in butter, avocado, soup etc. Now that I have stopped Diabetes medicines, I monitor blood sugar first in the morning, just before breaking fast with lunch, 2 hours after lunch and 2 hours after Keto dinner. The current readings could (I hope) lower HbA1c to six or even below that, in three months ( dream comes true)! I have observed the following complications:
Dawns Phenomenon Here sugar readings start low when fast begins and increases from 10, 12, 19 hours into fasting. Apparently this is harmless and Dr Jason Fung even terms it a good thing as the explanation is that lever releases stored glycogen anticipating energy requirements for physical activity while fasting.
Gilbert’s Syndrome Though harmless, this is a nuisance with possible side effects. The reason is limited gut action during fasting for liver to process excess bilirubin. That’s why papaya and mango find a prominent place in diet. Plus drinking lots of water.
Now on my workout schedule, it starts with yoga in the morning. It takes over one and a half hours and burns about 500 calories. The following are the items.
1. Pranayama
2. Breathing
3. Meditation ( for third eye)
4. Diaphragm breathing
5. Tree position on both legs
6. Suryanamaskar, 12 sets, 12 positions on either legs making a total of 288 positions.
7. Sarvangasana for 10 minutes
8. Matsyasana for 5 minutes And another 30 stretching and breathing exercises including a few breaks with savasanas. I do stationery swimming actions and abdominal crunches only occasionally now. I do indoor running for about an hour on the terrace burning about 500 calories. That’s total about 1000 calories burned on workout against the crazy 1700 when I was doing everything. Sleep total meets the target 7 hours. Of course, there were occasional injuries, especially with land swimming. Six Packs are still on outline and hopefully will get firmed up when gym and pool are opened. But following the guidances from wellness experts (videos shared here) belly fat has receded considerably which is a major wellness goal and key thing in reversing diabetes. I hope these detailing will help those who are on Intermittent Fasting.
I am mentoring a group of over 70 wellness enthusiasts on Intermittent Fasting. Some of them asked for my own experiences on the program and here’s what i have shared with the group.
Broadcast on Intermittent Fasting: I am attempting a guide to follow here, based on personal experience and learning: Some of the purported health benefits of intermittent fasting include:
Weight and body fat loss
Increased fat burning
Lowered blood insulin and sugar levels
Possibly reversal of type 2 diabetes
Possibly improved mental clarity and concentration
Possibly increased energy
Possibly increased growth hormone, at least in the short term
Possibly an improved blood cholesterol profile
Possible lowering of blood pressure
Possibly longer life
Possibly activation of cellular cleansing by stimulating autophagy
Possibly reduction of inflammation
Achieving autophagy stage has benefits including:
prevention and even reversal of Alzheimer’s
Prevention and even reversal of Parkinson’s disease
Prevention and even reversal of cancer
Anti- aging Personal Experience: I have been practising intermittent fasting since January 19, 2019 with very little exceptions. I am on a 16.8 schedule which is in practice has been 17.7. I can confirm:
increased energy
Weight loss
Fat reduction
Improved concentration
Better frame of mind
Happiness in looking at self in mirror Additionally I have seen positive effects on diabetes. I have reduced medication ( metformin) to a fourth of the original dose. And when I tried avoiding certain food and worked on reducing belly fat, the readings were normal even without medication. The enhanced energy is a sure benefit and it helped me to get into crazy amounts of physical activity. My recommendations: (Those who are on any kind of medication, please consult doctor before trying these. And those with diabetes, in addition to doctor’s advice, please monitor blood sugar, say three times a day, like I do).
Follow the 16.8 schedule and try if you can do a OMD (one meal a day) once a week. 17.7 or 18.6 are better as autophagy starts from there.
Eat sensibly during the eating window. If more weight loss is desired, follow a Keto diet.
Avoid sugar as far as possible. Fructose is much more dangerous than glucose. Sadly fruits and vegetables have fructose. So have them in moderation. Added sugar in processed foods may be avoided. Chances of them using HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) is high as it’s cheaper and gives food longer life and taste. HFCS is bad.
Exercise regularly. Moderate workout is good. Also so HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is beneficial, if you can do it. As a guide; moderate, medium and high workouts are where the heart rate is less than 60% , 60-90% and 90% of your maximum heart rate for workout. Maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. As such the maximum heart rate for a 40 year old is 220-40=180.
Try and learn workout and diet program to reduce belly fat.
It’s difficult to suggest an ideal food menu. But avoid processed foods as far as possible. Then try and reduce carbohydrates. Include some amount of protein. And try and include maximum of good fat. Bring in nuts, avocado etc into menu. If you follow a Keto diet program, you get a solution here
Fasting window is for fasting. Ideally have only water. You can have black coffee or green tea in desperate situations. The benefits of fasting will make clean fasting a welcome habit. Good luck and stay healthy.
For information 16.8 schedule means 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating window
Anyone interested in joining the group and receive updates, please let me know.
I have been following Intermittent Fasting, religiously since the 19th of January 2019 and I have benefited immensely from the program.
But I used the eating window of 8 hours or less to deliberately enjoy the food I liked best like the unique ‘Kunju’s Jamroll’.
Now, a mini veteran in the wellness world, I take a review of events. And intermittent fasting is the best I have done with numerous benefits.
But I take medicine for a slightly higher blood sugar to get it under control. Is that alright or should I take a re-look!
Dr. Jason Fung’s book ‘the Diabetes Code’ is an eye opener. One can reverse type 2 diabetes completely without medicine and medicine can be very bad for health.
Intermittent Fasting helped me to reduce the medicine by a fourth. Then I tried some of the recommendations of Dr. Fung, and yes I can get normal readings without medicine, by way of adjusting diet, some exercise and intermittent fasting.
That’s why it’s not only ‘when you eat’, but also ‘what you eat’ that matters.
This is true for other good things like losing weight, getting rid of belly fat and boosting immunity etc.
I also learned that ‘sugar is poison’ and ‘fructose is cyanide’.
