When To Eat

Getting started intermittent fasting

January 24, 2021

This is part three in a four part series on healthy eating. In part one I discuss how nutrition is more important than exercise for getting and staying lean and in part two I discuss what to eat - high protein, real foods.

Let me first define it. Intermittent fasting (IF) is limiting the consecutive hours in a day when we eat.

It is the opposite of grazing. Evidence supporting the health benefits of intermittent fasting is piling up. 

Here’s an example. If I eat only between noon and 8 PM daily and fast from 8 PM to noon the next day - that is IF. 16-8 IF.

There are many variations but this is the basic idea. 16 hours off and 8 hours on is one variation.

Benefits

Here are some of the benefits of IF:

  1. Helps us get and stay lean

  2. Promotes cellular healing (Autophagy)

  3. May reduce Cancer Risk

  4. May reduce risk of neurodegenerative diseases

  5. Reduces inflammation

  6. Reduces Type 2 Diabetes risk

  7. May increase life span.

How To Get Started

IF builds on the What To Eat post from last week, because, when we are eating nutrient dense foods and avoiding high carbs and highly processed foods, we’re less hungry and crave less during the fasting hours. IF becomes more doable.

So once we are eating the right things, we can get started.

16 hours off, 8 hours on is a good place to start. Eat between 12 PM and 8 PM and fast from 8 PM to 12 PM.

Skip breakfast and don’t snack after dinner.

Here are some tips to get started.

  1. If you have any significant health conditions, talk to your doctor first.

  2. Eat a large protein rich dinner at 7 PM or earlier. Beef, eggs, fish, chicken are all good. Avoid garbage like rice, bread and pasta.

  3. If you must have dessert, eat berries or plain Greek Yogurt with berries.

  4. Do not count calories. Let me repeat - DO NOT COUNT CALORIES. If you are still hungry, eat more nutritious food.

  5. Keep night snacking foods like pretzels, cookies, cereal out of the house as much as possible.

  6. Drink black coffee and water or seltzer before 12 PM. You can have as much of this as you want ;)

  7. For lunch, eat high protein foods and avoid carbage.

  8. Cheat days are bullshit and set a bad cognitive-behavioral frame. Garbage food is not a reward.

  9. Avoid alcohol.

Here are some things to read.