Intermittent Fasting: Eat Stop Eat

It's already been a couple weeks since I've been doing the 16-8 and its been going very well. Most days the fasting period is stretched to 18 hours because of my work schedule but it wasn't difficult to adapt to it. I feel fine as long as I eat sufficiently during the 6 hour feeding window. Days have taken on a different meaning to me now. A day isn't just wake up at 6am, go to work; 8am to 5pm and get into bed by 10-11pm. Days are now 9pm to 3pm: Fast. 3pm to 9pm: Eat!

Daytime food cravings are all but gone. I don't miss breakfast or lunch. I don't constantly want to be munching on something more out of boredom than hunger. Forget about food and snacks and breakfast and what to eat and when to eat and lunch hours and all the unnecessary minutia you've been used to obsessing over.

On to the second method of Intermittent Fasting(IF). Eat Stop Eat is Brad Pilon's take on IF. Brad is an expert on intermittent fasting as it relates to losing weight and gaining muscle. He's also the author of Eat Stop Eat.

You're going to fast for a whopping 24 hours(thats a whole day!) once or twice(TWICE!?!!!) per week. During the 24 hour fast no food, I repeat NO food is consumed. Calorie free beverages are allowed meaning water, black coffee(without sugar) and maybe Zero calorie drinks like Coke Zero. 24 hours have passed, you've survived and surmounted the challenge of not eating for an entire day, now you go back to eating normally. Just pretend you didn't fast at all. Some people might need to eat a big meal, others will be ok with their regular dinner or just a simple healthy snack. The timing is whatever is best for you and its not fixed. You can fit your fast in at any time that suits your schedule and adjust it as necessary as long as you make sure to not eat during the 24 hour period.

So whats the point of this? Changing your lifestyle to accommodate the fast will reduce your overall caloric intake without limiting what you're able to eat. As with any diet incorporating regular exercise is a big factor. You will not succeed on this plan if weight loss or improved body composition is your goal without a regular exercise program.

You get a break-in period: 24 hours seems like a really long time at first but you don't have to go all out right away. You can start with shorter periods and work your way up to the full 24 hours. The best idea is to start when you're most busy or on a day when you don't have any other eating obligations(family dinners or a work lunch).

Benefits: There are not really any "forbidden foods". There is no counting calories. No weighing food or dietary restrictions. That sounds awesome! That said its not entirely true. You still have to eat like a grown-up! You can eat whatever you want but moderation is key.

The downside: 24 hours without any food will be challenging and many may even find it impossible. Many people have struggled with going for extend periods without consuming any calories. Some people may experience annoying side effects such as headaches, fatigue and general crankiness. These issues will probably diminish and perhaps eventually completely subside given enough time. The problem here is that most people won't want to battle it out through this period to reap the real benefits of the fast.

If your body requires 2500 calories per day thats 2500 calories less per week you'll be consuming. This can go a long way to achieving your weight loss goals. self-control.

The extended fasting period may cause a bout of bingeing after the fast but that can be easily controlled by behaving like an adult and exercising some


I'm planning to try out a 24 hour fast day next weekend. During the week it will be difficult for me to manage with it but I'm up for the challenge. I want to see for myself what it feels like to go for 24 hours without food.