Yes, it sounds crazy, but I am officially a convert. It’s worked wonders for myself and others. I’ve effortlessly lowered my body fat to levels I’ve previously had to struggle to reach and have always failed to maintain. And it continues to drop.
Moreover, it’s been amazing at killing cravings. I get all of my calories from roughly 12pm to 8pm. The wee hours of the night have always been for me (and I know for others as well) dietary kryptonite. You’re stressed, want to relax, and enjoy something nice after a stressful day. Like ice cream.
Since I’ve begun the IF protocol, I’ve experienced the unexpected benefit of understanding that after 8, there’s no eating. And strangely, I haven’t worried about it or stressed about the restriction. It’s been nice for me and it might for you, too.
I’m trying to find a tidy quote that can wrap up who Brad Pilon is succinctly, but he hasn’t got one. Brad’s a guy who, after a career in R&D in the fitness/supplement industry, left to study a few things he found uniquely interesting. His research has led him to many conclusions that fly in the face of conventional knowledge on nutrition and diet, but once you check out his data it’s hard to argue that he’s wrong.
Lean Gains
If you can, ignore the bro-y-ness of the site. His info is priceless and backed by solid science.
From an interview with Leangains’ Martin Berkhan:
This is my take on generic weight loss methods: I believe that the “nibbling” approach to dieting, which is so often encouraged by mainstream nutritionists and mass media, may aggravate hunger, rather than keeping it at bay. I can speak for myself, and several of my clients, when I’ll say that several small meals a day does more to potentate cravings, and subsequent hunger, rather than suppressing it. There’s also the psychological sense of hunger that must be taken into account, while discussing how dieters think and work. I honestly feel that the psychological form of deprivation, i.e. the absence of some favorite foods that you might not be able to enjoy on a generic high meal frequency plan, is much worse than any form of physical hunger. Some people will gladly trade constant cravings for the casual physical hunger that might occur during the fasted phase on IF. Notice that I’m saying “might”, since some people, including me, don’t get hungry at all during the fast (there’s probably an adaptive component to be taken into account here).
Others will enjoy the cognitive effects of IF. I’m mainly thinking about people with professions that require a high degree of focus and concentration; for example programmers and writers, that may want to increase their productivity during work hours. Due to the increase in catecholamines during the fast, productivity goes up and you’ll feel more involved in whatever you’re doing; the effect can be compared to a mild stimulant. Personally, that’s one of the benefits I really appreciate as a writer and online diet consultant. I spend a lot of time in front of the computer, reading, writing and corresponding back and forth. Having not to think about food, and feeling clear headed and focused, is something I find very useful when it comes to time management and productivity.
And then again, there are the health benefits not to be forgotten. Improving insulin sensitivity and other health indicators, such as cardiovascular health for example, is undoubtedly of interest to a large number of people, whose main priority is to stay healthy and reduce risk factors for different types of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. IF also offers neuroprotective benefits, which may protect from brain degenerative diseases like Alzheimers, for example. These benefits are unique to this diet approach and cannot be achieved, to the same degree, with traditional calorie restriction and exercise.
Read more from this interview with Martin Berkhan Here.
If you have more questions about IF, please drop me a line. I have more information and am happy to share some of my other materials.
Critical Mass Personal Training 