What is the 5:2 Diet? (And Why I Switched From ADF) 

I personally agree with you 100%. I do quite a few PSMF (Protein Sparing Modified Fasting) days where I eat 500-800 calories of protein. I like how they help me recover from exercise, but I am MUCH MUCH more hungry on a 500 calorie day than a 0 calorie day.

For me, I agree that it’s easiest to fast all day with zero calorie intake, but sometimes when I go to bed that night of not eating, I am hungry and can’t get to sleep. So I heat up some bone broth and just having that warm broth in my stomach does the trick and I’m able to go to sleep.

Thank you for sharing@@lisaleidy344 I have just started a video series about how to sleep during a fast. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DY7R4ReQqi0.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9eTs9RYyUQE.html I hope these tips help. I will cover a video about sleep-enhancing supplements next week. In part 4 I will cover what to do if nothing helps. Sometimes, the right thing to do is to eat a little food. I think adding a little bone broth is a MUCH better plan than getting a terrible night of sleep. Sleep is the foundation of our health

I was like that until I started working out every morning with weights. I’m starving by midday. I can’t seem to get myself back to a longer fast 18/19 hours. Maybe I need to switch up my fasting times? 😢

The key is to find the plan that works for you@@lorineely6921. And this can definitely change over time. Have you tried moving your exercise to different times of the day?

Congratulations! That is great progress without having to be super rigid. Sounds like a win-win to me :)

Thank you for noticing. I spend at least an hour per day commenting. I am as busy as the next person, but I make I will continue to reply as long as I can because every comment (at least the nice ones) is from a human being who wants a better life. I love getting to play a tiny part in their success :) Be blessed

He has been there. He understands that people have questions and need help. And he also appreciates that some people just want to show him love and appreciation for his content. That's what you call an empathetic human being. ❤❤❤

That is so great to hear! It sounds like you are doing amazing. Keep it up. This is definitely not a video to convince anyone to switch to 5:2 unless/until it is the best plan for them. At some point you will get too lean to want to keep doing 72 hours fasts. That is a GREAT problem to have :) My next video in my loose skin series will be my deepest dive into autophagy. I am neck deep in autophagy studies and I can't wait to share it all.

@@GrowGrayMatter Looking forward to that as I've been about knee deep in the same study. That you're further along is surely of interest to myself & many others. As for the 5:2 protocol, this is the first I've heard of it, formally. What's of interest here as well is that I seem to be living a version of this naturally. I simply have days that my appetite is much lower, & instead of trying to force the usual amount of food, I've decided to just go with it.- against what the popular thoughts are on it, that one should find ways to keep those calories up. Also, it's been about 1-2 days every week to 10 days that I've been noticing this pattern developing. Thanks for the add'l info on this, much appreciated. ~Samantha in AZ

Thank you for sharing@@RV-there-Yet. I love the fact that we can reach a point where we can trust our body enough to know when we should eat more and when it's fine to fast. I love to tell people to listen to their body, but only after you know it's telling you the truth, Fasting teaches you the difference between true hunger and false hunger (boredom, time/place, etc), and decreasing insulin and inflammation helps keep your body from lying to you. That is when you can really be in tune with your body's needs. Keep up the great work!

That's about what I'm doing. Thanks for sharing your healing story

I am happy to hear that you have found a plan that is working for you@@judyD.That is the only thing that matters in the end :)

Thank you for the kind words. What plan are you currently using? Here are 2 other videos that talk about the advantages of calorie cycling, as I mentioned in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t8WGN9v34C4.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6BcgfgVQLw4.html I am also working on a video that will cover EVERY science-backed strategy to break through weight loss plateaus when you are fasting. It should be ready in a few weeks. Stay tuned :) Reach out if you have any questions. I am here to help.

Thanks brother. Keep up the great work yourself

You are very welcome. Congrats on your progress! Hopefully my recent videos (the fat-loss series) have given you tips to minimize muscle loss moving forward. Your 75 pounds of extra weight was protecting you in the beginning. The little things become HUGE as you get closer to your goal. I will definitely do a video about quality protein sources (both animal and plant) in the near future. I have actually purchased a couple of high-protein recipe packs that I will be putting on my website once it is done being built. As for now, feel free to tell me the types of foods you eat and I can point you in the right direction. You can also always reach out if you have a question about whether or not a certain food is a good choice. I hope you find a place to get your testing done. They are both amazing tools for tracking your progress. Worth every penny. Here are my 2 recent videos about protein in case you missed them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DLa2g4GSAO4.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yfuqISpCPyo.html And here is the most important video I have ever done for anyone that wants to be sure they are keeping their hard-earned muscle along the way :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html Keep up the great work!

Absolutely. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Stick with ADF as long as it is working or until you get to lean to use it. ADF is the best method for weight loss in my opinion. Getting so lean that you need to switch to 5:2 is a great problem to have :) Here is the video that covers all of the methods I use to determine when it is time to tap the brakes on ADF. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html Reach out if you have any questions. I am here to help

You are always welcome :). Oh yeah, 4:3 with a few extra weekend calories is a great step down from ADF. I did that for most of the spring before I focused on building muscle this summer. Then, when I dove back into fat loss, I realized that 3 36-hour fasts were just too much now. That's when I made the switch to 5:2. It is nice to be thinking ahead about what your plan can look like as you get closer to your goal. I love ADF, but my goal is for everyone to get too lean to stay on it :). Begin with the end in mind

It is absolutely my pleasure. I love sharing my personal journey along with the science that explains why it works. Reach out if you have any questions. I am here to help :) Here is my health transformation video in case you haven't seen it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--Zf6KnetG4M.html

Thank you for sharing. You are off to a GREAT start! Keep it up. I love that you are modifying the plan to make it work for your life. The best plan that you can stick with long enough to see results is the best plan for you. Here is how I modified ADF to make it work better for me. I have never technically don true ADF. I always want my fasting days on my busy work days, and my eating days on my training days. I built the plan that meets my needs: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OPdKtS5Cqr8.html Keep it up!

Hi, I am exactly on this schedule of ADF...I just started though. I fast on Monday Wednesday and Friday and eat Tuesday Thursday Saturday and Sunday. I try to take it easy on Sundays. I am a vegetarian. May I know your stats and how much fat loss you have already achieved? I am 44M, 98kgs, 5'8". I am excited to see somebody else following this same schedule, it feels assuring that I am on the right track. Await your response. Thanks.

Thank you for the kind words. My mother would definitely agree with you LOL. I am happy to hear that you are doing well. I know that 36-hour fasts have transformed every part of my life for the better. I wish you the same success :)

Thank you for the kind words. It's Will, right? Your name reminded me of one of my favorite baseball players growing up (Will "the thrill" Clark). How are you doing? Still making progress?

@@GrowGrayMatternot doing great but i want to get started again. My biggest problem is on the days I fast I can't go to sleep. Do you have any suggestions?

This is an important topic @@Thrillmania Can you share more about how it impacts your sleep? Does it make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or both? I am doing a deep dive into the research because this is the most common fasting issue that can't be solved with electrolytes :) I will cover this topic in great detail in the coming weeks, but let me offer some thoughts now. Intermittent fasting stimulates the release of a neurotransmitter called Norepinephrine. This brain stimulant is why fasting can boost metabolic rate. It also plays a role in the focus and mental clarity that a lot of people get once they adapt to fasting. This is all great news until bedtime. This chemical wants you out hunting and gathering for food rather than trying to sleep. Hunger, fasting, and low-carb diets can also cause cortisol to increase since it is needed to make alternative fuels. Put this all together, and this sets the stage for some rough sleep. The best news that I can give you is that it is temporary in almost everyone. This was an issue for me for about 3 weeks, but I am guessing I have had 3 bad nights of sleep in the past 2 years that I can attribute to fasting. These were times when I jumped back into fasting after a break. But what do we do about it if it's not temporary: 1. Your brain is overstimulated. The key is to do anything you can to calm down before bed. Here are some sleep hygiene tips that I like: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MDdileB0HsU.html 2. If are brain is being dominated by excitatory chemicals, we need to fight back with inhibitory chemicals :). This is not medical advice, but here is what I do. There are a handful of supplements that increase GABA. GABA is the main neurotransmitter that helps you sleep. You can try supplementing with GABA, Valerian, Lemon Balm, Passionflower, L-Theanine, and Magnesium. These have all been shown to act on GABA in one way or another. There should be no need for all of them. If I had to rate them in order (based on research plus how much they help me), I would say Magnesium is best, then Lemon Balm, then L-Theanine, then Valerian, then Passionflower, then GABA. I put GABA last because it causes odd dreams in some people. You can also consider supplementing with Glycine. It is another inhibitory neurotransmitter that promotes sleep. I also like Ashwagandha because it can help lower cortisol levels. Always be careful with supplements, and speak to your doctor to be extra cautious. Better safe than sorry I have tons more information about getting better sleep in my sleep course. Reach out and I will gladly share a link to give you free access. It would be my pleasure. 3. You may want to try adding a few calories to see if it helps. I saved this last since it will break the fast, but poor sleep will have a bigger negative effect on you than a few calories would ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uw_CHTiN1LU.html Perhaps try the information about fat fasts from this 5:2 diet video. See if a little bit of MCT oil, or even something like coconut oil or olive oil, does the trick. But save this for last if you want to keep your fasting clean. I hope something here helps you.

Thanks!

Absolutely @@ThrillmaniaPlease let me know what ends up helping you. I want to see you succeed

Thanks for sharing. I hope that it works well for you. I have always been a fan of calorie cycling where you have feasting periods (or at least maintenance periods). The MATADOR study at the end of this video is a great example of why. Here is my original video that explains why: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6BcgfgVQLw4.html Keep me posted on your progress :)

Yay! This is great news. And I am so happy to hear that this is your nest fast yet. I hope they become easier and more effective as you go :) Keep me posted

Thanks, Dr. Frank! I will definitely check back in on Thursday, my next scheduled fast. Although today has been pretty good, I am definitely looking forward to breakfast tomorrow!! Lol lol😊

I understand that for sure@@dianemiller8214. Hunger is the best sauce LOL

PtL... Hi Dr. Frank!!! -- Today, Thusday, is my last fast day this week🥳🥳🥳 it's thankfully been pretty easy. I'm a little hungry but I'll be able to make it!! Lol -- how's today been for you?? Have a blessed evening 😊

Thank you for sharing@@dianemiller8214 . Keep up the great work! I am doing very well. I have just finished a successful fat-loss phase, so this week I am focusing on exercise and building muscle. Keep making progress. You should be proud :)

Thank you for the kind words. I really enjoyed making this video and sharing the science behind it. I hope that it works as well for you as it has for me. Reach out if you have any questions. I am here to help :)

@@GrowGrayMatter probably not the easiest week to start 5:2 but I’m doing my first 500 calorie day tomorrow 👍

At least it isn't Thursday LOL :)@@lorineely6921 I hope that you do great!

Thank you so much for sharing. Welcome to the intermittent fasting lifestyle :) I 100% agree that the best plan for you is the plan that you can stick to long enough to see results. OMAD is a great tool for many people, but it has never worked well for me. I have always done better with 36-hour fasts, but that is just my personal experience. I did a deep dive into the pros and cons of OMAD and ADF here. I think you will learn a lot: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ebw63MmKDM0.html I plan on doing a couple of videos in the coming months about OMAD and 2MAD (2 Meals a Day). I am really starting to see 2MAD as a great fit for a lot of the people who I work with. Keep up the great work. I would love to hear a progress report as you reach your goal. Reach out if you have any questions. I am here to help

I am the same, I find OMAD easier. It is down to personality type I think as to which plan will work best for the individual. I hyper focus and would worry too much in case I went over calories for the day, so for me one meal per day which I eat around 6pm means I feel full as it is generally lean protein with low carbs and lots of vegetables and salad. It was tough for the first week but after that I didn't struggle with hunger pangs. The only thing I do differently is when I am on my period I allow myself 3 pieces of fruit and a handful of unsalted nuts for lunch for four days of the month. I do this so I don't end over eating. It has taken me months to work out what works best for me and I am steadily losing weight about 8lb - 10lb per month and I am down over 40lb in the past five months.

Thanks for sharing@@murdershe......7378. That is amazing progress. You have definitely found the plan that seems to work best for you. Keep it up!

It easier the 5.2 I have been doing the OMAD a wk, and It's way more harder then 5.2, I see results faster for sure with 5.2 a life style that just works.

I do fast "clean" now, but I did not for the first 2 years. I did a 3 month clean fasting experiment to see if it would change anything. It did not, but I decided that there was no reason to add things back in if I didn't need them. I used to use a lot of fasting "crutches" like sweeteners. I am not a purist. My opinion is to fast as clean as you can, but as dirty as you need to: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QnUvz83QxlU.html How about you?

Everything I do is for you, buddy. I love you!

I am sure you were interested by the diet break study from this video then :). Here is a video where I shared the story about what happened when I took my first break from fasting. It was a very important part of my weight loss journey: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mQHl_Uo16Sg.html I believe that fasting and ketosis both provide amazing health benefits. But there is also tons of research that shows that weight loss is where a lot of the benefits come from (no matter how people get there). Fat is inflammatory, produces excess hormones that we don't want, creates environments in our body that don't get enough oxygen (hypoxia), etc. Getting rid of excess fat always helps, but doing itwith fasting and ketosis takes the to next level :)

Thank for reaching out. Balancing fasting and training is always tricky when exercise performance is a primary goal. The best fasting program for an athlete is typically a daily 16:8 or 18:6 plan. This allows you to fuel up for your training sessions. You could also do a plan like I do and eat big on you training days and cut your calories back (or all the way to 0) on rest days. As far as carb cycling goes, I think you will see more benefits if you focus on carbs before your workouts. You can definitely add carbs after workouts as well, but they are less necessary because your glycogen stores have 24 hours (or more) to fill back up before your next session. I hope this helps

@@GrowGrayMatter Absolutely thank you!

My pleasure :)@@Unibot47

Thanks for reaching out. I was put on a PSMF (Protein Sparing Modified Fast) myself about 13 years ago. I did have success, but it was short lived. PSMF diets are still relatively popular. They are often used for quick weight loss to prepare for surgeries. They are also quite popular in bodybuilders. I rarely ever recommend a full PSMF, but I do like PSMF days as an alternative to water fasting for some people. Here is a video that will help frame the discussion. I talk about how are lean mass (like muscle) is much more vulnerable as we get lean: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-83JNUiYhFlY.html This is why I will often have people transition from water fasting to a PSMF or a fat fast. The key question is what are we trying to accomplish by adding calories to a "fasting" day? 1. If your goal is preserving lean mass, you want to add protein. Our body requires essential amino acids to survive. We either eat them, or our body has to break down lean tissue to harvest them. This is why I prefer adding protein most of the time. The video I linked above explains why we can't get away with long periods without protein as we get leaner. 2. If your goal is to enhance the benefits of fasting, you want to add fat. It doesn't "break" a fast in the same way that protein or carbs do because fat requires very little insulin. The main reason I would add fat is to ramp up ketone production. Many of the health benefits of fasting are linked to ketones. 3. What has worked best for me is doing a PSMF day 1-3 times per week. But I also will take an exogenous ketone supplement to get the benefit of adding fat without consuming hundreds of calories. I am still playing with different approaches, but so far this is my favorite. 4. I have never played with adding carbs. I am not sure why the FMD is so reliant on carbs other than the fact that Longo is biased towards low-protein diets being the path to longevity. I agree with that in petri dishes, but I do not agree with that in the real world. Muscle is a key ingredient to living a long, healthy, functional life. Muscles need protein. But the key is to find what works best for you. I thrive on keto, so adding carbs would cause issues for me. There is no right or wrong answer since we are all so unique. I am keeping a close eye on the FMD research. Valter Longo is advancing the entire fasting community with every study he publishes. It is super cool to see :)

Thank you for sharing. That is a very aggressive plan, but we can be more aggressive when we have a lot of fat to lose. I fasted 4 days a week when I first started. I have needed to tap the breaks as I go, which is why I am at 5:2 now. How long have you been doing this 2:5 plan? I had sleep issues when I first started, but it only lasted about 3 weeks. Hopefully your sleep improves as your body adapts. Sleep is critically important to fat loss. Here is a video on this topic: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uw_CHTiN1LU.html Also, since you are being aggressive, you will want to check out this fat-loss sweet spot playlist. The faster you lose weight, the more important it is to maximize the preservation of lean mass along the way. It sounds like you are already doing some great things (focus on protein, increasing activity). I hope this series helps you reach your goals as quickly and effectively as possible: ru-vid.com/group/PL7zPcraYKbGD171OjtsEoE3OF3U97m4L1 Keep up the great work :)

I forgot to mention that I started a series on loose skin, in case you didn't see it. Part 2 will be about how to maximize autophagy to control loose skin ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NdojPEPtSuU.html

Great question. Here is a recent video I made that goes through my entire checklist to know when I am potentially losing lean mass. You may not be able to do all of these, but they will still give you the signs to look for: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html If you are seeing issues in 2 or 3 of these areas, or you know you are losing lean mass from body fat testing, then it is time to consider joining me in 5:2 land :) I will also be doing a video in the next few weeks with updated thoughts about how many calories we can get from fat. I still think that 30 calories per pound of fat is the gold standard STARTING point, but there is evidence that we can increase fat oxidation (our ability to burn more fat in a day) with diet changes (keto), exercise, and becoming fat-adapted. I am super excited about this video. I am making it because I clearly don't have enough fat to handle 2 36-hour fasts per week (based on the 30 calories per pound rule), but I am also not showing any signs of losing lean mass either. My best guess is that I have been able to increase the amount of fat I burn per day by a bout 50% between keto, fasting, sleep, walking, etc. I will dive into all the science that supports my "guess" in the video :)

@@GrowGrayMatter Thanks for the reply Doc. I'll give this a watch! This has given me a new strategy to try for a couple of weeks and see where it takes me! Cheers!

Please keep me posted@@TravelingAnvil. And the video I sent should be a great tool for you. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But always keep a plan in your back pocket for when things start to go awry :)

This is all GREAT news! I am happy to hear it. It sounds to me like your body is finally able to access fat stores for fuel. One of the great benefits of ADF is that glucose and insulin levels come down. Once your body can tap into fat for fuel you won't see blood sugar swings. Drops in blood glucose lead to hunger. Let the fat burning begin :) As far as weight loss at maintenance, this can be explained by a few things. It could just be fluid shifts, but it can also be true fat loss. Perhaps as you start to feel better you are moving more. This could be conscious or subconscious. I know that once I became a fat burner I "needed" to move more. My body started to crave it. It also could be the increase in metabolic rate that comes with eating more protein or producing ketones. Whatever it is, I am happy that it is happening. Keep up the great work!

Thank you for reaching out. I am so happy that you notice and appreciate the fact that I care as much about muscle as I do fat. I have always been good at losing weight, but I always reached a point where I would stall out and then gain the weight back. The main reason that this time was different is that I focused on muscle health with protein, resistance exercise, and sleep. I would recalculate everything once a month in your situation. I typically say every 20 pounds for someone that has a lot of weight to lose, but you will want to dial things in more closely since you are closer to your goal. Long walks on fasting days are a great idea. It will crank up your fat oxidation without putting lean mass at risk, I plan on doing an updated video on the 30 cals per pound of fat idea. It is still the best place to start, but I have been reading a lot of research that shows how we can crank that number up as we become better fat burners. Stay tuned for thar. I have been pleasantly surprised by the data. I used to do extended fasting as well. I got hooked on ADF once I realized that I was losing weight just as quickly, and it was almost all fat, by switching from 3-7 day fasts to a 36:12 schedule. Fast smarter, not harder :)

@@GrowGrayMatter Look forward to the updates on the 30 cals/lb.... I first got into keto in Dec 2019, then IF, then PF.... A stint for 4 months on carnivore late 2020 but with hindsight I did so much then I wouldn't do now, especially PF though hopefully the 14 day (and a 7 day in 2020) fasts may have done some lasting good at a cellular level etc if not any good for the lean mass!! Been watching more and more of Dr's Lyon and Layman with regard to how we don't have a fat problem but actually a muscle problem especially as we age. Just had breakfast after 37 hrs, the fast was easy as I expected and this seems to tick all the boxes right now- I still wonder if the likes of the "Snake Diet" with rolling 48hr fasts with a 1 hr refeed between has a place somewhere in this but right now I'm getting the deficit required calorie wise without jeopardising my metabolism.... keep up the great work fella !!!

Thanks for sharing. I love hearing about your journey. We are all living one big science experiment. Trial and error is the only way to figure out what works best for us. At some point we have to choose whether fat loss or muscle is our top priority, but I feel like there are lots of ways to emphasize one without sacrificing the other. I have currently been playing with adding a couple of PSMF (Protein-Sparing Modified Fast) days to get into a calorie deficit while still keeping protein high. I am sure I will talk about how it goes/went in a future video :)

@@GrowGrayMatter Hi Dr O'Neill- well have done 4x 36 hr fasts and on my 4th refeed and I've lost zero weight.... I'd set my TDEE at 2,500 for the first 2 then upped it to 3,000 for number 3 and this one... I'm not sure now what the heck is happening- ie is this number way to high or way too low? I think that exercise is the one massive confounder in the calculations ironically. 2 days ago I did a 102km Zwift session in 3hrs 27m(kept avg HR to 125bpm)this was on day 2 refeed with a meal to go after). I'm almost zero carb and 25%Protein/75%Fat. I'm planning 70km bikes(say 2.5hrs each) for today and tomorrow(still the 11km walk on fast days).... I'm seriously wondering if I'm not eating enough and my body is holding on to everything it can....??I'm maintaining the same weights routine so not losing upper body strength. Sometimes think if I was sedentary these numbers would be way easier to track as my activity would be almost constant (ie zilch!!!), but no way I'm doing that! Do you have any suggestions because right now I can't see the wood for the trees it seems?

Hey@@ArdGeal. Thanks for sharing. Dialing in a calorie target can actually be pretty tricky. It is especially true when you are very physically active because trackers (like Apple Watches) are not nearly as accurate as we would hope. My new favorite way to dial in my calorie needs has been using the MacroFactor app to track my food and weight. It is a paid app, but I have been super impressed. Check it out, and let me know if you want to give it a try. I can get you a free 2 week trial. Also, the scale may not be moving because if fluid shifts, etc. I would have a hard time thinking that you weren't in a calorie deficit unless you were eating double your normal intake in your eating windows. This is especially true since you had an extra tough workout. I gained 2 pounds this weekend after a brutal squat session Friday. My legs are definitely inflamed. I do think you are on the right track to bring your calories up rather than cutting them lower. As you know, you need to be much more careful as you get closer to your goal. I am not sure if you have seen my recent video, but I have switched to a 5:2 approach, and it has been working great for me. I think my body has really responded to having more days where I am eating plenty, and then I dip into a steep calorie deficit twice a week to get the scale to move ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FTKsq7b7Gvs.html Keep tweaking things until you find your secret sauce. Stay the course, and keep me posted.

You are spot on. Protein is king! I just got done teaching my students about protein for 2 hours today. They are tired of hearing it, but I pound the importance of protein into them so they never forget it :) Here are 2 recent videos where I talk about how protein is the key to fat loss: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DLa2g4GSAO4.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yfuqISpCPyo.html I am also keto. It's a game-changer for sure. I also used to do longer fasts (3-7 days). The weight loss was disappointing because most of it came back when you started eating again. 36-hours is my sweet spot. Almost all of the weight I lose is fat, I don't see the rebound, and I feel much better than when I white-knuckled my way through extended fasts. For example, I have lost more than 2 pounds per week since I switched to 5:2. That's the same amount I used to lose with a 4-day fast. I am still a fan of longer fasts (occasionally) for health benefits, but they are not all they are cracked up to be for fat loss. Keep up the great work

Why do you suppose you’re losing the same amount of weight on the 5:2 diet when your calorie deficit is less than the alternate day fasting protocol?

@@keith606 probably keeps your metabolism higher. It's like with the Greatest Loser paradox. They ate so little that they were going to lose weight. But it slowed down their metabolism so much that the second they ate some extra calories again, the body immediately stored it as fat in case another 'famine' was going to break out. If you're body normally burns 2500 calories a day as a BMR, but then you starve it for weeks or months with just 500 calories or so, it's going to drop your BMR down to help you get through these dark times. But then when you eat 1000 or 1500 or even your old BMR 2500, it's going to store weight again. When you do omad or alternate day fasting, it's also going to lower your BMR because it thinks food isn't abundant. But if you have 2 or 3 days at your regular BMR and then fast a day, then return, the body thinks the lack of food was a rarity and doesn't slow your metabolism.

That is a great question@@keith606. I don't believe in magic. The calorie is still king. I think there are 2 parts to the answer. 1. I eat less on my eating days. When I was ADF I would eat 3000-4000 calories per day because I was only eating 3 or 4 times per week. Now that I am 5:2, my eating days ranges from 2800-3500 calories per day 2. I am burning more calories. Part of that is that its the nicest time of year to be outside where I live, but part of it is that 5:2 has allowed me to add another heavier training session. I use the MacroFactor diet app to track my energy expenditure. According to the app, it has gone up an average of 200 calories per day since I made the switch. My progress has been great, but it also isn't as fast of progress as when I was ADF. I averaged 3 pounds per week for an entire year with ADF. But my rate of weight loss is amazing for my current size. No doubt about it. I couldn't be happier. I hope this helps

@@GrowGrayMatter do you prefer MacroFactor over the Carbon app?

Absolutely. I love these strategies for someone who needs to take medications with food. I talked about that in my Modified ADF video as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H11GlsSQ2-I.html

@@GrowGrayMatter Great video. If only I had seen your video when I was initially in the position where I had to make that choice. I could have saved myself a lot of emotional turmoil. I finally made the correct choice. Taking the medicine that would keep me alive and slowing my weight loss just a little won out in the end. It was years ago, and I can't believe I even considered not making the logical choice.

It absolutely was the right choice@@1GoldenBreeze. The ultimate goal should always be better health :)

Awesome job! It has been a great time of year for peppers and tomatoes in my household since we have a big garden. We love gardening. South Dakota is not a good place to grow anything in the winter though, so we have a hydroponic garden inside to keep us well stocked :) Keep up the great work!

I am happy that you are here :). Being mentioned in the same sentence as those people is a treat for me. Sorry in advance for the long answer. This question has a lot of nuance. I am a huge fan of 36-hour fast when they are used correctly. I am happy that they are helping you make progress. I am currently doing a ton of research for a video about females and fasting/exercise/weight loss. It might even need to be a series of videos. I am trying to find as much research as I can about how fasting impacts females specifically. I hope to have even better advice to share with you in a few weeks :) But I can give you the short version now. It is completely variable. We can see trends in one direction or the other, but many women can be more aggressive in the follicular phase. Some can actually be more aggressive in the luteal phase (but its a smaller group), and some don't need to make any changes at all. This is why my advice has always been to listen to your body. The main way that I answer the question of whether or not 36-hour fasts are to aggressive is by considering how much body fat (stored energy) someone has on their body. A 36-hour fast is a mild stressor to someone with 100 pounds of body fat (once they are used to it). It is a much different level of stress for someone who has 20 pounds of fat on their body. Other factors certainly matter, but here is where I start. Here are 2 videos where I talk about this concept: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Kv71STGi18U.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yQe38Q9z80k.html But this is the main video that I want you to watch to help answer this question. I think you will take a lot away from this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html The best way to know if something is working well for you is to ask your body. I talk about all the factors I monitor to make sure I am not losing lean mass, but it is really a gauge of how stressful an approach is. I am a male, so I use these tools to see how I am doing over a 3-4 month period, but a female may want to check in on a week-by-week basis to see when you can be aggressive and when to tap the brakes. I hope this helps Here is the full playlist that video came from if you are interested. I have found that I can fast much more aggressively as long as I have all these factors in check (sleep, exercise, protein, etc) ru-vid.com/group/PL7zPcraYKbGD171OjtsEoE3OF3U97m4L1

​@@GrowGrayMatterthank you again! I have been binge watching your videos and have already seen the full fat loss playlist :) you also helped me realize that I may not need to be that aggressive. I weigh 67kg @159cm which puts me at 26.5 BMI. Checking my measurements as well and seeing how clothes fit. Since I started my fasting journey (June) I have lost "only" 10 kg but I have never looked that good so I guess some body recomposition is taking place. Hopefully slowly but steady :)

The scale doesn't lie, but it also doesn't tell the whole truth@@monikawashington1305. Measurements matter much more. This is especially true if someone is eating more protein and exercising. Congrats on your progress :)

This is a great question. I have built my entire weight loss plan around this topic. How fast can I lose fat without losing lean mass and/or hurting my metabolic rate? This is what I call the fat-loss sweet spot. Here is my entire series on the topic. I tried to cover every method you could use to make sure you are losing fat without doing harm: ru-vid.com/group/PL7zPcraYKbGD171OjtsEoE3OF3U97m4L1 The first 3 videos in the series will show you that you can absolutely diet too hard. The studies are shocking. The last video in the series will teach you how to monitor your progress to make sure you aren't causing issues. And here is the first video I made on the topic. It helps you figure out what your average calorie target should be to keep you out of trouble: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Kv71STGi18U.html I hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions. This is such a big topic to discuss

Thank you for the kind words :). It is best if you know your body fat levels. This will make any online calculator work for you. I recommend taking these measurements if you don't have access to more sophisticated testing: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DMtbjowYtJA.html Then you can get a mor accurate estimation from this online calculator: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_N8J8yHAcwc.html I talk about other ways to assess body composition (DEXA scan, measurements, and testing metabolic rate) in this video as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html I hope this helps

Thank you for the kind words. It is my pleasure to help :) Here is what I love about fasting. You can decide what a healthy meal is based on your preference (as long as you are meeting your protein needs, etc). Then you choose how aggressive you want to lose fat by deciding how many meals to eat in a week. Here is a typical progression toward maintenance. Someone might start with ADF, then progress to 5:2 (like this video) then progress to 1 36-hour fast per week, This could be what maintenance looks like for someone. For someone else, they may progress from 0 calories fasting days, to 500 calorie fasting days (like Modified ADF) and then maintain their weight loss by switching to 16:8 fasting. This is what I mean when I say you can turn intermittent fasting into a maintenance plan. You can find a plan that controls your calories enough to maintain your weight. This plan should look much less aggressive than the plan you used to lose the weight. I hope this make sense. I do plan on doing a video in the next couple months about whether or not ADF is sustainable. My answer is no. The hope is that everyone gets too lean to stick t such an aggressive plan. That is a great problem to have :) I would love to hear your thoughts as I wrap my head around this video idea.

@@GrowGrayMatter Thank You Much appreciated !

It is my pleasure@@PeterODonnell This is such an important topic. I don't want people to lose weight only to gain it back. We have all been there already. Having a maintenance plan to fall back on is crucial

I absolutely will do that. I have been meaning to do a PSMF video. I have started to collect the studies. I just need to get it on my to-do list. I do like sprinkling in PSMF days. I talked about that approach in my Modified ADF video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H11GlsSQ2-I.html I think that PSMF works better if you do it 2-3 times per week. It is a very aggressive approach to do every day. Where I love PSMF is for people that get too lean to do a bunch of longer fasting. That's why I look at using the Modified ADF approach to sprinkle in low calorie days now that I am too lean for 3-4 full fasts per week like I could when I weight 400 pounds :) I would love to hear your thoughts

​@@GrowGrayMatter I agree, it seems like a hybrid approach that is helps to preserve muscle and curtails hunger during "fasting"/low calorie periods. I find it's easier than just fasting for extended periods, personally I find fasting for over 24 hours difficult, instead I do improvised 16-24hr IF days but I tend to follow strength training session days with PSMF to "spike" MPS and preserve muscle. Just want to say I love your videos and they provide a lot of clarity for analytical types like me. I have been doing a 16-24hr IF, relatively keto, walking a lot, lifting weights, working on stress/sleep... and in the last 5 months I've lost 70lbs (270-> 200lbs) and I believe I built muscle too, but I am very interested to better understand how to modify and tailor my approach as my BF% goes down. I really appreciate your holistic approach to fat loss. 👌 One other comment I wanted to make about your videos, there is one concept you touched in your fat loss sweet spot series that is RARELY discussed, and it is so under appreciated. It is the max caloric deficit you can maintain (~30 calories/lb body fat ) before muscle is "at risk". This concept is rarely talked about but it is so informative. I wish there were more studies done to validate that metric controlling for protein/strength training/sleep/micronutrients/etc.

You made my day@@sinank7032. That is AMAZING progress! Keep it up. Wow If it ain't broke, don't fix it you. You are cruising. I agree with your point about trying to see how aggressive we can be with our fat loss. I wish there was more data on that topic as well. I am actually taking a deep dive into the research. I plan on answering that question to the best of my ability. The reason I want to cover this topic is that I do believe the number is higher than the 30 calories per pound of fat number that I have everyone start with. Our bodies adapt to low-carb fasting, and exercise in ways that increase our ability to burn more fat. Our Respiratory Quotients (Respiratory Exchange Ratio) changes as our cells build more mitochondria, etc. We also know that the people in that original study were eating quite a few carbs. I won't spoil the ending (because I haven't come up with my educated guess yet), but I do think we can reach a point where we become a fat-burning machine. Stay tuned for that. I am not sure if you have watched my fat loss sweet spot series recently. Here is the playlist if you have not: ru-vid.com/group/PL7zPcraYKbGD171OjtsEoE3OF3U97m4L1 The most important video for you is the last one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html This is how I determine when someones current plan is now too aggressive for them. If you start to notice some of these issues, you can try playing with eating more calories, fasting less often, taking diet breaks, etc. Getting too lean for your current plan is always a god problem to have. Reach out if you hit a stall or notice any of the issues from this link I shared. We are all in this together

I personally prefer 1 day between fasts so that I get the 4 day diet break during my heaviest training days. It just works best with my schedule. But I don't see any problem with adding a second refeed day between your fasts. Some people would even make an argument that 2-day refeeds are better at increase leptin levels

This is a great question, and a common issue that I see with OMAD. OMAD can be a great fat-loos tool in the beginning, but people typically reach a point where they stop losing weight before they reach their goal. This actually make sense. If you eat the same number of calories every day, your metabolism adapts until that becomes your new normal. Here is a video where I cover the pros and cons of OMAD versus using longer fasts: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ebw63MmKDM0.html I have found that 36-42 hours fasts are great ways to bust through weight loss plateaus, but you don't want to do them very often if you only have 10 pounds of fat to lose. This 5:2 video explains the benefits of doing occasional longer fasts but then coming back to maintenance or above to keep your metabolism humming along Here is another video where I explain that concept: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t8WGN9v34C4.html You may want to try 5:2 fasting for a while and see if that breaks your stall. If that seems too aggressive, you could try 1 36-hour fast per week and then eat 2MAD the rest of the week. This is something that I have played with and I do well with it. Watch this video to make sure you know what to look for if your program is too aggressive: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html I hope this points you in the right direction. Reach out if you have any more questions as you watch these videos. I am here to help

Hi! Doing OMAD ADF seems like it would be very difficult to do effectively. Remember with ADF, you need to be eating about 25% more calories than your normal daily intake. If you have a 2500 calorie diet, that would mean you would have to eat over 3000 calories. That is a ridiculous amount to consume in one meal and puts a lot of taxing on your gastrointestinal system. Doing ADF allows one to be able to eat freely to effectively set your body up from the 'feast to fast' mode. Doing OMAD is mostly a fasting regiment to begin with and kind of defeats the purpose of going from eating one day to ADF the next. I'm currently doing keto OMAD but if I ever do ADF, I can guarantee that I would move that to 2MAD or even 3MAD.

I personally agree with you. The power of ADF over the long-term is that ability to eat at maintenance or slightly above on your eating days. All of the overfeeding and diet break studies from this video also translate to ADF as well. If you are on a diet every day, your body will respond by lowering your metabolic rate to create a new normal. That is why almost all low calorie diets stop working long before someone reaches their weight loss goal. I have been playing with some 2MAD myself. One of my next fasting videos will be about how to maximize the benefit of 2MAD Here is my favorite video about calorie cycling (feast mode) in case you haven't seen it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t8WGN9v34C4.html

First off, congratulations on your progress. That is a solid amount of weight loss, and the A1c drop is life-changing. Keep it up! I think that the plan you are doing now (48-hour fasting) is becoming more popular. I think that it can work for a while. It is a very aggressive plan. But at some point, it does become too much, which is why I prefer a 36:12 ADF approach. When I first started, I did 1 60-hour and 2 36-hour fasts every week. But I weighed 414 pounds. You are already much closer to your goal than I was. Here is the ADF plan that I used to lose 165 pounds in a year: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OPdKtS5Cqr8.html And here is the eating plan that I followed: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R8YZKroAGMo.html My plan wasn't as aggressive as yours, but it worked very well and was also very sustainable. Here is a video where I talked about OMAD versus ADF. They both are aggressive, but combining the 2 might be too much: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ebw63MmKDM0.html I know why you are in a hurry. You are trying to change your life. That is great. But aim for that balance where you lose fat fast without burning out and giving up. Lastly, use this as your guide to make sure you aren't being too aggressive and losing muscle. This is all that matters in the end: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_I7MHKD_bo.html I hope these help. Reach out if you have questions. I am here to help

Thank you all for your replies. I will keep you updated on my progress. I will switch to a 36 hour fast 36/12

Give it a try and let me know how it goes@@snakedoc1506. I just talked with someone this week after I had convinced them that they needed to eat a little more. 2 things happened: 1. They feel so much better and are actually satisfied on their eating days. 2. They actually lost more weight. I wish you the same success. I can't wait to hear about it

I hear this a lot. I am the same way. A little food is harder to handle than no food at all. I do still use some low-calorie days, but it takes some effort for sure :)

Good question. The fasts last for 36 hours, so if you stop eating at 6 pm on Monday, you wouldn't eat again until 6 am on Wednesday. The nice thing about extending a fast to 36 hours is that most of that time is sleeping. The best time to fast is when you don't even know you are doing it :)

The key is to find the best plan that works well for you. 5:2 might be a great way to go. Here is a video that covers 2 other great options (OMAD and ADF): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ebw63MmKDM0.html And here is the ADF plan that I used to lose my first 165 pounds: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OPdKtS5Cqr8.html As well as what I ate: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R8YZKroAGMo.html These should give you a few good options to try. Reach out if you have other questions

I am sorry to hear about your digestive issues. I can see why that would take some of the fun oout of your fasting routine. This is a common questions, so I am working on a video where I will take a deep dive into digestive issues with fasting (stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation). It will be one of the next 3 or 4 videos I put out. It does sound like you aren't making any of the big mistakes people make during their first meal, so that is good. The best news that I can give you is that this gest better for almost everyone. I had the same issue when I first went keto, and I also had the same issue when I first started fasting. It resolved for me after the first 3 weeks or so. Here are some tips to try until I do a more exhaustive dive in a video: 1. Consider having even less when you break your fast. Some people do better if they have some bone broth, or a small amount of soup, to break a fast. Others like to start with a small amount of fermented food like sauerkraut. Experiment with different things until you find what works for you. I like to say don't eat what you leak. Eat what likes you :) 2. What helped me the most was taking digestive enzymes with my first meal. This is also what helped me when I first went keto a few years ago. I used Super Enzymes by Now Foods. They have Betaine HCl in case your issue is dumping from low stomach acid. They also ox bile to help support fat digestion, along with the actual digestive enzymes. This was all I needed to do, and after I used 1 bottle I no longer needed them at all. Let me know how long you have been fasting, and give these things a try. Longer fasts are great for your digestive health, but it does take time too adapt. Keep me posted

@@GrowGrayMatter Thanks so much for your reply! I had kind of given up on anything beyond intermittent fasting because of the consequences. I tried a 36 hour fast (which I really enjoyed) about 4 times and every time it was followed by immediate diarrhea that would last another 24 hours. Not a great cycle! I'll try the digestive enzymes and power through for a few weeks and see how it goes knowing that it will get better. Thanks again for the advice, I'll let you know!

You are very welcome@@julies7161. I completely understand your hesitance. I had almost given up on low-carb in the past because the diarrhea was so bad. I am very glad that I didn't, though. If you are anything like me, it will start to improve in no time :) Keep me posted

This is a good question. Your maintenance calories is how many calories you would eat to stay at the same weight. The other name for it is TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Here is a video about how to estimate it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_N8J8yHAcwc.html It helps if you know your body fat percentage as well. Here is a way to estimate that unless you have already had body fat testing done: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DMtbjowYtJA.html I hope this helps :)

This is really up to personal preference. Some people do best if they have 1 500-calories meal so they can feel full and satisfied. But I personally split it into 2 meals that are 4-6 hours apart. I like to make sure that I am getting 2 meals with at least 30 grams of protein so that I can preserve as much muscle as possible while dieting. I hope this helps :)

Sounds like you have a great plan that is working for you. That is all that matters in the end. Keep up the great work!

@@GrowGrayMatter for sure!

That's the beauty if intermittent fasting. You can really build any plan you want to suit your goals and your life. I definitely try to add some flexibility on my weekend days at home with my family. It is much easier for me to fast when I am busy during the work week

Thank you for reaching out. I completely agree that controlling insulin is important for your PCOS. PCOS is an interesting condition. It is not caused by insulin resistance (like many other things are), but it is the high insulin itself that does the damage. On to your question. Sadly, there isn't definitive answer, but I agree with you that most of the research doesn't support the conclusion that fasting leads to stomach issues. I am actually doing research for a video on fasting and digestive health. It will be ready in several weeks. Stay tuned for that :) 1. Most ulcers are caused by a bacterial infection (Helicobacter pylori) or by the use of medications that impact the lining of the gut. I would definitely not recommend taking these types of medications on an empty stomach. 2. This is anecdotal evidence, but fasting (and weight loss) cured my gastritis rather than making it worse. I used to have gastritis and gastric reflux. I also used to need to take digestive enzymes with every meal. It has been well over two years since I have had any stomach symptoms or needed any digestive support. I also have worked with thousands of people, and I am part of fasting groups with thousands of people. and this is not an issue that I have seen brought up. This isn't scientific proof, but it should help ease some of your fears. I hear way me stories of fasting healing gut issues than causing them 3. Some studies show that fasting improves the control of gastric secretion and can actually help ulcers heal. 4. Most of the studies that I have seen that show that fasting can make ulcers worse were looking at people fasting during Ramadan. The big difference here is that they were not drinking anything either (dry fasting). I think it is very important to stay hydrated while fasting. I would also recommend drinking even more water if stomach issues are a concern. This would help dilute gastric secretions. As you can see, I can't tell you with 100% certainty that you won't have stomach issues with fasting. But the huge majority of things that I have seen point towards intermittent fasting NOT leading to ulcers. This is especially try if you are drinking a lot of fluids. If you already have ulcers, I would definitely work with your doctor and err on the side of caution. I truly hope that this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. I am here to help. What has your personal experience been? Does fasting cause any GI issues for you?

@@GrowGrayMatter thank you very much for your insite and helpful opinion. I have just recently be feeling very nauseous while eating and after. I didn't experience this before while fasting just recently. Maybe I'm eating too much after fasting? The doctor said to eat in an eight hours window but that I'm afraid is too large of a window and I can't lose weight like this. Plus I'm a all Or nothing person. Wish I had more control. And I prefer a tighter eating window as I don't feel anxiety about how many calories I'm eating.

Thanks for sharing more of you story@@vidyaroy1627 . This definitely sounds more related to how you are breaking your fast than the fasting window itself. I would consider opening your eating window with a small meal aimed at getting your digestive juices flowing. Some people like bone broth, a soup/stew with thoroughly cooked meat, and perhaps some fermented veggies. The safest first meal for m is scrambled eggs and avocado, but you will need to find your sweet spot. Let this little meal settle, and then you can eat your first full meal after an hour or so. This should also hopefully get better with time. My body is s used to 36-hour fasts now that I can dive into a huge meal and not have any problems. But that was not the case for the first few weeks. You can also try digestive support. I used Super Enzymes from Now Foods for a while. They have Betaine HCL, digestive enzymes, and ox bile. It was a game changer for me because I struggled with eating fat in the beginning since I don't have a gallbladder. It was a nice crutch as my body adapted I think that an 8-hour eating window is great for maintaining your weight loss, but very few people can get to their goal without being more aggressive. I am with you. I like to eat less often so that I can eat satisfying meals when I do eat. Keep me posted. I hope these tips heal.

This is a good question. I think it depends on what you mean by effective. Modified ADF and 5:23 have both been shown to lead to weight loss, but true zero calorie ADF will lead to more weight loss. Also, like I mentioned in this video, you will miss out on some of the health benefits of fasting if you are consuming calories. BUT, in the end, the best fasting plan for you is the one you can actually stick to long enough to see results. If you do modified ADF for a year, you will make much more progress than if you try to do true ADF and keep failing. This is a key point to keep in mind as well. There is a member of my Facebook group who has lost over 75 pounds using Modified ADF. She was able to stick with it even though she had a tough time making true ADF work. Here is my video about Modified ADF if you want more info: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H11GlsSQ2-I.html I hope this helps :)

This is a great question. Your maintenance calories is the amount of calories you eat when you are not gaining or losing any weight. The first 2 vides in this "getting started" playlist will help you determine your body fat percentage and your maintenance calories (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). ru-vid.com/group/PL7zPcraYKbGDM_p7FqdmOhEs6cziWDCN4 These should help you get in the right ballpark. Reach out if you have any other questions. I am here to help

I hope that is the only way I can be compared to the Pharisee from Luke. I would much rathe be the tax collector than the Pharisee in the eyes of Jesus :)

@@GrowGrayMatter I always thought that everything he did was wrong but now I understand that Jesus found fault with only his attitude and not with his fasting

Amen @@DoctorWhoNo1A. We can absolutely do the right thing for the wrong reason. This is a major message that I impart to my son. Doing something out of love means a lot more than doing the same thing out of obligation.

Here is the 5:2 diet in a nutshell. Eat your normal diet 5 days per week. This would be the amount of food that makes you feel good and keeps you from gaining weight. Then eat 0-500 calories 2 days per week. Continue to do this until you have lost 5 kg :) Be blessed

That is great to hear. Finding a plan that works for you is all that matter in the end :) Here is a video where I talk about OMAD quite a bit: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ebw63MmKDM0.html I plan on doing a video about a type of OMAD that I really like early next year. Keep up the great work!

Great question. I personally don't eat 500 calories on my fasting days. I like to bank the calories up for eating days. But here is how I would do it if I did: 1. I would split it into 2 meals with at least 40 grams of protein per meal. This would give me 2 good protein feedings to preserve lean mass. That is the Protein Sparing Modified Fast (PSMF) way to do it. I would also make sure that these meals were at least 4 hours apart to spread out the protein. 2. When I do consume calories on my fasting days, I add 130-260 calories of MCT oil, and a packet of KetoStart exogenous ketones, in the mid morning. I don't consider this a meal as much as a ketone booster. I hope this helps. Reach out if you have other questions

Thanks

Always my pleasure to help@@ken7961

Hello Dr O.@@GrowGrayMatter I'd love for you to give me a suggestion on what these two meals might be for a vegan woman who is 52 yrs old w little activity (aka me). I feel like i'm almost forced into a shake of some sort - which i'm actually ok with. I've been drinking OWYN 32g drinks and they aren't too bad. But then that would make my 2 meals just liquid protein shakes. Is that ok???

Thanks for reaching out. I will support you in any way that I can. With 5:2 fasting, you eat your maintenance calories on your eating days. This is the normal amount of food you would eat when you are not gaining or losing weight. The other name for this is your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Here is my getting started playlist. The first 4 videos will help you determine your body fat percentage, how many calories you burn in a day, and how to track your food if you need any help staying on track. ru-vid.com/group/PL7zPcraYKbGDM_p7FqdmOhEs6cziWDCN4 Reach out if you have any questions as you go through this, I am here to help

Ok thanks

It is my pleasure to help@@vondalittle9425

I agree 100%. Some people do great with the 500 calorie days, but my hunger ramps up once I start eating. I do quite a few PSMF (Protein Sparing Modified Fast) days. I like how they help me recover from training and preserve lean mass (compared to 0 calorie fasts) but I have to deal with hunger the entire day.

Thank you so much for sharing. Several people have told me about a David Fast (Alternate Day Fasting), but I have never heard of this type of Monday/Thursday fasting. Thank you for educating me on the subject :)

That's great that you found the plan that works for you. I have a harder time fasting on the weekend because of family and not being as busy. I chose Monday and Wednesday because I'm super busy at work. I don't even think about food until I get home. It also saves me time so I can get more work done on those days. It's all about finding the plan that you can stick with long enough to see results. Keep it up!

I hear ya there. I lost 101.2 pounds in my first 6 months on Keto/ADF. I have also lost over 2 pounds per week since I switched to 5:2 fasting. I think the weakness of the first 2 studies I mentioned are: 1. They don't control food intake. They tell people how to eat and then they assume that they listened. People are TERRIBLE at determine calorie intake unless they weigh and measure everything. I don't blame 5:2 fasting. I am clearly doing great on it. I just think that the people in these studies either ate more than 1400 calories per day, or they compensated for their dieting by moving less and burning fewer calories. The MATADOR study at the end tightly controlled food intake, and the die break group lost 30 pounds over 30 weeks (with only 16 weeks of dieting). This sounds much more reasonable and effective. 2. The MATADOR study was on obese subjects, but many diet studies are done on people who are already pretty lean. They often use college students who are looking for extra credit lol. 14 pounds of weight loss might be great for someone who is only slightly overweight. People like me need much more progress to make the juice worth the squeeze :) Keep up the great work. I am happy that you found a plan that is working for you :)

This is an important topic. Like with many things in nutrition, I think it depends. There are multiple modified ADF studies that show weigh loss without a drop in resting metabolic rate. But the studies are generally only a few months long. So we have to guess a but about what that means long-term. Here is why I don't think the 500 cal days will have a negative impact on metabolic rate if done correctly: 1. The main reason our resting metabolic rate drops is a loss of lean mass. This is why I recommend focusing on protein or ketone-boosting fats if you are going to have calories. Ketones are muscle-sparing, and protein is the most muscle-sparing substance of all. This would actually point towards 500 calories days causing less issue with your BMR than more. 2. Steep calorie deficits for long periods of time is the key driver of metabolic adaptation. I think the biggest mistake people make is eating too little on their eating days. This will lead to a drop in metabolic rate quicker than eating 500 calories on "fasting" days. This is why I always advocate for eating maintenance calories or above at least a couple times per week: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t8WGN9v34C4.html 3. The main reason that our overall metabolic rate drops during weight loss doesn't actually have to do with our BMR. It has to do with a drop in our physical activity. The biggest drop occurs in NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6lmnWMXPhVo.html I hope this helps. Reach out if you have any thoughts or questions

This is such an important topic. I will do a deep dive on this topic very soon. It is one of the next 4 or 5 videos that I will record. Fasting and sleep are two of my favorite topics. It is about time I combined them both. Let me offer some thoughts now. Intermittent fasting stimulates the release of a neurotransmitter called Norepinephrine. This brain stimulant is why fasting can boost metabolic rate. It also plays a role in the focus and mental clarity that a lot of people get once they adapt to fasting. This is all great news until bedtime. This chemical wants you out hunting and gathering for food rather than trying to sleep. Hunger, fasting, and low-carb diets can also cause cortisol to increase since it is needed to make alternative fuels. Put this all together, and this sets the stage for some rough sleep. The best news I can give you is that it is temporary in almost everyone. This was an issue for me for about 3 weeks, but I am guessing I have had 3 bad nights of sleep in the past 2 years that I can attribute to fasting. These were times when I jumped back into fasting after a break. But what do we do about it: 1. Your brain is overstimulated. The key is to do anything you can to calm down before bed. Here are some sleep hygiene tips that I like: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MDdileB0HsU.html 2. If our brain is being dominated by excitatory chemicals, we need to fight back with inhibitory chemicals :). This is not medical advice, but here is what I do. There are a handful of supplements that increase GABA. GABA is the main neurotransmitter that helps you sleep. You can try supplementing with GABA, Valerian, Lemon Balm, Passionflower, L-Theanine, and Magnesium. These have all been shown to act on GABA in one way or another. There should be no need for all of them. If I had to rate them in order (based on research plus how much they help me), I would say Magnesium is best, then Lemon Balm, then L-Theanine, then Valerian, then Passionflower, then GABA. I put GABA last because it causes odd dreams in some people. You can also consider supplementing with Glycine. It is another inhibitory neurotransmitter that promotes sleep. I also like Ashwagandha because it can help lower cortisol levels. Sorry for the overwhelm here. I obviously think about sleep a lot. Always be careful with supplements, and speak to your doctor to be extra cautious. Better safe than sorry I have tons more information about getting better sleep in my sleep course. Reach out and I will gladly share a link to give you free access. It would be my pleasure to share it with you Let me know if this helps. If not, I can tell you the next things I would consider

@@GrowGrayMatter you are AMAZING!

How can I reach out, you put in so much work. I will buy it. Just pls share the link.

Thank you for the kind words. I do my best :)@@venk777

Here is a link to my sleep course@@venk777 www.udemy.com/course/weight-loss-booster-better-sleep-for-faster-weight-loss/?referralCode=4E2B5353332299AAF6A5 Thank you for your support. It is noticed and appreciated :)

Thank you for sharing. I just had a conversation about this with a student of mine. Is there a specific reason why the fasting days are on Monday and Thursday if you don't mind me asking?

sorry, didn't see your reaction before, The fasting days on monday and thursday are following the example of Mohammed, he used to fast every monday and thursday. If he had a special reason , it is unknown to me . @@GrowGrayMatter

Thank you for sharing@@klasina55. Fasting holds a special place in our history as a species for physical, mental, and spiritual reasons. I love learning about it. Thanks again

Great question. I am knee deep in research right now that is going to look into the topic of fasting and women. I am also looking into the studies on how the menstrual cycle and birth control impact training as well. I am primarily going to answer the question "is ADF safe for women?" but I think it will be valuable for any woman that is trying to lose weight in general. I agree that there hasn't been nearly enough research on women, but it has started to pile up over the last few years. I have recently looked at a study that measured energy expenditure in women. I started talking about it in this video, and will finish the discussion in part 2 soon: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uImBiTsk4Ok.html Long story short, women have lower metabolic rates because they typically have less lean mass. This is the main reason that males typically lose weight easier/faster than females. The key takeaway for me is that it is even more important for women to stay as physically active as possible. If your basal metabolic rate is lower than mine, and you want to burn as many calories as I do in a day, then you need to move more than me. I know that isn't fair, but that is what I see when In interpret the research. At the same time, I think women need to cut themselves more slack as well. You aren't failing on the 5:2 diet if you don't lose 2 pounds per week. I lose 2 pounds per week on it, but I am 6'2", I have about 200 pounds of lean mass, and I walk about 14,000 steps per day. I burn about 3,400 calories per day. It isn't fair for you to compare yourself to me. I hope that you have great success in your weight loss journey :)

I suggest look into dr Mindy Pelz work when it comes to fasting for women. She has studied female hormones and provides guidance on fasting protocols. Like, this ADF for example could be only done during the first 10 days of your cycle, then break for ovulation and then again you would get a couple of days where you can fast more until the ultimate 7 days break before your period. With 5:2 approach I believe it would be easier to adjust for women, however, still take it easy these 7 days before your period comes.

Thank you for sharing@@monikawashington1305 I love Dr. Pelz's work. It is a fascinating approach. I see it as a big net positive to follow her advice for most women. But sadly, nothing works for everyone. A lot of the women that I have worked with (well over 1000) do not like adjusting their fasting schedule. They find it more difficult to sustain. I have had at least 20 women tell me that they quit changing their fasting plan based on their cycle because they don't notice any improvements, and it is way harder for them to resume ADF if they take a break from it. But I want to note a few things. Many of these women still had a lot of weight to lose. In these situations, the hormone improvements from fat loss, dealing with insulin resistance, etc might outweigh the hormone concerns from aggressive fasting the week before their period. In the end, everyone has to decide how aggressive they can be based on how their body responds. Males like me are super lucky. I can just plow ahead and all I have to do is monitor signs that I am losing lean mass. Most of the males I work with see considerable increases in testosterone with fat loss, sleep improvement, etc. We don't need to worry about hormonal issues unless we are in an extreme calorie deficit or we get quite lean. Females haver several added challenges. No doubt about that. That's why I think it is especially important to listen to your body and monitor for signs that something is doing more harm than good. Be blessed

@@monikawashington1305 If you were answering my comment, thanks. I have watched a few of her videos. Don't think I will be going back to her.

​@@GrowGrayMatterI totally agree! For me it became very easy to adjust my fasting window based on my cycle because I have a regular cycle with a regular ovulation. However, as I mentioned previously, I have not done ADF but I would extend / shorten my eating window and add a 36hrs or 24 hrs fast once a week. But I truly believe there is not a sweet spot for everyone and some women may work with ADF throughout the full cycle.

I have periods where I only do a single 36-hour fast per week. This is usually when I am either maintaining my weight or when I am focused on building muscle more than losing fat. The key is to find what works best for you. That is all that matters in the end :)

@@GrowGrayMatter I'm not far or overweight. Just my intellectual ability dropping while eating all the time. People have to have a break to learn self-discipline and appreciate food .... besides I can do way more things on the fast day. Amazing

Very well said@@waldek32. The mental benefits are off the charts. I also love the confidence I have gained from knowing that I am in control of my body.

Might want to watch the entire video and pay better attention this time. Lol

I hear ya there. I lost 101.2 pounds in my first 6 months on Keto/ADF. I have also lost over 2 pounds per week since I switched to 5:2 fasting. I think the weakness of the first 2 studies I mentioned are that they don't control food intake. They tell people how to eat and then they assume that they listened. People are TERRIBLE at determine calorie intake unless they weigh and measure everything. I don't blame 5:2 fasting. I am clearly doing great on it. I just think that the people in these studies either ate more than 1400 calories per day, or they compensated for their dieting by moving less and burning fewer calories. Some diet studies also allow for "ad libitum" feeding as well. Telling people that they can eat whatever they want when they aren't on a diet is pretty terrible advice. People need to either control portions, or eat in a way that allows them to naturally eat less. That's why I love low-carb/keto. The MATADOR study at the end tightly controlled food intake, and the die break group lost 30 pounds over 30 weeks (with only 16 weeks of dieting). This sounds much more reasonable and effective. I hope this helps clear things up

I explained why II think the weight loss was so low in my reply. I have personally lost slightly more than 2 pounds per week since I switched to 5:2. There is definitely a way to make this plan work, but it isn't right for everyone. I just see it as a great transition as you get too lean to do ADF, or a tool to try if weight loss stalls on OMAD

Feel free to ask away if you have any questions. I will help in any way that I can. I also have a Facebook group that you can join if you need more support. Here is a video where I talk about it and share the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Jnsb3ZOm_L4.html Please do reach out. I am here to help

@@GrowGrayMatter thanks

It is always my pleasure to help@@igotthisonwhatsapp9152. Reach out if you have more questions.