intermittent

fasting
simplified
Making Sense of the Science That Will Improve Your
Life
By Alexander Rioux
 FOREWORD

To those along the journey of self-improvement. There is no nobler pursuit. To folks in plateaus,
rough patches, and dire situations. To those inches from surrender.
Never give up, for life.

A.Rioux
Copyright © 2019 Alexander Rioux
All rights reserved.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

What is Intermittent Fasting?

How IF Benefits You

Autophagy
Improved Insulin Response
Adrenalin & Adrenal Glands
Greater Focus and Concentration
More Free Time

The Fasting Window

The Feeding Window

Structuring Meals
Alternate Methods

Your Personal Intake

TDEE Formula for Females
TDEE Formula for Males

Macronutrients
Calorie Cycling

A Look at Food Selection

The McDonald’s Scenario
Supplements

Substance Use & Fasting

Alcohol
Illicit Substances

Smoking & Fasting

Fasted Training

Longevity & Practicality

Outro
Introduction

As a young man with a relentless desire to obtain a lean and powerful physique, I had tried
many traditional methods of dieting for fat loss and muscle retention. The ever so common ‘six
small meals per day’, the household standard ‘low carb diet’, and many other. While these diets
proved somewhat effective, they seemed to be tied together by two common threads-
deprivation and restriction.

Of course, any endeavor that one finds meaningful will require some form of these two at some
point during the journey. I don’t believe any Ph.D. student has published a thesis without a
considerable amount of restriction on their schedule during the process. Nor do I believe any
addict has freed themselves of addiction without some level of deprivation. These are quite
commonplace. Having been this far along in my quest, I was well acquainted with these traits. I
welcomed them. I was prepared to work hard and make the necessary sacrifices- it’s what I
signed up for. Upon reaching a plateau in my weight loss after nearly a year of sustained effort,
I began feeling the adverse mental effects of being so deprived for so long. The conversation in
my head changed from a jovial and tenacious can-do attitude to a defeated and self-
deprecating tenor. I knew I wasn’t just going to give up. I also knew that the methods I had
been utilizing were proving less and less fruitful as time went on. A pragmatic individual, I
began to ask myself-

“Is this much sacrifice actually required to achieve the goal?”

“Is there a more efficient way?”
“Must I feel so ‘fixed’ on this journey?”
“Once I reach my goal, must I live like this eternally to preserve my accomplishment?”

Common industry advice always leans toward doing more. Need to lose those last 15 pounds?
Eliminate more starch and processed food from your diet. Further restrict your caloric intake.
Perform more aerobic exercise. Increase the intensity of your resistance training sessions.
Of course, there is a glass ceiling on how much further you can go before physically burning out.
Often times, we believe we have reached our limit physically long before it even happens. The
mind games we play with ourselves can wreak havoc on our outlooks and hinder our progress.

Upon recognizing this, I looked to science for an answer. An answer to solve the mental game,
understanding that the battles we wage in our minds are ultimately the most crucial battles we
fight on route to achieving what we set out to.

Cue the forum section of bodybuilding.com. I came across an insightful article on the relatively
new concept of intermittent fasting. It seemed to provide solutions to many of the problems I
faced. It appeared to answer many questions that lingered in the fitness world surrounding
weight loss and diet structure. Initially, I was pessimistic. This went against everything I had
learned, seen, and been taught regarding weight loss and muscle gain. But I had to be sure.

I went about my due diligence and read many excerpts from acclaimed scientific journals,
encyclopedias, and publications. The data was there. The research was solid. The theses were
proven. I made the decision to give it a go. I ate a large dinner one evening and abstained from
consuming calories until lunch the next day.

Off to the races I went.

Fast forward eight years to today.

I reached my goal of 195lbs at 8% bodyfat (5’11) somewhere around the year 2018 utilizing
intermittent fasting principles throughout the bulk of the journey. I’ve been able to maintain
this condition 365 days per year, every year, while being able to enjoy life as it is meant to be
enjoyed- outside of the box gym and far from the plethora of Tupperware containers. I’ve been
able to make steady increases in strength and athleticism over this period.
Although my original goal was vanity-based, I couldn’t help but notice that I was becoming
healthier in the process. I was sick less often. My skin looked noticeably more clear and vibrant-
my mind the same. My memory became sharper. Once again, my curiosity peaked. What I then
uncovered about the physiological of intermittent fasting had me hooked- eager to refine my
methods and achieve a better quality of life. These findings are the basis of the book.

I believe all people have the tools required to undergo the journey to their best self.
Intelligence, grit, perseverance. What most are lacking is a thorough plan, a framework in which
to employ these efforts. A sustainable plan, one that allows the living of a full and enriched life
while powering through obstacles and achieving goals.

This is why I wrote Intermittent Fasting Simplified: Making Sense of the Science That Will
Improve Your Life.

While I cannot guarantee absolute success, I can guarantee that these principles are solid. They
work when followed, without fail. Join me as I dive deep into the science of this method and
provide insight into how it can be incorporated into your life with relative ease. This is not a
book of secrets, nor magic potions. It is not a set of strict guidelines that you ‘must’ follow.
Rather, it is a culmination of research and practical application, studied over nearly a decade.
You will not be told what to do. You will not be instructed.

In contrast, you will be presented with 50+ studies worth of information, digested and
consolidated into one guide. Shown the method with the option to make your own decisions
based on where your life is at and where you’d like it to be. Offered viable solutions to
problems that many face in their pursuit of health and happiness.

Without further ado, let’s get to it.

The only thing you stand to lose, is weight.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting (or "IF") is an eating pattern where you cycle between distinct periods of
eating and fasting. These periods are predefined, specific to each individual according to their
lifestyle and overall goals. Typically, the fasting window is at least twice as long in duration as
the feeding window. IF is a very popular health and fitness trend today, although the practice
and study of fasting have been around for centuries.

Typical diets purported in the Western world focus solely on the consumption of food. They
center themselves around feeding. What type of foods to eat, the best times to consume them,
and in which quantities. While this may prove sufficient, it is not the most efficient method of
losing weight and remaining lean in the long term.

The key difference with IF is the strategic planning of longer fasting periods that allow us to tap
into some of the major health and weight loss benefits associated with said abstinence. These
will be discussed at length in the Benefits chapter. In short, the body undergoes a few
significant biological processes when faced with the daily internal stress of fasting. Overall,
these result in increased weight loss, improved insulin response, and anti-aging effects.

Intermittent fasting is ideal for anyone who will not endure complications greater than the
benefits provided by adhering to the method. There are no prerequisites that make any one
person a better candidate for using this method, no one group of people who stand to benefit
more than others. However, due to the nature of the cycles and the effects they have on the
body, it is extremely imperative that you consult your medical professional before beginning
to fast in this manner. Some conditions or genetic precursors may not allow affected
individuals to adopt these principles successfully. An example may be those afflicted with
diabetes (Type I or II). Studies have shown that these individuals do not respond as positively to
fasting as they would on a typical restricted-calorie diet, nor as well as their contemporaries
who are not affected by the condition. Research shows that the most optimal solution for this
group is to focus more on aggregate carbohydrate consumption than meal timing. In addition,
test subjects were frequently required to have their blood glucose levels tested and recorded
by medical staff- reiterating the above point with regards to consulting a medical doctor.

This advice is paramount for intermittent fasting, yet remains true when beginning any sort of
diet, exercise, or supplement regime. Health and medical professionals have studied and
trained for an appreciable amount of time in order to be able to assess and treat our bodies. It
is important to seek their opinions as they have access to data and instruments that we do not,
to provide answers that we cannot derive on our own. Regular check-ups are recommended for
anyone at any stage, on any program, in any part of the world.

With that being said, if you’ve sought a professionals’ opinion and received the green light to
dive into the wonderful world of fasting, let’s get you there.

Our next few chapters will take a look at the overarching objectives of intermittent fasting to
gain insight into exactly what processes occur and why the method is effective as a result. Once
we’ve got a grasp on the overall concept, we will be talking about how to apply it. Last, the
specifics on how to implement IF into your life individually.

24-Hour Day

8h
16h

Feeding (Hrs) Fasting (Hrs)

(Above) A pie chart highlighting the hourly breakdown of the feeding & fasting windows. This model illustrates a
16:8 style of eating, the model that this book and its studies are based around. Fasting and feeding times may
vary person to person. Alternate frameworks for fasting & feeding are briefly discussed in later chapters.
How IF Benefits You

I firmly believe that intermittent fasting is still in the relatively early stages of being researched.
It seems that each day I come across a new study or seek out information, there is a new
benefit. Other times, further study will indicate that an already-known benefit has a much
greater scope. For the purpose of this book, I try to avoid speculation, sticking to verified
studied concepts for the sake of objectivity and providing factual information.

With this being said, I could quite easily write 20 pages on the benefits that I personally have
come across in my years of adopting the method. In the interest of time, I’ve compiled the 5
major benefits that science has uncovered. No matter your physique goal, these benefits are
made possible for each and every proponent by the beauty of fasting.

Autophagy
Increased autophagy is an incredible benefit to be obtained from intermittent fasting.
It was the subject of the 2016 Nobel Prize, awarded to a Japanese doctor named Yoshinori
Ohsum. He discovered the autophagy mechanism and how it is triggered by stress and fasting.
In fact, autophagy is so beneficial that it’s now being called a “key in preventing diseases such
as cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, liver disease, autoimmune diseases
and infections” (as per the U.S. National Institute of Health).
Before discussing its immense benefits, we will take a simpler look at what autophagy is to
understand this highly complex biological process.
Autophagy, by definition, is the natural, regulated mechanism of the cell that disassembles
unnecessary or dysfunctional components. It allows the orderly degradation and recycling of
cellular components.
In layman’s terms, autophagy is the process of purging waste from the body and remodeling
the cells to function more efficiently. The body naturally performs this cleansing to a degree, no
matter how often you fast (if at all). However, there is a remarkable difference to be seen in the
efficacy of this process when we introduce consistent daily fasts. Even more so when paired
with a steady exercise routine.
Consider the following list of benefits stemming from autophagy.

 Regulating functions of cells’ mitochondria, which help produce energy but can be damaged by
oxidative stress
 Clearing damaged endoplasmic reticulum and peroxisomes
 Protecting the nervous system and encouraging growth of brain and nerve cells. Autophagy
seems to improve cognitive function, brain structure and neuroplasticity.
 Supporting growth of heart cells and protecting against heart disease
 Enhancing the immune system by eliminating intracellular pathogens
 Defending against misfolded, toxic proteins that contribute to a number of amyloid diseases
 Protecting stability of DNA
 Preventing damage to healthy tissues and organs (known as necrosis)
 Recycling damaged proteins, organelles and aggregates

To sum it up, autophagy has been proven to have dramatic anti-aging and longevity effects. It
entices your body to repair, recycle, and regenerate vital cells that otherwise may lead to
inflammatory illnesses or other diseases if dormant in the body too long. Currently underway
are studies being performed to determine how strong the link is between fasting, autophagy,
and reduction of cancerous cells in affected patients. While science is still coming to terms with
the true scope of its effectiveness, it has been validated through study after study to provide
the aforementioned benefits and more.
Gotta love fasting!

Improved Insulin Response

The basic role of insulin in the body is to allow for conversion of sugar into energy (glucose), as
well as regulation of blood sugar levels to avoid a surplus (hyperglycemia) or a deficit
(hypoglycemia).

Fasting is the most efficient and consistent strategy to decrease insulin levels. This was first
noted decades ago, and widely accepted as true. It is quite simple and obvious. All foods raise
insulin, so the most effective method of reducing insulin is to avoid all foods. Blood glucose
levels remain normal, as the body begins to switch over to burning fat for energy. This effect is
seen with fasting periods as short as 24-36 hours. Longer duration fasts reduce insulin even
more dramatically.

Regular fasting, in addition to lowering insulin levels, has also been shown to improve insulin
sensitivity significantly. This is the missing link in the weight loss puzzle. Most diets reduce
highly insulin-secreting foods, but do not address the insulin resistance issue. Weight is initially
lost, but insulin resistance keeps insulin levels and Body Set Weight high. Fasting is an efficient
method of reducing insulin resistance.

Lowering insulin rids the body of excess salt and water. Cosmetically, this creates a more tighter
and leaner look on our frame. Within the body, insulin causes salt and water retention in the
kidney. Atkins-style diets often cause diuresis, the loss of excess water, leading to the
contention that much of the initial weight loss is water. While true, diuresis is beneficial in
reducing bloating, and feeling ‘lighter’. Some may also note a slightly lower blood pressure.
Fasting has been noted to have a period of rapid weight loss initially, stemming mostly from this
process.

Adrenalin & Adrenal Glands

This is really quite interesting. Fasting, but not low-calorie diets results in numerous hormonal
adaptations that all appear to be highly beneficial on many levels. In essence, fasting
transitions the body from burning sugar to burning fat. Resting metabolism is not decreased as
many would assume, but instead increased. We are, effectively, feeding our bodies through
our own fat. We are ‘eating’ our own fat. This makes total sense. Fat, in essence is stored
food. In fact, studies show that the epinephrine (adrenalin) induced fat burning does not
depend upon lowering blood sugar.
Recall our previous discussion of How Insulin Works. Fat is food stored away in the long term,
like money in the bank. Short term food is stored as glycogen, like money in the wallet. The
problem we have, is how to access the money in the bank. As our wallet depletes, we become
nervous and go out to fill it again. This prevents us from getting access to money in the bank.

Fat is stored away in the ‘bank’. As our glycogen ‘wallet’ depletes, we get hungry and want to
eat. That makes us hungry, despite the fact that there is more than enough ‘food’ stored as fat
in the ‘bank’. How do we get to that fat to burn it? Fasting provides an easy way in.

Greater Focus and Concentration

This benefit piggybacks onto the previous one in the sense of freeing mental space to redirect it
towards your other pursuits in life. The deeper benefit is the great improvement in focus during
the fasting window.

In mammals, mental activity increases when hungry and decreases with satiation. We have all
experienced this as ‘food coma’. Think about that large Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie.
After that huge meal, are we mentally sharp as a tack? Or dull as a concrete block? How about
the opposite? Think about a time that you were really hungry. Were you tired and slothful? I
doubt it. Your senses were probably hyper-alert and you were mentally sharp as a needle. The
idea that food make you concentrate better is entirely incorrect. There is a large survival
advantage to animals that are cognitively sharp, as well as physically agile during times of food
scarcity.

A 1997 study showed that Although glucose levels were lowered following food deprivation
(fasting), there was no significant detrimental effect of food deprivation on task performance.
However, improved recognition memory processing times were associated with deprivation.
Incentive motivation was associated with faster simple reaction times and higher diastolic
blood pressure. There were no significant relationships between glucose levels and task
performance, further supporting the hypothesis that the brain is relatively invulnerable to short
food deprivation.
In fact, studies show that cognitive function improved in fasting individuals, most notably
during the fast itself.

Initially, as you reset your feeding clock, you may experience hunger pangs or cravings during
this time. In some cases, they may be strong enough to detract your focus initially. This is
understandable as your body is used to receiving nutrition around the clock, at various times of
the day. Switching to a structured style of eating will take your body some time to get
accustomed to. Once this stage is reached, however, the immense benefits of fasting become
evident.

More Free Time

This was a benefit I observed right away. I personally began implementing intermittent fasting
into my routine after following a six meals per day regime. Whether a meal was cooked at
home from scratch, or a readily consumable snack, much thought had to have gone into
scheduling the feedings of the day. After the thought came the calculations and planning.

“Can I fit this into my schedule and be able to eat ____ later?”
“Will I be hungry later on if I consume x calories now?”
“Can I find food on the go or must I prepare it before leaving the house?”

Following that, I would procure the necessary meals to fill my six slots.

Between the decision making, calorie calculation, and preparation times, I found myself
spending an awful lot of a precious resource planning something that shouldn’t be so
complicated. The preoccupation with food alone exhausted my brain day after day after day.

This is a more extreme example- common habit in Western society is to consume the standard
three meals per day. When consuming breakfast in the morning, you are feeding all day. From
your initial meal until your final bite, you must be equally conscious of what you are eating and
equally focused on what remains available for the day.

This is not to say that the practice of nutrient calculation and planning are thrown out the
window. They are just as important under intermittent fasting as they are under any other
umbrella of dieting style.

You just get to save 8+ hours per day on this aspect of your life.

Planning two or three meals is objectively easier than four to six. Occupying your mind with
your diet is far more manageable when done for 8 hours a day as opposed to 16. Your choices
when delegating 2,000 calories may be far more liberal when working within a half-day window
as opposed to an entire one.

Once you have found your rhythm, your flow, with regards to eating this way- things become
automatic. Your body understands what to eat and when, while your mind understands the
nutrient profiles of the foods you eat over time. You’ll save ample tangible time and free up
immense intangible focus. Trust me.
The Fasting Window

In direct contrast to the previous chapter (the feeding window), we will now look at the fasting
window in a little more detail. It is after all, where the majority of the magic happens regarding
increased fat burning, lean mass retention, and disease prevention.

It is important to note the distinction between a caloric fast and an abstinence fast. In an
abstinence fast, you abstain from consuming anything whatsoever- even water. A good
example of this would be the practice of Ramadan, adhered to by Muslims worldwide. During
this period, the adherents abstain from consuming any food or water while the sun is visible.
From sun up in the morning, to sun down in the evening, a Muslim may consume nothing. In
addition, Muslims must refrain from sexual behaviours and otherwise distasteful mannerisms
during the sawm period. This practice is derived from religious customs and seeks to achieve
different goals than we have set out to here. The practice of Ramadan has great spiritual
implications and guides the follower to practice restraint- symbolic of understanding God’s gifts
and improving compassion for the deprived.

When fasting for the purposes outlined in this book, the requirements are much more relaxed
(enjoy all the sex you please... it’s great cardio).

Please appreciate that our goal when fasting is to activate the hormonal responses that
contribute to fat burning, muscle gain, and overall regulation of physiological processes.
Although you may find this experience to be spiritual and enlightening, these are not bonafide
requirements of making some serious progress in achieving a healthy mind and high-
performance physique.

What am I allowed to eat/drink during the fast, if anything?

The goal here is to drink only water throughout the fast. This ensures that no trace calories are
consumed, and the fasted state is maintained until the next feeding window. Drinks that bear
no calories will have the same (negligible) effects as water. Some examples include;

 Black Coffee
 Tea
 0-Calorie Soft Drinks (Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, Diet Dr. Pepper, etc.)
 0-Calorie Energy Drinks (Monster Zero, Red Bull Zero, Rockstar Zero)
 0-Calorie Drinks Sweetened Artificially (Powerade Zero, MiO, Crystal Light)

The body does provide a slight bit of lee-way when following this method.
One commonly held belief is that consuming < 30cal during this period will have little to no
effect on maintaining a fasted state.

Some examples of this include a splash of milk in your tea or coffee for taste, or some BCAA’s
with a minute calorie count. Be careful- the body will return to its baseline level of autophagy
once it metabolizes protein of any kind. Although the calories consumed are widely believed to
be within the acceptable threshold, the fact that they contain proteins will disrupt this process
specifically. If your main goal is to attain the anti-aging effects of fasting, I would forego this
addition.

Will I be hungry throughout the window?

Initially, as your body accustoms itself to going through an extra 8 hours of fasted time, you will
notice hunger pangs every once in a while. These may last anywhere from a few days to a few
weeks. Try to remember that this is a result of the changes in hormones, and less a matter of
your body physically requiring sustenance. So long as you are consuming the necessary
macronutrients to sustain your activity level, this is quite literally all in your head.

To expand this point, we will take a brief look at leptin and ghrelin, two major hormones that
regulate appetite and hunger.
Leptin tells your brain that you have enough energy stored in your fat cells to engage in normal,
relatively expensive metabolic processes. In other words, when leptin levels are at a certain
threshold - your brain senses that you have energy sufficiency, which means you can burn
energy at a normal rate, eat food at a normal amount, engage in exercise at a normal rate, and
you can engage in expensive processes, like puberty and pregnancy.
Ghrelin is the hormone produced within the stomach that serves to increase your appetite and
regulate your body weight. These two hormones, while opposite in nature, create a sort of
‘checks and balances’ system between them that ensures your body is receiving adequate
nutritional supply in order to operate.

Many studies have shown leptin levels decreased significantly in those who were practicing
time-restricted feeding (IF), but there was no negative effect on energy expenditure. In
addition, participants report substantially less hunger pangs than their control group
counterparts, following a traditional feeding style.

The long and short of it is that after acclimating your circadian rhythm to the two distinct
windows, your body will go through less spikes in hunger and energy than following a
traditional method of consumption. This is particularly positive for those who struggle with
giving into dietary temptations. Out of mind, out of stomach (my keen adaptation on the classic
‘out of sight, out of mind’). All the while, you will be experiencing energy and fat loss you never
thought possible. When it becomes time to feed, the body is replenished, its stores are refilled,
and it is properly prepared for yet another day.
The Feeding Window

Now’s the part we’ve all been waiting for. It’s time to eat.

The feeding window is the period of time in the day at which you consume all of your daily
caloric requirements.

It is the net time remaining when subtracting the duration of your fasting period from the total
time available in the day.

Feeding Windows
Given the fact that the entirety of your meals are consumed within this window, it is important
to choose a period of time that is comfortable for your lifestyle and schedule. With that being
said, you will need to strike a balance between your desired time for fasting and your desired
time for feeding. After all, there are only 24 hours in the day.

Some common feeding window durations are shown below along with their implied fasting
times.

The most common ratio is 8:16. This means eating your TDEE within 8 hours and consuming no
calories for 16. Mathematically this breaks the day into thirds. As most people sleep for 8 hours
of the day, this schedule would have you sleeping, fasting, and feeding for equal amounts of
time in the day assuming 8 hours of sleep are had at night.

In contrast to the increased benefits from a longer fasting period, science has yet to come up
with an answer to optimal feeding times. No correlation has been found between greater
results and longer/shorter feeding times. This is generally believed to be because each
individual’s metabolism differs greatly. As far as experimental studies go, it proves difficult to
determine the exact exit of the fed state and entry into the fasted state in a test subject. This
data would be essential in deriving a conclusion.

Simply speaking, you are going to be consuming a significant number of calories in a relatively
short time frame. Ensure you allow yourself ample time to consume what you require while
fasting for as long as you can to achieve maximum effect.

Structuring Meals
This is another very subjective topic. After determining what to eat and in which quantities, the
next step is to look at how you wish to consume those foods. Meaning, how many meals you
would like to eat and the optimal interval between them.

Myself included, many proponents of IF choose to break the fast with a significantly larger meal
than the others to follow in the day. This may range from 40% to 60% of total intake. This is
noticeably more effective when consumed after a fasted training session (we’ll be discussing
that in depth later on).
While not necessarily a recommendation to all, this is another key hack to the method overall.

Otherwise, many find the large meal sits well and satisfies. 800 calories is a fair amount of
nutrition in whichever form it may come (an example of this is shown on page __). Suppose you
have a TDEE of 2,400cal per day. You would be able to eat two more of those sizable meals
each day if you planned a 3-meal schedule. If tapering from a larger breakfast, they may be
relatively smaller albeit close in size. Often still quite a stomach’s worth.
More often than not, folks looking to lose weight are restricting portion size in traditional diets.
This is often done as a necessity to creating a caloric deficit. If you enjoy grazing on food and
consuming smaller portions, by all means do so. Some may choose a feeding window of 6 hours
and consume one meal each hour, totalling 6. Using the above example of a 2,400cal TDEE, said
person would be taking in 400 calories at each feeding. Still a fair number of calories, especially
consumed so frequently. This is somewhat an extreme example. However, it highlights the
scope of your flexibility within this window.

The beauty of the IF method is that you have greater freedom when ‘spending’ your daily
calorie number. Ironically, some clients in the past determined to lose weight have had a hard
time eating enough by day’s end, rather than struggle with eating too much. Not a bad problem
to have.

Alternate Methods

(Source. Table 1. A table highlighting IF variations and their respective feeding patterns.)

This table highlights alternative methods of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting (as we
have discussed it thus far) would be defined as Time Restricted Feeding (TRF) for the sake of
this study. Alternate Day Fasting (ADF), Alternate Day Modified Fasting (ADMF), and Periodic
Feeding (PF) are some other increasingly popular variations of the IF method. These have
gained popularity in recent times and thus, have been subjected to far fewer studies than
traditional (16:8) style fasting. With a limited amount of scientific data or anecdotal evidence
available, a conclusion cannot yet be made regarding which method is most effective.
Many experts in the field suggest that each method may hold its own unique positive and
negative traits.

For example, the ADF method calls for a full 24-hour fast every second day. Autophagy science
tells us that the longer or more frequently we subject ourselves to the ‘deprived’ state, the
greater its effects will be overall. It is speculated that this method may be superior to the (16:8)
method with regards to autophagy alone. It’s a simple matter of math. However, 3-4 full-day
fasts per week may not be feasible for an athlete or someone working an intense labour job.
They may require caloric intake daily in order to reserve enough glycogen to perform their
activities.

If one of the alternate methods sounds more appealing to you than traditional IF, give it a try.
They operate on the same principles, utilizing the same science to leverage the body for
process improvements. All of the content covered within this book will provide you with
enough information to get started with IF, ADF, ADMF, or PF. The next chapter will go into
details on how to figure out your individual energy requirement, specific to you.
Your Personal Intake

Now it’s time to get a bit personal. We’re going to dive into the calculations required to
determine your daily caloric requirements. This number will be your baseline- it will be raised
and lowered as necessary in order to inch closer to your ultimate goal. This will be discussed
more in depth later in the chapter.

There are many ways to estimate your recommended calorie intake, but one of the most
accurate is a TDEE calculation. TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. In essence, it is
the number of calories required in order to support the processes of your body for one entire
day at rest. As genders, weights, heights, and body fat percentages vary greatly from person to
person, this calculation is specific to you. Excluding mathematical anomalies, no two numbers
will be exactly the same.

There are a few different methods of arriving at this number. The Katch McArdle, Cunningham,
and Harris Benedict are other popular equations that may be used for the same purpose. While
these have been used for quite some time, they are not the most accurate methods of
calculation on account of missing a few variables such as age, which does play a considerable
role in metabolism (and therefore energy requirements).

Please appreciate that no calculation will be absolutely correct, each and every single day.
There is an expected +/- tolerance. By selecting the equation that has been studied to have the
lowest variance, we stand the best chance of having our numbers balance out over multi-day,
weekly, and monthly periods. Sadly, there isn’t any way to extract the data from your body (so
to speak) in order to measure the daily actual usage vs. consumed usage vs. planned usage.
However, just like currency rounding, the assumption is that the numbers will balance out over
time with a large enough sample size.
For this reason, the TDEE equation we will be using is the Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation. It was
developed in 1990 and has stood the test of time, being validated by more than 10+ studies
across universities and medical journals alike. It provides the highest accuracy rate as well as
the lowest overall variance in the subjects.
According to the American Dietetic Association, it’s the most accurate equation for calculating
actual resting energy expenditure to within +/- 10%.

TDEE Formula for Females

Step 1. Calculate BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate; calories required to support bodily functions at rest)

BMR = ([Height in Centimeters] x 6.25) + ([Weight in Kilograms] x 9.99) – ([Age] x 4.92) – (161).
Note: [Height in Centimeters = Height in Inches x 2.54] [Weight in Kilograms = Weight in Pounds x 2.2]

Step 2. Calculate TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

TDEE = BMR x (Activity Level Factor)

Activity Level Factor Chart

Level Factor (1.x) Description
Sedentary 1.1 Little exercise, sedentary job, low impact
Lightly Active 1.275 Light exercise/sports/activity 1-3x per week, sedentary job
Moderately Active 1.35 Moderate exercise/sports/activity 3-5x per week, slightly active job
Very Active 1.525 Heavy exercise/sports/activity 6-7x per week, active job
TDEE Formula for Males

Step 1. Calculate BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate; calories required to support bodily functions at rest)

BMR = ([Height in Centimeters] x 6.25) + ([Weight in Kilograms] x 9.99) – ([Age] x 4.92) – (161).
Note: [Height in Centimeters = Height in Inches x 2.54] [Weight in Kilograms = Weight in Pounds x 2.2]

Step 2. Calculate TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

TDEE = BMR x (Activity Level Factor)

Activity Level Factor Chart

Level Factor (1.x) Description
Sedentary 1.2 Little exercise, sedentary job, low impact
Lightly Active 1.375 Light exercise/sports/activity 1-3x per week, sedentary job
Moderately Active 1.55 Moderate exercise/sports/activity 3-5x per week, slightly active job
Very Active 1.725 Heavy exercise/sports/activity 6-7x per week, active job
Extremely Active 1.9 Very heavy exercise/sports/activity 7-10x per week, physical job

It is very common for people to over-estimate their activity levels. After all, the prospect of
being able to consume more food each day is cause for celebration for many (admittedly,
myself included at times). For optimum weight loss results, you should select your minimum
weekly activity level, rather than your maximum or average. This goes in reverse for those
trying to gain weight. The goal here is to err on the side of caution, in whichever direction you
wish to travel.
Macronutrients

While the macronutrient composition of your diet may not directly influence fat loss, it can
affect your ability to adhere to a reduced-calorie diet.

To increase your chances of success on a reduced-calorie diet, individualize your macronutrient

ratio based on your preferences and health. For example, people with type 2 diabetes may find
it easier to control their blood sugars on a low-carb rather than a high-carb diet. Those
engaging in high-energy sports may require a higher amount of carbs to maintain energy levels
when playing or practicing.

Conversely, otherwise healthy people may find they’re less hungry on a high-fat, low-carb diet,
and that it’s easier to follow compared to a low-fat, high-carb diet.

However, diets that emphasize a high intake of one macronutrient (like fats) and low intakes of
another (like carbs) are not for everyone. In any case, choose the diet that best fits your
lifestyle and preferences. This may take some trial and error. Ultimately, the time investment in
this

The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR) set forth by the Institute of
Medicine of the National Academies recommend consuming;

45–65% of their calories from carbs

20–35% of their calories from fats
10–35% of their calories from proteins

The body uses these basic units to build substances it needs for growth, maintenance, and
activity (including other carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).
It’s important to note that, by definition, a calorie is a calorie. Be it fat, protein, carbs, or
alcohol, 1 calorie = 4.2 joules of energy.

While equal with regard to the energy they provide, the function of these nutrients varies
greatly.

Proteins contain amino acids, vital to repairing tissues of all types in the body. The body uses
considerable protein when say, healing a laceration or creating new muscle tissue. Protein is
not a key source of energy like fat and carbs are. Rather, it is akin to bricks in the scope of home
building. Proteins are the bricks- the raw materials necessary to construct the house. Fats and
carbs, while fundamentally different, provide the energy to make the project happen. Compare
these to the workers building said house.
Note that those engaging in heavy physical labour, training, or weightlifting, will require
significantly more protein than someone who is more sedentary.

Fats are the most calorically dense macronutrient, with one gram containing 9cal versus protein
and carbs which each contain 4cal per gram. Others, called essential fatty acids, cannot be
synthesized and must be consumed in the diet. The essential fatty acids make up about 7% of
the fat consumed in a normal diet and about 3% of total calories (about 8 grams). They include
linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which are present in certain vegetable oils. Fats in groups such
as Omega-3 and Omega-6 contain nutrients essential for brain function and development.

Carbohydrates are used mainly for energy. They are converted into glycogen and stored in the
liver and muscles for later use. They are the fastest to digest and the most rapidly available
energy source for the body. The quickness at which these create usable energy depends on how
highly glycemic they are (low glycemic carbohydrates take much longer to be digested than
high glycemic carbs). Some examples of low glycemic foods would be whole grains, sweet
potatoes, and brown rice. On the high glycemic side of the index simple sugars, refined syrups,
and sweets. The amount of carbohydrates one requires should be gauged upon activity level, as
their sole purpose is providing fuel.

These are just brief descriptions of the macronutrients. I recommend doing a little bit more
research into these to better educate yourself on the systems of the body and how your food
choices affect them.

Calorie Cycling
Following the principles mentioned up to this point as they are presented will undoubtedly be
effective. You will be able to achieve great success in your journey regardless of your choosing
to opt in to this piece of the puzzle.

To truly weaponize your fat burn and muscle gain arsenal, calorie cycling is the way to go.
Put simply, it is the practice of alternating lower and higher caloric days in accordance with your
resting and training days. The purpose of this is to provide your body with more nutrition as it is
demanded (post-training), and less when the requirements aren’t as high (rest days).
Week-to-week, you will be consuming the same number of calories as you would be when
following the standard method. They are just allotted differently over the 7-day period.

While this concept does prove effective when bulking or maintaining your weight, it is most
optimal when used for the purpose of burning fat.

When burning fat, you must be operating in a caloric deficit. As mentioned before, this entails
eating less calories each day than your body requires. When the body is in a sustained deficit, it
is breaking down fat for energy and muscle for essential amino acids. No matter the goal or the
amount carried, muscle is essential to the body. Its functions are endless, but it plays a crucial
role in metabolism as well. Muscle contains active mitochondria (cells) that require a significant
amount of energy. The more muscle one has, the more baseline calories they require in order
to do a given task. For example, two friends go for a jog. Let’s call them Tom & Jerry. They are
both the same height and weight, and they jog the same distance. Tom’s body is 20% fat and
80% lean tissue, while Jerry is 10% fat and 90% lean tissue. The extra 10% of lean tissue that
Jerry has will ultimately require more energy to complete the same run. In addition, a greater
taxing of said tissue will also require more caloric intake throughout the period of recovery.

Coming back to the original point, it is not advantageous in any way to lose muscle tissue.
Calorie cycling puts one in the best position to avoid such atrophy (muscle loss) as the muscles
exercised during training will be replenished and refueled in full. On the other hand, the body is
able to tap into its stored fat more than normal during rest days since less food is being
consumed and introduced into the bloodstream. Low-impact activities done at a fairly low heart
rate will not create the need for amino acids to be derived from your precious muscles, while
you will be able to tap into fat stores much more easily.
This is the true beauty of caloric cycling.

Consider the following example.

Suppose my TDEE is 2,500cal per day at baseline.

Let’s say my goal is to lose 1lb per week (500cal deficit per day).
My daily intake would then be 2,000cal per day, or 14,000 for the week.
I train three days out of the week and rest for four.
With some simple addition, it is clear that the goal of 14,000cal per week is met in the example.

Note that Sunday does not follow the typical 1,500 for a rest day. This is shown to balance the
numbers over the week. Eating the standard 1,500 calories would result in a greater deficit over
the 7-day span. Please note that your optimal deficit depends largely on how much fat you
carry. Those with much excess can stand to operate on lower intake, as their bodies have
progressively been storing calories for such a point in time. The leaner you become, the more
your body will resist fat loss. This happens for biological reasons. The body senses that less and
less nutrition is coming in consistently and strives to store all that it can in case the deficit
grows larger or food suddenly stops becoming available. Keep in mind that we know our
ultimate plan in the mind, but the body acts more instinctively.
A Look at Food Selection

I understand that the contents of the last chapter may be cause for excitement if your dieting
strategy has been very selective up to this point. I remember the joy I felt when I was able to
expand my horizons beyond chicken, brown rice, and vegetables. Free to attend restaurants
and outings with friends as I pleased. The complete freedom with food choices really will do
wonders for your mindset with regard to long-term goal setting and staying the course overall.
It feels far more sustainable; it begins to feel like more of a lifestyle choice and less of an
implied struggle.

I would like to take this time to make a very clear distinction. Eating to improve health, and
eating to achieve a weight or physique goal, are not married concepts. Refer to the
macronutrients concept and TDEE calculations we went over in a previous chapter. It is possible
for anyone to eat mainly unwholesome foods and become a lean, ripped, performance
machine. What’s ultimately required is calculating their necessary caloric intake and adjusting
their actual intake in accordance to their goal. Likewise, someone who is eating a plethora of
healthy foods in excess of their necessary intake over time will gain fat. Recall that fat is stored
energy from our last chapter. Sadly, the body does not store ‘better quality’ fat if the foods
consumed are micronutrient dense. Again, this goes against many long-held beliefs, yet the
science is there. This does not just apply to intermittent fasting either, it holds true no matter
how often you feed or fast. 2 hours, 8 hours, 16 hours- the timing is not a factor when
considering this principle.

With that being said, the optimal solution is to consume the required number of calories from
natural sources that provide the highest amount of macronutrients.

Understanding that this point is something of an equilibrium- constantly shifting and rarely
steady- all we must do is make the best available choice at the time. Every time. We may not
ever have a perfect day, but we understand this going in. The freedom to know that you could
fall back on a full daily intake’s worth of Burger King and not lose any momentum on the ride to
your goal will give you an odd sense of motivation to try and eat as best you can. I know it may
sound highly contrary, but it’s the way things seem to go for those who have adopted the
model and felt it worked for them. The mind often works in mysterious ways.

Consider the following example.

The McDonald’s Scenario

You take a trip to your local McDonald’s and order yourself 2 McDouble™ sandwiches.
The calorie total for (2) McDoubles in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is 740cal.
This is comprised of 42(g) protein, 34(g) fat [16g saturated], and 68(g) carbohydrates.
This delicious burger duo will also net you 120mg of cholesterol (38% Recommended Daily
Intake), 1720mg of sodium (72% of R.D.I), and 14g of sugar.
Micronutrient wise, you’ll be looking at 6% and 2% of your R.D.I for Vitamin A and C,
respectively.

Now, say, you’ve decided to stay in the next night and cook a meal yourself. For the sake of this
example, you’re trying to hit the same macronutrient totals as you did the night previous at the
Golden Arches.

You cook a delicious meal featuring a cup of diced, seasoned chicken as the main feature. It is
paired with 2 cups of quinoa and grilled asparagus with an olive oil drizzle.
The macronutrient totals for this meal are 46(g) protein, 34(g) fat, and 64(g) carbohydrates.
While not exactly identical, the two examples are within +/- 5% of each other. In effect, they
fare the same by way of caloric intake and macronutrient composition.

The key difference is that the second meal boasts Vitamins A, B, B6, C, and D. Substantial
amounts of magnesium and potassium, with little sodium (7% of R.D.I compared to 72%). A
good mix of these three is essential to balancing electrolytes. Vitamin B₁₂, also known as
cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the
human body- it is present in sufficient quantity (15%). Last but not least, there is plentiful
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat content- 4.98g and 22.23g respectively. These two
are referred to as ‘essential fats’. In essence, they help with everything from brain function
(coordination, memory, recall, etc.) to lowering risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

You want those micronutrients. You need them.

Your body will operate all of its millions of processes smoother, armed with the building blocks
and steady energy to do so. You will feel better. Your skin will look better. You will feel sharper
mentally. More energetic. Your body will certainly appreciate it. After all, the difference is akin
to premium 93 Octane fuel vs a low quality, poorly filtered 85. Your vehicle (your body) will still
run. The numbers are there. The gas is in the tank. Wouldn’t you rather choose the premium?
Why not be at your best?

To sum it up, I hope you are able to come to terms with this concept. Relieve your mind from
the tunnel vision of the standard weight loss diets. Restricting your feeding windows is enough
on you already. Enjoy. Indulge. Monitor your intake. Stay on track with your numbers.
Just remember, always strive to make the choices that will have you waking up your best in the
morning. If you need a good indulgence to get back on track, do it. If you’ve been sluggish lately
and require more nutrient dense foods, eat them. Do what’s best for your mental and physical
state as their needs change and adapt. You’re in control.

Supplements
There has been little research done on common nutritional supplements and their effects on
fasting. Vitamin supplements, pre-workout supplements, post-workout supplements- there are
many different categories, let alone individual proprietary blends and combinations.

Things such as 0-calorie Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) drink mixes, 0-calorie pre-workout
supplements, vitamin tablets, and pharmaceuticals may be consumed during the fasting period.
They have not been observed to cause any disruption to the processes that be.

Protein supplements (bars, shakes, smoothies), intra-workout carbohydrate solutions, and

many fibre supplements are best suited for the feeding window. They may otherwise take you
out of the fasted state before you’ve schedule yourself to do so.

The general rule of thumb to follow with supplements is to consume only 0-calorie supplements
during your fast, opting for calorie-containing supplements during the fasting period. If you are
unsure whether or not a supplement contains calories, check the product’s packaging. If this
information is unavailable on the packaging, contact the manufacturer. By law (in most of North
America at least), food and supplement producers are legally required to disclose the
ingredients and nutritional information pertaining to their product.
Substance Use & Fasting

Given the nature of the method as scheduled consumption of food and beverage, questions
often arise regarding alcohol’s effects on fasting (and that of other substances as well).
It is important to first separate alcohol from other drugs on account of alcohol containing
calories.

Alcohol
In the Personal Intake chapter, we talked about macronutrient profiles and their individual
caloric makeup per gram. Recall that proteins and carbohydrates carry 4cal per gram, while fat
carries 9. Nestled in the middle of these two figures is alcohol, netting a cool 7.1cal per gram.

The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) sees the real value of alcohol drop to roughly 5.7cal per gram.
This metric measures the amount of energy expenditure above the basal metabolic rate due to
the cost of processing food for use and storage. A quick example to highlight this concept would
be a small business- they take in ‘7cals’ of revenue, but after expense spending, net income is
‘5.7cals’. The business only retains the 5.7 although it grossed the full 7.
This is an important concept to dieting- its full breadth, however, is beyond the scope of this
book.

As we now know, consumption of calories during the fasting period will break said fast upon
entry into the bloodstream. Quite simply, this means no alcohol during your fast. You intake it,
you break it.

Studies have consistently shown that moderate drinkers tend to live longer than non-drinkers.
This can be mainly attributed to a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease. However, alcohol also
contributes to a healthier and disease-free life by protecting against Alzheimer’s disease,
metabolic syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, the common cold, different types of cancers, and a
host of other cardiovascular illnesses common in Western society.
It has also been proven to reduce the insulin-hypertension relationship that plays a major role
in diabetes and insulin sensitivity overall. The Hisayama study highlights this correlation.

The fitness and health industry often shuns alcohol on account of its testosterone-dampening
effects. These claims are often exaggerated. A 3-week study that had its subjects consume 3
beers per day for 3 weeks observed only a 6.8% reduction in testosterone for males and 0% for
women. The effect of alcohol on muscle protein synthesis is unknown in normal human
subjects. It is not unlikely to assume that a negative effect exists, but it is very unlikely that it is
of such a profound magnitude purported in fitness literature.

The bottom line is, humans have enjoyed alcohol for entire millennia. It does not appear to be
going away anytime soon. Enjoy it. Have a few drinks with your coworkers after work or take in
a nice glass of wine with your spouse. Just be cautious of your fasting window. Remember, even
clear spirits with no chaser contain at least an effective 5.7cal per gram. Factor the calories you
consume from drinking into your daily totals and live a little!

Illicit Substances
With regard to other drugs (running the gamut from marijuana to crystal methamphetamine),
the conversation is a bit different as these do not directly affect your fast. They do not contain
calories and no recreational drug available today is metabolized by the body to produce energy
via fatty acids, glucose, amino acids, or ethanol. Consumption of substances other than alcohol
during your fast will not halt it on their own accord.

An important distinction to make is the indirect effects of substance use on one’s ability to
adhere to their regime. Recreational substances have impacts on the mind by definition and by
purpose. These effects vary greatly between people- tolerance, age, experience, height, weight,
gender will all play a role in how one’s mind processes the substance in question.

Let’s look at marijuana for example. New and inexperienced smokers are likely to be hit with a
strong wave of sedation, a great impulse to consume food (‘munchies’, colloquially), and a
general sense of euphoria and disorientation. They may feel less inhibitions and take more
risks. These could prove themselves as great difficulties to someone looking to remain steadfast
on intermittent fasting. The temptation of the chip bag may be all too great.

Likewise, an experienced habitual smoker becomes immune to these effects or feels them
significantly less. In some cases, smokers exhibit the opposite of those effects over the long
term. I have seen many folks who have a duller appetite with marijuana and seem far more
energetic and talkative than when sober. It is very much a subjective conversation.

This paradox can be seen across users of common recreational drugs, from cocaine to opiates.

There is no catch-all or verified information I could provide on this topic. It is a personal issue
that only you will know how to approach. The key take-away point is that you may enjoy some
light use while fasting but be honest with yourself. Always be reminded of your ultimate goals,
but don’t be afraid to enjoy life in the interim.
Smoking & Fasting

If you’re a smoker looking to dive into the world of IF, I’ve got some bad news and I’ve got
some good news. The bad news is that, as per the World Health Organization, tobacco kills
more than 7 million people worldwide on an annual basis. It is certainly a habit that drains you
of your resources here on earth- health, wealth, and time. I’m sure you’ve received countless
lectures on this in the past. I am not here to provide another.

The good news is that smoking bears no outright impact on your fasting windows, feeding
times, or ability to be successful in your goals. Cigarettes, vaporizers, snuff- whichever product
you fancy, they do not contain calories nor stoke the fire on metabolic processes that may
throw off your progress.

With that being said, smoking does affect some of the essential processes in the body that go
beyond breathing. When tobacco smoke is inhaled, it forms carbon monoxide and binds with
hemoglobin to traverse through the blood stream. When this occurs, oxygen levels become
depleted in the bloodstream. Oxygen is used in this fashion to produce energy within the body.
Naturally, the less oxygen your cells are able to distribute throughout the body, the less
efficient it will be with everything from recycling lactic acid to delivering nutrients to your
muscles following training.
Please note that this is a hindrance to your efficiency, and not your ability. You are still
completely capable of reaching whatever goal you wish to accomplish via IF, while being a
smoker. It will just be harder on your body internally to complete these processes day after day.

Another study I would like to highlight relates more specifically to smoking while fasting. This
experiment indicated that when studying smokers in both “fed” and “fasted” control groups,
the blood level carbon monoxide was significantly higher in the fasted group versus the fed
group (30.3ppm to 28.1ppm, respectively).
This information tells us that smoking during the fast will result in higher levels of carbon
monoxide circulation than if consumption were to occur during the fed state. This results in
lower levels of oxygen and hemoglobin, essential for carrying nutrients and glycogen
throughout the body. Science has not yet come out with answers to the prolonged effects of
smoking while fasting intermittently. Presumably, smoking will not result in any greater benefit
when compared with non-smoking due to the health risks it poses to the body overall. It’s best
to err on the side of caution and make efforts to reduce consumption.

We can conclude that smoking during your fasting window will result in less oxygen being
transmitted and more free radicals flowing throughout your body. It would then follow that,
scientifically, it is less detrimental to smoke during the feeding window. While I understand this
habit may be harder to schedule due to its addictive and habit-forming nature, these are just
the facts. Smoking will not break your fast- it may even assist in suppressing appetite. It will,
however, eventually break the bank and damage your respiratory system. I would be remiss if I
didn’t communicate these facts objectively.
Fasted Training

By now, I’m sure the concepts of fasted-state and fed-state are clear as day. We leverage these
two periods for different reasons in order to make the most efficient use of our energy and
calories.

Standard industry advice would tell you to consume food or beverage prior to training in order
to fuel your workout and provide energy to your body. As we now know, the body retains
glucose in the muscles as energy for intense activity on more of a daily cycle than an hourly
one. If following IF principles, you will have taken in a fair excess of carbohydrates that will be
made available to you during your next workout. The body likes to be efficient, therefore it will
utilize any and all calories available in the digestion system before having to break down its
reserves (fat & glucose). Without the presence of said calories, the body is able to tap directly
into these stores. Following the session, the fast is broken. The initial load of calories is
processed at a time when the body is starving for nutrients and its ability to partition is at its
peak. With a greater demand for calories present, your body is far less likely to store these as
fat since they need to be used once consumed.

The concept of fasted training is essentially two-fold;

As you train, your body breaks down glucose and oxidizes (burns) fat to procure the calories
necessary to facilitate the efforts. In turn, you perform more direct fat burning.

On the flip side, the post-training feed occurs when your body is in its most depleted state,
ready to utilize your intake to repair, rebuild, and refresh.

A recent study shows fasted training affects the post-workout anabolic response to weight
training more favorably than fed-state training.
This study is very interesting to say the least, since it lends scientific support to explain the
beneficial effects from both fasted-training and Leangains-style intermittent fasting. Let me give
you the lowdown on this study in layman’s terms.

Weight training activates enzymes and switches on genes that up regulates protein synthesis in
muscles. Out of these signalling mechanisms, the phosphorylation, “activity” plainly speaking,
of p70s6 kinase may serve as an indicator of muscle growth, along with other myogenic
transcription factors. Myogenic meaning from within the muscle. Nutrition no doubt affects the
myogenic signaling mechanisms, but it’s still not fully understood to what degree.

In this study, subjects were split into two groups that were trained on two occasions separated
by three weeks. The three-week rest period between sessions served as a “washout” period, in
order to make sure that the prior session didn’t interfere with the results obtained during the
second test.

The workouts were fairly basic whole-body sessions: 3 x 8 in seven movements such as bench
press, overhead press, curls and leg press.

One of the sessions (F) were performed on an empty stomach after an overnight fast.

The other session (B) was performed in the fed state. Subjects were given a breakfast of 722
kcal composed of 85% carbs, 11% protein and 4% fat, and training was initiated 90 minutes
after the meal.

After the weight training session, both groups rested for 4 hours. At the one- and four-hour
marks, muscle biopsies and blood tests were obtained. Participants were also given a recovery
drink to sip each hour during the rest period.
Results revealed that the F session had twice as high levels of p70s6k in comparison to the B
when measured at the one-hour mark post-workout. Other myogenic transcription factors
were also higher at this point, though not quite as pronounced as p70s6k. At the four-hour
mark, the differences between the two groups had evened out.

Why may fasted training be beneficial for the post-workout anabolic response?
The researchers concluded that “Our results indicate that prior fasting may stimulate the
intramyocellular anabolic response to ingestion of a carbohydrate/protein/leucine mixture
following a heavy resistance training session.”

Among other things, increased levels of p70s6k may lead to a faster transport of amino acids
into the muscle cell membranes, which should lead to a more rapid and potent anabolic
response to post-workout nutrient ingestion. The effects seen on the other myogenic signaling
mechanisms could also affect muscle growth through other pathways.

It seems that the increased anabolic activity seen post-workout is a compensatory response to
the increased catabolism that occurs during fasted state training. Very interesting. The big
question is if there would be a net difference in muscle growth at the end of the day. Training
on an empty stomach will cause greater catabolism in the short run, but will it yield greater
gains in the long run? Do we make a small sacrifice in order to receive a greater reward?

Well, I think we can leverage the results of this study to our benefit and sidestep the negatives
if we ask ourselves why, relative to the fasted group, p70s6k and the other myogenic
transcription factors were inhibited after a pre-workout meal. Or rather the highly insulinogenic
pre-workout meal served in the study — a whopping 153 g high glycemic index carbs.

There’s no clear answer here, but other studies have suggested that carb intake during an
endurance training can blunt the expression of several metabolic genes post-exercise. Insulin
may play a role here, for sure.
Another way to think of it is that by providing nutrients to the body, exercise is experienced by
the body as less of a stressor compared to fasted-state training. No need to adapt or
compensate when all is provided for you. A similar phenomenon can be seen with antioxidant
intake, where recent studies show that ingesting antioxidants from supplements weakens the
body’s own response to deal with free radicals created by training. We are making it easy for
the body and that may be a suboptimal way to train.

So, do I suggest everyone start training fasted from now on? Of course not. Remember, it is still
not known if the net effect of fasted state training will lead to more favorable results in the long
run.

Make sure that the great majority of your daily allotment of calories and carbs are ingested in
the post-workout period, and not before.
The immediate pre-workout meal should contain no more than a moderate amount of low
glycemic index carbs. The exact amount would depend on many factors, total workout volume
being the biggest one to consider, but a good guideline for a moderate volume weight training
session is approximately 0.6 – 0.8 g carb per kilogram body weight or 0.3 – 0.4 g per pound of
body weight. Have this meal 1.5 – 2.5 hours before your training session.
For fasted sessions, ingest 10 g branched chain amino acids (BCAA) shortly prior (5-15 mins) to
your training session. This does not count towards the 8-hour feeding window that I advocate
post-workout; that starts with your post-workout meal. By ingesting BCAA pre-workout, we can
sidestep the increased protein breakdown of fasted training while still reaping the benefits of
the increased anabolic response as seen in this study. Not only that, BCAAs actually increase
phosphorylation of p70s6k when ingested in the fasted state prior to training. So, by training
fasted with BCAA intake prior to sessions, we get a double whammy of increased p70s6k
phosphorylation that should create a very favorable environment for muscle growth in the
post-workout period.
Longevity & Practicality

The question of longevity is often raised when assessing the long-term effectiveness of
intermittent fasting. The idea of sectioning off two thirds of each available day to fast may not
seem feasible over a long period of time with regard to social gatherings and planning for
events. In fact, the opposite is true. Once you get the hang of your personal fasting techniques,
it becomes simple. It becomes a second nature. Most who begin to fast and experience the
benefits continue to do so into perpetuity. I know I personally couldn’t see myself eating any
other way. If not for the benefits, for the simple convenience.

Consider the following example.

Suppose you are a fairly social person and you’ve decided to break your fast each day around
lunchtime. This leaves breakfast (or brunch, depending on the time) as the one ‘standard’ meal
that you’ll generally be skipping. As social norms go in present day Western society, breakfast is
not often a meal that families or organizations sit down for. Throughout chaotic weeks, hectic
schedules, and absurd traffic volume, we often fight the good fight to get to our place of work
and presume with business as usual.
You will likely find that without the need to prepare breakfast or make a pit stop for it, you’ll
have more time to yourself. However, you choose to use said time is up to you. Once this
becomes a habit, you’ll likely find that skipping breakfast is in fact more practical than halting
your life to consume it.

Fast forward to mid-day. It’s now lunchtime and your colleagues have decided to go out to a
restaurant for lunch. You’ve been fasted up to this point and it’s time to break the fast. You
may usually be skimping on the dishes you’d really like in favor of lower-calorie options. When
fasting consistently, your body will be able to partition (digest & disperse in the body) nutrients
more effectively. This often results in little to no bloating. I’m sure we are all familiar with the
afternoon productivity drop-off that follows a large feast. When fasting, this becomes difficult
to achieve. You’d need to eat an absurd amount to be feeling sleepy and groggy to that degree.
You’ll also be able to enjoy higher-calorie foods. After all, this typically is your largest meal of
the day.
Maybe you’ve had a few snacks throughout the day or maybe a beverage of sorts.

Dinner becomes more or less the same as lunch. Depending on your specific daily requirements
and intake up to that point, it may be a smaller meal, the same size, or larger. You’ll be much
freer with your choices and open to a wider range of places and recipes. After this meal, you’ll
be able to look at what you’ve eaten today and determine whether or not you have room for
some nighttime snacking.

Often times you’ll find you may have a great deal of net calories available to consume. Many
diets advise against night time eating. If your feeding window falls in this timeframe, you’ve got
the clear go ahead to enjoy yourself. Think of it as your reward for fasting through the morning
and being more productive. Many find eating at this time of day soothing. Typically, your tasks
for the day are complete and you’ve begun to relax. Maybe you’re watching a movie. Maybe
you’re reading a book. Whatever you’re doing, chances are slim to none that you’ll be fixated
on food you can’t have; calories you can’t consume.

After finishing your last feeding of the day, enjoy some water or possibly tea. You’ll be satiated,
relaxed, and ready to close the curtain on another good day. Your final hours of the day begin
your fast, your sleep furthers it along, and you wake up in the morning to do it all over again.

While results may differ for everyone, these are the most common observations made by those
who fast.

Seeming like an improbable and highly unpractical method initially, it becomes clear that
intermittent fasting and time restricted feeding may in fact be significantly more practical than
traditional dieting. At the very least, it removes the need to worry- even think- about food for 8
more hours each day. Representing 33% of your life over time, this is an impressive gain for
anyone. Imagine being a business, instantly able to increase your manufacturing capacity by a
third using no more resources than consumed currently. Amazing!
Outro

Well, there you have it. You’re ready to start fasting.

I’m sure this all seems too good to be true. It may be downright unbelievable. I certainly
thought so at one time.

The sciences have been responsible for many great discoveries over the millennia. The internet,
commercial flight, the telephone- the list goes on and on. During the inception period of these
great inventions, they were also looked at with disbelief. Even as positive results became
apparent, they remained difficult to comprehend. Eventually, even the biggest skeptic would
become unable to scrutinize them. You can’t quite reject the idea of the telephone being
feasible technology when they are becoming household items. When all your neighbours have
clued in, asking why you couldn’t see the light earlier.

I believe fasting and time restricted feeding are quite similar in nature. They provide benefits
unheard of when dieting the way we have always been conditioned to. It has the potential to
dramatically improve our efficiency and quality of life. It is so fundamentally counter-intuitive
to what we have always learned about nutrition that many believe it to be a fad or a gimmick. I
recall being laughed at many times in my early years with fasting when trying to explain the
concepts to others, let alone talk about its benefits.

Some of those same people have now began to implement the principles. A few are going a
step further and educating others. It’s only a matter of time before IF becomes a household
conversation.

Please appreciate that I have strictly discussed proven, studied, verified effects and benefits of
IF in this book.
Science is well underway with examining links to fasting in aiding chemotherapy patients, as
well as preventing and treating cancer, and increasing life expectancy. As of now, the results
look promising. However, without a larger sample size to draw conclusions from, it remains
somewhat speculative. These are just a few of the major findings that researchers are
beginning to uncover.

It’s quite an exciting time to be studying IF and an even more exciting time to get started with
it.

I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this book. More importantly, that you’ve learned this formula
and gained valuable insight that you may apply to your life. Please share it with your friends
and family. I’m not particularly greedy- I want everyone to be in on this wonderful secret.

One day soon, it will be secret no longer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexander Rioux is a Canadian-American author and entrepreneur based out of Ontario,
Canada with intense passions for health, wellness, and self-improvement. A proponent and
student of Intermittent Fasting since late 2011, he has always sought to share this valuable
information with the world so that everyone may be able to achieve the same benefits. After
the studies began pouring in and the results became too significant to ignore, he decided to
fulfill this mission and create Intermittent Fasting Simplified: Making Sense of the Science
That Will Improve Your Life.