Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Strategy
The human body was designed very efficiently for times of scarcity and stress. Food scarcity was a common reality and the body has developed specific pathways to be very efficient in times of fasting. In times of stress, for survival purposes we adapted a fight or flight mode that forces us to work out bodies at a very high-intensity for a relatively short period of time.
The combination of intermittent fasting and high intensity exercise promotes fat burning hormones that improve tissue healing and metabolic processes (1, 2, 3, 4). In this article you will learn intermittent fasting weight loss strategies using time restricted feeding and high intensity exercise.
Fasting was a Regular Way of Life:
Our long-ago ancestors had to struggle daily for adequate food sources. They most often grazed on wild berries, herbs, raw nuts & seeds as they foraged through the woods during the day. At night, they would relax with the latest kill eating most-often a high protein, high fat burning meal. This sort of diet was dependent upon the success of their hunting endeavors.
Fasting was a regular way of life for our ancestors. This is evident with the positive adaptations the body goes through during the fasting periods. Fasting allows our body to go into a catabolic (tissue breakdown) period without promoting inflammatory conditions. This enables the bodily resources to eliminate older, damaged cells and replace them with stronger cellular components (5, 6, 7)
Today, fasting is not a regular way of life, but we can use fasting for a wide variety of health conditions. Fasting weight loss strategies should be implemented with high intensity exercise for the best results.
High Intensity Movement is a Way of Life
High intensity exercise was a necessity of life for our ancestors as they chased down and killed animals for food. Many cultures battled with other cultures regularly. The fight or flight lifestyle was quite evident and it was almost always at 90-100% of maximal intensity.
Anything less than this could quite often lead to death or starvation. This way of life led to a lean and incredibly strong body. Most men had body fat under 10% while women typically ranged between 10-20%. They were also able to produce incredible muscular forces to overcome obstacles with their battle trained bodies.
To have high-quality of life in the 21st century, we must understand and work in harmony with our bodies’ primitive past. Intermittent fasting and high-intensity, short durational exercise are genetic requirements that help our bodies thrive, adapt and evolve with better survival characteristics. This includes a strong fit muscular system, a titanium immune system and an efficient digestive tract.
Fasting & Fitness Boost HGH:
Intermittent fasting for periods ranging from 12-24 hours along with high intensity exercise has a positive effect on boosting human growth hormone (HGH). HGH is a very important protein based hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. HGH enhances the cellular repair processes that allow us to age with grace. HGH regulates metabolism for fat burning, muscle building, and slow-down the negative effects of stress.
Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute found that men who had fasted for 24 hours had a 2000% increase in circulating HGH. Women who were tested had a 1300% increase in HGH (8).
A 2009 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that lactic acid accumulation helps to trigger HGH. Lactic acid is only produced in response to intense anaerobic training. Aerobic training is not intense enough to produce the kind of lactate triggering of HGH (9).
Long-Duration Training Can Be Damaging:
Low-intensity, long duration aerobic training is catabolic in nature. This means that it produces lots of free radicals without promoting significant amounts of repair peptides, enzymes and fat burning hormones.
The net effect is a wearing down of bodily resources. High-intensity training also produces free radicals but it triggers an abundance of repair peptides, enzymes and hormones to be released. The net effect of this is healthy tissue repair and favorable effects on body composition and anti-aging qualities (10).
The Best Fasting Weight Loss Strategy
For the best results with intermittent fasting weight loss techniques I recommend exercising 4 days per week after having water or fat fasted for 12-16 hours. This means that you miss either dinner the night before and drink a lot of water and coffee (and you can do grass-fed butter and MCT oil in your coffee if you like) and exercise about an hour after rising in the morning.
Otherwise, you consume dinner the night before but fast through breakfast (other than lots of water and possibly a fat fuel coffee or keto matcha green tea) and then you exercise around lunch time. I typically recommend hydrating after your exercise session and then having a protein shake about 30-60 mins after you finish your exercise.
For many, as they get more accustomed to the intermittent fasting are able to wait a few hours after their workout before they eat. I typically like to tell people to wait until you are hungry after your exercise session to consume food as this is a more advanced way to boost human growth hormone production.
Over time, you may notice that you are able to go 18-20 hours without consuming carbohydrate or protein and exercise right at the end of your fast. This peak fasting exercise session can have a profound impact on your growth hormone production and be an amazing stimulus for fasting weight loss.
The key is to stay hydrated and use some pink salts to keep your mineral balance in order. You can also do some diluted broth and some fat burning coffee or keto matcha green tea to keep your energy up while fasting.
How can you fast with blood sugar issues? Is fasting from right after dinner around 5-6 PM until 6-7 AM the next morning enough? I can do that and usually do.
Hey Suzanne, yes that is a great way to start – a full 12 hours. You also want to go on a lower carbohydrate and higher good fat diet. Make sure dinner has lots of coconut oil, grass-fed butter/ghee and possibly olive oil. Blessings!
Im 60 yrs old, 5’2 126 lbs and i cant get rid of love handles and belly fat…what do you recommend for this
Best article I have read regarding anti aging in a long time. I am currently doing both, and i am looking better than I ever looked.
Awesome! Thank you Catherine!
I shared your video with our IF group. so many of us try to jump right in with out any knowledge of what we are doing. I thought it would be helpful. Thank you for the lesson. I started out on the 16/8 then quickly moved to 23/1… within 3 weeks I had dropped 15 pounds and just plain felt better. Its a great health benefit with out the cost of shakes and other amenities other diets promote … and the flexibility of IF is great as well. if I want to eat now i just change the window and change back when ever I want. its really great!!!
That is AWESOME Lisa!!! So excited to hear that for you! Your mitochondria are boosting up like crazy. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for explaining the types of fasting, that was great! What would be a source of more information on fasting?What types of exercise can be done during a fast? I usually do some yoga and strength exercises and am fairly active at work, working the night shift.
Hey Frank,
Here are several great articles on fasting
https://drjockers.com/intermittent-fasting-is-a-powerful-healing-modality/
https://drjockers.com/intermittent-fasting-boosts-your-immune-system/
https://drjockers.com/intermittent-fasting-improves-your-brain/
Hello, I’m new here. trying to comprehend. I AM diabetic, long term insulin resistance. I’m told to take insulin with food protein and carbs three times a day, plus nightly long lasting insulin. I’m 68, disabled, living alone. Especially A.M. I’m not hungry, don’t eat breakfast before 11 or later. My numbers are always high 170 -250! I want to fast to stop the PM late cravings. I don’t sleep well for the past 5 years since the debilitating accident that disabled me. Now that I know about inflammation, I think I have the world’s supply! Ok..where do I start the reversal? So many other problems, medications, neuropathy, bone on bone knees, torn rotators,sciatica,vision problems, pancreatitis, chronic kidney disease,, A1c9.70, hemoglobin 10. LDL 94 HDL 73, TSH4.95…No one EVER spoke to me about these things until I started asking for my text results. All of this cannot be because I’m West Indian Black.~ I think.!!
I’m not brilliant, I don’t want to die like this, I want to help .myself. I’m scared and confused.
I am so sorry to hear about this Elizabeth. I would recommend doing my Sugar Detox program which will walk you through the lifestyle changes you need to make to balance your blood sugar and get well. https://drjockers.com/sugar-detox-program/
Can you drink lemon and apple cider vinegar in the morning while fasting? Or absolutely nothing…even to drink?
Yes, I recommend drinking lemon and/or ACV in the morning while fasting!!
From Williamkip withlove))
I have struggled with disordered eating for 30 yrs and am trying to get a handle on urges to over eat that seem insurmountable. I feel as though when I eat a meal in the morning, I experience food cravings all day, but when I fast 16-18 hrs. it’s more manageable. The problem with this however is that I believe my metabolism shuts right down and I still cannot get rid of the extra weight I’m carrying. Any suggestions?
Sorry to hear that Jennifer, here is a helpful article for you: https://drjockers.com/weight-loss-hacks/
Dr Jockers..
First of all would like to share with you that I recently lost 100 lbs in 5 months with the intermitten fasting. I FEEL FANNNNTASTIC. I have another 100 to loose by the end of the year. I have a question for you..i have recently within this month changed my excersise program. I am currently kickboxing/weights/cardio training. It is a hour class and I am burning an average of 400 calories and hour. I am not loosing weight I am gaining weight. I have however dropped 2% in my BMI, 4 inches on my thighs, and 2 inchs from my waist and 1 inch from my arm within 3 weeks. My trainers at the gym have encouraged me to eat more food because I am burning more calories. This is all new to me and I want to make sure I am eating the right foods to continue my journey. I have added collagen and a high protien shake into my day. I have been told by a weight trainer friend of mine that I should eat at least 1400-1800 a day with 40% protien, 30%carbs 30% fat. This TOTALLY changes from what I was doing on the intermitten fasting. I have not ever been in this situation before and I want to make the right choices based on my health. I was just wanting some input from Dr Jockers. Thank you for your time. Janette Bedard 🙂
Hi Janette, That is great to hear! Please join my Fasting group where you will have a community of support and I try my best to answer these types of questions: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807737992920006/. Here is an additional article that you can read for more information: https://drjockers.com/5-advanced-fat-burning-strategies/
мегафон списывает деньги – аномальное похолодание, загрязнение оби