The Fast
Kelly and I went on a 5 Day Fast Mimicking Diet (FMD) protocol together in late January. After a few weeks to reflect on that experience, here are my thoughts, takeaways, and a plan for the future.
In the media space I inhabit, fasting is everywhere. Intermittent fasting, water-only fasting, detox cleanses with lemon and cayenne, and many others. In Rich Roll’s 2022 interview with Dr. Valter Longo (leads USC’s Longevity Institute) I learned more about his POV on longevity and the influence routine fasting has on healthspan, and specifically, the idea of a fast mimicking diet (FMD) that allows you to enter a fasted state and reap those benefits, while still consuming some calories. I definitely recommend you check out that interview to dig deeper into the research if you’re interested.
For those who need more convincing - fasting and specifically Longo’s FMD was featured in a recent edition of National Geographic. (your Disney+ login should get you past the paywall)
Why Fast?
When I say the word “fast” to people they seem to immediately go one of two directions - religion or weight loss. While weight loss did occur and some moments felt very spiritual, those weren’t the outcomes I was interested in personally. For me, I was most interested in a reset, and specifically, in the process of autophagy Longo outlines, where, when there is an absence of nutrients for cells to process, they actually look within themselves and begin go clean out waste that sits within our systems that leads to inflammation and eventually other degenerative health outcomes like dementia and Alzheimer's. While that may be a long way off for me, I figured that a cellular reset button could not hurt - save for some temporary hunger pangs.
Japanese researches won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for their research on autophagy.
If you want another POV on fasting, Dr. Peter Attia takes Chris Hemsworth through a signifiant fast and looks in detail at how autophagy works, as well as other key benefits on longevity and performance. Limitless (ep. 3).
What Was It Like?
I was very fortunate in that Kelly wanted to go on this crazy trip with me, which in hindsight, could not have been more clutch as it allowed us to not only work together, but to be there for each other as we both struggled at one point or another over the course of the five days.
The Prolon 5-day FMD in a Box
The entire set of Prolon meals, supplements, and drinks comes in a box not much larger than what a pair of running shoes fits within. There is a smaller box for each day that contains what you have in front of you - normally a small breakfast bar, a soup for lunch and dinner, and lots of herbal tea. On some days you have a snack (olives or kale/almond crackers) and after day 1 you’re given an electrolyte drink that also contains some essential aminos to prevent lean muscle loss. That’s it, that’s all you get for five days. Oh, and one 8-10 oz black coffee that Kelly and I split - 5 oz in the morning and 5 oz after lunch. Rough.
Daily Recap
We started on a Sunday so that we could be finished by the following weekend and allow work to be a distraction during the majority of the fast. Here are my notes from each day.
Day 1 - It was all psychological. Because I knew I could not eat, I was hungry at times when I would normally not be, so settling in was difficult. On top of that, Kelly and I still had to prepare food for the kids, who also took delight in trying to tempt us with a bite of whatever they had in front of them.
Day 2 - Woke up hungry and the fog of ketosis started to set in. Day 2 was definitely the most difficult day for Kelly and I. The calories were cut in half from day 1 and the food we did get was bland. I got a lot of “why did you make me do this?” (it was all volunteer, I swear), and I began to ask myself that same question.
This would have been a lifting day for me, so I tried to do some light Zone 2 work on my indoor bike instead, however, my HR kept spiking too high even with very minimal power output, so I quit after 30 minutes.
Day 3 - Turning the corner. Both Kelly and I felt good on Day 3. Our energy levels were back to normal and I felt like my ability to focus had returned. I was definitely settling in and starting to appreciate the slow down at home. Light stretching and yoga in the morning, and another early bed time at 9pm (normally 10pm) with great sleep.
Day 4 - Similar to Day 3. Great energy levels and focus, and Kelly and I reflected that we only had one day to go, which seemed insane knowing how hard the start had been. We were in rhythm and the structure of the meals allowed us to plan when we would sit down together to eat away from the kids. Two weeks later now I’m missing those shared “mini dates” at home. More stretching and core/stabilizer work. My only fail on Day 4 was taking the oldest son and three of his friends to a college basketball game… the smell of popcorn almost ruined me.
Day 5 - Things were different. It’s almost hard to explain, but on Day 5 I felt like I was operating on a different wavelength - all of which sounds strange, I know. I felt almost feral. I could taste flavor and texture in water, and I could smell things more vividly. I also remember being more of an “essentialist” at work, zeroing in on decisions quickly without some of my normal “fluffy” thoughts. While this was all really interesting, I did have a feeling of “this needs to end soon” because I was getting worried that I was digging myself too deep into a hole. I had lost almost 8 lbs by this point and was getting concerned about building back my strength.
Day 6 (Re-feeding) - Getting back to eating food again was something we did not account for when we got started. As we learned, what you add back in when breaking the fast is important, as it is what your gut/microbiome start to consume first and therefore crave more of. While we had originally planned on going out to a nice dinner Friday night, we ended up starting out with a smaller volume of our normal fruit/veggie smoothie - but even that felt strange and somehow wrong for us both. Like eating was something we should feel guilty about doing. The brain can be a weird place…
For me, I had the smoothie (with Athletic Greens) and a full black coffee and I honestly felt like I had jet fuel in my body, and that energy lasted most of the day. It was amazing, and it was my first “ah-ha” moment where I realized what my body actually wants and needs, vs what I may want day to day. I got back to lifting that day with a 10% deload in my 5x5 program, but I felt great.
Key Learnings and Outcomes
Seeing Hidden Calories - I consume way more calories throughout the day than I once thought, mainly in the form of snacking on chips and in taking pieces of what the kids are eating. Kelly and I figure we were both eating nearly a fourth meal every day just by eating “bites” of what we’re prepping for the kids.
Craving Quality Again - When I felt great again, I began craving the things that made me feel that way and found it was much easier to abstain from mindless snacking on junk. I started stocking the fridge with more plant-based (coconut milk) yogurts and mixed nuts. Kelly and I also spent much of week 1 post fast eating meals that were very veggie heavy (less rice/pasta than before).
Delaying Caffeine - I was able to reduce my caffeine intake overall, and am also now able to delay caffeine by two hours in the morning. Studies show that delaying caffeine can help you feel more focused throughout the day and also help you avoid a post-coffee crash.
More of the Essential - Day 5’s focus on the essential helped me realize that I can be under-focused and overly open to chance. This doesn’t mean I need to be overly prescriptive at home/work, but I can be better and highlighting the path forward towards the essential.
Improved Body Fat % - Physically, my body has started burning differently. I reduced my body fat % by almost 1.5% (know accuracy for scales can be off). In the weeks post-fast I’ve been able to maintain that improvement while continuing to rebuild some muscle lost during the 5 days. I look better and feel better, which makes it easier to continue focusing on healthy meal choices.
Improved Recovery Baseline - I track my HRV nightly. My HRV baseline improved quite a bit, which was unexpected. My 6-month average is 36, however after the fast ended, my next 5 days were 53, 41, 43, 54, and 41. The average HRV post-fast through today is 42.5, which is an 18% increase over the previous 6 months! I never thought 5 days of fasting would result in an 18% recovery improvement. Crazy.
Appreciation For Slowing Down - Slowing down is the key to speeding up. You slow down eating so your body can speed up recovery. You slow down movement, so you can speed up after you’re finished. I was afraid that taking my foot off of the gas (lifting, protein intake, creatine, etc.) would set me back, but what I’m realizing is that in doing so I’m actually able to accelerate past where I had been in so many ways.
What’s Next?
The fast was overall a really positive experience for me (and for Kelly), and something I do plan to do do again in the future. In the meantime, I do think some additional fasting protocols are worth experimenting with as well. Inspired by Chris Hemsworth’s fasting experience and takeaways on Limitless (ep. 3), I’m planning on the following:
Annual FMD 5-day fast in late January
24 hour fast once each month, most likely on a Tuesday (not to interfere with lifting/protein intake)
Intermittent fasting when not exercising early in the AM
Thanks for reading,
Paul
Plan. Progress. Grace. Move Forward.