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Childcare & PreK at the YMCA of Greater Brandywine

Preschool & Childcare Programs at the YMCA

The YMCA is the largest provider of licensed childcare in Chester County. Led by degreed teachers, children flourish in warm, supportive environments, as they develop the essential skills needed for success in school and life.

We offer many childcare and early learning programs for children six weeks old to six years old. Our programs provide children with hands-on learning experiences through a comprehensive, research-based curriculum known as Creative Curriculum, which focuses on exploration and discovery as a way of learning. In addition, our programs participate in the Keystone STARS program, which promotes high-quality standards in early learning and school-aged programs.

Because of the YMCA’s facilities and offerings, many of our programs also include swim lessons, gymnastics, music and more.* Moreover, classes available at the YMCA such as dance and karate can be added on to your child’s day, with YMCA staff ensuring each child moves safely from one activity to the next.

*programs vary by location. 

Learn more with our YMCA Childcare Parent Handbook – Edition 2022

Childcare Locations & Offerings

Brandywine YMCA – Coatesville, PA

Childcare is available at the Brandywine YMCA for children ages 6 weeks – 5 years old. Care is available from 7 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Infants & Toddler Programs – 6 weeks to 2-year-olds

The infant and toddler program offers a warm, safe and secure environment for your child to grow and learn through experiences that focus on their mental and physical development. Music, singing, reading, movement and constant verbalization foster socialization and self-concept. We help kids reach important milestones through age-appropriate toys, games and enrichment activities. 

Preschool – 3 – 5-year-olds

The YMCA’s experienced staff follow the Creative Curriculum. The Curriculum offers developmentally appropriate activities and promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through interest areas such as dramatic play, art, music, blocks/building, science, manipulatives, sand and water play, library and computers. Weekly swim lessons are also included in the program. 

Registration & Pricing

Full time care at the Brandywine YMCA ranges from $215/week – $302/week depending on the child’s age and YMCA membership status. YMCA members receive discounted rates on childcare. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. 

All registrations take place in the branch. For more information, contact us today!

The Brandywine YMCA is located at 295 Hurley Road in Coatesville PA.
 

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration. If you have any enrollment adjustments, please fill out our Youth Program Change Form.

Jennersville YMCA – West Grove, PA

Childcare is available at the Jennersville YMCA for children ages 6 weeks – 5 years old. Care is available from 7 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Infants & Toddler Programs – 6 weeks to 2-year-olds

The infant and toddler program offers a warm, safe and secure environment for your child to grow and learn through experiences that focus on their mental and physical development. Music, singing, reading, movement and constant verbalization foster socialization and self-concept. We help kids reach important milestones through age-appropriate toys, games and enrichment activities. 

Pre-K Counts – Ages 3 – 5 years old

A quality pre-kindergarten experience can help give children a strong start in school and in life. PA Pre-K Counts, established by the Pennsylvania Department for Education, provides free half-day or full-day pre-K programs for children ages 3 – 5 years old throughout Pennsylvania. Learn more.

Preschool – 3 – 5-year-olds

YMCA Childcare Early Learning Center programs are for children ages 3 years to 5 years and provide a hands-on learning experience. The YMCA’s experienced staff follow the Creative Curriculum. The Curriculum offers developmentally appropriate activities and promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through interest areas such as dramatic play, art, music, blocks/building, science, manipulatives, sand and water play, library and computers. Weekly swim lessons are also included in the program.

Registration & Pricing

All registrations take place in the branch. For more information, contact us today!

Full-time care at the Jennersville YMCA ranges from $215/week – $305/week depending on the child’s age and YMCA membership status. YMCA members receive discounted rates on childcare. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. 

Jennersville YMCA is located at 880 W. Baltimore Pike, West Grove PA 19390 610-869-9622

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration. If you have any enrollment adjustments, please fill out our Youth Program Change Form.

Kennett Area YMCA – Kennett Square, PA

Montessori childcare is available for children ages 18 months – 6 years at our Kennett Area YMCA

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration.

View Montessori Offerings

Lionville Community YMCA – Exton, PA

Childcare is available at the Lionville Community YMCA for children ages 6 weeks – 6 years old. Care is available from 7 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Infants & Toddlers – Ages 6 weeks to 2 years old

The YMCA infant and toddler programs are for ages 6 weeks to 2 years old. The infant and toddler program offers a warm, safe and secure environment for your child to grow and learn through experiences that focus on their mental and physical development. Music, singing, reading, movement and constant verbalization foster socialization and self-concept. We help kids reach important milestones through age-appropriate toys, games and enrichment activities. All registrations take place in the branch.

Preschool – Ages 3 – 5 years old

YMCA Childcare Early Learning Center programs are for children ages 3 years to 5 years and provide a hands-on learning experience. The YMCA’s experienced staff follow the Creative Curriculum. The Curriculum offers developmentally appropriate activities and promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through interest areas such as dramatic play, art, music, blocks/building, science, manipulatives, sand and water play, library and computers. Weekly swim lessons are also included in the program. All registrations take place in the branch

Registration & Pricing

All registrations take place in the branch. For more information, contact us today!

Full-time care at the Lionville Community YMCA ranges from $240/week – $330/week depending on the child’s age and YMCA membership status. YMCA members receive discounted rates on childcare. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. 
 

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration. If you have any enrollment adjustments, please fill out our Youth Program Change Form.

Octorara YMCA – Atglen, PA

Childcare is available at the Octorara YMCA for children ages 6 weeks – 6 years old. Care is available from 7 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Infants & Toddlers – Ages 6 weeks to 2 years old

The YMCA infant and toddler programs are for ages 6 weeks to 2 years old. The infant and toddler program offers a warm, safe and secure environment for your child to grow and learn through experiences that focus on their mental and physical development. Music, singing, reading, movement and constant verbalization foster socialization and self-concept. We help kids reach important milestones through age-appropriate toys, games and enrichment activities.

Pre-K Counts – Ages 3 – 5 years old

A quality pre-kindergarten experience can help give children a strong start in school and in life. PA Pre-K Counts, established by the Pennsylvania Department for Education, provides free half-day or full-day pre-K programs for children ages 3 – 5 years old throughout Pennsylvania. Learn more.

Preschool – Ages 3 – 5 years old 

YMCA Childcare Early Learning Center programs are for children ages 3 years to 5 years and provide a hands-on learning experience. The YMCA’s experienced staff follow the Creative Curriculum. The Curriculum offers developmentally appropriate activities and promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through interest areas such as dramatic play, art, music, blocks/building, science, manipulatives, sand and water play, library and computers. Weekly swim lessons are also included in the program. 

Registration & Pricing

All registrations take place in the branch. For more information, contact us today!

Full-time care at the Octorara YMCA ranges from $240/week – $290/week depending on the child’s age and YMCA membership status. YMCA members receive discounted rates on childcare. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. 

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration. If you have any enrollment adjustments, please fill out our Youth Program Change Form.

Oscar Lasko YMCA – West Chester, PA

Childcare is available at the Oscar Lasko YMCA for children ages 6 weeks – 6 years old. Care is available from 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Infants & Toddlers – Ages 6 weeks to 2 years old

The YMCA infant and toddler programs are for ages 6 weeks to 2 years old. The infant and toddler program offers a warm, safe and secure environment for your child to grow and learn through experiences that focus on their mental and physical development. Music, singing, reading, movement and constant verbalization foster socialization and self-concept. We help kids reach important milestones through age-appropriate toys, games and enrichment activities.

Preschool – Ages 3 – 5 years old 

YMCA Childcare Early Learning Center programs are for children ages 3 years to 5 years and provide a hands-on learning experience. The YMCA’s experienced staff follow the Creative Curriculum. The Curriculum offers developmentally appropriate activities and promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through interest areas such as dramatic play, art, music, blocks/building, science, manipulatives, sand and water play, library and computers. Weekly swim lessons are also included in the program. All registrations take place in the branch.

Registration & Pricing

All registrations take place in the branch. For more information, contact us today!

Full-time care at the Oscar Lasko YMCA and Childcare Center ranges, for Y members, from $295/week – $340/week or, for nonmembers, from $310/week – $375/week depending on the child’s age and YMCA membership status. YMCA members receive discounted rates on childcare. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. 

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration. If you have any enrollment adjustments, please fill out our Youth Program Change Form.

West Chester Area YMCA – West Chester, PA

Childcare is available at the West Chester Area YMCA for children ages 6 weeks – 6 years old. Care is available from 7 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Infants & Toddlers – Ages 6 weeks to 2 years old

The YMCA infant and toddler programs are for ages 6 weeks to 2 years old. The infant and toddler program offers a warm, safe and secure environment for your child to grow and learn through experiences that focus on their mental and physical development. Music, singing, reading, movement and constant verbalization foster socialization and self-concept. We help kids reach important milestones through age-appropriate toys, games and enrichment activities.

Preschool – Ages 3 – 5 years old 

YMCA Childcare Early Learning Center programs are for children ages 3 years to 5 years and provide a hands-on learning experience. The YMCA’s experienced staff follow the Creative Curriculum. The Curriculum offers developmentally appropriate activities and promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through interest areas such as dramatic play, art, music, blocks/building, science, manipulatives, sand and water play, library and computers.

Montessori – Ages 3 – 6 years old

Montessori at the YMCA fosters the fullest development of each child, and provides a foundation for a life of joyful and successful learning. The YMCA is founded on the principles of spirit, mind, and body, and nowhere will this approach be more evident than in our Montessori school. We offer a holistic educational Montessori experience. Our students enjoy extensive enrichment activities including; Swim Lessons, Yoga Instruction, Gym Activities, Music, and Spanish Language Instruction. All registrations take place in the branch. Click here to learn more about our Montessori program.

Registration & Pricing

All registrations take place in the branch. For more information, contact us today!

Full-time care at the West Chester Area YMCA ranges from $270/week – $340/week depending on the child’s age and YMCA membership status. YMCA members receive discounted rates on childcare. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. 

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration. If you have any enrollment adjustments, please fill out our Youth Program Change Form.

Upper Main Line YMCA – Berwyn, PA

Childcare is available at the Upper Main Line YMCA for children ages 6 weeks – 6 years old. Care is available from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Infants & Toddlers – Ages 6 weeks to 2 years old

The YMCA infant and toddler programs are for ages 6 weeks to 2 years old. The infant and toddler program offers a warm, safe and secure environment for your child to grow and learn through experiences that focus on their mental and physical development. Music, singing, reading, movement and constant verbalization foster socialization and self-concept. We help kids reach important milestones through age-appropriate toys, games and enrichment activities.

Preschool – Ages 3 – 5 years old 

YMCA Childcare Early Learning Center programs are for children ages 3 years to 5 years and provide a hands-on learning experience. The YMCA’s experienced staff follow the Creative Curriculum. The Curriculum offers developmentally appropriate activities and promotes a child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through interest areas such as dramatic play, art, music, blocks/building, science, manipulatives, sand and water play, library and computers.

Registration & Pricing

All registrations take place in the branch. For more information, contact us today!

Full-time care at the Upper Main Line YMCA ranges from $240/week – $340/week depending on the child’s age and YMCA membership status. YMCA members receive discounted rates on childcare. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify. 

Families with more than one student in our Early Learning programs can submit a Sibling Discount request to apply a discount to their registration. If you have any enrollment adjustments, please fill out our Youth Program Change Form.

Complete the form below to request more information:

The YMCA is a non-profit charitable organization that offers income-based membership rates and financial assistance for programs for those unable to pay the standard rates. Ask us for details. 

Equal Opportunity – Admissions and the provisions of services shall be made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, ancestry, national origin (including limited English proficiency) age or sex. 

is there any benefit from it?

I am glad to welcome you, dear readers! I want to ask you an interesting question: have you heard anything about fasting? Do you have friends who have experienced it for themselves?

Personally, I have heard about fasting. I have not tested it myself, but I read about its beneficial and negative properties. Among my acquaintances there are even people who went through fasting. Whether this is good or bad, we will try to find out today. We will also consider one of the most popular options – fasting 1 day a week.

Contents

1. What is fasting?
2. Intermittent fasting
3. Fasting 24 hours
4. Daily food restriction
5. Paul Bragg fasting
6. Conclusion

What counts as fasting?

The question cannot be answered unambiguously. One camp of alternative medicine and life extension practitioners argue that fasting is no food and lots of water. Supporters of this theory are: Paul Bregg, Yuri Nikolaev.

The other camp is convinced only of the benefits of dry fasting. Since it creates more severe conditions for the body and forces it to start the processes of removing toxins and poisons as quickly as possible. Dry fasting, in addition to the absence of food, is carried out without the use of water. Supporters of this approach are: Valentina Lavrova, Leonid Shchennikov, Sergei Filonov.

Despite different points of view, it can be said that fasting is the intentional abstinence from eating any food in order to benefit the body.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting (IP) is one of the most sparing options for fasting. It gives you the opportunity to metered into your normal life rhythm periods of hunger strikes. There are various systems for conducting periodic abstinence from food.

Fasting 24 hours

This system requires fasting for 24 hours. It is necessary to arrange such “unloading” days once a week.

The entry and exit from hunger is important. Before you close the refrigerator for 24 hours, you need to eat tightly. But don’t overeat! After a meal, you should not have a feeling of heaviness. The exit from fasting should be smooth. The first meal can be a vegetable salad and a piece of boiled fish or chicken. After all, your stomach needs to get involved in work after a vacation, albeit not a long one.

Drinking plenty of water is allowed and even encouraged during fasting. It is water, since it does not contain calories. Juices and other drinks are not allowed. But there are exceptions!

If you are working with iron and use fasting to get rid of excess weight, then it will be advisable to use amino acids to prevent muscle breakdown. But numerous studies show no difference in changes in body composition between diets with and without intermittent fasting. Along with this, the probability of negative consequences from the use of GHGs is several times higher.

The duration of the fasting period may not necessarily last 24 hours. You can reduce the time of abstinence from food to 16 hours.

Separately, I would like to mention people involved in body building, but prone to rapid weight loss. You for weight loss starvation is strictly prohibited. After all, every gram of muscle gained must be protected like the apple of an eye with the help of proper nutrition and good sleep. Especially dry!

Daily food restriction

There is also a system in which you can starve every day. The following rule applies here: divide the day into two parts, eat in one of them, and not in the other.

Parts may vary in length. For example 10 am and 2 pm. But the greatest result, according to the author, brings 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of food. At 8 o’clock you need to fit all the daily calories. At the same time, it is not necessary to eat often, as many fitness athletes are used to. Enough three meals, but plump.

The essence of this system is that after 16 hours of fasting, the body activates the process of fat burning and accelerates metabolism. The other 8 hours are needed to get the necessary nutrients before training and recuperate after it.

Martin Berhan is considered to be the creator of such a system. And as he claims, as a result of daily food restriction, he managed to achieve impressive results.

To get the most out of this technique, you need to follow certain rules:

1. Eat a high amount of protein on all days.
2. On training days, slightly increase calories by increasing the carbohydrate content of the diet while reducing fat.
3. On rest days, on the contrary, it is worth reducing carbohydrates and increasing the amount of fat in food.

Berkhan allows the use of low-calorie drinks during the diet, such as Diet Coke. He also does not exclude the possibility of eating fast carbohydrates (confectionery, fruits), but only after a workout.

Despite the advantages of his method described by him, such an approach seems extremely doubtful and will most likely lead to the opposite result!

Paul Bragg Fasting

Possibly one of the most famous proponents of therapeutic fasting, not only in America but throughout the world. No wonder his book “The Miracle of Starvation” was sold in millions of copies in the shortest possible time after publication. Of course, the fasting system he outlined was criticized more than once by other specialists. Reviews of those who have lost weight according to his method are often negative.

Moreover, many skeptics argue that Bragg’s good health is not the result of starvation, but of natural nutrition, a clean environment and a psycho-emotional state. By the way, he could afford to live in the most heavenly corners of our planet, eat the highest quality products and just enjoy life. And perhaps it was this that had a positive effect on his body.

According to Bragg, fasting is the most effective way to prolong life. He promoted the theory that our body is poisoned by various poisons that enter us from the outside. They can penetrate with water, with food and with polluted air. The only way to get rid of them is hunger. Bragg himself went hungry for about 70 days a year. But I did it at intervals, using intermittent fasting 1 day a week and four 7-10 day intervals 4 times a year.

He only drank distilled water, as he was opposed to ordinary water because of its mineral content. He believed that inorganic minerals burden our body and harm it.

Beginners in fasting Bregg advised to start with periodic one-day fasting. As the body gets used to it, you can increase the intervals without food up to 36 hours or more. Some of his clients went as far as 30 days of continuous fasting! But such a radical approach seems dubious. For example, the physiologist Minvaleev claims that after 3-4 days, dystrophic processes in the brain can begin from a lack of glucose.

In addition, there is a risk of developing acidosis (acidification of the blood), which can lead to sad consequences.
Fasting has its contraindications. In particular, with acute pancreatitis, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, cirrhosis of the liver and a number of other diseases, one should not starve. In any case, it is better to carry out the fasting process under the supervision of a doctor.

Conclusion

Fasting can be beneficial. Many studies prove this. After all, it is not without reason that clinics have been actively operating in our country since the 80s, in which there are 9 patients.0098 starve treat with hunger. Meanwhile, the use of intermittent fasting in sports can have negative consequences for your performance. The most rational way out if you want to keep yourself in good shape can be a balanced diet (5-6 times a day) and an active lifestyle.

With that, I say goodbye to you. Subscribe to updates by mail and repost on social networks. Bye Bye!

Why starve? One day of fasting rejuvenates for 3 months

During evolution, mankind had to starve so many times that the body developed a perfect mechanism of protection from starvation. Starting from the third day of fasting, only 100-200 grams of your own fat per day is enough to fully provide the body with energy. The reserves of trace elements and salts in the body are sufficient for several months of existence. The record of fasting, recorded by medicine, is more than 250 days, and with improved health. As a rule, in the absence of food in extreme conditions, the cause of death of people is not the lack of food, but psychological stress.

“On the fourth day of fasting, the hunger disappears, and there is a feeling that you are flying.”

“I need fasting as much as I need eyes, it opens a view of the spiritual world” (M. Gandhi.)

Lately, one-day fasts have become popular. Of course, compared with prolonged fasting, their effect is weaker. However, under certain conditions, the effect of even one-day fasting once a week can increase dramatically. For this, one-day fasting must be repeated. Medical professor Koda Mitsuo, known for his research on fasting, says:

“If you fast at the end of each week and carefully come out of fasting, you will get the effect of a long fast. In six months or a year, you will become healthy beyond recognition.

Therapeutic fasting is highly appreciated by many physicians and enjoys hidden popularity among specialists and entrepreneurs.

Here is what doctors say about one-day weekly fasting:

If one-day fasting once a week is continued for a year, this will improve the constitution of a person and save him from diseases.

Fatigue of the internal organs is largely relieved by one-day fasts. There are many cases where a mild degree of diabetes was cured only by allowing the pancreas to rest for several days of fasting.

ONE DAY OF FASTING REJUVENATES THE BODY FOR THREE MONTHS.

It turned out that even in ancient times Hippocrates, Avicenna, Paracelsus and other doctors treated patients with the help of fasting. At present, there is already a lot of scientific data that reveals the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of fasting, which stimulates the metabolism, rejuvenates the body and prevents aging.

The most amazing thing is that after such therapeutic fasting you look like after SPA procedures.

We don’t know what’s the matter, but the body is clearly being cleansed both externally and internally. By the way, if you have already decided to treat diseases with hunger, then in no case do not take any medicine. You can only drink water – often and in small portions.

By the way, short-term fasting, in addition to cleansing and a significant improvement in appearance, has another unexpected effect. It consists in increasing the power of imagination and the ability to create. For example, John Lennon, one of the legendary Beatles, practiced meditation and was fond of fasting. It is possible that his creative insights in the musical field were the result of not only talent and hard work, but also the periodic rejection of daily bread.

T.Toyo, a former member of the House of Commons of the Japanese Parliament, strongly recommended weekly one-day fasts to all doubters as a way to improve health and activate thinking. He repeatedly emphasized that this is not just a diet, because thanks to fasting, the head works better and ideas constantly arise.

METABOLISM EVEN INCREASES DURING SHORT-TERM FASTING.

It seems to people that they will suffer from unbearable hunger and will not be able to think normally if they do not eat every 2-3 hours. Imagine for a second the consequences from an evolutionary standpoint, if that were true. Considering that regular periods of fasting and even full-blown starvation were part of everyday life for primitive man, do you think we would have survived to this day if we could not function normally, when obtaining food was most critical?

Our body has developed very efficient mechanisms to maintain a certain level of sugar in the blood, even under extreme conditions, because. task is a high priority. If you were forced to fast for 24 hours and then run for 90 minutes at 70-75% of your maximum oxygen intake, your blood sugar levels after running would be the same as if you ran fed. In order for the blood sugar level to drop to a level that affects your mental activity, at least 3 days or 84 hours of fasting must pass; and then this is temporary, tk. the brain adapts to use ketone bodies for energy. During 48 hours of fasting or severe calorie restriction, blood sugar is maintained at a normal level and does not affect your cognitive abilities in any way.

The belief that skipping meals or intermittent fasting causes “fasting mode” is absurd and preposterous.

Why are we susceptible to myths?

In countless studies on the topic, show the first signs of a decrease in metabolism in response to fasting after 60 hours (-8% of resting metabolic rate). Other studies point to the stability of the metabolism up to 72-96 hours (George Cahill made a huge contribution to this topic).

36 hour fasting did not reveal any changes in the metabolism of the subjects. Moreover, food generally does not have a serious effect on metabolism.

It may sound paradoxical, but in fact, metabolism even increases during short-term fasting.

Studies have shown an increase of 3.6-10% after 36-48 hours (Mansell PI, et al, and Zauner C, et al). And that makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. Epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline/norepinephrine) sharpen our minds and make us do things. Just what is needed to motivate us to search for food, hunt for prey, thereby increasing the chances of survival. In a certain period, after several days without food, this mechanism becomes not beneficial for survival, and rather does more harm than good; instead, the energy conservation mechanism becomes more beneficial. But in any case, the metabolism increases during short-term fasting (up to 60 hours).

FASTING IS PRACTICED NOT ONLY TO RESTORE HEALTH AND PRESERVE YOUTH, BUT ALSO FOR SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT.

The profound influence of fasting on consciousness and the possibility of using this method for spiritual development is confirmed by the fact that in almost all known cultures, religions, directions of spiritual development there are references to it.

All the famous patriarchs of antiquity were starving.

– Moses was starving on the sacred mountain several times for 40 days and divine revelations and truths were revealed to him.

– Christ fasted for 40 days before bringing the new religion to the masses. There are references in the scriptures that Christ fasted for 40 days in several of his various incarnations.

– The Buddha fasted for 40 days shortly before his enlightenment, when the path to liberation was opened to him.

– Mohammed and Ali, the founders of the two branches of Islam, also practiced fasting for 40 days.

– Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, observed a fast for 12 years and during this period repeatedly experienced himself by starvation.

– Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki healing movement, fasted for 21 days on the mountain, in the place of power. After that, he became a conductor of healing life-giving energy.

Accordingly, in most religions and spiritual movements, fasting is prescribed for purification and development of fortitude.

Christianity has a fasting system that prescribes certain dietary restrictions and recommendations.

In fact, this is a way to switch to healthier food. Also during periods of fasting, it is recommended 2 days a week on Wednesdays and Fridays, complete abstinence from food, that is, hunger for water. In addition, true Christians are encouraged to fast for certain weeks during the entire fast.

Jesus Christ called upon his apostles to fast for the purification of soul and body, calling the body “the temple of the soul”.

Islam also has instructions for fasting. The most devout Muslims these days are starving dry.

In ancient traditions and cultures, fasting was widely used to prepare for various rituals. In many tribes, there was a ritual of the transition of a young man into a man in the form of initiation. To do this, the young man was subjected to a series of tests. One of the main tests was solitude and hunger, in some traditions quite a long time.

Warriors and hunters made objects of power in the form of amulets. In order for the item to really have power, the warriors cleansed themselves with the help of fasting.

The use of fasting in shamanic cultures was obligatory. Shamans retired for several days from places of power in nature and used only water. During this period, many truths were revealed to the shaman, he got the opportunity to negotiate with the forces of nature, acquired the gift of foresight, could predict the events that awaited the tribe, weather changes, dangers, surprises.

In the shamanic tradition there is a practice called “seeking visions”. It consists in the fact that the subject retires to a secluded place of power in nature, preferably in the mountains or in the forest. He stays there from 1 to 3 days, consumes only water. Being in solitude under the open sky, a person learns to feel the forces of nature more, to communicate with them. The basis of this process is the development of mindfulness. It is important to be attentive to all surrounding signs, to internal processes.

Fasting as a method of cleansing the body and developing the will and spirit is used in such ancient systems as qigong and yoga. It is known that Paul Bragg also regularly practiced yoga and cleansing pranayamas, but emphasized that his flexibility of the body, clarity of mind and freshness of breath are associated primarily with the effects of fasting.

SCIENTISTS FIND OUT WHY EXACTLY STARTING PROLONGES LIFE LIFE.

Back in the middle of the last century, it became clear that fasting significantly increases the life span of a wide variety of living beings, from unicellular yeasts to primates, but the cause of this phenomenon at the cellular level remained unknown.

A study by American biologists shows that the key lies in the changes in mitochondrial function provoked by starvation.

Scientists from Harvard, Cornell, and the US National Institutes of Health, led by Harvard Associate Professor David Sinclair, have identified two enzymes that mobilize mitochondria, often referred to as “energy factories,” during difficult times for cells. This allows prolonging the life of the cell and delaying its death. The mitochondrion is a cellular organelle that provides cellular respiration, as a result of which energy is released or stored in the easily usable form of adenazine triphosphate (ATP). In an article published in the latest issue of the journal Cell, scientists showed that fasting leads to the activation of a protein that promotes saturation of mitochondria with molecules of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), one of the main energy carriers in the cell.

It is the abundance of NAD, according to researchers, that makes it possible to fully use the “youth enzymes” of mitochondria encoded by SIRT3 and SIRT4 — instead of the natural extinction of organelle activity, which inevitably leads to the death of the entire cell, mitochondria not only restore their performance, but begin to work better, than ever before. The increased return with which mitochondria begin to produce energy can significantly slow down the aging process of cells, practically turning off the natural mechanism of suicide of old cells. Moreover, the activation of mitochondria is able to temporarily compensate for the loss of all other sources of life in the cell. Even if its core turns out to be completely inoperable, making further preservation of the vital unit pointless, the mechanism of cellular suicide refuses to start. How exactly mitochondria block cell death, scientists do not yet know.

FASTING AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS.

One of the characteristic symptoms of atherosclerosis is sluggish inflammation in the walls of the arteries, which is accompanied by the accumulation of macrophage immune cells. As scientists write in the journal Cell Metabolism, in such macrophages the waste processing mechanism is corrupted. The biomolecules in the cell gradually fail and must be replaced. Instead, newly synthesized molecules come, but the old ones also need to be put somewhere. To do this, there are special “self-digestion” systems in the cell – they break down a variety of molecular debris.

Researchers believe that if you activate the garbage collection system in cells, then the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis will greatly decrease. Of course, this opens up a wide field of activity for pharmacists. But, according to scientists, we can try on our own to bring the garbage-processing enzyme systems to life – with the help of fasting. Restrictions in food, a low-calorie diet will force the cells to look for additional energy resources, and they may turn out to be deposits of molecular debris inside the cells.

FASTING FOR SLIMMING.

If you competently and efficiently prepare for daily fasting, and do them consistently and systematically every week, then you can achieve good results for weight loss.

American experts say that even 1 day of fasting per month can be very beneficial for health.

Scientists conducted a study that showed that people who abstain from food every first Monday of the month have a 40% reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease. And in patients with asthma, the number of attacks decreases. According to experts, the mild stress that the body experiences during moderate fasting has a positive effect on immunity and reduces the likelihood of cancer. Some experts even say that it is not necessary to starve all day: you can skip breakfast or dinner. A prerequisite – if you have already decided to starve, then do it regularly and drink water during this process.

Fasting is the necessary chance, the opportunity that we give our body for self-recovery. The complete cessation of food intake allows the body to direct all its forces to the processes of removing waste and restoring the functions of all organs and systems. The body does everything itself, and we do not even fully know all the mechanisms by which this happens. Therefore, the concept – fasting treatment – does not reflect the essence of what is happening to us. You just stop eating and the body does the rest. In this regard, it becomes clear all the universality of this method of recovery, in which the entire body is involved and the limitations that are associated with the inability of the body to fully restore lost functions in advanced diseases.

FASTING HEADACHE.

Headache is often observed during therapeutic fasting. In this case, the pain is concentrated in the occipital region and is of a pressing or bursting character. Often the pain is very strong and even analgesics do not relieve it.

Usually the purpose of therapeutic fasting is to cleanse the body of toxins. The ancients spoke about this. “Eat for six days, fast for one,” they advised. Fasting, which is mentioned in the Bible, is not only a tribute to the Divine principle, but also a way to improve the body. After the winter doing nothing, plentiful meals – Great Lent. The body is cleansed. The body is healthy. Ease, spiritual clarity, inner purity appear.

Man, being the crown of the evolutionary process, has received the most perfect adaptive mechanism. When the body does not receive food from the outside, it switches to its own resources. “Their own” carbohydrates, proteins, fats, all obsolete old cells, painfully altered tissue, as well as tumors, edema, adhesions, slags go into the “energy furnace” – everything that the body does not need. During hunger, the body is cleansed of toxic substances that accumulate in it as a result of illness, medication, alcohol, tobacco, and malnutrition. Along with the stimulation of vital processes, the opposite process occurs – relaxation, rest of the most important systems and organs of our body.

Source: https://i24.info/health/zachem-golodat-odin-den-golodaniia-omolajivaet-na-3-mesiaca.html

This material is a private recording of a Club.CNews community member.
The editors of CNews are not responsible for its content.

What will happen to the body and organism if one eats once a day

https://rsport.ria.ru/20210825/eda-1747120164.html

What will happen to the body and body if you eat once a day – RIA Novosti Sport, 25.08.2021

What will happen to the body and body if you eat once a day too busy to eat three or four times a day – or a goal, provided that you practice … RIA Novosti Sport, 08/25/2021

2021-08-25T04:14

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MOSCOW, Aug 24 — RIA Novosti, Annalovina One meal can be a must-have – if you’re too busy to eat three or four times a day – or a goal, provided you practice intermittent fasting. Weight loss specialist Pavel Isanbaev tells RIA Novosti how the body will react to an extreme diet. When there is no time “If you eat once a day due to lack of time, then this situation has no advantages. You will weaken your metabolism: economy mode and, since the fasting period is very long, will begin to create strategic reserves of fat for yourself.Most likely you will unconsciously snack more often: coffee with cookies, tea with sweets.Most people do not even perceive this as a meal, although the body gets calories anyway “It is important that we eat with our eyes: when you eat once a day, the portion size is much larger. There is a higher risk of overeating, and pretty quickly you will get used to the behavior that leads to weight gain in the long term,” says Pavel Isanbaev. weight loss specialist, if you have gastrointestinal diseases, one meal a day will worsen your health. Ulcers and gastritis will worsen, which require increased fragmentation in nutrition, and thus the quality of life will decrease. The goal is to lose weight Some people eat once a day on purpose: this is intermittent fasting in its extreme version. There is an “easy” fasting protocol, when a person goes without food for 16 hours, and can eat for the remaining eight hours. But there is also a tougher one: you starve for 23 hours, and take only one hour a day to eat. According to the doctor, testosterone and growth hormone are increased in men under 25 years old – this combination of hormones allows you to maintain muscle mass more easily than women under 25 -ty (they also have increased growth hormone compared to older women). However, if a young man has problems with the gastrointestinal tract that require fractional nutrition, then intermittent fasting will do harm: it will exacerbate the disease and worsen their prognosis. The question of quality One meal should be balanced. Proponents of intermittent fasting often have the illusion that by taking an hour a day to eat, you can eat whatever you want, and the body will digest it normally. “With a single meal a day, you need to think more seriously about what you eat than with three – and four meals a day. It is required to calculate whether you will get the right amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The opinion that eating once a day saves time and allows you not to think about food is wrong. In fact, a person feels very hungry , he needs not to overeat during the only meal and make it useful, “explains Pavel Isanbaev.

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nutrition, health, weight loss

Healthy lifestyle, Nutrition, Health, Slimming

MOSCOW, August 24 – RIA Novosti, Anna Chernogolovina. One meal can be a forced measure – if you are too busy to eat three or four times a day – or a goal, provided that you practice intermittent fasting. How the body will react to an extreme diet, RIA Novosti says weight loss specialist Pavel Isanbaev.

When there is no time

“If you eat once a day due to lack of time, then this situation has no advantages. stores of fat.Most likely you will unconsciously snack more often: coffee with cookies, tea with candy.Most people do not even perceive this as a meal, although the body receives calories anyway.It is important that we eat with our eyes: when you eat once a day , the portion size is much larger. There is a higher risk of overeating, and pretty quickly you will get used to the behavior that leads to weight gain in the long term, “says Pavel Isanbaev.

According to a weight loss specialist, if you have gastrointestinal problems, one meal a day will worsen your health. Ulcers and gastritis will become aggravated, which require increased fragmentation in nutrition, and thus the quality of life will decrease.

July 30, 2021, 03:24PM Healthy

Named a product that burns fat while you sleep

The goal is to lose weight

Some people eat once a day on purpose: this is intermittent fasting in its extreme version. There is an “easy” fasting protocol, when a person goes without food for 16 hours, and can eat for the remaining eight hours. But there is a tougher one: you starve for 23 hours, and take only one hour a day to eat.

“This type of diet may be suitable for some people: young men under 25 whose metabolism is not so affected. In women, intermittent fasting in general does not have a very good effect on hormonal balance and can even cause premature menopause. Women are more active than men , lose muscle mass during starvation: when they lose weight, they visually decrease due to the muscles, while the fat layer remains in place, ”continues Pavel Isanbaev.

According to the doctor, men under 25 have increased testosterone and growth hormone – this combination of hormones allows you to maintain muscle mass more easily than women under 25 (they also have increased growth hormone compared to older women). However, if a young man has problems with the gastrointestinal tract that require fractional nutrition, then intermittent fasting will do harm: it will exacerbate the disease and worsen their prognosis.

September 7, 2020, 15:00Healthy lifestyle

Intermittent fasting: how to lose weight without harm to the body

A question of quality

One meal should be balanced. Supporters of intermittent fasting often have the illusion that by taking an hour a day to eat, you can eat whatever you want, and the body will digest it normally.

“With a single meal a day, you need to think more seriously about what you eat than with three or four meals a day. You need to calculate whether you will get the right amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Opinion that eating once a day saves time and allows you not to think about food – wrong. In fact, a person feels very hungry, he needs not to overeat during a single meal and make it useful, “explains Pavel Isanbaev. 912 July 2021 News-Armenia. It has long been known and scientifically proven that intermittent fasting is good for health. Our ancestors regularly fasted and went on hunger strikes for a certain period, because. such unloading of the body helped to purify not only the body, but also to clarify the mind.

The cult of food arose in modern society – we try to eat regularly, often, without even having time to feel real hunger. But such a diet does not have the best effect on well-being.

Professor of Medicine Koda Mitsuo, known for his research in the field of fasting, says: “If you fast at the end of each week and carefully come out of fasting, you will get the effect of a long fast. In six months or a year, you will become healthy beyond recognition” .

Therapeutic starvation is highly appreciated by many doctors and enjoys hidden popularity among specialists, writes fitpozitiv.ru.

What doctors say

If one-day fasting once a week is continued for a year, it will improve the constitution of a person and save him from diseases.

Fatigue of the internal organs is largely relieved by one-day fasts. There are many cases where a mild degree of diabetes was cured only by allowing the pancreas to rest for several days of fasting.

One day of fasting rejuvenates the body for three months.

It turned out that even in ancient times Hippocrates, Avicenna, Paracelsus and other doctors treated patients with the help of fasting. At present, there is already a lot of scientific data that reveals the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of fasting, which stimulates the metabolism, rejuvenates the body and prevents aging.

During complete fasting, the energy that we spent on digesting food is used to treat existing diseases and, in fact, to purify. There are many examples of the fact that an empty stomach copes with a runny nose in two days, with the strongest flu – in three.

By the way, if you decide to treat diseases with hunger, then it is absolutely not recommended to take any kind of medicine.

You can only drink water – often and in small portions. You need to drink 1.5-2 liters of fluid per day. In addition to pure water, you can drink a weak rosehip infusion or herbal tea (no sugar!).

Order in thoughts

By the way, short-term fasting, in addition to cleansing and a significant improvement in appearance, has another unexpected effect. It consists in increasing the power of imagination and the ability to create. For example, John Lennon, one of the legendary Beatles, practiced meditation and was fond of fasting. It is possible that his creative insights in the musical field were the result of not only talent and hard work, but also the periodic rejection of daily bread.

T.Toyo, a former member of the House of Commons of the Japanese Parliament, strongly recommended weekly one-day fasts to all doubters as a way to improve health and activate thinking. He repeatedly emphasized that this is not just a diet, because thanks to fasting, the head works better, and ideas constantly arise.

The only thing that should not be forgotten: before fasting, it is necessary to cleanse the body. To do this, 2 days before the scheduled date, animal products should be excluded from the diet and switched to a cereal-vegetable diet. The menu should consist of all kinds of cereals, vegetables and fruits. You should always start with no more than 1-2 days of fasting, then move on to 3 days. How long the hunger lasted – so much the way out of it.

It is possible to alternate one-, two-, three-day fasting in succession, ending each with the same duration of exit from the process. A further increase in the timing should be carried out after longer breaks. Gradually, you can bring fasting up to 7 days. It is advisable to carry it out once every 6 months. Longer fasting at home (at least until it is properly mastered) is not recommended.

And most importantly, in the process of self-purification, an optimistic attitude is very important. Start fasting, believe in success, and you will achieve amazing results. The body will independently cope with any diseases, and when regular fasting becomes your habit, you will generally stop getting sick.

Weight loss effect

If you properly and efficiently prepare for daily fasting, and do them consistently and systematically every week, you can achieve good results for weight loss.

Experts say that the mild stress experienced by the body during moderate fasting has a positive effect on the immune system and reduces the likelihood of cancer. A prerequisite – if you have already decided to starve, then do it regularly and drink water during this process.

Where to start?

You have to start with the mood. At first, fasting causes discomfort, a slight stressful constant background, and in order to overcome it, one must have sufficient motivation.

On the day before fasting, you need to show restraint in food, it is advisable not to drink alcohol, not to eat a lot at night, not to eat meat in the evening.

Try to find something to do. It is better if these are things in the fresh air, in the country, in the forest. You should not arrange your first fast at work. Possible problems in the form of various unpleasant sensations – headaches, dizziness, weakness, bad mood, bad breath, relationships with others can deteriorate, and starvation itself is difficult. In the future, you can learn to starve “on the job” and no one will even notice.

Walkthrough

Sunday. At 18:00 light dinner, then try to go to bed early.

Monday. Throughout the day (until 18:00), as thoughts about food arise, drink water.

Monday 18:00, exit from fasting. Make a salad of grated carrots (not seasoned). Then you can eat a piece of bread, preferably coarse, stale. After 2 hours, you can cook porridge (preferably on water and without oil).

P. Bregg has developed a special package of recommendations for nutrition during the recovery period after a one-day fast.

1 day (24 hours) = 1/3 teaspoon raw honey and 1 teaspoon lemon juice can be added to distilled water if desired, this makes the water pleasant and dissolves mucus and toxins.

At the end of this fast, the first meal should be a salad of fresh vegetables, mainly grated carrots and grated cabbage. As a seasoning, you can use lemon or orange juice. Such a dish acts like a broom for the intestines. After that, you can eat boiled vegetables, such as stewed tomatoes, various greens, such as spinach, as well as pumpkin, collard greens, cooked celery, or string beans.

Never interrupt a fast with animal products: meat, cheese, fish, nuts or seeds. No acidic food should be consumed for 2 days.

Anyone can go without food and water for several days without serious consequences, and only our ignorance makes us die of fear in such a short time. -0-

Intermittent fasting experiment | FPA

Authors: John M. Berardi with Dr. KrIsta Scott-Dixon and Nate Green.

Translation – S. Strukov.

Part 1. Science or fiction?

Overview of benefits

Intermittent fasting (IF) is the name given by experts to the practice of intermittently going without food for long periods of time.
time. In fact, we are in a similar state every day during
sleep. The time interval from the last meal to the first after sleep (a typical sleep-wake cycle) is called fasting. Interval
between the first meal and the last meal is called a meal. Taking into account
a regular dinner at 20.00 and breakfast at 8.00 we get an average ratio of 12/12.

Estimated benefits
PG for humans and animals (other than “look better”, “feel better”,
“live longer”) include physiological changes:

decline

• blood lipids (including lowering triglycerides and LDL)
• blood pressure (probably due to changes in sympathetic/parasympathetic activity)
• inflammation markers (C-reactive protein, IL-6, BDNF-brain-derived neurotrophic factor, etc. )
• oxidative stress (signs of damage to proteins, lipids and DNA were used)
• cancer risk (through a variety of proposed mechanisms, we leave them for another review).

Increase

• cell turnover and repair (cellular autophagocytosis)
• “burning” fat (increased fatty acid oxidation as you fast)
• release of growth hormone during fasting (hormonally mediated)
• metabolic rate during fasting (stimulation by the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine).

Improvement

• Appetite control (probably via changes in Y-peptide and ghrelin)
• sugar control (by lowering blood glucose and improving insulin sensitivity)
• positive effect of chemotherapy (allowing you to take high doses more often)
• neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity (by protection from neurotoxins).

We get some of these effects by fasting during normal sleep. However, recent studies have shown that some of these benefits can only be obtained with a longer fast of 20-24 hours. If you are very active or specifically train on an empty stomach, you can get similar benefits by fasting for 16-20 hours.

Important note: is strongly recommended to train regardless of whether or not PG is used. Although exercise also provides some of these benefits, when combined with PG, many scientists believe that the impact on energy balance and cellular adaptation is increased. However, without supporting research data, this is just wishful thinking.

Problems related to the justification of the concept of intermittent fasting

Problem #1

Most of the studies have been done on animals (rats and monkeys). Those experiments that involved humans were often done with a small control group (an excellent review is in the bibliography). In addition, the findings from the studies have raised more questions than answers about GHGs.

Factors that make it difficult to obtain data: 1) people are reluctant to take part in such studies, despite good pay; 2) Few companies with funds will agree to fund fasting experiments.

What drew Krista Scott-Dixon’s attention to the issue of GHGs: when studying the impact of Ramadan on the health of Muslims (heart disease and markers of inflammation), it turned out that during this period, some recorded the best indicators of the year.

Issue #2

PG is often compared to “normal” food. The word “normal” is in quotation marks because the North American diet is on average hypercaloric. Since GHG is usually associated with a negative energy balance, the comparison is incorrect: overeating and undereating are compared. Therefore, the health benefits may be due simply to caloric restriction rather than to the PG regimen.

Not determined but interesting

In addition to calorie control in PG, a correction is made for macro- and micronutrients. Perhaps for similar health benefits, we could simply stop eating processed foods, additives, and pollutants.

Despite the fact that there is no scientific evidence regarding the benefits of GHG,
recommended: don’t wait for proper research, start
live better today. Control your food intake
exercise and you’ll get many, if not all, of the benefits listed above.

One of the good friends of the authors, Alvin Cosgrove, drew attention to the fact that clients skipped breakfast and, thus, starved for 16-18 hours, but eventually gained weight. When clients began to eat breakfast regularly, there were improvements. In this regard, it is important to understand that breakfast is not the reason, but overeating in the evening. Breakfast simply helped them eat less, including through better control over their meals. So all you need is a good calorie intake plan.

The authors suggest that PG is the best exercise and nutrition strategy for improving lifestyle and health.

Part 2. Why intermittent fasting?

Nate has been training and watching nutrition for about 20 years. He’s trained and it’s not
empty words. Test data before the start of the experiment

• Age: 37 years old.
• Height: 173 cm.
• Weight: 86 kg.
• Body fat: 10%.
• Bench press result: 160 kg.
• Deadlift result: 205 kg.
• Run 40 yards (36.6 m): 4.9 s.
• Vertical jump: 81 cm.

Blood count	Meaning	Normal values ​​
Glucose	5.0 mmol/l	3.6 – 6.0
Creatinine	103 mmol/l	62-115
eGFR glomerular filtration rate	72 ml/min/1.73m2	60-89
AST (aspartate aminotransferase)	34 U/l	7 – 37
cholesterol	3. 78 mmol/l	< 5.0
LDL	2.24 mmol/l	< 3.36
HDL	1.15 mmol/l	> 1.04
Cholestrol/HDL	3.3	< 4
Triglycerides	0.86 mmol/l	< 1.69
Hemoglobin	154 g/l	135 – 175
WBC content of leukocytes	4.3 X 109 cells/l	4 – 11
RBC content of erythrocytes	4.95 X 1012 cells/l	4.5 – 6.0
MCV mean volume of erythrocyte	87.1 fl	80 – 100
MCH content of hemoglobin in erythrocyte	31.1 pg	27.5 – 33.0
MCHC mean concentration of hemoglobin in erythrocyte	357 g/l	305 – 360
RDW distribution of erythrocytes by volume (variability)	12. 2%	11.5 – 14.5
Neutrophils	1.3 X 109 cells/l	2.0 – 7.5
Lymphocytes	2.2 X 109 cells/l	1.0 – 3.5
Monocytes	0.6 X 109 cells/l	0.2 – 1.0
Eosinophils	0.2 X 109 cells/l	0 – 0.5
Basophils	0	0 – 0.2
PLT platelet content	169 X 109 cell/l	150 – 400
GGT gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase	10 U/l	15-73
Thyrotropin	1.62 mlU/l	0.35 – 5
Testosterone	28.9 mmol/l	8.4 – 28.7

For about 20 years, Nate maintained good health and high fitness, weight fluctuations did not exceed 5 kg in each direction.

Nate’s original motivation was scientific and personal curiosity. PG is a challenge to conventional wisdom, especially for people like Nate, who have been eating on a schedule for about 20 years, 4 to 7 times a day. The best way to learn about a system is to try it out, research data is always limited.

In addition, new goals were set. Nate had long wanted to reach a master level in athletics: the 100m and 200m sprints. Despite the fact that the weight was 86 kg, Nate was heavy and slow and wanted to reduce it to an acceptable 77 – 80 kg.

So, Knight’s goals:

• lose 6-9 kg mainly due to fat
• leave a new body composition
• feel good
• don’t lose health.

Part 3. Intermittent Fasting Review: Comparing IF Programs

Brief overview of GHG programs:

Alternate day fasting (ADF). Fasting every other day.
(36 hungry/12 full hours)
According to this plan, you eat every other day. So, on Monday you eat from 8 am to 8 pm. Then you fast overnight and Tuesday. Eat again from 8 to 20 on Wednesday and fast overnight and Thursday. And so on. On the day of consumption of food, it is recommended to select “healthy” foods and eat what you want.

Meal-skipping. Skipping meals.
(Random)
Some PG supporters believe that one should act like evolutionary principles. Exercise and food are taken without a strict schedule. Appropriate food is offered (e.g., the Paleo Diet), calorie intake varies randomly, and breakfast or dinner is randomly skipped once or twice a week. The rules are very flexible.

Eat Stop Eat. Yes/No
Fasting 24 hours, 1-2 times a week.
According to the plan, you fast for 24 hours once or twice a week, consuming a lot of protein and little processed food, etc. on the rest of the week. You can choose any 24 hours. For example, breakfast on Monday, and then breakfast on Tuesday or dinner on Wednesday, and the next meal is dinner on Thursday.

Leangains. Dry weight
(16 hours fast/8 meals)
In addition to the 8/16 hour diet, there are a few ground rules: high protein diet, carbohydrate cycling, inclusion of training on an empty stomach, nutrient timing is maintained (most of the calories are consumed after training). According to the plan, you fast from 21.00 on Monday to 13.00 on Tuesday. You can train until 13.00 on Tuesday, taking 10 g of BCAAs during training. After class, you eat 2-3 times before 21.00, the largest meal immediately after class. Fasting starts again on Tuesday evening and continues until 13.00 on Wednesday. And so it is repeated every day.

Warrior Diet. Warrior Diet
(20 hours fast/4 hours food)
The plan calls for you to fast or eat only a limited amount of the recommended foods for 18 to 20 hours each day. 4 – 6 hours are allotted for meals, for example, a family dinner. Exercise before the meal period. The time for meals can be selected in accordance with the individual schedule.

Principles and Variations

Principle #1. Reducing the time of eating and increasing the duration of fasting

Most protocols simply extend your usual nighttime fasting to 16, 24, or 36 hours. At the same time, the period of food consumption is reduced to 4, 8 or 12 hours.

Principle #2. Advantages and disadvantages of different clock ratio

As mentioned earlier, some PG proponents believe that longer periods of fasting—36 hours or more—provide greater health and disease prevention benefits.

However, long periods are a double-edged sword. Gaining muscle mass and maintaining it is the most important part of a healthy life and old age, not to mention good appearance and physical fitness. Unfortunately, prolonged fasting can be detrimental to muscle health and performance. It can also lead to nutrient deficiencies.

In this regard, people interested in good physical shape prefer short periods of fasting (15 – 20 hours), which ends with training and a period of eating of 4 – 9 hours. hours. The following advantages of such a strategy are expected:

• Exercising on an empty stomach can lead to a physiological state similar to longer fasting.
• Eating immediately after exercise promotes better muscle recovery and nutrient intake.

Principle #3. Keep in touch with reality

Even if studies show the benefit of a plan, you should not follow it if problems arise. Try shortening your fasting periods.

Fasting once a week for 36 hours isn’t difficult, but you don’t have to force yourself to stick to a 36-hour fast every other day, especially if you’re exercising regularly, as it increases your calorie and nutrient needs.

Why do you need to decide for yourself?

Research data is conflicting, no one knows the preferred duration of fasting in a particular case – fat loss, muscle preservation, disease prevention or longevity. But this is not a problem, as long as there is a sensible approach with a focus on one’s own feelings.

Considering the period of experiments with different populations, it can be assumed that in 5–7 years we will clarify the advantage of PG, and in 10–12 years we will establish which protocol is “best”.

Don’t wait for these decisions. Make positive changes in your life now. Experiment and find the ratio that suits your needs.

Caution: combine exercise with fasting – this is the preferred strategy (see Parts 5 and 6).

Part 4. Week with one day of fasting: the first experiment with intermittent fasting

Fasting was carried out every Sunday.
From Monday to Friday, daily energy intake was 2,500 kcal, about 500 kcal below normal intake. On Saturday, a day was arranged with a relatively free food intake of 4,000 – 6,000 kcal for 4 – 5 meals, before each meal, Nate did 100 push-ups, as he believed that the pectoral muscles were lagging behind in development.

Meals included plenty of protein, vegetables, various nuts, fish oil, properly cooked beans, low starch and sugar, and 2 liters of water.

Training and Nutrition Chart

Parameter	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Training	upper body, Strength exercises 45 minutes	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes	upper body, circuit training 30 minutes	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes	Lower body Strength exercises 45 minutes	100 pushups before every meal	No exercise
Nutrition	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Meals without restrictions until 22. 00 5000 kcal	Fasting Until Monday Morning 0 kcal

Nutrition rules

Monday to Friday (2500 kcal)

Meal frequency: 4 times a day with breaks of 4 – 5 hours

Regardless of meals, daily consumption:

• 227 g pure protein
• 3 fists (3 cups x 250g) vegetables
• Half handful – 125 g raw nuts
• Half handful – 125 g beans
• 500 ml (2 cups) water

Supplements (daily):

• 1 multivitamin tablet
• 4000 IU Vitamin D
• 15ml (tablespoon) fish oil
• 10g BCAA pre-workout

Saturday

Eat as much as you want in compliance with the rules:

• break most of the rules of the previous regime
• eat to satisfaction, but not so that it becomes bad
• focus on increasing carbs, not fat
• 100 pushups before every meal
• We stop eating at 22. 00.

Sunday

Fasting from Saturday 22.00 to Monday morning

“We eat” 3 times on Sunday, each meal includes:

1 liter of herbal drink, a glass of green tea, 5 g of BCAAs.

For people with obsessive-compulsive disorder
(obsessive compulsive disorder): Nate almost never counts calories with special calculators, instead using the fist and palm rule. A fist-sized cup of vegetables; 113 g of protein is a piece of meat, poultry or fish about the size of the palm of your hand. These rules allow you to stay in the zone of normal calorie intake without additional weighing food and counting calories. In addition, Nate recommends learning to recognize signs of appetite and hunger. 2500 kcal Nate used in the past for weight loss, so he had the opportunity to compare the “palm method” and previous calculations. Naturally, people differ in body size, metabolic rate and activity levels, but Nate believes that palms and fists correspond.

Results of an 8-week experiment

For 8 weeks, Nate lost 5.5 kg. As can be seen from the graph, the loss was non-linear, with a weight loss of 2 kg in the first week, which seems to be due to fluid loss due to the transition to a low-carbohydrate diet. The next 7 weeks, the losses stabilized and amounted to 450 – 900 g per week.

It is very important to note that the results must be compared on the same day, but not after the “no limit” day (Nate’s weight increased by 450–900 g) or after a day of fasting (Nate’s weight decreased by 450-900 g). In this experiment, the evaluation day was Friday, measurements were taken in the morning in a similar state and with a standard meal/fluid intake the day before.

Based on body composition measurements, 60% weight loss was from fat, 40% was from lean mass, Nate surmises from water, as strength was stable and sufficient protein was being consumed.

The state of health during the week was excellent, a day without food Nate describes separately. In his opinion, it is important to occupy yourself with something to distract yourself from hunger signals. At the start of the day, Nate couldn’t think of anything but food, but as the day progressed, hunger waned in waves. After 16.00 it became much easier. Nate spent time with his family and did not train that day.

Over time, fasting is tolerated easier and easier, and for 7-8 weeks does not cause any discomfort at all.

The most important change in well-being, according to Nate, is the ease of being on such a regimen, in contrast to the classical scheme, where there is a calorie deficit throughout the week. The state of health is excellent, there is no depression, lack of energy and a constant desire to return to “normal nutrition”.

Also, on his fasting day, Nate realized how much time it takes to cook, eat, and clean. This is the time that you can devote to other important things. After completely giving up food, a new week with calorie restriction is perceived with optimism.

Lessons learned:

• Fasting once a week works very well, but does not reduce weight more or better than a regular diet.
• Nate’s mood, energy, lifestyle and tolerance were better than with normal calorie restriction.
• The desire to return to this form of body recomposition.
• Fasting once a week suits Nate’s lifestyle.

Part 5. Fasting 2 days a week: when everything goes wrong

The first 8 weeks were successful, but in the last week weight loss slowed down, requiring a more aggressive strategy.

Nate in this case usually reduced calories to 2300 kcal or increased activity for 30 minutes, which led to the desired result.

Despite the fact that Nate constantly recommends this strategy to his clients, for himself he decided to choose a more radical method – two hungry days a week.

The new plan looked like this:

Parameter	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Training	upper body Strength exercises 45 minutes	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes	upper body, circuit training 30 minutes	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes	Lower body Strength exercises 45 minutes	100 pushups before every meal	No exercise
Nutrition	Moderate Calorie 2500 kcal	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Fasting until Tuesday morning	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Meals without restrictions until 22. 00 5000 kcal	Fasting Until Monday Morning 0 kcal

Logically, a 2,500-calorie deficit per week should have resulted in additional fat loss, but in fact, Nate’s weight dropped from 81 to 77.5 kg. Of these 3.5 kg, almost 2 kg was lean body weight. Nate felt weak and exhausted, especially in his face.

In addition, Nate began to worry about the content of fat and sugar in food, he could not think about anything other than nutrition.
Krista joins Nate: two hunger strikes a week allowed her to reach a weight of 50 kg with a height of 152 cm and 15% body fat, but outwardly she looked emaciated, which caused concern among family members.

Nate decided to leave 2 fasting days a week, but rethink the strategy a bit.

Plan 2.0

Parameter	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Training	upper body Strength exercises 45 minutes	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes; 100 push-ups before each meal	upper body, circuit training 30 minutes	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes	Lower body Strength exercises 45 minutes	100 pushups before every meal	No exercise
Nutrition	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Meals without restrictions until 22. 00 5000 kcal	Fasting until Tuesday morning	Moderate calories 2500 kcal	Moderate Calorie 2500 kcal	Meals without restrictions until 22.00 5000 kcal	Fasting Until Monday Morning 0 kcal

Unfortunately for Nate, the change put everything back in place. After two weeks, the body weight stabilized at 77.5 kg on the assessment day, the state of health improved. After a day of increased energy intake, weight increased by a kilogram, after a day without food, it decreased by about the same amount.

The uncontrollable desire to eat disappeared, but Nate still noted that he was counting how much time remained before a high-calorie day. Krista recommends listening to your body if you have an overwhelming craving for sweets or other “forbidden foods” that is realized on days without restrictions – this is your body’s signal: you need to change something in your plan.

Conclusion: the regime with two hungry days was not suitable for him.

If your program stops running, makes the least possible
changes, don’t stop the program abruptly, don’t try something radical or fundamentally different.

Notes from Krista: what else not to do

• If something is going well, more is not better. Remember that fasting is physiological stress. Make it short, manageable, and periodic.
• Keep track of your general stress level. For example, household problems, diseases and training load.
• Do not exercise too much or too hard with regular fasting if you have limited the total calorie intake. “Too much” is an individual concept, but there are some general guidelines:
• Strength training no more than 3 – 4 hours per week
• Metabolic training no more than 2 – 3 short sessions per week (interval, circuit)
• Cardio training no more than 1 – 2 hours per week (if necessary).

I ask you to pay attention to endurance athletes and supporters of the now fashionable direction of “CrossFit” that the combination of extreme training loads and fasting is a very, very bad idea.

• Long, low-intensity workouts work well together
  with intermittent fasting.

If you want to reduce fat and improve health, then cut back on strength training and add more daily activity.

Notes from Krista: hormonal responses

After switching to a program with two fasting days, Nate’s production of sex hormones decreased: testosterone, DHEA, LH, FSH, etc.

For men this means mood swings, muscle reduction, a decrease in overall energy and cheerfulness. Fortunately, during a high-calorie diet (enough protein and fat), the production of most sex hormones is easily restored.

For women the consequences are more serious. Their hormonal system is more sensitive to energy intake and changes in food intake than men. Unfortunately, women tend to exercise a lot (especially for endurance and cardio) while limiting nutrition (especially essential nutrients). Vegetarians/vegans are at the highest risk. The menstrual cycle is an excellent indicator of hormonal imbalances. When your periods are irregular or, worse, disappear, you’re in trouble. In Krista’s case, two days of fasting a week, combined with overly intense training, as well as general life stress and anxiety, resulted in levels of estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, LH/FSH, and cortisol dropping to near zero. The hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries refused to work. A thirty-five-year-old woman was in a state of menopause. Krista has seen this happen to many female clients in their early 20s.

Of course, if you are pregnant, a long period of fasting is not for you.

Men and women with disorders of the hormonal glands (adrenal glands, thyroid) experience excessive stress during prolonged fasting.

Intermittent fasting can be helpful for insulin sensitivity and some other hormonal problems, such as polycystic ovary syndrome in women or excessive aromatization of testosterone in men.

With regard to the normal function of the hormonal system, PG should be used carefully, in compliance with safety measures and deliberately. Listen to your body’s signals.

Part 6. Daily fasting

Nate decided to apply the “Leangains” method popularized by Martin Berkhan, who claims on his blog that he likes to drink, skip breakfast, train on an empty stomach, eat carbohydrates before bed, eat 2-3 times a day, in the new cycle. At the same time, Martin performs a deadlift of 270 kg, muscular, with a low percentage of fat and claims that he does not take anabolic drugs.

The Leangains (dry weight) method is based on a few simple rules:

• Fast 16 hours every day
• Use the remaining 8 hours for eating
• Train at high intensity several times a week, often on an empty stomach
• Take 10 g of BCAAs before or during your workout
• On a training day, eat 2 to 3 times, eating large portions of protein (meat), vegetables and carbohydrates
• Largest meal immediately after exercise
• On non-exercise days, eat 2-3 times protein (meat), vegetables and fats
• Eat predominantly whole, minimally processed foods instead of processed foods or supplements.

Differences between Leangains and traditional methods

Starvation

Most coaches stick to a 12/12 ratio (12 fasts/12 meals), while Martin prefers 16/8

Breakfast

Instead of breakfast, a small dose of BCAAs is usually used.

Power frequency

Most trainers recommend 4-6 small meals, Martin suggests 2-3 large ones.

Estimated Benefits of Leangains Fasted Training:

• Increased blood flow in adipose tissue
• Increasing the concentration of adrenaline and norepinephrine
• Slight increase in metabolism
• Decreased insulin levels
• Increasing the use of fatty acids for energy supply.

As mentioned earlier, one must be careful about excessively increasing the duration of abstinence from food.

It is important to eat the most food immediately after exercise, when the body is most receptive to nutrient uptake and subsequent protein synthesis.

16/8 ratio maintained every day

Nate’s New Program: Daily Fasting

Daily routine (daily):

• 8.00 lift, 500 ml water
• 9.00 1 l greens cocktail + 250 ml green tea
• 11.00 250 ml green tea
• 12.00 10g BCAA during training (except Saturday and Sunday)
• 13.30 First meal, largest
• 16.30 Second meal, medium size
• 20.30 Third meal, medium size
• From 21.00 to 13.00 the next day – fasting.

Training & Nutrition Chart

Tips from Krista: the “right” time to fast

Initially, Krista did not want to give up breakfast, so she chose to start fasting in the evening. However, she noted three things: 1) fatigue increased by the end of the day, she literally crawled to bed; 2) despite falling asleep quickly, sleep was not normal; 3) early rise – at 4 in the morning, adrenaline was released in the body to release sugar into the blood. Since many of our hormones are released in cycles, the adrenaline rush was as alarming and precise as the buzzing of an alarm clock. This led her to the idea of ​​skipping breakfast and lunch. Fasting began from 22 – 24 hours. In the morning Krista drank a cup of tea and went to work. After a good meal in the evening, she slept well.

Conclusion: when planning a fast, do what is convenient for you.

“Clean” and “dirty” food

It needs to be explained. Eating meat, vegetables, and unprocessed foods is necessary in most cases, but pizza and other processed foods can sometimes be indulged. Don’t cross the line. Be careful about eliminating “bad” foods entirely, as this can be a sign of orthorexia nervosa.

Just follow the rules: get enough complete protein, carbohydrates, eat vegetables and do not overeat.

Results of daily fasting

In the first four weeks, Nate’s body weight increased by almost two kilograms (slightly exceeding 79 kg). Assessment of body composition showed that the changes occurred due to dry mass. It is likely that the increase in carbohydrate intake led to an increase in muscle glycogen and fluid retention. In addition, fluctuations in body weight practically ceased, daily changes remained within 450-900 g. After 14 days, the state of health improved.

However, for the first 10-14 days:

• despite drinking a smoothie of greens, coffee, and green tea, Nate felt very bad about skipping breakfast before his first meal. Rumbling in the abdomen, moodiness, bouts of hunger and low mental concentration;
• from waking up to training, Nate couldn’t concentrate. Sometimes he spoke so slowly to his wife and team members that it looked like he had a stroke during the night. It affected relationships and work. Nate only stopped ignoring the family after the first meal and didn’t schedule meetings until 1pm.
• Nate became much more irascible than usual. He was clever and blew bubbles of rage in response to harmless comments or situations. It got to the point that Nate was annoyed that someone was around. Fortunately, friends and family were sympathetic to the situation. The experience of self-soothing and interaction during the period of one-day fasting played a positive role.

Starting from the 10th day, the improvement of well-being began, on the 12th day the improvement became noticeable and on the 14th day everything returned to normal. The new regime ceased to strain and began to bring pleasure.

Nate notes the appearance of vascularity and muscle fullness, which was not there before. Friends who had recently said that he looked thin and sickly began to admire his form, despite the fact that Nate had gained only a couple of kilograms. In his opinion, this was the effect of sufficient carbohydrate intake.

When you see someone who is thin but without vascularity, it can
mean two things:

1. The person is cold and the body has redistributed blood to the “core” to maintain
   normal temperature of internal organs;
2. The person has insufficient blood volume/pressure, usually due to low
   carbohydrate intake and low body fluid levels.

Nate recorded a minimum blood pressure of 75/35, after which he took carbohydrates and drank more water, which led to the restoration of pressure to 110/70 and vascularity.

A few additional conditions to consider

Body temperature and environment

Krista recommends gradually adding food-free time when breakfast is skipped. This is necessary to minimize the unpleasant effect: you will become colder and colder in the morning. Even in the sun, drinking hot green tea, Nate could shiver. He wasn’t scared, just annoyed. Nate also observed a similar effect in two of his clients who adhered to a similar scheme. At the same time, Nate did not notice this, starving one day a week.

Appetite and fullness

Another reason for irritation is large portions. Many PG advocates choose this method for the opportunity to indulge themselves. Nate sometimes could not eat his portion of 1000 – 1500 kcal due to the fact that he felt overeating. Portions feel a bit too big, but appetite and fullness returns to normal within two weeks.

Mental performance

Usually adaptation to a new diet occurs within two weeks.

After two weeks of eating and training on the 16/8 schedule, Nate noticed an increase in analytical skills, especially during the fasting period in the morning. The performance of the left hemisphere has improved significantly. Everything from statistics to editing articles was made much easier.

Unfortunately for Nate, the performance of the right hemisphere has deteriorated. He began to perform worse creative tasks, his ability to synthesize and strategic thinking worsened.

In the end, Nate solved the problem by redistributing different types of work throughout the day. In the morning, during the period without food, he was engaged in analytics, and during the period of food, he planned meetings and joint work.

Body weight

Despite a well-calculated plan, Nate gained weight. Even though it seemed to be due to increased glycogen stores and water retention, he didn’t want to get heavier. The task was to keep body weight within 77 – 79kg.

It was necessary to change something.

Daily fasting: version 2.0

To further reduce weight, Nate chose to reduce the total calorie intake by including a day of complete fasting (on Sundays), on other days adhering to the 16/8 PG schedule.

Results Based Solutions by Nate

Results-oriented decision-making process when changing body composition:

• Try what makes sense, what you can do every day.
• Do this action every day for several weeks
• Measure for objective feedback on what is happening
• Stick to the strategy until the end of the scheduled time, even if the measurement results are not linear (getting better, then getting worse)
• Evaluate the success of your actions based on the overall trend
• Stick to the strategy while it works
• If the strategy doesn’t work, make a small change that you can follow.
• Keep doing it until you reach your intended goal.

Take your time when regulating body weight. Lose only 200 grams in two weeks? It is perfectly. In a year, you will lose 11 kg, while your friends can gain 2 – 4.5 kg. Know someone who loses more? Excellent. But don’t forget that 95% of people who quickly lose 7 kg quickly gain 11.

Training & Nutrition Chart

Nate’s training program remained unchanged, but the results improved somewhat. As expected, the weight decreased in two weeks, Nate lost 900 g dry weight and 900 g fat. On the assessment day, the weight was 77.5 kg. Although the tolerance of the strict regimen improved, the days of complete refusal of food began to have a negative impact. Lethargy appeared on days with reduced calories, the desire to train once again reached a minimum. Nate looked very “dry”, like a living anatomical atlas, but decided to make a small change to the routine.

Daily fasting: version 3.0

Instead of a full day of fasting, Nate simply extended the duration of the fast on Saturday and Sunday. The new plan saw Nate stick to a 16/8 schedule on training days and 20/4 on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in an 800-calorie increase in weekly energy intake.

Training & Nutrition Chart

Parameter	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Training	upper body Strength exercises 45 minutes 100 pushups before every meal	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes	upper body, circuit training 30 minutes	Treadmill: sprints – 10 minutes	Lower body Strength exercises 45 minutes 100 pushups before every meal	No exercise	No exercise
Nutrition	Lots of calories and carbohydrates 3200 kcal	Few calories and carbohydrates 2200 kcal	Few calories and carbohydrates 2200 kcal	Few calories and carbohydrates 2200 kcal	Lots of calories and carbohydrates 3200kcal	Fasting until 17. 00 Low-carb meals 1-2 times 1500 kcal	Fasting until 17.00 Low-carb meals 1-2 times 1500 kcal

Over the next two weeks, Nate’s weight increased to 78.5 kg, the surprise was the fluctuation in weight on individual days. Nate decided to stick with the plan for another two weeks.

Notes from Krista

Studies involving Muslim athletes during Ramadan have shown that health deteriorates during the first weeks. Depending on the type of exercise and the level of training (trained people endure it easier), the results and performance change little.

During a period without food, some aggravations are observed:

• during high-intensity exercises that require maintaining a high level of tension (running 200 – 400 m)
• in speed endurance, in multiple sprints (e.g. football)
• with repetitive explosive movements (jumps)
• in some types of strength training
• in working capacity
• in the number of athletes who want to train or be active
• as work in progress (not always)
• in overall energy levels.

What is practically unaffected:

• single explosive moves (jump or throw)
• moderate intensity weight training with low reps per set
• total aerobic capacity
• rapidity.

However, the situation is not certain and subject to individual variations. For example, for Muslims who allow a small breakfast, the situation may be different from those who do not eat breakfast.

Always check what is right for you.

Lessons learned by Nate from daily fasting patterns 2.0 and 3.0:

• The 16/8 scheme is suitable for achieving the goals, but with small individual changes. Eliminating the difficulties of the first two weeks
• When body weight dropped to 77 kg, an increase in the fasting period negatively affects well-being. After reducing body weight below a certain level, the body begins to adapt, reducing daily activities.
• The main thing is to determine what suits you personally.

What’s next? Nate’s scheme for the future:

Stick to a low frequency of fasting days/low duration of fasting.

Keep energy intake under 2500 calories until volume increases.

Maintain body weight in the range of 78.5 – 79.5 kg, as a decrease in body weight leads to discomfort.

Of course, these conclusions may change with experience in accordance with the results-based decision strategy (see above):

• Make small changes one at a time;
• Track how the change works, at least for 2 weeks
• Make other changes, if necessary, to continue moving towards your goal.

The key to the success of the program is to move slowly towards the goal, but in the right direction, and not try to solve all the problems in two weeks.

Part 7. Results of the experiment

Brief overview of the experiment

Month	№1	№2	№3	№4	№5	№6
Scheme	1 day fast	1 day fast	2 days of fasting	16/8	16/8 + 1 day of fasting	16/8 + 2 days 20/4
Weight changes	from 86 to 81 kg		from 81 to 77. 5	from 77.5 to 79	from 79 to 77.5	77.5 – 78.5

Nate believes the program was successful because:

• lost 8 kg
• reduced body fat percentage from 10 to 6%
• almost no muscle loss
• maintained a weight of 77 – 78.5 kg for 4 months
• I found effective schemes for myself 16/8 and One-day fasting.

It was an intermediate stage of the program – the correction of body weight and nutrition. The main tasks that were solved:

• clarification of the diet for the upcoming sprint workouts
• maintenance of the achieved body weight indefinitely.

Before and after photos of experiment

Changes in blood test results

Blood count	Meaning “before”	Meaning “after”	Normal values ​​
Glucose	5. 0 mmol/l	4.9 mmol/l	3.6 – 6.0
Creatinine	103 mmol/l	105 mmol/l	62-115
eGFR glomerular filtration rate	72 ml/min/1.73m2	69 ml/min/1.73m2	60-89
cholesterol	3.78 mmol/l	5.00 mmol/l	< 5.0
LDL	2.24 mmol/l	2.98 mmol/l	< 3.36
HDL	1.15 mmol/l	1.64 mmol/l	> 1.04
Cholestrol/HDL	3.3	3.1	< 4
Triglycerides	0.86 mmol/l	0.95 mmol/l	< 1.69
Hemoglobin	154 g/l	140 g/l	135 – 175
WBC content of leukocytes	4. 3 X 109 cells/l	3.1 X 109 cells/l	4 – 11
RBC content of erythrocytes	4.95 X 1012 cells/l	4.36 X 1012 cells/l	4.5 – 6.0
MCV mean volume of erythrocyte	87.1 fl	91.3 fl	80 – 100
MCH content of hemoglobin in erythrocyte	31.1 pg	32.1 pg	27.5 – 33.0
MCHC mean concentration of hemoglobin in erythrocyte	357 g/l	352 g/l	305 – 360
RDW distribution of erythrocytes by volume (variability)	12.2%	12.8%	11.5 – 14.5
Neutrophils	1.3 X 109 cells/l	1.1 X 109 cells/l	2.0 – 7.5
Lymphocytes	2.2 X 109 cells/l	1. 5 X 109 cells/l	1.0 – 3.5
Monocytes	0.6 X 109 cells/l	0.4 X 109cell/l	0.2 – 1.0
Eosinophils	0.2 X 109 cells/l	0.1 X 109 cells/l	0 – 0.5
Basophils	0	0	0 – 0.2
PLT platelet content	169 X 109 cell/l	150 X 109 cell/l	150 – 400
Thyrotropin	1.62 mlU/l	1.21 mlU/l	0.35 – 5
Testosterone	28.9 mmol/l	23.8 mmol/l	8.4 – 28.7

Removed aminotransferase and
gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (!), which reflect the state of organs
secretions, especially from the liver.

Blood lipids

Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides increased. This may be due to high consumption of meat and fatty foods/low consumption of carbohydrates. The opinions of doctors on the account of the danger of such an increase differ. The general point of view: an increase in blood lipids is bad. At the same time, Dr. Brian Welsh believes that an increase in lipids within the normal range is an indicator of improved health, especially cholesterol / HDL ratios, with a decrease in the triglyceride / HDL ratio, which was observed as a result of the experiment.

Red and white blood cells

A significant decrease occurred in the content of hemoglobin, erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets. This is a bad sign, as it indicates a nutrient deficiency, as well as a decrease in the production of blood cells by the bone marrow (due to a negative energy balance) or an increase in the efficiency of these cell lines (a positive sign).

Thyroid hormones and testosterone

The levels of these hormones usually decrease with a negative energy balance. Since the decrease was insignificant and remained within normal limits, this did not cause concern.

Nate’s Future Plans:

• Increase your calorie intake while sprinting
• Keep Varying Calories/Carbs
• Eating more immediately after hard workouts and less after light workouts
• Consume predominantly unprocessed foods, limit bars, shakes and sports drinks
• Skip breakfast on some days
• Train at noon – sometimes on an empty stomach, sometimes not
• Sometimes go hungry on Sundays
• Weigh yourself every day to monitor your condition
• Regulate appetite through the consumption of food that brings satiety
• Keep a food diary of everything you eat
• Continue experimenting with a larger group of people.

Intermittent fasting. Nate’s personal opinion

According to Nate, the recommendations for intermittent fasting given in this book depend on the health and lifestyle of the person who decides to try. For different levels of knowledge about nutrition, the recommendations are similar.

The PG dietary approach will work best when:

• have experience in controlling calorie content and food intake;
• you are trained;
• you are not married or have no children;
• partner or spouse provides support;
• work allows you to normally transfer the adaptation period in the diet.

On the other hand, it will be harder to stick to a PG when:

• this is the first experience of diet and training;
• you have a family and children;
• your work requires high efficiency or you work with people;
• you are preparing for the competition.

In addition, women are less able to tolerate strict forms of intermittent fasting. Nate recommends starting with gentler sets or not fasting at all.

How to organize your own experiments? Simple Steps

Step #1.

Define Your Goals

Take the time to understand: what do you really want to achieve?

Among the many achievable goals: lose weight, gain muscle mass, become stronger – there is ONE, the most important. For example, in Nate’s experiment, weight loss was the most important goal of all. Having a clear goal is a fundamental condition for the success of the experiment.

Step #2. Determine what and when you will measure

For example, to determine body weight, purchase a sufficiently accurate scale, select the time and day for weighing.

Not everything can be accurately measured. For such cases, there are scales of subjective assessment. For example, a scale of well-being, where 0 is very bad, and 10 is very good. Use these scales to plan your activities throughout the day.

Select 1 – 2 preferred measurements that match your planned goal.

Step #3. Create database

Collect measurement data for further analysis. Once changes are made to the schedule, it will take at least two weeks to get an idea of ​​the trend. If you look at the result of measurements over a longer period, you will see changes in indicators even in the case when there were no significant changes in life. It is always necessary to know the reason for the fluctuations, what causes them.

When there is a lot of data, you will have an idea about the normal daily changes in your body. This will allow you to understand what changes occurred precisely as a result of the experiment.

Step #4. Check Your Ideas

Going to the evaluation, try to make changes one by one, so it is easier to control the result. It will be easier for you to understand what worked and what didn’t. If you start an experiment with several innovations at once, it is almost impossible to track the impact of each of them. When moving to a new regime with many variables, if the trend does not match your plan, introduce one small change at a time to correct the situation. Make sure you can do what you want to do every day.

Step #5. Stick to the new plan for at least 14 days

Follow the new plan and draw conclusions not from fluctuations in weight on individual days, but from the overall picture for at least two weeks. As an example, consider Nate’s two-week plan.

At the end of the second week, a decrease in body weight is visible. However, if we consider the first week, then three days there was a decrease, one day there was no change, and two days a week there was an increase, with the most significant on Sunday (the weight even exceeded the initial one). In the second week, the picture also changed dynamically, but in the end, weight loss occurred.

A two-week interim analysis allows you to see if the direction of movement is chosen correctly.

Step #6. If the plan works, don’t make changes

Never try to speed up progress. Even when it seems that the changes are happening too slowly, but they occur at the end of two weeks, do not change the program. Follow the plan, making adjustments based on the results of the two week intervals.

Step #7. If the plan doesn’t work, make small changes

When a program doesn’t work for two weeks, make one small change. No need to change multiple settings at once. Only one change and the next two weeks to evaluate.

Step #8. Work with trainer

The trainer will help you set goals correctly, select measurements and evaluate the results. Working with a trainer makes your experiment more manageable. Regardless of your level, it is useful to consult with a specialist from time to time.

Step #9. Repeat until you reach your goal

The process is based on your own data. By using this approach, you can constantly learn something new about yourself. And there will always be a next step and never a dead end, as there are thousands of variables that can be changed.

You can apply this experimental tactic in all aspects of life. Planning will teach you how to control processes, reconsider unsuccessful decisions and take small but constant steps towards your goal. Hurry up slowly!

Appendix A. Intermittent Fasting: Top 3 Cheat Sheet

You read a book about intermittent fasting and decided to give it a try. Which scheme to choose? Below is a brief description of the three main schemes.

1. One day fast

What is it?

A client who wants to lose weight abstains from food for 24 hours.

Why?

In order to get used to not worry, feeling hungry. The ability to manage hunger is essential for health and fitness, and a one-day fast is the best way (read the introduction for more benefits).

For whom?

A one-day fast is essential for anyone who wants to try fasting without disrupting the work week. It’s also a great way to see if more complex fasting patterns are right for you.

Unusual sensations during fasting? A little annoying to others? Don’t worry about it, it’s normal. Want to bang your head against the wall or yell at everyone who enters the room? This is apparently the problem. But you never know until you try.

How is it done?

You usually skip meals any 24 hours a week. You can alleviate the situation by fasting on Sundays:

22.00 Saturday

• Eat your last meal of the day
• Drink 500 ml of water

10:00 Sunday

• Drink 1 liter of water + 1 green smoothie
• Drink 250 ml of green tea
• Take 5 g of BCAAs

22.00 Sunday

• Eat a little before bed
• Drink 500 ml of water

Monday

• Eat normally.

Tips and Strategies for One Day Fasting

• Tea, herbs, and BCAAs are optional, but experience has made things a lot easier.
• Drinking water helps alleviate hunger
• Pay attention to body signals on a hungry day. Feeling stressed or tense? Relax. Take a few deep breaths in and out and notice that this is a way of manifesting hunger. The more you learn about this feeling, the easier it will be to manage it in the future.

Stock up on healthy foods (lean meats, vegetables, etc.) and be prepared to end your Sunday fast with a small meal. We also recommend a tablespoon of almond oil and celery. In addition, healthy food in the house will allow you to return to normal eating on Monday.

2. Intermittent fasting

What is it?

You eat a normal, healthy diet (high in protein, vegetables, balanced fats, and minimally processed carbohydrates), but sometimes fast for one day (as in a one-day fast).

You can fast once a year, once a month or once a week – everything works. But we do not recommend fasting more than once a week. You can learn about the disastrous consequences of fasting twice a week in Chapter 5.

Why?

To continue the practice of hunger management and experience intermittent fasting for successful fat loss and health.

For whom?

Intermittent one-day fasting is suitable for the same people as one-day fasting.

How is it done?

Intermittent fasting is extremely flexible, you can choose any 24 hours. Would you like not to eat from breakfast to breakfast or from dinner to dinner? Please. To simplify the situation, follow the rules of one-day fasting.

Tips and strategies:

• Nate likes to go a day without food when he travels. This makes sense when you can’t get normal food on the road. However, for some people, travel exacerbates hunger. Choose the least stressful day of the week or month and start there.

3. Daily fasting

What is it?

Daily fasting – 8 hours for eating and 16 hours without it.

Why?

For extreme “dryness”

Who is it for?

The scheme works best for people who are already in good shape, but want to achieve a minimum fat content.

Men, in most cases, are better able to tolerate the 16/8 regimen; 14/10 is more suitable for women. But the scheme works for both men and women with good self-discipline and no eating disorders.

Not suitable for whom?

Pregnant women, people with eating disorders, and people who just want to look good and be healthy without being extremely dry. Daily fasting is usually difficult for men who have body fat above 15% and women who have more than 22% body fat. For these people, there are easier ways to lose weight. See below: “how to be in shape without starvation.”

How is it done?

It is described in detail in part 6.

The scheme is based on fasting 16 hours, eating – 8 hours.

Principles:

• High protein and vegetable intake: For 8 hours, eat as much protein (meat, poultry, fish) and fresh vegetables as you can.
• Train on an empty stomach: do intense workouts 3 times a week, just before the first meal. Train on an empty stomach.
• Eat carbs in cycles: On workout day, add carbs (quinoa, rice, whole grain bread, fruit, etc.) while keeping protein and veggies at the core.
• Nutrient Timing: On workout day, eat as much food as possible right after your workout.

Most people who train on an empty stomach take 10 g of BCAAs before exercising. After training and until 21.00 eat 2 – 3 times.

If you can’t train in the middle of the day, rearrange your routine. The described protocol is more suitable for well-trained people.

Example schedule for one day:

• 8.00 Get up, drink 500 ml of water
• 9.00 Drink 1 liter of water with herbs + 250 ml of green tea
• 11.00 250 ml green tea
• 12.00 Workout and 10 g BCAA
• 13.30 First meal, largest
• 16.30 Second meal, medium size
• 20. 30 Third meal, medium size.

Tips and strategies:

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can just skip breakfast and get “dry”; only a combination of principles will achieve the goal: food selection, fasted training and nutrient timing. This is an advanced strategy, not magic.

Even if you think you can do it with daily fasting, try intermittent one-day fasting.

Re-read Chapter 6 for a complete understanding of how to execute the circuit efficiently and safely.

If this way of eating is too hard for you, try: a) increase the time for eating up to 9 or even 10 hours; b) Plan your hardest training day along with an “eat whatever you want” day for a little relaxation. You can try to enter two days of “eat what I want.” These are not hard and fast rules, just guidelines, it is better to follow a softer pattern.

Doesn’t suit you? How to be fit without fasting

So what are the main benefits of fasting? There are three of them:

First, it’s a great way to learn how to manage your hunger. The better you manage your hunger, the less likely you are to have a negative reaction to it. Get in shape and stay in shape – you need this skill.

Secondly, this is a lesson for people who care about their health. Have you missed a meal? Not terrible, and maybe even good. Just keep going towards the goal.

Thirdly, it is an advanced strategy for extreme weight loss. For you, intermittent fasting may be easier than a regular bodybuilding diet.

However, fasting falls into the “nice to have” category. Fasting is not necessary to get in shape, and by itself is not enough.

Do you understand the difference between “necessary” and “sufficient”? Consume high quality foods, in the right amount and at the right time. First of all, learn how to cook healthy food. These things are enough for most people who want to get in the best shape of their lives. John and his team know this because they have helped thousands of clients achieve it. None of them did more than one day of fasting per week, but all consider fasting indispensable.

Summarizing. If you are considering intermittent fasting, you need to learn the basics of proper nutrition. This is the best thing you can do for your health and fitness.

Appendix B. Recommendations for intermittent fasting

An overview of the key points of intermittent fasting necessary for the practical application of schemes:

1. Decide if intermittent fasting is right for you

Your experience in training and nutrition is decisive. If you are a beginner, then intermittent fasting is not for you.

2. Begin slowly, simply, in small steps, gradually

When you try to fast – do not rush. Make small changes and see if they work, even if you’ve added one meal or an hour.

3. Focus on the general in methods, not the details

When you eat and when you don’t. This is the foundation.

4. Stay Flexible

See #3.

5. Know thyself. Carefully analyze your experience

Act like a scientist. Get started, collect data, analyze and draw conclusions that will be useful for the next steps. Do what suits you.

6. Give the PG time

No need to hurry. It takes several weeks to adapt to the new program.

7. Be prepared for bad days

Everything happens in life. It is absolutely normal that there will be bad days (even two-week cycles). The main thing is to remain open and without panic make a decision to correct the situation.

8. Think about what you want from PG

Focus on the quality of the process, not the result. PG is a good way:

• advance in the physiological and psychological experience of true fasting;
• to feel the difference between a false hunger and a real one;
• learn not to be afraid of hunger;
• improve insulin sensitivity and calibrate the body’s use of energy reserves;
• learn to respect the process of eating;
• learn more about your own body;
• get rid of fat, if you are worried about it;
• take a break from cooking and the obligation to eat it.

GHG will not provide health benefits if:

• you have an eating disorder;
• you fast too often and for too long;
• you exercise excessively or lack sleep;
• you use a large number of additives, legal and illegal, to suppress appetite, help you endure hunger;
• you overeat during the period of consumption of food;
• you use PG to compensate for poor food selection or overeating.

9. What you eat is just as important as what you don’t eat

Always start with the basics of nutrition. Eat quality food, in normal amounts and at the right time. For most people, this is enough to keep fit. They don’t need PG. See “5 Day Fat Burning Course” in the “Resources” section.

10. Consider the needs of the body

Be careful about the following things:

• Significant changes in appetite, hunger, and satiety – including the desire to eat;
• sleep quality;
• Energy and athletic performance;
• Mood and mental/emotional health;
• Immunity;
• The composition of the blood;
• Hormone levels;
• Appearance.

11. Train but don’t overtrain

Combining PG and exercises is a must, just don’t overtrain. See #12.

12. Consider Life Circumstances

Think:

• How much do you train and at what intensity;
• Are you resting and recovering enough?
• Does PG fit into your daily duties and training plan;
• What other stresses and difficulties are there in your life?

Remember: PG is just one of the working power schemes. But it only works when fasting is intermittent, flexible, and fits into your life, not a duty or a chronic source of physical and psychological stress.

Sources

List of the most interesting books, Internet sites and resources that the authors of the book recommend as a starting point to get acquainted with the topic:

Our websites

• PrecisionNutrition – website of Dr. John Berardi. Over 500 articles
  about exercise, nutrition and lifestyle. The resource has a community
  like-minded people. John thinks this might be the only site about
  fitness and nutrition you must visit.
• Stumptuous is a site for women powerlifters etc.
  Christa Scott-Dixon. The site does not depend on 100% of the necessary information
  for women, free from bias and the influence of sponsors. None
  pink dumbbells.
• TheNateGreenExperience is a blog co-authored by
  is Nate Green. For young guys who want to choose their own
  way to the gym and become like Nate.

Resources mentioned in the text of the book

• 5-Day Fat Loss Course For Men (Free) and 5-Day Fat Loss Course For
  Women
• (Free) – 5-day fat burning system for men and women.
  Video courses for men and women describing the best exercise options,
  diet and lifestyle to improve health and shape.
  Quick Start Guide.
• Act Your Nutritional Age age and nutrition articles explaining
  differences in recommendations.
• Brad Pilon and Eat Stop Eat
  SG system “Eat Stop Eat”
• Intermittent Fasting Research Review
  fasting (despite being several years old)
• Lean Eating Coaching for Men and Lean Eating Coaching for Women –
  a program for men and women to burn fat, starting annually.
  The groups are led by expert trainers who guarantee results. The best
  the transformation wins a $50,000 prize.
• Leangains – website of Martin Berkhan and his systems
  Leangains described in this book
• Results Fitness – site of the Alwyn Cosgrove gym,
  which is included in the 10 best gyms in America according to Men’s Health magazine.
• The Power of Less is a book about change by Leo Babauta.
  The best book if you want to understand how change happens, how
  new habits are formed.
• The Warrior Diet – site of Ori Hofmekler and his system
  Warrior Diet.
• The Get Shredded Diet
  bodybuilding. Extremely effective for those who want to get extreme
  “dry”.
• The Getting Unshredded Plan
  and a set of high-quality mass for bodybuilding.
• Wikipedia: Alternate Day Fasting – Wikipedia page,
  dedicated to PG.