Does Intermittent Fasting Work?

As with many “popular” trends, the answer to this question is both short AND long enough for entire book.

The short answer is YES, but does it work for what?? Well, intermittent fasting can be used to lose fat and/or gain lean muscle depending on the protocol you use.

After much experimentation, reading, trial, error, blood, sweat and tears (ok, maybe not so much tears) I have settled on a program that is shockingly close to what Martin Berkhan of LeanGains.Com advocates which is a 16 hour fasting period followed by an 8 hour feeding period.

Recently, I stumbled upon an awesome ebook by Dr. John Berardi, entitled “Experiments with Intermittent Fasting”.

Click here for Dr. John Berardi’s Experiments with Intermittent Fasting.

Just like Dr. Berardi, I started off with full day fasts. My first experience was with the Xtreme Fat Loss program. I really had no business trying an “extreme fat loss” program since I was already quite lean but I was writting a review about the program and, unlike most internet fitness fakes, I actually try out any program I review… shocking! The problem with the Xtreme fat loss program is that it has 2 full day fasts per week and it’s brutal to follow.

I actually made excellent progress with a 48 hour “all you can eat” followed by a 24 hour fast.

Eventually, I transitioned to what I feel is the most sustainable (Martin Berhan’s 16/8 style program). Not to toot my own horn but I essentially drafted up a 16/8 style program after reading Ori Hofmekler’s book “Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat”!