In this post, I’d like to talk to those people who are already in decent shape, or are “skinny-fat,” or just have a little weight to lose, and how an intermittent dry fast routine can help them. But first, some notes for those people with more serious weight problems…
For those of you that are obese or very overweight, intermittent dry fasting may not be the way to start out. I wouldn’t even recommend exercise right off the bat. If you are very overweight and need to lose let’s say 50 pounds or more, I would get into extended fasting and lose enough weight so that you can get down to a manageable weight. Then you can take off the remaining 15-20 pounds through OMAD (One Meal A Day), intermittent fasting, intermittent dry fasting, low sugar, and carb refeeds, and full-body daily workouts. But to start, an extended fast will be the best thing you can do for yourself, both for the sake of weight loss/fat loss, and autophagy.
Extended Fasting Before Your Intermittent Dry Fast Routine
Now to start with, I would recommend you do a 72-hour fast with Snake Juice (Cole Robinson’s Snake Diet protocol, consisting mainly of water, salt, and potassium) and then do a 500 calorie refeed that is super low carb, consisting mainly of some meat and vegetables. I would even mostly avoid fruit during this stage, and of course, all other foods are pretty much off the table when it comes to my dietary advice. One quick note though: An exception would be if you’ve never done intermittent fasting before, are used to snacking and grazing all day, are a coffee addict or a sugar addict, or have some type of serious medical condition that might make an initial extended fast either very challenging (and possibly painful, in terms of headaches, etc.) or downright dangerous. In this case, I would ease into your 72-hour fast with intermittent fasting and shorter and shorter eating windows leading up to your 72-hour fast. You then might want to start off your extended fasting strategy with a 48-hour fast or 24-hour fast if you are super cautious. But 72’s are going to be where you get the most value.
As Cole teaches, once you’re able to do an extended fast, do it until you’re pretty much where you want to be in terms of weight and body fat percentage, or at least pretty damn close. My advice would be to fast yourself until you’re at your goal if you’re able to. If not, do it until you’re within 15-20 pounds or less, and then you can take the rest of the weight off with the following method.
Go From Healthy Weight to Ripped
If you have a little weight to shed, or need to cut that body fat percentage down to a point where you can be ripped with a six-pack, intermittent dry fasting is my preferred way of accomplishing this. In reality, all that needs to be said is that OMAD works if you do it daily and mix in an intermittent dry fast three or four times a week. But you have some flexibility with this, especially if you’re really close to your goal weight. If you are just 5-10 pounds overweight, or even at your optimal weight but want to be more cut, then do the following, just as I do:
Intermittent dry fast 4 times a week for 18 hours. That means no water and no food during that time period. Then, eat one small meal and one large meal in that 6-hour eating window, and make sure it ONLY consists of a little bit of fruit, a small number of vegetables, and a whole lot of meat (preferably red meat, but lean meat will work too in this cutting phase). The other three days, do the exact same thing with the exception of the dry fast. On those three days, you can drink Snake Juice as much as you want leading up to your first meal, and drink a little bit in between meals and after your last meal if you would like. Of course, if you want to be more extreme and think you can handle it, try OMAD in a 45-minute eating window instead of two meals in a 6-hour eating window. The OMAD method should get you to where you want to be in about a month, depending on your goal, and the 18:6 method will take a little longer, probably about two months.
Once you get down to the weight and body fat percentage you want to be at, I would recommend sticking with the 18:6 method or even OMAD for life, along with a low carb, high fat, high protein diet. This will be great for weight management as well as the miraculous benefit of autophagy, which is great for every system in your body.
So if you’re looking to get shredded for the summer, or even with the intention of being ripped for life, try out intermittent dry fasting today.
Get in Shape for the Summer
One more quick helpful tip for those of you worried about your summer body, going to the beach, etc. If you’re looking for a quick pump (this is once you’re in shape and fit obviously) and to look as cut as possible, do your intermittent dry fast all morning until you go to the beach or the pool. You can even have an early dinner or late lunch the day before to increase the length of the fast. And keep anything you do eat down in carbs. Then do your workout in the morning and do some pushups before you go out. This will give you that supercut look that you want. Now, this is all for vanity’s sake of course.
But for optimal long-term health and wellness, weight management, longevity, energy, and a clear, sharp mind, make intermittent dry fasting and intermittent fasting with Snake Juice a part of your daily life. Throw in some daily full-body workouts, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress, and you’ll feel and look better than you ever have before, all while saving money and time by skipping snacks and 1 or 2 meals each day.