Intermittent Fasting: Adaptability

Eat all you want

When I first started intermittent fasting, this name did not even exist. The concept of intermittent fasting was not known, let alone popular back in November 2009. Back then, I heard an interview with General McChrystal, commander of the US forces in Afghanistan at the time. He described his OMAD (one meal a day) regiment and his very physical lifestyle. I thought I could reproduce what he was doing. I was especially intrigued by his ability to eat as much and all that he wanted in one single meal a day. I admit that OMAD was hard in the first 2-3 weeks, but I soon adapted.

 

Adjust your eating

It is true that I have a very habitual lifestyle, and I rarely step out of my routine. However, If I was more social and had common eatings out, I would simply adjust my eating times. With intermittent fasting what matters is not how much you eat or what macronutrients you emphasize, but how frequently you eat. OMAD is regarded as one of the hardest intermittent fasting protocols. However, the results show better and the health benefits are more numerous. Interestingly, I do my workouts before I break my fast, which help me use my fat stores for energy. It is well known that fat metabolism is a more efficient way of utilizing energy. But you can adapt to intermittent fasting by utilizing one of several protocols that best suit your social life.
 

A change in your lifestyle

If you work 8 hrs a day, you may want to eat after work, and exercise for at least 30 min before going to work. Intermittent fasting is meant to be flexible. The secret to sustainability is precisely this flexibility. The idea is that you would go into intermittent fasting for life. I believe that I can sustain my OMAD for life, as I have done it for years, and General McChrystal has done it for decades. Recently, my wife Ulla started off with the warrior diet and quickly transitioned into OMAD, and has been doing it for months with the occasional “I am hungry now” that does not last more than a few minutes, usually early in the evening.

I for one am adapted to OMAD, and I will maintain this for life. Here is another approach used by Canadian actor-producer Michael Dickson, the warrior diet:
 
 

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