Intermittent Modified Fasting

Description

Intermittent Modified Fasting

I can’t recall exactly when I first heard the term Intermittent Fasting (IF) used but the concept seemed to start to gain traction in the mid- to late 2000’s.    At the time it really described a very specific eating approach which, humorously to me, is no longer considered to be IF itself.

In short, IF referred to a dietary approach were food was avoided (i.e. fasting) for some period of time before being allowed again.  People were intermittently fasting, it’s right there in the name.  As research would continue to develop, a number of different approaches would be developed, both in and out of the research, that fell under the heading of IF.  IF had become this umbrella term that could describe a half dozen or more different approaches.  The Internet, as it is wont to do, often took these to utterly idiotic extremes.  This is why we can’t have nice things, guys.

At this point if someone says “I use IF.” or telling someone “Just do IF.” is a meaningless statement.  IF has no singular definition.

So I set out, well kind of, to fix that by writing this book.  Which you may have noticed is actually titled Intermittent MODIFIED Fasting (IMF).

That’s because, while I discuss the definitions of fasting (in the first chapter, an exciting linguistic wank), I will make the argument that only IMF is appropriate for the population I actually care about: individuals looking to improve body composition.  Yes, yes, I know that all kinds of magic health claims are made for fasting, I see them all the time.  But not only do I not care about these per se, I remain unconvinced they happen in humans to any significant degree.  It’s just not my focus.

For the population I work with, and the goals they typically have, IF must be MODIFIED.  Hence Intermittent Modified Fasting.  It’s right there in the name.

This book represents a complete and comprehensive tome on the topic. The kind only I could write. Which also represents an approach I probably use with 75% of my consultation  clients these days.  It’s that powerful of a system.

In it, after looking at some definitions, I’ll touch on the earliest type of “IF” and why it really isn’t before looking at the basics of IMF in the research along with what I see as the real-world benefits of IMF.  The approach I use alternating essentially between very-low calorie days and higher calorie days.  In this sense it’s not dissimilar to old calorie cycling ideas (or even my own Ultimate Diet 2.0) but you’ll see immediately that it’s much more specific than the first and much less of a pain in the ass than the second.

Following that you’ll get a bunch of background information on body composition, tracking changes in both bodyfat and muscle mass along with a basic nutrition overview.

Then it’s into the main topic of the book.  First I look at how IMF is typically utilized in research along with what I don’t like about it.   I’ll show you how to optimally set up both types of days along with how to adjust them as needed.  Then I look at supplements for both general use and which apply to each individual day.

Then it’s patterns, so many patterns.  One of the amazing things about the way I program IMF is its flexibility (interesting word there given one of my earlier books).   Through manipulation of the number and sequence of the two types of days, goals including maximum fat loss, fat loss with maintained training volumes, body recomposition (losing fat while gaining muscle) improving performance while slowly losing fat and improving performance/muscle mass while limiting fat gains can all be targeted.   For each I’ll explain how to use the system along with providing endless templates (so many templates) for each goal for different situations.

Critically, IMF gives a powerful approach to long-term maintenance of the progress you worked so hard to achieve.  It makes it almost too easy.

Finally, I will re-examine my own Ultimate Diet 2.0 within the context of an IMF framework and show how it might be made even better than it already is.  It’s the exact approach I used with Larry Shipe, Jr. to bring him in shrinkwrapped to win his NPC natural class.

Finally the book includes three special appendices.  The first two explain how IMF can be used for contest prep and peaking for physique athletes while the third provides a case study of someone who applied all of the information within the book to go from 14% bodyfat to 8% in only 4 weeks.

After you read Intermittent Modified Fasting, you’ll have an incredibly powerful tool to achieve whatever your body composition goals happen to be.  And then to maintain your goals forever!