As a follow up to my previous 2023 updates, I’ve noticed that these frequent fasting has limited my cravings for sweets significantly. In the past, I would crave ice cream, chocolate or sugary drinks to satisfy a sweet tooth. And then feel horrible. Nowadays, I realize that fasting has almost eliminated these sweet tooth cravings. That is not to say I never eat sweet food. Whenever I feel mentally tired or exhausted from work, I shift my mental mood by ordering a Starbucks double blended caramel frappucino with an extra espresso shot, and extra caramel sauce and no whip cream. The break from work and enjoyment I get from such a huge sugar rush puts me back into a relaxed mood to continue working.

Something odd that I’ve also noticed is that whenever I eat a steak, I feel the urge for carbonated drinks. When that happens, I’ll drink a Coca Cola or Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Other times, I may drink a non-sugary option like Sanzo. The yuzu and mango flavors are great. I still haven’t figured out why eating steak will elicit a desire for carbonation. I think though it might actually be more of a reaction to eating something fatty/greasy. Sometimes eating meals rich in protein and fats also elicits this same type of craving.

I am also finding that another fasting benefit is a potential reset to the balance of competing hormones such as Ghrelin vs Leptin and Insulin vs Glucagon and even other hormones like Peptide YY, Cholecystokinin (CCK) and cortisol. I’ve noticed that I don’t get hungry as often. I generally will end up eating some fruits (oranges) and/or vegetables (sliced cabbage) for dinner to minimize any hunger. I’m working towards not eating so to extend fasting time in between meals.

Watching youtube influencers on fasting like Dr Fung, I think I should plan on having longer term (up to 72 hour/ 3 day) fasts in order to be more in the fat burning mode. I think that actually is possible now that I’m used to 36-40 hour fasts. What’s another 24hour right?

As mentioned in the previous post, I put together the past experiences into a sustainable lifestyle listed below. I’ll rotate through this regimen for about 8 weeks then take about a month to stabilize the weight.

Monday is my fasting day. I drink water, tea and coffee on this day. And if needed, I’ll add mineral supplements to the water to minimize any “fasting headaches”. This fast usually lasts goes on for about 36 hours. It starts Sunday after my last meal (either lunch of dinner).

On Tuesday, I break my fast around lunch. Lunch is prepared ahead of time in pre-cooked portioned out containers. I scoop a serving of protein and 1 or 2 servings of vegetables into a separate container for lunch at work. Sometimes, I’ll bring fruit as well for lunch “dessert.” For dinner, I’ll generally eat a much simpler meal (home made chicken/beef bone soup or simple to cook vegetables or fruit) else not eat at all. I have found that fasting has curbed my appetite, controlled sugar cravings and shrunk my stomach capacity. So when I’m not hungry, I’ll skip dinner.

On Wednesday and Thursday, my lunches are generally the same as Tuesday. On Thursday, it can vary more since the pre-cooked portioned containers might have already been finished. I may sometimes have to prepare some additional vegetable sides for lunch. I’ll also transfer a steak out from the freezer into the refrigerator to start defrosting to be eaten later on Friday or Saturday.

Friday lunches generally consist of finishing the last bits of pre-cooked food. If there’s no more pre-cooked food, I’ll generally just cook my own. If I feel like having steak for dinner, I’ll hold off on eating lunch and have an early dinner instead. Instead, I’ll pull the steak out from the refrgierator, season it and leave it outside to for it to come up to room temperature. I’ll also take out some frozen veggies to eat with the steak.Saturdays are to satisfy any cravings I may have during the week.

Saturdays are also when I try to arrange to have lunches/dinners with friends. If I have no other plans, I’ll take out the steak from earlier this week to salt and cook for dinner.

Sundays are family lunch/dinner days. If lunch happens to be big, I’ll skip dinner.

For exercise, I play approximately an hour of squash 4 days a week. On days where I work from home, I’ll take at least a 20-30min walk around the neighborhood during the day. This helps clear my head from any work issues. I admit that I was consistently inconsistent with resistance training with my 25lb kettlebell and calisthenics (body weight) exercises like pushups, burpees, situps and . At least once a week, I’ll do kettlebell swings, kettlebell squats, bicep curls and standing overhead press. For 2024, I plan to focus more on resistance and calisthenics.