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Eat Stop Eat: 24 Hour Fast
Background
Eat Stop Eat is written by Brad Pilon, who left behind a career in the sports supplement industry so that he could understand the true rules of weight loss and what we should really eat.
He says that in his time in the industry he realized that most nutrition research is no longer conducted in order to improve our health but rather is conducted for marketing purposes. Basically food and supplement companies will fund the research because it will help them to be able to sell more of their products.
Pilon spent a great deal of time studying weight loss and nutrition and he came to the conclusion that prolonged calorie restriction is the only proven nutritional method of weight loss.
Eat Stop Eat Diet Basics
Pilon says that our bodies are designed to be in a constant cycle of feeding and fasting. When we eat a large amount of food our bodies store fat so that we can burn it later when we are faced with an inadequate food supply.
According to him the key to effortless weight loss is to mimic the dietary patterns of our ancestors by undertaking short but regular fasts. He claims that this is the simplest way to lose weight with minimum disruption to your lifestyle.
Contrary to popular opinion, Pilon advises us that fasting for short periods of time does not affect the metabolic rate. He supports his statements with scientific studies that indicate that there is no reduction in metabolism after three days of fasting or when fasting every second day for at least twenty-two days.
He advises dieters to fast for 24 hours, once or twice a week and states that this will produce the same effects as an entire week of very strict dieting. However you will never need to go an entire day without eating if you follow his guidelines.
In order to fast for 24 hours you simply eat as normally until 6 pm one day and then fast until 6 pm the following day. This method allows you to get the benefits of fasting without the need to stop eating for an entire day.
Pilon highlights the fact that it is important to think of a fast as providing a break in your normal eating routine. You should avoid the temptation to overeat on the completion of the fast because this will neutralize the calorie restriction benefits that the fast is designed to produce.
Recommended Foods
Fruits, vegetables, lean protein, herbs, spices, coffee, tea, and artificial sweeteners.
Sample Diet Plan
Pilon does not offer a meal plan because he says it is not necessary when you adopt the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle.
You can look for Healthy Meal ideas here.
Exercise Recommendations
Resistance exercises are recommended at least two or three times a week because they help to maintain muscle tissue when you are dieting. He suggests adjusting your strength training in terms of its intensity, volume and frequency in order to increase the size of your muscles while you are restricting calories.
If you wish you may also add any additional exercises such as yoga, cycling or aerobics.
Costs and Expenses
Eat Stop Eat is available as an eBook for $39.95. Packages are also available for $57 and $77 that include additional bonuses such as workout routines and audio files.
Eat Stop Eat Pros
- Supported by scientific research.
- Short-term intermittent fasting has been associated with many health benefits including a potential increase in longevity.
- Does not require elimination of foods or adjustment of your normal diet.
- Can help increase awareness surrounding food choices and eating habits.
- May be followed as a lifestyle approach to weight management.
Eat Stop Eat Cons
- Some dieters may experience hunger and other uncomfortable symptoms such as headaches while fasting for 24 hours.
- There may be a tendency to overeat after the fast, which will negate the calorie restriction benefits.
- Not appropriate for those with a history of eating disorders.
- Does not include diet suggestions or a meal plan for the times when you are not fasting.
- Not suitable for children, diabetics and pregnant women.
- Encourages the use of artificial sweeteners.
Conclusions
Intermittent fasting may offer some dieters an easy way to reduce calories without the need to adjust their usual eating habits and can result in a variety of health improvements.
However, in order to achieve success on this plan it is vitally important that dieters avoid the tendency to overeat upon completion of the 24 hour fast, as this will neutralize many of the benefits including weight loss.
Don’t agree that not including a meal plan for non-fasting days is a con. People should eat the foods they enjoy. Also, dont agree that the use of artificial sweeteners is a con. Finally, leads to exaggerated eating, on non-fasting days, should not be considered a con as the author addresses the possibility and therefore poor judgement on the part of the practitioner is hardly his fault.
This is great. ESE does not cause starvation mode like lots of people believe… it is not akin to anorexia JT and this is not pseudo science.. if you actually bought the book, there is tonnes of SCIENTIFIC PROOF to back up this lifestyle… soooo ha. and no JT I won’t trust you!
The diet says you can drink black coffee, diet soda (if you drink soda) green tea and water. Says drink upwards of a gallon of water per day to aid fat loss and flush your system while maintaining hydration. I have used this diet for about 2.5 months now fasting roughly 2 days per week and I have lost roughly 20 lbs. I also exercise (cardio heavy) in a fasted state to aid in the fat loss process. Works for me, I eat healthy throughout the day when not fasting and I even have ice cream from often with no isues. Use common sense, eat only when you are hungry, use portion control, take calories in consideration and remember that hydration is often mistaken for hunger so drink water regularly to avoid dehydration.
i think i would majorly stuff this up i have to eat JUST EAT HEALTHY GUYS WAKE UP!!!
Actually, contrary to belief and media fasting is not at all akin to anorexia. I have had experience with anorexia in my past, but I tried not to get in too deep.
Instead of never eating (which I had trouble doing in the first place) I do Intermittent Fasting. I do fast two days a week and eat around 2000 calories now on my Non-Fasting Days.
Fasting is hard but doable when you put your mind to it — your mind is powerful and the key to literally EVERYTHING.
Anyway, before I even knew this diet existed, I was doing it. So yay for me!
@ JT, How is fasting akin to anorexia? I really hope you don’t procreate.
I used the toilet too,I think it’s allowed!
this works.
i really like your plan
Um, your “fasting” sounds a heck of a lot like you’re encouraging anorexia. Your pseudo-science will lead a lot of people down dangerous paths. Trust me, I know.
where is your faith…it’s people starving in the dessert and haven’t had nothing to eat or drink for days and you worried about 24 hours…come on
I’m pretty sure that it does say that you can drink water, tea, and black coffee. Although, obviously, you’d push the water.
Never read the book but I fast for 20 hours daily and it’s the key to easy weight loss.
I eat the same things I’ve always eaten, have dessert often, but only eat during a 2-4 hour window per day.
After 3-4 weeks, you no longer get hunger pains. I never had any problem with overeating, I’ll have a big healthy meal and dessert and I’m stuffed. It’s not comfortable to eat more when you are stuffed.
My energy levels are consistent through the day, I work out daily (run, cycle) and have no issues with lack of energy.
I feel I’ve stumbled across the key to easy weight loss. I can eat anything I want, I just can’t eat it any time — you’re just shifting when you eat.
Drink water, idiots. It’s probably not mentioned because it’s obvious. It doesn’t say anything about breathing during the fast, OMG SHOULD I BREATHE??????
Rie, I have not tried this specific diet, but I do know that no healthy fast would ever tell you not to drink water. It is always important to stay hydrated, no matter where you live.
Nothing is mentioned about consumption of liquids on on the fasting days. What do you drink? I live in the desert and it would be dangerous to become dehydrated. Hope you respond. Thanks