Nutrition Protocol

How Does It Work?

Well, I’m so glad you asked because it’s incredibly simple. Basically, you just skip breakfast and only eat from 12-8 pm each day. You can modify the 8 hour eating window to 11 am-7 pm or 1 pm-9 pm if it works better for your schedule but the important thing is that you consume no calories for 16 hours 6 days a week.

So, I know you have some questions and maybe even some objections so let me answer some Frequently Asked Questions….

1)But isn’t breakfast the most important meal of the day? That seems crazy I need to eat breakfast to have energy?

I know, I know it was hard for me to let go of breakfast too but I am here to tell you that this is a myth created by marketers to convince you to eat more. What do you think would happen if the whole world stopped eating breakfast and waited til noon to eat?

Do you think people would eat less? Would some people lose weight? Would people buy less food?

If you are anything like me you probably enjoy eating breakfast and maybe you have some healthy staple that you eat or drink every day and then the day falls apart later. Does this sound familiar? You can eat your healthy breakfast food later at 12 noon too can’t you?

2)Can I change the eating schedule and just not eat at night?

In order for the Nutrition Protocol to work you will have to eat in only an 8 hour window and fast for 16 hours so some people always ask “could I just eat from 7 am to 3 pm and fast after that?”

Well, theoretically yes but I think socially and realistically it would be an epic fail.

How do you think it would fly with the people in your life if you told them “I am not eating anything after 3 pm!”

Do you think you could be successful whiteknuckling it, watching friends and family eat while you drink organic water?

I couldn’t.

Of course if you work at night or have an irregular work schedule you might have to change the eating window. The important thing is to be fasting at unimportant times when other people are not expecting to eat with you. This is why, through trial and error the experts and most people have adopted the 12-8 pm or 1-9 pm eating window.

3)I am going to do the fast but only for 12-14 hours, will it still work?

Probably not. You could get some benefit from this but all the experts agree that you need a full 16 hour fast to unlock the hormonal benefits. From my own experience, and the experience of others I can tell you 16 hours works.

Have you ever decided to cook something from a recipe or bake a cake and then decided to change the recipe? Since I used to be a chef, I definitely have many times with mixed results. But when I followed the recipe as closely as possible I was 100% successful. Please don’t change the recipe I am giving you or I can’t guarantee how the cake will come out.

4)Isn’t this just starving myself? That’s not healthy is it?

On the contrary, not eating or fasting for 16 hours at a time has a tremendous cascade of health benefits like detoxifying the body and hormonal changes. I encourage you to do a little research on your own or read a book(there are many) if you want to know more, but really it’s not that important that you be convinced. Just Do It. Haha

5)Is it Ok for me to still (drink a smoothie, coffee with cream or sugar, eat a Greek Yogurt, etc. in the morning and then do the fast?

Absolutely not. Any small amount of calories will cause hormonal changes right away that will cause you to break the fast and lose the benefits.

6)Can I drink a few beers or a glass of wine after my eating window? Isn’t a glass of wine healthy?

Guys, please you can drink alcohol during your 8 hour eating window only. Alcohol is loaded with empty calories.

7)I’m doing the Keto Diet, Macro Diet, Vegan Diet, etc. will this work with it?

One of the things I love about this Nutrition Protocol is that it works with any diet or Nutrition Philosophy so I no longer have to waste time with clients debating over which approach is right. If you want to go low carb, Great. If you want to follow a measured Macro Plan, Great, just eat it all in your 8 hour window. If you are vegetarian or vegan, Great, this will work for you.

8)So, I can eat as much as I want and don’t have to watch my portions during my 8 hour eating window? Won’t I just over eat during the 8 hours?

At first, you will gorge yourself a little because you are not used to it. Then, slowly over a few weeks your stomach will shrink and your appetite will go down as you experience hormonal changes. Over time you just end up eating less. It’s crazy but it works after a few weeks or a month even without portion control!

So that’s pretty much it except for one thing that you must do. Take one planned day off of your choice and eat whatever you want for 24 hours.

I find Sundays to be the best day off for me. I can enjoy breakfast or brunch with family or friends. Or maybe Friday night is special for you and you like to have drinks and pizza late. The point is to take one day off so you don’t feel deprived and still get to enjoy the foods you like. then start again the next day with your normal schedule.

Stay Hungry

We have all heard the expression “Stay Hungry”. Right away it makes you think of somehow who is energetic, alert, focused to achieve.

Sadly, we have been told a story and conditioned to believe that feeling hungry is a bad thing. It’s not.

Yes, it’s true that when you follow the 16/8 Fasting Protocol you will sometimes feel a little hungry before you break the fast after 16 hours. Is that really such a bad thing?

After all, when you break the fast you can eat whatever you want. I am not telling you you have to eat celery and kale am I? I’m not asking you to portion your food and count your carbs, although you can if you want to.

No, I’m just asking you to suck it up and Stay Hungry for a couple hours each day till you get used to it. After a few weeks it becomes easy and right away you will feel a tremendous energy boost. These few hours where you might feel hungry are when you are getting the most benefit from the protocol.

I will be adding healthy recipes and training information to this page so stay tuned for updates and be sure to download a PDF  copy of My Nutrition Plan For Success for what to eat and not to eat.