A Book Series

Perfect At Last
WEIGHT
An Evolutionary Perspective's Guide on
Attaining an Ideal Body Weight the Fastest,
Most Natural Way

by Josephine Grace Chua Rojo, MD

Copyright

Copyright © 2019 by
Josephine Grace Chua Rojo

All rights reserved. This book or any portion

thereof may not be reproduced or used in any
manner whatsoever without the express written
permission of the publisher except for the use of
brief quotations in a book review or scholarly
journal.

First Printing: 2019

ISBN: 978-0-359-71550

Unit 5B, 2nd Lacson St., Bacolod City, Negros

Occidental, Philippines, 6100

www.healthandwellnessforless.info

i
Dedication

To my mother, Julemar, Tita Mama, Angelie,

and husband Uncle Jerome, brothers, Alvin,
Andrew and Albert, family and friends, who, in
one way or another, appreciated my words
enough to follow through and see the good
results themselves. Without you, I wouldn't have
the inspiration to start this.

Special thanks to my sister, Jane Catherine, for

the unconditional love and support, not just in
this book but in all days of my life.
Acknowledgement

Special thanks to Kenneth Bryan,

Marie Krielle Tasha and Tyron Jon for helping
me in many other aspects necessary in
producing this book.
About The Author

My name is Grace and I am a practicing medical

doctor by profession. I took Bachelor of Arts in
Psychology in college before I proceeded to
medicine. The second I learned about how we
evolved as humans, was the moment I
developed both curiosity and fascination with
how our body continuously responds like
cavemen even to modern day challenges. Say
for example, a traffic situation leaving one
unable to do anything but be still. Such scenario
triggers anxiety and sends modern men to resort
to their fight or flight response. Thus, blood
instinctively flows to hands and legs, in
preparation to either engage in a physical fight
or to run for one's life (like how homo sapiens
did it millions of years ago), making the legs
restless for not being able to do anything, other
than sit still and endure the traffic-induced pain.
And as I went on, I realized that this holds true
in almost any aspect of our day to day living,
especially with our eating pattern.

We are in the 21st century but our body still

functions the way it used to for the last
thousands of years of its genetic existence. Like
many of you, I have struggled with my weight
for as long as I can remember. I have tried so
many diet regimes but with no sustainable
results. Growing up, I have always been on the
heavier side. I am a 5-foot, 5 inches tall and the
heaviest I have recorded weighing was 141
pounds.

Surely I have weighed more, but I just didn't

have the courage to weigh myself during those
times. I always look back to a transient time in
high school and college where I considered to
have been at my slimmest, most ideal body
weight of 121 pounds. This may sound like it
isn't a struggle since I never really reached the
obese scale, but the truth is there is a real
challenge in trying to lose weight when you are
already within what is considered as "normal",
but, non-ideal self.

My relationship with food is just something that

I could not get a hold of. And it has deep roots
since the same is a struggle with the rest of my
family. Food has always been a source of
comfort, happiness and part of every
celebration. Skipping a meal is just out of the
deal. Unintentional skipped meals are
compensated immediately right after. But
tragedy occurred in our family. The loss of my
father and three of his other siblings in their
early 50s consecutively for four years due to
lifestyle disease, had me question my unhealthy
habits and seriously thought about improving
my overall wellness, starting with my weight.

And as I go back and see it in an evolutionary

perspective, backed up by scientific evidence
from my study of medicine, what I needed to do
became clear. I did what nobody in my world
thought I could ever do. And in a month's time, I
achieved the body weight that I thought would
only be in my dreams. From 140+ pounds, I
became 115-118 and a BMI of 19-19.5. I always
have the energy and the endurance to do my day
to day tasks without difficulty that I used to have
because of excess weight. With determination,
adequate knowledge and proper mindset, your
body weight can be perfect at last too
Disclaimer

The information written in this book is from the

best of the author’s knowledge with the sincerest
intention to help. This book only intends to
serve as a guide and does not intend to replace
the specific medical advice given to each patient
by his or her own physician. It will not
substitute the medications currently prescribed
to the reader for a specific illness. Any dietary
and lifestyle recommendations mentioned in this
book are wholly the personal view of the author.
Readers are strongly advised to conduct their
own research and consultations to verify the
applicability of the texts written in this guide to
each personal case. The author does not and will
not derive any financial gain from organizations
or companies mentioned in these texts. As of
this writing, and as far as the knowledge of the
author is concerned, there has been no medical
emergency associated with the recommendations
in this book. The reader is solely responsible for
any lifestyle changes he or she may wish to
proceed with after reading this book. It is
strongly advised that consultation with your
trusted physician should be done first prior to
embarking on any lifestyle change especially for
people with existing medical illness.

No copyright infringement is intended on the

photos used in this book. Credits are given to the
owners and sites where the photos were taken.
Should there be any inadvertent copyright
infringement committed, kindly contact the
author so immediate rectification may be
undertaken.
INTRODUCTION
Understanding Where We Came From
At least 700 million years ago, the closest
ancestor of humans roamed the earth. They
feed on whatever fresh fruits and
vegetables available on their given location
at that specific season. You see, once all the
produce is consumed in that area, it might
take some time before they can eat again.
There will be days and even weeks of
starvation and yet, they didn't die of hunger,
they continued to live and persisted.
Fast-forward to 800,000 years ago, our
more developed ancestors learned about
controlled fire and eventually evolved to
discover cooking. It allowed them to
consume previously raw and inedible food
sources which made them stronger, wiser
and better. As hunters and gatherers, they
can already eat meat and cook some variety
of crops in addition to their previous diet.
But despite this, still, there was no mode of
food preservation at that point and
whatever they got from days of hunting
must be eaten in a short period of time to
avoid spoilage. And what will follow are
again prolonged days of hunger and no
food at all, but they continued to live, until
the next hunt is successful and everyone is
once again fed.
Thus, if you try to imagine their normal
day, breakfast aren't part of the usual deal,
and dinner comes early since the danger of
the night forces them to seek for a safe
shelter away from predators, making their
daily window period of eating very limited
and far from our current timeframe of
eating that is, eating whenever we are
awake.
It's only about 10,000 B.C. that the
transition from hunter-gatherer stage
shifted to stationary farming. By this time,
humans no longer need to travel places and
hunt long distances just to eat. Instead, they
can eat whenever crops and livestock are
already set for harvest, signifying periods
of abundance. In between, there are still
intermittent periods of scarcity wherein
fasting, just like millions of years ago, were
considered a normal part of day to day
lives. As our ancestors, they too are
physically fit, active and muscular. No
evidence showing signs of obesity or
problems associated therewith. Causes of
death are mostly related to old age, trauma
in nature, accidents or infection.
This timeline comprised more than 99% of
human evolution that eventually shaped our
genetic make-up. The genetic changes that
were incorporated during those times
practically explain why our body responds
instinctively the way it does, and
expectedly adapted to fasting as it already
became a normal part of life.
By the 18th century, approximately just
about 200 years ago, (which is
approximately a minute part in the overall
human evolution), advanced farming began
and a widespread availability of wheat,
maize, potatoes, and rice as house staples
became a norm.
With various food preservation techniques,
people can now basically eat at any time
they want. Food is available 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, all year round. And
what has become of our body that was used
to scarcity and not of abundance? Did it
evolve fast enough to adapt to these
changes in our lifestyle brought about by
industrialization? Can the human body
accommodate all the modern-day food
innovations that aim to prevent us all from
ever experiencing hunger? Unfortunately, it
did not.
Our body was stuck in an era designed for
fasting. Our culinary expertise and kitchen
expanded too fast for our genes to adapt.
Thus, what do you think will happen to all
the modern-day food that our anciently
wired body is bound to consume? It
actually doesn't know what to do with all
that, but, store it the only way it knows
how- as lots and lots of body fats. Our body
kept on storing fats (just like it used to in
preparation for the inevitable days of
scarcity that was the norm for thousands of
years). It stores foods in the form of fats
every chance it gets in time for the
supposedly regularly occurring or cyclic
need for fasting, that, as we know now, will
most likely never happen.
This food abundance is now a plague
causing illnesses in various forms that
usually starts with one beginning to lean
towards the "healthier" side, then becomes
a little overweight and before you know it,
nothing fits anymore. And suddenly, you
are already obese class II. From then, it can
spiral down to co-morbidities associated
with obesity like diabetes, hypertension,
chronic back pain, arthritis, asthma, heart
attack, kidney failure, stroke and many
more.
You see, modern-day humans are born
and raised with a mindset of avoiding
hunger at all cost, by parents who were also
born and raised by those who define a
minimum daily activity with being able to
eat at least 3 times a day. To eat even if you
are not hungry simply because it is already
time to eat. And what is the result? Millions
are now suffering from lifestyle diseases
brought about by too much and too frequent
eating habits that is far from how our body
is used to operate.
If only we can go back to the way we
were, maybe we can have the best of the
current world, with enough safety net for
accidents, antibiotics for dreaded infections
and a physique that can withstand all the
diseases brought about by improper food
intake. It may sound counterintuitive, but in
an era where everyone is maximizing the
availability of food, we must also do a
conscious effort to limit our intake
especially when we still have stored fats to
lose. And by finishing this book, I hope that
in a way or two, we can make it come true.
☺
CHAPTER I

Truths About
Eating and
Fasting
What we need to accept as humans
 “Health and healing will follow fasting.”

-Jentezen Franklin

Yes, the basic foundation of the

evolutionary perspective's view in attaining
our ideal weight is by incorporating fasting
in our way of life.
For other people who have what we call the
"skinny genes", the ones who frequents the
buffet table but doesn't seem to ever gain a
pound, getting fat is a far out problem, thus
fasting simply for weight loss is not for
them. This is because they belong to the
50% of the population whose genes
mutated and adapted to the modern day
food intake. But for many of us who have
trouble attaining and maintaining a normal
weight, we must accept that fasting is a
natural phenomenon throughout the human
existence that we must also embark on.
Living in this modern world where food
comes in abundance, fasting is a taboo.
Many people just cannot comprehend how
one would ever consider engaging in it.
People have different and often negative
views and beliefs about eating and fasting
that, when you investigate further, have
very little scientific explanation as back up.
The following are the uncommon truths
about fasting and common attitude towards
food that a lot of us can benefit from
knowing
• Fasting will not kill you, eating all the
time will
If you think about it, metabolic diseases
such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and
to some extent, cancers, which are all
related to lifestyle and eating, cause more
death than any other disease globally as
published in the latest data by World Health
Organization (WHO).
Although fasting is not synonymous to
starvation, note that even the latter doesn't
even score among the significant causes of
death. If one eats 3x a day, 365 days a year,
that is already 1,095 meals a year. Say you
fast for a day, thus making it 1,092, do you
really think it will make such negative
difference in your health?
It is actually quite amusing that those who
haven't fasted are those who are certain that
it cannot be done. Not because they have
tried it, but simply because they are not
open to it.
If you come to think of it, fasting is
actually being practiced by millions
worldwide. It is even a part of some
religious, health and philosophical
disciplines. Fasting is even advocated as
part of natural healing during the times of
Hippocrates. If fasting kills, do you think
humanity would survive this long?
• Fasting will not lead to muscle wasting
Contrary to the common misconception,
fasting will not lead to muscle wasting.
During our days as cavemen, our muscles
are essential in our quest for food. Thus,
our body adapted greatly in such a way that
our muscles will not be compromised
during the time that we are still looking for
food and need it the most. Instead, our body
has other energy sources stored specifically
reserved for times like fasting. Thus, you
can be sure your muscles will be well
preserved.
• Breakfast is not the most important meal
of the day
You might have heard and believed the
opposite of this statement, but I hope you
know that line was made popular by a
company selling cereals made specifically
to make breakfast convenient, with the goal
of profit and not your health.
Breakfast as we know now is the meal we
eat in the morning usually before 10
o'clock. And it is ok to eat it. But it is
important for you to recognize why you are
eating it. Is it because you haven't eaten the
night before? Or you have no other time to
eat the rest of the day? Or that you will
engage in a very energy-requiring task that
your current stores of fats cannot take? Or
is it because you are just used to eating
breakfast without really thinking about
why?
At this point, I want you to see that eating
simply because it is time to eat is not ideal
and is very risky for your health. And the
most important meal could be any meal, as
long as you eat it when your body (and
soul) really needs it the most.
• Eating small frequent meals will not lead
to fat loss
When eating, it is not just the actual
calories that make you gain weight.
Whenever you eat, your pancreas secretes
insulin and turns on the fat-storing
mechanism switch in your body. Thus,
eating small frequent meals will not lead to
weight loss simply because you will have
persistent high insulin level in your blood,
making you in a state of perpetual fat-
storing mode and never in a fat-losing
state.
Any amount of weight loss some
experiences are due to water loss and are
usually just temporary.
• Eating low fat, low calorie diet lowers
metabolism
Metabolism is unique for each individual. It
is a function of both body composition and
activity. Unfortunately, eating a low calorie,
low fat diet for a long time won't boost
your metabolism, instead will only make it
slower. Prolonged intake of such low
calorie diet will have detrimental effect
both on your metabolism and overall well-
being as what happened in the subjects in a
starvation experiment done among males
who were fed on low calorie, and mostly
carbohydrate diet. (see appendix A)
• The symptoms of "hypoglycemia" when
skipping meals are caused by other
factors other than low blood sugar
One of the common fears of people on
fasting is the risk of having a hypoglycemic
episode or critically low level of blood
sugar. While a low blood sugar is good
especially once you are already adapted to
fasting and are relying on a fuel source
other than sugar (yes, you can still live
normally even if your sugar is low because
it is not the only kind of fuel your body can
use to function), the commonly feared
symptoms consisting of dizziness, tremors
and weakness are not actually due to
hypoglycemia. These are mainly due to
dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalance.
Fasting for less than 24 hours rarely cause
worrisome result. When doing an extended
fast, electrolytes-rich supplements are
recommended for those who will continue
to engage in normal physical daily activity.
Doing so will make fasting adaptation a
breeze. Specifics will be discussed in the
succeeding chapters.
• Fasting doesn't make you
malnourished, over-eating will
Malnourishment refers to both being
underweight and overweight. As fasting
leads to weight loss, there is little evidence
that it can lead to undernourishment simply
because it is a voluntary process. Thus,
when one already attains their goal weight,
they can simply break their fast; establish a
normal eating habit in such a way that they
maintain their ideal weight. On the other
hand, over eating as evidenced by steadily
increasing number of lifestyle diseases,
simply signifies improper and unhealthy
kind of nourishment.
• Fasting is healthy when done right
Weight loss may be the most noticeable
effect of fasting, but it is not the only benefit
you can get. Research shows that fasting can
lead to longevity, can reverse diabetes and
hypertension, decrease tumor growth, heal
diseases related to inflammation and even
lessen the risk of developing cancer, among
many others. For you to know the details on
how to fast safely and effectively is the goal
of this book.
CHAPTER 2

Fat-Storing
Versus Fat-
Losing
Mechanism
Understanding how fats are made and
burned
 “The best of all medicines are resting and
fasting.”

-Benjamin Franklin

As plain as it may sound, consuming more

than what your body needs will lead to
weight gain in the form of fats. Each person
has his own Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR),
also known as required resting energy
expenditure. This is the amount of calories
your body is burning even if you are not
doing anything. These calories will be
needed by your thinking brain, pumping
heart, working liver, digesting intestines,
breathing lungs, warmth in your skin and
all the other parts of your body, even while
you are sleeping. At an average, BMR is
about 25kcal/kg of body weight. Your BMR
will dictate the minimum caloric
requirement you need even when you are
doing nothing. Any additional physical or
mental work or any form of stress will need
additional energy thereby increasing your
caloric requirement.
Say for example a 35 years old woman
within normal BMI, weighing 55kg and
stands 5'5" with a very sedentary lifestyle
will have a BMR of 1,555 kcal. If she
continuous to consume more than her daily
BMR, those excess foods will pile up and
become body fats.
Since it is not a common practice to
calculate food intake on a day to day basis,
more often than not, we eat more than the
amount we need. Unknowingly, the lady in
our example can slide from normal to
overweight line without noticing when it
actually happened.
If you were able to perfectly balance your
food intake, BMR and physical activity
since you were young, and do not have any
metabolic problems, most likely you are at
your most ideal body weight and are no
longer in need of this book for weight-
management purposes.
However, if you are like me who have been
piling up fats in all places in the course of
living this beautiful life, you will realize
that even if you try to eat less, the fats just
don't go away. There may be times you feel
that after a few days of "dieting" you lose
weight, but the moment you go back to
your normal eating habits, all the weight
just comes back in. Thus, as a result, you
stop what you do, continue to eat and be
frustrated with how your body is
transforming. It is because the initial weight
loss is not true fat loss but just water loss.
Because you see, the moment that you have
stored fats, those fats become the least
accessible form of energy that cannot be
easily burned with simple reduction in food
intake.
It is during this time that you must consider
reducing not the amount of food that you
eat, but more importantly, reducing the
frequency of your meals. We have to
understand that no matter how much we are
used to eating all the time, it is simply NOT
how nature intends our body to function,
thus the weight gain we hate so badly
becomes inevitable.
 In addition, we have to understand that as
impossible as it may seem, the less calorie
you eat does not mean the more fats you
will lose. The concept of calorie in, calorie
out does not apply in the long run. Our
body functions way more complex than this
mechanism. Converting foods that we eat
and fats in our hips into energy doesn’t
happen in an instant, but, ample time is
necessary for this to occur. This can be
understood by looking at a very simple but
very important diagram below. Wherein,
contrary to the common knowledge, sugar,
in the form of glucose or carbohydrates is
not the only source of energy for us to
function efficiently. And skipping meals,
even for days, will not lead to death. If you
are here to lose the excess fats fast, then
you have to accept that you need to do
more than just reducing your carbohydrate
intake. Simply put, we have to go back on
how our ancestors lived their lives before.
With science to back it up, we have to be
accepting of the fact that fasting is an
integral part of the human's way of life
throughout evolution. This can be further
understood by knowing the types of fuel
expenditure our body use during different
periods of fasting. In simpler words, this
only means that your energy source will
change as days go by without eating. The
energy currency in your body is Adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) molecule. And it will
come from a different energy source
depending on where you are at a given
point in time. And yes, glucose is not your
only source of energy.
DAY 1: First day without food intake, your
body will scrape off all the carbohydrates
you have left in your blood stream, known
as your blood glucose, and the remaining
ones in your stomach and intestines from
your last meal. The energy from glucose is
obtained through a process called
glycolysis.
This will be enough to fuel your daily
activity. Note that you will feel hungry, but
not the entire day. Instead, you will only
feel hungry for about 3-4 times a day
depending on how you frequently take your
usual meals. The hunger you will
experience are proof of how wired you are
to eating at least three meals a day. If you
do not give in to the growling sounds of
your stomach, it will subside after about an
hour. You should not worry on hyperacidity
since food is the primary trigger for acid
secretions. If you avoid food, including
seeing and smelling food, secretions of
gastric acids will be suppressed. Your fuel
source as of this time is carbohydrates/
glucose, the red line in the graph. Drink
water whenever you feel hungry, since
thirst has the same symptoms as hunger.
Each cycle of glycolysis will yield 2 ATP
for energy.
DAY 2: At approximately 24-48 hours of
fasting, your blood glucose is already
depleted. This time, it will tap your glucose
stores in the form of glycogen mainly found
in your liver. This glycogen will be broken
down into glucose through the process
of glycogenolysis, and the glucose will
again undergo glycolysis as it did on the
first day. Thus, your fuel source is still
carbohydrates. And depending on the
amount of your glycogen stores (about
2,000 kcal on average), or your physical
activity, the rate of depletion follows as you
see in the decline in the red line in the
graph. You will still feel hungry, but again,
only during your usual eating times. Some
feel they are hungrier on this day than the
previous day, while others feel that the
hunger sensation is starting to lessen. Once
you are able to overcome the first 48 hours,
chances are, the subsequent days will be
easier.
DAY 3: Within 48-72 hours of fasting, you
will no longer have glucose in your system,
the fuel source that your body has been
used to consuming for the longest time. As
of this point, it will tap the next easiest
source of energy in your body and create its
own glucose and the substrates or
ingredients will come from fats (the
glycerol from triglycerides) and amino
acids which will come from your muscles. I
know you might not feel comfortable that
the probably little muscles you have will be
compromised. Note that it is only very
minimal and will not last for long simply
because your body, brilliant as it is, knows
that it is not sustainable. This process called
gluconeogenesis or the making of new
glucose from your own free triglycerides/
fats and muscle stores, is only an
emergency fund, and not designed for long-
term use because it will eventually make
you weak (temporarily). In fact, some may
feel weak at this point and may already
want to give up.
But it is during this time that you have to
hang on and take some electrolytes so your
weakness, perceived or otherwise, will be
relieved. As they say, rest or even sleep if
you must, but do not quit. Gluconeogenesis
will require 4 ATPs to occur, in order to
obtain glucose for glycolysis that will only
yield 2 ATPs. At this point, you can see that
this process is not sustainable simply
because the net ATP is negative and our
body is not wired to self-destruct.
DAY 4 and up: About 72-96 hours of
fasting, your body already senses that no
food is going to arrive anytime soon. Thus,
it will tap its stored energy from your
precious vault of fats. Yes, finally, it will
use up your fats as its primary energy
source. This process is called lypolysis,
which simply means, breakdown of lipids.
As of this point, the real and major fat
breakdown occurs.
Fat’s usable energy form is called ketone
bodies (indicated by the green line in the
graph). This is also known as Ketosis or the
shifting of energy stores from glucose to
ketones. Ketone bodies are very energy-
dense molecules wherein one ketone body
will yield 22 ATPs. This explains why there
are so many testimonials saying that after
days of fasting, they felt a sense of
increased strength and energy and even
improved mental prowess. Ketones are
actually the preferred fuel source by many
organs, including the brain, and once
adapted in Ketosis, even the other organs
like muscles can now utilize ketones as an
efficient energy source. For some, there is
this stage of Ketoflu, wherein one
experiences signs and symptoms of flu
without having actual flu because the body
is still adjusting. This is because our body
is not used to using ketones as a fuel, and
simply because, just like every other
regular human, we've never really and truly
fast our entire lives. But on days 4-5,
hunger is already at minimum though you
can still feel it occurring the same time on
the previous days, but this time, it won't
bother you anymore because the hunger
hormone Ghrelin is already declining.
Note that there may be an overlap among
these biochemical processes. Some studies
indicate that ketosis starts to occur as early
as 12 hours of fasting with heavy ketosis
occurring at 18 hours.
For some people and even other fellow
doctors, the mere mention of ketosis
already signifies a big red flag. This is
because basic biochemistry books in
medical school discuss ketosis very briefly
and it is always subsequently alongside
starvation and diabetic ketoacidosis, which
can be fatal.
However, they failed to emphasize that the
ketoacidosis occurs when there is a
persistently high level of blood glucose
together with high level of ketones among
diabetic patients whose food intake is
largely composed of sugar and/or absence
of insulin to regulate the sugar within the
blood stream. However, for those who are
non-diabetics, fasting will follow the
normal transition of fuel source
(carbohydrate to fats), thus blood glucose
will decrease and only ketones will increase
to a nutritional level where weight loss is
achieved. Blood ketone levels for steady
weight loss is at approximately 1.0-3.0
mmol/L when doing short extended fasts.
Whereas heavy ketosis and greater weight
loss effects are achieved during prolonged
extended fast and even this seldom reach
more than 5.0 mmol/L. Even at more
elevated levels, it will NOT cause acidosis
because ketones are naturally produced
when fat burning mechanism ensues. The
dangerous level of ketoacidosis is at 10
mmol/L and occurs together with elevated
blood glucose as a complication of type 1
diabetes. This level is not seen among those
with normal pancreas because of the
counter regulatory mechanism of producing
insulin in response to ketones that are going
beyond the nutritional ketosis level of 5mg/
dL.
Thus, once fully adapted at the level of
nutritional ketosis, your blood sugar and
insulin are at a stable level and in the lower
range of normal, where they should always
be.
According to Loren Lockman, advocate of
water fasting and one who supervised
thousands of long-term extended fasts, an
average person has the capacity to do a safe
water-only fasting for up to six weeks. That
as long as you have fat stores and your
body fat percentage does not go down
below 5-12%, you can live with energy
coming from ketones & gluconeogenesis
only. The longest recorded fast in a medical
journal is 382 days and the subject stopped
when he finally reached his ideal weight.
He sustained the weight loss and had
normal BMI throughout his life.

I know at this point you might have doubts,

especially with your capacity to do it. I
know because I myself had doubts too,
because in my 30 years of existence I have
never had a day where I had not had any
food.
But after thorough research and scientific
build-up of confidence, I trusted the
process. I decided to put my faith in nature,
knowing that fasting has been an integral
part of human evolution and it is a practice
of almost all religions from time
immemorial. I started my first 5 days of
water-only fasting relying not on how I was
raised, or what the media advertisements
says, but on the evolutionary perspective's
scientific confidence why fasting can be
done safely and smoothly. I trusted the fact
that because our genes have been through
thousands of years of experience, it enabled
our body to sustain it.
Surprisingly, not known to many, our body
is more adapted to scarcity than gluttony.
And as I went through the fasting days,
with psychological turmoil going on inside
my head, I found solace knowing that
regular extended fasting has been a way of
life of millions of people all over the world.
Miles and miles away from where I live,
people are connecting and supporting each
other during extended fasting. Hundreds of
blogs and videos discuss the benefits of
fasting and even documenting their daily
update during an active fast.
I successfully completed a 5-day water-
only fast while continuously and properly
working in the hospital doing my usual
ward/ER routine and surgeries. From the
food glutton that I was, I became liberated
from food dependency. From seeking food
all the time, my mental strength has never
been better. I felt like a totally different
person, that I have achieved a certain level
of elation that nothing else can give. It is a
level of confidence and empowerment that
only you can give yourself. If I can do it, I
know you can too. Imagine a few days of
psychological exercise in exchange of
finally attaining the body you've always
been dreaming of.
Fasting can be done in various schedules
and lengths. With proper guidance from this
book, anybody can do it at their own
convenience and keep on doing it until they
reach their ideal body image. And you do
not need to do the whole four days or more,
not even a full 24 hours because there are
smoother ways to reach ketosis other than
engaging in a prolonged fast.
Want it and it will be yours. Trust that it
can be done. Write down how much you
want it and why you want to have that ideal
body. Focus on that goal and let it be your
fuel to give fasting a try. There is nothing
else better than you being in control of both
your body and your mind.
SUMMARY of STAGES of FASTING
Day 1: Fuel source is from Blood Sugar/
Glucose, hunger pangs is severe, this can lead to
lowering of your blood sugar and water loss as
well.
Day 2: Fuel Source is from Sugar/Glucose
coming from the storage form Glycogen mostly
from the liver, hunger may decrease but may be
worse for some, this will deplete the glycogen in
the liver
Day 3: Fuel source is mostly from glucose made
from breakdown of fats (triglycerides) and
muscles, some ketones are produced from
breakdown of fats, This can lead to fat loss and
minimal muscle loss
Day 4 and beyond: Major fuel source is now
ketones, which came from your fat stores,
hunger at its lowest and this is the stage where
pure fat loss occurs and blood sugar and insulin
is low but stable.
CHAPTER 3

Why Meal
Timing Matters
Recognizing “when to eat” is the key
“If anything is worth doing, do it with all
your heart.”

-Buddha

Fasting is essential to strike a balance in

one's way of life. However, it is not
sustainable for you to keep on fasting all
throughout, because then, no balance shall
result. This is the point where we answer
the question: when should we really eat in
order for us to get back the eating
equilibrium our generation has lost?

And the answer is “No, it's not your usual

breakfast-lunch-dinner routine. Nor is it is
the kindergarten's breakfast - morning
snacks - lunch - afternoon snacks - dinner -
bedtime milk time”. When to eat, should
actually be something instinctive. Like the
animals in the wild, we humans are
supposed to eat only when we are hungry
and stop eating when we are full. Following
these instincts, no-one should become
overweight (except for special natural
occurrences like pregnancy and growth of a
child). So, if this is the case, when did we
go wrong? Why is obesity starting to
become a worldwide pandemic, especially
among the resource-sufficient parts of the
world?

Unfortunately, this comes down with nature

versus nurture. For our generation,
unfortunately, nurture took reign.
Remember when you were forced to eat as
a child even when you don't want to? Or
when you were forced to stay in the dinner
table until you finish everything your
mother put on your plate? No, it's not your
parent's fault. Because like almost everyone
in this planet plagued by the marketing
strategies of the multi-billion food industry,
parents too are fooled by statements like,
"Breakfast is the most important meal of
the day" or "Always be ready, never go
hungry" schemes.

As it turned out, those hard-to-put-on-

breakfast-table kids, are actually the ones
we should follow. Those kids are listening
and responding to their instincts, that they
should eat only when their bodies are
already in need of nutrition and they stop
when they’ve had enough. However, with
constant reward-punishment parenting
model we adults unknowingly give, plus the
undeniable pleasure from sweets and
simple sugars, those instincts are eventually
lost. By nature, hunger hormone Ghrelin
increases when your body is truly hungry
(as in lacking energy and resources to finish
a certain task). However, over time, Ghrelin
increases simply because the body is used
to receiving food during specific times of
the day despite the abundant food storage in
our bodies in the form of fats.

Studies show that during a 24-hour

monitoring, Ghrelin increases in response
to the usual eating routine and corresponds
to the hunger pangs a person is
experiencing when not giving in to the
hunger sensation occasioned by this
hormone.
And it is important to note that overtime,
contrary to the common knowledge, one
does not get hungrier as the time passes.
Instead, the sense of hunger will pass after
about an hour and will only recur during
the next meal time, with just about the same
or even lesser hunger sensation than before,
as seen in the graph below indicating a
declining Ghrelin level as the days of
fasting go by. If one eats, especially when
eating low carbohydrate diet with minimal
protein and high in healthy fats, the fullness
hormone Leptin increases and this signals
your brain to stop eating. This is the reason
why animals in the wild don't become
obese, because there is a balance between
Ghrelin and Leptin in their body and they
respond to it accordingly.

So, how can we re-establish a balanced and

well-functioning Ghrelin and Leptin?
Simple, just unlearn what you have learned.
That is, intentionally disrupting the eating
pattern you've been used to your whole life.
By not responding to the urge to eat just
because it's 12 noon, and to consciously
refuse food intake when you know you still
have a lot of fats in store. Yes, in a word,
what you need to do is fast. In order to
regain your instinctive drive, you can
slowly reset your body to its natural state.
Fasting is the key to appetite correction or
the reestablishment of balance between
Leptin and Ghrelin hormones. There's a
rapid way, and there's a smooth slow way.
But if significant weight loss is your goal,
then, you can go for the highway - in this
case, scheduled fasting.
CHAPTER 4

The Basics of
Fasting
Must-knows every future faster needs
“The secret of change is to focus all of your
energy, not on fighting the old, but on
building the new.”
-Socrates

To embark on the highway option, the first

thing you need to do is to know what
fasting really means. As described in the
founder of Intensive Dietary Management
and Nephrologist, Dr. Jason Fung, in his
books: The Obesity Code and (co-author
Jim Moore) The Complete Guide to
Fasting, it is clearly explained that fasting
is not synonymous to starvation. Fasting is
the voluntary non-consumption or omission
of calorie-containing food and beverages.
Whereas, starvation, is the involuntary
absence or negation of food intake, despite
the person's protest or natural need for food
sustenance. Although they may initially
affect one's physical aspects similarly, the
large difference is on the emotional and
psychological impact each has. With
starvation, detrimental effects of feeling of
vulnerability and helplessness can ensue.
Whereas in fasting, the person is in control,
he is totally in charge, empowering him for
every hour endured knowing that one can
break it anytime as desired. Fasting has
impacted those who practice it not just
physically, but also mentally and spiritually
and in a good way.

There are so many fasting schedules

available for everyone (daily basis or
weekly) and you can study them and see
which fasting routine can work for you.
As hard to believe as it may seem, the
struggle in fasting is actually 95%
psychological and only 5% physical.
In general, fasting is considered fasting if
you have not taken any calorie containing
food and drinks for at least 12 hours.
Studies show that after 12 hours, ketosis or
breakdown of fats already start. And by the
18th hour, you are already in heavy ketosis
where a large part of your energy is coming
from ketones. If you extend it to 24 hours,
other health-enhancing benefits occur, but
the most important of which, as of this
point, is the commencement of the burning
of heavily-guarded and highly stubborn
stored fats. The longer you fast, the more
stubborn fats you lose. It's that simple.
During your fasting period, you can
consume as much water, natural tea or
black coffee you want, especially if you
fast less than 24 hours. This is called a
Clean Fast and is something that I advocate
whenever I engage in a daily intermittent
fast or short-term extended fast. You should
always be mindful with how your body
responds and you should keep yourself
hydrated.

However, prolonged fasting can sometimes

lead to electrolyte-imbalance in certain
people, especially that a significant amount
of electrolytes are continuously eliminated
in urine. Thus, in order to avoid such
occurrence, consumption of electrolyte and
micronutrient-containing liquids are
allowed as long as it does not contain any
calorie nor it has a sweet taste like artificial
sweeteners. Only zero-calorie liquids that
contain electrolytes may be consumed,
especially during prolonged fasting.
Examples include water, coffee, tea,
vinegar with or without salt and
electrolytes.
As identified by Gin Stephen's book
“Delay, Don't Deny”, any additional
consumption is already classified as dirty
fasting and such is not advisable because
even if you do not eat any solid foods,
consumption of any calorie-containing
liquid or even zero-calorie foodstuff having
a sweet taste can already stop the fat-
burning processes seen in Clean Fasting.
However, according to Dr. Jason Fung,
during an extended fast of more than 24 hours
,certain amount of good fats may be
incorporated in addition to the previously
stated allowed fluids, whenever one feel
really weak but doesn’t want to break the fast.
These include coconut oil, heavy whipped
cream, medium-chain triglyceride oil, or bone
and vegetable broth. These additions will not
jeopardize your fasting state because these
fat-rich substance will still chemically mimic
fasting, thus, will not kick one out of ketosis.
Personally, I recommend doing a clean
water-only fasting for as long as you can. If
there comes a point of feeling weak, one can
consume salt water and magnesium
supplements since those are the electrolytes
that are frequently lost. If the weakness
persists and continue to worsen, dirty fasting
may be done by consuming any pure natural
fats or bone broth. Note that consuming
anything with flavor, even if it has zero
calories, can trigger hunger more, thus you
have to be careful with what you choose to
consume during your fasting. Details on the
fluids you can take during fasting will be
discussed the next chapter.
As previously discussed, each stage of fasting
will have a different effect on one's body. This is
the best time to review the summary of stages of
fasting and the corresponding fuel source being
utilized as first seen in Chapter 2.
CHAPTER 5

Fluids You Can

Take While
Fasting
Water is the best of all
“The noblest of all studies is the study of
what man is and of what life he should
live.”

-Plato

During fasting, fluids are your best friends.

One can survive months of no food intake,
but three days without water can already
cause serious problems.

Of all fluids there is, the most important of

all is luckily the cheapest, which is, water.
Distilled water is the purest, but any
unflavored water may also do.

Water-only fast has proven to be the best if

your central aim is pure fat loss because
intake of anything that needs metabolizing
will take up energy from your body. With
water-only fast, you are practicing your
body to function at its optimum and in the
most efficient way. Without any flavor that
passes through your gut, you are able to
provide rest to your bowels, pancreas and
the rest of your gastrointestinal tract. Upon
introduction to your system, water will
enable the very basic processes of
converting glucose, glycogen and fats into
energy that may be used for daily tasks and
for facilitating fat loss.

During fasting it is very important that you

take time to listen to your body. Identify
temporary hunger pangs due to routine
eating time versus hunger due to true
nutrient deficiency.

Always have water in hand as it is

important to be kept hydrated. However, it
is also equally important not to "over
hydrate" by consuming water way more
than what you need. Over hydration may be
suspected if you experience frequent
urination, and is experienced almost
immediately after water intake with the
same or more amount than you took,
followed by episodes of worsening muscle
weakness. This is because water and
sodium go together as they are eliminated
in your urine. And as your body is still not
used to fasting, it has the tendency to
eliminate them both, not knowing that the
kidneys must save all the electrolytes it can
gather. As a result, you will become
sodium-deficient or hyponatremic which
will manifest as weakness, easy fatigability
and light-headedness. But, if you listen to
your body carefully, and by drinking sips of
water, little by little only, whenever you
feel thirsty or hungry, and avoid gulping
liters in one setting, can eliminate the risk
of over-hydration complications.
However, if such symptoms still occur, it is
at this point that you can add non-caloric
substance to your water that cannot break
your fast and will not aggravate hunger but
can help you sustain your fasting
commitment. These are essential
electrolytes that get deficient during
prolonged fasting with normal day to day
activity. In my case, I find that a teaspoon
of vinegar, mixed with a pinch of salt &
diluted with two tablespoons of water,
suppresses my appetite and gives me an
energy boost from sodium replacement.
(Some water-only fasting advocates are not
promoting the incorporation of supplement
but are advising total bed rest during this
period.)
When fasting for 1-2 weeks, sodium,
magnesium, and to some extent, potassium
supplements, will suffice. However, for
longer fasts, additional supplementation of
calcium, chloride and phosphorous is
necessary to avoid risk of re-feeding
syndrome.
Below is a list of common electrolytes
important in fasting and corresponding
symptoms of deficiency.

1. Salt
Sodium as the basic chemical component of
salt is the most abundant electrolyte in our
body. It is one of the most common
components for humans to perform regular
functions, and its most important organ
regulator of which is our kidneys. When
one has more sodium, kidneys just simply
eliminate it through urine and when the
same is depleting, the kidney will try to
keep whatever amount it can save before
urinating. However, it is not that easy to
perfect the optimum water intake, and to
teach kidneys to readily save all the salts
you have during your first few days of
fasting. Thus, to slowly introduce the
transition, you can prepare and infuse your
body with home-made salt water, and
taking sips when necessary. (Again, I find
that mixing salt, water and vinegar is more
palatable than salt and water alone.) You
will be amazed that you can immediately
feel some improvement on your strength
after you take a sip. The more organic the
salt, the better it is. Good reviews were
handed to pink Himalayan salts, but I find
any pure, organic sea salt to perform the job
just as fine. To make your own concoction,
just take 1 tablespoon of salt and mix it
with 50-500 ml of water. Whatever amount
left that day should be discarded and make
another one for the next day. Or, simply
have a pinch of salt to your tongue and
flush it with water as needed. Signs and
symptoms of low sodium or hyponatremia
include muscle cramps, loss of appetite and
dizziness. These symptoms are often
attributed to hypoglycemia or low blood
sugar, but more often than not, it is just due
to low salt in the body. Thus, if this
happens, take some and see the
improvements after.
2. Magnesium
While magnesium is commonly
disregarded, it is in fact very important in
processes that involve electrical impulses in
the body, particularly in the muscles, nerves
and heart. Symptoms of deficiency will
include muscular cramps and spasms,
difficulty to concentrate and palpitations.
During the first 1-3 days, seldom does
hypomagnesemia occur. But as your fasting
progresses and you start to feel these
symptoms to occur, you can consider taking
in magnesium supplements at 200 to 400
mg per day. Personally, I only noticed
symptoms of muscle cramps on the 10th day
of water only fasting. This may vary from
person to person depending on you bodily
stores.
3. Potassium
This is the second most important ion in the
body. It functions hand in hand with
sodium. And since sodium loss is expected
especially during the early phase of fasting,
potassium loss or hypokalemia can also
ensue.
Symptoms of hypokalemia can include
muscle weakness, blood pressure changes
and mental confusion. Thus, it is optimum
to have potassium supplements in handy
when engaging in extended fast (>5-7
days). The amount you need will depend on
your physical activity. If you are an athlete
or doing heavy physical labor, you can
consider taking in a little more than the
recommended daily allowance of
1,500-2,000 mg for the average adult.
However, for those that are not engaging in
strenuous activities, potassium is seldom
required even in extended fasts of more
than 5-7 days.
Aside from those, there are also other
electrolytes that are needed in small amount
but seldom causes problems unless you are
very physically active or doing resistance
training or already has signs of
osteoporosis. These include calcium,
chloride (already part of salt as sodium
chloride), bicarbonate, phosphorous and
phosphates. However, if you are still young
without co-morbidities and are not
engaging in laborious routine, you can
proceed without taking much of the latter
supplements. On the other hand, if you feel
you need them, further readings are
suggested.
Remember, electrolyte deficiency is the
most common cause of Ketoflu, and a
resultant termination of fasting. It is of
great importance to prepare and properly
equip yourself prior to embarking on an
extended fast in order for you to be fully
prepared and attain success in this journey.
Other than electrolytes, other non-caloric
additions can improve the fasting
experience. This is considered a clean fast.
1. Coffee - whether with or without
caffeine, as long as there is no sugar or
cream is a good addition to your water.
It boosts your metabolism and a great
option for those who are avid coffee
drinkers. For those who are not used to
taking in black coffee (i.e. no sugar or
cream), you can start taking it as light
as possible and slowly increase the
strength to suit your taste.
2. Tea - any organic tea leaves is
okay to add flavor to your water in
addition to the inherent properties of
individual teas (i.e. green tea's appetite
suppression, calming effect of
chamomile, caffeine-fix of black teas).
3. Zero calorie spices like cinnamon,
ginger or turmeric are also welcome,
 however, carefully consider prior to
adding these since flavor instantly
triggers appetite and subsequent
hunger sensation might result.
Water with electrolytes is the best fluid you
can take in achieving functional, energy-
sufficient fasting days. Fasting without any
fluids, which is called dry fasting is
strongly DISCOURAGED.
When engaging in your first extended fast,
I suggest keeping it as clean as possible, as
whatever length of time you clock in, is
already a lifetime worth of personal
achievement that you can take pride
and make reference to. For instance, a
week-long water-only fasting, is a bragging
record and a motivational reference for
your future self that if you can do it that
one time, surely you can do it again and can
readily take on any other less challenging
tasks, and mind you, there are too many
less challenging tasks than saying no to any
amount and any type of food for days.
On the other hand, below are the fluids you
can consume while on dirty fasting mode as
advised by Dr. Jason Fung in his book
entitled, The Obesity Code and The
Complete Guide to Fasting. These fluids
have high fat and nutrient contents, that
even if you are truly already breaking your
fast, “biochemically” you are still fasting
because you would be utilizing fats/ketones
still, thus, you are not getting out of ketosis
stage or the fat burning stage and you can
proceed with your body fat loss thereafter.

1. Vegetable Broth - the soup from

cooked vegetables and spices. Strain
the vegetables and drink the soup only.
It contains electrolytes and some salt to
quench your thirst and to some extent,
hunger. (Dirty Fast)

2. Bone Broth - the soup from boiled

meat, preferably with bones. Strain and
drink the soup especially when feeling
weak during extended fasting. (Dirty
Fast)
3. Bulletproof coffee - one cup of
black coffee and froth with 1
tablespoon of fats like coconut oil,
medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil,
whole milk, butter, heavy whipping
cream or cinnamon for flavor. Limit to
only 1-2 cups per day. (Dirty Fast)

4. Water with natural vinegar (apple

cider or pure coconut vinegar) - shown
to have good effects on appetite
suppression and abdominal pain from
stomach acid secretions. Mix 1
tablespoon of vinegar, with or without
salt in water. Dilute as tolerated.
(Clean Fast)

5. Water with lemons and lime or

fruit slices without consuming the
fruits. The citrus extracts will add
flavor to water but this may contain
some sugar. (Dirty Fast)
To recap, water with electrolytes is
considered clean fasting. Other zero-calorie
and non-sweet fluids like black coffee, tea
and vinegar can be taken in a clean fast.
Personally, I take pleasure in pure, organic
zero calorie vinegar (coconut or apple
cider) mixed with salt and water, which is a
very good source of electrolytes and an
effective appetite suppressant when fasting.
Others even put some salts in their coffee,
so, you can also personalize your own.
Clean fasting should be advocated for daily
intermittent fast (IF) and as long as you can
during extended fast (EF). Other fluid
additions should only be considered when
doing the latter. Differentiation between IF
and EF will be discussed in the succeeding
chapters.
Again, I am putting emphasis on the three
types of fasting in descending order in a
matter of purity and priority when fasting.
First is the water-only fasting (plus salt),
the cleanest form of fasting and is
something I believe in doing for as long as I
can. Once I already feel weak or with signs
of electrolyte imbalance, I will proceed
with a clean fasting, wherein black coffee,
tea and other electrolytes like salt can be
added. Lastly, when engaging in a fast of
more than 3 days, I allow myself to have
dirty fasting when I can no longer stick to
clean fasting and if I cannot sustain it, I
then decide to break the fast.
CHAPTER 6

Who Can Fast

“Our souls need fasting as much as our
bodies need food.”

-Islamic Proverb

As we are all descendants of humanity,

anybody can actually fast. In fact,
everybody has fasted many times in the
past without knowing it. The daily gap
between your dinner and breakfast the
following day is already fasting, thus the
term "breakfast", or breaking a fast.

However, benefits are seen when fasting is

extended to a minimum of 12 hours, just
enough to rid your blood stream of all the
sugars you've had the previous day. Weight
loss through ketosis, starts to significantly
kick in after the 16th hour and can be
slowly extended to as long as tolerated.

Any adult who wants to lose weight with

the right mental understanding of the risks
and benefits of fasting can engage in such.
Anybody who are physically able without
any known illness, not taking any
medications and are desirous of improving
their overall health, are the best people to
start this journey.

If you have illnesses and/or symptoms

related to any lifestyle diseases such as
obesity, chronic pain, diabetes,
hypertension and elevated cholesterol, you
can still engage in fasting provided you
have proper guidance from your trusted
physician.

The latter subgroup can actually benefit the

most from fasting and studies show that
these lifestyle diseases even have the
potential to be reversed. Although there are
a lot of success stories from those who did
it on their own, it is highly advised that
thorough consideration, research and
preparation should be done first before
engaging in any type of extended fasting.
Although in general, intermittent fasting
can be smoothly done by those with
maintenance medications and in need of
frequent monitoring, any form of extended
fast must be done with guidance or under
the direct supervision of healthcare
professionals since individual medical
history and response vary from person to
person.
However, for those with no known serious
illness and without symptoms suggesting
such, young or otherwise, and have extra
weight to manage or reduce, then it is best
to start immediately while risks are
minimal and benefits are at best.
CHAPTER 7

Who Cannot
Fast
“I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy,
I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.”

-Anonymous
Fasting, especially extended fasting is not
recommended among limited groups of
individuals belonging in this subgroup:

1. Growing children - as they are still

in their developmental years, children
are prohibited from engaging in
intentional and extended fasts. The
nutrients from food are essential in
order for them to reach physical
maturity. For very young children,
their peripheral fats are essential in
heat regulation to avoid hypothermia,
thus, fat loss at this time is strongly
discouraged. They, however, can
benefit from eating in moderation and
meal timing that is not dictated by
routine, but by their instinctive and
nutritional bodily needs.
 2. Pregnant and breastfeeding
women (especially those exclusively
breastfeeding infants less than 4-6
months old)- this is among the most
established occurrence in nature where
weight gain is expected and is
encouraged as this relates and ensures
the proper development of the
offspring. Fasting may jeopardize both
the health of the baby or the mother;
and when nature is forced to choose,
the latter is likely to be sacrificed.
Although there are a lot of illnesses that can
be benefited by fasting, an educated and
informed approach should be done before
deciding on anything that can possibly put
one in danger. Certain medications affect
metabolism in an erratic way, and there is
logic to the saying "Better safe than sorry."
Other subgroups that need precaution are as
follows:
• Those on prescription medications
and with diagnosed diseases- those
who are currently diagnosed with any
medical, especially type 1 diabetes, or
psychiatric conditions are warned not
to engage in fasting without prior
consultation with their respective
physicians.
• Those with known hyperacidity or
predisposed to having stomach ulcers -
although there are a number of factors
that contribute to ulcer formation, an
active ulcer or gastritis are sometimes
aggravated by fasting. Proper treatment
of hyperacidity or related illness like
gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD) and knowledge on how to
counter the risk during fasting should
be attained first prior to considering
this course.
• Those with history of fainting
spells - fainting have a lot of possible
causes but the common ones include
hypoglycemia, orthostatic hypotension
or decrease in blood pressure from
sudden positional changes and
heightened parasympathetic response
 in times of extreme stress. Appropriate
investigation must be done first prior to
fasting.
• Those who are undernourished or
in cachexia - severe malnutrition such
as kwashiorkor and marasmus, as often
seen in children in areas with famine
can also be seen in adults. Cachexia
manifested by being severely
underweight, and wasting usually from
chronic illnesses and late stage
diseases are contraindicated to undergo
fasting.
• Those with eating disorders - those
diagnosed with eating disorders,
especially anorexia are advised against
fasting. Certain eating disorders that
can benefit from true weight loss
should consider doing so only under
direct supervision of a professional.

Other specific conditions not mentioned

here may be contraindicated to fast. In that
case, kindly consult with your trusted
physician first should you have doubts
whether you can fast or not.
CHAPTER 8

Extended
Fasting
“Everyone can perform magic, everyone
can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if
he is able to wait, if he is able to fast.”

-Herman Hesse

No solid food intake for more than 24 hours

is already considered an extended fast (EF).
There are multiple variations of fasting that
are expounded on the books written by Dr.
Jason Fung and Gin Stephen, but for the
sake of efficient weight loss, I believe that
the most natural way is through a scheduled
EF of 5 days or more mimicking how our
hunter and gatherer ancestors did it before.

Although extended periods of starvation

was unintentional at first, the thousands of
years of repeating pattern of fasting, eating
and fasting again eventually became a norm
and got embedded in our system. Since our
genetic make-up adapted, it enabled our
body to optimize its functions even during a
fasted state. In fact, evidence show that
fasting has become an integral part of
human's natural biochemical processes
wherein absence of prolonged fasts are
thought to be the root cause of a number of
metabolic dysfunctions that people are
suffering today.

EF's immediate effect is weight loss. And it

is simply due to absence of food intake that
sets your body into fat burning mode, as
compared to fed state in eating wherein
your body is simply in the fat-storing mode.

If you've never really fasted long enough or

engage in energy-spending activities
enough to activate lipolysis (fat-burning),
your entire life is practically a pile up of
fat-storing years leading to an existence
dominated by fat-staying mechanism. Both
fat-burning and fat-storage phases of our
bodily functions are set in motion without
our active involvement and without clear
notice from our end.
A 7-day EF regime is what I recommend to
those who want to jumpstart the process,
know their capacity and maximize weight
loss within the shortest possible time. With
proper mindset and some extras to help
during EF, it is said that in general, a person
has an average of 6 weeks fat allowance to
sustain a clean fast. Some fasting gurus say
that the real magic and wonder happen after
the 21st day, when tumors reduce in size,
mental clarity is activated at its optimum
and most medical conditions are reversed.
However, for the purposes of natural and
time-efficient weight loss, a minimum of
seven days is what I recommend as a
beginner's fasting routine. On the other
hand, if your schedule will not allow as of
this point, a 5-day extended fast is fairly
reasonable because you will have at least a
day of reaching full ketosis and fat burning
level that is good enough for you to be
inspired to do it again.
Below is a sample table of a seven-day
fasting protocol with the corresponding
preparations, expectations and results.
Engaging in EF more than 7 days might
require additional vitamin & mineral
supplements as discussed in the previous
chapters

This is a simple approximation of when

glycolysis, glycogenolysis,
gluconeogenesis and lipolysis/ketosis occur
on average. Certain people will have
variation depending on their glycogen and
muscle stores.

Although I highly recommend a 5-7-day

jumpstart EF, you can design it to fit your
own lifestyle, either longer or shorter. It is
said that when your hunger starts to recur
especially when there's no trigger like
visual or smell stimulation, that is a good
sign to break your fast, regardless of your
fasting schedule.
Again, variations of dirty fasting may be
opted but I personally do not recommend
such especially before you know how you
can really perform on a clean fast. Like this
sample schedule:
Day 1 and 2: Expect to be at your
hungriest, take only water and salt
whenever you feel hungry, thirsty or light-
headed. Rest and lie down if necessary.

Day 3-5: Hunger is more tolerable, you can

add magnesium 1-2 tablets per day.

Day 6-7: Hunger may occasionally be more

prominent, make sure you are well
hydrated. If you have muscle pains/cramps
despite adequate sodium and magnesium,
you can add potassium on this day.

A question of when to do it is also as

important. And for me, the answer is the
soonest that you can. If you do not have
important events where food intake is
inevitable like a wedding in the family,
birthday of someone special or a golden
wedding anniversary, then fasting can be
done immediately. In fact, you can do it
during your most routine week and some
even suggest doing it when you are
expecting to be at your busiest. That way,
your mind will be taken away from food
and your body will easily shift on "hunting"
mode thereby increasing your focus and
concentration. And before you know it,
your day is already done.
As I have previously mentioned, the
challenge in fasting is basically 95%
psychological and only 5% physical. That
95% can easily be countered by equipping
yourself with the knowledge that you are
truly physiologically capable. Mentally
prepare yourself for all the expected
manifestations of fasting and embrace
episodes of hunger knowing that such
negative sensation is only staying for a
fleeting moment, and the 5% physical
struggle can even be less. To discuss more
on the types of EF and their applicability in
certain situations, here are the common
variations:
1. ADF or Alternate Day Fasting -
this is when you fast for a day, proceed
with a regular eating window hours the
next day and fast the next alternatively.
If you eat regularly at the same time,
this will give you a 36-hour fasting and
12-hour eating window every 2 days.
This can be done when one already
reaches a normal BMI but wanted to
lose pounds little by little to a more
comfortable and lighter body without
engaging in longer fasts.
2. 24 hour fasting protocol - when
one engages in a 24-hour fasting every
other day, equivalent to 3 cycles per
week. This protocol can be done during
maintenance phase for those who are
always busy. This way, time can be
maximized since food preparation is
reduced to once every other day.
3. 42 Hour fasting protocol - in this
schedule, you have a 6-hour eating
window every other day, providing a
42-hour fasting in between. This is
usually done by those with very slow
metabolism in order for them to
jumpstart weight loss without engaging
in even longer fasts. This is also
 perfect for those who have a very busy
day to day schedule who wants to
maximize their time without getting
bothered by food intake every now and
then.
4. Extended fasting for more than 3
days - is usually done after a prolonged
planned indulgence like holidays or
vacations, or to break a plateau or to
jumpstart on ketosis every now and
then. For EF for weight loss, journey it
with me in Appendix G. (See sample
weekly schedule)
Note that during the first try, when you are
not yet adapted to fasting, there will be
signs of hypoglycemia that usually
accompany your hunger pangs. This will
include tremors, cold sweats, and some
degree of light headedness. If this occurs,
you can rest for a while, drink water with
salt and observe. If persists, you can add
magnesium or take bone broth and see if it
will improve. On the other hand, if your
condition is continue to worsen,
immediately terminate fasting and slowly
introduce food to your system. Note that for
some, it may take several attempts to
successfully complete a planned EF, and
there is no shame in that. Each attempt will
have a benefit of its own and the eventual
success will be worth it.
Other unpleasant but harmless changes that
may occur during EF are as follows:
1. Absent or reduced bowel
movement
2. Body odor or bad "acetone" breath
from ketosis
3. Headache during the early phase
(~3-5 days)
4. Sleep disturbance or shortened
sleep cycle
These "side effects" can easily be managed
and seldom cause problems, especially that
the benefits strongly outweigh those risks.
However, if this is not enough to convince
you to do an extended fast, then by all
means, don't. Extended fasting is not the
exclusive way to lose weight. But it is the
fastest and most natural way to do it. And I
find it very useful in keeping the fat loss I
already accomplished. Note that sustaining
the weight loss will need the normalization
of hunger and satiety hormones, which can
be achieved by breaking the lifelong
frequent eating routine so many of us are
used to.

Multiple EFs may be done before one can

reach their ideal weight. However, if after
trying and EF is something that you cannot
do outright, do not worry because there is
still a way to lose those extras long-term.
For a slower yet smoother weight loss
transition, intermittent fasting can be done
instead.
CHAPTER 9

Intermittent
Fasting
“Periodic fasting can help clear up the
mind and strengthen the body and the
spirit.”
-Ezra Taft Benson

Simply known as IF, unknown to many, it

has different variations. If this is the first
time that you have heard of it and is not too
sure that you can do it, you can make
assessment by mentally counting the hours
from the time you usually have your dinner
at night, and the time you have your
breakfast in the morning. If it is less than
12 hours, then you can slowly extend it to
12 by either having dinner early or moving
your breakfast a little later the next day.
Remember that your bedtime milk or hot
cocoa counts, so you can also start by
skipping that or drinking chamomile tea
instead. Slowly, you can increase your
fasting period by the hour each day.

Once you get the hang of it, you can

proceed until you reach 16 hours fasting
and an 8 hour eating window where you
can eat as normally as you would. That is
called a 16:8 schedule which is the most
common variation. You can adjust your
eating window based on your work
schedule or daily routine. With a minimum
of 16 hours fast and a maximum of 8 hours
of eating window, you can skip at least 1
major meal, like breakfast or dinner. At first
you may tend to overeat during your
window, but overtime, you should learn
that the time lost in fasting doesn't mean a
time lost on eating that you should
compensate after. Instead, think of it as a
time well-spent allowing your body to burn
fat, and those undesirable fats that luckily
got burned, need not be replaced.

You will be surprised at how easy it is,

especially when you are at your busiest in
the morning, to skip breakfast and even
lunch. After a month or so, you can
lengthen it to 18:6 or even 20:4. It is
important that you listen to your body when
you eat. Don't eat simply because your
window is open. Instead, eat slowly when
you are hungry and stop the moment you
feel satisfied. An 8-hour eating window
does not mean an 8-hour of nonstop eating.
Instead, you can plan 2 proper meals with
or without a light snack in between.
As you move your fasting window
longer, know that the benefits are also
multiplying by the hour. The 19:5 is
advocated by Dr. Atkin in his book where
he noted that by reducing your eating
window to 5 hours, you can skip two meals,
making it a One Meal A Day routine or
OMAD. This can also be done in 20:4
schedules. Some even do it as long as 22:2
but this has a risk of lowering your overall
metabolism, thus, I personally do not
recommend doing it on a daily basis. What
is great about fasting is that it is very
flexible especially during special occasions
or dinner out where you can simply adjust
on a day to day basis so long as you do not
go below what I consider the minimum 16
hours regular fasting. Always count your
fasting hours starting from the last food
intake of the previous day.
Again, note that OMAD does not mean a
single meal alone. You can open your
window by having some light snacks, like a
salad or a soup, an avocado or 2 poached
eggs. After 30 minutes or an hour, you can
proceed with your main meal with your
choice of meat or whatever that you are
happy with. And just before closing your
window, you can drink some coffee and
some nuts and cheese if you still feel like it.

OMAD is known to break the Ghrelin-

Leptin hormonal imbalance most people are
suffering in this modern day. It is also one
of the best ways to maintain your fat loss
once you've reached your goal weight.
Other benefits include appetite correction,
regularization of bowel movement,
economical, more time and focus on other
important matters and more freedom from
food choices.
CHAPTER 10

What Can
Jeopardize Fat
Loss & Fasting
“The discipline of fasting breaks you out of
the world’s routine.”

-Jentezen Franklin

If there is one word that you need to know

in this weight loss journey, it should be that
very word that jeopardizes fasting and fat
loss, and that is, insulin. Insulin is the
hormone that is released whenever you take
in food. It is essential but it should be kept
at a lower level since fluctuations can easily
lead to weight gain. Because the moment it
is circulated in your blood stream, your
body sets off all the mechanisms of being
in a fed state, and that would mean fat
storage.

Insulin spike sends signal to your brain that

it is the time of abundance, like the harvest
season, or a successful hunting trip, in
human's early evolution. Thus, our body
being remarkably amazing and frugal as it
is will save all the extra food you eat and
store it in the form of glycogen and fats for
future fasting use.

Generally, all calorie-containing foods and

to some extent, zero calorie sweeteners
trigger insulin secretion, but in a hierarchy,
carbohydrates is the most potent stimulus,
followed by proteins and the least stimuli of
all, fats. Thus, consumption of any of those
can break your fast and eventually
jeopardize the fat loss in fasting. It is the
reason why avoidance of food must be done
at all cost during fasting in order for you to
see the results you are trying to achieve.
Note that you can eat again during your
window, but fat loss is maximized if you
consume healthy and fatty food (instead of
carbohydrates) even during your eating
window.

It is at this point that we will discuss the

basic truths about the food we consume so
that we can better understand and maneuver
our ways both during fasting and feasting
periods.
Food can be divided into three
macronutrients, namely Carbohydrates,
Proteins and Fats. In general:

Carbohydrates include bread, rice, pasta,

potatoes, cereals, cakes, pastries and most
fruits. They are known to give us energy
and back in our grade school days, they
were the ones that populated the Go part in
the go, grow and glow food chart.
Chemistry-wise, its basic unit is Glucose,
in layman's term, this simply equates to
sugar. Remember, excess carbohydrates are
stored as glycogen and glycogen has very
limited storage space largely in the liver.
Consuming extra carbohydrates after your
glycogen is full leads to fat stores.
Physiologically speaking, there is no such
thing as essential carbohydrate, simply
because, we can create it de novo or from
scratch, thus, we can function without
consuming any of it. Unfortunately, we
generally consume more of this least
essential macronutrient that superlatively
lead to insulin spike, thus making this the
top offender in jeopardizing fat loss.

Proteins on the other hand, commonly

come from the meaty and beefy food
sources. This would include all lean meat
of fish, pork, beef, chicken, white part of
eggs and most beans and nuts. Its basic
component is Amino Acid. This equates to
Grow in the food pyramid. Some proteins
can be converted to glucose, and if
consumed in excess, can also lead to fat
stores. Most amino acids are recyclable and
can be made by our own cells. However,
there are essential amino acids that need to
be consumed from food since we do not
have the enzymes or equipment in our cells
to produce them de novo. To some extent,
proteins also increase insulin release. And
the more protein you consume, the more
insulin is secreted, the more fats you store.

Once you reached adulthood, our need for

protein is actually less as compared to
growing children. With moderate physical
activity, we require an average of 1 gram of
protein per kilogram of body weight.
Simply put, if you are a 70-kilogram man
with an average lifestyle, you should only
consume approximately 70 grams of
protein in a day. This is equivalent to only
about one and half matchbox size of lean
meat.

This metabolic equivalent usually comes as

a huge surprise for many. But this is also
the reason why those who are on high-
protein diet without engaging in enough
strenuous physical activity leading to
massive muscle breakdown are
continuously gaining extra weight in the
form of fats, overtime. Thus, to maintain
low insulin levels, protein consumption
should also be regulated.

Lastly, Fats. These are complex molecules

that are generally oily, also known as lipids.
Among the three macros, fats are the most
underrated, confused and wrongly accused.
Popularly known to cause heart problems
and complications, fats are actually what
can sustain life during prolonged fasting in
the form of ketones as a fuel source. Note
that fats are not converted to glucose or
proteins, and pure natural fats are not
efficient stimulus for insulin secretion,
making this the most fat-loss friendly
macro. Common forms of fats include lard,
cooking oil, butter, egg yolk, fats from
animal products and full cream dairies. It is
also the basic fuel source for our heart in
the form of triglycerides. And yes, it is the
basic fact as to why we are informed that
we have to do our cardio exercises if we
want to lose the fats that are circulating in
our blood stream.

Not known to all, fats is actually part of the

Go in our food chart. It becomes an energy
fuel in the form of ketones once
metabolized, is a very efficient energy
source not just for the heart but also for the
brain and majority of the processes in our
body. Like proteins, there is also what we
call essential fats. These are the kind of fats
that must be taken externally in order for
our body to function properly. If consumed
exclusively in our diet, or in high quantity
in proportion to small part of proteins and
carbohydrates, insulin spike becomes less
likely, which also means that fat-storing
mechanism is also on hold, and weight gain
now is at minimum, if none at all.

Fat intake only becomes a problem if it

is consumed together with ample amount of
carbohydrates and proteins. This meal ratio
will facilitate energy consumption from the
easily dispensable glucose and proteins,
which leads to increased insulin secretions.
This increased insulin secretion will not
burn the fats as energy but store it in your
body in many forms. It can be stored in
your liver (thus causing fatty liver), as
peripheral fats (like in your thighs and
arms), visceral fats (the one dangerously
covering your internal organs, intestines,
heart, etc.) or worse, as a bad cholesterol
circulating your blood stream.
 The latter form of fats are the free fats
in our vascular system known as LDL (low
density lipoprotein), are the ones causing
problems like hypertension, heart attack
and stroke. However, if fat intake is not
paired with insulin-spiking foods, then, the
fats you consume will be utilized as energy
and will not be stored the way it could have
been if insulin is also high.

Another important aspect that we need to

recognize is the fact that carbohydrates do
not trigger the satiety center in our brain.
Meaning, it will not make you feel full/
satisfied or that you've had enough. Instead,
you keep on eating and eating until you feel
that you are about to throw up or your
stomach about to burst. You feel full but
that sense of fullness is not the same sense
of fullness you get by eating an avocado
with slices of bacons and egg. It is because
the satiety center in the brain is activated by
proteins and fats, and not by carbohydrates.
Thus, if you are keen enough, you will
notice that following a full meal, you can
no longer take another tenderloin steak, but
you can still accommodate a slice of cake.
The carbohydrates from cake will not
communicate your fullness to your brain
hence; it is negated as far as your fullness
signal is concerned. Thus, this is another
reason why carbohydrate intake, especially
in the form of simple sugar must be taken
with utmost care. Your brain may not
recognize it, but you yourself should take
heed and do what is needed.

Glow foods on the other hand can be found

incorporated within those three macros.
These are micronutrients we need in
minuscule amounts in order for all the
biochemical processes in our body to go
smoothly. Below is the list of vitamins and
minerals we need in our daily lives. Thus, if
there is a kind of food you want to eat, you
make sure it has less sugar and is loaded
with these nutrients since overtime,
especially after fasting, these
micronutrients should be replenished.
CHAPTER 11

When & How to

Break a Fast
“Fasting is the first principle of medicine.
Fast and see the strength of the spirit reveal
itself.”

-Rumi

Engaging in fasting, especially extended

ones, puts your gastrointestinal system in a
temporary phase of relaxation. While the
rest of your body might be active from the
influx of energy from ketones, your gut is
simply enjoying the calm that absence of
food intake brings.

The moment you are adapted to fasting,

your body simply goes on getting used to
ketones as fuel source. By essence, the only
essential part of our body that are made of
fats are our brain and nerves, which is only
about 2% of our overall body composition
in males and about 10% in females (which
have more necessary fats for reproductive
purposes). Thus, theoretically speaking, in
general, as long as our body fat percentage
does not go down below 5% in men and
12% in women, we can continue to live on
a fasted state while consuming only
electrolytes and other essential vitamins
and minerals listed in the previous chapter,
as did the research volunteer who fasted for
the all-time record of 382 days.

Yet, realistically speaking, it is not just

practical to fast all at once until you lose all
the excess fats and reach your ideal weight.
In the course of this journey, there will be a
lot of times when you will be breaking your
fast and it is important know when and how
to properly do so. By experience, when to
break a fast is largely a case to case
determination.
Some fasting experts say that the return of
hunger after days of loss of appetite serves
as a good signal to break a fast. But
personally, I consider this very subjective.
Knowing that appetite can be stimulated by
mere sight or smell of food, return of
hunger may actually just be a physiologic
manifestation of a psychological response
to external factors like an advertisement of
a fast food chain or the scent of your
favorite meal.
If you want to be very objective about it
like I do, you can monitor your body fat
percentage on a daily basis while following
an EF protocol. There are a number of body
fat counter caliper available for sale and
some calculator are incorporated in more
sophisticated weighing scale. Those who
don’t have it can manually compute for it
through various means. This website can
help you with this if you are interested:
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-
measure-body-fat
As a rule, you lose about half pound of pure
body fats per 24 hours of fasting. And as
long as you are doing generally well with
fasting, and is not nearing the critical body
fat percentage, you can continue to do so as
you wish. You can then intentionally break
your fast when you finally reach your goal,
whether that is a goal weight, body image,
percent body fat or even goal activities (that
includes things you always wanted to do
but cannot do so because of the extra
pounds). But other than that, a good enough
reason for me to break a fast is being
contented with the progress I have made so
far, being fulfilled with the accomplishment
of completing a planned fast, and a
conscious decision to go back to the dining
table and enjoy the food in the company of
people that I love spending time and
celebrating life with. And once I decided
when I will break my fast, the next thing I
do is plan on how I will do it.
In fasting and in most life's undertakings, it
is true what the song advocates, if you have
to break it, break it gently. In general, the
longer you fast, the gentler you should be in
re-introducing food into your system.
After your last intended day of fasting, you
can slowly consume light calorie-
containing food like a vegetable soup.
Since your insulin level at this point is at
all-time low, your body has become more
sensitive to anything that can increase your
insulin, thus it is best to avoid simple,
processed/refined sugars. Foods with very
strong flavors or with dense composition
like lean meat are better reserved the third
to fourth meal after fasting as this can cause
indigestion since you gut has been inactive
for so long and should not be forced to
function sully all at once.
There are many ways to break a fast. By
thoroughly planning your fasting days until
you break it, you will have a smoother
transition during your period of "re-
feeding" and you will have less chances of
having a "re-feeding syndrome" wherein
abrupt ending of an extended fast followed
by a very heavy meal results to a medical
emergency that results from sudden
changes of electrolytes in a previously
malnourished individual. The chances of
this incidence occurring is very low
especially when you follow clean fasting
with basic electrolyte supplementation and
is not extending this for months, but it is
still a risk I do not approve for anyone to be
taking.
Personally, after a 7-day fast, I recommend
breaking it with one bowl of soup at the
first hour and followed by a light meal 1-2
hours after. Close your window after
another 2 hours with another light meal.
The following day, you can proceed with
your preferred maintenance IF schedule.
To know more about re-feeding syndrome
and other ways to break a fast, you can
check the reference for further readings.
CHAPTER 12

Foods That
Enhance Fat
Loss
“The philosophy of fasting calls upon us to
know ourselves, to master ourselves, and to
discipline ourselves the better to free
ourselves.”

-Tariq Ramadan

As what we previously discussed,

carbohydrates and in some extent proteins,
are the main cause of spikes in insulin,
which eventually leads to fat storing
mechanism and eventually weight gain.

Unfortunately, the danger of

overconsumption of those macros doesn't
stop there. Continuous influx of carbs leads
to fat cells becoming insulin and leptin-
resistant. With that kind of hormonal
resistance, your body won't be able to know
when you had enough. It is a vicious cycle
where you keep on eating all those foods,
storing them as fats, yet no signal on your
brain that you are already full and satisfied.
As a result, complications of elevated blood
sugar occur. Fats that can no longer be
deposited on your arms and legs are now
circulating your blood stream. That bad
cholesterol that freely circulates your
system will eventually clog your arteries
leading to high blood pressure, heart attack
or stroke.

Thus, if you want to maintain fat loss

during your eating window, you must
seriously consider a low carbohydrate,
minimal protein and high fat diet.

Out of hundreds of diet fads out there that

may seem to be contradicting with each
other, a common theme of foods are
actually binding all of them. In general:

1. Eat whole foods. Eat only the

edible foods you know were picked or
harvested from plants that grew from
soil or meat that previously walked or
flew or swam. The more you eat them
in their natural (and sanitary) state, the
better. Yes, all raw edibles you can
think of that can be made into a salad
are the best ones.

2. Eat less processed foods. As a

rule, avoid everything that comes in
packaging except for pure coconut oil
for cooking, virgin olive oil consumed
uncooked, real butter, full fat dairy
products, and real egg-yolk
mayonnaise if you cannot make it
yourself (yes, you can come up with a
do-it-yourself-mayonnaise). In general,
I try to stick to a single-step food
processing rule, that is, will eat only
those that were processed once, like a
grilled pork belly or fried chicken.
Sparingly, I accommodate two-step
processed foods like a (1) cooked (2)
honey-cured bacon. And because I am
a mere fallible mortal, I allow for
three- or more-step processed foods as
occasional treats (i.e. cake, pastry or
ice cream).
 3. No simple sugar on a regular
basis. Avoid as much as you can all
types of table sugar, bread, pastries,
cakes, potatoes especially ready-to-
cook mashed ones, sodas and flavored
drinks, beer and flavored alcoholic
drinks,

4. Think of portions when you eat.

Not in quantity but in quality. In
general, you can fill up one large plate
with high fiber, low carbohydrate
veggies, and another smaller plate with
some proteins like eggs and something
sumptuous like pork steak. Isn’t that
mouth-watering?

See below the green list on the food you

can eat that can still help weight loss even
when eaten until satisfaction. The
suggested ratio of a maximum of 20 grams
carbohydrates (see options below), 1 gram/
kg of bodyweight of protein (no more than
100 grams) and 70-80% of calories from
natural fats per day. (see appendix B)
Note that by eating a low carbohydrate,
high fat diet, or a Ketogenic Diet, will
biochemically mimic ketosis, thus will put
you in a state similar to that when one is
engaging in prolonged fasting despite only
doing IF.

Approved Green List of Foods You Can

Eat Freely

1. Carbohydrates – must contain 0-5

grams of net carbohydrates per 100
grams, eaten fresh, cooked or feremented
like kimchi or pickled as long as there is
no added sugar.

a. All green leafy vegetables like

spinach, cabbage, brussel sprouts,
malunggay, lettuce, sweet potato
leves, kangkong and many more.

b. Low-carbohydrate vegetables –
cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers,
 asparagus, cucumber, zucchini,
celery, radishes

c. Fruits – generally all fruits are high

in carbohydrate content, portions of
berries, watermelon, cantaloupe,
avocado, honeydew, peaches and
mature coconut meat may be eaten
when a "dessert” is necessary.

2. Proteins – proteins should be kept below

1 gram per kilogram of body per day to
avoid excessive glucose conversion
through gluconeogenesis. For example, a
70-kg man should limit protein intake to
only 70 grams, or about 1.5 palm size of
meat per day. Ovoreating should be
avoided. The following are the common
sources of proteins you can choose from:

a. Animal Proteins - All meats and

meat products cure in natural
processes including sausages and
salami, eggs, offal/internal organs
 and Seafood except Sword Fish and
tilefish due to high mercury content

b. Plant-based proteins – most nuts in

limited amount (almonds, peanuts,
flaxseed, chia, macadamia, pecan,
pumpkin, sunflower seeds, walnuut),
mushrooms, and beans

3. Fats – healthy, natural fats should be the

primary source of energy or daily caloric
requirements. Although you can
generally eat all that you want, make sure
that you only eat when you are hungry
and stop eating as soon as you are full or
satisfied. Avoid eating sweet foods to
counter the feelings of being “fed up”.
Instead, listen to your body and just stop
eating because it´s a good signal that you
´ve really had enough. Although you
would still be in ketosis if you eat more
that what you will need, however, your
body will burn the energy coming from
the fats you consume and not the extra
fats stored in your body. Here are the list
 of healthy fats you take during your
window:
a. Plant-based – Avocado oil, coconut
milk and oil, olives and olive oil,
macadamia oil
b. Animal-based – All full-cream dairy
products, soft and hard cheeses,
yogurt, egg yolk, cream,
creamcheese, all types of animal fat
from beef, pork, chicken, duck or
salmon, butter, ghee, duck fat, butter
and full-fat mayonnaise.
4. Other food products
a. Any condiments and seasonings
without added sugar, preservatives
andvegetable oil like pepper,
cinnamon, cayenne powder and
many more.
b. Sweeteners – ideally should be
avoided as this still cause insulin
spike despite low sugar content, but
when necessary, opt for the
following: erythritol granules, stevia
leaves/powders, xylitol granules, and
monk fruit.
CHAPTER 13

Foods to Avoid
to Ensure Fat
Loss
“Start the practice of self-control with
penance; begin with fasting.”

-Mahavira

As you can see, the worst type of food

when in the process of fat loss are
carbohydrates and in some extent, over
eating of proteins.

However, you might think that taking away

carbs, also means, taking away your joy.
Don't be overdramatic; you know that is not
true. With internet and thousands of food
geniuses sharing their knowledge, you can
practically have almost everything in low
carbohydrate alternative. Don’t believe me?
Try Googling ¨Low Carb Dinner Rolls
Recipe” and you won't be missing the real
thing.

You see, I believe the favorite kinds of

carbs can be divided into three types: first
are those that neutralize a sumptuous main
course, like a mashed potato or a simple
pasta, rice or bread. Secondly, there are
carbohydrates that are needed because they
help with bowel movement. And lastly, it
makes up most of our desserts. And since
we cannot completely do away with it, it is
important that we try to understand
carbohydrates better so we can manage our
intake sparingly yet still be successful with
our journey to better health.

First, let's tackle why we are so used to

have something bland or less tasteful to
accompany a perfectly good steak? This
can be understood by examining the
following major reasons:

A.Economical - It may no longer be

applicable to you now, but as
expenses are part of day to day, two
cups of mashed potato is still
cheaper than another slice of steak.
Thus, with less cost, you will be
"filled" faster. So, if you are actually
not saving, you can do away with it.
And if like me, you are also
conscious with your spending, there
are so many low carbohydrate
alternatives that are affordable to
pair with your favorite steak.

B.Too much flavor makes you feel

fed-up easily - When you are eating
something very delicious, like a slab
of roast pork, no matter how much
you like it, you can only consume up
to a certain amount and you know
you can no longer take another bite.
Unless, you accompany it with
something with lesser flavor, to
"neutralize" it. Although it is truly
understandable, you have to
recognize that the feeling of
"fullness", satisfied and satiated even
if you've just eaten less than half of
what your stomach can
accommodate, is a normal bodily
function that we should be very
sensitive about. Again, it is the fats
and proteins that trigger that Satiety
Center in our brain and not the
carbohydrates. So if you are feeling
"satiated", you can just stop eating
and drink coffee, tea or water to fill
up the remaining space. However, if
like me, you also want the physical
feeling of fullness, then I
recommend you take note of the
alternatives on the green list that you
can eat as much as you can without
worrying the carbohydrate count.

C.Carbohydrates are essential in our

toilet routines - Yes; we need
carbohydrates to do our favorite
morning alone time. Although some
experts suggest that daily bowel
movement is more of a
psychological routine rather than a
physical need, a lot of us feel good
after some bowel elimination, thus,
the incorporation of some amount of
carbohydrates is mostly preferred.
But remember that what you need is
a specific kind of carbohydrate
 called dietary fiber. These fibers will
give bulk to your stool to eliminate
wastes properly. With adequate
water intake, your toilet moments
will still go smoothly so long as you
consume a low carbohydrate, high
fiber meals. (see the vegetable
options in the green list)

Lastly, who can live without desserts?

Surely I can't. Although during the first few
months I completely eradicated all the
sweets I´ve known my whole life. I decided
to enroll myself in a self-imposed ''Sugar
Addiction Rehabilitation'', and I believe I
succeeded for 2 straight months. After, I
then slowly reintroduced sweets in our
kitchen with the good kind. And this time,
with control. I make large batches of low-
carb fat bombs and chocolate puddings and
amazingly almost never touch them in my
fridge. I tricked my brain with the idea that
I have ample supply of sweets that I can go
to anytime, and with that, my interest just
die down.
As a rule, I do not use simple sugars. As an
alternative, I use Stevia or Monkfruit
sweetener, these are natural, organic, low to
zero calorie sweetener you can use with
caution. And since they cost more than
table sugar, and still stimulate the same
pleasure center in our brain and to some
extent elevate insulin despite being zero-
calorie content, I use them at minimum and
the final dessert, I eat only when I have
cravings that now occur very rarely.
For further guidance, see the Unapproved
Red List below on foods that can jeopardize
your journey towards ideal body weight. In
general, these are processed foods, sugary,
artificial, some whole but carbo-loaded
foods like pasta, rice, noodles, potatoes,
cereals and even most fruits. Also, for best
outcome, kindly avoid cigarette smoking
and alcohol consumption in addition to
food that you eat during an open window
until our two months target is reached.
Note that when one is still on the process of
losing weight, EF is recommended. But if
only IF is feasible, then it is strongly
suggested to do it with the right foods and
avoid all that’s in the red list as possible.
This way, you will be able to see results as
if you are engaging in EF as well.
Unapproved Red List Foods to be Avoided

In general, these food options are not

essential for your survival. It may activate
the pleasure center in your brain (the same
center triggered by illicit drugs like
cocaine) and subsequently, sugar addiction,
but it will do nothing good in your journey
towards reaching your health goal. These
may be eaten in very rare occassions, and in
portions but never a weekly or even
monthly routine.

1. Traditional baked products – any food

products containing flours, corn, wheat,
rice, cassava, potato or other starchy
foods. These include bread, cookies, and
pastries.
2. All artificial drinks and fruits juices as
these contain mostly either of corn syrup,
high amounts of fructose or artificial
sweeteners.

3. Processed dairy products, cheese spreads,

coffee creamers, condensed milk,
icecreams, rice and soy milk and
anything fat-free or low-fat counterpart.

4. Toxic, processed fats like regular

chocolates, seed oils, sunflower,
vegetable and canola oils, commercially
prepared chocolate bars, syrups and
related products, commercial sauces,
margarines and most prepared salad
dressings.

5. Fruits and vegetables – most fruits and

vegetables not mentioned above are
either high in sugar or fructose, refined
carbohydrates of high calorie from starch
like peas, potatoes, beetroots, cassava,
and excessive amount of peanuts and
legumes.
6. Meat- ‘unfermented soy or vegetarian
proteins, meats cured mostly in sugar and
other highly processed meat products like
canned meats, sausages and meat loafs.
7. Sweeteners – all forms of sugar in
various names like table sugar, brown,
white, muscovado, coco sugar, artificial
sweeteners, dried fruits, fructose, honey,
candies, syrups and commercially
prepared flavorings of any kind.

8. General – all fast foods because they

usually use vegetable oils for frying and
processed meats and high carbohydrate
products, all processed foots, and any
food with added sugar.
CHAPTER 14

No Cheating,
Make Plans
Instead
“Fasting is necessary as feasting.”

-Laila Gifty Akita

Celebrations are part of any social culture.

And this lifestyle doesn't prohibit you from
enjoying and indulging whenever the
situation calls for it.

Single day celebrations like birthdays,

weddings and anniversaries don't need
much adjustment. You can simply extend
your fast the day before or after to fit the
schedule. Note though that Sunday Family
Day, as it occurs weekly, is no more special
than Mondays or Wednesdays. Should you
decide to indulge weekly, you might as well
consider doing an extended fast each day
after as well, just enough to burn all the
extra calories you've taken. That's the
beauty of this lifestyle, you can design it in
your own personal way with the knowledge
in mind of how our body works and what
fuel it burns depending on how long have
you fasted and what you've been
consuming prior to fasting. This way, it's
almost like it never happened.

The challenge usually comes on longer

celebratory days like Christmas Season that
extend to new year, or a long thanksgiving
week, or the vacation cruise you have been
planning for years. The dictum on this
would be the following:

1. Enjoy the best way you can while

considering food as a minor source of
happiness. If unable to do so, consider
#2.

2. Try doing at least 16 hours fasting.

Breakfast buffets usually last until 10
in the morning while dinner can start
as early as 5PM and you can end it by
6PM.

3. Try sticking to ketogenic food

choices, or at least have whole foods if
avoidance already jeopardizes your
happiness.
 4. If all else fails, just enjoy the
whole length and just get back to your
routine as soon as your vacation is
over. Since this is a lifestyle, you have
to go back to your normal, that is, a
combination of fasting and Low Carb
High Fat (LCHF) eating pattern. Sure
you would gain some pounds, but you
will take it off in no time.

In order for you to avoid the feeling of

guilt, plan your days ahead. Avoid using the
term cheat day as this denotes dishonesty,
something that is opposite to what we are
aiming here. Instead, do some planned
indulgences, where you will give in to
foods and timing that is out of your routine
for something special. This way, you will
be able to have a harmonious relationship
with food and you make sure you enjoy
every bite and moments you share it with.
CHAPTER 15

What About
Exercise?
“The goal of fasting is inner unity.”

-Thomas Merton

By now you probably have the idea why

exercise is not really essential for weight
loss. While it is true that the more energy
you spend on exercising means the more
calories you burn, the net effect may not
necessarily be weight loss. As you know, a
lot of factors are in place.

During an exercise routine, your body will

consume energy similar to that when you
are fasting. However, as you exercise, your
metabolic rate or the amount of energy
needed for you to function also increases.
This phenomenon, paired with depletion of
electrolytes and muscle fatigue will lead to
increased demand for food. Hunger
hormone Ghrelin will soar up high. Failure
to deny what your body is craving will only
lead to a rebound effect of consuming more
than what you just probably need. And of
course, we all know where that road leads.
In addition, studies show that extreme and
strenuous exercises doesn’t equate to
sustained increase in metabolism simply
because our body adapts to it and our
metabolism plateaus despite increased
physical activity. Thus, it is another factor
why it does not follow that the more you
exercise, the more you lose weight, as seen
in the famous television show, the biggest
loser, or anybody you know who lost
weight initially after going the gym but
gained it back or plateaued eventually.
But with proper mindset and just the right
amount of time and moderate intensity,
exercise can actually boost weight loss
effect in terms of fat stores. Wonder why I
mentioned fat stores? It is because exercise
can increase muscle bulk, and muscle
weighs heavier than fats! That is why
weight is actually not the best gauge for
good health

But if we are honest enough with ourselves,

you know for sure whether what you have
are muscles buried under the fats, or just
fats above a thin muscle.
In addition, studies show that the more you
exercise, doesn't really lead to more fat loss
from increased metabolism. This is because
our body adapts to it, a.k.a. metabolic
adaptation, thus making it less and less
efficient as you increase your physical
activities to the extreme.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that
you should not exercise because we know
that exercise have numerous advantages
like brain plasticity, endurance, and
improved sense of well-being, body
contouring, physical strength and even
some degree of anti-aging effects. These
benefits can be attained just by having
moderate exercise activity like running for
30 minutes five times a week. But when it
comes to weight loss, exercise is simply not
required especially if you don't want to.
CHAPTER 16

Weight Loss
Plateau
“Fasting is not just a spiritual discipline; it
can be a spiritual feast.”

-Jentezen Franklin

When this occurs, ask yourself first if you

really need to lose more weight or if you
are already enjoying your weight goal?
How long have you been in this lifestyle?
Have you been following a strict LCHF
meal plans? Are you religious in sticking to
your fasting schedule? Be honest with
yourself and re-assess how you can
improve your routine by starting again. Do
not hurry and trust the process. Give it at
least two full months before you jump into
sad conclusions. Because there are some
who started with slow metabolism from a
previous low calorie diet and may even
experience weight gain during the first few
weeks when the body is still adjusting.
Always remember that this lifestyle is not
about perfection but continued
improvement. The progress that you do in
making better choices each day and the
commitment to get back on track as soon as
you realize you unintentionally fell off the
wagon is always an achievement in itself.
You sticking to this lifestyle even after
achieving your goal signify self-love.
However, despite doing everything right
and the weight loss plateaus, you may
consider the following options

1. Level up your fasting schedule. If

you've been having IF or 24H fasting,
you can increase it one level higher or
try doing a minimum of 3 days
extended fast. If you are not yet in your
ideal goal, then there is no plateauing
in extended fasting. Just make sure you
are not underweight and your body fat
percentage does not go below 10-12%
which is considered the minimum with
a safety net before you jeopardize
neurological processes in your body.

2. Try doing a fat fast for five days.

This schedule is advocated by Dr.
Atkin. In this protocol, you fast for 5
days, but each day, you can have 5
small all-fat intakes in a 5-hour eating
period. Examples of fats you can
consume are cream cheese with some
cocoa or peanut butter, full fat heavy
cream, MCT oil, grass-fed butter, full
fat mayonnaise and coconut cream.
Consume no more than 250 kcal of fat
each time.

3. Check your meals, because even if

you are doing LCHF, you might have
overlooked your protein consumption.
Know that you only need minimal
protein intake even for when you are
working out. The muscle breakdown
that happens during exercise is very
minimal and the necessary proteins for
repair and bulk formation can be
obtained from the process of
autophagy.

4. Do some measurements. For all

you know, your body is reshaping.
With autophagy that occurs especially
when you are engaging in 24-hour fast
or more, the fats are reduced and the
muscles increase in the right places.
And since muscles weigh more than
fats, you might actually be really
losing fats and gaining more muscles.
This is the reason why I advocate
doing measurements like your arms,
waist, hips and neck circumference
before starting anything. A mirror
selfie on front, side and back also
provides a very good gauge, and
oftentimes better than the scale.

5. Check with your physician if you

have other hormonal imbalance that
could possibly lead to weight gain like
hypothyroidism or hyperaldosteronism
or hyperinsulinemia. Although these
conditions can actually benefit from
this lifestyle, certain conditions might
need proper investigation in order for it
to be properly managed medically.
6. Check your prescriptions and ask
your doctor if weight gain is a part of
the side effects. If so, you can try
asking if you can be slowly weaned
from it (since fasting actually helps
your body heal naturally) or change it
for an alternative.

7. Double check your food portions.

Although doing fasting boosts
metabolism through increased
adrenaline, after significant weight
loss, especially drastic ones, your
metabolism sometimes slows down.
For others who started with slower
metabolism, you might initially need to
cut back a part of what you are
consuming and follow an OMAD
lifestyle for at least two months. With
this, your metabolism will normalize
and as you become sensitive with your
body, you will only eat when you
really need to and stop when you are
satisfied.
With these in mind, you can always have a
back-up plan, whenever you hit a bump
along the way. Trust that it is possible.
Trust that it is a proven science. Trust that
you can do it and remember how badly you
want it in the first place.
CHAPTER 17

Why & How I

Started Fasting
“Fasting is futile unless it is accompanied
by an incessant longing for self-restraint.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Growing up, I have always felt that the way

I look is not who I am inside. Despite
reassurance from other people that I look
and weighed “okay”, a part of me always
knew that I can do better, that I can be
better. And it is only later that I realized
that the physical improvement was just
secondary, but how I healed myself
psychologically, through discipline, self-
control and fasting, made all the difference.

I had asthma as a child and was diagnosed

with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis during the
later years. All my unfiltered pictures
always show my allergic shiners, these are
the dark circles around the eyes typical of
people suffering from chronic inflammation
and allergies. I have been maintaining an
intranasal steroid and oral antihistamines
for my allergies.
[You know I once kid my friend that I am
allergic to everything. And she said, that is
impossible or else I'd be dead. I told her I
am primarily allergic to make-up and dogs,
and that's practically everything. But
seriously, my allergies already affected my
everyday life.]

Because of my height, I was always

recruited on different sports like basketball,
soccer, lawn tennis, badminton, volleyball
and even table tennius, and I engaged
whenever the opportunity arise. But off
intramural season, I would rather choose to
be still, eat, sleep and enjoy the afternoon
with my loved ones. As a result, I never
really developed any muscles. And soon I
realized I have water retention where my
lower body becomes edematous later
during the day. As a doctor, I know I only
need to exercise to strengthen the muscles
on my lower legs and improve my overall
circulation. But, I always find a good
excuse not to exercise. One of my favorite
excuses would be the idea that I am trying
to live a minimalistic life, thus, doing
physical exertion without actual work
accomplishment in the form of exercise just
doesn't seem to fit. Plus, I feel much better
after a nap than anything.

Other than that, I feel like I am where I am

supposed to be, from career, relationship,
personal development and family. Food is
the only aspect of my life that I am not in
control with. Thus, I have decided that if I
can gain control over food, I can gain
control with any other aspects of my life.

I then began researching until I learned

about fasting. And the benefits it comes
with. Upon knowing the wide array of
advantages from fasting, I decided I will do
it for physical, mental and spiritual
purposes. Together with my family, we
embarked on a 5-day water-only fast, with
some apple cider vinegar for potassium and
salt water for sodium. We went about our
normal day with our usual tasks and we
succeeded with ease. We all lost a good
amount of fats and the most dramatic would
be the reversal of hypertriglyceridemia
(from more than 2500 down to only 230
after a month) on one of us. Over time, we
engaged in intermittent fasting and
occasionally extending our fast. I lost a
total of about 22-25 pounds and I am now
at an all-time sustained low weight of 115
pounds and I never felt any better. During
active fasting, I have been at my lowest of
108 pounds to which I easily gained the
water loss after.

Aside from being very comfortable with

my own body now, I also get a lot of
compliments that I look a lot younger,
possibly with my skin. And most
importantly, I never get the need for
antihistamine and intranasal steroids. My
allergies are the things of the past and I can
easily hug my dogs and put make-up
without experiencing any itch.
I shared what I learned with the people
closest to my heart and I am so happy that
they too have started on this journey. I have
people who are closest to me and grew up
with that used to be overweight and now
has normal BMI. There is another that is
from size 6 to size 0, and one with a
lifetime of acne problems and with
smoother skin. From diabetes and
hypertension to no medication needed. And
from uncomfortable, to now being happy in
their own skin. Like them, I want you to be
free too, free from food, free from being
branded as the fat one, free from the stigma
that you will never have the chance to have
that perfect body you so aim to have. If my
story isn't enough, you can find a lot of
testimonials and stories from real people
online. You will know for sure that it is no
fad since nobody else can have an ulterior
motive with you being at your healthiest.
The main beneficiary is just you, plainly
and exclusively you.
If somebody told me that I can achieve the
weight that I have now in a month's time
before, there's no way I would ever believe.
The BMI and weight that I have now is
something I never dreamed of because I
never thought it is possible. But it is, and I
have never felt better and comfortable in
my own skin than now. Finally, the way I
looked, the way I see myself in the mirror,
is already the person that I always felt to be
inside.

It may be faster or slower with you, but

trust that in time, you will have it too.

In summary, this is what I did

chronological order:

1. Five days of water-only fast, with

apple cider vinegar a salt (lost 10 lbs)
2. Two weeks of approximately 16:8
clean IF, no simple sugars (kept 6 lbs
of the weight loss)
 3. 10.5 days water-only fast (lost
another 15 lbs)
4. Two weeks of 16 to 24-hour clean
fast (maintained the ~20 lbs weight
loss, already on goal of 19-20 BMI
score)
5. Seven days water-only fast - (lost
another 5lbs but gained back after a
feast from a week-long vacation)
6. Maintenance of 19 to 20 hours IF/
OMAD lifestyle, trying my best to
stick to a low-carb but with occasional
moderate to high carb intake.
Incorporation of 24-36 hour fast after a
feast or whenever I have a high-carb
intake.
From a previously impaired fasting blood
glucose level of 110-115 mg/dL, it is now
down to 79 mg/dL and an HbA1c of 5.3%
(diabetes cut off is 6.5%).

IF is now my way of life as I have reached

my target weight. I do cyclical EF for other
purposes (autophagy, anti-aging and
immune boosting effects whenever I have
flu). I still do not have a regular physical
activity but I also do not avoid long walks,
stairs and far parking lots. Overall, I feel
like my best version yet and there is
nothing I wish for you than to be the best
version of you too. ☺
CHAPTER 18

Motivational
Thoughts and
Tips During
Fasting
• First, believe.
• If others can do it, I can too.
• All good food can wait.
• A large group of people worldwide are
into fasting, be it for religious, health
or philosophical reasons.
• This may not be important to you, but
even celebrities swear by it including
Hugh Jackman, Beyonce, Jennifer
Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Benedict
Cumberbatch, Ben Affleck and many
more. https://www.delish.com/food/
g22617665/celebrities-intermittent-
fasting/
• Before eating out of your window, ask
yourself, is this a nutritional eating or
just an emotional eating?
• Always remember what certain foods
make you feel. (Like for me, eating
sugary foods reactivates my allergic
rhinoconjunctivitis. It gives me itchy
eyes as well as bloated stomach and
return of cravings, making fasting
hours even more difficult.)
• Don't compare yourself with other's
weight loss pace. Compare yourself
with your previous self. Even if you
are not losing as much, be glad that as
of this moment, you are no longer
gaining more weight.
• As they say, just mind your own plate.
• Fasting and eating healthy has
multitude of benefits that goes beyond
weight loss.
• This is not a quick fix diet, this is a
lifestyle that is sustainable as a
permanent way of life.
• Once you have done an extended fast,
missing a meal or two or even a day
becomes no big deal.
• Fasting makes eating pleasurable by a
hundred fold. A meal becomes not just
a meal but a celebration of life. If you
engage in OMAD, imagine a feeling of
happiness and celebration each and
every day.
• When fasting, you become much
focused and your attention to detail
accelerates.
• Eating sweet foods, even artificial
sweetener spikes insulin and
reactivates sugar addiction for those
affected. Thus, it is a big No-no during
fasting and must be done with caution
during your eating window.
• Do not jeopardize what you have done
just because you felt emotional and
needed food. Try drinking water first
and go for a 10 minute walk with fresh
air and see how it works.
• Fasting allows you to do guilt-free
feasting on momentous occasions with
loved ones.
• Only you have the power to give this
gift to yourself.
• Physical appearance is not everything
that matters, but, our own personal
image about how we see ourselves
does.
• Let your self be the representative of
the real and ideal you.
• Discipline is a state of mind.
• Fasting is 95% psychological
challenge.
• Practice your mental strength through
fasting and by saying no to unhealthy
foods.
• The primary person who can benefit
from all these is you.
• Never stop believing, you can do it.
• Give it at least 2 strict months before
giving up totally.
• What is two months as compared to a
life-long benefit?
• How do you feel about reversing signs
of aging through fasting?
• With proper guidance, how do you feel
about the possibility of not needing
maintenance medications anymore for
allergies, asthma, diabetes, high
cholesterol and hypertension?
• When you are fasting, you are in a
protective and conservative mode.
Your immune system is heightened,
thus, protecting you from common
illnesses like flu and cold.
• I fast to heal my body.
• I fast to improve my mind.
• I fast for clarity and focus.
• I fast for ideas.
• Fasting is being efficient, that includes
no spending for extra food while I still
have fats to burn.
• The moment I eat, I become relaxed
and instantly lose the critical thinking I
had moments before I give in to food.
• I can delay eating a certain food if my
window is not yet open. But I can
remember how it tastes like simply
because the foods that I like are the
foods I have eaten many times
before. The memory of its taste will be
enough until my window opens.
• And yes, you too can wait until your
window opens.
• Weight is only a small aspect of
fasting. Do not be a slave of the
weighing scale. Your body is likely
reshaping and improving more than the
scale can tell.
• Try to move from the scale until you
finish the minimum two months cycle.
• When fasting, your work productivity
increases.
• Do not be discouraged when the scale
doesn't seem to move as much as you
want it to. Trust the process and for
some it takes time.
• Have other gauge of improvement
aside from scale like, a monthly mirror
photo, how “honesty” pants/clothes fit,
how light you feel, how radiant your
skin has become and how others keep
on commenting you are slimming
down.
• Do not mind others who are
discouraging you from not eating.
They were not there when you were
eating unhealthy foods 6 times a day.
• If others are giving negative comments
about your practice and how you look
“so skinny”, try to assess first if there
is genuine concern from that person or
just an uneducated opinion. Otherwise,
if you see you are still on your healthy
range of BMI and are functioning well,
you are good to go.
• This is your own journey. If others will
join, then well and good, but if there is
no one else in your circle, keep on and
remember that there is so much
strength and reward in going and
achieving solo.
• Be patient.
• A common reason for fasting failure is
boredom and subsequent
preoccupation with food. Be prepared
and be productive. Plan your days
ahead, best by doing something
worthwhile or even by just binge-
watching a very good TV series.
• Join various support groups in social
media, just type in keywords like
extended fasting, intermittent fasting or
one meal a day.
• Download an app that tracks your daily
fasting goals.
• Reward yourself with non-food
trophies after a successful fast or after
achieving a certain goal.
• Keep yourself busy during a planned
fast.
• Plan a productive activity during EF.
• Strive for continued improvement, and
not perfection.
• Be kind to yourself.
• If all else fails, send me a message and
I´d be very happy to help. My email is
[email protected]
CHAPTER 19

Other Benefits of
Fasting
“I fast for greater physical and mental
efficiency.”
-Plato
It is said that weight loss is only a side
effect of fasting, although a beneficial one
at that. However, the real benefit of fasting
is said to occur not in the visible scale but
in more significant and qualitative way. The
following are the good effects of fasting in
our health:
• Reduces risk of developing cancer and
even shrinks certain tumors.
• Decreases allergic and inflammatory
diseases such as allergic rhinitis,
arthritis, joint pains, and even asthma.
• Unbelievable as it may seem, but when
done right, fasting gives more energy
and stamina to do heavier work.
• Reverses type II diabetes in select
patients
• Normalizes blood pressure for those
with essential hypertension.
 • Clears and heals skin diseases like acne
and eczema.
• Normalizes ovulation especially for
women suffering from polycystic
ovarian syndrome.
• Decreases bad cholesterol level and
reduces arterial occlusion thereby
decreasing risk for stroke and heart
attack.
• Slows aging and promotes longevity
through autophagy.
• Improves neurologic functioning.
• Decreases risk for developing
neurodegenerative diseases such as
Alzheimer ’s disease.
The details of each benefit and how to go
about it is already beyond the scope of this
book. It is included in the succeeding books
of this series. Meantime, I believe that it is
of great importance that we are all aware of
such benefits. Now that you are
knowledgeable with the basics of fasting
and how it can improve our way of life, I
encourage you to do your own readings and
research so we can educate many more,
especially those near our hearts, and so we
can get more out of this life TOGETHER.
CHAPTER 20

Summary and
Pearls
 “Fasting of the body is food for the
soul.”

-Saint John Chrysostom

Problem with weight management is not

something that occurred overnight. One
cannot simply blame their own eating
habits because it goes back more than that.
In fact, it is only a manifestation of an
underlying erroneous way of dealing with
food that goes back for centuries already.

Like it or not, we are all a byproduct of

upbringing by multi-billion food industry
that influenced our parents and
grandparents to an eating pattern that
actually unnatural to humans. As our
genetic make-up is still like that of our
hunter-gatherer ancestors, we have to
embrace and incorporate fasting as our way
of life. Without it, our body will keep on
storing body fats until it can no longer
accommodate it in its limited compartment
and eventually disrupt our body’s balance.
This disturbance in our metabolic
homeostasis can then manifest as obesity,
high blood pressure, diabetes, fatty liver,
rapid aging, tumors and even death from
stroke and heart attack. Thus, in order to
start the healing process, we should strive
to eliminate first the excess fat stores that
we have and allow our body to refocus its
energy in order for it to repair itself. This is
facilitated by fasting. Doing so will allow
us to slowly burn the excess fats that we
have been storing our whole life. Through,
extended fasting, one can safely achieve an
ideal weight the shortest possible time. I
personally believed that a 7-day clean
extended fast (EF) can be done and in the
words of my editor, “it is either to go big or
go home”. However, I truly respect
i n d i v i d u a l d i ff e r e n c e s a s w e l l a s
preferences. I am pro-choice after all. So
for those who are more comfortable with
the “slowly but surely process”, intermittent
fasting (IF) is the next best thing. Both
fasting schedule can lead to ketosis, which
is the fat-burning mode of our body and our
aim in achieving in our goal to an efficient
weight loss process. In addition, we also
identify clean fasting versus dirty fasting,
wherein, if you choose to engage in a clean
fast, you are only allowed to consume
water, black coffee, plain tea leaves,
vinegar and pure electrolytes like salt. Note
that the only way to go with IF is through a
clean fast. However, when you decide to do
an extended fast, you can have more liberty
in your fluids should you decide to do an
EF through dirty fasting. To recap, here’s
the difference between the following:

• Extended fasting – fasting for 24 hours

of more. I advocate for everyone to try
to engage in a 5-7 days EF as a
jumpstart of ketosis and maintain on IF
after. This will give you the most
benefit in terms of weight loss,
gastrointestinal system rest and a great
mental booster for your future fasting
schedules.
1. Clean Fasting – drink water only
when feeling hungry or thirsty.
You can have black coffee or plain
tea. When feeling weak, take some
salts by either taking it as is, or
mix it in your water, black coffee,
tea or some vinegar to make it
more palatable. I advise that you
try to do clean fasting as long as
you can. I did it for 11 days and
stopped only when I already felt
some cramps on my legs as I walk
up in a ramp. Too bad, I didn’t
have magnesium supplements that
time counter it. But should you
plan to do it more than 7 days, I
suggest that you will do it
prepared. Kindly refer back to
chapter 5 for a full list of
electrolytes that u can take while
on a clean fast.

2. Dirty Fasting – reserve this in

times when you can no longer
sustain a clean fast. It is where you
 can consume calorie containing
foods rich with healthy fats and
nutrients that can help some
sustain an EF. This would include
vegetable and bone broth, MCT
oil, pure coconut oil, butter, heavy
whipped cream and whole full fat
milk.

• Intermittent fasting – this is when you

fast for less than 24 hours. It may take
some time before one is fully adjusted
to IF. But I find that after about three
days or so of headache, weakness and
extreme hunger, people who are used
to breakfast generally adapts well on
the fourth day and those who are used
to skipping breakfast adapts more
easily. A clean fast is encouraged
during IF. You can slowly decrease
your “eating window” from 12 hours to
eventually 4-5 hours only eating one
full meal with 1- 2 light snacks before
your window closes. Remember that a
bottle of beer or a glass of wine already
 constitutes as a light snack and should
not be taken lightly.

Fasting, whether IF or EF is the core

essence of managing weight. But for
optimum health, it is optimum to maximize
the benefits by eating the right foods when
you can. The best foods to eat during a
window period will actually depend from
person to person. I recommend you to read
Gin Stephen’s book entitled Feast Without
Fear wherein she beautifully describe the
kind of foods that are best consumed by
certain body types. But to be on the safe
side, I believe in the science behind a Low
Carbohydrate High Fat diet wherein you
avoid carbo-loaded foods that are not
natural to the large part of human
development, like breads, pasta, mashed
potato, rice and noodles, especially when
you haven’t reached your goal weight yet.
Another set of foods you have to avoid are
processed foods full of preservatives and
simple sugars as in table sugar, or those
incorporated in foods like in common
desserts, colas, fruit juices, blended coffees
and other drinks. While you are still on
initial phase of trying to lose weight, it is
best to avoid fruits as they are mostly full
of fructose. Safe fruits would include
avocado, coconut and berries. For those
who have sugar addiction or are always
craving for sweets and chocolates, it is a
good opportunity to practice avoidance and
rehabilitate your palate away from the
addicting taste. However, if this is not yet
your time to do so, know that there are so
many easy low-carb chocolate recipes
online available for free. Just ask Google.
☺

As long as you are not pregnant,

breastfeeding or a growing child, you can
certainly fast! For those with medical
conditions, kindly ask your trusted
physician for advice first prior to engaging
in such.

Once you have decided to proceed with

fasting, you must also know when to break
it. Although it is common to overeat after a
fast, it is also noticeable that those that
made it into a way of life already breaks the
fast slowly. And breaking the fast gently is
really the way we should do it.

For special days, holidays and vacations,

you can certainly enjoy these precious
moments both with food and family. Weight
loss plateaus or even weight gain after a
weight loss should not become a concern
because you already know what to do when
you need to and really want to.

Trust the process and you will certainly

attain the ideal weight and optimum health
you’ve always been dreaming of.
CHAPTER 21

Frequently
Asked Questions
I believe that reading the book from cover
to cover will give enlightenment to
common questions. And sometimes, it is
good to re-read either the whole book or
certain chapters after you have already
adapted to fasting as a way of life.
However, for any gray area that this book
may have, kindly send me a personal
message and I welcome it with open arms.
Whether it is a suggestion, a question or a
need for improvement, I consider it a
pleasure and an opportunity to make this
better.

This chapter will be updated from time to

time. As of this writing, the following are
the FAQs:

• Is fasting the same as starving? No,

because fasting is a deliberate,
conscious and unforced decision of not
consuming any calorie-containing
foods for a specific period of time. The
person who is fasting can choose to
stop it at any time he/she wishes to. It
 is commonly done for health, religious,
and philosophical reasons.

• When will I know that I need to take

electrolytes during an extended fast?
Each electrolyte abnormality will
present differently. Weakness during
the early days of fasting is commonly
due to sodium depletion, thus, you can
take in some salt little by little not
going more than 3 teaspoon per day.
Whereas, cramps may mean low in
magnesium on the later days. See
Chapter 5 for details.

• How will I know when I will break my

fast? Kindly go back to Chapter 11 for
the specifics. However, it is best to
know your health status by checking
your BMI and Body Fat Percentage
does not go below normal while
correlating it with how your body
feels. Always listen to your body and
do not jeopardize anything life
threatening just for the sake of weight
 loss. Remember that you can always
fast again should you feel the need to
cut a planned EF.

• Is extended fasting a requirement to

lose weight? This depends on your
goal and how would you like to go
about it. If you are like me and my
sister who wanted to test the waters
right in, and see how we would
perform, and see results significantly
per day, then EF is for you. But as per
weight loss per se, it is not necessary.
There are numerous success stories
even just with IF alone and a
maintenance of OMAD after.

• After about 2 weeks in this lifestyle, I

feel light but the scale doesn’t seem to
move nor I look slimmer, is this okay?
Yes, it is okay. Remember that it is
important to give it at least two months
before you can really see substantial
and visible results. However, you may
in fact feel lighter because you are
 actually losing fats that are not visibly
obvious but are very important to your
health. These are visceral fats or the
dangerous fats that surrounds your
internal organs like your liver, heart
and intestines. Thus, do not worry and
fast on!

• I tried IF before and I cannot tolerate

the headache and I am afraid I might
faint. Can I really do it? If you are not
part of those identified in Chapter 7, I
believe you certainly can.
Acknowledge that the headache and
light-headedness are common side-
effects of the transition from the
process of sugar/glucose-burning to
fat-burning state. You have the option
to relax during these times for you to
feel at ease, but you can also make
yourself busy and preoccupied with
something worthwhile to take your
mind off it. Although there is in fact
science behind these challenges, it also
has a remedy (like electrolytes or rest).
 And it is not an exaggeration when we
say that fasting is largely a challenge
on mental strength than a physical one.

• Why my face does looks slimmer but

my stomach still looks bloated? You
may be fasting the right way, which is,
getting into ketosis and fat-burning
state. But it is time that you have to
take a look at what you have been
e a t i n g d u r i n g y o u r w i n d o w.
Remember, to achieve the maximum
benefit, you have to pair fasting with
the right healthy foods, especially
whole, raw, unprocessed or least
processed foods. Sugary and
carbohydrate-rich foods tend to hold
more water than fats and proteins.
Thus, this water retention may be the
cause of your persistent weight and
bloated-ness.

• Is it okay to overeat during my

window? Yes and no. Studies show that
even if you feel like you overeat during
 your window, the amount you consume
is still less than the amount you could
have consumed if you have eaten 3
times a day on a regular breakfast-
lunch-dinner routines. So, you can it is
“okay”, although it is not advisable to
really overeat during your window. It
is again important to listen more to
your body and just eat until you are full
and satisfied. And even if in a way it is
“not okay”, but it is expected during
the first weeks of getting into this
lifestyle, and you will just be surprised
when time comes you suddenly get full
even before you finish your planned
feast. Overtime, I hope your feast will
be trimmed down into a meal but still
with the sense of satisfaction similar to
that of a feast!

• What is your recommended IF

schedule? It will depend on your goal.
If you are still starting this way of life
(WOL) and in the period of adjusting, I
recommend you lengthen it as long as
 you can. From 12 hours, you can try to
reach a minimum of 16-18 hours in
order to have a substantial effect.
Believe or not, you will soon realize
that a 6-8 hours window period is just a
long time to allow us to eat. You will
see that food is something that takes so
much energy to process and a longer
fasting period means more efficient
time for your body to burn what you
ate and tap the fat stores you are yet to
burn. As for maintenance, I personally
believe in OMAD (one meal a day)
that again means one full meal with
1-2 light snacks on a 4-5 hours window
period. This 19-20 hours fasting period
is what I recommend for those who
already reached their goal weight
without jeopardizing their metabolism.

• Is exercise necessary for weight loss?

As per Chapter 15, the answer is no.
But exercise is best for other reasons
like building muscles, endurance and
strength. The advantages are at
 maximum when done together with
fasting and when you already achieved
your target weight.

• For females, how do you sustain

fasting when you have your period?
Although female hormones are at the
lowest during the menstrual period,
none of it directly affects your
metabolism and functioning. With
adequate fluid intake and mental
practice, fasting can be done safely and
efficiently.

• Can you continue working while

fasting? As I have mentioned many
times, I am a doctor working in a very
busy public hospital for 10-24 hours
daily. I perform surgeries for 4-12
hours straight during my EFs and
nobody would have believed me have
they known it that time because I am
functioning similarly or even better
than when I was not fasting.
• Once I achieved my target weight, can
I stop fasting and go back to eating the
“usual” way? You can certainly do so.
But, chances are, you will also go back
to your previous body before you
started it all. Thus, if you want a
lasting effect, you must acknowledge
that this is not a one-time deal, but a
lifestyle we as humans should
embrace. Maintenance of IF that suits
your schedule and occasional cyclical
EF as part of one’s routine actually
saves time, money and resources and
meal time more meaning during an
eating window.

• Can I recommend this way of life to

others? Yes, you can definitely
recommend this way of life to others
provided you know the basic dos and
don’ts. However, know that no matter
how good your intentions are, some
people will react very negatively about
it and will even humiliate you because.
Thus, a word of advice, choose wisely
whom you share this knowledge and
make sure you are confident enough to
answer whatever questions they may
throw. But to be safe, why not just
recommend reading this book instead?
I would really appreciate that. ☺
REFERENCES/SUGGESTED
READINGS:

1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-
sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
2. https://siimland.com/everything-about-
getting-enough-electrolytes-while-fasting/
3. http://siimland.com/keto-if-fasting/
4. Cahill Jr, G.F., 2006. Fuel metabolism in
starvation. Annu. Rev. Nutr., 26, pp.1-22.
5. Castellini, M.A. and Rea, L.D., 1992. The
biochemistry of natural fasting at its limits.
Experientia, 48(6), pp.575-582.
6. Izumida, Y., Yahagi, N., Takeuchi, Y.,
Nishi, M., Shikama, A., Takarada, A.,
Masuda, Y., Kubota, M., Matsuzaka, T.,
Nakagawa, Y. and Iizuka, Y., 2013.
Glycogen shortage during fasting triggers
liver–brain–adipose neurocircuitry to
f a c i l i t a t e f a t u t i l i z a t i o n . N a t u re
communications, 4, p.2316.
7. Sarah C. Couch (7 April 2006). "Ask an
Expert: Fasting and starvation mode".
University of Cincinnati (NetWellness).
Archived from the original on 19 July 2011
8. Anton, S.D., Moehl, K., Donahoo, W.T.,
Marosi, K., Lee, S.A., Mainous III, A.G.,
Leeuwenburgh, C. and Mattson, M.P.,
2018. Flipping the metabolic switch:
understanding and applying the health
benefits of fasting. Obesity, 26(2),
pp.254-268.
9. https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/
nutrition/leptin-foods-answer-always-
hungry/
10.Stephens, Gin. Delay: Don´t Deny, Living
an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle
11.Fung, J. The Obesity Code: Unlocking the
Secrets of Weight Loss
12.Fung J, Moore J. The Ultimate Guide to
Fasting: Heal Your Body Through
Intermittent, Alternate Day and Extended
Fasting.
13.The Magic Pill at https://www.netflix.com/
14.https://dailyhealthpost.com/fasting-
regenerate-immune-system/?
f b c l i d = I w A R 1 H l P Y 1 -
_foaza47SphcUCHqxKuPiFAPbOeW0FR3
P2q7Cf9mm02am7ysZA
15.https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
articles/306638.php 16.
16.https://www.delish.com/food/g22617665/
celebrities-intermittent-fasting/
17.h t t p s : / / i d m p r o g r a m . c o m / r e f e e d i n g -
syndromes-fasting-20/
18.https://www.allaboutfasting.com/breaking-
a-fast.html
APPENDIX A
Minnesota Starvation Experiment
A study in 1944 called the Minnesota
Starvation Experiment was done among 36
middle-aged Caucasian men, where caloric
restriction was conducted and adjusted so the
men can lose 1.1 kilogram per week. The
study period was divided into four phases:

1. Control Period, wherein they were

allowed to eat about 3,200 kcal per day
for 12 weeks, and adjusted so the
participants will reach their ideal weight
for their height in preparation for the
next phase.

2. Semi-Starvation Period, is a 24-week or

6 months’ worth of caloric restriction at
1,560/day. The most important part in
here is the type of food that they eat,
which is basically carbohydrates (bread,
potatoes, turnips, pasta, among others).
With calorie deprivation and nutrient-
deficient meals, the participants are at
their hungriest, very irritable, felt weak
 and always starving. During this stage,
these meal preparations induced
depression, hysteria and severe
emotional distress from constant mental
preoccupation of food, with great
anticipation during their scheduled meal
time. They also showed decline in
concentration, comprehension and
judgment. One participant was even
dismissed from the experiment after
showing signs of threat to others and his
own. Overall, the basal metabolic rate, or
the resting energy expenditure also
decreased.

3. Restricted Rehabilitation Period is the

third phase wherein the participants were
divided into four groups where they
received 400, 800, 1200 or 1600
additional calories from their previous
allowance in an aim to know the
optimum amount of calories needed to
re-nourish them after losing
approximately 25% of their weight.
However, even with additional vitamins,
participants were not improving
 especially on the lowest calorie group.
Total calorie was adjusted and the
researcher concluded that a 4,000 kcal is
needed to re-establish their previous
health.

4. Unrestrictive Rehabilitation Period,

wherein for the last 8 weeks, food intake
was already unrestricted. However,
review of the participants years after the
experiment showed psychological impact
especially with food, that they had a hard
time adjusting after and were noted to
overeat up to 11,000 kcal in a day with
fear of having food taken away anytime
and be deprived again.

There was no mention on the report on the

actual weight changes of the participants after
only that it took some time before they
returned to the "normal" size. But as to
whether what their normal is, we will never
know.

The Semi Starvation Period is exactly why

the low fat, low calorie diet fad is not
sustainable simply because you are battling
hunger hormones and decreased metabolism.

This is in contrast with the overwhelming

positive effects of intentional, conscious and
healthy way of fasting, especially when done
on maintenance phase of intermittent fasting.
Benefits include improvements on the
person’s physical as well as emotional well-
being, improved psychological status, mental
strength and general wellness.
APPENDIX B
Different 20-gram carbohydrates

Different perspectives on how a 20-gram

carbohydrates will look like

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/20-50-
how-much
APPENDIX C
Basal Metabolic Index Chart
APPENDIX D
Sample Intermittent Fasting Schedules
APPENDIX E
Sample Short-term EF Schedules
APPENDIX F
Stages of Intermittent Fasting by Gin
Stephens
APPENDIX G
Let’s Start This Journey Together

Start by writing down your goals like

desired weight, BMI, waist/hips/arm
measurements or body fat percentage, or even
some “non-scale victory” (NSV) like fitting
back to an old smaller dress. Trust that you
can achieve it. After knowing all the details
on fasting and low-carbohydrate diet, you are
now ready to design your own routine. If not,
let me give you two ways to do it.

The first approach is the fast, jumpstart

approach wherein you directly indulge into a
minimum of 5 days fasting to ensure that you
will be in full ketosis by the time you break
your fast. This is how we started in our
family. As we are convinced that we can do it,
we have each other to support one another.
We also choose to have this in a fairly normal
week with no extra physically draining tasks.
At work, I have informed my workmates that
I am in an extended fast and even asked my
superior that I will be converting my lunch-
break to resting break should I ever feel
lightheaded or the need to rest. Surprisingly,
that did not come. Except for the feeling of
mouth dryness and occasional weakness, we
feel as normal as we can be. The weakness
was instantly relieved by intake of water with
salt and some apple cider vinegar for
potassium and sodium. The hunger that
happen 2-3x a day persisted but the intensity
keeps getting smaller and smaller each day.
Whenever there’s food temptations, instead of
avoiding them, I savor their smell and I
convince myself that I know how they taste so
well, because I’ve tasted them many times
before and I can eat it any time after, but right
at that moment, I am in the most crucial time
of making something better out of myself. I
am in the process of becoming my best
version. I think to myself, “What is one week
as compared to a lifetime that I have spent
indulging in food with regrets after which led
me to a body type I so wanted to improve?”,
“Or the optimum health and physique that I
can achieve from this point onwards?” You
may have doubts but remember, there is no
shame in trying. The fact that you are open to
making good changes with your life starting
with your commitment to better health is
already commendable in itself.

If at any point you feel tired, you can rest at

any time, or stop at any time and start again
when you are ready. There was even a time
where I have planned for a week-long fast but
ended up doing a 24 or 40 hour fast instead
simply because I listened to my body. There is
no need to rush if you feel you are already
endangering yourself. However, should you
feel positive about it, you can do the
following:

• Day 1 to 3- Clean, water-only

fasting, may have salt and apple
cider or pure coconut vinegar or (un-
squeezed) lemon water, green tea
and black coffee

• Days 3 to 6 - Continue clean fasting,

may take a multivitamin with
magnesium if deemed necessary. If
it is not enough, you can proceed
with dirty fasting like having a
 bulletproof coffee, bone broth and
others as previously specified.

• Day 7 - If you can no longer extend

it beyond 7 days, slowly break your
fast by eating vegetable soup first,
and after an hour, eat a proper low
carbohydrate meal. Limit your
eating window to only 5 hours at
maximum. Eat slowly and
pleasurably. However, if you feel
you can still go another day, you can
freely do so.

• Day 8 onwards - you can do 16 or

18 hours daily intermittent fasting
for weeks doing strictly a low carb
diet.

• Day 21 - you may repeat another

cycle of extended fast or continue
your IF or engage on OMAD until
you reach your desired goal. Just
trust the process, because slowly yet
surely, you will get there even with
or without exercise.
 The second approach are mostly followed
by my friends whom I don´t see on a day to
day basis, to which the daily encouragement
and monitoring is somewhat limited as
compared to my family that I live with.

If you have never heard of IF, and are

apprehensive on how this is going to work
out, you can start by slowly extending your
overnight fast. As explained earlier, make it
into a goal to have at least 16 hours of fasting
daily. You can have 1 light meal to open your
window, have a proper meal in between and
another light meal to close it. Or you can have
two proper meals upon opening and another
one before closing your “eating window”,
with nothing but coffee, tea or water in
between the two meals. Follow this routine
for at least two months and see the difference
yourself. Some may not have significant
weight loss per se, but people will start to
notice how your face and body slowly
improves in shape, including clearer skin,
more toned structure and lighter appearance.
Common non-scale benefits include
decreased inflammation, joint pains and even
allergies. The moment you graduate from a
month of IF, you can level up to OMAD and
even try extended fasting slowly in time.

I know it is much easier if you have a

support group as you decide to embark in this
journey, but you have to accept the fact that
there is a possibility that you might be going
through this alone, and you have to persist
despite the circumstances. You will be the one
that will rip the benefits after all. Right now,
we have a support (closed) group in Facebook
where you are most welcome to join. Just
look for the group named “Perfect At Last
Support Group”. You can also join various
international support groups in Facebook
where people openly support each other´s
journey.

Always be psychologically prepared that

sometimes, the people closest to you will be
the ones discouraging or tempting you to
break your fast or eat the sugary snacks you
are doing your best to resist. Know your goals
and know yourself. Make these two months a
test of self-love and a beginning of self-care
your body has been craving for.

In the beginning, I find it beneficial that I

cleaned out my pantry first. I gave away all
the simple sugars, biscuits and juices that I
have. Then, I bought a week supply of
cabbage and eggs as my staple. I downloaded
the app LIFE for fasting to keep track of my
daily fast (Join me and many others. Just look
for the fasting circle named Limitless ❤). I
placed the red list and green list on the dining
table. I made a daily routine for going to work
early and getting myself busy during the day.
As a result, I sleep regularly earlier than I
used to. During the weekends or during idle
times when I cannot help but think about
food, I fill up my time watching really binge-
worthy shows or some YouTube videos on the
benefits of fasting and related videos like
“how to fast successfully”. Aside from
enriching my knowledge, it successfully
helped me to overcome one cycle of almost
11 days, one cycle of 7 days and one cycle of
5 days water fasting, one cycle of 5 and 3
days of dirty fasting and countless 24-50 hour
fasts in 3 months´ time with a total of 22
pounds sustained weight loss without
exercise.

I was a sugar and food addict. Coke has

been like water. And I was raised in an
environment where the definition of fullness
is when you can no longer breathe deeply or
sit straight. I used to eat very quickly and the
only parts I love eating in cakes are the
frosting. But now, I am far from where I used
to be. And I feel like I already got my share of
carb indulgence one is expected to have in a
lifetime that I must now embark on this low-
carbohydrate lifestyle forever. But to be
honest, I know that is impossible. Just now, I
ate 6 slices of toasted chiffon cake. And since
that is mostly sugar, I will extend my fast to
36 hours, so I make sure the glucose and
glycogen I chose to eat today will be
metabolized into the energy that I will need
for the succeeding days. See? This is not so
bad. Sweets are part of our natural food list.
However, you must recognize that sweets
naturally come from seasonal fruits or when
the hunters stumble upon a beehive once in a
while. Thus, if you want to be strict about it,
you can have sweets with the frequency
similar to that of a seasoned fruit or the
chance of finding honey in the wild. But
realistically speaking, sweets are already part
of our modern day and varieties of fruits are
practically available all year round. You can
have it but timing is the key. So long as you
strike a balance between regular eating
patterns, occasional feast and planned fast,
you can achieve the health and physique our
hunter-gatherer ancestors used to have.

I will leave the decision to you on how you

will go about it. You can start strong with
extended fast and maintain on OMAD and
pure LCHF diet - what I consider to be the
most effective and the most efficient. Or you
can slowly ease in with increasing IF and
OMAD while eating whatever you can,
especially incorporating sugars during your
window. Again, there is no such thing as
perfection that is uniform for everyone, but
there is always something that is perfect for
you, and time is in your hands in order for
you to learn it little by little each day. Feel
free to experiment and see for yourself what
works for you and the life you plan to have.

Again, add me on Facebook, follow me

Instagram or send me an email and I’d be
more than willing to help as soon as time
allows. ☺
APPENDIX H
List and Recipe of Easy, Affordable
Low Carb, High Fiber Alternatives

• Buttered Bland Greens - Use finely

chopped cabbage, broccoli and/or
cauliflower and sauté it in butter. You can
mix it with whatever food you fancy on
the above green list. The more common
they are, the better your compliance will
be. The longer you cook them, the lesser
they taste, thus the more palatable they
become. However, if you are used to
their raw taste, you can eat them just as
soon as the butter melts to maximize
intake of the nutrients.

• High Fiber Omelets - you can use whole

eggs or just the white egg and cook the
yolk separately and serve as a different
side dish. For a single full serving, you
can beat 1-2 eggs, and add 2-4 cups of
chopped greens and that’s it to be paired
with your main fatty meat. An alternative
would be 4 tablespoons of whole oats, or
2 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal or
 psyllium husk powder. You can add
cheese, cream cheese, coconut flour or
almond flour, whatever is available and
depending on your preferred consistency.
This is very filling and a perfect match to
any meat.

• Fresh salads - lettuce, finely chopped

cabbage and bell peppers, cucumber,
tomato, all mixed together or alone, with
real mayo, some salt and a teaspoon of
vinegar is just one of our table staples.
These are very easy to buy and to prepare
without the need for cooking! Olive oil is
the best oil to use for raw meals.

• Noodles and Pasta without the Carbs -

Whether it’s a chicken or beef soup, or
red or white pasta dish, just cook it as but
replace the noodles and pasta with
steamed cauliflower or fine strips of
vegetables. With these, you won’t be
missing any of them anymore. Cook in
pure coconut cooking oil or butter or
lard.
These are just samples and my favorite ones
because they are very cheap, doesn´t get spoil
easily, delicious and very easy to prepare. The
more fiber-rich foods you can tolerate, the
raw, the better. You can put in other low-carb
favorites and create your own.
APPENDIX I
Low Carbohydrate Dessert

There are thousands of easy low carb

desserts available online, but two of my
favorites are as follows:

1. Dark Chocolate - Just mix 1 cup of

100% pure cocoa, 250gms of cream
cheese and 5 tablespoon of Monk fruit
sweetener and pour into chocolate bar
molds or even small cupcake cups. If you
add 1 cup of heavy cream, it will be
converted into a chocolate pudding. Chill
and serve.

1. Avocado Ice Cream - Puree 4 cups of

sliced avocado, add 250gms heavy cream
and 4 tablespoon Monk fruit sweetener
or stevia counterpart. Chill and serve.

There are hundreds more, but to cure a

sweet tooth and silence the chocolate monster
within, a bite of these treats surely fits.
APPENDIX J
Ketogenic Cooking and Baking

For those who are fond of baking, there are a

lot of common ketogenic counterparts. Found
in the internet. Once you´ve mastered the art
of having low carbohydrate dishes, you can
maximize the benefit by converting it into a
ketogenic meal where those low-carb
alternative be paired with a healthy fatty main
course. Examples would include pork,
salmon, lamb and many more. Refer to the
green list for the foods you can eat and the red
list as the items you should avoid.
Although calorie counting is not really
recommended, but by proportion, 60-75% of
your energy foods must come from fats,
25-30% from proteins and 5% from carbs.
That 5% of carbs are usually less than 20
grams per day. Start reading labels if you buy
processed foods and avoid those with
carbohydrate or sugar content more than 1
gram per serving, unless it’s the only thing
you will consume for the day.
 Closing Message

To you,

By now, I hope you are done reading the

whole book. I know there may still be doubts
within you especially with the uncertainty
whether you can do it or not. I understand it is
a lot to take in. But if there is a minimum take
home message that I want everyone to have,
it’s these:
• Fasting is a natural process.
• It is okay not to eat all the time.
• Unintentional skipped meals should not
be a cause of worry, but be celebrated.
• If EF is too much or unnecessary for you,
then doing IF for as long as you can is the
next best step.
• Ketogenic diet, to some extent,
biochemically mimics the effect of fasting
through ketosis in a slower pace.
• Can’t let go of carbs? Compensate by
fasting.
• Can’t afford an extended fast?
Compensate by eating LCHF foods.
 • Want to have the best results the fastest
way? Do both!
• When asked why you fast, just answer
“It’s because I can”, with confidence.
• Lastly, if you are asked by anybody what
you are doing, in a limited time and avenue to
explain things completely, then I humbly
suggest for you to avoid talking about
“fasting”. Because they will probably just
raise an eyebrow and close their minds even
before you say another word. Instead, you can
show them the results and wait until they are
truly interested and have a proper time and
place to talk about it substantially and
completely. It is the main reason why fasting
is not mentioned in the cover of the book, in
hope that in the end, even a close-minded
reader will have the acceptance that it is a
natural part of human existence, whether or
not he/she chooses to practice such.

If you think somebody else you care about

can benefit from this book, pay it forward by
sharing it with them or giving one as a gift.
 Thank you very much for hearing me all
these times. Whatever path you choose, I
hope it is the one directed towards self-love
and achieving your best version yet.

I wish you all the best in this journey.

Yours,

Grace
Copyright

This electronic copy is intended for

Olympia Publishing.

Illegal distribution, printing or production of

this book is strictly prohibited.

This book is under copyright protection and

shall not be reproduced in any form without
the consent of the author.

If you wish to share a copy, kindly refer to

www.healthandwellnessforless.info
Or email me at
[email protected]

Perfect At Last Book Series

All rights reserved.

Josephine Grace Chua Rojo

Copyright 2019

ISBN: 978-0-359-71550
Lulu Publishing

www.healthandwellnessforless.info
Photos A - B were taken in 2017. C was in late 2018. D in March 2019, E taken in June 2019