Fasting has been an interesting experiment that I’ve done on and off over the past two years. It has worked beautifully for me, and I want to explain what I did and how I approached it.

I understand this might be a sensitive topic for some, so please continue reading only if you feel comfortable.

my experience

My experience with fasting has been overwhelmingly positive. Over the past few years, I’ve managed to get into the best shape of my life (though fasting wasn’t the only contributing factor). I’ve noticed that I can maintain or lose weight more easily with fasting compared to:

• Counting calories (a whole other debate)
• Intuitive eating
• Any other eating approach

Additionally, fasting has improved my energy levels, which has been a nice bonus.

my fasting protocol

• Fast breaks: Lunch at noon
• Fast starts: After dinner/snack around 8 PM

Essentially, I skip breakfast as part of my fasting routine. I’ve experimented with skipping dinner, but I found it unintuitive for my body—I tend to crave food more in the evening. Breakfast, on the other hand, is easy for me to skip because I don’t feel a strong need for it. I can eat breakfast if needed, but I don’t feel like I’m forcing myself to avoid it; it just feels natural.

I used and tried different apps. Currently I’m using a free app called Fasty, from an indie dev. It’s quite simple to use and has an Apple Watch support as well as different widgets so I can always follow my progress. App is currently totally free and easy to use so that’s why I recommend it.

important notes

I know everyone is different, and some people can’t function without breakfast. I’m not recommending or suggesting anything here—this is just my personal experience and what works for me.

That said, I do eat breakfast when I have sports activities in the morning or around noon. If I don’t, I quickly run out of energy. This is especially important for longer activities, like morning bike rides.

sleep and fasting

I’ve also noticed that starting my fast before 8 PM (or even earlier) helps me improve my sleep quality.

This approach has been simple and effective for me, but I fully understand that it might not work for everyone.