The practice of fasting, or time-restricted eating, has certainly gained momentum in recent years. I have covered many strategies in Pampy's Post over the past five years.

Below, I discuss the results from John, a 54-year-old who practised a protocol of progressive time-extended fasting and the caloric intake that contributed to his healthy success.

What is Fasting?

When people hear the word "fasting," they often imagine it as some sort of punishing starvation test. That's not the case. In simple terms, fasting is about giving your body regular breaks from eating. Instead of grazing from sunrise to bedtime, you establish set periods during which you don't eat, followed by designated eating periods. Some people follow the classic 17:7 method (fast for 17 hours and eat within an 7-hour window), while others extend their fasting periods or alternate days. I advocate a progressive approach: start small, ease into it, and allow your body to adapt.

Fasting can have some powerful health benefits:

1) Metabolic Reset: Allowing your body a break from constant calorie intake helps it learn to use stored fat for energy. This process aids in regulating blood sugar and insulin levels, which is essential for weight management.

2) Gut Health and Digestion: Taking longer breaks between meals enables your digestive system to repair itself rather than constantly working throughout the day.

3) Cell Cleanup (Autophagy): During fasting, your body can eliminate damaged cells and recycle cellular components, functioning like housekeeping for your cells.

4) Mental Clarity: After an initial adjustment period of about one or two weeks, many individuals report improved focus and consistent energy. The typical "foggy" afternoon slump often diminishes.

5) Inflammation and Recovery:  Fasting seems to lower markers of inflammation, which can enhance recovery and overall vitality, helping with issues ranging from sore joints to general well-being.

🔑 My main takeaway is the 'suppression of appetite'.

Data shows Australians consume more unnecessary calories than they actually need.  Most lifestyles can survive on <3000 cals per day, providing more than enough energy and the maintenance of one's ideal weight.

Furthermore, these additional industrialised calories follow the SOS model...

🚫 Sugar - there are over 200 varying labelled names for refined sugar.

🚫 Oils - cheap, vegetable & seeds processed cooking oil.

🚫 Salt - white, cleansed and refined salt.

The inclusion of these ingredients undoubtedly typically increases innate appetite and leads to crave even more of them.

To help John lower his appetite, we implemented the following strategies:

1) A progressive fasting protocol (including 'must consume' food) - see below.

2) The inclusion of caffeine (coffee & green tea), MCT oil, nicotine (in the form of toothpicks), and berberine (as an OTC supplement).  These inclusions suppressed John's appetite.

SPECIAL NOTE: Although John did not supplement this fasting protocol with GLP-1 agonist medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, or Mounjaro, my methodical assessment of 40+ individuals prescribed these medications has revealed significant health benefits related to appetite suppression. This leads to improved health markers and essential weight loss, specifically fat loss. I have reached a point where, if someone is clinically 20 kg overweight over an extended period and has followed a typical healthy diet and exercise regimen without long-term success, I believe — based on my observations and close collaboration with physicians — that discussing GLP-1 agonist options with the individual’s personal physician is worth considering. I emphasise this point, regardless of my partial position towards proper diet and exercise practices.

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Our goal is to suppress his innate appetite towards lowering total cals IN, driving up his

natural healthy ketosis (burning stored fat for energy) and changing his food behaviour long term. 

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Please understand, n=1; as this is John's progressive fasting model; this may not be suitable for you in any way.

Consult your physician for discussion.

I'll admit it — when I first spotted one of those under-desk cycling units, I thought it looked a bit ridiculous. A bike (crank system) under your desk? Surely that's just another fad. But curiosity got the better of me, and I gave one a spin – amazon . And you know what? It (sort of) works.

I'm not going to make the next Tour De France, but for some sneaky additional movement, which appears to keep my brain a tad sharper, it's great. It's the kind of activity that chips away at all those hours of sitting we clock up without even noticing. And for someone like me, who spends just as much time at a desk as I do training, it's been a bit of a game-changer.

The Benefits I've Noticed

🚴 I move more without even trying.

🚴 Pedalling away while replying to emails feels like bonus steps. You'd be surprised how many extra calories you clock up over a week.

🚴 My legs don't feel as heavy at the end of the day.

🚴 The constant, gentle movement keeps circulation flowing. No more stiff knees after long stints at the computer.

🚴 It's kind on the joints.

🚴 My head feels clearer.

My Take...

Look, a desk cycle isn't going to replace your gym sessions, your runs, or your bike rides out on the road. But it's a handy tool. A way to sneak in more movement during the hours you're stuck at a desk. And in today's world, where sitting is the new smoking, every bit counts.

So if you see one of these little machines going cheap — don't laugh it off like I did. Give it a go. You might just pedal your way through your workload and feel a whole lot better for it.

As for me, I delicately gave it to my wife (a corporate desk jock)!  Who placed it out for council pick up!!!!