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I’ve been experimenting with a fasting routine that includes a 40-hour fast and a 24-hour fast twice a week, and it seems to be working well. On Mondays, I don’t eat at all; I consume two meals on Tuesdays, three meals on Wednesdays and Thursdays, one meal on Fridays, and three meals on weekends. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, I eat breakfast around 8 am and dinner around 6 pm, finishing before 7 pm. This results in a 13-hour fasting period, which, while not quite early time-restricted feeding, still provides ample time for my gut to rest and reap the benefits of early feeding.
One advantage of early feeding is synchronizing with the circadian rhythm by consuming food early in the day. A 16-hour or 17-hour fasting regimen with an afternoon-to-early-evening feeding window doesn’t offer this advantage. My method involves a 13-hour fasting window, which is less effective than 16 or 17 hours. However, incorporating a prolonged fast twice a week compensates for this or even produces greater effects. Fasting for over 24 hours significantly increases autophagy.
The distinction between the Wednesday and Thursday “Hare” periods and the weekend “Hare” periods lies in the 13-hour fasting window during the former, whereas I continue to eat and drink past 8 pm during the latter. This makes Wednesdays and Thursdays disciplined “Ke” periods. It’s beneficial to have breakfast immediately after my morning routine, as it allows me to incorporate a nutritional hack. Additionally, having three opportunities to eat instead of two provides more flexibility in my diet. For instance, I enjoy muesli and can include it in my breakfast, particularly with my special Koso Genmai muesli recipe.
I actually feel quite good on these days, perhaps even better than when I practice a 17-hour fast. The 13-hour fasting window combined with my morning routine—consisting of a cold shower, a glass of water, exposure to morning sunlight, aerobic activities, or qi-gong exercises—adequately supports gut health and initiates autophagy. Most importantly, since I undergo prolonged fasting on other days, I can afford to take it easy during these periods without striving for perfection.
The combination of prolonged fasting and a 13-hour fasting window with three meals could be the best approach.