Jocko Willink Reveals his Fasting Strategy to Stay Lean All Year

Intro 0s

• As one ages, their approach to eating and timing may change, with some becoming more flexible with their eating schedule, while others may not 7s.
• In the past, the individual's eating schedule was periodized around workouts, with specific pre- and post-workout meals, but now they are more relaxed about this 40s.
• During their time in the SEAL Teams, the individual would eat when they could, as their schedule was unpredictable and physically demanding, with limited time for meals 48s.
• The individual's role as a radio man in the SEAL Teams required them to carry extra weight, including a radio, batteries, and water, leaving little room for food, resulting in a limited diet of MREs and trail mix during extended periods in the field 1m59s.
• This limited diet in the field would often result in weight loss, but the individual preferred not to eat much while in the field to avoid carrying extra weight 2m48s.
• The individual's eating habits have changed over time, with a shift from a more structured approach to a more flexible one, allowing for adjustments based on their schedule and needs 45s.

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• Noticing a difference in digestion and gut health took about a week, but improvements in complexion were more noticeable, with others also commenting on the positive change 4m4s.
• The improved complexion included reduced circles under the eyes and a more rested appearance 4m12s.

Working Out Fasted 4m18s

• The individual does not eat before working out in the morning, as having food in their stomach makes them feel like they're going to vomit, and instead only has water before exercising 4m45s.
• Occasionally, they might have a pre-workout, but this is rare, happening about once every two months 5m4s.
• Around 10:00 in the morning, they start feeling hungry and have some mixed nuts, followed by a protein shake, which they find gratifying and allows for digestion before training Jiu-Jitsu in the afternoon 5m21s.
• The goal is to have digested food before engaging in strenuous activities like Jiu-Jitsu, which is typically trained at 4:00 in the afternoon 5m43s.
• After training, they eat a steak, have another protein shake, and a big salad, which is their typical eating pattern 6m3s.
• This eating pattern is driven by the need to have food digested before doing strenuous things, such as Jiu-Jitsu or going on operations 6m33s.
• Even in situations like going on operations in Iraq, they would barely eat anything before going into the field to avoid having food in their gut 6m47s.
• Fasting does not impact their activities, and they feel great when fasting, even recalling a 72-hour fast where they still performed well in Jiu-Jitsu and did heavy squats 7m14s.
• The overall eating pattern is centered around having food digested by the time they engage in their next strenuous training activity 7m43s.
• Fractal eating is considered a more effective approach to maintaining a lean physique, as it involves eating when the body needs to, rather than following a strict schedule like intermittent fasting 8m2s.
• This approach requires being in tune with the body's needs and can lead to optimal performance and digestion 8m23s.
• Years of conditioning the body to eat in this way can lead to improved fat adaptation and mitochondrial function, even at a cellular level 8m37s.
• The ability to eat in constrained environments, such as when food is scarce, is an important skill that can be developed through practice and training 9m2s.
• Fasting or going without food for a period of time can be seen as a form of training with a "nutritional weight vest," which can help build resilience and improve performance in depleted states 9m24s.
• Training in a depleted state can have benefits, such as improved muscle preservation and retention of lean mass, especially as people age 10m2s.
• The body can adapt to not having fuel by not going into "panic mode" and instead using stored energy sources, which can be beneficial for overall health and well-being 10m12s.
• Decades of practicing fractal eating and fasting can lead to psychological, epigenetic, and mitochondrial conditioning that can improve overall health and resilience 10m29s.
• Breaking the cycle of food addiction is important for both physical and psychological health, and can be achieved through practices like fractal eating and fasting 10m43s.

Fasting to Recalibrate Your Taste Buds 10m52s

• Fasting recalibrates hunger and taste buds, making water taste delicious and food more enjoyable after the fast is completed 10m53s.
• When fasting, even simple foods like carrots taste good, whereas without fasting, only high-calorie foods like Twinkies may be appealing 11m27s.
• Fasting also recalibrates hunger, allowing individuals to distinguish between false hunger signals and actual hunger 11m41s.
• A similar concept applies to breath-holding, where the body sends false signals that can be ignored, and the same principle can be applied to hunger 11m50s.
• When fasting, the body may send false hunger signals, but these can be ignored, and the body can survive for extended periods without food 12m28s.
• Fasting helps to recalibrate hunger and taste buds, allowing individuals to develop a healthier relationship with food 12m53s.
• It is possible to perform physically demanding tasks while fasting, and it is essential to signal to the body that muscle is relevant and should not be burned for energy 13m14s.
• Examples of individuals performing impressive physical feats while fasting, such as Dominic D'Agostino deadlifting a personal record after a 5-day fast, demonstrate the potential for physical performance while fasting 13m26s.

You Should be Able to go 24 Hours Without Food 13m40s

• There is a psychological element to needing food, where people believe they require it for performance enhancement or to feel strong, but this mindset can be limiting 13m42s.
• Dr. Andy Galpin stated that if someone cannot go 24 hours without food, there is a problem, as humans have historically gone without food for extended periods 14m15s.
• In the past, cavemen would go weeks without food while hunting, making the idea of needing food every few hours seem ridiculous 14m19s.
• Research suggests that for athletes, having fuel and carbohydrates on board can provide a 1% performance benefit, but there are also potential benefits to training in a fasted state 14m47s.
• Training in a fasted state can have a psychological benefit, as the body releases adrenaline and other chemicals that can enhance performance and cognitive function 15m1s.
• The release of norepinephrine and ketone bodies in a fasted state can have a positive effect on cognitive function and athletic performance 15m7s.
• For some athletes, training in a fasted state can help them push themselves harder and achieve personal records, as their brain is not holding them back 15m39s.
• Fasting can also eliminate the distraction of food, allowing individuals to focus on their training and performance 15m49s.

Monk Fasting 16m0s

• For optimal physical performance in a competition, it is recommended to be 36 hours into a fast, as this is when the body is most ready to perform at its best 16m0s.
• This 36-hour fast is referred to as a "monk fast" due to the state of Zen and calmness achieved at this point, where the body is producing enough ketones to feel fully switched on 16m41s.
• The 36-hour mark is considered a sweet spot for many people, as it allows the body to deplete glycogen stores and start producing ketones, making it an ideal time for physical performance 17m3s.
• However, after the 36-hour mark, the body does start to deplete more, but a conditioned individual can still perform well at this point 16m57s.
• The monk fast is not recommended for events that heavily rely on glycogen stores, such as a marathon, but is suitable for activities that require a state of calm focus, such as Jiu-Jitsu or fighting 16m12s.

Fasting for Older Populations 17m15s

• Older individuals often fear fasting due to associating it with death and dying, but it's actually an adaptation that requires a paradigm shift in how they view it 17m27s.
• As people age, they tend to become more fearful, and their past experiences with hunger may have led them to believe they make poor decisions when hungry, but it's possible that other factors contributed to their irritability 17m41s.
• People often attribute their irritability to hunger when they haven't eaten, but it's possible that other stressors in their lives, such as a busy schedule or family obligations, are the actual cause of their irritability, not the absence of food 18m8s.
• It's common for people to unintentionally go without eating due to a busy schedule, and they may not even notice it until later in the day, which can sometimes result in an unintentional 24-hour fast 18m32s.
• Looking at calorie intake over time can provide a different perspective on fasting and its effects on the body 18m49s.

Looking at Calories Over the Course of a Week 18m50s

• Looking at calorie intake over the course of a week can be more beneficial than focusing on daily calorie intake, as it provides a more comprehensive view of overall calorie consumption 18m52s.
• It is not necessary to count calories daily, but rather get a rough idea of calorie intake and track it over the course of a week to allow for flexibility and balance 18m58s.
• Focusing on weekly calorie intake can help individuals avoid stressing about daily calorie limits, such as 2,000 or 3,000 calories per day, and instead aim for a balanced weekly total 19m5s.
• By tracking calories over a week, individuals may notice that some days they consume significantly more or fewer calories, but the weekly total can still be within their target range 19m20s.
• This approach can be thought of as having "miniature bulks and cuts" throughout the week, allowing for flexibility and balance in calorie intake 19m30s.
• The concept of tracking calories over a longer period, such as a week or month, can be more effective than focusing on short-term windows, such as hours or days 19m44s.
• This approach can help individuals avoid stressing about eating at specific times or intervals and instead focus on their overall calorie balance 19m53s.

How Jocko Cuts Weight 20m0s

• To cut weight, adjustments are made to the portion sizes of regular meals, such as having half a protein shake in the morning instead of a whole one, or having half a steak instead of a whole one or two at night 20m17s.
• The adjustments are based on a general understanding of daily food intake, without needing to count calories, and the effects on weight are noticeable almost immediately 20m15s.
• A limited and repetitive diet makes it easier to make these adjustments, as it is simple to reduce or increase the portion sizes of familiar foods 21m6s.
• The diet consists of a limited variety of foods, which were also eaten during childhood, resulting in a limited palate and a preference for eating the same foods repeatedly 20m47s.
• This approach to eating makes it easy to fine-tune food intake when trying to cut weight, as the effects of different portion sizes are well understood 21m28s.
• The simplicity of the diet also eliminates the need to worry about the calorie content of unfamiliar or complex foods, such as escargot 21m46s.