The Complete Guide To Fasting

by Jason Fung

This fasting protocol calls for fasting for seven to fourteen days consecutively. This means seven to fourteen days in a row without any meals or snacks. You are only allowed fasting fluids (here) during the fasting period. In the Intensive Dietary Management Program, we typically use this protocol for severe diabetes or morbid obesity. In cases where control of diabetes and/or obesity is more urgent, we often suggest starting therapy with this protocol, then transitioning to a forty-two-hour fasting protocol (here). This protocol is also useful when hitting plateaus in weight loss and after periods of weight regain, such as the holidays and vacations (such as a cruise)—and knowing that you’ll follow this protocol after a period of celebration can let you enjoy it without guilt. This is a very intensive regimen and should only be attempted with the supervision of your physician. If you are taking medications, some of them will need to be adjusted prior to beginning the fast. (See here for more information.) In this protocol, we also recommend the daily use of a general multivitamin in order to prevent micronutrient deficiency. Your physician may also want to monitor your bloodwork throughout the fast. Remember, hunger does not progress. Day 2 is typically the hardest day on this regimen: studies of the hunger hormone ghrelin show that it peaks on day 2 of extended fasting and thereafter declines. Typically, each day gets easier. Most people remark after seven days that the...