How To Lose Weight

This page is designed to show a simple and sustainable way to lose weight.  I have systematically experimented with each of the variables over several months, and I believe that this plan can work for many people.

The plan has six main elements, all of which are explained in more detail below.

 

1) Total Darkness Time – 9 to 10 hours per day

2) Eat to Hunger and Satiety

3) Let A Condensed Eating Window Naturally Develop

4) Exercise Outside of the Eating Window

5) Eat A Paleo/Whole Food Diet

6) Lift Weights 1+ Times Per Week

 

I believe these six items work synergistically to produce weight loss.  As such, the combination of these will be superior to applying only individual elements.

 

1)  Total Darkness Time – 9 to 10 hours per day

First, there is a difference between total darkness time and sleep.  Total darkness time is time spent in bed, in the dark, whether you are asleep or not.  While a person may sleep more or less on a given night, there still appears to be a biological need for total darkness time.

So… do you feel hungry all day?  Are you constantly snacking even though you just ate?  Odds are that you are tired.  Tired in the sense that you didn’t get enough darkness time, that is, time for your nervous system to rest.

Beyond sleep, the body needs darkness for the central nervous system to rest and rejuvenate.  You can read studies on this in Pubmed if you like.  The evidence is there.  Humans evolved under conditions of long stretches of darkness at night.

Late-night computer use, tv, cellphone use, etc., is a killer in my opinion.  Your system never gets to rest and you are constantly fatigued.  This will directly lead to constant hunger and overeating.

2) Eat to Hunger and Satiety

This part of the plan works much better if you follow #1.  If you get enough rest, you won’t be hungry all the time, and then you can learn to better regulate your food intake.

Eating to satiety is a skill that has probably been lost to some degree in modern life.  But it’s really pretty simple: as you are eating, occassionally ask yourself, “am I full”?   By this I mean are you physically feeling full.  If so, stop!  I’ve found that standing up for a second can give me a better sense of whether I’m full or not.

Next is eating to hunger.  It’s another simple question to ask yourself before you eat, “am I really hungry?”  If not, then don’t eat!  You can always wait a bit and see if you’re hungry then.

3) Let A Condensed Eating Window Naturally Develop

As a result of doing #1 and #2 above, I found myself naturally eating during a condensed window.  Generally, I eat between 10 am and 6 pm.  This isn’t an absolute rule, but on most days I end up eating within this 8-hour period.

I think each person should find an eating window that suits them.  For example, the former oldest man in the world ate breakfast and lunch but skipped dinner.  Martin over at LeanGains has had great results with people following a 12 pm – 8 pm eating window.  Herschel Walker eats only one meal a day – dinner.  So there is a lot of variation out there, and it depends on a person’s preferences and schedule.

4) Exercise Outside of the Eating Window

This item works in conjunction with #3 above.  While a person may lose weight with just a condensed eating window by itself, I feel a big key is to exercise outside of this eating window.  In other words, you are exercising during the fasting period instead of the fed period.

I feel that exercise for weight loss is most effective after the eating window.  In other words, taking a walk or run after dinner seems to be more beneficial than exercising right before you start eating.  This makes logical sense as you have a longer time post-workout to burn fat before you eat again.

5) Eat A Paleo/Whole Food Diet

I eat a Paleo diet, but I think any type of whole-food diet would work just as well if you’re focusing on weight loss.  Liquid calories are troublesome.  The body can’t fully compensate for calories in a liquid form, and thus, you end up consuming more calories than what “registers” with the body.

6) Lift Weights 1+ Times Per Week

Especially during weight loss, you want to focus on retaining lean mass.  This makes resistance training important.  It also provides some metabolic benefits that seem to keep the weight loss going.  Just one time per week is probably enough, though people can lift more often if they desire.

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In addition to the above, a person may want to engage in what I call “circuit-breakers”.  These are one-off things you can do to reset the body and get back on track.

 

Circuit-Breakers

1.  The Big Flop

One night, go to bed very early.  As in 2 or 3 hours earlier than usual.  If you’ve been neglecting darkness time, you will be amazed the benefit you can get from a 12-hour or more darkness/sleep session.

2.  The Double-Header

During the course of my experiments, I sometimes ended up with 2 “workouts” within the fasting period.  For example, I would stop eating at 6 pm for the day, and then maybe at 8 pm go for a long walk/run.  The next morning, before I ate, maybe I would cut the grass with a push mower or lift weights.  So now you have two separate movement sessions all during a fasting period.

In effect, you are training the body to operate (move/exercise) without an incoming supply of food.

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Does it work?  Yes, my results are here.

Any questions?  Feel free to comment.