Last Updated on December, 2024
Tim Ferris has been experimenting with fasting for years, primarily to find a cure for his Lyme disease and as he adores trying new things. He literally calls himself ‘the human guinea pig.’
Once, he did a 7-day water fast in a clinic, which was medically supervised. He lost 12 pounds as a result and noticed drastic changes in his skin issues and chronic joint pains. Also, he marked improvements in his Lyme disease. Yet, this water-fast method was extremely painful.
Having noticed that fasting indeed has some impacts on his Lyme disease, he decided to get into it in a less painful way. He has explained about his protocols in his book, Tools of Titans.
With that being said, let’s have a peek into Tim Ferriss 3 day fast method.
Quick Summary
Supplements Of Tim Ferris 3-Day Fast include BCAA (Branch-Chain Amino Acid), exogenous ketones, MCT oil, caffeine, and ketone test kits. Taking them helps maximize the effectiveness of the fasting protocol.
Tim’s 3-day fast has many benefits for the body, including immune system reboot, fat loss, neurogenesis, increase in focus, and a lower risk of Type II diabetes.
To maximize weight loss and fat loss, one should get into ketosis as quickly as possible by making sure they consume trace amounts of carbohydrates and moderate amounts of protein and Tim Ferriss’s 3-day fast is based on his own research and experiments, thus seek medical supervision before attempting it.
Table Of Contents
Tim Ferriss 3-Day Fasting Protocol
Tim Ferris follows a 3-day fasting protocol once per month. He usually selects a comfortable week, starts his fast on a Thursday, and ends it on Sunday night.
Remember, getting into a fast is more challenging than it seems. It is hard even for well-seasoned fasters.
Tim Ferriss’s 3-day fast is based on his research and experiments. Hence, make sure you seek medical supervision before getting into this protocol.
Overall To-Dos of Tim Ferriss 3 Day Fasting Protocol
It would be best to consume exogenous ketones once you wake up in the morning during the fast and two more times during the day at three to four intervals.
Consume moderate amounts of exogenous ketones on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This is important as you are moving into ketosis. They ‘fill the gap’ of food, especially carbs.
You can take fat (4 tablespoons) each day of fasting, like some tea or black coffee with coconut oil.
Tim Ferriss takes iced coffee with coconut cream in the afternoon. Also, sometimes, he treats himself to a packet of SeaSnax nori sheets. You can stop taking fat when the body transitions into deep ketosis. (1)
At the same time, sleep as late as possible on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as sleep also does some work for you.
Thursday
Your fast starts on Thursday night. Have a low-carb dinner at 6.00. on Thursday evening. This is the last meal before your fast, and after that, your fast begins.
Friday
On Friday morning, consume exogenous ketones as soon as you wake up. You can have some caffeine as well, but it is optional.
Tim Ferriss suggests you take a walk within 30 minutes of waking up. Walk for three to four hours. The goal is to use the liver and glycogen stores. This makes your body get into ketosis faster.
Bring salt-mixed water with you while you are walking. Water keeps you hydrated, and salt is to prevent headaches and cramping.
Schedule phone calls during the walk to avoid boredom. Podcasts and audiobooks are effective options as well. The walk accelerates the transition into ketosis.
Saturday
Saturday is the second day of your three-day fast. You are now in ketosis, thanks to your long walk the other day. Tim Ferriss checks his blood glucose on Saturday morning. He uses the brand Precision Xtra. It tests blood ketones.
The levels should be 0.7 mmol or greater. If your level is lower than 0.7 mmol, Tim suggests going for another walk. You have the option of using urine ketone test strips as well. But they are inaccurate.
Measuring your ketone levels is vital since it determines whether you are going in the right direction with fasting. Keep on doing your regular activities for the rest of Saturday.
Sunday
You can break your 3-day fasting on Sunday night. You can eat the dinner you prefer. What you are eating to break your fast does not matter since this is a 3-day fast. Ferriss explains that he had everything from salads to steak to burritos to break his fast Sunday night.
Fasting Tips of Tim Ferriss
The 3-day fast of Tim Ferriss is more challenging than it seems. We understand how difficult not eating for an entire day is. Tim explains some suggestions so that you can have an idea of how to spend your 3-day fast.
Following are the tips of Tim:
How to Stay in Ketosis After 3-Day Fast?
Staying in ketosis post-fast is also crucial for your body. After completing the 3-day fast, now your body is in deep ketosis.
If your goal is to lose weight, he suggests staying in ketosis for a while before returning to your regular meals.
The best way to stay in ketosis is to eat lots of pure fat, 1.5g to 2.5g per kg of body weight.
Consume trace amounts to no carbohydrates and moderate protein, 1 – 1.5g per kg of body weight.
Keep in mind that consuming low-fat and high-protein is not adequate
The reason is that the liver converts excess protein into glucose, making the state of ketosis go away. You should consume 70 – 80% of calories in the form of fat.
As a ketogenic diet, Tim says in his book Tools of Titans, “A chicken breast by itself will kick you out of ketosis, but a chicken breast cut up into a green leafy salad with a lot of olive oil, feta cheese, and some Bulletproof Coffee (for example) can keep you in ketosis.
So, eating a ketogenic diet is vital to staying in ketosis post-fast.
Benefits of Tim Ferriss’s 3-Day Fast Protocol
Following are the tips of Tim:
Tim Ferriss 3-Day Fast Supplements and Tools
Fasting is not 100% complete unless you take supplements. Tim aims to maximize the effectiveness of fasting through supplements and other fasting tools.
BCAA (Branch-Chain Amino Acid)
Tim suggests using the brand Scivation Xtend BCAAs. Take 1.5g once you wake up and 3g during the walk or workout. BCAA comes in handy with prolonged fasting as well.
Exogenous Ketones
Tim recommends taking exogenous ketones thrice daily at 3 to 4 intervals. He uses the brand KetoCaNa. It provides ketones directly as it is made of C8 caprylic acid. The body uses it to increase ketone levels.
MCT Oil
MCT oil is another form that you can consume calories during your fast. Tim recommends using the brand Brain Octane. Dr. D’Agostino uses a powdered MCT oil in the brand Quest Nutrition.
Caffeine
Caffeine makes the fasting journey easy. It is helpful to get through the day. Tim primarily takes iced coffee with coconut cream or coconut oil.
Ketone Test Kits
Ketone test kits are vital if you follow Ferriss’s 3-day fast to test blood glucose. Tim uses the brand Precision Xtra to test his blood ketones during the fast. Besides, this kit is helpful to measure your levels regarding longer fasts.
Further reading:
FAQs
Conclusion
Tim’s fasting protocol truly has an impact on losing weight and fat loss. Most people hesitate to try it as they need to learn how to do it properly.
But once done correctly, it has benefits like boosting the immune system, maximizing energy, and many more.
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