10/05/2026
October Fast Training Week ANNOUCEMENT!!
Why Alternate Day Fasting?
ADF is not simply about eating less every day. It’s about creating a repeated rhythm of fasting and nourishment that gives insulin enough time to fall and allows the body to practice switching between its two major fuel sources: glucose and stored fat.
Think of it as metabolic switch training.
When we eat frequently throughout the day, insulin is repeatedly stimulated. That doesn’t mean insulin is “bad,” but it can mean we spend more time in a fed, storage-focused state and less time accessing stored fat for energy.
With ADF, we intentionally create longer fasting periods followed by dedicated feeding days. The goal is not chronic restriction. The goal is to experience the benefits of fasting while still giving the body enough opportunity to eat protein, micronutrients, healthy fats, fiber, and other foods needed to support muscle, hormones, recovery, and overall health.
That’s one reason I like ADF compared with approaches such as OMAD. Eating only once a day can make it difficult for some people to consistently meet their protein and nutrient needs. ADF gives us fasting time and nourishment time.
What happens during the fast?
The timing is different for everyone, especially depending on insulin sensitivity, activity, food choices, and metabolic health, but generally:
0–12 hours:
Your body is primarily using energy from your most recent meals and stored glycogen.
12–24+ hours:
Insulin continues to decrease, glycogen stores begin declining, and the body gradually increases its use of stored fat and ketones for energy.
As that fasting window extends, several processes may increase:
• Ketone production, which can provide an alternative fuel source for the brain and body
• Fat oxidation, meaning greater use of stored fat for energy
• Cellular maintenance pathways, including processes associated with autophagy
• Hormonal adaptations that help the body maintain access to stored energy during periods without
This is why fasting is more than simply eating fewer calories. It creates a very different metabolic environment than eating smaller portions all day.
Why alternate the days?
Our bodies are incredibly good at adapting.
If we follow exactly the same eating and fasting pattern every single day, the body can become accustomed to that routine. ADF changes the stimulus by alternating a longer fasting period with a nourishing eating day.
So instead of:
restrict → restrict → restrict
we use:
fast → nourish → fast → nourish
That rhythm gives you the opportunity to practice the metabolic switch repeatedly while still prioritizing enough food and protein on your eating days.
What about 16:8, 5:2 and OMAD?
Each fasting style can be useful, but they serve different purposes.
16:8 / Time-Restricted Eating:
A great everyday strategy for many people, but depending on the individual, an eight-hour eating window may not always create enough fasting time to produce the same metabolic response as a longer fast.
5:2:
Typically involves five regular eating days and two fasting or very-low-calorie days each week. It can be effective, but the fasting pattern is different from the repeated every-other-day rhythm of ADF.
OMAD:
Provides a long daily fasting window, but fitting enough protein, calories, fiber, vitamins, and minerals into one meal can be challenging, particularly when maintaining or building muscle is a priority.
ADF:
Combines longer fasting periods with full nourishment days, giving us the opportunity to pursue some of the metabolic benefits of fasting without asking the body to live in continuous calorie restriction.
ADF vs. constant calorie restriction
This is an important distinction.
Traditional calorie restriction focuses primarily on how much you eat.
ADF also changes when you eat.
Both approaches can reduce calorie intake and support weight loss, but fasting creates periods when insulin is lower and the body has greater access to stored energy.
And unlike continuous dieting, your eating days during ADF are an opportunity to intentionally replenish and rebuild.
Protein.
Plants.
Healthy fats.
Minerals.
Fiber.
Fermented and gut-supporting foods.
We’re not trying to see how little food we can survive on.
We’re teaching the body when to burn and when to build.
And this is especially important as we age
Hormone therapy can be incredibly helpful for women who need it, but HRT is not automatically a body-fat-loss strategy. Changes in body composition during perimenopause and menopause are influenced by many factors, including insulin sensitivity, sleep, stress, activity, muscle mass, nutrition, and hormone changes.
That’s where fasting can become another tool in the toolbox.
Strength training protects muscle.
Protein helps rebuild it.
Nourishing foods give the body what it needs.
And strategic fasting gives the body periods when it can practice accessing stored energy.
The BIG idea for Fast Training Week
I don't want you thinking:
“How little can I eat?”
I want you thinking:
“How well can I teach my body to switch?”
🍎 Fed state: use glucose, nourish, repair and build.
🔥 Fasted state: lower insulin, access stored energy and increase fat use.
That ability to move back and forth between the two is what we mean by metabolic flexibility.
And THAT is what we are training during Alternate Day Fasting Week.
Fast. Nourish. Switch. Repeat. 🔥
Pick your week. Sign up. Set up a chat with me.
Registration: https://transfromwithtracie.mypthub.net/p/226963
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36349432/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40598397/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32777443/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12250775/
https://youtu.be/YyhkWIXdEf8?si=_QHnjojwZLJxFtG6
