This is my third time doing the fast-mimicking diet. This post provides basic info about the fast-mimicking diet and one of my DIY fast-mimicking diet meal plans. Moreover, I explain how you can access my Fasting Mimicking Diet Meal Plans PDFs to lose weight and keep it off.
What is the Fasting Mimicking Diet?
The fasting mimicking was created by Dr. Valter Longo, Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. He has been researching extensively the effect of fasting on longevity.
The fasting-mimicking diet is a 5-day fast that allows you to consume 40-50% of your regular calorie intake and still get the anti-aging benefits of fasting. On day one, you eat about 1090 calories, while on days 2-5, you eat around 800 calories. You need to follow a specific macronutrient ratio as outlined in my post The Fasting Mimicking Diet: The Benefits of Fasting Without Giving Up Food.
Fasting Mimicking Diet Soup Meal Plan PDF
By the way, I created a private Facebook community where you can access the following:
- Fasting Mimicking Diet Soup Meal Plan PDF and Recipes
- Preparatory Video
- Prep Day Checklist
- 7 Tips to Deal With Hunger
- Ongoing support and community
The best part is that you can receive free access to this Facebook community through my Intermittent Fasting Program (keep reading to learn more about the program).
Fasting Mimicking Diet Benefits
The amazing advantage of the fasting-mimicking diet is that you get all the benefits of fasting, yet you get to eat. Here are the benefits you can reap from the fasting-mimicking diet:
- Cell regeneration and anti-aging
- Improved gut health
- Better mental health and cognitive function
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved metabolic function
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of fasting-mimicking and the research to support them, I suggest you read my post The Fasting Mimicking Diet: The Benefits of Fasting Without Giving Up Food.
Intermittent Fasting Transformation Program
Let me share more about my 30-Day Intermittent Fasting Transformation program. I created the program to provide an easy-to-follow step-by-step protocol that will enable you to reach your health and weight loss goals using a combination of fasting-mimicking and intermittent fasting.
Extra Support and Resources
My 30-Day Intermittent Fasting Transformation includes a Fasting Mimicking Diet Recipe Book, a Fasting Mimicking Diet meal plan PDF, a Macro/Calorie Tracking Spreadsheet, getting started checklists, and more.
Plus, you will receive free access to my Private Modified Fasting Community.
How Often Should You Do the Fasting Mimicking Diet?
To reap all the benefits of the fasting-mimicking diet (FMD), it’s a good idea to do it at the very least once every three months. Some clinical trials were done on subjects that fasted for five days every three months. Other studies required the subjects to fast for five days twice a month. Remember, we are talking about a fast that allows the subjects to eat 40% of their regular calorie intake, so nobody goes completely without food ten days a month. Doing the fast once a month is a good middle-ground for me. You pick what works for you.
Do It Yourself Version of the Fasting Mimicking Diet
You can implement the FMD by purchasing a kit. This is what Dr. Valter Longo recommends you do to ensure you consume all the proper macros and nutrients. Or you can DIY the fast by recreating the macros with whole foods. If you are doing it yourself, there are a few things you need to know:
- On day 1, you will eat 1090 calories or 4.5 to 7 calories per pound of body weight. The macronutrient ratio on day one will be as follows: 10% protein, 34% carbs, and 56% fat.
- On days 2-5, you will consume around 800 calories or 3-5 calories per pound of body weight. Your macros will be 9% protein, 47% carbs, and 44% fat.
- All your meals need to be plant-based.
You will find that it’s hard to get the exact ratios when you DIY the fasting-mimicking diet. Just do the best you can.
Tools to Use for Your DIY Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan
Your DIY fasting-mimicking diet plan doesn’t have to be complicated. You can have two avocados and a green drink, and that’s it! Or you can have fun and play with your favorite vegan foods and recipes. Here are some tools that you can use:
- My Fitness Pal or Cronometer: These tools will allow you to calculate calories and macros. I prefer using My Fitness Pal even though it isn’t as accurate as Cronometer. My Fitness Pal has more food options that you can select, so it’s less work to enter your data.
- Reddit FMD: Reddit has a whole board about the fasting-mimicking diet, including some recipes.
- FMD Log: You can use this tool to enter your foods. It will tell you what percentage of your macros you have remaining to comply with the FMD guidelines.
My DIY Fasting Mimicking Diet Meal Plan
The first time I did a DIY fasting mimicking diet, I ate simple foods like avocado, a green drink, broccoli, squash, and olives. The second time, I followed some recipes from the FMD Reddit board. Now, I am preparing to do a combination of both. I enjoyed the recipes; they were delicious and satisfying. Still, I also enjoy the simplicity of eating an avocado and a green superfood drink (read about the Top 11 Benefits of Green Superfood Powders).
Meal Plan
Here’s what my 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet will look like:
DAY 1
Breakfast:
- Green Spectrum Powder
- Coffee with 1/4 cup of coconut milk and 1 tsp of honey
- Green Power Shake (my green drink)
Lunch:
- 1 avocado with salt and pepper
Dinner:
- Almond Apple Salad ( 2 cups chopped apples, 3 cups shredded lettuce, 1 cup diced cucumber, 1 tablespoon flax oil, 1/4 cup chopped almonds, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste). Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Macros: 1028 calories (55% fat, 37% carbohydrates, 8% protein)
DAY 2
Breakfast:
- Green Spectrum powder
- Coco Hydrate (for electrolytes)
- Morning coffee
Lunch:
- Green Power Shake
Dinner:
- Hearty Cabbage Slaw ( 1 medium avocado, 1 medium chopped apple, 2 cups shredded red cabbage, 1 cup shredded carrots, 2 tsp olive oil, and some lemon juice if desired). Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Macros: 798 calories (49% fat, 43% carbohydrates, 8% protein)
DAY 3
Breakfast:
- Green Spectrum powder
- Coco Hydrate
- Morning coffee
Lunch:
- Green Power Shake
Dinner:
- Indian Potatoes and Cauliflower ( 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, 4 cups chopped cauliflower, 2 cups chopped potatoes, 1 tsp chopped raw cashew, ginger, curry powder, garlic, and salt to taste). Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan, add the potatoes and cook until soft. You may need to add some water so the potatoes don’t stick to the bottom of your saucepan. Add the seasoning and the cauliflower and cook until the cauliflower has reached the desired softness.
Macros: 796 calories (43% fat, 44% carbohydrates, 13% protein)
DAY 4
Breakfast:
- Green Spectrum powder
- Coco Hydrate
- Morning coffee
Lunch:
- Green Power Shake
Dinner:
- 1 cup chopped sweet potatoes
- 5 cups chopped broccoli
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- salt and other seasonings to taste
Mix the sweet potatoes and the broccoli with the coconut oil on separate baking sheets. Bake at 425F until the veggies are cooked the way you like them (the sweet potatoes will take longer, that’s why you are using separate sheets).
Macros: 819 calories (48% fat, 40% carbohydrates, 12% protein)
DAY 5
Breakfast:
- Green Spectrum powder
- Coco Hydrate
- Morning coffee
Lunch:
- Green Power Shake
Dinner:
- Coconut Curry ( 1/4 cup chopped red onion, one large red bell pepper, 1 cup peeled and chopped butternut squash, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 3 cups chopped broccoli, 1/4 cup tempeh, 1 cup canned coconut milk, curry powder, and salt to taste). Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan, and add the bell pepper, onion, and butternut squash. Cook until the butternut squash is soft. Add the coconut milk, the seasonings, and the broccoli. Cook further until the broccoli is bright green.
Macros: 804 calories (44=6% fat, 39% carbohydrates, 15% protein)
Grocery Shopping List
- Green superfood powder
- 2 avocados
- 3 medium apples
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
- 1 red cabbage
- 2 large carrots
- 1 sweet potato
- 2 potatoes
- raw cashews
- 4 cups cauliflower
- 8 cups broccoli
- 1 red pepper
- 1 cup of peeled and chopped butternut squash
- 1 package of tempeh
- fresh garlic and ginger
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 1 onion
- curry powder (gluten-free)
- flax oil
- olive oil
- coconut oil
- salt and pepper
- lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Fasting Mimicking Diet Results
Over the last few months, I have been using various fasting-mimicking diet meal plans to decrease inflammation and lose weight I did not regain. I lost more weight than that in total but gained some back. I lost my belly fat and have found more food freedom. Read more about my experience in I Went On My DIY Version of the Fasting Mimicking Diet and Here’s What Happened. Fasting does get easier with practice! However, you will not need to do the fasting-mimicking diet more than 2 or 3 times if you practice intermittent fasting. I use the fasting mimicking diet to spread the healing process and become metabolically flexible before starting intermittent fasting.
Products I Used
If you would like to use the same superfood green powders and electrolyte drink I used, here’s some information about the products.
Green Spectrum
Green Spectrum contains sea plants, juiced field grasses, and garden vegetables. It’s a source of chlorophyll and phytonutrients that promote gut health. It is included in my Top 5 Most Effective Supplements for Gut Health.
Coco Hydrate
Coco Hydrate works well for fasting mimicking because it is loaded with electrolytes and antioxidants. I have never had the keto flu while using this product, but I usually get it otherwise.
Power Shake
Having a green drink as part of a DIY fasting-mimicking diet meal plan is pretty common. No wonder why! It is an excellent way to boost your nutrient intake without consuming too many calories. Moreover, it is quick and convenient. My Power Shake has become a product I never go without, including when I am not doing the fasting-mimicking diet. This shake is the equivalent of 6 organic salads. It includes fiber and greens that are filling and sustaining. Bonus: I love the taste!=
In Summary
This fasting-mimicking diet meal plan and its variations have helped me improve my health, increase my longevity and lose weight without obsessing over food. It has allowed me to reach my health goals even though I enjoy some of the foods that I might not normally be able to have.
My health had reached a point where if it weren’t for the fasting-mimicking diet, I would have to severely restrict my calories (less than 1400 calories a day) and avoid all potentially inflammatory foods (eggs, all grains, nuts, and seeds for example) to feel good. However, I have been able to consume these foods in moderation while still feeling amazing and losing weight. The fasting-mimicking diet naturally reduces inflammation, giving me more flexibility. What do you think? Could the fasting-mimicking diet be right for you? Consider joining my private fasting Facebook community to access my fasting-mimicking meal plan PDFs and see for yourself!
