Can the ProLon(™) Fasting Mimicking Diet Make This Your Last Year for a Weight-Loss Resolution?

If you know me, you’re well aware of my strong drive to enhance my personal performance, whether physical or mental. I’m not as extreme as, say, Tim Ferriss, who’s famous for going to great lengths in the name of experimentation and optimization. But I admit to constantly researching longevity and increasing healthspan, and to investing in keeping my brain and body healthy: I’ll eagerly explore just about anything that evades decline.

My research often takes me in new and illuminating directions, revealing fresh perspectives and teaching me things I never knew before. When I first read about caloric restriction, I was somewhat skeptical: depriving my body of fuel sounded counterintuitive. But I learned that sustained caloric restriction is the only proven way to predictably extend human health and longevity. With these benefits in mind, I decided to try fasting for myself.

I know that some think fasting sounds too extreme, and others simply accept their body and mind aging. But when I share how this simple practice has changed my life, some of my friends respond with curiosity. They've heard that fasting can be highly beneficial, and were unaware of the water-only fast option. When I tell them how impactful a fast can be, many are intrigued. 

My first foray into fasting was intermittent fasting, or the 5:2 diet, which I followed for about a year. IF can be done in several ways: I chose to limit my eating to 500 calories a day for two days a week. I did lose weight, and hoped that longevity benefits were taking place inside my body, but ran into two challenges: 

• Migraines. I’d frequently experience a migraine on fasting days. I later learned that intermittent fasting can induce circadian rhythm and mood fluctuations, which was not good for a sensitive migraine brain like mine.
• Maintaining adherence. It was too easy to skip a fasting day for special events or dinners out, and impossible to follow the plan when I was traveling.

Despite those very real challenges, I persisted with my intermittent fasting experiment until I discovered that the 5:2 diet doesn’t provide the same measurable benefits as do longer fasts.  These benefits include lowering IGF-1 (which plays a crucial role in aging) and stressing the body enough to put it into the protective rejuvenation mode that optimizes metabolic health and decreases age-related health factors. Additionally, I learned that the refeeding stage of a longer fast—when you get to eat again—is when the real benefits kick in.

 I’d been reading about the benefits of prolonged fasting, and wanted them, but without the negative side effects, and I wasn’t sure what my options were. I dug deeper.

 I read about water-only fasts, but decided against them because they can be dangerous without medical supervision. And health risks aside, a water-only fast held no appeal. How would I function in my business and personal life if I wasn’t getting any nutrients for days? And, of course, there were the migraines to consider. Several days of not eating would most certainly bring them on.

Prolonged fasting felt out of reach for me.

Then I learned about Dr. Valter Longo and Prolon™.

Dr. Longo is a professor of gerontology and biological sciences at the University of Southern California. He is one of the world's foremost experts on prolonging lifespan and longevity. 

The health industry is inundated with experts touting the latest diet or health plan, but Dr. Longo’s reputation has stood the test of time. He has spent two decades researching the benefits of calorie restriction and fasting, and was nominated for a Nobel Prize for his work. Based on his research, Longo created ProLon, a patented five day fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) meal kit that tricks the body into thinking it is fasting, even though you’re still consuming 770–1100 calories of specially designed, low-calorie energy bars, energy drinks, vegetable-based soups, and supplements.

When I researched Prolon™, I found it required no meal prep: five days of meals are included in the box. This convenience felt very freeing: no planning, shopping, cooking, or even thinking about what I was going to eat (or, in this case, not eat). The food is low carb and plant-based, with no sugar or additives and it also isn’t laden with chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients, so I could feel good about what I was putting into my body.

The program sounded doable, but I wondered whether ProLon would stress my body enough to stimulate the protectionist and rejuvenation mode. Intermittent fasting had fallen short for me, and expecting results while snacking for five days sounded too good to be true. As it turns out, ProLon is the only prolonged fasting-mimicking diet proven to evoke the desired response.

As covered by StatNews.com, “Dr. Longo believes fasting gives cells a break to rest, renew, rebuild themselves and, essentially, take out the trash as the body shifts from storing fat to burning it. They can’t do that when the body is constantly ingesting food, stockpiling excess calories, and pushing cells and organs to exhaustion.” (McFarling, Usha Lee, StatNews.com, June 13, 2017) I was further impressed by the list of additional benefits: decreased weight and body fat, stem cell regeneration, preservation of bone density, and cell renewal.

I was in. I ordered the recommended three cycles (kits) to be completed over four months, and when my first kit arrived, I was actually excited to begin.

My first ProLon five-day cycle was difficult. Ask my family, and they'll tell you I was . . . unpleasant. Evenings were the hardest, especially when everyone else at the table was eating a normal meal. I searched for tips, support, and anything else I could find from those who had completed a ProLon fast. I found plenty, and their stories were my lifeline and strength.

Headaches are a frequent problem during an FMD fast experience. They’re usually caused by caffeine withdrawal, but I don’t drink caffeine because it triggers my migraines so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. 

Unfortunately, I got a migraine on Day Two of my first Prolon five-day fast.  It was a rough start, and not being able to eat comfort food after a migraine meant I had to marshall some serious willpower to continue. 

 ProLon’s information indicates that on Day Three, the fast gets more comfortable as your body adjusts to burning fat rather than sugars. I did experience a shift on the third day—eating far less than usual wasn’t a challenge, and I had no hunger pains. I also noticed increased energy from Day Three onward, and I retained that increased stamina for nearly a week after completing the fast. 

The second and third cycles were, thankfully, much more comfortable, as my body seemed to have learned what to expect. No crankiness—or, at least, not as much—and I stayed migraine-free. 

I can’t be sure the internal health benefits of Prolon promises occurred: it would be hard to quantity my body reprogramming itself, a kickstart to my immune system, the creation of new stem cells, or a clearing out of damaged cells (autophagy). However, I trust the research Longo has done and the verification of these and other benefits they’ve proven through their research. But I felt better, and that is compelling. The physical benefit was apparent right away. I lost four and a half pounds (most visible in my abdomen, which hopefully included some dangerous visceral fat) during the first cycle, and with each additional cycle, I lost another four pounds for a total of around twelve pounds. There was no bounce back either. I maintained this weight loss for several months after the last five-day cycle and lost four more pounds between cycles.

 But the best was yet to come.

 ProLon changed my relationship with food.

It helped me distinguish between emotional/habit-based eating and eating because I’m hungry. I’d already been a reasonably healthy eater, but since ProLon my cravings are for nutrient-dense foods that contribute to my vitality and health. I no longer like how fake food—anything devoid of nutritional value—tastes. 

 On Day Six of each cycle, you transition to soft foods, smoothies, and soups, and then on Day Seven you go back to your normal diet. I was excited about having my first real meal, and throughout the week I took great pleasure in fantasizing about what it would be.

 But to my surprise, by the time Day Seven rolled around, everything had changed. I ate less, not out of deprivation but because I honestly didn’t want more. I was also more mindful of the food I put into my mouth than I’d been before. I survived five days without any sugar or any of my favorite comfort foods. Did I really need two tablespoons of brown sugar in my coffee, or half-and-half? Did I need an alcoholic drink after a long day?

The answer had become no.

I still enjoy black licorice—my favorite treat—or a cocktail every once in a while, but I don’t crave them anymore. Nor are they the first things I reach for when I’ve had a rough day or need comfort. Perhaps this new mindful eating was a result of the choco crisp bar included on several nights of the five-day cycle. It was my last piece of food for the day, and I postponed eating it until as late as possible. I treated eating this bar as if it was a ceremony: I brewed a cup of the herbal tea included in the kit and savored each bite. 

It has been six months since my last ProLon fast, and I’m still eating less by choice, without feeling like I’m dieting or deprived. But the more substantial outcome of completing a ProLon fast came at the cognitive level.

Weight loss and newly mindful eating aside, I feel as though I’ve had a software update. I think more clearly and for more extended periods of time, with less need for distraction. Ideas and concepts are easier to grasp and actualize. 

For those of us who are always working toward creating new opportunities for ourselves and others, maintaining and increasing mental agility as long as possible is paramount, no matter our age. If ProLon offered no benefit beyond this cognitive “upgrade,” I would still complete three to four cycles each year.

Each time I complete a ProLon FMD fast, I’m proud of myself: it gives me a tremendous sense of accomplishment. I’ve carried this win into other areas of my life, as if I can accomplish a five-day FMD kit, I can definitely workout every day. I can write every day. My willpower muscle is stronger—and I like how that feels. 

I am driven to build something of consequence and create a dent in the universe, and that goal requires energy, sharpness, longevity, and vitality. Dr. Longo’s Fasting Mimicking Diet kit is a breakthrough product and my powerful new ally in that mission. 

My Tips for a Successful ProLon Fast:

• This might seem obvious, but don’t set yourself up for failure by attempting a ProLon fast over a holiday or when you’re traveling or have social events scheduled. 
• If you drink caffeine, ProLon advises you to gradually reduce your intake a few days before starting the five-day program (though you can drink one cup of black, caffeinated coffee during the fast). 
• The ProLon kit includes four different herbal teas, but I found other herbal, decaffeinated teas that tasted good to me.

• Skip fasting during the hot summer months. When the temperature outside soars over one-hundred degrees, the notion of hot soup for lunch and dinner will not be appealing.

• Get plenty of sleep. Fatigue wears down your resolve.

• If you usually cook for your family, make other arrangements for them or pre-cook and freeze their meals so you aren’t preparing tempting meals that you can’t eat. 
• If weight loss is part of your goal, weigh yourself on the morning of Day One and then again on Day Five, but not in between. You might not have weight loss each day, so why let yourself feel discouraged?
• Consider doing blood testing before and after ProLon to measure results such as reductions in 1GF (insulin-like growth factor, which is linked to various types of cancer), cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), and body fat.