Fasting is an ancient ritual that provides diverse health benefits. Those benefits include weight loss. That’s why, in the last decade, intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular. This method can even enhance weight loss achieved with popular medications, such as Ozempic weight loss. Its rate of success is high when following fasting methods correctly. But fasting can be particularly challenging for some people. Thankfully, there is another method you can use to trick your body into a fasting state: fasting mimicking diet. With good fasting mimicking diet recipes, you can obtain the same results as when fasting.

Overeating or constantly consuming processed food, sugars, and more proteins than needed is a surefire way to slow down your metabolism and potentially develop health issues. The Fast Mimicking Diet (FMD) could help you lose weight, but more importantly, it’s there to help you feel better in your body. It’s also known as a 5-day low-calorie meal plan, which aims to trick your body practically into thinking it is experiencing a full fast while you’re still eating certain foods.

Generally speaking, fasting is also used to complement other weight loss solutions, such as HCG and ketosis, since it can speed up the fat-burning process. We highly advise you to take our quick quiz to explore weight loss solutions and receive personalized recommendations from our professional team.

If you want to know more and learn some interesting Fasting Mimicking Diet Recipes, continue reading.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Fasting represents just one of the utterly usual parts of our lives. It’s been a practice for many centuries as part of certain religious rituals and traditions. Nowadays, the meaning of fasting has transformed, aiming it at a different goal; people use it to enhance their weight loss. There are many different types of fasting methods, intermittent fasting being the most popular of all.

But what is intermittent fasting? Essentially, this method involves an eating pattern in which you designate certain hours or days with no food intake or a highly reduced calorie consumption. While some fasting methods are very restrictive, you don’t have to worry about your body not absorbing nutrients. Unlike fad diets, professional, fast meal plans ensure your body gets all the essential nutrients it needs to function. The objective behind intermittent fasting is that by reducing our average daily food intake, our bodies more efficiently and quickly burn our fat stores. Glucose from carbohydrates is our main source of energy; when you reduce your food intake, your body starts using fat as fuel. During times of food deprivation, our bodies’ ability to store fat is also reduced.

Some well-known intermittent fasting methods include the 5:2 method and the 16/8 fasting. All methods bring incredible health benefits. For example, as we grow older, losing weight becomes more of an uphill battle; intermittent fasting for women over 50 is a great way to lose weight more efficiently and beat the challenges that come with aging.

What is a Fasting Mimicking Diet?

Now that you know what fasting is, we can move on to explaining fasting mimicking diets. In the past years, intermittent fasting has become the most popular diet in the U.S. However, many people find fasting methods too challenging for them; and for others, fasting is not a healthy option. Besides that, fasting comes with a set of side effects that not every individual can or is willing to tolerate.

That is why Dr. Valter Longo from the University of Southern California came up with a new meal plan that today is known as the fasting mimicking diet. This new method also delivers tons of health and weight loss benefits, such as keeping weight off after Wegovy or Ozempic.

When fasting, our metabolism switches from using glucose from the food we eat to ketones from our bodies’ fat reserves. When following the fasting mimicking diet, we trick our metabolism into a fasting state so it can do that switch. It can be difficult to fast long enough to obtain the fasting benefits by hour that prolonged fasting provides. But a fasting mimicking meal plan offers an easier path to garner all the advantages of a full fasting method.

How Does FMD Work?

You are probably asking what the point of FMD is. Well, the whole concept looks like this:

• You have to eat 0.36 grams of protein per kg of body weight every day, mainly derived from plant-based food and fish. You’ll also need to use an omega-3 supplement and multivitamin twice a week.
• Day 1: Your total calorie intake should be 1100. Keep in mind that 500 calories need to be from complex carbohydrates(tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, etc.). The other 500 calories should be healthy fats(nuts, olive oil, avocado) and 25 grams of plant-based protein(primarily nuts).
• Day 2-5: 800 calories total, composed of 400 calories of complex carbohydrates and 400 from healthy fats.
  • Eat less than 30 grams of sugar on day one and less than 20 grams on days 2-5.
  • If you need it, include an insulin powder supplement that increases the feeling of satiation.
  • Stay well-hydrated – aim for a minimum of two or three liters of water per day. Here is our advice: Try to avoid vigorous exercises and heavy lifting, and leave your body enough energy to create stem cells.
• Day 6 is called transition day. That’s the final part of FMD. You should take in plenty of complex carbs without calorie restrictions but still keep meat, eggs, and dairy products to a minimum.

Are Fasting Mimicking Diets Safe?

Yes, fasting mimicking diets are safe for most individuals. Nevertheless, it is crucial you talk with your healthcare provider before starting any new meal plan, especially if you have a medical condition or are taking medications. At a weight loss clinic in Chicago, physicians will check your particular situation and unique goals before determining if the FMD is the right choice for you.

According to ProLon Fast Mimicking Diet guidelines – the most popular and scientifically backed FMD method – you should not follow the diet if you:

• Are breastfeeding or pregnant
• Have an eating disorder
• Are allergic to nuts, oats, soy, sesame, or celery
• Are under 18
• Are over 70 (unless you follow the diet with the guidance of a healthcare professional)

FMDs include mostly plant-based ingredients. If any of the foods in the program cause you allergies, quit the diet right away. Ask your nutritionist if you can replace that ingredient with anything else.

3 top health benefits of FMD

While most peoples search for fasting mimicking diet recipes to lose weight, this method brings along many more health benefits. Take a look at how you can improve your overall health with the FMD:

Promotes weight loss

According to studies, people who followed the FMD for three months showed significant positive changes in their weight. Most participants lost about 6 pounds and experienced greater belly fat loss compared to other meal plans. Combining a medical weight loss program, such as Phentermine for weight loss, is the best way to achieve substantial results.

May reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels

The same study conducted by Dr. Longo observed that patients following the FMD experienced a drop in their blood sugar and cholesterol levels. In those with high cholesterol, it was reduced by 20 mg/d; high glucose levels in participants dropped until reaching normal levels.

Helps preserve lean muscle

When embarking on a weight loss journey, many people are worried about losing muscle mass. That’s why many people resort to Lipo C injections, since besides promoting weight loss, they also preserve lean body mass. In the same way, a proper fasting mimicking diet helps burn belly fat while preserving muscle mass.

Fasting Mimicking Diet Recipes

When it comes to food preparation, opinions are divided. If you want to save your time or don’t want to cook, the best choice is to buy some pre-made meals. It’s not the cheapest solution, but you really don’t need to think about your meals if you’re buying rather than making them.

On the other hand, if you want to prepare your food, you’ll definitely love the recipes that go well with MDR diet plans which we’ve included below.

It’s pretty tough to be exact with your calorie count, so there is a high chance that you’ll be a little above or a little below the exact 1100 or 800 calories a day. The solution could be using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients so you can calculate your calorie intake.

Here comes the thrilling part for those who want to experiment with preparing their food- these are five quick and easy Fasting Mimicking Diet Recipes:

• Summer Vegetable Salad with Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz fresh tomatoes
• 6 oz fresh cucumber
• 2 oz avocado
• 3 oz spinach
• 4 oz green beans
• 3-4 oz rice cake
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Cook green beans or green vegetables (broccoli, for example). Toss in with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and spinach, and add some olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add vinegar and fresh herbs to taste. Served best with rice cakes.

• Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Rice Cakes

Ingredients:

• 5 oz of spinach
• 6 oz of strawberries
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 oz rice cakes
• Salt
• Pepper
• ½ oz of pecans

Gather up some spinach, strawberries, and nuts with olive oil. Add some salt and pepper, and serve with rice cakes.

• Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts

Ingredients:

• ½ C rolled oats
• ½ C raspberries/ blueberries/ blackberries
• 5 oz walnuts
• 8 oz unsweetened coconut milk*

Cook the oats in 1 cup of water. Add coconut milk, nuts, and berries. If need be, one small apple can be a replacement for the berries – just be careful because an apple is much more calorie-packed, so it’s a risky replacement.

*The Coconut milk you use should contain only 60 calories per cup.

• Ginger Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 11 oz of carrots
• 1 oz of onions
• ½ oz of almonds
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 7 oz unsweetened coconut milk*
• 8 oz of vegetable stock or water
• Grated ginger
• Pressed garlic
• Coriander seeds
• Salt
• Pepper

Quickly fry onions, garlic, ginger, almonds, and coriander in olive oil. Add chopped carrots and water with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, then blend, return it to the pot, and swirl with the unsweetened coconut milk.

*Pay attention to the calorie level on the coconut milk packaging. Use low-fat milk with 60 calories per cup.

• Apple- Almond Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 oz apple
• 8 oz lettuce
• 5 oz cucumber
• 1 oz almonds
• 1 tsp salad oil
• Vinegar, salt, and pepper

Toss salad with oil and vinegar and add some spices, salt, and pepper to taste.

How Often Should You Do the FMD?

It’s necessary to consult your healthcare provider before starting FMD, but here is what different frequencies of dieting can be used for:

• Once a month – for overweight patients with risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer.
• Once every three months – for those who have a healthy weight but are at risk for certain cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
• Once every six months for healthy-weight patients with an ideal diet plan who engage in plenty of physical activity.

Final thoughts

Losing weight stops being a difficult challenge when you have the right method for you. Fasting mimicking diet recipes will make your journey easier and help you lose weight more efficiently. When following a medical weight loss treatment, the recipes from this article can boost your efforts. All medical programs need to be paired with a proper diet; have you ever wondered: Why am I not losing weight on Ozempic? Probably because you need to change your nutritional habits.

We are a specially trained team of professionals who can help you lose weight and feel confident in your body again. We can offer you weight loss services, unique diet plans, and consultations with doctors. If you need more information, schedule a call with us – we are here for you.