Happy New Year!
I’m currently going through a 5 day PSMF largely for prospective metabolic modifications that creates a favorable “anti-cancer” environment (BIG air quotes around anti-cancer). I suspect the PSMF combined with time-restricted feeding results in the same changes in white blood cell count, insulin, and IGF-1 as a fasting-gimmicking diet that is (somewhat) en vogue. More on why in another post.
Anyway, since it has been my most popular post by far, here are some tips that I’ve found to make the PSMF even easier:
1. Time restrict your feeding
While this seems obvious, the fact is that if you’re only consuming 800-1000kcal, you’ll be better off eating them all in one sitting. The other night I had a giant bowl with 2 pounds of chicken, 1 pound of roasted broccoli, salsa, and kimchi. It took me 30 minutes to get through and I was thoroughly stuffed. Now it helps that I’ve had years of 6-8 hour feeding windows and now ~18 months of 4-6 hour feeding windows, but any reduction in the feeding window is going to improve your subjective experience on this plan.
2. Real food
Seriously. You can make a 200 gram protein shake that fills a 40 ounce cup. The same amount of chicken is 2 pounds. Which one will fill you up more?
3. Get some silpat mats & roast some veggies
I roast a pound of frozen broccoli until it’s almost black. The crunch and bulk is welcomed as above, and no added oil.
4. Optional: exogenous ketones
I’ve not had to use these yet, and it’s day 3 as I type this, but from the perspective of Seyfried’s Glucose-Ketone Index and the mental boost that comes with them, they may provide a valuable boost in the middle or the end of the PSMF, especially if you’re relatively lean (less than 15%).
5. Plan your refeed and “new normal” diet.
As mentioned in my original PSMF post, a refeed to the tune of 1.5 – 2 grams of carbohydrate per pound of lean mass is in order at the end of the fast. I’ll be doing a concentric-only workout before I start my refeed, which will consist of mostly sweet potatoes and some blueberries in 2 meals on the 6th day. By planning, you avoid the “eating everything in sight” effect that often accompanies completing exceptionally strict diets. But since we’re off the holiday leniency, going back to an ancestral eating pattern will be a welcome return, ESPECIALLY after a 5 day PSMF.
Skyler Tanner 
I don’t think you will get any anticancer effect or any autophagy, drop in IG-F1, etc. with that much protein. I’ve done 5 day water fasts before. Done during the work week. Staying busy helps. No strength or noticeably muscle loss. I now do weekly 40 to 48 hour water fasts. After experiencing 5 days, this is easy. Prior to these I was doing one meal a day (which I continue to do) so may be I developed a sort of preconditioning that made longer fasts easy. Hope you were pleased with your results.
L,
Thanks for your input; obviously I disagree with your conclusion, based on PSMF data in both youth and obese adults.
Further, when it comes to the insulin/ketone index that may provide cancer benefits, there is no doubt that I was in deep ketosis for an extended period of time.
However, the only way to know for sure for me is to have blood tests done before, after 5 days, and then 1 week after the end of the diet. I’ll be pursuing this later in the year.
Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve just come off the diet, lost 20lbs in 6week I was a cat 3 to cat 2. 17% bf now from 27%! Would tell anyone to do it. Defintely get your macros and calorie needs right though, I used the calculator on https://psmfdietlab.com/psmf-calculator/ eating roughly 132g P, 20g F and 20g C – I am now eating maintaneance ready for another round to get down to 12% hopefully!