Movement in the method: the third pillar, not the main one

An hour of running burns 500-600 kcal—the same as one sandwich with a latte. Competing with food through movement is pointless, and nobody does that in the method: weight is regulated by the plate and the window, not by “working it off.” This removes fitness’s main trap—working out so you “can eat,” then overeating after a workout.

But there is something food cannot do. Without exercise, the body loses muscle—by various estimates, 3-8% per decade after thirty, and when losing weight without strength training, some of the weight lost is also muscle. Harvard Health explicitly writes: intermittent fasting requires strength training and sufficient protein, otherwise not only fat is lost. Muscles mean good posture, a back without pain, metabolism that does not slow down, and a body that looks toned, not simply “smaller.” How this works overall—in the description of the method.

The benchmark on which the method is based aligns with WHO recommendations: about 150 minutes of moderate activity per week plus strength training for the major muscle groups twice a week. In practical terms, that means 2-4 workouts of 20-45 minutes at home and walking on the other days. More is possible, but it is not necessary for results; less — and your muscles will not grow.

Programs based on the method are tailored to the location — home, gym, outdoors — to a workout duration of 20 to 60 minutes and to one to six days per week. The home program is designed for a mat and a chair: dumbbells and a gym are not required. What you can do on an empty stomach, what to do after eating, and how not to lose muscle during a fasting window — in the article fasting and training.

Not with workouts. During the first two weeks on the method, focus on food and salt: the body switches to fat for fuel, and adding a training load at this point means doubling the fatigue. Walking — yes, from the first day. Strength training — from the third week, when your energy levels stabilize. Why this is so and what happens week by week — the first month on the method.

After that, 20 minutes twice a week, at home, using your own body weight: squats to a chair, push-ups against a wall or table, a plank, towel rows, and a glute bridge. After three to four weeks, increase to 30 minutes and three times a week. The beginner's program is structured exactly this way: posture, back, and core during the first weeks, followed by strength. The main criterion is that the workout should not “kill” you: you should have more energy afterward, not less.

First — protein. Someone who trains needs the upper end of the guideline from the method: 100-130 g of protein-rich food per meal, 300-400 g of meat, fish or eggs per day. Protein after training — within 2-3 hours, not in a “30-minute window”: that is an outdated notion. How much and how to distribute it — protein on a low-carb diet.

Second — do not eat “for the workout”. Neither a bar beforehand nor a “well-deserved” dessert afterward. A workout does not open a window or cancel the plate. If you feel hungry after the session — have a regular meal according to the plate rule, just earlier. Salt before the workout and mineral water afterward are essential: sodium is lost through sweat, and dizziness during a workout is almost always due to it. More details — salt, water and electrolytes.