I Lost 5lbs of Fat on the Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan
•October 13, 2019•21 MinutesI first heard about the Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan (FMD) on Kevin Rose’s podcast. He spoke about how his buddy, Mike Maser, CEO of the Zero Fasting App, was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgins Lymphoma cancer. (Source)
Maser came across research by an Italian doctor at the University of Southern California, Dr Valter Longo, that purported that fasting could make chemotherapy more effective with less side effects. He then began the practice of fasting for five days before chemotherapy and believes that it contributed to him being cancer free after just two of his six scheduled rounds of chemotherapy.
The 5-day fast had prepped the bad cancer cells to die, while strengthening the good cells to survive after the chemotherapy.
What is the Fasting Mimicking Diet?
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a 5 day low calorie diet designed to mimic the effects and generate the benefits of a water-only fast.
Scientifically developed and clinically tested by Dr Valter Longo at the University of Southern California, the FMD is meant to exploit the ability of the body during periods of low calorie intake to enter a protected mode, remove damaged cells and tissues, and undergo self-repair.
Significant benefits were found in yeast and mice during clinical trials:
- Reduce cancer incidence
- Prevent bone mineral loss
- Promote neurogenesis
- Stimulate stem cell production
- Protect against chemotoxicity
- Regenerate beta cells in models of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
- Remyelinate neuron sheaths in models of Multiple Sclerosis
- Reduced visceral fat stores, which are associated with chronic disease
As for humans, clinical trials have showed reductions in biomarkers for chronic disease after three cycles of FMD:
- Lower cholesterol
- Lower high blood pressure
- Lower levels of C-reactive protein (inflammation marker)
- Lower IGF-1 hormone (which fuels the mTOR pro-aging pathway)
- Reduced visceral fat stores
- Reduced gut inflammation and stimulated growth of protective gut microbiome (Source)
A recent study in 2023 also showed significant improvement in skin hydration and texture, reduction of skin roughness, and dry fine lines after three cycles of Prolon. (Source)
What is the Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan?
The Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan is a 5 day plant-based meal programme developed by Dr Longo. It is a plant-based 5 day meal plan providing 1,150 calories on Day 1 and approximately 800 calories on Day 2-5.
What is in the Prolon diet?
The Prolon diet consists of a nut bar (for breakfast), two soups for lunch and dinner, and occasionally some kale crackers, olives and a choco bar for dessert. Peppermint and hibiscus teas, and supplement tablets are also included.
The soups for lunch can be microwaved in 2 minutes (convenient for taking to work) but the soups for dinner require stove top cooking for 15 minutes.
Now you may wonder – how is this healthy? It sounds like a lot of packaged food with granola bars and dessert. That’s what I thought initially too.
The plan is well formulated. Honey is used to sweeten the nut bars and the soups are delicious. Dr Valter Longo’s point of view is that high compliance to the diet has far more benefits than the perfectly formulated one (I agree with that!), which is why this diet is designed for compliance as much as it is for health benefits.
How Much Does the Prolon Diet Cost?
One box costs US$249 (includes all meals for 5 days, sale price USD$185). Delivery within the US is free, though shipping internationally may face customs charges.
All plans include an optional complimentary nutrition coaching session with a dietitian or nurse practitioner and there is a helpful Facebook group called FASTINATION that you can join for support.
Additionally, Dr. Valter Longo, donates 100% of his share of profits back to funding longevity research.
Prolon Review
After reading Dr Long’s book, “The Longevity Diet”, I decided to try the 5 day Prolon along with two other friends during the week of 30 September 2019.
I enjoyed the week’s fast! I thought the soups and bars were yummy and I loved the teas. I did feel cold throughout the fast but other than that, not super hungry except for Day 3.
D2/D3 I thought I was dropping more hair than usual. Also I thought my sweat smelt metallic on D4 (heavy metal detox perhaps?)
I also had big bowel movements on D4 and D5 which surprised me!
I was also slightly intolerant to inulin (the plant-based fibre that is added to the soups) so I was very bloated and kept farting smelly farts on the first 3-4 days but was fine by the last day.
I don’t usually like olives but the ones in the Prolon pack were delicious.
Overall, I loved the experience and hope to continue once every quarter.
Prolon Results
| Day 1 | Day 6 | Day 11 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (kg) | 56.7 | 55.0 | 54.7 |
| Fat % | 22.1% | 18.1% | 18.3% |
| Fat Mass (kg) | 12.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Fat Free Mass (kg) | 44.2 | 45.0 | 44.7 |
| Muscle Mass (kg) | 41.5 | 42.2 | 42.0 |
| Total Body Water (kg) | 29.6 | 29.9 | 29.7 |
| Total Body Water % | 52.2% | 54.4% | 54.3% |
| Bone Mass (kg) | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
| BMR | 1266 | 1277 | 1267 |
| Visceral Fat Rating | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| BMI | 23.3 | 22.6 | 22.5 |
Overall, I lost 1.7kg in weight but 2.5 kg (5.5lbs) in fat which has stayed off even on Day 11, and am extremely happy about that!
In fact, I gained 0.7kg of muscle mass during these five days. (I was working out throughout the fast (note: this is NOT advised by Prolon). However, under my doctor / trainer’s supervision, I decided continued my regular exercise regime which included 90min of yoga daily and 2 weights sessions. I did cut out all cardio.
Visceral fat came down from 5 to 4 (as measured by the Tanita machine at Fitness First).
I also did a blood test at the end of October and saw several biomarkers improve after doing Prolon:
- HDL increased from 65 to 89 (optimal >40)
- LDL decreased from 137 to 115 (optimal <100)
- Total Chol/HDL-Chol decreased from 3.4 to 2.5 (Risk indicated if >4.5)
- Trig/HDL decreased from 1.2 to 0.9
- Liver: GGT decreased from 34 to 22 (optimal range: 9-36)
- Uric Acid decreased from 9.2 to 5.2 (optimal range: 2.6-6.0)
I was extremely happy with these results.
April 2023 Update: I have now completed 6 rounds of Prolon and have many friends and family who has tried the fast! Even my 75 year old mother has done 2 rounds and we love the results!
Prolon Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
If you are thinking of doing Prolon as well, here are 16 tips and tricks that helped me survive the 5 day Prolon fast. I also compiled a list of frequently asked questions (along with hyperlinks to Prolon’s official answer in their Facebook group FASTINATION.
Does Prolon ship directly to Singapore?
They used to but stopped in 2020. However, whenever I’m buying for friends and family, I always buy a couple of extra kits and list them on Carousell.
Where can I buy Prolon in Singapore
You can buy Prolon kits in Singapore on Carousell for SGD $360.
Other Resources
ProLon Frequently Asked Questions – on Bloating and the L-Drink
Dr. Valter Longo on Resetting Autoimmunity and Rejuvenating Systems with Prolonged Fasting & the FMD | Podcast Interview with Dr Rhonda Patrick
YouTube: Fasting: Awakening the Rejuvenation from Within | Valter Longo | TEDxEchoPark
I tried Prolon’s starvation diet so you wouldn’t have to | MIT Technology Review, August 2019
Four Cycles of a Fasting Modified Diet Has Me Convinced: This is the Biggest Medical Advance of 2017
Special diets might boost the power of drugs to vanquish cancers | Science Magazine | April, 2021
Prolon Diet DIY
For those of you who wish to DIY the Prolon Fasting Mimicking Diet Plan, here are some guides and recipes:
Mimicking the Fasting Mimicking Diet – My 5-Day Experiment – Quantified Bob
My Experience with the 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet – 19K notes to myself
I ate 12 almonds, 1 bowl of soup, and 4 olives every day for a week – Chris Bigelow
Fasting Mimicking Diet Recipes
Recipes of Longevity – Dr Valter Longo
The information here is for informational purposes only. This website does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a health care professional. The use of any information on this website is solely at your own risk.
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