Mark Wahlberg Uses This Intermittent Fasting Protocol to Torch Fat
Mark Wahlberg is a pro at discipline. Working out at 4am and scheduling his routine into on-the-dot 15- to 30-minute increments are just a couple of ways the 51-year-old actor and fitness aficionado maintains his shredded physique.
Wahlberg revealed in a recent interview with GQ that intermittent fasting is another part of his secret sauce.
“I found the secret to being able to eat more—or indulge more often—was intermittent fasting. So finding out about fasting when I was 50 years old was a little bit frustrating,” Wahlberg told GQ. “I would eat a lot of small meals—buying into different philosophies at different times. But I feel like the fasting thing works the best.”
He Uses an 18:6 Intermittent Fasting Protocol
Wahlberg follows one popular time-restricted eating protocol—18:6—which is an 18-hour fast, followed by a 6-hour eating window. This schedule may produce greater weight loss results than other fasting protocols, nephrologist and intermittent fasting expert Jason Fung, M.D., previously told The Edge. The reason? The longer you fast, the better your results.
“Normally with intermittent fasting, I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ll eat at noon, 3pm and 6pm for an eighteen-hour fast and a six-hour eating window,” Wahlberg told GQ.
During his six-hour eating window, Wahlberg goes for high-protein foods to boost his gains.
Breakfast: Eggs, protein pancakes, smoked salmon, a few pork chops, a few sausage links, and almond butter
Lunch: Chicken and bok choy
Dinner: Steak, fish, and “some sort of vegetable”
He Drinks Coffee
Despite fasting until noon, Wahlberg still reaches for a morning cup of coffee to power through his early workouts.
“[Coffee has] been a new thing since I’ve been fasting,” Wahlberg told the Wall Street Journal. “I don’t have to do as much cardio, I don’t have to spend as much time in the gym and I feel like I’m getting better results. I’m trying to share that information with everybody because I’m really seeing the benefits and pretty quickly.”
The research is mixed on whether coffee breaks your fast. While some experts believe drinking coffee may inhibit autophagy, several studies show that it could suppress appetite and promote weight loss—making your fasting window easier (1).
References
1. Schubert, et al (2017). Caffeine, coffee, and appetite control: a review.
