What I Learned from 23 Rounds of ProLon
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The views contained in this blog are not medical advice. Please consult your health professionals before considering a change in your health and wellness routines.
I’ve often said that I feel better at 60 than I did at 35. The main reason is I take better care of myself. I eat lots of fruit and veg, exercise and get solid sleep – most nights. Am I perfect at this? – far from it. And when I feel I need a boost – I order a ProLon Meal Kit.
ProLon is a five-day meal program that’s fast mimicking. That means, the food combination was designed so the body’s cells believe they’re not being fed, shifting the body into fasting mode so you reap the benefits of a water fast while still eating a limited amount of food. This allows for cellular repair and regeneration throughout the program. I’ve also experienced decreased joint inflammation and increased fat loss, especially visceral fat in the belly area.
It was developed by Dr. Valter Longo, professor and director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. Dr. Longo studied the lifestyles of thriving centurions and found that periodically cutting out food for extended periods can improve a natural process called autophagy, which is the body’s way of clearing cell debris.
The food is sent in a box that contains five pre-packaged meal kits for each day. Daily meals are a mix of breakfast nut bars, dried soup blends, olives, crackers, a few small dessert bars, and a handful of vitamin supplements.
There are also herbal teas and a glycerol-based drink, called L-drink, that supports the loss of fat and not muscle, as well as the feeling of fullness. All food is 100% plant-based, gluten-free, and non-GMO with no artificial additives.
During the five days, only the food within the box for that particular day is consumed, so there’s nothing additional to buy or prepare. While the program does not permit changing the order of the days or swapping food between days, you can eat what’s in the daily box in any order you choose. A menu card is provided as a helpful guide and I find I only make small adjustments to their suggestions.
ProLon also has coaches on staff along with the option of joining daily Zoom calls hosted by nutritionists throughout the program for support, all free of charge.
I did my first ProLon fast in 2019 and have completed the program quite a few times since. In fact, I’m on Day 4 of my 24th fast as I write this.
When ProLon hit my radar screen 6 years ago, I was still working in a corporate setting. I chose a time that when I wasn’t traveling and I had no major deadlines to meet. I had the breakfast bar midday, prepared my lunch soup using a microwave late afternoon, and then had my evening soup when I got home. The additional snacks and drinks are portable, so I enjoyed those throughout the day and evening.
Day 1 was the easiest, with 1100 calories of food including several bars. Each of the remaining days included about 800 calories of food. Something seemed to click after Day 3, once I was over the proverbial hump. Not only was the end in sight, but I started to feel the results, including clear-headedness and weight loss.
Why have I done it two dozen times? Quite simply, because I feel amazing by the end of the five days. Every single time. Not only does it reset my physical body, but it gives me a mental break because I don’t have to think about meal preparation for five days.
I can’t emphasize that point enough. What I appreciate most about this process is how much space it frees up. I mindfully redirect that time to walk, journal, and get extra sleep, so I come out of this process feeling renewed physically, mentally and even spiritually. And every fast is different – I experience and learn something new each time.
Lessons Learned From My First ProLon Fast
I remember planning the fast. I read all the material that I could find and I decided to heed the advice to not exercise for duration of that fast to truly give my body a rest and to best utilize the calories I would be consuming.
I also remember paying close attention to my mindset. I set the intention that my first fasting experience would be one of exploration, of learning something new. I thought of it as an investment in myself.
And it did feel like a wellness investment. When I opened that white ProLon packaging it felt like a spa in a box. It just feels good, like giving yourself a gift.
The physical benefits were as expected – more energy, a feeling of lightness, slimmer waistline, looser clothes and a loss of six pounds. The first time out, I chose to forego coffee, so I did have to work through a mild caffeine withdrawal headache the first few days. And although the food tasted great, I normally consume a lot of produce, so I found myself craving fresh fruit and vegetables.
Looking back I can say the first time was definitely the hardest. But not because of any physical hardship. It was more about getting over the mental hurdle of being on a fast – that feeling of “Can I do this? Can I make it to the end?”
I was most surprised at how often I thought about food throughout the day. It was interesting to catch my impulse to reach for something to eat out of habit or as part of my routine, not because I was hungry. That mindfulness helped me understand the difference between true hunger (which I didn’t experience too often) and perceived hunger (when what I really needed was to drink water or take a break from whatever I was doing).
When I came to the end of my first fast, I knew I’d try it again – I felt that good. And it was absolute euphoria having that first meal on Day 6 – melon, banana and berries with homemade almond milk and a cup of coffee. Amazing! It was like my taste buds woke up. I savored each bite.
That first fast also helped me create new habits. I bought a few boxes of Fast Bars, which are the breakfast bars from the five day program, and began having those for breakfast, extending my natural intermittent fasting periods. My food portion sizes became smaller naturally. I became more tuned into my body, now having the discernment to know when I was truly hungry or when I was reaching for food out of habit.
Since then, I find there’s something nice about giving myself a pause from my routine from time to time. Each fast gets easier to complete. That said, there were two times when my body went through more of a detox and I experienced a headache and loss of energy for the first few days.
Now I’m to the point where my body will start to crave a ProLon fast every few months. I still enjoy getting a break from being in the kitchen and I’m always proud of myself at the end of the five days.
Here are three main benefits I enjoy most:
Physical transformation: Even though I stay within 10 pounds of my ideal weight, I routinely drop 5-8 pounds during each fast, all around the midsection. This makes ProLon a great tool for me whenever I find my weight trending up a bit. It keeps me in a comfortable weight range. That lightness, coupled with cell regeneration, gives me an incredible feeling of rejuvenation.
Mental clarity: Having been through the fast repeatedly, I’ve learned to relax and enjoy the process. I look forward to taking a break from my CrossFit and hiking routines and enjoy long walks instead, where it’s not unusual for me to receive unexpected insight. That’s why I take notes throughout the fast. I like to capture how I’m feeling and what changes I’d like to implement post-fast. I also sleep really well during the fasts. This results in clear-headedness and a deep sense of deep energetic calm.
Heightened enjoyment: My end of fast celebration is to go food shopping on the last day of the fast for the transition day, which is Day 6. That’s when you get to choose what you’ll eat. You need to be careful not to hit your body with too much food, but I find that I’m so in tune with my body, the last thing I want to do is overeat. In fact, that has been a great by-product of repeatedly doing the fast – I no longer like the feeling in overindulging. This is a huge mind shift for me and I credit the ProLon process for getting me there. It’s also fun to see what my body is craving and the heightened sense of enjoyment I get on when I break fast and have that first meal.
If you decide to try ProLon, here are 9 considerations and suggestions:
Take a look at your calendar so you can plan your fast accordingly. I look for a span where any impactful commitments are limited. It’s great to stay busy but not helpful to have stressful deadlines looming the first time you try it.
f you’d like some support and accountability, take advantage of the free virtual ProLon coaching services or find a buddy to do it with.
Minimize your exercise during those five days – but do walk and stretch each day.
Get sufficient sleep.
Drink plenty of water.
If you’re planning to cut out coffee for five days, taper off the caffeine before starting the fast so you don’t get withdrawal headaches.
Keep a journal to capture your learnings. You’ll gain insight, especially into what trips you up when you’re not fasting and how you might address that moving forward. It’s also interesting to note the sensations and feelings you experience to help guide you post-fast, especially what your body craves most. Lastly, it’s a great point of reference should you choose to fast again.
Use the last day of the fast (Day 5) to plan for your transition. Have healthy food on hand and plan for your first few meals.
On transition day (Day 6), enjoy that first sip of coffee or that first meal – it will taste unbelievably amazing. You will feel nothing but gratitude for the food you’re enjoying.
Depending on your goals, you can complete this program safely once a month and then transition to whenever you feel you need it again. Back in 2019, I did it for a few months in a row, then every other month before switching to a seasonal approach, which is what I do now. I tend to fast around New Years, springtime and autumn. I’m almost done with Round 24, so I can start the holiday season refreshed and aligned.
However you choose to do it, I hope you’ll consider ProLon to help you reset from time to time. You deserve it!
And to help you along, head over to athenawellness.com/prolon to download your free fasting journal, which includes my affiliate link so you can get the latest discount from ProLon. It’s a great way to support Athena Wellness while investing in yourself. And if you have a health savings account or flexible spending account with your employer, you can use those funds to purchase ProLon products.
Thank you for watching. I hope my ProLon experiences have been insightful and will help you make the best decision for yourself.
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