Cutting Carbs, Cutting Protein

Written By Henry Barnard

When I started this experiment, I was 10 pounds above my goal weight of 140 pounds, having already lost 40 pounds over three years with 20:4 intermittent fasting. Today I'm just 3 pounds away.

What finally broke my plateau at 150 pounds was adding two ketogenic days each week. In fact, my weight had begun creeping upward, and those low-carb days got things moving again. Once I reach 140 pounds, I expect I'll only need one ketogenic day each week to maintain my weight.

That doesn't mean I think a ketogenic diet is the healthiest way to eat long term. With its high fat intake and very low fiber, it simply doesn't compare nutritionally with a GBOMBS-style diet. If you compare a typical ketogenic day with a typical GBOMBS day in Cronometer, the difference in micronutrients and fiber is striking.

To me, keto is a metabolic tool rather than a lifestyle.

I've begun thinking about protein in much the same way. If I'm preparing for a longer fast to promote autophagy, it seems reasonable that reducing protein for a couple of days beforehand might help my body make that transition more readily by lowering amino acid intake and mTOR activity.

I'm especially interested in autophagy because of its potential role in healthy aging. At my age, anything that helps the body recycle damaged cellular components is intriguing, and I'm particularly interested in the possibility that it could contribute to cancer prevention or improve cellular resilience—although much remains to be learned about how these effects translate to humans.

My next experiment will be a five-day fasting-mimicking diet following the general guidelines described in The Longevity Diet. During the two days leading up to it, I plan to reduce my protein intake to an absolute minimum and see how the experience compares with beginning the fast without that preparation.

Henry Barnard

I’m a certified nutrition coach through Precision Nutrition, but my education began long before my certification.

In the mid-1990s, I was significantly overweight. During my lunch breaks, I would visit a local bookstore and spend my time browsing nutrition and diet books, searching for an approach that would finally help me lose the weight. That search became a lifelong passion. More than 30 years later, I still study nutrition every day, and my interest has only grown stronger over the last decade.

My coaching philosophy is built on a few simple principles.

No diet pills. I believe lasting weight loss comes from changing habits, not relying on quick fixes.

Gradually increase dietary fiber. Fiber is one of the most powerful tools for managing hunger because it promotes fullness while supporting gut health. As people naturally feel more satisfied, eating well becomes easier.

Eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods. Whole foods retain the fiber and nutrients that help support health and satiety. Building meals around minimally processed foods makes it easier to create eating habits that last.

Use intermittent fasting when appropriate. For many people, intermittent fasting can be an effective strategy to help reduce body fat, improve appetite control, and simplify eating patterns. It isn't the right approach for everyone, but when it fits a person's lifestyle, it can be a valuable tool.

Evaluate level of exercise and quality of sleep.  Simply because these factors have a major impact on any concerted effort to lose weight.  

Focus on 1% improvements. I don't ask clients to transform their lives overnight. Instead, we identify small, realistic changes they can consistently maintain. Those small improvements compound over time.

I tell clients not to judge success after a week or two. Real, sustainable change takes time. As healthy habits accumulate, the results begin to build on one another. Three months of consistent effort can produce remarkable progress—not just on the scale, but in energy, confidence, and overall health.

My goal isn't to put clients on another diet. It's to help them build a way of eating they can enjoy and maintain for the rest of their lives.

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