Every night, Arturo Valls repeats the same routine at home: he prepares dinner, sets the table, and sits down with his wife and his son to talk about how their day went. Yet there is something that does not pass unnoticed in his routine at all, and that is the fasting he performs. During dinner hours the well-known host eats nothing, and in fact, this is one of the reasons he has managed to stay in shape and full of energy even at his 51 years.
In exclusive statements to El Español and during a visit to the show El Hormiguero, Arturo Valls explained that he follows a 14-hour fast every night. His routine is very simple: he has his last meal around five or six in the afternoon, which is usually a piece of fruit, and he does not eat anything else in the afternoon or evening. The next day, between nine or ten in the morning, he breaks the fast with a very complete breakfast that includes eggs, avocado, fruit, and cheese. The host assures that he does not go hungry and that he has become perfectly accustomed to it, to the point that he wakes up with a lot of joy and anticipation for eating. That said, he clarifies that it is not radical for him, since he only does it from Monday to Friday; if he has an event or the weekend arrives, things change, so on Friday he already has a “free bar” to eat whatever he wants.
The origin of Arturo Valls’ physical transformation
The decision to change his habits was not a whim. He began with this system several years ago when he had to physically prepare for the role in one of his most recent films. Seeing that it worked, that he looked much better and that he felt good on a physical and mental level, he decided to keep it. But the story doesn’t end with practicing intermittent fasting and watching his diet; he also does a lot of sport, something that is fundamental to be able to achieve and maintain the desired results: he does strength training, plays tennis, and does running and cycling, two of his great passions.
What do experts say about his method?
The habit of Arturo Valls to train and stay active while fasting is very common, but it is by no means a magic formula. In an interview with THE OBJECTIVE, the personal trainer José Ruiz explains that training without having eaten can help some people because they feel lighter or it suits their schedules, but he clarifies that this does not automatically lead to fat loss.
According to the expert, the body does not change because of a single trick, but because of a system of habits that can be maintained over time. Real fat loss depends on consistency, on moving a lot during the day, on strength training, and above all, on the overall energy balance, since there is no use in training in a fasted state if you then eat more during the rest of the day. Furthermore, the trainer warns that fasting is not ideal for all types of exercise. Although many people tolerate well fasting for gentle activities like walking, in strength training, high-intensity, or very long workouts it can lower performance and the quality of the exercise. Therefore, Ruiz advises not turning fasting into a ‘religion’ and to choose always according to “one’s own sensations”: if you feel better waking up to eat before training, do it, and if you prefer walking on an empty stomach, go ahead, but always keeping in mind that the important thing is to meet the basic habits of nutrition, exercise and rest.
