Celeb Trainer Jorge Cruise Explains How "Cruise Control" Diet Is Different Than Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is quickly becoming one of the most popular new diet trends — you may have heard about it from your favorite celebrity or fitness blogger.

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Well, Jorge Cruise — a celebrity trainer and fitness expert whose diets have reportedly been followed by everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Brooke Burke — stopped by our show to talk about his newest New York Times-bestselling book, The Cruise Control Diet, which explores the misconception that intermittent fasting is about deprivation.

There isn't one "correct" way to incorporate intermittent fasting — it's all about what works for you and your schedule.

The idea is that you eat in an 8-hour window and then you observe a 16-hour fasting window.

The big problem with fasting is, of course, that you tend to get hungry!

That's why Jorge created his plan, called "Cruise Control Fasting," which puts a spin on intermittent fasting.

"You never feel hungry during your fasting window — during the 16 hours — because we cheat the fast with healthy fats," Jorge explains.

By eating healthy fats like avocado oil, coconut oil, butter and heavy cream during the "bumper zones" (AKA early in the morning before you have your first meal or late at night after you've had your last meal), you're never hungry, Jorge claims.

For example, Jorge puts 2 tablespoons of butter or heavy cream in his morning coffee. "Heavy cream — not half-and-half, which has sugar," he adds. If he wants sweetener, he uses a natural sweetener like monk fruit.

RELATED: Why This Celeb Trainer Suggests Eating More (HEALTHY!) Fats, Including Butter In Coffee (?!)

"Insulin is really what drives weight gain," he says. According to Jorge, science is starting to show that rather than calories, which have long been blamed for weight gain, it's actually insulin that can lead to stubborn belly fat.

"When insulin is too high, you get too much energy, and then all this glucose — sugar — goes into the cells of your body," Jorge says. The glucose then turns into fat, and that is why you gain weight.

If your insulin isn't going up — which it shouldn't be during the 16-hour fasting window — your body gets energy from the healthy fats. It will also take energy from stored belly fat, so you'll lose belly fat, according to Jorge.

Jorge's cheats include heavy cream, butter, coconut oil and avocado oil. Jorge says you CAN have these during your 16-hour fasting window, but avoid carbs and proteins during this time. Eat those during your 8-hour eating window instead.

During your 8-hour eating window, Jorge suggest breaking down your macronutrients into 50% fat, 20% protein and 30% carbs.

50% good fats: Fill up on healthy fats like avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

30% healthy carbs: Whole grain bread, pasta, cauliflower or regular rice — even a glass of wine — these carbs are permitted in moderation during the eating window.

20% protein: Chicken, chickpeas, eggs — as long as it's only 20% of your diet, you shouldn't deprive yourself of protein, Jorge says.

Always check with your doctor before making changes to your diet.