Gosh, I'm funny!
Any-who, I wanted to give you a little more information about using Fasting as a nutrition strategy for the long term.
I have been Intermittently Fasting for a couple of months now and it is, hands down, the thing that is making the biggest difference to my physique. Disclaimer - in that time I have transitioned to a High Fat Low Carb (HFLC) lifestyle and have included athletic conditioning into my training routine, but even with all that change, I know that Intermittent Fasting (IF) has been the game changer. Specifically IF in conjunction with HFLC.
So, what is Intermittent Fasting?
In the simplest terms, you have a daily fasting window and a daily feeding window. Your fast should last 14-16 hours per day so, for example, I typically have my first meal at 12noon and my last meal at 8pm. What you eat during those 8-10 hours is important (hence the happy marriage with HFLC) as is when you exercise.
Here is a breakdown of a typical day in my exercise and nutrition life:
10.30pm-8am: Sleep/Fast
9am: Coffee w/ coconut milk (<50 calories)
10.30am: Workout 1 (BCAA's drunk during)
12noon: Meal 1
2pm: Snack 1
3pm: Workout 2
4pm: Meal 2
6pm Snack 2
8pm Meal 3
8pm-10pm: Herbal Tea (1-2 cups)
So, as you can see, my first workout of the day comes right at the end of my fast. This is strategic - your body will use it's fat stores for fuel, rather than the more commonly available carbohydrate stores, and so you will start to see a decrease in overall body fat. This is also the reason IF works so well in conjunction with a High Fat diet; fats are freely available, carbohydrates less so, therefore fats will be recruited for energy supply.
But, be smart about the fats you choose (you know which ones you should have)!
And I am not talking about being in a state of Ketosis. That is a much more convoluted and precise strategy and not one I have chosen to adopt.
Since I have been using this fasting method, I have noticed that I am much leaner than I have been in a long time. I don't think about food all the time like I was before (I know when I can no longer eat, and that's that, no exceptions!) and I no longer suffer the day after my refeed (treat meal) with bloating and general crappy feeling like I used to before.
Intermittent Fasting has been a win for me and something I plan on keeping for the long term and, as always, I am just sharing with you what works for me and I advise you to do your research and try different things to find what works for you.
If you have questions, I'm happy to answer them to the best of my ability. Shoot me an email or comment here!
Sabs xxx
