Intermittent Fasting: Let's get our metabolic flexibility back! Best approach for your first IF day.

 

I remember when I first overheard a few coworkers talking about this "intermittent fasting" thing I thought it was the quickest way to look like a Kentucky Derby jockey. Needless to say, this was not desirable. Lean muscle is universally recognized as the goal for anyone seeking longevity, health, or an aesthetically pleasing physique. At the time of this initial introduction to "IF" I had been back to working out consistently for about 6-8 months, and the last thing I wanted to do was "waste away", look emaciated, and lose my hard earned muscle.

The fitness industry says that you need to eat 6 meals a day to keep metabolism stoked and to keep the muscles from withering away from lack of an i.v. drip of protein. This is not true. Who knew? The body knows what it is doing.

As long as you are getting adequate total caloric intake, you're body responds to the demands of lifting heavy things, just as it would if you took 3 hours a day to prepare 4 meals, 2 protein shakes, 3 snacks, and a Tupperware stash that would rival Jay Leno's car collection.


So, if you're ready to take the plunge and reap all the benefits, here's you're best "Day 1" plan :
The goal of my style of IF is to get to at least 16 hours without calories. It sounds crazy at first, right? Well, we will get 7-9 hours of that time period taken care of while we sleep. This example "transition" into IF is based on the typical schedule of waking in the morning, sleeping in the late evening.


7:30-8:00pm (the night before your first day of fasting)
This meal is quite a bit more crucial than I initially realized. The last meal lead into a daily fast really does make a difference.  
Eat a healthy meal. Nothing completely out of the ordinary, but follow the next three points. 

1. Make this meal a little larger than what is normal for you. 
2. Make sure this meal contains plenty of healthy fats such as avocado, coconut oil, almonds, fish. 
3. Limit the amount of carbohydrates you consume, more explicitly, no sugar.No bread, either(once entering the body, there's not a big difference between the two). This means no fruit, either.

I have to include that I have not came across any research expressing why the approach of consuming healthy fats and minimal carb intake plays such a vital role in staving off that "starving to death" feeling that we have all experienced. I personally know it to be true from anecdotal evidence and experience of those who have transitioned to this eating style.

I surmise that this happens due to the over employment of insulin to regulate blood sugar spikes (because of the carb aka glucose aka sugars) intake which often occurs when the pancreas is told to pump in insulin to combat this flooding of sugar in the blood stream. The over secretion of insulin=blood sugar plummets="O my god, I'm hungry." Insulin regulation is a whole other story but for the purpose of this post, eat as described and you'll have a much easier route to become an IFer.

5am-8am (the initial fast day)
Upon waking, drink two large glasses of cold water. 
This is good practice for any day, but especially useful for today's purpose. The stomach is only one portion of the complex satiety-hunger process. However, by drinking this large volume of water, the stretch receptors of the stomach send messages to the brain signaling a full stomach. It doesn't completely trick the brain into feeling stuffed, but it sure helps.

Drinking black coffee is a daily routine for me and it's hunger suppressant characteristics aid in trying to teach your body to remember how to use adipose fat tissue as fuel(instead of only glucose derived from carbs).

8am-12pm
If serious hunger strikes, you must move.
Air squats, a walk around the office, 15 pushups, walk around the office, chair dips, all get blood flow moving and signal to the body that energy MUST be produced. Hormone response to exercise forces the body to respond with stored energy. We never are unable to move, we are simply limited by the feeling that we wish not to move.

Once you've hit noon, you've made it! Your first day of IF.  You have taken back control of your own body. You are no longer limited by your proximity to a refrigerator or convenience store.

Some people can easily go right into these 16hr/day fasts. Others, like myself, take some time to work up to this time period with 0 calories. Don't be discouraged if you feel like you cannot make it passed a certain time. This is the first day, and if you are determined to make it until lunch without food, you will be able to. That being said, I was limited by the fact that I needed to be cognizant and responsive, so I took almost a week to lead up to the 16 hours. Once you regain your metabolic flexibility (the ability to switch between sugars and fat for energy) you're good to go, and it feels easy going forward.

One other thing: Fasting means zero calories. People have said to me, "I only had a granola bar", or "I've only eaten an apple today." This does not constitute fasting, and from experience actually makes you feel more hungry.


I've got to include a disclaimer that if you have any reservations about your metabolic health (hypo-hyper glycemia, diabetes, etc.) or anything of the sort, consult your physician for guidance. Humans are designed to be able to go much longer than 16 hours without food but our modern lives paired with modern foods have caused millions of people to become carb addicted.

It is not the 1980's and cardio is not what you need to lose fat

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. -Lou Holtz

There are many different ways to lose weight. Most simply put, the body must consume more energy than it is being given. However, there are many factors that influence whether the body is using glucose (sugar), fatty acids, and/or amino acids(from protein).  These 3 either immediately enter the blood stream to produce energy through a metabolic pathway, or stored. The physical demands we place on our bodies, coupled with diet, decide if stored energy is taken for energy. This is not some mind-blowing statement. We all know this. This post discusses which "physical demand" is best for fat loss.

Aside from diet, strength training is the most crucial component in anyone's fat loss regimen. I have assembled my top reasons for lifting weights as a primary function to meet these goals.


Lifting weights>Running
I have not done any form of endurance or cardio training for over a year, yet I have maintained >10% body fat for that same time period. Years ago I would have never imagined that this could even be possible. Every magazine or article that I read said you needed to get on the stair stepper, swim, or run miles and miles to be lean. Personal experience and the experiences of clients and friends, have re-shaped my views. High-intensity-resistance training induced a faster visceral fat loss, and thus the potential of resistance training should not be undervalued.

Strength/Resistance training burns more stored fat than other exercise.
There has been a long standing misconception that low-intensity exercise is the best way to lose weight, or more specifically, body fat. I believe the theory was that high-intensity exercise causes the the body to be catabolic (musculature break down for fuel). Research has since disproved this fallacy. Research actually suggest that your metabolism is boosted for at least an hour due to your body trying to help muscles recover. Weight lifting is a high intensity exercise seeing as it is bursts of intense exertion followed by periods of rest.  

Resistance training increases insulin sensitivity.
Insulin is responsible for encouraging the uptake of glucose, fats, and amino acids into cells. When we work out, we are trying to utilize stored energies for fuel, rather than allow our cells to accept more fuel. When we strength train, the associated high-intensity component strongly suppresses the release of insulin from the pancreas, therefore, reducing fat/glucose/amino acid storage. Insulin sensitivity is greatly increased even after small amounts of exercise. This matters because less insulin is required to get the same effect on glucose intake into muscle tissue. I use this knowledge daily to tailor my diet to one that causes little insulin release, why still enjoying the benefits of great amounts of glucose uptake into my muscle(flooding the muscle cells with nutrients), while limiting fat storage.

Resistance training increases levels of testosterone and human growth hormone. (refer to earlier post for explanation of this importance)
A resistance training plan that uses multi -joint lifts such as squat, deadlift, and power cleans, cause increases in muscle-building(anabolic) hormones. These increases encourage more lean muscle, which everyone can benefit from, especially the elderly, given that muscle mass tapers off after about age 40-50.


Weight lifting makes you feel good.
Weight lifting and other exercises generate the release of endorphins in the brain, which serve as an analgesic and contribute to that "feel good" sensation following a workout, Referred to as the "monoamine hypothesis," which includes dopamine production as well as serotonin and endorphins, these benefits would seem to be an advantageous long-term effect of weight lifting on the brain, as long as the weight lifting does not involve steroid use.

Strength training does not have to involve a gym membership or a trainer. I believe in both of these choices, but strength training can be any high-intensity exertion using the muscles. You could use water jugs, sand bags, jungle gyms at the local park, heavy machinery, or anything else you can think of. The importance is that you have quick bouts of high exertion followed by periods of rest. The fat loss will come and you might even find out you become addicted, as many others have.

Food Becomes Us

altemark / Foter / CC BY

What do you want?

Do you want to lose 20 lbs of fat?

Do you want to have more energy?

Do you want to have to turn sideways to get through a door frame?
Mybe you'd like to deadlift 550 lbs?

The first step for accomplishing all of the goals listed above is accessing your DIET. What goes into your body is literally assimilated into the very tissues that make up all of our bodies.  We all know these things.

 When I took a look at the very path that foods take once entering the body, I discovered my motivation for seeing food as a kind of MEDICINE, increased dramatically.

It’s odd, really. We get hungry so we look for something to eat. Foods are just plants, or animals.  We eat these foods raw, or cooked, and put them into our bodies. These things which we once held in our hands, saw growing out of the ground, or realize were once living breathing organisms, are broken down, and become our bone, skeletal muscle, brain tissues, fat cells, and the very energy with which our bodies operate.

 I use this dramatic style of describing eating for no other reason than to hopefully motivate anyone reading this, and myself, to really think about what foods we want to BECOME PART OF US. Additionally, what the foods we eat, and their quantities, will do for the attainment of our fitness goal.

The only 4 supplements you really ought to take: plus two more I use

supplement:something that completes or makes an addition

The most useful application of dietary supplements is to fill the small gaps in specific amino acid or vitamin/mineral gaps.  Not many of us truly know which we need more of, and which we need less of. More is not better in this case.

Too often I see or hear individuals speak of supplements as if they are the "magic bullet" that they've been missing. Their poor results, their genetics, or their state of mind can all be altered and corrected by using this new potion, snake oil, pill, fat blocker, stimulants, oxygen water, etc. The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar business and capitalism responds to demand. It's unfortunate but the industry keeps pumping out outlandish claims and products because people buy them.

The answer to fat loss, muscle building, or body transformation is not in a pill, potion or lotion. Do not become another one throwing away their money just to further support the money suckers, and fit the bill of another stupid consumer.

 The four products I'd tell a loved one to take.




Multivitamin/mineral- The vitamins A, B's, C, D, E, K, are paramount to function properly. Deficiencies in these areas can induce all sorts of symptoms. Even the most balanced diet can leave a few holes for absolutely optimal function. That's what we're all after anyways, right? One study suggests "Appropriate supplementation of multivitamin/multimineral can facilitate the recovery of the psychology, physical ability and neuroendocrine-immune system in young males..."



Whey protein- Just about everyone has heard the role protein supplementation plays in the building of muscle and hunger satiety. I'd argue that the more high quality protein intake you are ingesting, the less of the processed fake foods you'll be eating. There are no benefits to just adding this supplement to an otherwise crappy diet.



Creatine- Creatine has probably been the most studied sports supplement in the last thirty years. Many different things have been said about it, but the consensus is just that it helps build muscle, makes you stronger, and helps treat muscular degenerative diseases. Research suggests that 5 to 20 grams day is quite safe, as well. No loading phase or cycling required. Additionally, it appears to make you smarter.



Fish oil-omega 3's cannot be produced by the body. The body cannot use omega 6's to make omega 3's. We who eat the western diet get plenty of omega 6, not enough 3. You need them. The laundry list of benefits and symptom reduction is staggering.



P.S A few other supplements that have given me good results are BCAA's and caffeine in the form of black coffee. I have periods of 16-20 hours a day with no caloric intake, so I find that a BCAA supplement provides my blood stream with some amino acid profiles, similar to the amino acids which are derived from dietary protein, without the calories. For a great article by Charles Poliquin on BCAA uses, check this out.

Caffeine (black coffee) peps up the central nervous system and has also been shown to increase strength. Not bad for such a great tasting morning starter.

Most Comprehensive Intermittent Fasting Examination to Date

If you've never heard of Dr. John Berardi, you're missing out. Since you're reading a blog about fitness, diet and nutrition, and overall well being, I believe you would find his recent work, Experiments with Intermittent Fasting, quite the read.  The director of the world's largest body transformation project teamed up Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon, and Nate Green to bring the world a FREE e-book resource for the new exciting lifestyle that has changed my own life FOREVER.

He tried just about every "IF" protocol imaginable and experienced some pretty staggering results. The book points out the fact that most modern fasting research has been done using animal models. Take a look at the e-book and his pictures for some pretty damn substantiated human model hypotheses'.

I am in no way affiliated with any of the e-book authors or Dr. John Berardi's website but here's a link to www.precisionnutrition.com, just to give credit where credit is due for the labor intensive work that has been compiled for us all, free of charge.

Step 5 of 5 Steps to a More Fit You.

ANALYSIS PARALYSIS

I LIKE IT SIMPLE / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

I have a passion. I want to help people meet their fitness goals. What's the BEST POSSIBLE way to make this happen? This last question is where I make the most mistakes, not in fitness, but in LIFE!

This conundrum can lead to many, many more questions. 

I don't know exactly how to attract more clients.

I'm not sure how much cardio to do in my programming.

Why would people want to hear MY opinion on sports, nutrition, mental toughness, deep breathing, and meditation? Who am I to put my two cents in?

I don't know how best to prove I know what I’m talking about.

 I don't know if doing squats are as beneficial as some experts say.

Should I eat low fat, high carb meals or high fat, low carb meals? The list goes on and on and on...

“YOU CANNOT DREAM YOURSELF INTO A CHARACTER; YOU MUST HAMMER AND FORGE YOUSELF ONE.” – JAMES A FROUDE

Step 4 of 5 Steps to a More Fit You.

Embrace Self Experimention be your own scientist, trainer, nuritionist, etc
There are some pretty basic truths about health and fitness that are universal to all bodies. We all need certain enzymes to facilitate bodily functions. Calories are the suppliers of energy. Our bodies manufacture certain vitamins, and others are required through diet. However, the way our individual bodies utilize foods or combat stress are as unique as the fingerprints that keep us from walking into our local jewel store for some gas money.


I have discovered many interesting things about how I gain muscle, lose fat, and feel generally healthier simply by being curious! I think that the realization that with time, you too can figure out your "keys to success," is the most important component in getting motivated and staying that way.

There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge... observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them; experimentation verifies the result of that combination. - Denis Diderot

I suggest getting a scale and weighing yourself every single morning. If muscle gain is your goal, monitor that the scale is doing what you want. If fat loss is goal, monitor that the scale is going down at a safe rate. Try eating styles that are high protein/low carb/high fat. Try diets that are moderate protein/ moderate carb/low fat. These are all protocols that I tried and discovered that when I eat high protein/low carb/high fat, I drop fat like it's going out of style. When I want to gain a little weight and put on some muscle, moderate-high protein,moderate carbs/low fat is the route that works for me. These values are based on my individual metabolism and goals. What works for me, may be near toxic for you or vice versa.


Experimentation relates to workouts as well. I personally enjoy having a lean muscular physique. I have tried weightlifting repetition ranges of 3-6, 8-12, and 20. I have got good results on certain workout routines that others haven't. Everyone's body reacts differently.


So, by taking a good 8-10 weeks to dissect what approach is creating what results, you too can figure out your own body. There is something quite liberating about knowing exactly how to cut fat, or increase size and strength; because you've done it before. Now, all that is left is actually doing it.