Intermittent Fasting (IF)

So what is Intermittent Fasting you all ask?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a pattern of eating that alternates between periods of fasting (usually meaning consumption of water and sometimes low calorie drinks such as black coffee) and non-fasting.

The fasting period on specific plans can range from 16 hours all the way to 36 hours, :O I see your jaws have dropped!!! How can anyone go that long without eating? Well if you think about it, you have probably once in your life time at least gone for a long period without food, maybe you had a deadline at school or work and food is the last thing on your mind! People think they can't do this because when you actually have to think about not eating it does seem like hard work! 

The First 3 days were tough only because my body was readjusting to the new lifestyle, after this I had bags of energy YES and I was able to do all those Insane workouts and now I go to the gym twice a day 6 times a week no sweat! 

BREAKFAST

People have said to me, 'but isn't breakfast the most important meal of the day?' my answer to this is that's what the nutrition industry have sold us all for years!! 

Think about it 'Break-Fast that translates to breaking a fast. For those that want to try it just look at it as you are skipping a morning meal and having an early lunch (break your fast at say 12 noon and close your feeding window 7pm or 8pm). There is NO connection with eating breakfast and losing weight!! 90% of Americans eat breakfast yet 75% of them are obese! 

We have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day simply because of our body's sensitivity to insulin. The more sensitive our body is to insulin, the more likely you are to lose fat and gain muscle. It is argued that insulin sensitivity is higher in the morning. Well this is not very accurate; it is higher after the 8 to 10 hour fasting period that was experienced during sleep. Insulin sensitivity is higher when glycogen levels are depleted, and liver glycogen is somewhat depleted during sleeping fast. What is glycogen? - Most carbohydrates are broken down in the body to a type of sugar called glucose, which is the main source of fuel for our cells. When the body has extra glucose, it stores it in the liver and muscles. This stored form of glucose is called glycogen. Glycogen is like your backup fuel. It releases glucose into the bloodstream when the body needs a quick energy boost or when a person's blood glucose level drops.

Intermittent fasting will further help to deplete the glycogen levels in your body, therefore increasing insulin sensitivity further and therefore you burn more fat! Eating constantly (i.e. 5 small meals a day) you are constantly replenishing the glycogen in your body therefore making it harder for your body to use stored fat as fuel and to aid weight loss.

As you can see there is nothing special about breakfast and you do not have to eat first thing in the morning to lose weight!! In fact the longer you wait to break your 'sleeping fast' the more depleted your glycogen levels, increased insulin sensitivity and therefore increased fat loss! 

I won't bash the 5 small meals a day as it does work for some people, but for an average Shelia like me that my life involves other things than constantly thinking about food IF has been a real treat!! 

So what are the benefits of IF???

Well I eat less frequently and feel hungry less, it is also more practical and logistic! Imagine having to eat 6 small meals in a day, all you are thinking about is food!!! And where do you have the time to think about these meals? Especially if you are working etc. I'm glad I have found an alternative!!! 

I have read that doing alternate day fasting where you are required to fast for 24 hours twice a week reduces your food intake by 30%!!! So of course you will get into that size 10 quicker and more likely to keep it off!!! 

Caloric restriction has been linked with increased longevity, to decreased risk of disease, to heart health! A study done by University of Utah concluded that someone who fasts just once a month were 40% less likely to suffer from clogged arteries. 

There are also hormonal benefits that lead to better body composition. From my research and reading IF helps to increase the level of Growth Hormones (GH); the more GH you produce the faster you lose body fat and gain muscle! So say bye to the stubborn fat!

Finally intermittent fasting is NOT A DIET it is a way of life or nutritional lifestyle. It will allow you to reach your goal in an efficient and convenient manner and aid to keep your physic once you have reached your goals!!

As I have mentioned IF is not for everyone, but it is a great way to lose weight, as long as you eat 'clean' during your window! I don't have a specific diet that I follow, I just eat good and I do 'carb cycle' meaning I eat starchy carbs such as whole wheat bread on really active days, less carbs (swap whole wheat bread for beans) on days I'm active (but not vigorous workout) and no carbs on my rest day (the only form of carbs that stay constant during these periods of carbs to no carbs is fruit and veg!). More on Carb cycling in a later post.

I hope this has enlightened you all!! I will post meal ideas etc later

Stay blessed