Today
training:
Ruck
in park with 30lb. Xvest for one hour.( In early morning)
Bands,
GHD, ab roller, jump rope and stretching warm-up. (afternoon)
Barbell
and log dead hang cleans: sets of 10 @ 2 reps.
Atlas
Stone shouldering: 10 sets of 2 reps
Kettlebell
threshers: 50 reps with 2 bells. No
rest.
Heavy
bag punching and kicking with burpees for 20 min. (evening)
I decided to venture into intermitting
fasting for the reasons to reduce my body fat level and increase my insulin
sensitivity as my family has a history and to prepare for “Go Ruck”
events. I did my home work by reading everything
that was available on the subject, but the best work was by Dr. John M. Berardi
and his experiments on this diet process. You don’t hear much about this type
of diet as there no money to be made from it or something to sell, even books.
Dr.Berardi gives his book away on the web for all to see for nothing! Off we go!
The first order is to determine what
my current diet volume to get the required calories and still lose weight. What
I found using the old fashion diet log, is that I consuming 3500 to 4000
calories a day by eating almost every waking hour. Based on my starting body weight at 239 lbs
and a goal weight of 180lbs I would have to slowly consume 2000 or less each
day by regulating feedings. My food selection for the most part was in good
clean nutrients but there was some crap like chips and too much baked goods,
but the volume exceed my needs for training and recovery.
The second order of business is a base
line physical with blood workup, without that you don’t know where you stand
and not be able to monitor process. I got a earlier physical prior to starting
so I knew my vitals. Fortunately I had a second physical after 20 lbs of weight
loss that indicate good blood values and much improved BP and pulse rate. I
have frequent physicals during the year due to my emergency respond job, so I
know where I stand all the time. If there is any adverse changes do to my
experiment I would not be “jumping off the cliff”.
Disclaimer:
IF is not for those who don’t have the lifestyle to stay with the process or
understanding what nutrition you need for your current lifestyle. You can lose
body weight with any diet but you may be adversely affecting you health like a
lot of diets do.
Intermitting fasting is really a
eating process with defined “eating window” during the day and the rest of the
time you do not eat. Some follow a 12,8,6,and even a 4 hour” eating window” to
lose body fat and prevent over eating. During your “eating window” is the key
to success or failure as it limits a timed schedule when you can feed your
face. Most of us “graze” or eat continuously all day and consequently over eat,
especially the wrong foods. The suggestion that you can lose weight by “small-
frequent” meals, but unless you weigh and measure the intake, you can over
estimate the calorie content.
There
are some famous persons like Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who only routinely eats once a day due to
his busy schedule, which is basely the “warrior diet” style. Few can stick to
this eating schedule without a lot of diet management to get the require
calories for your lifestyle. That the point of my experiment, I have to eat
less calories but maintain recover of nutrients to perform Go Ruck training
activities, which has high body stressors. Surge
Go Ruck training
requires you to have endurance and strength to carry a burden for miles of
distance and have the strength to perform exercise for hours on end. Therefore
you don’t want to carry any extra body weight that is not contributing to your
performance….that being body fat! So using a food selective diet was out of the
question, as they rarely works long for myself to trim body fat without being
tired and loose strength if I was going into Go Ruck training.
So four months ago
I started my new training program and intermitting fasting to see if it was for
me. I keep a good journal each day to monitor weight and size changes in my
body. I found that the weight cane off so quickly that I had to increase my
calories during my eating window of eight hours (12 noon to 8 PM). However it
did take a month to get use to not eating shit beyond that time and eating
“breakfast” at noon.
Since I front load
my training mostly in the morning hours, I could train on an empty stomach
without a lot of discomfort of loss of performance. What I found that I
actually trained better without the morning “feeding” called the traditional
breakfast. There have been a few times during a squat session, I would throw up
my breakfast so now I can training without meeting “puke”. So at noon I ate a
high protein meal to start my day after my main or first training session. At
around 4 or 5, when our main meal with the family and a more carbo meal at
around 8 before retiring to supply energy for the morning training session.
That was my plan.
Being retried I can
maintain a sustainable schedule for the most part. It was not that hard except
for not eating breakfast the first thing in the morning. That took a month
before I adjust that eating time for the first month. With the three meals a
day without eating out of that eight hour eating window, I was shedding weigh
like melting butter. After the second month I had to increase the meal volumes
to get the required calories so I have recovery as there was times when I start
to feel the effects of low energy as I get a very low carb diet prior to my experiment
on IF.
Lessons learned:
1.
The selection of the
“eating window” is key to IF success as we tend to eat all our waking hours for
the most part. I chose 8 hours although
some use 6 and even 4hours, at the extreme end.
2.
You have do a diet log
prior to starting IF to see just how much food(every food or liquid that go
into your mouth all day) you are eating daily or weekly. You may find you are exceeding your required
total food intake for your goal weight. My intake exceeded close to 1000
calories per day based on a weekly total. That’s how one get fat!
3.
I chose the 8 hr. window
as it was the best if you are exercising and need three good feedings to supply
sufficient calories.
4.
Food quality has to be
considered so you get the proper nutrients to recover and not eating as often.
Food nutrient knowledge for selection is also real important. All protein, fats and carbs are not equal.
5.
Although you are fasting
for 16hrs. It does not feel like you are deprived or hungry after the first
month of IF.
6.
I “front load” my
training on my fasting time so I tend to burn fat instead of the stuff from
breakfast. Once you start to exercise, digestion slows down or stops anyway.
Training on an empty belly is very relaxing, especially on long rucks.
7.
I add one “cheat day”
which is Sunday to load up for Monday, which is a no eat day until 8:00 PM. I
can eat more and add some shit like Ice cream or bagel. I gave up alcohol as it
is a big spike on the insulin.
8.
The first meal is mostly
all protein and fat, the second is with some carbs and the third is mostly
carbs but low GI-GL selections.
9.
On hard training days I
add some extra whey protein for recovery.
10.
I did not have to change
my basic diet of foods I normally eat as I was most a low carb consumer anyway.
I did add more fats and no food tainted
with sugar as the goal was to increase insulin sensitivity. Insulin dumping into your system, yields fat
gain and big type 2 .
11.
A couple of times when
exercising in the morning that include very heavy intense workouts, I felt
light headed and stopped at that point.
I just had to change the heavy sessions after the first meal at noon if
I wanted to trash myself.
12.
It takes a lot of discipline to keep on
schedule to make it work, but if you are training hard you already have that to
relay on.
13.
After 4 months on the IF routine, I have lost
41lbs and 8” off my waist! So the shit works!
14.
I have not lost any
strength except for overhead movements like jerks and presses, but my deadlifts
and cleans actually increased as without a fat around my abs, I got better
range of motion and speed.
15.
My work capacity has increased each month as
my weight dropped. I can ruck longer
each week with more weight on my pack, which is at 30 lbs. and started with
10lbs.
16.
My recovery from exercise sessions vary
depending on what I eat and volume. That needs more work in progress to get
that dialed in.
17.
I still don’t drink
enough water but it more than before. Most people are dehydrated and don’t know
it as it reduces performance and health.
18.
I train now in frequent
short sessions of 30min. or less except for the ruck marches several times a
day. The next stage in my experiment to drop down to 180lbs which will bring me
at normal body wt. standards on any chart….and that may not be as easy as the
first 40lbs. weight loss .
Ken
The mission is sacred.
