Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Guest Post

Ricky paying the price for not having mastered double unders.  

Tom Moore contributed today's post.  Thank you Tom!

Let’s talk about intermittent fasting (IF). I’ve gone on about it before, but I’m getting energized about it again and wanted to share. It also makes me feel important to write stuff for the blog, so get over it.

Recall that IF is simply the act of going a long time between meals. There’s no exact definition, but that’s the idea. I like it because it keeps insulin levels low and steady for long periods, it encourages fat burning, energy remains good, and - this is odd - the unfed state simply FEELS good. The other thing that feels good is giving yourself permission to eat as much as you want when your main meal rolls around and how good it tastes.

Until recently, my version of IF was to eat 2 meals a day. I usually go to the gym in the morning and prefer the stomach to be empty when working out, so I’ve been eating mid-day and evening. But I got to thinking: if I like the feeling of the unfed state so much, why not extend it into the afternoon? So now I’ve taken to eating nothing in the morning, either nothing or a small amount (can of tuna and some coconut water, or an avocado) mid-day, and then really going for it in the evening. Any paleo food is fair game, but I try not to go crazy with fruits and other simple carbs.

All this is apropos of what, exactly? Well, although the Whole 30 just ended, Lent is coming up (Feb 22) and is traditionally a time when people are looking to commit themselves to things like dietary and exercise regimens. I plan to go strict paleo (the hardest part will be no alcohol, sad to say) and keep going with the one-big-meal-a-day version of intermittent fasting. This effort will go from Feb 22 until, oh, about 30 minutes after Jesus rises from the dead the evening of April 7, at which time I will celebrate with a glass or 3 of wine and some non-paleo dessert item or other.

If this post gets anyone else interested in having a go at IF, here is a post from Jeff Nimoy’s blog “Cooking Caveman” in which he outlines the way he transitioned into it. So did I whet your appetite?

Today's WOD