2019-08-01_Men_s_Health_South_Africa

WEIGHT LOSS

“Surprisingly, there was no fallout for me

in terms of struggling to exercise while

fasting, so I kept at it.”

“In November 2018 – eight months

after starting IF – I weighed 73kg, with 8%

body fat. That’s 11 kilograms and 6% of my

body fat lost! I also did a full blood count

to have a look at my liver, blood glucose,

cholesterol, and kidney function. They

were all in good shape.

“From first-hand experience, I can

say that on a solid health foundation,

intermittent fasting was the missing

puzzle piece for me to transform my body.”

What It’s Really Like To Do IF

“There certainly are challenges that come

with doing intermittent fasting. But

anything worth doing is usually tricky,

and will require discipline.

“Mentally, breaking the habit of

your three-meals-a-day eating routine

can be hard at first. Socially, including

intermittent fasting into your daily

routine can be challenging if you’re

having a late dinner, early breakfast, or if

you’re travelling.

“This may require some discipline, in

terms of delaying your fast or planning

your fasting days in advance. Your job

may also present a challenge to fasting,

especially if you do night-shift work: here,

timing fasting to ‘office hour’ days may

need to be explored.

“There are several variations of IF,

though. So you can investigate the version

that works best for you and your lifestyle.

You also don’t have to go cold turkey – you

can start with just one or two fasting days

per week, and build up from there.

“Remember, IF is designed to be a

lifestyle change, and not a fad diet.”

Feed Your Mind

“There’s an abundance of research

available relating to fasting: from

interviews and expert opinions on the

physiology behind fasting, to personal

testimonials from the likes of Georges

St-Pierre and Terry Crews.

“If you’re keen to give it a try, I

strongly recommend educating yourself

about IF before jumping straight in.

Truly understanding the science behind

it makes the change easier and more

sustainable.”

Intermittent

Fasting improved

Nick’s daily nutrition;

which in turn,

helped his physical

performance.

MH.CO.ZA/ August 2019 69

5:2

Popularised by

British journalist

Michael Mosely,

and the subject

of many books

and blogs since,

strictly speaking

this variation

isn’t fasting. It

involves kilojoule

restrictions on

two days of a

seven-day week,

and eating

normally for the

rest of the week.

But it’s worth a

try if you’re still

unsure whether

IF is for you, and

you’re not ready

to commit fully.

Alternate

Day Fasting

Also known as the

Warrior Diet. You

fast one day, and

eat normally the

next.

Time Restricted

Fasting a.k.a. 16:8

This is the most

used version

of intermittent

fasting – and the

version used by

famous IFers Terry

Crews and Hugh

Jackman. You fast

for 16 hours in a

24-hour period,

and eat during

the remaining

eight. Commonly,

that would mean

eating your last

meal at 7pm,

and eating your

first meal of the

next day at 11am.

And that’s my

preferred fasting

method.

PICK YOUR FORMAT

There are many different methods

for doing intermittent fasting. Here

are some of the most common.

Intermittent Fasting (IF)

is the planned abstinence

from consuming or

restriction of kilojoules

for periods of time. The

theory behind it is based

on the idea that humans

and animals adapted

to survive without

periods of food, and

that our nervous system,

metabolism, hormones

and muscular-skeletal

system can all adapt to help

us perform normal bodily

functions in the absence

of food.

This was the lifestyle

of the hunter-gatherer,

who went for extended

periods of time without

finding food. But as we

evolved, food became

easier to find; and, the

theory goes, over-feeding

became a problem for us

as humans – as evidenced

by the obesity rate around

the world.

A major reason for

many people trying IF

is to lose weight. And

research does seem to

support it as a method for

reducing weight in people

who are overweight or

obese.

The idea is that a

reduced period of eating

will naturally result in you

consuming fewer kilojoules

in a day. But it’s the coupled

shift in your metabolism

and hormonal changes

that’s key. This could be the

spark you need to lean out

and get ripped.

I’ve found that by timing

my training and eating, I

don’t have to worry about

supplements to boost

hormone levels. Research

shows that there are

proven increases in growth

hormone with fasting, as

well as an increase in

testosterone.

Testosterone is

known to help with fat

loss; it’s involved with the

development of muscular

strength and size, and

it can encourage tissue

growth and repair. Growth

hormone helps to build

and repair tissue, for fast

recovery.

Good news for getting

shredded! – Nick

NEVER HEARD OF IT?

HERE’S A CRASH COURSE.

INTERMITTENT

WHAT?

journey of self-mastery.”

“My last weigh-in – back in November

2017 – tracked my weight at 84kg, with

14% body fat. After roughly eight months

of fasting and regular exercise, without my

focus being on weight or body fat, I noticed I

was really starting to lean out.”

“Losing weight was never the aim of my

experiment with IF. I was – and am still – in it

for the health benefits. I’m also fighting some

of my genetic affinity towards chronic disease.”

Feeling The Difference

“What kept me going with IF, when there

weren’t any noticeable physical changes, was

the feeling that I had during fasting: more

energy, mental clarity, better moods, and

more productivity kept me enthusiastic.”