Intermittent Fasting – so many flavours you’d think you’re at a Baskins Robbins. Mmmm, ice cream. I’ve seen decent results with IF over the years, but I’ve noticed when I stop fasting I immediately gain back the weight I had lost. This goes back to the idea of sustainability. What good is it if I cannot maintain it as part of a healthy lifestyle?

Over the last 30 days I’ve engaged in something called the Warrior Fast. In those 30 days I’ve released over 20 lbs of fat, gained energy & focus, and can almost fit back into my skinny guy wardrobe. Skinny is a very subjective term here.

WARNING

Fasting is not for everyone. Please consult a physician before engaging in any form of diet or exercise. I cannot stress this enough. What works for some may not work for you and may cause you permanent harm. Go in eyes wide open, educated and ready. Monitor yourself daily to make sure that whatever you do is in the best interest of your health.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

The concept of intermittent fasting is to have a feeding window where you can eat, with a fasting window that far exceeds it. For example, a very common IF approach is 16/8, or 16 hours of fasting with 8 hours of eating.

What typically happens is your stomach shrinks, meaning even when you want to eat you are physically not able to eat as much, resulting in fewer calories in, the critical half of the equation for weight release.

What is the Warrior Fast?

The Warrior is a 22/2 intermittent fast. 22 hours of fasting with 2 hours of feeding. For me, I’ve chosen 6-8 PM as my feeding window so I can eat with my wife most evenings.

A few things I’ve noticed during my first 30 days:

• It wasn’t nearly as challenging as I thought it would be to not eat for 22 hours. I sleep for 8-9 hours, have a 0 calorie BCAA and taurine drink first thing in the morning, and am pretty busy each day that I don’t start thinking about food until 4 PM or so.
• The first few days I wanted to eat all the things – chocolate, chips, cookies, burgers, pizza; anything and everything. Not only did I fill up quickly, I felt like I was going to throw up. I quickly learned that my body craves healthy things. It’s my brain that craves the junk. Now when I think of dinner I think about how many different ways I can season chicken or fish, how many veggies can I cram into my face hole, and how much energy I can cram into this meal.
• I also found I needed a distraction to keep food interesting. Otherwise, it’s just fuel. I decided for me that food presentation was to become a hobby and an art. If you follow my INSTAGRAM you will see that I have taken to posting food pics. This is for my enjoyment, not yours, so only follow if you have interest. I often make food for my lovely wife, TIME FOR TOMFOOLERY, and she post these pics as well.
• Finally I figured out not to make plans after dinner. I basically fall into a food coma, where it feels like all the blood in my body rushes to my stomach to digest the meal. To say my sleeps have been fantastic would be an understatement.

So take your pick.

1. No fasting for me. I don’t think it’s something I could do/want to do for the rest of my life.
2. I’ll do some form of Intermittent Fasting.
3. I’ll do the Warrior Fast.

No judgements. No segregation. Only love and support. Post your decision in the comments below. Welcome to a better life.