Friday, October 29, 2010

Delay Your Feedings

I've recently been trying a different approach with my own diet. I used to eat as the present knowledge of proper dieting would have all of us do. That is, eat many small, healthy meals spread throughout the day. This was fine and I have been doing this for many years, but I was ignorant to a different approach that may be much better for all intensive purposes. This different approach is called intermittent fasting.

I started researching this idea about a month ago. One of my friends has been following this eating method for quite some time and has been smashing personal records in the gym to go along with a hard-earned physique. I thought it would be worth giving a try, and I have been following it for about 3-4 weeks now. I have noticed that my body fat has dropped some despite the fact that I have not lost any weight. Also, I do not train to lose body fat; I train to gain strength and power for weightlifting competitions. This is a good thing...I might have gained some muscle!

One of the reasons I like this way of eating so much more is because I am not preoccupied by what my next meal will be or when I will have it. Also, when I eat, I eat big. I may on;y have two meals some days, but they are large enough to satisfy my hunger and hold me through the fasting state. Don't take my word for it...listen to the experts and try it out for yourself to see if you like it! It has worked well for me, so I will continue to use intermittent fasting.

You might be asking yourself, "what is this intermittent fasting all about"? I cannot explain all the technical physiological and psychological responses behind it, so I will just refer you to some very good articles from a first-hand source. Just click below for some background information on intermittent fasting.

A very good interview with Martin Berkhan, who is one of the most knowledgeable sources on intermittent fasting.

An article on the myths of fasting by Martin on his website, Lean Gains.

Alan Aragon's objective look at intermittent fasting.

Another article on intermittent fasting.

There are a few books that are worth looking into on this subject as well.

- Eat Stop Eat: Expanded Edition
- The Warrior Diet
- Martin Berkhan is coming out with a book (if it's not already out) that I suggest reading because of his practical and applied knowledge on the subject

1 comment:

  1. I will continue this method of eating for as long as I can foresee. It is practical for me, since as a doc you are not privileged enough to have a schedule that allots enough time for 6 small meals. Plus, it has done a more dramatic overhaul of my body composition than any other change I have made to my diet or training. This includes interval training. Harness the power of your bodies natural GH, glucagon, insulin, epi, and norepi, and prepare to be amazed.

    I am totally with you on this Doug. Stay strong.

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