This IF-ing guy!

So the other week I was going trough my CrossFit blogs and saw this post linked on CrossFit NYC discussing Intermittent fasting. Up till that point I had heard a little about IF here and there across the CrossFit community but nothing that really got me interested in learning more about it. Robb Wolff has discussed several times on his website. Maybe it was so different from what I had heard for the past 5-6 years since I started getting into "health & fitness" I never really took it serious?

For so long I have been one of those that preached the 5-6 small meals a day approach to eating. I have experienced lots of great results for both myself and athletes I have been able to work with. It was what everyone did... whether you wanted to gain, lose or maintain weight it has been 5-6 meals a day... it was just common knowledge that it was the best way to eat. After reading around the interweb about IF and going through some of the different studies and the arguments for this style of eating... I now personally think it makes a lot of sense.

I personally am a big fan of an evolutionary explanation for just about anything that has to do with people. Over at the Modern Forager they offer this brief description...

"A constant titration of calories and insulin is not a natural state for humans, who would've fasted (or eaten lightly) during the day's hunting and gathering and then feasted at night. Some days there would be little food (unsuccessful hunt). Some days there would be abundant food (woolly mammoth!). But nevertheless, our ancestors would not have eaten 5 meals each day. I have no scientific data to back this up, but my body tells me that giving it a break from constant digesting is much appreciated."

This very basic explanation makes sense to me. Back in the day people didn't have a time table where they "had to eat," they ate when they were hungry and they had to eat what ever they had. There must have been days where the food hauls were scarce and they had to involuntarily fast and go without food. Like wise when they had food I would bet the would definitely eat their fill and not worry about spreading out their meals in small portioned segments through out the day. I also have become a huge fan of doing everything that "mainstream fitness" says not to do... so IF  has that appeal as well.

Over the past year since the gym has become busier and busier I have slowly (and almost unknowingly) switching to a IF style of eating. switching from 5-7 meals through out the day to 3-4 meals. Mainly do to not planning ahead... I would have a large breakfast that would carry me through till lunch/ wod time, then a larger lunch and a dinner after the day was over. I have been eating more paleo over the past year for the most part. I have discovered that my body works really well on a very high fat diet, moderate protein and lower carb style eating plan. This also might be why I remember most people's numbers so well.

After reading a few more articles I decided to dive into IF and give it a go. M-F I decided I would switch to a template similar to the lean gaines model. I am even forgoing beer M-F and trying to limit the nectar of the gods over the weekend... baring special events or get togethers. My typical eating schedule now tends to look something like this...

530am- black coffee

10am or 12pm- WOD

11:30am or 1:30pm- first meal of the day. carb heavy but still with a fair amount of protein and fat.

330-4pm- second meal of the day- much less carbs. much heavier on the fat and "moderate" on the protein.

730-830pm- last meal. mainly fat and protein with little carbs.

The interesting thing is that I have experienced so far is that even though the meals are much closer together and larger... I feel less full of food then I did when I was eating 5-7 small meals through out the day. When I wake up in the morning I feel light as a feather and ready to go. My energy is about the same if not improved, in my wods especially. In the past 2 weeks my strength numbers have been going up a little better and my lungs/ met-con feel great. As far as "leaning out/weight-loss," I feel some of the extra lbs I had are going away at a rate that matches the results I have got from doing standard "paleo/zone." Another benefit that I like about this approach to eating is the "less stress" factor. You don't need to worry about exactly when you are eating or missing a meal and throwing off the entire days plan. Planning meals can also be a bit easier when there is only 2-3 instead of 5-6 of them.

I am still going through with this little experiment on myself before I preach this method to all our athletes... all though I have a few that have agreed to try it out and see how it works for them. Just like any other approach to eating you need to find a way that works for you and what you want from your diet. Woud IF work for someone that is trying to gain pure size and strength.... probably not. Would it work for someone that is trying maintain strength and get faster and lighter... probably a bit better of a fit for that person.

I will touch on this a bit during my section in the paleo seminar this weekend. If you would like to learn more here are some of the places that you can check out till then.

What is this again?

Is intermittent fasting healthy?

The leangains guide to intermittent fasting

Better blood glucose with lower meal frequency

If you want more

Coach P