Archive for February, 2010

Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss – Q&A

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

As I have  used Intermittent Fasting for weight loss and weight control, I find I am asked  a number of questions  about fasting for weight loss. It has been a while since I posted any frequently asked questions about Intermittent Fasting, so now seemed as good a time as any to post some.

As always if you have any questions that are not covered here, feel free to put them in the comments section, our you can mail me at retireddieter [@ = at] gmail.com

Q  Does Intermittent Fasting Slow Down Your Metabolism

A No, you are only taking a break from eating for a period of 24 hours. Studies show that periods of fasting for even 72 hours have no effect on your metabolism. The diet industry loves to talk about metabolism, but the truth is your base metabolic rate really does not change. I think the best example I can give here is my own weight loss success . I continued to lose body fat using intermittent fasting without any metabolism issues.  Claims that your metabolism slows down if you don’t eat for a few hours is a myth.

Q  Is Juice Fasting  The Same As Intermittent Fasting ?

A  No , if you drink a fruit juice, you are still consuming calories. I actually the find the term Juice Fasting misleading, as you are not fasting at all. It would be quite possible to drink more than your normal daily calorie limit from fruit juice, though hardly satisfying.

Q What Do You Have During Your Fasts ?

A I have black coffee, the real stuff, no instant ! I drink green tea and fruit teas,  Twinings green tea with mango is one of my favourites. I also will drink diet drinks like Pepsi Max, though I tend to mainly stick to hot drinks.

Q Do You Count Calories

A No I do not count calories in the sense of looking at every meal , but I would say I am aware of the approximate number of calories I eat. The problem with diets is we tend to underestimate the number of calories we consume, and this is one reason weight loss can be a problem. The days I fast make it easy to cover my calorie miscalculations.  I would suggest that if you are just starting to use intermittent fasting for losing weight, then keep a food diary for at least 7 days first. It will give you a good insight into where and when you use consume  most calories.

Q Do You Do Your Workouts While You Are Fasting ?

A  Yes I have done my bodyweight workouts on days when I am fasting, In my own experience I do not find any difference between working out fasted or when I have eaten, and I doubt you will be surprised to hear I don’t go in for the ” you must eat after a workout ”  advice.

Q When My Fast Is Over What Should I Eat ?

A  Just eat as if the fast never happened. For example if my fast is from dinner to dinner, then I just eat that evening meal as normal. I eat as I normally would, no special rewards because I fasted, just the regular meal.

Q  Will Intermittent Fasting Burn More Belly Fat ?

A Intermittent Fasting for a 24 hour period does burn more fat, but you can not spot target where on your body the fat is burned.

Want To Know More About Why I Am A Retired Dieter ? Want To Know How Lose Weight Using Intermittent Fasting  ? Then Enter Your Email Below And Get My Story

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Getting A Six Pack – Current Status

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

So today is the mid point since I set myself of the goal of getting  six pack abs by Easter Sunday. I have 6 weeks to go.

So do I think I will now get Six Pack abs In 6 weeks ?  Well  I can certainly see a change in the first 6 weeks of going for this, but more on my chest and arms at the moment. My waist has reduced, because I am now in the very last hole of my belt.

I did take some pictures at this half way point just to record the progress, and see how they will compare, but I won’t put these up before the end of this experiment.

No question the new bodyweight workouts have added some muscle, but the body fat still needs to go lower. Saying that, I think with a few extra changes, It is possible to get my abs showing in 6 weeks.

On days when I am fasting, if I tense up, then yes I can see my abs, but currently they are still hidden by a layer of fat. The focus for this next 6 weeks is to increase the fat burn.

I try not to focus too much on the scales these days, as I say I go more by the mirror and my clothes, but the scales are saying I still weigh 175lbs. My body fat % is down from 12.4% to  11%, so I have lost some fat and gained some muscle, but I also know I am going to have to do more.

If I look in the mirror, I would say I still need to lose about 7lbs of fat, so that certainly is possible in 6 weeks.  You may wonder what am I going to change ?  Well only one thing, eat a little less  !

My problem now is not controlling my weight, I have that under control for the last 4 months, what I have to do now is make some extra changes to help lose the final bit of fat. I need to just watch a little more the amount I eat.

My bodyweight workout is challenging me, and it changes every week, so currently there is no need to alter anything there, but food wise, I am going to reduce down a little more, using the eat 10 calories per llb of body weight as a guide.

This means I am giving myself a target of 1750 calories per day over 7  days which equals 12250 for the week. I track calories over the week, not by the day. So now I have to figure out based on my normal weekly lifestyle where this works.

I will start with Beer. Usually I  have 10 pints on a weekly basis, on most weeks, these are  on a Friday and a Sunday, yes it’s  more than the government suggest I drink, but I don’t listen to them, besides on  my recent medical, my Doctor says I am healthy, and I have a fitness age of a 25 year old, so I am not giving up the beer, I like a visit to the pub,  and even in this quest for the six pack abs, I have to stay true to my beliefs. My whole point for doing this experiment is to show I can get abs even though I am in past forty and  without giving up the visits to the pub.

10 Pints of  an average 4% ABV beer is around 2000 calories.  So that leaves around 10,000 calories.

How a typical week can look for me

Sunday  3,000

Monday 1,250

Tuesday 1,000

Wed      1,250

Thursday 1,250

Friday  2,500

Saturday 2,000

Sunday is the biggest calorie day for me because it includes my family Sunday lunch, plus the Sunday evening pub quiz.  The weekdays are very easy for me to cut down calories , so that is what I will do.

Breaking the calories down in this way does show me why the progress in the first 6 weeks has been slow. I do have to remember I am not  going from 231lbs this time, and dropping body fat at 175lbs is going to need a little bit more effort. The goal for me is to do that , while still staying true to my retired dieter principles of not giving up the foods I love  and not exercising like a madman for 2 hrs a day.

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Weight Loss Tips – Restriction Not Refusal

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

They say a little of what we fancy is good for us, and I think it applies very well to weight loss.  I think  a significant reason for my own weight loss success was down to the fact that no foods were off limits. Before I became a retired dieter last year I would always be on some diet that would have something that was not allowed. No white bread, no white rice, no butter,  no pasta, or worse no alcohol !.

At the start of last year, and with  a large amount of weight to lose, I knew that I would not be able to refuse the foods I liked over a long period of time. The key to healthy weight loss is variety, and enjoying your favourite foods without guilt while just eating less. Short periods of calorie restriction is much more manageable for long term weight loss than trying to cut calories every single day.  So my weight loss tip is to restrict the amount of your favourite foods, but certainly don’t refuse them. If you eat more than you should, then compensate for it later. View your calories over a week, not by a day, it is normal that some days will be less than others, just make sure that over the longer period your calories are less than you need. No matter what many will try and tell you, it is about calories in and calories out. Eat less calories than you need and you will lose weight, eat too much, and you will gain weight. In my case enjoying the foods I love and then using intermittent fasting to restrict calories and burn body fat  has enabled me to finally get the results I have wanted. Weight loss is about the bigger picture, not trying to lose 30lbs in one month while refusing anything you like. When I accepted dieting was not the answer, and just focused on eating less, I finally started losing weight, no special plans, magic weight loss pills or diet secrets required.

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Bodyweight Exercises Going With The Flow

Monday, February 1st, 2010

So the start of a  new month, and I started a new bodyweight workout routine.  If you don’t already know, I am not a member of any gym, and bodyweight exercises are the main way I do resistance training.  So instead of spending money on a expensive gym membership for the new year, I decided to buy myself a new bodyweight workout book. Over the last year I have seen some very interesting stuff  using bodyweight exercises  from Adam Steer and I was impressed enough to try his and Ryan Murdock’s  Bodyweight Exercise Revolution. I am using that  they call the 4×7 wave. This means that the workout cycles every 4 days, and you do it straight for 28 days. I should point out here that you build up the intensity , it is not that you do hard workouts every day. 2 of the days are more recovery from the 4th days hard session. I bought the ebook a few weeks ago, so have have had plenty of time to go through everything, but only now am I putting it into effect. February seemed the logical time to try a 28 day workout routine, so that is what i am doing.  The book also comes with access to videos of the routines. When I first read through the book I did have some questions that I needed clearing up and Ryan Murdock was great at answering all I need to know. I will say Adam makes the exercises look easier than they are, but I am really looking forward to testing this out.

With the goal to get the abs showing by Easter Sunday I am looking for these Circular Strength Training routines ( CST)  to help me on that journey. Of course I will still be fasting for weight loss to ensure I keep losing body fat, but I also want to get more flexible and improve my fitness , and after trying these workouts recently ( though I have to say I tested them not using  the in  4×7 flow  that they suggest , I just went through the routines to see how they were) I know that they will deliver what I want.

The programme also has a video with Ryan showing you how to use Prasara Yoga  so adding this is where I expect to see my mobility improve.

If you want to see if  BodyWeight Exercise Revolution is for you then you can check it out here

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