"I used to be a big breakfast eater. Remember, 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!". Whatever... this was probably propaganda created by the huge breakfast cereal industry. Marketing genius at it's finest, right? Get the population to believe you need sugary, high carb and low nutrition value cereals in order to function at a high level during the day. Genius I say! "
I like to experiment on myself when it comes to performance. As an athlete, I've used myself as a guinea pig for years, experimenting with different training concepts and methodologies. Same with diets. I remember trying a super high carb diet many years ago, when 'high carb' was considered ideal for long course triathletes. I ate a loaf or two of bread each day, and lots of rice cakes. LOL.... I started to become doughy, like the bread I was eating!
I also went vegetarian for awhile, eliminating meat from my diet entirely. I was racing a lot at the time, and remember losing a ton of weight, getting down to around 155 lbs. That's way too light and skinny for me, considering I raced my best in the low 170's back 'in the day' (i.e. my 20's). While my running results were really good at that light weight, my cycling, swimming and overall recovery suffered tremendously. I simply had very little energy, strength or power, and I felt lethargic. I discovered that when I resumed eating meat / animal proteins again, my body responded well... as I gained back around 15 pounds, along with increased energy, power, and consequently, improved race results.
My point is this, we are all an 'experiment of one', and sometimes you need to try things out on yourself in order to see what works, and what doesn't.
This brings me to a new experiment.... intermittent fasting. Have you heard of it? If not, Google it. Basically, it's a method of eating only during certain 'windows' of time, so that you create a 'fasted' state. The idea has to do with how food stimulates insulin, and how massive fluctuations of insulin throughout the day can impact your body chemistry, energy levels, and your utilization of fat. In other words, if you'll use it as fuel, or store it around your belly.
The other issue is gut health. Eating 3-square (or more) meals a day apparently puts a lot of stress on the entire gut, as that food needs to be processed through the tubes, constantly. By giving your gut a break, it can help reduce or eliminate (no pun intended, ha ha) bloating and other GI issues.
Ok, so that's the background. I'm not going to dive more into the 'how', because I'm sure there are people reading this with PhD's in nutritional science that want to argue. That's why I'm just going to give you my current take on it, based on my experience.
So, for a few months now, I only eat during my 'window', which is from 12 noon until 8 pm. Ok, so sometimes I stretch my window, but that's essentially what I target. My results? While I haven't really measured them scientifically (sorry, my scientific nerd readers), I can tell you this... I like the way I feel overall.
I used to be a big breakfast eater. Remember, 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!". Whatever... this was probably propaganda created by the huge breakfast cereal industry. Marketing genius at it's finest, right? Get the population to believe you needed sugary, high carb cereals in order to function at a high level during the day. Genius I say!
Nowadays, I don't eat breakfast, and truth be told... I don't miss it one bit! Sure, I get a little bit hungry after my morning coffee (with a touch of half and half, or black), but the hunger goes away eventually. What this does for me is give me approximately 15-16 hours of being in a fasted state, forcing my body to burn fats, while giving my pancreas a break from producing a ton of insulin. Additionally, it reduces any sensation of bloating, and seems to enhance the digestion process from A-Z.
During my 'eating window', I eat pretty much whatever I want! My favorite meal is dinner, so I typically go light on my lunch. For dinner however, it's full-on feast of my favorite stuff... from steak and asparagus one night, to chicken and rice the next.... and I eat as much as I like, including desert. I never have any feelings of deprivation either.
From a performance standpoint, I feel strong and lean. I'm not focused on racing and high athletic performance at the moment, so perhaps that would be an issue.. but for everyday exercise and overall physical well-being (i.e. I Ride my bike about 100 miles per week, and lift weights twice per week, plus hiking.), I feel great.
So, that's my take and personal experience on the latest craze in diets, intermittent fasting. I like it so far, for now... but that might change. When you think about, why do you need to eat breakfast? Do some research on the dietary habits of some of the world's healthiest and longest living populations, and you'll see some interesting facts.
As a disclaimer, try it at your own risk. And if you have tried it , or if you have a strong opinion, share in the comment area below! I'm not suggesting that it's for everyone, but it might be worth a shot. After all, we're all an experiment of one.
Eat Well,
Coach Troy
I'm accepting new clients interested in increasing their athletic and personal performance. If you're interested in setting up a time to discuss your goals and objectives, and how I can help you, email me at coachtroyj@gmail.com
I like to experiment on myself when it comes to performance. As an athlete, I've used myself as a guinea pig for years, experimenting with different training concepts and methodologies. Same with diets. I remember trying a super high carb diet many years ago, when 'high carb' was considered ideal for long course triathletes. I ate a loaf or two of bread each day, and lots of rice cakes. LOL.... I started to become doughy, like the bread I was eating!
I also went vegetarian for awhile, eliminating meat from my diet entirely. I was racing a lot at the time, and remember losing a ton of weight, getting down to around 155 lbs. That's way too light and skinny for me, considering I raced my best in the low 170's back 'in the day' (i.e. my 20's). While my running results were really good at that light weight, my cycling, swimming and overall recovery suffered tremendously. I simply had very little energy, strength or power, and I felt lethargic. I discovered that when I resumed eating meat / animal proteins again, my body responded well... as I gained back around 15 pounds, along with increased energy, power, and consequently, improved race results.
My point is this, we are all an 'experiment of one', and sometimes you need to try things out on yourself in order to see what works, and what doesn't.
This brings me to a new experiment.... intermittent fasting. Have you heard of it? If not, Google it. Basically, it's a method of eating only during certain 'windows' of time, so that you create a 'fasted' state. The idea has to do with how food stimulates insulin, and how massive fluctuations of insulin throughout the day can impact your body chemistry, energy levels, and your utilization of fat. In other words, if you'll use it as fuel, or store it around your belly.
The other issue is gut health. Eating 3-square (or more) meals a day apparently puts a lot of stress on the entire gut, as that food needs to be processed through the tubes, constantly. By giving your gut a break, it can help reduce or eliminate (no pun intended, ha ha) bloating and other GI issues.
Ok, so that's the background. I'm not going to dive more into the 'how', because I'm sure there are people reading this with PhD's in nutritional science that want to argue. That's why I'm just going to give you my current take on it, based on my experience.
So, for a few months now, I only eat during my 'window', which is from 12 noon until 8 pm. Ok, so sometimes I stretch my window, but that's essentially what I target. My results? While I haven't really measured them scientifically (sorry, my scientific nerd readers), I can tell you this... I like the way I feel overall.
I used to be a big breakfast eater. Remember, 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!". Whatever... this was probably propaganda created by the huge breakfast cereal industry. Marketing genius at it's finest, right? Get the population to believe you needed sugary, high carb cereals in order to function at a high level during the day. Genius I say!
Nowadays, I don't eat breakfast, and truth be told... I don't miss it one bit! Sure, I get a little bit hungry after my morning coffee (with a touch of half and half, or black), but the hunger goes away eventually. What this does for me is give me approximately 15-16 hours of being in a fasted state, forcing my body to burn fats, while giving my pancreas a break from producing a ton of insulin. Additionally, it reduces any sensation of bloating, and seems to enhance the digestion process from A-Z.
During my 'eating window', I eat pretty much whatever I want! My favorite meal is dinner, so I typically go light on my lunch. For dinner however, it's full-on feast of my favorite stuff... from steak and asparagus one night, to chicken and rice the next.... and I eat as much as I like, including desert. I never have any feelings of deprivation either.
From a performance standpoint, I feel strong and lean. I'm not focused on racing and high athletic performance at the moment, so perhaps that would be an issue.. but for everyday exercise and overall physical well-being (i.e. I Ride my bike about 100 miles per week, and lift weights twice per week, plus hiking.), I feel great.
So, that's my take and personal experience on the latest craze in diets, intermittent fasting. I like it so far, for now... but that might change. When you think about, why do you need to eat breakfast? Do some research on the dietary habits of some of the world's healthiest and longest living populations, and you'll see some interesting facts.
As a disclaimer, try it at your own risk. And if you have tried it , or if you have a strong opinion, share in the comment area below! I'm not suggesting that it's for everyone, but it might be worth a shot. After all, we're all an experiment of one.
Eat Well,
Coach Troy
I'm accepting new clients interested in increasing their athletic and personal performance. If you're interested in setting up a time to discuss your goals and objectives, and how I can help you, email me at coachtroyj@gmail.com
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