A new diet, and 3 more days!

As I may have been able to convey in previous posts- I am a huge fan of the zone, and my body has never felt better than when I did the zone, and follwed it to the letter.
However I have to admit that the constant weighing, and converting was about to drive me absolutely nuts. Not to mention the constant feeling of guilt of having had a couple of almonds too much, or summing up the day and having to admit to oneself that I had a red apple instead of a green, and it was probably a large apple and not a small apple, like it was supposed to be..

So after driving myself up the wall and back down, an epiphany appered in the shape of the diet-oracle Jonna! She had found a diet called Intermittent Fasting.. You can read the article she emailed me below- but let me just say that it is the best thing that has ever happened diet-wise, and the results I have been getting on my WOD's have been great!

I guess I could have been a sport and compiled it all- but I'll just admit that I got it all from Jonna, and loved it right of the bat.. Please check out her blogg for more info..

Read the following http://www.leangains.com/
Sunday, June 27, 2008

Sure-Fire Fat Loss
My name is Martin Berkhan and I work as a nutritional consultant, magazine writer and personal trainer. I also happen to be a proponent of intermittent fasting for health, fitness and fat loss. I have my own blog about fasting (www.leangains.com), but when Mike asked me if I’d like to make a guest post on his blog, I thought that’d be a great way to present my method in greater detail.
The Leangains protocol consists of two phases; 16 hours of fasting, followed by 8 hours of feeding. During this period, three meals are usually eaten. Depending on the day, the composition of those meals varies; on workout days, carbs are prioritized before fat, while on rest days fat intake is higher. Protein remains fairly high on all days. That’s a very basic and general description of the protocol I employ; of course, variables change depending on goals, gender, age, body fat and activity levels, but it would be hard to describe it in greater detail without drifting off too far.
Most of my clients are fitness enthusiasts, athletes and weight trainers, but the great majority of them have one thing in common – to look good naked. The ‘gain’ in Leangains can therefore be a bit misleading, as most of my clients wants to lose fat, while retaining as much muscle as possible in the process. While their diets might vary, it rests on some nutritional principles that I thought I’d present to the crowd reading this post. These principles will work for everyone, regardless of fitness level.

Here are a few guidelines that I consider success factors for performance, fat loss and excellent diet compliance.

• On workout days, break the fast with meat, veggies and a fruit. If you’re planning to train shortly after this meal, add a few carbs in the form of a starch source – potatoes or whole grain bread, for example. Make it a medium sized meal and don’t stuff yourself. Train within 3 hrs of having eaten this meal and have a much larger meal after your workout; in this meal, add more complex carbs – and you may even have one of your favourite treats as dessert, if it’s not too high in fat and if eaten in moderation. Good examples of what I refer to as ‘treats’: low fat ice cream, sorbet or JC’s cheesecake. Bad example: Chinese buffet or your son’s birthday cake. You get the point, keep it within moderation and don’t pig out.
• On rest days, eat less calories than on workout days - do this by cutting down on carb intake, and make meat, fibrous veggies and fruit the foundation of your diet for this day. The first meal of the day should be the largest, in contrast to workout days where the post-workout meal is the largest. Largest doesn’t necessarily mean largest in terms of volume; I suggest getting at least 40% of your calorie intake in this meal, and the dominant macronutrient should be protein. I’ll have some clients eating upwards to 100 g protein in this meal, so don’t be afraid to pile on the meat (or whichever protein source you prefer). Fattier meat and fish like ground beef and salmon are examples of some excellent protein sources that may be consumed on rest days.
• In the last meal of the day, include a slow digesting protein source; preferably egg protein, cottage cheese (or any other source of casein based protein). Meat or fish is also ok if you add veggies or supplement with fiber. This meal will keep you full during the fast and exert an anti-catabolic effect on muscle protein stores by ensuring that your body has an ample supply of amino acids until the next meal.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Why would I do Intermittent Fasting along with weightlifting?
I will briefly outline the benefits of IF in this post.
All the claims made are scientifically proven through empirical studies on humans.

* Increased insulin sensitivity, possibly resulting in superior nutrient partitioning as compared to traditional meal patterns; especially when combined with weightlifting. There are also several other health benefits, including improved blood lipids (scientifically proven).

* Possible to reduce bodyfat and increase lean mass through a cyclic calorie intake.

* No more obsessive thinking about food and worrying about eating every second hour.

* Very liberal approach to calorie intake in the eating window (8 hrs) and post-workout window; you can eat to your hearts content and still lose bodyfat.

* Increased mental focus, energy and productivity during the fast.

* Increased metabolism during the fast. Ironically, most people think it´s the other way around.* Appetite suppression during the fast. This is particularily beneficial if your main priority is to lose bodyfat.That being said, IF is not a universal solution to gaining lean mass and losing bodyfat. Just like there are people that prefer high carbohydrate diets, and loathe low carb diets, some people will prefer a higher meal frequency and more regular meal patterning. However, those that like IF rarely go back to their old habits of meal patterning and meal frequencies.

• Whole and unprocessed foods should always take priority over processed or liquid foods, unless circumstance demands a compromise. For example, you might find yourself in situations when there is little time to eat or prepare foods – in such a situation, having a protein shake or meal replacement bar is ok, where as solid, more satiating foods should be consumed whenever there is ample time to cook.

More reading
http://avidityfitness.net/2008/01/12/interview-martin-berkhan/

http://www.theiflife.com/2008/08/29/intermittent-fasting-roundtable-the-experts-talk-about-if-for-fat-loss-muscle-and-health/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-intermittent-fasting/

http://www.alanaragon.com/an-objective-look-at-intermittent-fasting.html

3 More days

Day 9

Courtesy of CrossFit NSC:
For time:

5 Pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 squats
Run 200m
12 pull ups, 21 KBS (24 kg)
Run 400m
75 Wall ball shots
Run 400m
21 KBS, 12 Pull ups
Run 200m
15 Squats, 10 push ups, 5 pull ups

Day 10

25 DB snatches
25 GHD sit ups
3 rounds for time

Day 11
Max push ups, rest 1 min- repeat 5 times- post scores for each effort!

Day 12
Rest- you are worth it!

I am happy that so many have joined in on the challenge- I would love to have some more join, so please kick some people around you onto the challenge- the more the merrier:-)

Much love

Mads