What's old is new again.
Intermittent Fasting is here and it's the rage, but should you be so fast as to start
eating and following this nutrition plan?
We're going to look into that today.
What's up guys?
Jeff Cavaliere, ATHLEANX.COM.
Today we're going to start to address a topic here that I've been getting questions about.
Obviously it's the rage.
It seems like everybody is talking about Intermittent Fasting.
Now I have sort of avoided the topic because I have my own personal preferences when it
comes to nutrition.
And I have my own personal preferences when it comes to what I feel is the most effective
approach to eating healthy and getting results.
And really, what I think it comes down to is the long term viability of an eating plan,
and that's what brings us to Intermittent Fasting.
So for those of you not familiar with it already, Intermittent Fasting is basically an eating
plan that revolves around altering periods of when you can eat with periods of fasting
when you're not eating.
So, there is a couple variations of it, but the two most popular, again, I said what is
old is new, this has been around guys for a long period of time, it's just been revitalized
of late.
You have a 16 hour fast with an 8 hour window to eat in.
Now the thing about intermittent fasting here is, that's not all so different, that is lets
say, if you woke up and had breakfast at 9 and you had your dinner at 5.
That's 8 hours right there.
That might happen for most people.
And then you wouldn't eat after that and you wouldn't eat before that.
That is a variation of intermittent fasting.
But it's not so uncommon or out of the ordinary, that could happen.
But when you start to get into the 18 hour fast with 6 hours of eating, now we start
to delve into a territory where I think it becomes a little bit unrealistic.
Now why do I say that?
First, let me qualify, I know a lot of people who do intermittent fasting and see good results
from that.
My problem is, it's not a long -erm solution.
Ok, I think that I don't usually address things that are not long term solutions because that
is not necessarily what I am interested in.
I am not trying to get ready for a competition, I am not trying to just loose some pounds
for a short period of time.
I am not trying to get somebody to look good for a photo shoot.
The goal of AthleanX and the goal of my philosophy as a trainer is to get somebody to be able
to perform at a better level than they are today and to be able to stay there.
And that's from a nutrition side of things and that's from a training side of things.
We're trying to create long term changes, lifestyle changes that can stay with you forever.
My problem with intermittent fasting is that it's not a real lifetime option, I don't believe,
again I am going to qualify it.
Guys if you're doing it and you like it and you're sticking with it, by all means continue
to do it.
I'll always support what I think works for people.
But for me what I say is it doesn't become very, even social, right?
Because let's say my 6 hour window, let's say I started at 8 in the morning.
If I start at 8 in the morning, then I am done by 2.
Now I don't know, maybe you're dating someone and if you are going out to dinner at night,
you can't eat because you're on your Intermittent Fasting schedule
You know that's not going to go over too well with them.
Or even just with a family atmosphere.
One of the best times of the day is coming together at the end of the night as a family
and eating together, but unless you're manipulating your hours where you're not eating your first
meal until let's say 12 in the afternoon, then your fasting is going to exclude your
dinner.
And you're not going to be able to eat.
God forbid you eat a minute after 6 o'clock because that's outside your 6 hour window.
And the rest of your family can sit there and watch you stare at them eating their food.
I just don't think that someone is going to do that forever.
And that is my main argument is that it's not a real conducive plan to long term change.
The one final point that I will make, if you are an overweight guy or if you're a guy that
has a lot of mass already, doing an intermittent fasting schedule can definitely help you to
lean up and can definitely help you to lose fat.
Again, whether it be short term or long term is depending upon whether you can help you
to keep with that schedule.
But I don't recommend it for guys that are hardgainers, at all, because I really feel
that one of the main things that guys struggle from when they are hardgainers is an overactive
metabolism, one that's processing and going through your foods each and every hour to
the point where it is humming along.
You need to continue to fuel that fire, and going long periods without doing that is not
going to play into what is needed for that guy to actually start to build muscle.
And I am not saying that you are not getting as many calories when you are a hardgainer
on a fasting schedule.
Because what guys will say is,' I don't care you are at 6 hours.
You can still eat 8000 calories' if you're a hardgainer in 6 hours as opposed to spreading
it out over the day.'
But my argument is when you look at healthy food, things like sweet potatoes and chicken
breasts and your classic healthy food, generally guys they're nutrient dense but they're not
so much calorie dense.
They are calorie low.
And they're usually fibrous, so by the time you wind up eating these things, it's difficult
to eat a lot of calories when you're eating healthy and eat them throughout a condensed
period of 6 hours, You just simply aren't that hungry.
So hard gainers, I don't really think that is a great option.
But guys as I said, with AthleanX I am looking for long term, long term solutions and intermittent
fasting in my eyes is not really a long term solution.
So if you are doing it and getting results guys, keep doing it.
Ok, I can't stress that enough.
Keep doing it because I want you to essentially do what's working for you.
If it's bringing you closer to a healthier you, then that's whats good.
But if it's something that you feel like you are struggling with, and you're struggling
to maintain or will be able to maintain forever, then it could be time to start thinking about
a lifetime solution, alright something that you could live with forever that works.
And for me, it's the way I approach nutrition, and my whole X-Factor meal plan is based around
something that I feel you could live with forever.
Guys, if you haven't already, head on over to AthleanX.com.
Take a look around, look at the AthleanX training program.
It has what I feel is a lifelong solution to nutrition as well as a lifelong commitment
to training by training you like an athlete in getting you to start moving and feeling
better.
Not just looking better but moving better too.
And I think that this is really where this is at.
So, guys, again, give me your feedback below, I know you are all going to have your different
opinion on Intermittent Fasting and I respect all of those.
So fill er up down below, let me know and also click on the link and visit AthleanX.
I'll see you guys back here in 7 days, if I survive the newest hurricane, Hurricane
Sandy.
We might come back here next week, if we survive, with the Hurricane Headrush, Part 2.
I'll see you guys soon.