Calories, Intermittent Fasting
I am starting to question this North American obsession with food. I have been trying the Fast 5 diet for 5 days now and I am starting to think that I have spent my life believing I needed more food.
Given the mental anguish (real or imaginary) I suffered at first, I would have thought that I’d be skinnier than a super-model by now. Not the case. My scales registered a 2 pound drop from my start weight this morning. 2 lbs is not even outside the range of accuracy of my scale. So despite a reduced calorie intake and having maintained my exercise regime – I’VE LOST NO WEIGHT. So why am I feeling this good?
The articles I have read online suggest that intermittent fasting could result in:
- Maintenance of muscle mass
- Reduced inflammation
- Reduced blood glucose and insulin levels
- Increased fatty acid oxidation
- Reduced oxidative damage
- Increased cellular stress resistance
- Decreased risks associated with degenerative diseases of aging (cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, Alzheimers)
I could live with that. I’ve also noticed a significant reduction in the swelling on my injured hand this week. Coincidence? AND I am stunned at how few calories I am consuming. STUNNED. Then again I have had some hunger pangs. And the odd light headed moment. But they have become fewer and far between in the last two days. Maybe I’m starving to death and have an eating disorder. Ah….No.
Anyway, I’m not here for the health benefits (which is pathetic). I’m Fast Fiving it to try and get into the light weight class at my first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament in Toronto in a month. Okay that’s a bit of a fabrication…I also want to be leaner. I just feel better and more confident when I lose the belly fat. I am extremely curious to see whether this forty six year, single father, can get lean without getting skinny or sickly looking. So I am using this tournament as a bit of an excuse.
This is an “intervention“. I heard about it at my seminar at Gym Jones back in 2008. They told me that the results would be “shocking”. Well…SHOCK ME.