"Life In The 'Fast' Lane..."

I have never been that person who forgets to eat or skips a meal because I’m too busy. My bag is always stocked with protein bars, dried fruit and nuts, “just in case” ! 

Even at work, my managers know to schedule an eating break for me at least three hours in to avoid a blood sugar crash. 

So I never even remotely considered trying intermittent fasting when I first read about it.

Even the word “fasting” conjured up all kinds of negative thoughts, from having to prep for a medical test, to fasting religious holiday headaches and grumpiness from lack of food. 

But the more I read about the process of intermittent fasting, the more intrigued I became. I love to eat and I hate to diet. I’m one of those people who will never go on a no carb, no fat, keto, Whole 30, or any other eating plan that eliminates an entire food group. 

Intermittent fasting is not a food plan, it is a pattern of eating. You don’t change what you eat, but the time in which you are eating it. You can make the most of your meals without counting calories or going crazy on a diet. Intermittent fasting allows you to eat bigger meals actually, but within a shorter time frame.

In intermittent fasting, what essentially takes place in the body is that one source of energy — which can facilitate the accumulation of body fat — is switched for another

You can keep muscle mass on your body and get lean because intermittent fasting allows your body to shake off the bad belly weight. Since it requires no change to your diet, intermittent fasting is considered a simple technique, but meaningful enough to make a difference.

Your body goes through stages to get to this point starting with 

1) THE FED STATE- When you are digesting and absorbing food, your body is in the FED state. This starts when you eat a meal and lasts for three to five hours throughout digestion. During the fed state, your insulin levels are high, which makes it difficult for your body to burn fat. 

2) THE POST-ABSORPATIVE STATE- This lasts for 10 to 12 hours after your last meal. During this time frame, your body is not processing any food. After the post-absorptive state, you enter the fasted state. It’s all related to intermittent fasting and how to schedule when you eat.

3) THE FASTED STATE- This is when your insulin levels are low again, about 12 hours since the last time you ate. Fasting puts your body into a fat-burning condition. 

There are a number of different ways to fast intermittently. I found that starting with the 12 hour fast and 12 hour eating works best at the beginning.

-The 12:12 method— a way of eating where the body uses fat as an energy source instead of glucose. Instead of eating whenever you want throughout the day, you're limited to consuming your daily caloric intake within a 12-hour window, and then fast for the other 12 hours. This means that if you eat dinner at 8 p.m., you won't have breakfast until 8 a.m. the next day.

-The 16:8 method: Also called the Leangains protocol, it involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eatingperiod to 8-10 hours, such as 11–8 p.m. Then you fastfor 14-16 hours in between. You can drink water, coffee or other no-calorie drinks during the fast period.

-The 5:2 diet: using this method, you consume only 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week, but eat normally the other 5 days. 

-Eat-Stop-Eat: This involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week; Like not eating from dinner one day until dinner the next day.

Intermittent fasting can be used to either maintain your current weight or reduce your calorie intake to lose weight.  (But that doesn’t give you license to over-indulge during the eating periods)

Fasting can also help you burn additional calories during your workout. Because I work out early in the morning, I was really worried that the fast period would limit my strength and endurance after 10-12 hours without food.  But this pattern — known as a fasted workout or fasted cardio — has never hindered my workout, and may actually be beneficial.

When insulin levels are low, your body has no choice but to burn fat. Naturally this happens faster when you haven't eaten, Your body uses fat stores for energy rather than the glucose in your system, which is what happens if you eat prior to the workout session.

In order to be in a truly fasted state, you'll have to go without food for at least 10 hours, which is why morning workouts are so effective.

Research has shown many benefits to intermittent fasting:

·       Boosts weight loss

·       Increases energy

·       Promotes cellular repair and autophagy (when your body consumes defective tissue in order to produce new parts)

·       Reduces insulin resistance and protects against type 2 diabetes

·       Lowers bad cholesterol

·       Promotes longevity

·       Protects against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

·       Improves memory and boosts brain function

·       Makes cells more resilient

 I started with the 12:12 method and have worked my way up to the 16:8 fast (Ok sometimes 14:10) I find that drinking lemon water, coffee or tea during the fast period is helpful. Many people find the 12:12 method to be the simplest, most sustainable and easiest to stick to for weight maintenance, but get better results for weight loss with the 16:8 method. 

I’ve been consistent for over four months now and have seen some weight loss. But, more importantly, I have seen a visible increase in my muscle mass, and a significant decrease in the bloat and belly fat I was putting on. I find that the scale drops a few pounds when I’m more vigilant about a longer fast.

It's been an easy way to kind of rev up my metabolism without too much sacrifice and I'd definitely recommend trying it. It would be a great way to finish out the holiday season and avoid packing on weight !!  

  

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It's Easy Being Green..."

Happy April! 

We’ve had three full months to figure out if we want to try or toss our 2018 resolutions! This year, I decided NOT to make any specific resolutions, but to look back on the healthy practices that have worked for me in the past, and see what I can add this year.

In 2010, I wrote about a supplement called CLA. I’d been taking it for a few years and had seen benefits. I’ve continued to take it twice a day and have seen a reduction in belly fat first hand. When I have forgotten it or switched to a less potent brand, I notice a real difference. You can read about how CLA works in , “Hit The Road Fat…”

http://fitnessbarista.blogspot.com/2010/05/ive-never-been-huge-fan-of-supplements.html

In 2013, I decided to try taking Apple Cider Vinegar every day. So many articles, both pro and con, have been written about the drink, but I still see benefits from it, so I’ll continue along that path.

 Check out the benefits I have seen in “Cider House Rules…” http://fitnessbarista.blogspot.com/2013/02/cider-house-rules.html

Then in 2015, I started meditating on a regular basis. This, by far, is the best thing I’ve done for my overall stress level and well being. It has helped me better deal with situations, people, life events and my own trepidations. And now, there are so many new options. There are books, apps, and videos to teach you meditation. There are even classes in some cities where you can participate in group meditation.

But as I said in the blog, you can do it on your own. Read about it on Fitness Barista in “Let’s Talk About Stress Baby…”

http://fitnessbarista.blogspot.com/2015/03/lets-talk-about-stress-baby.html

So this year, I’m continuing these practices. 

However, with the flu so rampant this season, I also decide to try adding additional “greens” and healing herbs and spices to my daily routine. My family jokes that I’m adding to my “voodoo” and ask, “What is this witchcraft?”  But really, I’m using ingredients that you probably have in your spice cabinet.

The one addition is the individual packets of dried greens. The ones I use are called “Greens On The Go” from ITWORKS. I had ordered them a while ago, but never got to trying them. The blend has quite a few ingredients that you can find listed on their website, but I like that there’s broccoli, kale, blackberry, beets, blueberry, strawberry and spinach listed in the powdered packets. It’s got an orange flavor to it that is surprisingly good. (Even though my husband calls it “Swamp Juice”!)

 -Greens supplements are the powdered remains of fruits, vegetables, and herbs that have been either freeze or light-dried, so the end product is essentially calorie-free or very low-calorie. 

-Additionally, greens supplements will often contain a wide variety of ingredients, so sourcing the ingredients for the supplement isn’t limited to what can be easily pressed and juiced.

-Greens are know to boost energy levels, prevent chronic disease, reduce inflammation and brighten skin.

-Because they are in a powdered form, the nutrition is highly concentrated and you get more bang for your buck.

-The powder is easily absorbed into your system, so they get to work quickly. 

-And, most of all, they’re convenient: you should be eating whole fruits and vegetables, but sometimes you can’t get it all in. This is an awesome alternative/addition!

I mix it with my apple cider vinegar and add extra powdered turmeric and cinnamon. I shake it up and drink it in the morning right before I work out. I don’t want to jinx it, but, so far, so good! (After having pneumonia twice last year, I’m hoping this keeps me healthy).  

My daughter knows one of the distributors and her kids drink the greens, too. She calls it “Hulk Juice” which I’m sure encourages her boys to partake!

It could be a placebo effect, but I don’t think so. With everyone around me at home and work sneezing, coughing and feeling yucky, I’ve had only mild sniffles and sneezing.

My resolution every year is to feel the best I can, and if these little additions can help, I’ll keep at it!

What practices, foods, supplements, workouts have you added to your year?

Secret Formula....

     

Anyone who knows me can tell you I have trouble sitting still for long. I have the attention span of a puppy, and can usually be found whirling from room to room at home, or back and forth across the store at work.

     So when it comes to my workouts, you are not going to find me slogging miles on the treadmill or repeating the same set of exercises over and over. On a good day, I can usually only last about 10 minutes on a cardio machine. I’ve always loved circuit training and fast paced fitness classes, but had to create my own combo to put the two together. It’s fine for a while, but sometimes you just need the motivation of a class full of people to push you a little harder.

      Enter my new favorite workout: Formula Total Body at The Fitness Formula in St. Louis’s Central West End.

 They offer both classes and personal training. The staff of instructors, trainers, and physical therapists have a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and  fun (yes FUN) that I don’t see in many of the chain boutique fitness studios. Each class is a little different based on the instructor, but the Formula Total Body classes all incorporate interval training with machines and weights. 

The intensity is based on your heart-rate and all exercises are modifiable, so everyone trains at their own pace.

     It’s total body, one-hour, heart-rate based interval training using free weights, kettlebells, TRX, sandbells, boxes, and a variety of machines, including the incline trainer, Versa Climber and a water rower.

-The incline trainer is a treadmill that goes up to an incline of 30%. You can walk or run at your own pace, adjusting the incline. Even at lower speeds, you burn more calories but avoid injury risk. 

-The Versa Climber is a low impact machine that simulates what I describe as crawling up a wall without the fear of heights. It uses both your arms and legs in a kind of cross-crawl pattern, strengthening your inner core and balance. 

-The water rower gives you the feeling that you’re actually rowing on the water. The low impact, smooth, rhythmic, and meditative movement of water rowing works 84% of your muscle mass during one exercise while lengthening contracted muscles. 

-The mix of free weights, TRX, kettlebells, sandbells, med balls and jump boxes build strength & power, define muscle, and build bone density. While the machines help build your cardio endurance.

     The daily workout mix is posted as you walk into class on a whiteboard. You have an idea of what’s coming, but the instructor leads you through the workout. Dividing into groups and teams, you alternate strength work and cardio throughout the class.  As I said before, the workouts are different every day, but they all move smoothly between sets. Some switch quickly and repeat, others are longer and fewer.

   They incorporate the MyZone Fitness tracker, so your name, heart rate and level of work show up on the screen in class, encouraging you to push a little harder to get into a higher zone. It's not mandatory, so if you're not into the numbers, you can still take the class and push at your own pace.

     My favorite days are the one-minute intervals, switching from cardio to weights every 3-6 minutes. (It speaks to my short attention span). For those who like to get a little distance on the treadmill, rower or climber, some classes use longer intervals. Some days you use all of the equipment, other days it’s more kettlebell or TRX. But each workout hits all of the muscle groups without overtraining.

     

Best of all is the support you get from the instructors and owners. They will be your biggest advocates, keep you accountable and cheer your successes.  My husband has been training with both of the owners and they constantly assess his progress, modify his workout to fit specific needs (he had knee replacements a few years ago), and update and revise his workout program. All with a sense of humor and tough love. 

They are located at 4630 Lindell Blvd in St. Louis, 63108.
Phone is 314-696-2700 or you can email them at info@fitnessformulastl.com.
Your first class is free and you can sign up on their website at: www.fitnessformulastl.com

     If you live in or near the Central West End, it’s right in your backyard. But it’s worth the drive from all over STL, especially now that summer is almost here. Because after a great workout, who doesn’t love a healthy lunch or dinner at a CWE restaurant patio?