Upper East Side

Intermittent fasting. Most of you have probably heard this phrase going around the gym a lot lately. Lots of people are doing it and seeing great results (myself included), but it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you try it. It may be right for you, and it may not. The key with any “diet” is sustainability. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you’re fasting, counting macros, or eating paleo — it has to be something you can easily maintain as a lifestyle.

I actually started IF by accident. I was working a lot of early mornings, waking up around 4:15. With running around, coaching classes, and training clients, I wasn’t having my first meal until around 11 a.m. — nearly 7 hours later. I didn’t change what I was eating or how much. I was still loosely tracking macros and eating relatively the same amount as before.

However, I started to notice an ab or two in the mirror, my clothes were looser, and I had way more energy. I didn’t understand why I was losing weight, but then I gradually realized the one thing that had changed was the timing of my meals. So I said to myself, “Self, what if I started doing this on purpose?” That was about nine months ago, and I’ve been “intentionally” intermittent fasting ever since.

I did some research and discovered there was actually a lot of science behind what I was doing. Go figure. Without getting too much into the nitty gritty scientific, here’s essentially what’s going on and why IF works. At any given time, your body is either in a fed or fasted state. Your body is in the fed state when it’s digesting and absorbing nutrients. The fed state starts when you start eating and lasts for about 3 to 5 hours after. In a fed state, it’s harder for your body to burn fat because your insulin levels are higher.

After you’re no longer in the fed state, your body enters the post-absorptive state, which just means your body is no longer processing food. Eight to 10 hours after that, you enter the “fasted” state, where it’s much easier for your body to burn fat because insulin levels are low. So essentially, IF puts your body into a fat-burning state that you rarely get to when eating on a “normal” schedule.

Before we go any further, let’s make something clear. Limiting your eating window doesn’t give you carte blanche to eat whatever you want.  At the end of the day, the total calories you take in matter, and IF won’t change that.

That being said, I don’t count macros anymore. Mostly because I did it for so long that I’m pretty in tune with how much I eat and what my body needs on a training versus non-training day. My fast is typically 14 to 16 hours, overnight and into the morning. I drink as much water and coffee as I want before I break my fast.

However, unlike most intermittent fasters, I break my fast at a different time daily, based on what time I’m training and whether I’m coaching early in the morning or late at night. I’ll start eating later if I’m coaching at night since I know I’ll need food to power through until 9 or 9:30 at night.

My eating window is usually 10 hours, but can also be as short as 8 or as long as 12. I’ll have my first meal 1 to 2 hours before training, which typically has about 40g of protein, 50-60g of carbs, and 30g of fat. Again, I don’t count so this is mostly estimation. During training, I’ll usually have a shake with 20g of protein and 25-35g of carbs. With the large meal and the intra-workout shake, my energy stays up during training and I never feel hungry or weak. I’ll have two more meals in the 4 to 6 hours following training, with roughly 70-90 grams of protein, 90-125 grams of carbs, and 55-70 grams of fat spread across both meals (carbs depend on training volume).

Essentially, I’m taking in anywhere from 1950-2300 calories over the course of 8 to 10 hours. I rarely get to the point where I’m starving, cranky, or low on energy. If your goal is leaning out while still building strength, I think the pre-workout meal and the intra-workout protein/carb shake are essential. Your highest carb meal should then be the one you’re eating 1 to 2 hours following your workout.

So how can I continue to lose weight eating 2300 calories? Honestly, my training volume isn’t ridiculous or overly taxing anymore. I typically spend 60 to 90 minutes (including warm up) lifting and doing accessory work or gymnastics, and finish with the class metcon or a 360 workout.

It’s all about timing. I still eat bagels, pasta, peanut butter, potatoes, tacos, cupcakes, and everything else I love in moderation. I still drink wine and margaritas. I just make sure everything fits into my eating window and I’m good to go.

Fasting has changed the way I look at food and nutrition and has changed my body for the better. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a “normal” eating pattern. And who wants to be normal anyway?