LeanGains / Intermittent Fasting (“IF”)

Alright, being in France I have been putting on some weight lately – not too much, but the trend is worrying. I did lose quite a lot of weight by counting calories, and I don’t mind doing it again. However, I have obviously learnt a lot on the way, and it seems to me that there are easier ways.

Firstly, I am nowadays more towards Paleo and (slightly) low carb – or shall I say “good” carbs? I used to do more Zone-ish eating, but the combination of food-logging & Zone just makes eating such a mechanic thing. And I am in France after all, and I own a BBQ for the first time in 10 years… But seriously – one thing that Mr LeanGains – Martin Berkhan in real life – said, and that rang true with me was that fasting was just much easier. Having five small and well balanced meals each and every day is just a lot of work! Maybe it is just me, but if I don’t plan the meals, or at least design them on the fly with MyNetDiary, then I end up nibbling, and nibbling, and nibbling, and guess what? I ends up being quite a bit!

Having only three meals a day, just making sure neither the calories not the macronutrients go all off the rails is so much easier – and, importantly, so much more compatible with some kind of social life, and also with eating real food. So this is what I will do:

• Fast between 2000 and 1200 (16 hours); eat between 1200 and 2000 (8 hours)
• No refined sugar, no starches on non-training days: social exclusions apply; I will monitor fruit intake (and prioritise low-fructose fruits where possible, except for apples); I also have this awesome unrefined cane sugar – maybe I can put some of it into a Petit Suisse from time to time
• Good starches (and maybe even some sugar) on training days: potatoes, rice mainly
• Calories a volonte for the time being – I have the impression that if I eat reasonable portions at the first meal after fasting, and then listen to my  body, the overall calorie intake will be actually not too bad; to be seen and possibly checked from time to time

Will report back how it works – already ran into the first problem today: had tennis classes 2000-2130, and hadnt eaten enough through the day. I therefore ate some more around 1900-1930, and in tennis this did not go well. Need to figure out with exercise scheduled just after the feeding period – shortening it? moving it forward? TBC