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Cutting Weight

Right now I am sitting at 131 pounds. I need to be 125 in 6 weeks. Most people would think that is easy. But I like to EAT! No, I am not a binge eater. I keep mostly good, nutritious foods in our home, but I am a chronic snacker. When I am working or out and about, it's not a problem. It's when I am home and bored.


So, what means am I using to lose the weight? First off, over the past few weeks I have been using Intermittent Fasting (IF). What is that you ask? Here is a quick rundown:
  •  IF is basically a cycle of fasting and eating. For me, I find the 16 hours fast best. I don't eat anything after 8 pm. Fasting overnight is definitely the way to go. I only drink coffee and water during fasting. A LOT of  water. I find it helps with the hunger pains. My fast ends at noon.
  • How does it work? You are essentially starving your cells making stored fat more available. You cells initiate repair processes and several things happen. 
    • Human Growth Hormone increases benefiting fat loss and muscle gain.
    • Insulin levels drop making stored body fat more accessible.
    • Cellular repair is initiated where old and dysfunctional proteins are removed.  
Interested in IF? Check out this great article from Healthline for a more detailed description.

There is only a small amount of research available as IF is a fairly new concept, but most research states you can pretty much eat whatever you want when not fasting. I suggest maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet to get full benefits from IF. I am pairing it with a high protein diet similar to Keto. Though I must admit, I am not going fully Keto as my training regimen requires me to have some carbs. I try to save these until right before my workout.

Here is an article that explains the benefits of pairing IF and Keto.

So, what does a typical day of eating look like for me these days?
Lots of fats and protein for my first meal, a carb heavy snack before my workout, a healthy balanced dinner and a light snack before bed. Here is a sample:

Meal #1 at noon: Egg Scramble (2 eggs, 2 slices deli turkey, onions, bell peppers, spinach, tomato and cheese). Served with a side of avocado and almonds.

Snack around 3 pm: Green Smoothie (2 handfuls spinach, 1 cup almond milk, 2 Tbsp almond butter, 1 frozen banana, 1 Tbsp Chia seeds, 1 Tbsp ground flax).

Meal #2 at 7 pm: 5 oz Chicken, Salad with lots of veggies and proteins, broccoli.

Snack before 8: Grapefruit and protein muffin.

I am not gonna say its easy because it definitely is not. But it is doable. Stay away from processed sugars and high carb foods. And by all means, HAVE A CHEAT DAY. Mine are on Fridays. I am not saying go out and ruin everything you have worked for, but have that darn cupcake. My favorite cheat meal is a burger and fries from Five Guys. I do skip on the buns but it is still oh so worth it!

Need ideas to help get your diet cleaned up? Shoot me a message and I will hook you up!




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