Let's Talk Intermittent Fasting

For Hugh Jackman to gain his ridiculous amount in size in the movie Wolverine, he had to consume a TON of food. As discussed in an interview, For Jackman's role playing Wolverine, he claimed to be eating an incredible 5,000 calories each day.

For the Wolverine Diet, what's important isn't only what types of food he ate but also when he ate them. How could a person like Jackman consume that many calories without putting on hardly ANY fat? In interviews, Jackman claimed that he implemented a "16-8″ dietary routine. This means that Jackman fasted for 16 hours and ate during 8 hours.

Intermittent Fasting

The Wolverine Diet that Hugh Jackman was on utilizes the concept of intermittent fasting. As described above, you fast for 16 hours and eat during 8 hours. What are the benefits of this eating schedule compared to a traditional diet approach?

- Better Mental State

Dieting is hard work. By only eating during 8 hours, you can focus on other tasks without worrying about food. For Hugh, he ate between 10 am and 6 pm. This means that after his early morning workout, he can focus on his shoot for a few hours before having his first meal. If his shoot goes into the late hours of the night, he can sleep when he is done.- Increased Growth Hormone

Hugh was 44 years old and to develop a muscular physique at that age is astounding. As many studies have shown, it is harder to improve your physique as you age because your metabolism slows down, and less growth hormone is produced. In Hugh's case, he chose to utilize intermittent fasting for the growth hormone benefits. According to a study by the University of Virginia, fasting significantly increases growth hormone secretion.

- Burn More Fat/Increase Muscle Size

Take a breather for a second. This isn't some hokey pokey infomercial diet craze. Intermittent fasting has allowed individuals to burn excess fat and pack more muscle. However, you must be training in a fasted state, just like Hugh does in the early morning hours. According to a study by the Research Center for Exercise & Health out of Belgium, less glycogen is burnt during fasted training, with higher amounts of fat being burned off. Because you are left with more glycogen, you have more energy while reducing your body fat percentage.

According to another study by the Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, your body receives a more considerable anabolic spike with your post-workout meal following fasted training. This means that your muscles may grow faster in a shorter period, but you'll see better performance in the gym.

My 16:8 Intermittent Fasting Experience

I remember the day I started my intermittent fasting after reading one of the books by Caleb Lee.

It was one of the most Difficult, Exciting & Learning Experiences for me because I was very determined to lose my belly fat, and I wanted to take it as a lifestyle.

The Journey was not so easy; this is my Daily Intermittent Fasting Schedule, which is as follows:-

11:30 am – I get up from my bed & drink a gallon of water.

11:45 am – Start doing H I I T workout for 15 to 20 min non-stop.

12:15 pm – Drink Green Tea to cut more fat from the body.

02:30 pm – Lunch time, where I eat moderate food (the First Meal Of The Day ).

6:30 pm – Again, Green Tea.

10:30 pm – My Big Large Satisfying Dinner ( Biggest Meal Of The Day).

FED STATE VS FASTED STATE

·??Insulin High in Fed state & Insulin low in Fasted State.

·??Glucose High in Fed State & Glucose Low in Fasted State.

·??Burning glucose in the fed state & Liberating fat in the Fasted state.

·??Storing Fat in Fed state & Burning Fat in Fasted State.

Let's learn about the pattern which I followed each day.

As you can see, there is a gap of 16 hours of the fasting period between my Last Dinner & First Lunch.

There is an 8 hours Feeding window between my Lunch & a Dinner.

I followed the 16:8 Intermittent fasting plan, which suited me the best.

There are many Intermittent Fasting Plans that anybody can try at their convenience.

You can analyze my meal plan & say that it is the most challenging one, but it depends on your habits & it will become easy gradually as soon as you try.

My first week was very challenging as I used to feel very Low in my energy levels.

Especially when I complete my High-intensity workout & go for a green tea.

Because it was a time when my insulin level was so down after the workout that my body was in a High Catabolic state, I also went for the green tea, which will cut my Fat even more.

After that, I used to wait desperately for my Lunch, which gave me great satisfaction after 16 hours of fasting.

After that, after 8 hours, I go for my dinner, which is the biggest meal of my day.

My ratio of Carbohydrates, proteins & fats is 3: 2: 1.

Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan

Finally, I want to say that it changed my life completely because I began started to eat quality foods; during this process: –

·??Complex Carbohydrates like brown rice, sweet potato, oatmeal, etc.

·??Lots of Vegetables like tomato, onion, cucumber, etc.

·??Almonds, cashews & walnuts with each of my meals.

·??Whole Milk.

·??Chapati & lentils.

·??Fruits like apples, bananas, grapes, etc.

This is just a sample of what I used to eat during my intermittent fasting days, but you can modify it anytime.

Remember that complex carb should be maximum in your diet if you want to cut harmful fats from your body.

Complex Carbohydrates should cover the maximum amount of your diet plan because they are slow-releasing carbs, which don't spike the insulin level much & give long-lasting energy.

Types Of Intermittent Fasting

As you have seen, I have followed the 16: 8 intermittent fasting diet plan, but there are also other fasting diet plans which you can follow: –

1 ) 16: 8 Fasting Or Lean Gains

In this plan, we eat for 8 hours window & remain fasted, for another 16 hours window, which helps us to eat a large quantity of food, at night & then also we don't feel bloated when we wake up in the morning.

A day's overall calorie intake also goes very high after skipping breakfast.

This plan is also followed by one of the famous actors, whose name is Hugh Jackman.

2 ) Warrior Diet or Alternate Day Fasting

This is one of the toughest IF diets, with a 20:4-hour split.

In this, we remain fasted for 20 hours & have only 4 hours of feeding window.

This type of diet allows huge & satisfying meals at the end of the day.

In this plan, we skip breakfast & Lunch.

This is a very advanced form of fasting & it is not recommended for beginners.

3 ) Eat Stop Eat

This diet plan involves fasting for 24 hours, for just two days a week; it can be according to your choice.

Some people think it is a stupidity, but after fasting for the entire day, if anyone starts eating the double or triple daily calories, they will not get fat.

Eating as much as you want another day, then also several calories will be less, as compared to the regular eating of 2 days, which will create a calorie deficit & the person will not get fat.

4 ) 5: 2 Fasting

In this plan, a person eats five days normally, then the other two days, the calorie deficit happens.

The reduction of calorie intake for men is 600 calories & for women, it is 500 calories.

It is the best fasting method for beginners, and the next stage will be 16:8, then warrior diet & then eat, stop eating.

This is the pattern of fasting; anyone can start from 5: 2 & can advance to where ever they want.

INTERMITTENT FASTING BENEFITS

·??Improves Metabolism

·??Increase Concentration

·??Increase Insulin Sensitivity

·??Fat Burning

·??Metabolic Exercise

·??Increase Growth Hormone

·??Improves Hunger

·??Improves Brain Function

·??Improves Immune System

·??Fights Cancer Cells

·??Improves Digestive System

·??Improves Fatty Liver

·??Reduces Inflammation

·??Normalize Blood Pressure

·??Improves Allergies

INTERMITTENT FASTING DISADVANTAGES

·??Decrease Level of Energy Levels

·??Obsession of Food during Fasting Period

·??Over-dependency on coffee

·??Harmful During Pregnancy

·??Metabolic Disturbance

·??Menstrual Irregularities

·??Caring too much about Body Shape

SHOULD WE GO FOR AN INTERMITTENT FASTING PLAN FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

I have explained in detail my IF experience, with its pros & cons & the types, so that anyone can be able to start their fasting journey if they want.

Now here comes the most crucial part, the precautions which you must go through before starting any type of fasting: –

·??Consult your doctor before fasting, especially if you have diabetes & on medications.

·??Anyone can have vitamins or supplements while fasting, as long as they don't have any calories, but you don't need any supplements when eating nutrition-dense foods.

·??Don't worry about losing muscle from lack of protein during the fasting stage, as long as anyone eats an adequate amount of protein during their meals.

·??No one will ever lose muscle during the fasting, as long as they are exercising regularly & doing-especially resistance training such as lifting weights.

·??Following an LCHF pair diet pairs nicely with IF and will significantly improve fat adaption.

·??Anyone can exercise while fasting, either cardio or lifting weights, but I recommend doing cardio or HIIT during that time.

·??Drink Plenty of water & no caloric beverages during fasting; coffee & tea in the morning makes fasting more exciting.

·??Don't use intermittent fasting as an excuse to eat a lot tons of junk foods because it will not help you lose fat; on the other hand, it will make things worse than before.