Diary of a Fasting Man

So, summer is almost here, and I have a little more jiggle around my waistline than I'd like. However, I'm also training to enter an weightlifting competition. In my experience, I cannot get stronger, at least to any significant degree, while going on an effective diet to lose weight. A caloric deficit just seems to ruin my workouts.

My solution: intermittent fasting. It's a way of eating that has become really popular with fitness professionals recently. I didn't say "diet", because you're eating normal, healthy foods, but only eat them certain times and fast the rest.

Despite it being simple, I don't feel like explaining it because shut up. Here's an infographic that does a better job than I ever could.

To stick my toe in the water, I'm going the one-day approach: Don't eat for 24 hours. From 10 pm on Saturday, May 18, to 10 pm on Sunday, May 19, I can drink water and coffee and green tea to my heart's content, but no food. Indeed, nothing with any calories whatsoever.

This is the log of my experience.


Saturday, 10 pm- Okay, just finished up my last meal for 24 hours.

Liver and Onions.

Liver is supposed to be like..the best food ever for you. It's also, however, a liver. I kind of tastes like squishy pennies, and the whole time I was eating it I couldn't not  think about punching into a cow and ripping out its liver (one of its livers? I don't know cow anatomy) and throwing it in a skillet.

Anyway, fasting isn't looking as bad now.

Sunday, 11: 30 am- This is when I for real sat down to write this blog entry. I have a cup of coffee in hand, and so far no appetite to speak of. Googling "liver and onions" helped. 

However, I've tried not eating a whole day before, back when I was a teenager. I vowed not to eat during the weekends so I could lose weight (because shut up, you weren't a rocket scientist either). I made it 6 hours. 

Today, I'm going to remind myself of why I'm doing this by sitting without a shirt on and looking down at how my fat rolls bunch up and grabbing them while calling myself names before seriously considering whether or not I have medically significant body issues. Huh. 

2:12 pm - Okay, so the first hunger pangs are finally starting to hit. I'm used to eating right as I wake up, so four hours later... yeah, I can feel it. So far, it's manageable. I'll just drink some water and play Xbox to keep myself occupied.


3:51 pm - Starting to feel it now. That sort of weak feeling you get when you're really hungry. Coffee should help. Yeah. gonna drink some more coffee. That'll clear up the jitters. I'm I skinny yet?

Darren kind of looks like a turkey leg.


4:41 pm- coffee has not made me less jittery. Water now.


5:39 pm - Feeling great, actually. Hunger is gonOH GOD NOW THAT I'M WRITING ABOUT IT THE HUNGER IS BACK WHAT HAVE I DONE

So yeah, I don't know if its actually hunger, or appetite. I've found that I'm pretty much surrounded by food, all day, all the time. It makes me wonder how much I would crave food if it wasn't always immediately available.

Something to think about; brain food, if you wTHAT WAS STUPID I DID IT AGAIN


6:27 pm - This is where it starts getting tough. All I can think about is that I know in 3.5 hours I can eat again, and it's going to be a protein shake and a big pizza and breadsticks and a PB&J because shut up, I'll do what I want, no it's not negating any benefits I got from fasting, shut up. Oh my....pizza... it's going to be amazing.


6:50 pm - I'm going to watch how i met your mother and hope they don't talk about food they wouldnt do that would they why would they be mean like that


7:28 pm - Friends are over. They want to play Magic. They don't know my pain. They don't know what I'm going through. So I'm making a point to bring it up every 9 seconds. My pain will be their pain.


8:12 pm -  That pizza is going to be amazing. I'm going to eat it so hard. I'm going to savor it and let it swim in my mouth and whisper sweet nothings to my taste buds before gracefully sliding to its rightful place in my gullet.


8:13 pm - Food is better than sex. I know that now. I know that because I've decided that I'm not actually all that hungry. But the thought of eating something delicious after not eating anything at all for .... 22 hours and 13 minutes is at the forefront of my mind and it isn't leaving.


8: 19 pm - Still there. Yup.


8: 27 pm - There's only an hour and a half left to go. I can't tell if that makes it easier or harder. But I'm going to make it , and I'm not even going to pretend it was all that hard. There are starving kids in the world who have been three days without food and they're thankful when they get a bowl of under cooked white rice for their one meal before the next three days without food.

On a side note, I don't know if I feel good about myself forcing a fast to look better when so many people do it because there is no food to eat.


8:59 pm - Game of Thrones time.


9: 10 pm - Also Game of Thrones time.


9:31 pm - Ordering that pizza online while still trying to watch Game of Thrones. OH HELL YEAH YOU TELL HIM TYRION.


10:00 pm - 

10:20 pm - Ughl....stomach may have shrank a bit during the past 24 hours....normal pizza load not well received...no touch me now.....Am I pretty yet?



The Next Day: 

So, it's done. And you know what? I'm going to do it again. I don't feel weak today, and I don't feel like I need to eat two days worth of food to make up for yesterday. FYI, I normally overeat pizza when it's available to me, so last night wasn't out of the ordinary....except for the fact I got full quicker than normal.

One of the primary benefits cited by intermittent fasting is appetite control, and I can definitely see it. One bowl of oatmeal this morning, and I feel like I could go hours without eating, which is normal for normal people, not normal for me.

The effects? I couldn't tell you. It's been one day. What I'm going for here is a hormonal change, which could take weeks to take effect, especially if I'm only doing one day a week. The most popular methods involve fasting 16 hours every day, eating good food (which apparently isn't pizza) during the 8 hour window. I might progress to that, because 8 hours sounds like a long time to eat. It means you skip breakfast, but that just means I'm eating eggs, turkey bacon, and wheat toast for lunch instead.

All in all, I can see how this works for people. Everything works. There are tons of success stories of people using intermittent fasting, and tons of success stories from almost every other diet ever written. The key is finding something you can do that won't kill you or compromise your health.

I'll try it again next Sunday, if that's any indication.

Why? And Other Philosophical Conundrums

There is a reason you're reading this blog post instead of looking at pictures of cats, which is what most of the rest of the internet is doing right now. In some way, shape, or form, you care about your fitness, and you're probably taking steps to make yourself more healthy. You are hopefully working out on a regular basis because you see value it provides, maybe you watch what you eat because you know it is key to weight control, and you are at this very moment putting forth effort to further your understanding of fitness. These, good people, are very admirable traits to have.

But why are you doing all these things?

Goal setting kind of takes a back seat to the ins and outs of training and nutrition, but it is absolutely as important. Nobody takes on a new task without having some sort of goal in mind. There was, after all, a reason you first stepped foot on that treadmill or picked up a weight in the first place.

Goals are the foundation of your fitness program, whether you've written them down or not.

Many of us, at this point, are going to the gym for the same reasons we brush our teeth: we know we should, and it's become a habit. There is definitely nothing wrong with this, but wouldn't you like a whiter smile? Wouldn't you get more out of your workouts and diet if you had a specific goal to be your driving force? 

And let us not forget those of us who are on the brink of quitting. Exercise can be very hard, and working up the motivation to go to the gym after a long day of dealing with the rest of life can be even harder. But if your reason to keep going is stronger than the reasons to quit, you'll stick with your program and see results.

Here's your homework for the day, due by the next time you work out. Write down the answers to these questions, and keep them in mind as you work.

...Seriously, get out a pen and paper, it won't take five minutes, and you'll actually get something out of it.

What is your end-game?

This goes beyond wanting to lose weight or look better; it's the foundation for your reasoning to work out, and it could be the hardest to answer. What do you want to ultimately achieve from working out?

-I want to be with my children as long as possible, and exercise will keep me going.

-I want definitive control over something in my life, and my body is completely up to me.

-I want the constant confidence that comes with having a powerful body.

Really think about this one, because "I want to bench 225" is a lame motivator without context. Remembering you end-game is the only thing that will keep you going during the times you really want to quit.

How are you going to get there?

What path will lead toward your end-game? This one is easier, since it's probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your fitness goals. 

-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier.

-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis.

-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle.

These are the traditional goals, and they're easy to write down.

What steps are you going to take?

This might be the most complicated step. These are your programs, your diet plans, your workout schedule, your mousetraps in the cookie jar; the things you do to be closer to your end-game. This is what personal trainers do, which is awesome because it simplifies this step down to "Do what Justin says." This is a philosophy I recommend to all of those people close to me.

-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier. To do that, I'll start eating 1800 calories a day, and work with my trainer three days a week.

-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm going to make it to a Spin class twice a week, work out on my own twice more a week, and cut out junk food from my diet.

-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle. To do that, I'm going to work hard during the online program my trainer has laid out for me, and make sure to eat at least 150 grams of protein a day.

How are you going to measure your progress?

You need numbers to back up your progress, otherwise you're just guessing. Many of us ignore this step because we almost always guess in our favor, and that's much easier than confronting the numbers to see if we're on track. Pick one or two good indicators of progress, and measure them weekly, preferably on the same day at the same time.

-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier. To do that, I'll start eating 1800 calories a day, and work with my trainer three days a week. I will measure my waistline every Sunday to see if I am making progress.

-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm going to make it to a Lift class twice a week, work out on my own twice more a week, and cut out junk food from my diet. I've downloaded a fitness journal app, and I'll post the results to Facebook every week for my friends to see. 

-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle. To do that, I'm going to work hard during the online program my trainer has laid out for me, and make sure to eat at least 150 grams of protein a day. I will gain weight while staying within 2% of my current bodyfat, and I will measure both every Tuesday before my workout.

Pick a S.M.A.R.T. number.

If you don't remember this acronym, it stand for "Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant  and Timely."

Or the same thing with different words, for people who want to be difficult.

This is your short-term goal, and it helps to keep your end-game in sight by breaking things down into doable chunks. There are literal books written about this acronym, but if you've read this far I trust your competency in figuring it out. Just don't be afraid to set lofty goals; falling just short of losing 20 lbs by June is still better than achieving your goal of losing 2 lbs by July, and you'll work harder to achieve the former.

-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier. To do that, I'll start eating 1800 calories a day, and work with my trainer three days a week. I will measure my waistline every Sunday to see if I am making progress. I want to lose two inches by June 1st.

-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm going to make it to a Lift class twice a week, work out on my own twice more a week, and cut out junk food from my diet. I've downloaded a fitness journal app, and I'll post the results to Facebook every week for my friends to see. I will not miss more than two workouts every month, and I will not have pizza more than once during that same month. 

-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle. To do that, I'm going to work hard during the online program my trainer has laid out for me, and make sure to eat at least 150 grams of protein a day. I will gain weight while staying within 2% of my current bodyfat, and I will measure both every Tuesday before my workout. I want to gain 5 lbs at stay under 12% bodyfat by the time I go on vacation.

Look back over your paper, and see if it puts your goals in perspective. If you've been stuck in a rut for months, just going through the motions without getting closer to the end-game you had in mind when you started, it might be time for a change. Remember your end-game, and always work towards it.

Your goal today: lift a heavy thing. 

Want to Get Started? Try Showing Up

"80 percent of success is showing up" - Woody Allen

I don't know about you, but when I need motivation to throw some iron around in the gym, I always turn to the wise words of Woody Allen. Sometimes. Once. Anyway, I like that quote.

Nowhere is this sentiment more applicable than the gym. If you come to the gym on a regular basis -I'm talking, 3 days a week for 3 months or more- and do something, you are on the right side of in-shape. You might still be overweight, you might still be using the lightest dumbbells on the rack, you might still be scorekeeper for every pick-up basketball game you are a part of, but I would bet my favorite Adidas ClimaTee that you are not "need-a-doctor, never-take-the-stairs, cholesterol-higher-than-your-credit-score" out-of-shape.

But it starts with walking through the door. You will lose weight or gain weight or get stronger or get faster one way and only one way: bit by bit. You're building a tower on top of quicksand, and if you take too long adding to the top it's just going to sink underground.

Show up. Here is how you do it:

1. Set a goal, and let the world  know. If you want to bench 225, that's a Facebook post you should be making every bench day. Write your current weight on the top of a sheet of paper on your fridge, your goal weight at the bottom, and a weekly weigh-in that hopefully bridges the gap between the two.

 2. Find a gym or buy some equipment. In all honesty, unless you have friends or a favorite trainer to influence your opinion, the most important aspect to look for in a gym is convenience. Your facility should be close by, or on the way home from work. A thirty minute drive to a gym across town is a great reason not to go. Failing that, spend $50 on a pair of adjustable dumbbells; they're really all you need to get started.

3. Have a game plan. I meant it when I said that doing something was good, but having a plan is the way to go. A plan could be:

-Tagging along with a friend who knows what they're doing. Anyone worth their gym socks is happy to show a newbie the ropes. This is how I got started as a fat kid in high school, and I've shown up ever since.

-Google "beginner program" and stick to it. Stick to reputable sources (Men's Health, Shape, Bodybuilding.com, etc.), but pick one.

-Get a trainer. <shameless self-promotion>This is by far the best option, especially if they've earned their stuff from, say, the University of Kentucky and the National Strength and Conditioning Association and have a fondness for teal. The traditional in-person trainer can provide instant feedback and correct your form, all the while yelling at you to do, like, two more reps. Or, you could try out that new-fangled online personal training, where a trainer sends you a personalized program via the internet and provides an online training log and email feedback so that both of your can keep track of your progress. </shameless self-promotion>

Fitness really is one of those life goals that rewards you for diving right in. But you have to show up and give it something as often as you can, else the fickle bastard will leave you to decay at the bottom of a flight of stairs when the elevator is out.

Go forth and lift heavy things. We're saving you a spot.

Introducing Skape Fitness!

So, remember a few months back, when Darren Powers and myself had an epic contest of mass-itude challenging the very notion of what could be done with the mound of organic clay that is the human body?

You know, when we had a contest of who could look better in a month?

Well, we've set aside our differences (for the time being because I totally won and I don't think his psyche can take it much longer) and started a business venture together.

What business, you ask? Did you not read the title of this blog post?

Skape Fitness is part of a new movement in the fitness industry. I know that sounds cliche to the point of losing all meaning, but it's actually true. You see, we're finally starting to realize that the internet is a pretty neat thing, on account of its ability to share information and pictures and videos, sometimes of things that are not cats.

Online personal training is a growing industry, and for good reason. It combines the personalized workouts and instruction of an in-person personal trainer with the affordability of something you can afford. It works like this:

1. You check out our website, realize how awesome and worth it we are, and contact us.

2. We'll create your Trainerize profile for you. Trainerize is the software we use to send you workouts, and it contains a host of videos and charts to instruct you on exercise form as well as keep track of your progress. Through this software,we send you an online consultation form that lets us get to know you and your goals, you fill it out and send it back, and we give you a basic layout of a program we'd write for you.

3. If it sounds good to you (and it will), you pay for a month's worth of workouts for the price of a single in-person training session with a trainer.

4. We send you your first week's worth of workouts through the software. Please do them, this is actually the important part. Record your progress, either by printing out the workout and writing it down, or by downloading the app on your phone and recording it there. We'll be able to see your numbers like this, and it'll help us both keep track of how you're coming and what we need to adjust.

5. With this software, you'll have access to videos and written instructions of all the exercises, as well as instruction regarding sets, reps, rest, what have you. If you have any questions, you can throw them over the internet at us, and we'll throw answers back at you.

6. (Optional) You get a modeling contract with Hot Bodies That are Sexy, LLC and break the world record in the horse toss and the 400m backflip dash, two events you had to invent because you're too in-shape to do normal things.

Like this, but with the horse still attached. 

All of this, the training, instruction, and nutritional guidance that I forgot to mention, is set up to be tailored to your schedule and equipment options. If you have 8 days a week to work out in the biggest gym in Kentucky, we'll give you the absolute best program to take advantage of your options. If you have 40 minutes a week to work out in the corner of your kid's toy room using only old milk jugs and your body, we got you covered there too.

And, of course, this business is the base of operations for my personal training business at Wildcat Fitness, so you'll find all the information you want about training with me in personal on the website as well. Since in-personal training still trumps the admittedly awesome online option because of the immediate feedback and seeing my face, the ideal setup would be training with me once or twice a week, and on your own using our online services the rest of the time. It's like having a tutor and the best study guide ever and a magic potion that makes you sexier all in one.

Since I'm pretty sure it's now required by law, we are now also doing internets on Facebook and Twitter, and you should totally watch us do that. Here are the things:

Twitter Handle: @SkapeFitness

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Skape-Fitness

We're just starting out, so we could really use the support of awesome people, and since you're reading this blog, you've passed the Awesome Litmus Test. For our first official week of business (from today until April 30, 2013) if you like, share, or scream from the rooftops our name, we will give you a free week of workouts  through our new online training program. Yes, you can do pushups and squats and one-legged Romainian Dumbbell Deadlifts the way we tell you to free for a week! How cool does that sound?

We've given you the means, now go forth and pick up heavy things, the Skape Fitness way!