Is the 9-5 holding you back? You want to go to the gym, but you’ve been working all day, bored out of your mind, and the traffic jam you were stuck in on the way home hasn’t put you in the right mindset for training.
Understandable. It’s dark and cold outside, and warm and comfortable inside. Why would you leave?
I suppose you could skip the gym if you were super good and only ate ‘some’ chocolate, right? …..WRONG!
If you’re constantly finding reasons not to go to the gym this winter, then THIS DIET IS FOR YOU.
Intermittent fasting….
It’s been making waves in the weight loss world all this year, and here at High Def Male, we’ve been testing it for you, in house, for the last 10 months. To see if it really works, or if it’s just another fad like Atkins or The Ducan diet.
The BBC made a program on it recently about how it can lower your IGF-1 production, and apparently help with the prevention of diseases like prostate cancer.
Effectively you’re fasting for the majority of the day. That means taking in no calories for the minimum of 16 hours or go extreme 40 hours. (See how this blogger did his 40 hours fasting). Just water, or unsweetened black coffee. (No milk, what are you crazy?)
Then, when the clock get’s to that glorious hour, you unleash yourself onto the calorie restricted diet that you’ve planned out. Ideal if like me, you prefer to skip breakfast to have a few more minutes shut-eye.
The boring science bit behind it is relatively straightforward to explain.
To consistently burn fat, you need steady insulin levels. Raising your levels of insulin puts your body into fat storing mode. That’s why all the delicious stuff like Chocolate, Ice Cream and Pastry is associated with being obese.
Sugary foods and drinks raise your body’s insulin levels, and tell your body to use that food and sugar as energy, but if your body can’t use that energy soon, it will convert it into fat.
Keeping your insulin levels steady on a calorie restricted diet means that your body will take a look at your fat stores and start breaking down that disgusting fat to use for energy.
Some people ask if this promotes binge eating. It doesn’t.
The Busy Man Diet Plan
The first 5 days are the hardest, but you only have to be food-free for 16 hours. So if you’re clever, you’ll make 8 of those hours during the night as you sleep. Which means if you stop eating at 8pm. You can have your next meal midday the next day. Easy!
Step 1
Lower the amount of white carbs in your diet, and get Low-glycemic Carb foods like vegetables, sweet potato, quinoa etc.
Taking on this high energy foods won’t spike your insulin levels as much, which is promoting less fat storage, and subsequently……..more fat burning.
Step 2
Choose your 16 hour fasting period.
My eating window is between 2pm and 10pm, but i’m a night owl. So It’s a bit later. I suggest choosing an eating window that finishes 4 hours before you go to bed.
So if you go to bed at midnight. Stop eating at 8pm. Then the next time you can have a meal is 12pm the next day. 16 hours of no food.
Step 3
Plan when you can take your meals during that 8 hour eating window.
I eat a big meal to break my fast. (Break-fast .. that’s where the name comes from)
The meal I have probably has about 800 calories in it. I eat sweet potato, salmon with philadelphia (Extra light) cheese smothered on top, and a side of spinach.
It’s a healthy balanced meal suggestion that will fill you up for the next 4-5 hours, which makes it easier to not go crazy and binge during your 8-hour eating window.
I’ve managed to lose over 50kg of fat since i’ve started this diet, and i’m pleased to be able to safely promote it to you. Knowing that if you follow the rules, you can turn that busy schedule into the best thing that’s ever happened to you.
“I haven’t got the time to diet properly” can’t be an your excuse anymore.
If you’d like any advice on training, nutrition or lifestyle you can always email me
Or follow my weight loss progress and tips on instagram: www.instagram.com/_geraint
Don’t forget…. abs are made in the kitchen. Diet is the most essential part of weight loss.
