A three-part life changer: fasting, exercise and mindfulness
It’s simply amazing what a programmed fasting lifestyle can do!
I first reviewed the whole thing. I went through the basic science of intermittent fasting. I extensively read Dr. Jason Fung’s posts in Medium and his book, The Complete Guide to Fasting. I also read some of the many personal stories available on the Internet.
Then I embarked on this personal lifestyle change experiment.
I am in my fourth week of eating once a day (OMAD). I have lunch with my family, and that’s it.
I do not really miss breakfast. Two cups of black coffee make me feel alright.
As for dinner, well, I must admit — I miss it. However, I must also admit that it goes by without any hunger pangs or feelings of regret.
But here, I believe, lies a secret.
Before that, I must examine one mysterious effect. The fact that at about the 22nd hour of fasting I go to the gym for some exercises.
This means a half-hour of high intensity interval training exercises. This is made up by ten 1 min high intensity effort followed by 1 min rest.
The question I have asked myself is how can I exercise when my body is fasting for so long? Where is the glucose that all the muscle fibers need for their metabolism?
Surprisingly, I have been doing well on the treadmill, feeling no hunger or discomfort. And then I proceed to have lunch. I feel energized and clear minded.
All this comes from the fact that both muscle fibers and the brain are being fed on ketones, which appears to be a much better supply of energy than glucose.
The results?
As for my weight, I dropped 10 kilograms (22 pounds) in four weeks. I have two bags of fat in each side of my waist and they are shrinking like dry leaves under the hot sun.
But I wish to advance a further explanation for the absence of hunger.
This I believe has to do with my practice in mindfulness. For some time now, I have been able to spend most part of my day feeling I am in the present moment.
This takes place because I have been doing my mindfulness exercises. It comprises two twenty-minute sessions of sitting, closing my eyes, breathing calmly with a gentle effort to slightly prolong the expiration phase (in which the air leaves the chest), at which point I am able to feel my heartbeat. This is it. After 20 minutes I am completely in the present moment and then I go about my business.
I believe that part of the feeling of hunger lies in the memory. The memory sends us back in time recalling what a good meal is all about. Hence, it propels us to seek more food. If you counteract this feeling by being focused on the present moment any hunger goes away.
So, this new lifestyle change is really made up by a three part effort:
- a 23-hour programmed fasting,
- a 20-minute high intensity interval training exercise,
- and two 20-minute practice of mindfulness.
This is a life changer!
On a subsequent story I will try and explain the change that has taken place in my thinking/feeling patterns.
