On Fasting

I've been asked a lot about fasting recently so I thought I would share my experience here. 

In 2011 when I opened my gym I would eat breakfast of eggs, bacon, mushrooms at about 6am then get on my bike and ride down to work. 

We were living in Clifton village at the time so it was basically a roll down to Temple Quay, most days I'd even take Rex (my dog). 

I'd training a 7am and 8am client and then Aaron (my colleague) and I would take it in turns to make each other breakfast. 

Bacon, eggs, beans, sausages, mushrooms all with a George Foreman, and microwave and a kettle. 

It felt like a sort of Mafia prison experience, in a cool way. 

Then we would see clients til 2pm before something like, 2 pork chops, spinach, broccoli, Avocado, carrots, and sweet potato- as each week past our meals would become more creative and large. 

I would next eat at about 9pm after closing. 

I was a 4 large meal a day kind of guy and I wasn't keen on getting smaller, if anything I'd have been happy to be slightly bigger. 

I even did a 12 eggs a day challenge for a couple of months to experiment with increasing size. 

I was 84kg at the time. 

All felt good. 

I cycled too and from the gym and trained daily, 

I had energy for my 13 hour work day and I slept well too. 12-5:50am. We had a new baby so sleep was short. 

Despite this all was good, except I started every day with cold like symptoms, which was very frustrating. 

Sneezing and runny nose 

it was driving me crazy... 

Here I am trying to demonstrate a picture of health and of course be healthy, and I've constantly got a tissue in my hand. 

In your 20's as a fitness professional you spend much of your time scratching your head,

"These clients need to suck it up, why are they finding it so hard?" 

It's not til your 30's and beyond that the fruits or weeds of your choices start to emerge. 

So I'm a snotty mess, sometimes til lunch, sometimes all day. 

So I stumble across a Doctor in America that's talking about histamines. 

Something nobody was talking about at the time. 

I reduce my histamines and start to feel better. 

I cut out tomatoes and spinach. I eat less cheese, I switch from tea to coffee. I drink less alcohol. 

But I want it to go faster. 

I learn that even just eating will increase histamines. 

So I decide to cut out my 6am breakfast and after a week I am snot free. 

I have noticed other side effects too. 

I'm feeling more rested and more focused in my first 3 hours of the day. 

I'm eating less too, 10 fewer eggs and bacon rashers. 

After a month of this I checked the scales, I was still 84kg. 

Realising my size loss fears might be unfounded I stopped eating til 2pm on the days I was alone at the gym. 

Tuesday and Thursday. 

Increased productivity and energy followed. 

I also started to notice less fat around my middle, I didn't have much but less is always nice. 

Especially as I remained 84kg.

I still do today actually, 

7 years on. 

I also still remain free of energy slumps
Free from hunger
I also enjoy food more than ever
My skin is better
My digestion better
I have a lot more free time
I spend less on food 

What often comes of stories like mine is a formula. 

A simple system for people to follow so they can have what I have and of course a formula is available...

But I think that most often this is how the industry works. 

THIS works for me therefore THIS is the answer. 

I think in reality the answer is that there is AN answer that will work for you and it sits the other side of experimentation. 

Edflix (my online health programme for time short business people) has several nutrition systems that have worked for my clients but the program insists on one thing.

A spirit of experimentation. 

If you want to try fasting then start simple. 

Follow practicality. 

If you had to not eat for 16-20 hours, what would fall most easily into your life? 

How can you keep the largest, most relaxed, most social and enjoyable meal/s of the day?

Where would you benefit most from the extra time and clear head? 

Choose your own adventure and document what you notice. Then draw your conclusions and take further action based on those conclusions.

Ed Ley 

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