I’m two weeks in and feeling fantastic!
Every day gets me closer to South Africa and to having an aesthetic physique while I’m over there. I love having smaller goals related to my fitness; hitting personal records in my lifts, playing basketball, and creating healthy eating habits takes away from my hurry-up-already mentality. It’s been such a long wait for South Africa as it is — I still have another two months!
A few things from this week:
- My birthday weekend basically destroyed me. A day in Portland and a dinner at my parents’ place turned into a lot of sugar and bad decisions. I know I could have done better for my health, but I realize I’m human and that I can enjoy my birthday without repercussions.
- I’m going to add jumping rope to the mix. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, I’m starting to implement a jump rope HIIT workout, either in the mornings or after work. This is to help accelerate fat loss while fasting, and it is one of the best exercises that burn calories fast.
- Have willpower on the weekend. I know this weekend was an anomaly, but I need to have more discipline while I’m here. I need to develop ways to keep from binge eating on Saturdays and Sundays, which results in me kind of feeling like crap.
A tough end to the week, but I’ll bounce back this week!
Week Two
Monday
Walked to get an Americano, broke fast at 2:30 PM with carrots and peanut butter. I lifted A Day, then had 1.5 enchiladas and a whole Endangered Species chocolate bar (88% cocoa) for dinner. Not enough sustenance, but I felt good.
Tuesday
Cucumber + Frank’s around 2:30, then a full bag of sea salt PopChips, ES chocolate bar, and shrimp/rice/green beans. After dinner Jess and I walked and did some yoga. When I came home, I extended my feeding window and has a cheese quesadilla. Could have gone to bed without it, but it was incredibly satisfying.
Wednesday
Cucumber + Frank’s at 2:30 PM (detect a pattern yet?). I also had 2 oz. of carnitas from Jess’ lunch and some peanut butter. After work I lifted B Day, then dinner of shrimp/rice/green beans. We went with some friends to a minor league baseball game, so we got to walk around. Jess and I got ice cream cones (two scoops of cookie dough). I then came back home after the game, where I had chocolate chips and an eggs/cheese/ham scramble. Another day of shooting myself in the foot in terms of the fast.
Thursday:
Broke fast with Chipotle (960 calories), then had an entire dark chocolate bar, a few bites of steak with poblano cream sauce, and two cups of broccoli for pre-game. I then opened the gym and played basketball from 8 PM to 10 PM. Afterwards, I went and visited my mom, where I snacked on a few pieces of milk chocolate, lemon custard, and a sun-dried tomato scone that was made per her restrictive diet guidelines. Not as bad as the previous two days, but can be better.
Friday
Had an Americano, broke fast with cucumber + Frank’s + salad at 3 PM. I tried a new coffee concoction in the morning that reduced calories, but it tasted awful. I have decided to wean myself off of my sugary creamer, bit by bit, starting on Monday. More steak and poblano cream sauce and broccoli for dinner, paired with salad and — of course — more dark chocolate.
Saturday
The day I died. My sister, Jess and I all went hiking to Pittock Mansion in the late morning, which was a great way to start the day. But, like the hike, my nutrition went downhill after that. Blue Star Donuts, Insomnia Coffee, Le Bistro Montage (our favorite Cajun food joint in Portland), and Xurros (hand made churros) pretty much kicked my ass. All wonderful, but dangerously sugary. ON TOP OF THAT, I went to have a few non-caloric drinks with friends late that night, which turned into snacking on chips and brownies. UNBELIEVABLE! Willpower is at a zero at this point.
Sunday
Reigning the craziness back a bit. Broke fast at 1 PM with a surprise brunch: A BLT on a croissant, with an Americano and some of Jess’ almond pastry. Then nothing until dinner at 7:30, which was my mom cooking me birthday dinner. Pork shanks with BBQ sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and a big serving of Caesar salad. To end the day, Jess made me snickerdoodle cheesecake bars, which I allowed my self to have about 5 pieces. A great yet still fattening end to the week.
Honestly, I don’t know what got into me, but I need to be more deliberate with my food choices! I can’t bash on myself, but I have to be aware of my actions and consequences of those actions.
I’ll keep living life, but I want to make the decisions that give me a life to live.
How I don’t get fat even after a hellish week
Truthfully, my body took a slight hit, but overall I still look aesthetic, on my way to getting that six pack and deep definition everywhere. I went up in my lifts, I played some hard basketball (and pickleball), hiked, and walked over 10,000 steps daily without even trying that hard.
How the f*ck did I do it?
INTERMITTENT FASTING.
I know this has been harped upon over and over on the Internet, and you may know somebody who does it. Basically, you skip breakfast, tossing that old “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” shtick out the window. Wake up, push your first meal 4–7 hours later into the day, and have one or two big meals that are ultimately satisfying.
Now, this isn’t all there is to it. There are strategies to help stretch your fast, ways to break your fast and feel great, different eating windows, and more. But once you have all of the information, you can use your lifestyle and implement what you want into your protocol.
For instance, for the last 2–3 years I have been a practitioner of IF. I would always do some variation of the Lean Gains protocol (16/8 split, where you fast for 16 hours, eat for 8). I wouldn’t eat until lunch time, drink coffee and water in the morning, and have 2 big meals and not count anything.
Now: I am trying to install a version of the Warrior Diet (20/4 split). I take my first meal around 2:30/3 in the afternoon with a few cups of veggies, do my lift or workout, then have a huge meal with protein, more veggies, and an entire chocolate bar.
(Guess which part of that protocol is easiest to implement.)
Intermittent fasting helped me shed my childhood body fat, it has never caused muscle deterioration, and I stay sharp mentally before I break my fast. It works wonder for me — like this week — and it could work for you too.
Start with a 16/8 split. After eating dinner, say around 8 PM, don’t eat for the rest of the day. Go to bed around 11, wake up at 7, and continue to fast. Use black coffee (or wean yourself off of your creamer, like me) and water. Water will be a godsend, because when you are hungry, chances are you’re actually just thirsty. Then, at noon or later, have a nutritious lunch filled with lean protein, tons of veggies, and maybe a feel-good carb.
This tiny adjustment in your lifestyle should have a MAJOR impact on your physique goals.
The script says you have to eat breakfast. This is a big f*cking lie.
Breakfast was a gimmick created sometime in the early 1900s so that companies could sell you some goddamn Fruit Loops. Check the foods that are part of a “balanced, nutritious breakfast”: Orange juice, oatmeal, muffins, cereal, milk, toast. All of these contain insane amounts of sugar and a crap ton of wheat, something that your gut actually despises. (Sorry — Gluten-free people have it somewhat right.)
Screw breakfast. If you love breakfast foods (bacon and eggs and omelets for me), have ’em for dinner! You can consume what you love to eat; you just don’t have to eat when other people say you have to.
So take a load off of your digestive system, burn some body fat while your glucose stores are zilch, and keep focused throughout the first part of the day. Intermittent fasting has a plethora of benefits, too many to mention in this one article. If you want more information about IF, I’d check out Authority Nutrition’s “Intermittent Fasting 101 — The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide” for a breakdown of benefits, types, and ways to start.
Trust me, there will be more articles from the Vaga-Bod related to IF, but for now, I leave you with that. If you have any questions, feel free to comment!
Have a good week and DOWN WITH BREAKFAST!
Ditch the script and come along with me!
Every Wednesday I will provide practical, applicable articles for you to develop and structure your international workout regimen and nutrition protocol.
Every Monday I will post updates regarding my own physique and routine, showing you firsthand that somebody about to leave the country can develop a ripped body and maintain it around the world!
Stay locked in on my Vaga-Bod journey!
Next week: Week Three — Did I stay true to my rules? Stay tuned!
