Nutrition Week – Guest Post by Marci Nevin (Intermittent Fasting)

We kicked off “nutrition week” with a great interview with Brian St. Pierre; got a chance to see what Michelle Adam’s food log looked like; and today we finish up with Marci Nevin’s food log.

Marci and I have been good friends for a number of years now.  We also worked together as trainers before I moved from California, back to Illinois.  Marci is one dedicated girl.  And VERY disciplined too.  She is a great cook… especially when it comes to making  goodies.  Whenever we used to have get-togethers, Marci’s treats were always a crowd favorite.  I consider myself a pretty disciplined guy.  But if I’m baking some treats (yeah, like that’s going to happen ), I’m GOING TO take a bite or two along the way (like a nice scoop of cookie dough)!  Not Marci.  With no problem, she cooked for all of us and didn’t even take a smidge of this or that.  Ever.

Moving onto Marci’s food log… I must admit, when this whole “intermittent fasting” thing started to pick up in popularity, I rolled my eyes a bit.  ”Just another fad,” I told myself.  In time however, I’ve heard many individuals that I really respect (including Marci), report the great success they have had with intermittent fasting.

So Marci, let’s get to it.  The floor is yours…

Ive been serious about my training and nutrition going on ten years now, and in that time I’ve experimented with many different dietary protocols to reach my goals. Trying various approaches has definitely taught me that all diets “work”, yet it has also shown me that there are certain ways of eating that just make me feel and perform better. Back in June, I hired a nutrition coach to help me through a slow, muscle gaining phase. After 6 months of eating a balanced diet of carbs, protein and fat with every meal, I was about 12 pounds heavier. Although the plan worked, I noticed that the diet left me feeling sluggish and a little off most of the time, especially after I ate. I began researching some different methods, which lead me to discover a popular new way of eating that is becoming increasingly popular in the fitness industry. Enter intermittent fasting (IF) and carb back loading.

Such methods are on the opposite ends of the spectrum as to what I was doing previously, yet I enjoy this way of eating so much more. IF is simply alternating periods of eating (anywhere from 4-10 hours) with periods of not eating (anywhere from 14-36 plus hours). I typically fast for 14-16 hours. The reason IF works for me is because it allows me to eat more at one sitting (and I LOVE to eat), as well as at times during the day when I’m naturally hungrier. I can wake up at 5:00 a.m. and train my morning clients having had nothing more than coffee, yet I feel energized and mentally sharp. Come 11:00 or so, I start to get hungry. Lucky for me, this is right around the time when I can break my daily “fast”.  The other reason IF fits my life so much better is because it allows me not be so consumed with food. I’ve always loathed having to prepare meals the night before, shovel in cold food in between clients or in the car, and being “that person” who carries meals around wherever I go. Simply put, IF fits my lifestyle. As for the carb back loading, it basically just means that I completely limit my starchy carbs to post -workout and evenings. I could eat my weight in vegetables and really enjoy meals that are comprised of protein, fat and vegetables most of the time. But it’s after my workout that I crave carbs, so this approach allows me to indulge in that craving while still reaching my goals. The concept is a little more in depth and scientific than I described, so if you want to learn more about it, you can do so by clicking Here. (Albeit this is a pretty simplified explanation as well).  And to learn more about IF, you can  click Here.

Training Day

5:30 a.m. – 8: 00 a.m.

• 2 cups coffee  with almond milk and stevia

11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

• 1 egg, 4 whites, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup spinach, cooked together in coconut oil
• 2 pieces turkey bacon (nitrate free), cooked in Ghee
• 1 Tablespoon almond butter

2:00 p.m -3:00 p.m.

• 5 oz ground turkey
• 2 cups vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, etc)
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• Handful of nuts

5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Post Workout

• Whey protein shake (If I feel like it, sometimes I will add fruit to this)
• White rice (approximately 40 grams of carbs)

8:00 p.m

• Coconut Pumpkin Pancakes (coconut flour, pumpkin, egg whites, cinnamon, stevia)
• 3 oz ground turkey or chicken
• Butternut Squash
• Vegetables with a little drizzle of olive oil

Non-Training Day

5:30 a.m. – 8: 00 a.m.

• 2 cups coffee  with almond milk and stevia

11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

• 1 egg, 4 whites, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup spinach, cooked together in coconut oil
• 2 pieces turkey bacon (nitrate free), cooked in Ghee
• 1 Tablespoon almond butter

3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

• Turkey Meatloaf (ground turkey, spices, salsa)
• Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (cauliflower, coconut oil, salt, all blended until it resembles mashed potatoes)
• Zucchini sautéed in coconut oil
• Handful of nuts

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

• 4 oz poached, organic chicken breast
• 1 whole egg
• Broccoli Slaw
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 2 teaspoons coconut aminos

*I cooked all of this together into a big scramble

• Green beans, drizzled with olive oil

*Some days I will add a protein shake between my 3^rd and 4^th meal on non training days. Made with chocolate pea protein, coconut milk and spinach. (And yes, its much better than it sounds)

*As for supplements, I take a minimalist approach. Each day I take fish oil (3 g EPA/DHA), 5000 IU vitamin D, folic acid, vitamin b12, and probiotics.

Back to Danny…

Awesome, Marci!  Thanks for sharing!  I don’t know if I could ever go the IF route!?!  Although the fact that you save a lot of time NOT having to prepare so many meals, is appealing!  We’ll see, I’ll never say never!

Have any of you tried intermittent fasting?  If so, how did/do you like it?  I’d love to get more feedback on IF.  Feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.  Or, if you are considering IF and have a question for Marci, go ahead and and do so in the comments section.

And Marci, the next time we meet up, PLEASE make me one of your extra special treats!  They are ALWAYS soooo good.  Pretty please?