I notice there is a somewhat new trend amongst some bloggers: fasting for weight loss or management. Now I must confess that I know next to nothing about this. I havent read the book (Eat Stop Eat) so I only know what I've read on said blogs.
The idea of fasting doesnt appeal to me at all. It reeks of restriction and a nightmare to manage training around and deal with the negative conotations that it would generate at home (as a family there is a lot of pleasure in eating dinner together at the end of day when we've all been apart.)
However circumstances yesterday resulted in a bit of a mini fast where there was no opportunity to eat dinner. Knowing that this was likely, Peter and I went out to lunch and I had a beef and cashew stir fry which wasnt served with any rice or noodles. Fortunately there were a LOT of veges and I ate the whole serve and felt quite full at the end of it. That was around 1pm and then we had a coffee after 5pm and headed off to an evening at our son's school.
Fast forward to getting home at 8.30 and there was cat vomit to clean up, washing to hang out, reading with my boy, trimming chicken thighs and marinating for tandoori chicken, making breadcrumbs to make turkey burgers, making a sandwich for Peter's lunch, school consent forms to complete and about another 10 or so smaller things that needed my attention.
The cup of tea and maybe some fruit that I was planning to have before bedtime just didnt happen. But I can honestly say that being so busy, I never felt hungry - plus I'd had a good lunch.
Fast forward again to this morning and just before my 50 minute run, my stomach started rumbling. I ignored it and set off knowing that a short run was certainly doable on an empty stomach. Which it was but by geez was my usually slow pace, even slower!!! I inhaled my usual breakfast of a large slice of seed and grain bread with one egg + 2 whites scrambled in a non stick pan.
And then it set in. TIREDNESS like I could barely drag myself around. I had a 25 minute walk to work today and I arrived feeling like I'd run 20 kms. I sat at my desk like a zombie for the first 30 minutes trying to regroup. I was struggling. The only thing I could put it down to was skipping a meal last night and then running in a depleted state this morning. It really knocked me around.
So I have learnt that for me good nutrition is critical for my Half Marathon training and subsequent recovery. Even a meal of lean protein and lots of veges works for a short run (up to an hour) the next day. A longer run (an hour and half) needs a decent serve of carbs as well :-)
So I'll leave the fasting to those who swear by how good it makes them feel. I'm not one of those. If I hadnt been so busy and had attempted a fast I know that once I got really hungry I'd also be irritable, unfocussed and miserable. And life is too short for that.
M
I'm with you on that one Magda! No fasting for me either.
ReplyDeleteMe neither - couldn't think of anything worse!
ReplyDeleteYay!! Foodies UNITE. I've spent enough of my life starving myself and have declared "ENOUGH"
ReplyDeletei fast under strict conditions, meaning from 8-9pm to noon the next day and train around eating times. I've always been a light morning eater so this works well for me. No more 200 calorie meals ten times a day for me anymore. Just two good sized meals. I enjoy it takes some discipline but yano not everything is for everyone! I wouldn't handle no dinner!! yikes!
ReplyDeleteWell, I haven't tried fasting, (other than my occasional 40 hour famine thing I did at school with lots of water and barley sugar!)
ReplyDeleteHowever with my 2 cents worth I will add this. Low or close to no carbs, an active busy job on feet all day with lots of bending/movement, incidental walking and lifting and my training which is usually either or a combo of running, cycling, resistance and soon to be swimming doesn't mix for me!
Nor do I like weekend morning first thing training if tea previous night was green salad or steamed greens with protein. Just can't go fast enough and feel like I don't have enough power. I am generally a small brekkie before training person if training in morning. Arvo training is fine if I include carbs such as oats with brekkie and multigrain bread/sweet potato or brown rice or similar for lunch with arvo snack of fruit if needed. And if I substitute a nectarine as an arvo snack before a run for say 50g cold chicken I seem to get crampy after a while into a run.
I don't need big serves of carbs, just some, - little serves do alot! I still generally cut back on them in evening unless I have a huge session the following morning. I have been recommended before to cut ALL complex carbs and get used to that idea but I don't think so LOL!
I don't know what my thoughts are on this Magda. I am waiting for a book to come call Crazy Sexy Diet and I know in there she advocates fasting once a week, but with green juice all day.
ReplyDeleteTo me my Sunday could be out with friends or family and like you eating is a pleasure for me. I can't see me every wanting to do that.
Hi Em and thanks for your perspective on this which is a little different to others I'm hearing. You sound like you've been down a similar path to me (the many small meals a day)and similar to you I'm now eating 3 good meals a day with a coffee in between if hungry. Hail the daily dinner!!
ReplyDeletePip your diet and training routine makes a lot of sense and obviously works for you. Cutting out all complex carbs is in my opinion bad advice as it can have serious long term health implications as some people have found. I know the advice was given by a reputable trainer but frankly who can endurance train on a low carb diet???? AND I'm proving you can get lean while regularly eating carbs.
Hmmm not sure about a book with a "Crazy Sexy Diet" marketing gimmick Kristy. I'd be walking straight past that one - just another way to package a gimmick and restrictive eating. But couldnt agree more about enjoying food with family and friends. That is truly on of life's pleasures :-)
I couldnt think of anything worse!
ReplyDelete