You may have already read all the headlines this week. You have been warned. Your mortality is in danger. You need to be on the lookout…for Bacon.

Yes it’s true. Apparently Kevin Bacon is pissed and not going to take it anymore. Maybe it is all those degrees of separation people use that have finally made him snap.

Bacon has gone bad, like his role in “The River Wild” or “Hollow Man”. He is coming to….

(Someone passes me a note…)

Oh…Really? My bad.

Well folks it seems I made a silly mistake. It is not Kevin Bacon after all…it’s just red meat (and bacon) are now out to get you, once again.

What my “humorous” self is referring to is the sudden explosion of reports in the media that set the Internet on fire with front page headlines such as (Yes, they are real):

Study says too much red meat could kill us

More Red Meat, More Mortality

Red meat is blamed for one in 10 early deaths

This came about when researchers Monday from Harvard released a “study” (actually based on 2 large studies over 20 years) that showed results of increased red meat intake leading to higher risk of early death (one article referred to a higher mortality rate, but I’m pretty sure that number is 100% still and not up to 110%).

Now I was just going to let this “study” (term used loosely) pass by because I have covered this song and dance before, but apparently a lot of people are still concerned over it.

Many other really smart(er) people have already jumped on this with rebuttals as to why this study is not all it is made out to be. I highly suggest reading these if you really want to get into all the details. Here are the articles to check out:

• Zoe Hardcombe has a great analysis of the study here
• Denise Minger has a detailed guest post on Mark’s Daily Apple about it here
• Robb Wolf was minding his own business when the “Meatpocalypse” happened and wrote his thoughts here
• Gnolls does a fantastic breakdown of the issues with the observational science here

If you just want the quick CliffsNotes on it all, well it comes down to the old saying of “correlation does not imply causation“.

Much like the “observational” study about skipping breakfast and heart disease risks I covered here. There are most always many other factors to consider, and narrowing it down to one solitary “cause” is usually not appropriate.

In this case you have a study that uses categories (1-5) to rate the amount of red meat intake (lowest to highest). What you also will find with red meat intake is the following:

• The higher red meat groups also had higher calorie intake
• The higher red meat groups also had high rates of smoking/alcohol
• The higher red meat groups also moved/exercised less

So one could also say smoking, drinking, less exercise and higher calories also increase those same risks. Or just ignore all those and only blame the increase in red meat.

Funny enough the cholesterol numbers in the groups were lower as the red meat intake increased. So one could also come up with an observational attention grabbing headline “Lower cholesterol increases risk of early death!“.

As for those fun statistical high numbers of increased early deaths…well Denise Minger explains how you can make seemingly small numbers sound even scarier for better shock value:

Those numbers thrown around in the fear-mongering news clips—20% increased risk of death from all causes for processed meat and 13% increased risk of death from all causes for unprocessed meat—are classic examples of how even the most ho-hum findings can sound dramatic if you spin them the right way (and remember to attribute them to Hahhh-vard). If your risk of dying from a particular disease is 5% to start with, a “20% increased risk” only bumps you up to 6% in the grand scheme of things. That’s a lot less scary. Especially when delectable foods are involved.

Sadly it is not a great study to come to such a specific conclusion, especially considering that they considered hamburgers and other meat sandwiches as “unprocessed”.

It’s just another example of more observational findings and less real causation. Great for headlines in a world that revolves more around 24 hour news cycles to fill, but nothing more than that.

I think everyone can calm down a little and get back to realizing that the best course of action is probably still “moderate” intake of real “unprocessed” red meat, more “real foods” with higher nutrients (less processed foods), getting in some simple exercise (moving more) and all the other things we know that can possibly help our “longevity”.

Of course how you choose to eat (and what) is up to you, just make sure that you are using some independent critical thinking and accounting for all variables.

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you! ~ Tommy Smothers;

2 MEAL UPDATE: The 2 Meal Solution for the Kindle is set to be released on Amazon next Wed March 21st! I’m excited to wrap this up and get it out there (plus adding in some additional bonus video/audio too)! More will be announced early next week. Stay tuned!

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

I can’t put a hard date on when it will be up on Amazon (as that tends to backfire with unforeseen technical issues when I do that), but let’s just say this week is all about the ebook…and next week I hope to have a good announcement.

I’m also “toying” with an idea for either a 30 day email type of follow up with community discussion…and even down the road possibly a private forum for the 2 Meal community.

I’m excited to get the Kindle version wrapped up and take Amazon by storm! I think the 2 Meal revolution is ready to take on the world…and everyone is part of making it happen!

In the meantime, here are some interesting news articles worth reading over:

• Fasting can help protect against brain diseases
• Fasting/reduced calories to help stop dimentia
• Fasting helps cancer treatment effectiveness
• Antioxidants block the beneficial responses of exercise (another reason to train fasted)

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

I just personally hit the big “4-0″ recently and wanted to take some time to look back and observe what I have learned along the way. It’s actually a dual celebration as the IF Life also just turned 4 too (my first official post here was 2/20/08). Here are my “40 lessons in 40 years” (in no particular order…just as they came up in my head). Hope you enjoy!

1. Building muscle is more about steady progression than quick gains (unless you are in a state of under-trained). There are people always looking how to build muscle in 12 weeks…and then those building it year after year slow and steady.
2. I was never supplement “deficient”, only distracted from eating more “real foods”. A lesson that cost me $1000s on everything I bought up over the decades.
3. Understanding hormesis allowed me to be aware of how the body can get stronger through small amounts of stress. It is the basis of why I do intermittent fasting/2 Meals, short intense “burst” workouts and enjoy more “down time” doing less.
4. How my body handles stress and recovery is much different now than it was at 30…and certainly when I was 20. I’ve adapted my simple eating and lifestyle around it.
5. Breakfast is a personal choice, but highly overrated.
6. Chronic stress overload (too much exercise, mental worry, lack of recovery/sleep, low glycogen replenishment for liver/muscles) seems to be the dominant factor that can derail any attempts at using IF, and much overlooked until one really “burns out” (chronic cortisol, lowered testosterone, muscle loss, down-regulated thyroid, etc).
7. The modern diet advice to eat more often (6 mini meals compared to 3 larger ones..and calories/nutrients are the same overall) has NOT been proven to speed up overall metabolism, control hunger better, nor have very good long term adherence for many.
8. “Real” carbs aren’t evil, and I personally do better with more of them in my diet…however minimizing gluten is looking to be a good idea.
9. Calorie restriction has always shown promise for increasing longevity, but seems miserable to do. Intermittent fasting appears to have many of the same benefits (and then some), without the added misery. I’ll take that option instead thank you very much.
10. I move with resistance to challenge my muscles. I run to embrace power and speed. I walk to relax my mind and body. I stay “active”…I don’t do “cardio”.
11. Put 10 “experts” in a room and you will get 10 different “opinions”. I don’t blindly follow any expert, just look for information to digest. Then the only truths I need to worry about are the ones I come to on my own terms.
12. I picked a terrible business/marketing strategy by showing people to simply eat less, exercise without complexity, understand how it can work and not need to buy anything else in the process. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
13. Most everything I read about how to eat from fitness magazines growing up was “misleading”. I’m glad I eventually did my own research on how to just simplify it all.
14. Less is more…well unless you are still doing all the wrong things.
15. Eat to be healthy and have a high quality of life, not obsess over perfection, 6 packs or to live forever (which no one does).
16. Eating less often was the greatest awareness tool in understanding and prioritizing what I was actually eating in the first place.
17. If I ever told anyone they had to give up their morning cup of coffee/espresso…I apologize. I was confused and insane.
18. The 2 Meals philosophy is just a simple eating plan, what you do eat (food choices/calories) and your lifestyle also matters.
19. Unless you are a competitive athlete needing immediate glycogen replenishment for another workout in a few hours, the post workout shakes are not that vital.
20. I’ve realized that I don’t need as much protein as I’ve have been “told”. Now I eat less but also focus on the quality of what I do eat.
21. People are not overweight due to not going to the gym, and need to understand that. Simple exercise/movement and eating less happens wherever they are right now.
22. If you want to show your children how to be healthy, teach them how to cook. If you want to show them how to be self sufficient and intelligent, teach them to question everything they hear.
23. If you have time to watch a TV show, you have time to do pushups during commercials. It’s all a choice. Being “fit” is a lifestyle, and need not be that complicated.
24. “I’ll start tomorrow” is the biggest disease most people really suffer from.
25. I don’t like diet “labels” on how I eat…other than just eating “real food”. Nutrients…not calories.
26. People who live long and healthy tend to have varied diets, many don’t exercise (other than being “active”) and some may even smoke/drink (not in excess)…but they all tend to be happy/smile, feel like they have a purpose each day and surround themselves with a good relationships/community support.
27. I don’t worry about perfection in how I eat. Perfection is an illusion. In reality stuff happens. I move on with my “next best step”. No self guilt or looking back, just going forward.
28. I train fasted to get the best responses from exercise (hormonal) and because it feels more natural. The benefits of exercise include stress-responses (hormesis at the mitochondria…or mitohormesis) to improve insulin sensitivity and natural defenses against harmful oxidative byproducts (ROS), something that supplementing with antioxidants seems to lower or negate.
29. The word “detox diet” is more for marketing and supplement sales than understanding that your body is always detoxing.
30. It’s more important to get in daily amounts of nutrients than worry about the timing of it all. The body seems to have ways of adjusting and compensating.
31. The only real prevention is staying healthy in the first place. The extra money you spend now on good food may be a fraction of what it may cost you later on if you get really ill.
32. Being happy is a daily exercise in just being detached, observant, compassionate and appreciative.
33. N=1 (statistical sample group of 1). That means making any kind of eating plan is a personal journey for you. You can start from a “base” but it’s up to you to find what does work (and know what doesn’t in the process) as there are many individualistic factors.
34. I’m a constant reductionist/minimalist test dummy. I find what works, then ask myself how I can make it even simpler.
35. I’m not here to force my ideas on anyone or expect to save the world. I just want to present what I see as important facts and allow people to save themselves through understanding and awareness.
36. The greatest thing an individual can do to make a difference is to vote with your fork and wallet. If you want to promote local food business, eat local. If you want more healthy choices, don’t spend money on crappy ones. The power of the spending habits of masses is where the big changes come from, and it all starts with one person at a time. We’re all in this together.
37. “Playing” in nature is something I think our bodies crave and reward us for doing. Get out and get some more vitamin “N“. Less gyms, more playgrounds.
38. I define 2 Meals (and IF) as: A choice to eat on your own terms. To not be a slave to dietary advice that complexes your life. To enjoy how and what you do eat without guilt or shame. To take your own journey for health without judgement. To dismiss anyone else as an expert that does not help you hear your own inner voice. To get on with living without becoming obsessed over eating. A simple and enjoyable (sustainable) way to just eat less.
39. There is no final destination in your life, other than the absolute end. So learn to enjoy the journey, embrace change/challenges, and live in the moment…as that is all you ever really have.
40. Eat less, move more, smile often.

To end it off, here are a few of my favorite quotes I’ve used on the IF Life:

Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own ~ Bruce Lee

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction ~ Albert Einstein

To rise at six, dine at ten, sup at six and go to bed at ten, makes a man live ten times ten.~ 16th Century Proverb

The deviation of man from the state in which he was originally placed by nature seems to have proved to him a prolific source of diseases ~ Edward Jenner

There’s lots of people in this world who spend so much time watching their health that they haven’t the time to enjoy it. ~ Josh Billings

Our life is frittered away by detail… Simplify, simplify, simplify!  Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose… We are happy in proportion to the things we can do without. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Do or do not, there is no try ~ Yoda

If you liked this post, you may also like my one from many years back called Trainer Tells All (many of the same insights).

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Their message is “Eat, Move, Learn”, and here’s my little additional thoughts on them.

• Eat less, enjoy more. Eat meals. Don’t snack. Eat good real foods and natural flavors. Try local cuisines. Experiment cooking new recipes. Enjoy what you eat and the company you are with. Don’t make eating mindless (snacking), make it meaningful.
• Move more. Move your body as exercise and be strong in your movements. Move in nature. The world is your gym. Move about, not just “travel”. Take time to really see where you are and experience nature/people/culture around you. Stop being in such a rush, life is not a race. You don’t have to travel the globe to be out among natural wonders around you.
• Learn and try new things. Enjoy a hobby that you are passionate about. Try a new sport. Overcome your fears. Question everything you hear. Make life about purpose and become a curious student of the universe. There are so many things out there to explore. Most importantly learn that you only have the time that is right now, and get on with living in it!

So here are the 3 videos below (if you can not see the videos, click here for the original article page). I hope you enjoy them as well!

This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time ~ Fight Club

Get busy living, or get busy dying ~ Shawshank Redemption

So tell me, what are you going to do different today? How are you going to “Eat, Move and Learn” in your life?

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Long time ago I knew this competitive bodybuilder who also helped coach other bodybuilders with nutrition. One day I asked him “What’s your secret eating strategy?”.

With all my past reading of muscle magazines and other nutritional books, I figured some great complex answer that involved %s, macronutrient timing and various types of protein for slow to fast digestion depending on time of day.

Here was his answer:

“Chicken and broccoli…..chicken and rice”

Wait…that’s all?? This couldn’t be right, I mean it’s too simple!

When he wanted to cut, he ate chicken and broccoli…when it was time to refill muscle glycogen it was a day or two of chicken and (brown) rice.

Well funny enough, that was about all he and his clients would eat (minus protein shakes and multivitamins too). There was room to alternate in fish or steak with broccoli if getting bored, but the premise was still that simple.

Maybe that was the brilliance of it all, so simple that anyone can stick with it (well assuming they like chicken all the time that is).

It hit me many years later after trying more extreme complex quick diet plans for bulking/cutting that this was not the answer. The people that are really getting results and keeping them are doing it with slow and steady eating plan. A simple way that kept it all sustainable.

Marketing sells quick changes and much variety, but those success stories are few and far between…especially if you try and find those people years later to see if they kept their results.

So that’s my greatest insight when it comes to eating with any plan (especially the 2 Meal one), is to start off with a consistent or what I call “boring” food plan.

I tend to try and eat the same foods almost every day. Sometimes I change it up, but usually it is something boring and quick.

This can also help to fine tune in results.

If you are eating too complex, improvising every day and not keeping any kind of consistency…it can easily lead to excess calories and not even realizing it happens.

When you eat the same meals day in and out, you have an idea of what your intake is. Then if things aren’t progressing you can troubleshoot much easier.

So if you cut down on the number of variables you have to deal with, you give yourself a greater chance to be able to dial it in.

Too much improvising or complexity can lead to more confusion and lack of real understanding of what can work for you.

So my advice is not to be afraid to eat a somewhat consistent meal plan day in and out. Of course I would say make it full of real foods and nutrients, but a steady base first off  is a good idea.

If you ever get off track for a day or so too, it’s easier to get right back into it as you know what works.

Examples could be simple eating plans such as:

• Eggs and bacon/fruit
• Canned salmon and veggies
• Meat and starch (rice, sweet potato)
• Wine and cheese/chocolate/fruit (Hey…why not, right? You’re welcome for this one BTW)

Make them easy to buy (like frozen veggies) and cook (stir-fry in a cast iron pan is how I get it done).  Use different spices for flavor too.

I do “5 minute shopping” now. Probably could compete if it becomes an Olympic event.

I go to the same store (Trader Joe’s), grab the basket, and in less than 5 minutes grab what I need and am out of there.

No wandering around to see what’s new in the frozen section. No distractions.

I get my eggs, salmon, grass fed beef, frozen veggies/fruit, and whatever else I am eating that week. I’ll save my improvisation for eating out.

Speaking of eating out, if you are a person who does that more often (like for work/travel), then also keep your options on the road consistent. Find the same “go to” meals you can get over and over. It could be bringing food with you or eating the same meal from some other place.

Then it becomes a self monitoring process of being aware of your energy levels, sleeping patterns, and weight gain/loss.

So to sum up:

• Stop trying to improvise too often, it’s only adding in more variables to consider (or worse…overlook).
• Be boring and have your main “go to” meals (whether at home or on the road).
• Don’t worry about eating out and having other stuff once in a while (enjoy it).
• Stay consistent and monitor long term results (as remember results should be slow and steady).
• Change something up if it’s not working . Be someone in control of your health and weight loss for a lifetime (as many things change in life, so it is good to know how to adapt if neccessary).

When things aren’t working, you switch up something (more carbs, less carbs, more protein, different meal choice) and then start over and see what happens once again.

Rotate in a new meal every few weeks or so to if you want more variety (or learn new “go to” meals).

The goal is to dial in what is working and know how to keep total control for a lifetime. No more buying into the latest diet fads, as you don’t need them. That is all some “expert” would do anyways, is just use “trial and error” to find what does work for you.

Take a night off here and there to go out and eat other things, but you know how to come back to what is working. Trying to “wing it” all the time (especially with 2 Meals) will only lead to more confusion when results are not going in the right direction.

So go ahead, eat boring…I do.

This concept has been somewhat popular since the book Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler came out many years back. In it Ori talks about “under-eating” during the day and using the dinner hour as the “feast”:

Eat One Main Meal at Night:
There is evidence that humans are nocturnal eaters, inherently programmed for undereating and toiling during the day, followed by overeating and relaxing at night.

I already talked about in an old post here how many revered past civilizations full of healthy, athletic, and intelligent people only were eating enough to nourish their bodies and not having “the most important meal of the day” (well by modern standards that is).

Throughout history you can easily find that people would (and many cultures still do) use the last meal of the day as their main one. A time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends for hours. Whether they ate another meal earlier or light snacks (fruits, vegetables, figs, nuts, tubers/starches) during the day can vary.

Hershel Walker Eats 1 Meal a Day

Hershel Walker has also come out to say that he has (since he was a kid) eaten only one meal a day. Looking at what he has accomplished and even now at 50+ yrs old, that is pretty amazing.

One can speculate whether he really did this all the time (and may find forum debates with references to occasional late night fast food binges in college), but the eating pattern of one main meal at night seems to persist.

Here’s a video interview detailing his “bizarre” eating habits (and I find it humorous about him also plugging his chicken company at the end):

Here is the video link to Youtube if not appearing above.

However when it comes to eating one meal a day, there is also another group that does it and I’m probably guessing that you are not trying to match their physique.

The Sumo Wrestler Way

Sumo wrestlers are known for eating about one main meal a day too. I find that many people will use that argument against eating only once a day and say it only leads to gaining weight.

However there is still one big variable to consider and meal frequency is not it. Sumo wrestlers also tend to eat 10,000+ calories (that is not a mistype) and drink lots of beer (as they want those big bellies for what they do).

So to say that they are overweight just because they eat once a day, doesn’t even take into account that putting in an excess amount of calories at once is not going to lead to good results.

1 vs 3 Meals a Day

Here’s an interesting study that wanted to compare the physiological effects of eating only 1 Meal/day compared to 3 Meals. Both groups were asked to eat their maintenance calorie loads (not deficit).

Each subject consumed the same amount of calories each day regardless of whether they ate one or three meals, and all subjects maintained their body weight within 2 kg of their initial weight throughout the 6 month period [29].

Most physiological variables measured, including heart rate, body temperature and blood chemicals, were unaffected by meal frequency; however, when on 1 meal/d, subjects exhibited: a significant reduction of fat mass, and significant increases in levels of total and LDL and HDL cholesterol [29].

In the present study morning glucose tolerance was impaired when subjects were consuming 1 meal/day compared to 3 meals/day. Fasting (morning) plasma glucose levels were significantly elevated in subjects when they were consuming 1 meal/d compared to 3 meals/d. The latter difference in fasting glucose levels could be explained, in part, by continuing absorption of the greater amount of food consumed in the evening in the subjects on the 1 meal/d diet.

Pretty fascinating that the 1 Meal/day group maintained their bodyweight when eating maintenance loads (like the 3 Meal/day people). They did not gain weight just by lowering the meal frequency (as I’ve pointed out in the past with studies about meal frequency and metabolism not effecting energy expenditure).

The 1 Meal a day (which was actually defined as a 4 hour window to eat daily calories before bed) seemed to also lose more fat mass.

The higher waking glucose levels are acknowledged to be most likely due to having that large (high % carbs) meal before bed and doing testing first thing in the morning. Had they done it later on, it would have painted a different picture. Also it was a condition that quickly disappeared once they went back to the 3 Meal/day pattern (so no lasting negative effect). The cholesterol level increase went unexplained as far I could find.

The Hunger Games

Many people who tell me that they did not lose weight (or gained weight) with one meal a day, most often also admit to being so hungry that they lose control at night. It becomes more a free for-all and anything is on the menu.

Using IF (intermittent fasting daily) as a pass to just eat whatever you want later, probably isn’t going to work out or be a good idea for most people.

Controlling what you eat (and therefore the calories that you intake) is also a vital component. Food choices can vary tremendously on how it impacts your body. Eating a lean cut steak with some whole food side items is not going to be the same as getting a loaded pizza and dessert.

This is why I suggest using the “2 Meals” approach, even if you decide to condense them down to a smaller window later in the day. Then you can use the first meal (especially if it is more protein based) to help curb hunger and cravings as you go into the later meal(s).

Make It Work For You

This quote from Bruce Lee sums up how one should look at any eating plan (especially IF):

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own”

It’s up to you to make it work after all. Each of us is very individualistic in our:

• daily calorie requirements
• type of activity/exercise levels
• overall recovery demands (amino acids, muscle glycogen, etc)
• current state of metabolic health
• the food choices we make (and calories too)
• daily macronutrient levels (carbs, fats, protein)
• how we deal with hunger (control and rebound eating)
• lifestyle stress issues and energy levels

So in the end I would say that using a larger window at night for the majority of eating can work, only when you can still keep calories under control in the process. I personally find it too hard to do that with only 1 meal, and opt for spreading it out over 2-3 meals in a more condensed window.

What works for you can be something different, but in the end it’s up to you to know how to adjust and make it work.

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Before I get to the video, I first want to go back over a little bit of my own story.

My Own Worst Enemy

I grew up reading lots of exercise books and even as I later moved on to work as a trainer, I prided myself in devouring any and all things exercise related.

100s of books, DVDs, seminars, and much more. However this lead to a problem…too much information.

Pretty soon my head became a walking Rolodex that I couldn’t shut off. I would be in the gym, thinking about what “split” bodypart day it was and could easily come up with 10-20 exercises to do.

I would then spend more time experimenting thinking “varied and complex” was better.

However as time went on I felt it also lacked a certain “enjoyment” factor. Pretty soon it was clear to me that I was over-complicating things. I had become my own worst enemy!

This eventually lead to burnout and quitting the gym, but also a new appreciation for a simpler plan.

80/20

If you were to ask me the best way to build muscles 10 years ago, I would probably would have belted off some blurb about rotational sets of glycolitic and strength pathways, rep range alternations and something about an East German pyramid plan (not pyramid scheme).

That would be me using complicated terminology to try and sound more like an “expert”.

Now I simply give 2 words:

• Progression
• Consistency

It’s time for most people to just get back to mastering the basics. The 80/20 rule comes into play…and it’s probably more like 90/10. Do the simple exercises (the 10%) that give the most results (90%) when done consistently with intensity and progression.

Too many people I see in online forums are discussing advanced programs when they can’t even do say 10 pullups or a single one legged squat.

Simplicity works, because you focus on what gives the most results. Learning is nice too but unless action is taken consistently with that knowledge, it’s of no real use. Too many people experience “paralysis by analysis” and also lack the steady progression that leads to results.

Milo and the Bull

A simple lesson also found in the fable of Milo from Greece around 500 BC. Milo was known as a champion Olympic wrestler and for his feats of tremendous strength. How he got his strength is an interesting tale.

As a boy was given a bull calf to raise. Story goes each day he would pick up and carry his calf. As the calf grew, so did Milo. Pretty soon he was a big strong man carrying an adult bull around.

Now it’s a great story (how true I don’t know) but the lesson is still there, simple progression and consistency works.

The ultimate wisdom of all my years leads me back to knowing that less is better in most cases. Or as Leonardo da Vinci said:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”

60 Years Young

So here’s the video of a man who only does 3 main exercises. That’s it. Pushups, dips and pullups at the local park.

I’ll let the video speak for itself, but he shows that simple can work.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

If you can’t see the video, here’s the link for it on Youtube.

In the end how you want to workout is of course your decision. I could easily still do some rotational work (switching up resistance factors or time under tension intervals), but I try and keep it as simple as possible.

In the end, find what you enjoy doing and stay at it (avoid burnout). When you pick the right exercises (that 10%) and find ways to keep progressing (challenging the muscles), the results (90%) come.

No more excuses. Just simple action and repeat.

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Oh there is a catch…isn’t there always? Don’t worry, it’s not that bad.

It’s only available on my new Facebook page here. That’s right, it’s my “bribe” to get people to “like” the new 2 Meal Mike Facebook page. See Update Below

I had another FB page, but have decided with bringing the 2 Meal Solution to the Kindle marketplace to also go forward with the “stage name” of 2 Meal Mike (and FB will not allow me to change the old page name). I know, somewhat cheesy but don’t worry…I don’t take myself that seriously anyways most of the time either.

I figured it was a fun name and would help more people discover the 2 Meal (IF) eating lifestyle. That’s always been my mission since day 1 here at the IF Life (way back in 2008). Going forward I’m ready to get out there more and help people break free from all those complicated diets and enjoy eating on their own terms!

The BodyBurst workout is also a simple plan that I have been using (and playing with) over the last few years. I could have easily written some complex body part split 3 sets of 8-12 reps plan…but there are enough of those.

That and I don’t want to workout like that anymore, so why should I tell you to? Time to get back to making fitness a simple daily habit and no more extreme workouts (that people tend to just burnout on).

Like eating, fitness needs to be kept as simple as possible while also as consistent as possible for the lasting results. If a program is not sustainable, then it won’t work long term. Anyone can go crash diet or hit the gym for 2 hours a day for 3-4 weeks…but then what? What happens when it all gets to be too much? Where does one go to keep the results?

BodyBurst is thinking about fitness as doing more short intense “bursts” for the right hormonal responses, and then using your (enjoyable) active lifestyle and eating less to maintain. It’s not that hard, nor should it be (although complicated tends to market better and cost more).

The “IF” here at the IF Life also stands for “Intensity Fitness” and the benefits that come from doing shorter more intense “bursts” (explained more in detail with the ebook).

No more excuses left, only actions that anyone can take.

So click here to go over to my new 2 Meal Mike FB page, hit the “like” button and then it will be an instant PDF download for you. If you are having trouble finding it, look for the tab named “BodyBurst” in the left column there.

UPDATE (March/2012) – The BodyBurst PDF is now available on the site here. Just enter your email at the top of the right sidebar (or click here for the email form) and you will get instant access.

Not sure how long I’ll keep it up, as at some point I may move it over to the Kindle store or even upgrade to a member monthly program.

Enjoy the simple workout plan, as I plan on also blogging more about how to do simple “bursts” (which I think works out best with the 2 Meal lifestyle too). Time to keep your fitness fun and simple (yet challenging). As the great Bruce Lee said:

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.”

I’ll help you understand why to workout, give you a template and then from there you make it yours (for a lifetime hopefully).

Help me make the new 2 Meal Mike Facebook page a fun, entertaining and informative community about all things simple (eating, fitness, lifestyle).

I look forward to seeing everyone over there and making it into a great community!

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Even before starting this site way back in late 2007/early 2008, I’ve always liked talking about intermittent fasting (hence the whole “IF” Life name and all). Helping others to see the benefits, different ways to go about it, and knowing how to make it work for you.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction” ~ Albert Einstein

Knowing that less is more in many cases, I decided a while back to go with even simpler IF lifestyle plan with just the term “2 Meals”.

While it seems many mainstream weight loss plans thrive on complicated (and maybe that is done on purpose), I’m trying to lead by example and show everyone there can be another way.

So here’s an outline of the 2 Meal approach in a Q&A interview format.

What is the 2 Meal Approach?

It is just a simple way to eat less overall for weight loss, while also taking advantage of the benefits of intermittent periods of low/no food intake (intermittent fasting is the science behind what makes it work so well).

Do You Just Eat 2 Meals?

Sometimes, other days it could be really 3. The 2 Meal concept is more based around the standardized big 3 meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. I just never like to eat breakfast, so I skip it (although technically the first meal of the day is always “break”ing the overnight “fast”…even if it is at 1pm).

Then I usually eat only between lunch and dinner times, hence the “2 Meal” name.

How many “actual” times you eat between the “2 Meal” times is entirely up to you (and can vary by person).

What’s the Best Fasting Length or Eating Window?

As for feeding or fasting times, I don’t sweat it. I eat whenever I’m “really” hungry in the late morning or early afternoon. That could be 11am one day and 2 pm the next. Then usually eat 1 or 2 more times until later on.

Overall my daily feeding window can be anywhere from 6-10 hours. I’ve found that works well for me and even throws a bit of the “intermittent” factor into what I do.

“To rise at six, dine at ten, sup at six and go to bed at ten, makes a man live ten times ten.” ~ 16th century proverb

If you want a more consistent schedule daily, then you can keep the same hours. It is probably a better way to start off to see what works meal-wise, as you don’t want too many variables to have to adjust.

Many ways can work.

Is it Low Carb? Low Fat? Paleo? Zone?

I don’t like labels on my eating other than just trying to eat mostly “real foods” (you know, the ones that have been around in nature for 100s/1000s of years and not made in a plant). That helps keep my calories under control and not sweating all the other little details.

People have lost weight on a potato diet, twinkie diet, and most likely every macro-nutrient % you could imagine.

Other big factors also come into play such as not feeling too restricted on what you eat, otherwise diet adherence and enjoyability issues are compromised. If you can’t enjoy how you eat (or be healthy doing it long term), then it’s not sustainable.

The biggest damage done with any diet is what happens when the person gives up on it (weight gain and more diet guilt).

So eat real foods, don’t pig out on purpose and it should work out fine. This includes real carbs (fruits, veggies, starches), as I don’t think 2 Meals and low carb all the time (cycling is an option) is a good combination for many (especially with more exercise too). Both can be a stress on the body, and too much stress only leads to a burnout state (hormesis in action).

Then a couple times a week go out for a meal and enjoy whatever you like (or as I like to say, go have some “pizza and beer”).

Will it Work for Everyone?

Probably not (I know, not a great sales pitch…but an honest one). However I also don’t believe any one plan ever will.

Keep in mind the concept of 2 Meals is just an eating plan. There are still many other factors that come into play if you want to talk about weight loss/health such as:

• state of metabolic health (thyroid/adrenals/liver/etc)
• insulin resistance/sensitivity issues
• choice of actual foods (and calories) eaten
• daily lifestyle stressors (hormesis again)
• type and duration of exercise done
• total daily recovery (downtime/sleep)

I can only say that it is meant for healthy adults (as I’m not a doctor or any other professional medical person).

If a person has medical conditions, issues with anxiety, chronic stress, past eating disorders..then it is possible that using more fasting/lower meal frequency with the 2 Meal approach may exaggerate them. Everyone can react differently.

People who do make it work understand that sometimes adjustments need to be made not only in how they eat, but also in their lifestyle.

Is Lifestyle that Important?

Yes!

Studies are showing that you can get the detrimental metabolic responses (usually seen with poor diet) from chronic stress. This all goes back to hormesis (see the graph below) and the importance of the balance between stress and recovery. You want to be in the “sweet spot” to get stronger from small stressors…not fall into the “crash and burn” stage.

Fasting is a stress. Low calories is a stress. Low carbs is a stress. Exercise is a stress. Ongoing worry/anxiety is a stress. Relaxing and sleep is recovery.

Now make your lifestyle an environment of more stress and low recovery, and be prepared for burnout (weight stall/gain, low energy, thyroid down-regulation, muscle wasting, immune system depression, inflammation, and increased risk of diseases).

The great part of the 2 Meal plan is that you shouldn’t have to worry anymore about eating all day or any other diet obsessions like calorie counting. Just eat, relax and get on with life!

Do I Really Need to Exercise?

There are tremendous benefits to using more resistance based training on the metabolism and just aging itself (stronger muscles, bone density, healthy cellular metabolisms).

No need to over-complicate it as some bodyweight exercises consistently at home a few times a week works. 10-15 minutes is all you really need to get started. Excess or chronic higher heart rate cardio can also lead to burnout (remember that exercise is a stress).

Make eating less your priority for weight loss (not cardio) with 2 Meals, then use simple resistance training around it for that added metabolic boost (muscle repair) and muscle “toning” (definition).

What About All the Experts Who Say the Exact Opposite for Losing Weight?

Honestly, there is always more than just one way to lose weight. Most of it comes down to finding an enjoyable way to eat less overall (control rebound or binge eating tendencies).

I’ve already pointed out many times that the research shows there is no advantage to daily energy expenditure (metabolism) when you eat more often (total daily calories being the same).

So while eating 6x/day works for some to eat less, so can eating 2 or 3 times. The experts will not want to agree with what I am saying (as it goes against what they learned), but I’m just here to show you the facts and let you decide on how to eat.

From there, I’ll just let those who still want to debate over it watch me (and many others) eat the 2 Meal way and then wonder why we are all so lean, fit and happy.

Any Last Thoughts?

One. Don’t make the 2 Meal plan (and IF in general) more complicated than it needs to be.

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential” ~ Bruce Lee

There is no back-end or hidden agenda with it. No complicated macro-nutrient cycling plans needed. No supplements you need to make it work.

Eat mostly real foods 2-3x a day in a condensed eating window. Do some resistance training couple times a week. Go play more (relax and enjoy being active at a slower pace). Stop sweating all the details. Lastly, go have pizza and beer (or whatever you enjoy) a couple times a week.

You’ll find what works.

*Coming Jan 31st*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Today is a pretty common one. I get asked a lot (and see it discussed much on the internet) about:

 “What is OK to drink in the morning before the first meal of the day?” (aka while you are still fasting from overnight)

If you want an absolute #1 cut and dry answer, you will get the boring “water” reply but there are other options of course. Let’s look at some things to consider.

Morning Time is Fasting Time

When we talk about using IF/2 Meals, we are also looking at using those intermittent fasting times in the AM to generate some positive hormonal responses.

One big benefit of IF you will see especially when compared an all day CR (calorie restricted) eating plan. IF helps to lower fasting insulin and blood glucose levels more than just eating less all day.

This lowered insulin also leads to an increase in FFAs (free fatty acids from stored fat cells) to be potentially burned up as fuel. Lipolytic hormones (fat releasing) increase when insulin decreases.

Of course this process of FFA release will start to slow down once digestion (mainly through insulin response) is signaled and other nutrients are now readily available to use for fuel.

If you are looking to drink something in the AM and still really want this lowest insulin/highest FFA response, your intake of macronutrients should be pretty minimal.

Another potential benefit to IF is autophagy (as I talked about here and recycling proteins). This is also signaled through low insulin levels but mainly because of low plasma amino acid levels.

So in order to get the maximum hormonal responses out of your fasting times in the morning, low insulin and low plasma amino acids are required. Hence water is always the #1 answer to that question.

Now that’s NOT to say you can’t still burn fat and lose weight overall if you drink something else other than water. There’s still more to long term weight/fat loss than just fasting responses. Same can be said in reverse as you can still use IF/2 Meals and gain weight if you just re-feed in calorie excess later on.

The Options

So without further ado, here’s my lists of possible drinks you can use in the AM:

Water – #1 answer survey says. Fasting by definition means nothing other than water. You will not generate an insulin or amino acid response from this. Want to add some flavor? Then try adding in some lemon juice or even a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. You may even get some additional internal health “cleansing” benefits from it as well (you can Google those if you really want to see all the “claimed” benefits).

Coffee/Tea – Most of my mornings start off with an Americano plain, which is 2 espresso shots in hot water. No sugar, no milk just straight up. I like it much better than coffee for the taste and it’s also less caffeine. Caffeine is an interesting topic in itself (and will need a full post to go into it), but while adrenaline increases can lead to insulin release, there is also the effect of increased lipolysis and FFAs. Adrenaline/Noradrenaline are powerful lipolytic (fat freeing) hormones, hence you can also get higher FFAs after more intense exercise intervals. In the end, I keep it and it works for me (for now that is). I use it to focus more in the AM for work and exercise, while also knowing that I need to relax more in the afternoons/PM (so no afternoon caffeine). Need that hormesis balance (stress vs recovery) after all. I also do switch it up sometimes having tea or just nothing but water.

Caffeine and IF Warning: If you are noticing an increase of anxiety, nervousness, emotional outbreaks or excessive annoying of the people around you because you won’t stop talking, then you may want to dial it down on the caffeine intake. Using IF will most likely increase your sensitivity to adrenaline, so drink less than what you used to drink before using IF.

Milk – Some may be asking about using this in their coffee or tea, but I would shy away from it. Milk has always been shown to provide an extra boost in insulin secretion. If you need to have something in your coffee maybe try just a “little” full fat heavy whipping cream instead (or as Dr Harris at the Archevore likes to call it, his Deseil #1). I’m also not one to want much more fat intake while adrenaline is increasing due to FFAs already in the bloodstream and a potential temporary increase in insulin resistance. However if a little extra fat helps you to control hunger/energy and get through IF times without binge eating later on, then it can work for you for that reason.

Honey/Sugar – If you want to add this into your drink, it’s fine but understand that you are also potentially raising blood glucose and insulin. This may actually be a better strategy for people trying to lose weight with IF/2 Meals but also may have adrenal/thyroid/cortisol issues (chronic stress overload and/or hypoglycemia issues). If that’s the case then also some fruit juice could help restore liver glycogen and provide a more “healing” environment than stressful while still eating less meals. You can still use the 2 Meal strategy to control eating, but some people may also need more blood sugar/cortisol regulation to help get back into better health.

BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids)  – I have played with adding them in time to time (although not doing it right now). For people doing their heavy training in the morning, using some small amounts (5-10 grams) BCAAs pre/during “may” help to give a boost to recovery (allowing more training and progress over the long run). I always tell people to focus more on your 24 hr nutrients than worry too much about timing. It’s the 80/20 rule, focus on where most results really come from. However many find better fasted workouts and energy/intensity levels using BCAAs, so if it works…I say go for it. Even if you are not getting maximum autophagy response by upping plasma amino acid levels beforehand, by using it with intense/resistance exercise you are also increasing immediate amino acid uptake and usage (muscle repair). Interesting to note that as Chris at Conditioning Research also points out exercise does have an autophagy response as well. So perhaps even with small amounts of BCAAs, if you use it around intense fasted workouts that it may just still all work out for the best.

Find What Works and Enjoy It

In the end, I’m usually going to tell people to find out “what works for them”. Water is always ideal, but everyone is different in their metabolic health, insulin resistance, blood sugar balance, amount of weight to lose (bodyfat %s), daily stress loads, food choices when eating, reactions to caffeine, intensity of exercise programs, life schedules, energy swings and recovery demands.

How one eats the rest of the day after the IF part is done is really the bigger picture (especially hunger responses during fasting and how one rebound eats because of it).

To sum up:

• Max benefits for fasting means you drink only water.
• If you want some coffee/espresso, have some. Ideally take it black. Tea even better (if you can stand it on an empty stomach, some can not). Drink less than normal and keep the extras to a minimum.
• You can still lose weight overall if you drink something other than water with the IF/2 Meal lifestyle. Overall calorie deficit is a bigger variable to consider.
• Controlling hunger with what you drink may be a more important factor to keep calories under control in the long run (no binge eating). Don’t use IF to burn stored fat but only end up shoveling back excess calories right back into those fat cells.
• Having stable blood sugar and energy is important too (also helps keep cortisol in check).
• You can also get an autophagy response through exercise too.
• Using caffeine pre-fasted workout (30 min) is the best strategy for keeping workouts intense and burning FFAs (short intense workouts + slow go activity does the trick for stubborn fat).
• There is no one perfect way. Try some self experimentation, and find what does work for you.
• If you are not getting the results you are after, then change up something. This is ongoing as life and all your variables to it (exercise, stress, aging) are dynamic and don’t stay the same.

Understand but don’t obsess over the little details. Try a mix of things if you want. Ideally shoot for minimal insulin responses. Take 1-2 days off a week to drink just water for a better autophagy response if using BCAAs (non-training days for example).

Most importantly, relax and enjoy what you do. Stressing over whether a bit of sugar will knock you out of ketosis for optimal fat burning will probably do more harm than the packet itself.

Bonus idea: I came across this cool recommendation from Michael at Critical MAS (great thing about IF is the community of people finding new things to try). For those who want to eat something to control hunger (drinks aren’t cutting it), try using some (1 tablespoon) coconut oil and fermented veggies. The coconut oil as an MCT (medium chain tryglyceride) can be easily broken down for fuel, accelerate the production of ketones, and the fermented veggies will apparently break down in the gut to short chain fatty acids for fuel. Keeping hunger under control (and rebound eating binges) may be the biggest key for many using IF/2 Meals.

*Coming Jan 31st*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.