The 48 hour fast…
To follow up on my last science experiment blog regarding going on a 48 hour fast I will tell you all this, our bodies rock! Not only do I believe that it’s important to mix up our workout routines but also our diets. It’s important to keep the metabolism guessing, hence the reason why sometimes you will hear someone advise a client to eat a cheeseburger if they’ve hit a plateau. Eating a "fatty" cheeseburger may be the last thing a client wants to do ~ it goes against all normal psyche, shouldn’t one eat less to lose more? Shouldn’t one eat clean to lose? It all depends…
Okay, so feedback from my fast. Prior to fasting I have been focused on increasing my caloric intake in every area: carbs, fats, proteins with the goal of gaining muscle for my next show. As much "fun" as this can be it can also be a bit mentally tough as well as digestively tough to get through.
The first full day of fasting my stomach felt better (it had less work to do) and all in all I didn’t feel that hungry. My muscles seemed to be fine as far as fullness and even my workout went pretty well. It was into the second 24 hours that I began to fear I was losing muscle and I definitely felt more fatigued through the next workout.
Mentally, fasting became a nice respite to not have to actually worry about what time it was, what’s my next meal, etc… So that was a nice change of pace.
My verdict is honestly still out. I can’t fathom nor would I recommend doing it any longer than 48 hours, I would fear too much muscle loss, weaker workouts and a slight risk to want to over indulge once you reintroduce food. However, a short fast may be a good idea every once in awhile both mentally and physically. But this is why I love this sport, it’s a science and just because one thing works for the other guy doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you…
