The importance of drinking water while Fasting

Everyone knows they need to drink water but why is it important that we do so? Water is very important for maintaining good health and even more important when you're doing Intermittent Fasting(IF). Those who practice IF absolutely need to consume the all too familiar recommendation of 8 - 10 glasses per day. Fasting can be very stressful on the body. Drinking water helps the body cope with this stress as well as with helping to eliminate toxins and  reduces cravings.

Water is the body's most essential nutrient second only to air. Our bodies are made up of roughly 60% water and every process our body is involved in requires water. Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration which can lead to fever, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, unconsciousness and even hallucinations. Mild dehydration has risks too  and can lead to tiredness, headaches, confusion, dry skin, muscle weakness, dizziness, irritability and lightheadedness. People often experience one or more of these symptoms on a daily basis and many do not know that they can be easily cured, not by any doctor or medication, but simply by drinking more water.

So how much water should you drink? Experts have made recommendations that vary vastly but some of the most common ones include:

• 8 to 10 glasses per day

• 2 to 3 litres per day

• half your bodyweight(in pounds) in ounces of water. This means that if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink 50 ounces of water each day.)

If you live in a hot climate(which we do here in Trinidad), are involved in strenuous exercise(like you will be doing at the gym) or you're fasting(we're Intermittent Fasters!), you will require more water than the averages recommended by these experts.  Athletes lose more water through sweat than the average person. You also sweat a lot when you're at the gym working out too so its important to up your water intake to match your body's increased needs. I usually drink between 1 and 2 litres of water during my workout alone.

Many people go about their lives in a dehydrated state. They experience many of the symptoms mentioned above but never think that the cure is as easy as drinking a bit more water. When you don't drink enough water your body tries to extract some from the food you eat. Foods like fresh fruits and vegetables have a lot of water. Fasting removes even this source of water. This isn't an excuse to not drink water. Just getting some water from other sources does not mean you can skip out on your daily requirements 

If you're like me and you are a coffee drinker, caffeine found in coffee is a diuretic. This means that if you're having more than one cup of coffee per day, you can't count that as water intake but rather need to balance it out with an additional glass of water.

I have one of the worst but also the easiest to treat symptoms of dehydration. during the day I start developing headaches from not drinking enough water. Thats my signal to go get some right away. once I keep my water intake high, no more headaches. I also get very dry skin and peeling in the area just above the fingernail where the skin is very thin. Once I drink adequate water each day I can avoid any of these issues.

Intermittent Fasting: The Warrior Diet

Ori Hofmekler, whose formative military experience prompted a life interest in survival science is the creator of the Warrior Diet. He introduced the program in his book in 2002. The Warrior Diet was one of the first documented diets to incorporate the idea of intermittent fasting as the core concept of its nutrition plan.

If you chose to try out the Warrior's approach, you will be expect to fast for 20 hours every day and eat only one large meal at night. This is probably contrary to what you may have been taught, that eating more food in the evening will cause weight gain.

It doesn't matter when you eat your calories; what matters is the fact that you work off more calories than you take in during a 24 hour period.

Overeating may still be detrimental to your health and cause weight gain if you are not careful about what you eat. If you eat 500 calories per day more than you burn, you will gain weight, no matter what time of day you eat them. The fasting period of the Warrior Diet isn't a strict fast as the other methods we have explored. The Fast is actually a period of "undereating". What this means is that during the 20 hour fast you can eat occasionally however what you eat will be limited to small servings of raw fruit, vegetables, fresh juices and maybe a few servings of protein if desired.

The 4 hour eating window referred to as the "overeating" phase is at night. The reason for this is to maximise the Parasympathetic Nervous Systems ability to help your body recuperate allowing for the nutrients consumed to be used for repair and growth while you sleep. Your "undereating" period during the day is supposed to maximise the Sympathetic Nervous Systems "fight or flight" response. This response should promote alertness, boost your energy and cause your body to produce hormones to stimulate fat burning.

You have to combine any diet with regular exercise. This one is no different. Exercise at least three times per week. Spend at least 30 to 60 minutes working out. and my favourite part, include strength training and aerobics  if you want to lose weight while on the Warrior Diet.

What to eat is important but not how much!

Holfmelker recommends you start with veggies, proteins and fats and eat as much food as you like. If you're still hungry only then should you add some carbohydrates. As always, behave like a responsible adult and make healthy choices.

Benefits: If other methods of fasting that require you to abstain from food completely during the fasting period just can't work for you then this program might better suit you. The Warrior Diet allows for eating a few small snacks during the fasting period. This can make it easier to make it through the long fast.

The downside: Even with the healthy snacks you still have to go without food for 20 hours. The guidelines for what to eat are pretty strict and may be difficult for many to stick with long term.

Squats: Why you NEED them and how to perform them correctly

The Squat is one of the best exercises you can do. Whether your goal is to build muscle or lose weight squats are a must in your workout.

Squats FTW! ...but why?

The squat falls in the category of compound exercises. This means that it works several joints and muscle groups at the same time as opposed to an isolation exercise that targets a specific body part. A simple bodyweight squat requires activation of the majority of your body. If you add some resistance(ie. add some weight; like a barbell) into the mix you need to use every single major muscle group in your body to complete the movement. Your entire body will benefit from this exercise and become stronger,not just your muscles but your bones as well.

It gets better! Utilizing your whole body in a compound movement can cause your body to increase production of anabolic hormones. These hormones are what tells the body to build muscle in response to the tremendous stress you are placing it under.

If your primary goal is fat loss, you need to squat. If you're trying to build muscle, you need to squat. When it comes to huge legs for guys or a sexy butt for the ladies, the squat is second to none for attaining these goals.

With most exercises its always a good idea to try them out without any resistance or using any machines or equipment. The squat is tremendously beneficial when a barbell is added, but there are many combinations of sets and reps with variations in resting periods that can be applied to the bodyweight squat and can still produce good results. You won't build as much muscle if you don't add in the resistance, but if your goal is just firming up your but or toning up your legs bodyweight circuits will be effective. Its a good idea to try and start squatting without any weight. Make sure you can do bodyweight squats before you start loading up the bar.

How to do a bodyweight Squat:

• Thighs must be at least parallel to the floor. Hips must be below the knees in order for it to be considered a full Squat. If you do squats the right way, you will feel it in every muscle in your legs. Your back and core are being worked at the same time.
• Try not to extend your knees past your toes. You're supposed to sit back into the squat. You don't shove your knees forward out in front you. The video below shows a method of squatting that does allow for the movement to begin by breaking the knees, but he is careful to keep them from travelling too far forward..
• Do not allow your back to become arched or hyperextended. Keeping your back flat in a neutral position is essential for the safety of your spine. You can better maintain this by keeping your head up, looking forward through the entire movement. I find it best to concentrate on a spot on the wall and not allow your gaze to drift while you are performing the movement. You want to keep your abs tight and your whole body rigid while you are moving. Abs play a big part in stabilizing your body during the entire squat.
• A shoulder width stance or slightly wider is recommended. I've found that I stand a bit wider than many of the diagrams depict. Your toes should point outward slightly. Again I seem to have a more exaggerated standing position with my feet almost at a 45 degree angle outward. This can be due to poor ankle and hip flexor mobility. Over time the exercise itself will stretch out these tight muscles but if you don't see any improvement there are exercise that target these areas specifically to help you get the perfect for for your squats.

Here's a great video by Jonnie Candito showing some of the common mistakes that people make when they first start learning the squat. I used to have some difficult with my wrist and forearm but since incorporating some of the techniques mentioned in the video I've managed to reduce the incidence of any type of wrist/forearm pain.




Lots of people shy away from squats because they're difficult. The reason they work so well is because they are difficult! If you’re afraid of an exercise because its too difficult, that probably means its the one that will help you the most. This is often the case with squats, now is the time to start doing them. Start with very light weight (or just your body weight), Practice until you are sure you have absolute perfect form,when the weigh gets heavier you will have enough to worry about. Before you know it you're squat numbers will have skyrocketed and you'll be dropping body fat while building muscle and on the way to being in the best shape of your life!

Intermittent Fasting: Eat Stop Eat

It's already been a couple weeks since I've been doing the 16-8 and its been going very well. Most days the fasting period is stretched to 18 hours because of my work schedule but it wasn't difficult to adapt to it. I feel fine as long as I eat sufficiently during the 6 hour feeding window. Days have taken on a different meaning to me now. A day isn't just wake up at 6am, go to work; 8am to 5pm and get into bed by 10-11pm. Days are now 9pm to 3pm: Fast. 3pm to 9pm: Eat!

Daytime food cravings are all but gone. I don't miss breakfast or lunch. I don't constantly want to be munching on something more out of boredom than hunger. Forget about food and snacks and breakfast and what to eat and when to eat and lunch hours and all the unnecessary minutia you've been used to obsessing over.

On to the second method of Intermittent Fasting(IF). Eat Stop Eat is Brad Pilon's take on IF. Brad is an expert on intermittent fasting as it relates to losing weight and gaining muscle. He's also the author of Eat Stop Eat.

You're going to fast for a whopping 24 hours(thats a whole day!) once or twice(TWICE!?!!!) per week. During the 24 hour fast no food, I repeat NO food is consumed. Calorie free beverages are allowed meaning water, black coffee(without sugar) and maybe Zero calorie drinks like Coke Zero. 24 hours have passed, you've survived and surmounted the challenge of not eating for an entire day, now you go back to eating normally. Just pretend you didn't fast at all. Some people might need to eat a big meal, others will be ok with their regular dinner or just a simple healthy snack. The timing is whatever is best for you and its not fixed. You can fit your fast in at any time that suits your schedule and adjust it as necessary as long as you make sure to not eat during the 24 hour period.

So whats the point of this? Changing your lifestyle to accommodate the fast will reduce your overall caloric intake without limiting what you're able to eat. As with any diet incorporating regular exercise is a big factor. You will not succeed on this plan if weight loss or improved body composition is your goal without a regular exercise program.

You get a break-in period: 24 hours seems like a really long time at first but you don't have to go all out right away. You can start with shorter periods and work your way up to the full 24 hours. The best idea is to start when you're most busy or on a day when you don't have any other eating obligations(family dinners or a work lunch).

Benefits: There are not really any "forbidden foods". There is no counting calories. No weighing food or dietary restrictions. That sounds awesome! That said its not entirely true. You still have to eat like a grown-up! You can eat whatever you want but moderation is key.

The downside: 24 hours without any food will be challenging and many may even find it impossible. Many people have struggled with going for extend periods without consuming any calories. Some people may experience annoying side effects such as headaches, fatigue and general crankiness. These issues will probably diminish and perhaps eventually completely subside given enough time. The problem here is that most people won't want to battle it out through this period to reap the real benefits of the fast.

If your body requires 2500 calories per day thats 2500 calories less per week you'll be consuming. This can go a long way to achieving your weight loss goals. self-control.

The extended fasting period may cause a bout of bingeing after the fast but that can be easily controlled by behaving like an adult and exercising some


I'm planning to try out a 24 hour fast day next weekend. During the week it will be difficult for me to manage with it but I'm up for the challenge. I want to see for myself what it feels like to go for 24 hours without food.

Intermittent Fasting: Leangains

Leangains is a method of Intermittent Fasting pioneered by Swedish nutritionist Martin Berkhan. It was put together based on his scientific research on fat-loss, muscle building, his own experimentation and the actual experience of working with hundreds of clients over many years

The diet recommends that you  forget about your usual breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacking routine. You are now going to change your lifestyle to reflect two phases of your day. The first is the fasting phase. For men its is recommended to fast for 16 hours and women, 14 hours each day. the remaining hours are your feeding window. While you are fasting, you will not be consuming any calories at all. Black coffee is permitted with calorie free sweeteners. (I take full advantage of this!) So too are diet drinks and sugar free gum. Some persons have said that chewing gum helps with curbing hunger and cravings however I've found that chewing gum makes me hungry so I don't do it anymore.

Determining your fasting and feeding times will be based mostly on your lifestyle, for me it is easiest to fast through the night and the work day. I eat my first meal around 2-4pm. he schedule is of course adaptable to your lifestyle but the important thing is to maintain a consistent feeding window time. If you don't hormones in the body can get thrown off and make it more difficult to stick to the program. I have first-hand observed that eating early one day messed me up for subsequent days until I got used to the timing again. It felt like I was starting the process all over and my body had to go through the periods of feeling hungry and the cravings all over again.

What you chose to eat and when you eat it during your feeding window are somewhat dependent on when you workout. if your workout is at the beginning of your feed you might want to try exercising fasted. If you feel like you cant get through the workout without food then you should eat something light, a fruit or fruit juice just so you have some active sugars to get your workout started. I've found that I don't need a lot of carbs pre-workout. The average person does not consume sufficient protein everyday. Your protein needs will differ based on your fitness goals, gender, and age. A person interested in bodybuilding will require larger quantities of protein than someone who is just trying to get toned. You should always eat whole and unprocessed foods. If you find you don't have the time or the stomach for large quantities of meat, protein bars and shakes are acceptable. For me carbs are evil. My body is perfectly happy to live off fats and proteins. Thus far on workout days I’m able to get going with minimal carb consumption. Perhaps this will change later on as the weights get heavier.

Benefits: On most days meal frequency is irrelevant. You can basically eat whenever you want within your feeding window. Most people find that breaking up feeding into their breakfast/lunch/dinner 3 meal split works well and fashioning what they eat to match the typical breakfast, lunch or dinner meal. Personally I prefer two big meals and maybe one smaller one.

Here are a few guidelines taken from the Leangains website.

• On workout days, break the fast with meat, veggies and a fruit. If you’re planning to train shortly after this meal, add a few carbs in the form of a starch source – potatoes or whole grain bread, for example. Make it a medium sized meal and don’t stuff yourself. Train within 3 hrs of having eaten this meal and have a much larger meal after your workout; in this meal, add more complex carbs – and you may even have one of your favourite treats as dessert, if it’s not too high in fat and if eaten in moderation. Good examples of what I refer to as ‘treats’: low fat ice cream, sorbet or JC’s cheesecake. Bad example: Chinese buffet or your son’s birthday cake. You get the point, keep it within moderation and don’t pig out.

• On rest days, eat less calories than on workout days - do this by cutting down on carb intake, and make meat, fibrous veggies and fruit the foundation of your diet for this day. The first meal of the day should be the largest, in contrast to workout days where the post-workout meal is the largest. Largest doesn’t necessarily mean largest in terms of volume; I suggest getting at least 40% of your calorie intake in this meal, and the dominant macronutrient should be protein. I’ll have some clients eating upwards to 100 g protein in this meal, so don’t be afraid to pile on the meat (or whichever protein source you prefer). Fattier meat and fish like ground beef and salmon are examples of some excellent protein sources that may be consumed on rest days.

• In the last meal of the day, include a slow digesting protein source; preferably egg protein, cottage cheese (or any other source of casein based protein). Meat or fish is also ok if you add veggies or supplement with fiber. This meal will keep you full during the fast and exert an anti-catabolic effect on muscle protein stores by ensuring that your body has an ample supply of amino acids until the next meal.

• Whole and unprocessed foods should always take priority over processed or liquid foods, unless circumstance demands a compromise. For example, you might find yourself in situations when there is little time to eat or prepare foods – in such a situation, having a protein shake or meal replacement bar is ok, where as solid, more satiating foods should be consumed whenever there is ample time to cook.

Getting Stronger

Phase 2 - Adding some Exercise

I definitely need to add some sort of exercise program to compliment my new diet. I hate machines that make you run or flail around in one spot. I don’t mind going for a jog outdoors from time to time but with my busy schedule I’m not sure how often I can fit that in. I came across this program called StrongLifts 5x5. The program was founded by a man from Belgium, Medhi Hadim He's not a professional bodybuilder but the program has it roots in a solid foundation. The 5x5 method(5 sets of 5 reps each) has been around for a long time and Medhi's take on it is based off of Reg Parks 5x5 workout. Reg Park is a big name in the Bodybuilding world and he also starred as Hercules in 5 films made back in the 60's.

Stronglifts prescribes training three times per week. You will be performing five sets of five reps each for each exercise(except deadlifts which is 1 set of 5). Most people like Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday for their workout days but you're free to change it up as necessary to fit your schedule but it is mandatory that you have a full days rest(no lifting) in between each workout day. Sounds perfect for me since each workout session shouldn't run longer than an hour. Three hours per week, I can find the time somewhere.

Stronglifts has two main workouts that you will be alternating between every workout day. Workout A and Workout B. So for example, workout A would be performed on Monday and workout B on Wednesday, and then back to A on Friday. This means that next week you'll be starting off on Monday with workout B then A then B so every week the sequence alternates. The workouts are as follows

Workout A	Workout B
Squat 5x5	Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5	Overhead Press 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5	Deadlift 1x5
Pushups 3 x Failure	Pullups 3 x Failure

Some of the benefits of SL5x5 according to Brett over at The Art of Manliness include:

1. You don't need much equipment for the StrongLifts workout. Just a gym that has some barbells, plates, a bench, a power rack (for squats), and pull up and dip bars. That’s it. No machines, no girly rubber balls, and no elastic cables.

2. Moreover, the exercises themselves are simple. You’re doing basic strength training lifts like the squat, bench press, and deadlift. You won’t be doing any complicated or awkward moves. Just the tried and true exercises that have been proven to work for decades. And the set and reps formula is elementary: 5X5=5 sets of 5 reps each.

3. Each workout works your whole body and consists of compound exercises that hit multiple muscles at the same time. This is the best and most efficient way to lift weights. Many men’s magazines show you exercises designed to isolate a specific muscle. This is inefficient and a waste of time. The more muscles you activate in a workout, the stronger you will get and the more fat you will burn.

4. You get results. The workout is designed so you can push yourself and get stronger and leaner each week. Each workout out you’ll be adding a small amount of weight. Before you know it, you’ll be bench pressing cars over your head. Because strength training increases muscles and muscle burns more fat, you’ll also get leaner. After a couple of months with this workout and a proper diet, you can kiss your belly and man boobs goodbye.

Here's Medhi Deadlifting 400 pounds!

Sounds too good to be true. Its time for me to find out!