Hi friends!
Here is your Tri-Tip Tuesday, where I share my thoughts on food, fitness, & travel. We've been busy the last several months. It's been a while, but the Tri-Tip isn't gone! Please forward this to others if they may be inspired.
Food: should you be fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is yet another buzzword that has been a hot topic for the past decade. People ask me about IF all the time. The people who ask me about it are specifically interested in achieving faster weight loss.
Many people do fasts for religious, spiritual, mental, or emotional reasons. In this discussion, we aren't considering these reasons but focusing on the question of how fasting can affect weight loss, physiologically.
My answer is that while intermittent fasting may work for some people, it doesn't work for most, and I do not recommend it.
Fasting for weight loss provides no specific benefits beyond the calorie deficit that it creates. You can achieve weight loss and fat loss using a standard continuous calorie deficit without the negatives of a long fast. The negatives of long fasts include micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, bone loss, fatigue, poor performance, etc.
Doing a fast up to a 16/8 fasting window (where you fast for 16 hours and eat in an 8-hour window) may work well for some for weight loss because it may help you control your total daily calorie intake by skipping a meal, but it has nothing to do with the fasting itself. It has everything to do with total calories consumed in your day. There is nothing magical about fasting.
For others, that same 16/8 window can trigger the restrict and binge cycle, where they can't control food choices or portion amounts within the 8-hour eating window. This is especially true for people who have struggled with yo-yo dieting most of their lives. If this sounds like you, please be careful and proceed with caution. Be honest with yourself if it doesn't work for you, and don't push it.
Fitness: Age Blame
It has been a common practice for people to blame their inactivity and physical condition on their age. Many people believe that losing strength and stamina is a side effect of aging. However, it’s caused in large part by the reduction in physical activity.
As we grow older, this inactivity tends to increase. Overall, only 8.2% of older (50+ years) Americans meet the criteria for both aerobic and strength-training activity. Physical inactivity can significantly alter your body composition, increase your body fat, and decrease muscle and bone density. Physical inactivity also increases the risk of chronic diseases and injury.
We don't age physically because of chronological years, but because we stop moving. Chronological age does not dictate our abilities, our lifestyle habits do.
It's never too late to start being more active. Start now, no matter what age you are. Take 30 minutes out of your day to add in exercise. Motion is lotion.
Travel: Take it on the Road
People who are brand new to strength training (or returning after a long hiatus) are often surprised to learn that strength training is incredibly small-space friendly and low-impact.
The strength training programs I write and personally follow can be done in an extremely small footprint, using either loop bands or dumbbells. You don't need a gym membership on the road, you don't need tons of fancy equipment, and the workout does not need to be grueling.
What you do need is a well written, effective program, basic equipment, and consistency. Routine is everything. If you're traveling by RV or car, pack those bands or adjustable dumbbells. If you're traveling by plane or cruise, the bands work perfectly. Muscle is everything, keep pushing.
Make it a great week!
Christine Irene
NASM-CPT, Senior Fitness Specialist, Precision Nutrition Pn1 + Pn2 Certified, Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist, & Full-time Traveler
"Fortune favors the brave" - Virgil
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