Sunday, April 25, 2010

OSB #2: The Eat Stop Eat Experiment

OSB #2 has started AGAIN...... Read on!

Since the big move, a spaceship had kidnapped the Sexy Bitch Train and taken it on a journey to another gallaxy and back....Serious.

I suffered the following side effects:  Excitement, exhaustion, stress, peace.... and then.... multiple (ok 7) TREAT meals ( not CHEAT meals. Treat: healthy off the plan meal but still more calories than a home-made meal. Cheat: total junk meal), which lead to 'satan' scale alert (Cathy, you know what i'm talking about!), mental stress, work stress, loss of focus, completely lost the plot and then finally a mini PB + 85% Lindt binge!

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When i decided to finally pay the ransom, The Sexy Bitch Train was safely returned to Earth. (If i hadn't, an asteroid would have hit it and OSB #2 would have been obliterated into space) To my delight, on arrival The Sexy Bitch Train had been unloaded and springcleaned!

The Ransom:

Warning: The following is very controversial, so please read with an open mind!

As you know, I am a certified nutritionist, a research nerd whom is fascinated by the effect of different foods and training on body composition. I am striving to achieve my ultimate body which i will maintain for life. And i know its not too far away but there have still been a few road blocks holding me back from crossing that finishing line.

What sparked my curiousity was Miss KellyO's blog. She revealed a couple of weeks ago that she had embarked on a nutrition concept called EAT STOP EAT (ESE), by Brad Pilon and has been getting fantastic results. I had actually heard of ESE months ago through Craig Ballantyne's Blog. To be honest, back then i thought this guy was WACKO! I've eaten like a typical bodybuilder for quite a number of years now, so the concept of intermittant fasting over a 24hour period was a complete NO-NO. I was under the impression that unless you ate 5-6 meals a day at 3 hours intervals and made sure that each meal contained 25g protein your metabolism would slow down and you would burn muscle. Period. ESE reveals why this is not the case.

So after spending hours researching his concept,( you can check out his old blog here) I figured, i can't really make an informed decision about the progam unless i gave it a go. So it all began on thursday.

I woke up, had my breakfast at 630am and that was my food for the day. Around morning tea time, my stomach got a little grumbly but i just drank my green tea and 'got over it'. To be honest i really wasn't hungry at all for the entire day. I was completely astounded, i didnt even miss my two coffees that i would usually have in the arvo. My tummy got a little grumbly around bed time, but i just told myself, "Chelle, its no big deal, you can eat in the morning". I then woke up friday morning....NOT starving, had my breakfast and went to the gym. My training was intense, energy was high, it was like the fast had never occurred. My appetite was not out of control either for the rest of the day. In fact, i couldnt even finish my arvo tea! And that is usually the time when i would get peckish and want to overeat.

What confirmed this whole approach was my treatment with GA yesterday. I asked her what she thought of 'intermittant fasting" and she told me:

"Shelly, fasting will do your body a world of good. It allows the digestive system to rest, thus allowing the body's natural detoxification process to occur properly. Fasting is essential for longevity, anti-aging and optimal health. How many years have i been telling you that you are eating too much protein!? Your body doesnt need all that extra food. The chinese also believe in fasting during a full moon and a new moon for its cleansing properties too."

So with her approval i knew i had made the right decision.

Today is my second fast for the week (you do 2 a week). Its only been 4 days and i'm noticing little changes everyday. My stomach is flattening out, no bloating, my body is feeling 'tighter and dryer', i feel lighter and my skin is beginning to glow! I feel fantastic. Oh and i can only fit into my 'shorty gym shorts! The others are saggy baggy! Yeah yeah! Most importantly, the fasting has allowed me to become aware of 'actual hunger' over 'emotional hunger'. I also feel in TOTAL CONTROL in the mental department which is something that i have always had issues with.

My attitude is, 'If i can get through a 24 hour fast, binging will be a thing of the past!"

I wasn't actually going to post this post for another week or two but the results have amazed me so far. For this reason, I decided to re-start OSB #2 so i can report in just what can be achieved with ESE in a 12 week period.

Enjoy the LONG weekend =)

5 comments:

  1. hey chelle, I remember reading about eat stop eat on skwigg's blog a little while ago and how she felt like it was good for the mind as well to have a break from thinking about food, macros, the next meal etc. I like the sound of anything that helps us start listening to the body

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's exactly why i decided to give it a go. In my head i was beginning to get obsessive about all aspects of food and dieting, and eating was becoming a stressful experience. And stress for me can bring on the binge. This way, i don't have to worry about the occasional 'treat' meal as the fast day is taking care of the calorie deficit. I still eat as normal (about 1800cal)on other days and follow the Precision Nutrition guidelines. Also too, i like the idea of being aware of actual hunger and eating appropriately rather than shoveling in larger quantities of food just because it is a certain time of the day!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amen!! I can see that you are liking ESE in the same way I am. This is what I'm doing for life. And it is sooo helping my "binge" or "bored eating" mindset too!! LOVE IT!! ;-) and, I'M SHRINKING!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Girl, the results are ridiculous! I was 67.2kg (148lb) last monday, this morning i just weighed in at 64.9kg (143lb)! I know 'scale weight' isnt the be all end all, but it is important to some degree. I couldnt even crack into the 65kg during the 12weeks of OSB 1! Mentally i am feeling stronger every day, LOVE IT TOO! =)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I read about ESE a while ago and had been toying with the idea but not really spoken to anyone who had done it. Thanks for the info. I might give it a go at some stage.

    ReplyDelete