Should YOU Intermittent Fast??

Unfortunately, my mind has been ingrained that my muscles have to be fed every three hours to avoid burning muscle for SO MANY years that I had been hesitant to try Intermittent Fasting despite the abundance of reasons I SHOULD be doing it!!!

I do NOT have a naturally muscular body. The entire Mackid Clan has always worked EXTREMELY hard putting on QUALITY weight ;) This is why whenever I make it to say....hour 18 of a fast, I PANICK and sprint for the kitchen!! I just couldn't get out of my head, that I may burn the small small amount of muscle I've worked SO HARD for! HAHA

Surprisingly enough I don't find the fasts hard at all. I'm never really hungry, I just eat because I love it, and need it to fuel my workouts. Its my brain that made me fall short EVERY TIME!!!! Now that I'm not AS focused on muscle building, but rather maintenance and general health, it's been EASY!!!

Here is just a small list of the benefits of fasting....

Reduced:

-Blood Lipids (bad cholesterol decreases)
-Blood Pressure
-Inflammation
-Oxidative Stress
-Risk of Cancer

****When any of these levels are elevated, they cause stress on the body, and makes it VERY difficult for the body to release weight

Increased:

-Cellular Turnover/Repair (Recovery)
-Fat Burning (More of the fat burning happens at the end of the fast)
-Metabolic Rate (actually INCREASES at the end of the fast, stimulated by norepinephrine and epinephrine release)

Impoved:

-Appetite Control ( you'll learn the difference between HUNGER and CRAVINGS)
-Blood Sugar Control (body becomes more sensitive to insulin, VERY important for physique)
-Cardiovascular Function
-Effectiveness of Chemo Treatments
-Neurogenesis (protections against neurotoxins)

So why don't I do it more often....?? Well NOW I do, and I've never felt better!

Not only am I releasing weight, but I have a little more freedom in what I eat the rest of the week because of the calorie deficit created during the fast. Does this mean that the rest of your week is a free for all!!! Heck no!!! Keep it to a few healthy meals and a couple healthy snacks to see the BEST results. You can allow for more freedom once you have achieved your preset goals.....

Click link BELOW if you haven't already done so!!!:)

GOAL SETTING

Food prep has been so simple and it has left me more relaxed when it comes to what I'm putting into my body. Better yet, it has given me SO MUCH more quality time with my family!!!

WHAT IS IT EXACTLY??

Intermittent fasting is basically a predetermined stretch of time that you don't eat anything. You are giving your body a BREAK...Well, you're FASTING. This Break gives your liver some time to do things OTHER than assimilate the abundance of food we are always stuffing into our bodies. We technically fast every night while we sleep, but it's when we add the extra time to a fast that we see the benefits listed above...

When looking closely at the process, you could call it many other things as well....calorie cycling, reducing calorie intake, burning more than you are taking in, decreasing processed foods and chemicals, etc. There are many different ways to complete and intermittent fast, but this is the BEST method for me!

How do you get started???

First Watch this Video.....I guarantee you will relate!!

Now Check out this link....scroll down to the recommended 30 day system and you will find the most delicious and straight forward plan to your first month of Intermittent Fasting and Cleansing Experience. ALL BACKED by a money back guarantee! :) 

You have nothing to lose, except weight, Bloat, toxins, dull hair, sleepless nights and dry skin ;)

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Next?? Email me at operationlean@live.com to set up a time to chat!!! I can't wait to help you through this amazing process.

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Want to Learn More about IF and the MANY MANY ways you can approach it??

Intermittent Fasting With Precision Nutrition

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What is Alkalinity, and why is it Important to Understand??

On my Facebook page a few days ago, I posted about my problems with alkalinity, and parts of how it's affecting me, and PART of how I'm dealing with it. It stirred up a lot more interest than I expected so I decided to write a blog post about it!! I could go in MANY different directions with this, but I'll try to keep it as short as possible and simple ;)

Alkalinity is important for EVERYONE, but most important for the extremely active, and the extremely sick population (this is because the stresses both have on their body are actually quite similar)

Pretty much EVERYTHING our body does to live daily causes acid. In order to dispose of these acids, we need buffers from minerals and electrolytes. These acids need to be neutralized so they can be removed thru sweat, urine and stool. If we go long periods without neutralizing these acids, it causes breakdown of protein, DNA, causes the body to slow down and even TURN OFF cellular functions (metabolic rate, detoxification, and exercise performance) What does this cause.....well all those things that I mentioned in my Facebook post!!! Plateau in weight loss, hormone imbalances, sore joints because of inflammation, irritability because of poor sleep, body holding onto water in the wrong area's of the cell (making you look bloated) etc!!! If it gets bad enough for long enough, it will even lead to serious illness, cancer and disease!!!

What Causes Acid in our System:

*Stress
*Detoxification
*Metabolic Rate and Digestion
*Cell Growth and Repair
*Immune System
*Inflammation

As you can imagine...a person who is working out intensely, or VERY sick will be dealing with all these examples on a daily basis....so if we don't buffer these acids somehow, our bodies will run into a wall.

How can we buffer or REMOVE lactic Acid?

*Non-Starchy nutrient dense vegetables or GREENS-the customary 5 servings of vegetables a day isn't enough, we need upwards of 13-20 servings
*Limit Foods that cause acidity in the body, and eat more alkaline foods (chart below)

*minerals (magnesium, multi-vitamins)
*electrolytes (GOOD QUALITY)
*Sodium Bicarbonate
*potassium Bicarbonate is the best source (found in baking soda)

******I just bought a very expensive supplement after shipping and Customs from the US....consisting of Sodium and potassium bicarbonate ONLY. Hopefully this will help my cause!!! If any Canadians know of a similar supplement in Canada, PLEASE post below!!!

*Cleanses and DETOXES can be a great way to kickstart your progress and get your levels back to normal quickly!!!
*Change your workout volume from Hypertrophy workouts to low rep STRENGTH workouts, and to not work the lactic acid systems

If proper foods and supplements aren't getting your levels back to normal, you may have to tailor back your workouts and give your body time to get back to balance. The more you workout, the more acid you create, so if you just CAN'T keep up, you may need some time off (whence me cutting down my volume, and cardio performed till I get this under control)

How do you perform a simple cheap acidity test at home ?

You will need
*PH litmus papers from a health food store (rip off 7 strips)
*Distilled water
*A real lemon

***Do in the morning before eating or having any coffee!!

Your BASELINE
This number will represent your body at homeostasis...you haven't worked out recently, are rested and have had lots of time to buffer acid. If you AREN'T a 7-8pH it could mean you are deficient in acid buffers. If it IS a 7-8, is still doesn't mean you are great at buffering acid, it just means that given enough time your body can get to a good level

Minutes 1-5 -
These are the important numbers...and will show you how you buffer acid in the body, and how quickly. The lemon water will bring pH down to a 5...acid buffers in your saliva SHOULD bring the acid level in your mouth back to a 7-8 within those 5 minutes....

SO

1. Swish some distilled water around in your mouth. After a few seconds, take your BASELINE reading. (compare colour with the chart that will come with the strips)

2. Pour a little more distilled water into a glass, and squeeze a good amount of lemon into the glass...drink, and take your START LEVEL. This should be a 5.

3. Every Minute there after (for 5 minutes), take another reading and record.

If your baseline was a 7-8 and you get back to there after 5 minutes, you're GOLD, good work!!! :)
If your baseline was a 7-8 and you only get back to a six, you have some work to do
If your baseline was a 6 and you may or may not get back to 6...like I was, YOU HAVE LOTS of work to do!! HAHA

YOU should be doing the cleanse and detox with me starting on May 26th...message me for details on this challenge, and I will send you the supplement info, and cost! Even the testers who don't make it back to 7-8 completely will benefit from this process!!!

Here is a link to a supplement vlog I did, describing what I use to keep myself functioning properly! If you go to the last few minutes, I show some of the products used in the cleanse..(I would HIGHLY recommend getting the Product B as well)..there will also be a Facebook group for support through the tough days!!! I know you will love it as much as I did! :) Let me know if you want more information, and I will get you set up!!! OperationLean

Product Website

In the meantime, if you don't get enough vegetables, get yourself some powdered greens and start on that supplementation right away, and drink lots and lots of water, include electrolytes post workout as well. This should start you in the right direction!

I hope this was helpful, if you have any more questions, post in the comments and I will try to answer everything!! :)

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Carb Cycling-What is it and how does it work??

So you've heard all about it, but it sounds so confusing, where do you even start!!!???

I get questions about carb cycling ALL THE TIME...there are many different ways to plan a carb cycle, so like ALWAYS, it's about figuring out what works for you and your body....in this blog post, I'm going to tell When, Why and How I do my carb cycling...

I only follow a carb cycle when my calories are in a deficit, to lose that little extra bodyfat, that just doesn't seem to want to let go!!! Many follow when they are in a growth phase, to keep fat gains at bay, and others use this method all the time, just because it works well for them!!! It's up to you to decide how you want to use this method :)

So now to the why....the benefit of carb cycling is mostly, improved nutrient partitioning, (taking advantage of your body being more insulin sensitive on workout days) hormonal balance (balancing ghrelin and leptin levels which are effected by being in an energy deficit for too long) and hopefully improved performance in the gym while you are on a deficit in calories!

You will set your protein the same everyday..This will usually be set at 1-1.5g/lb bodyweight. Protein does become more important as a percentage of your daily macros, as your calorie intake goes down!!! Make sure you are getting that 1g/lb bodyweight to spare that hard earned muscle as much as possible.

The only two macros you adjust are your carbs and your fats....so here is an example....

for myself, my lagging body parts are my legs and my shoulders!!! So when I'm preparing a program for myself, I have those workouts at the beginning of my workout week!

Lets say my split is : Monday (quads), Tuesday (hams), Wednesday (shoulders and Calves), Thursday (Arms) Friday (Chest and Back) Sat (off), Sunday (off/active rest, exercise with the family)

ON LARGE (legs, chest, back) body parts days I'm going to pair with my HIGH carb days for extra fuel, and those extra carbs will be with my post workout nutrition, (shake and banana, or rice cakes, etc) and again in the whole food meal following my post workout meal. If I am having trouble sleeping, I find that carbs before bed can help too, so I may put some there depending on how I'm feeling..

ON SMALLER (arms, shoulders) body part days, and off days, I will pair with my LOW carb days :) All you have to do, is remove those carbs, added on your high carb days!....

So pair these together and you'll have: Monday (High), Tuesday (High), Wednesday (Low), Thursday (Low), Friday (High), Saturday (Low), Sunday (Low)

***NOTE: You can do this by keeping calories the same (replacing the high carb days with higher fat days) OR you can keep the Proteins and Fat's fairly consistent, and just manipulating your carb intake, which would cause a calorie cycle as well! I.E You would be left with Low Carb/Calorie days, and High Carb/Calorie days (this is great if you want a reprieve from being in a deficit all the time, and this works great for me!)

Some don't even worry about the body parts or days, and just do three days low, one high...and rotate.....some use low, med and high days, which I find to be WAY TOO MUCH planning and a chaotic meal prep. I'm not organized enough for that!

So how do you set this up??? Well, it definitely depends on what method you decide to use....calorie cycle, or just a carb cycle, but this is basically what I do!!!

When I'm wanting to lose, I first set my calories to 12xBW(bodyweight) and NEVER go below 10XBW (I just find the cravings get the best of me, and I get too cranky on less that that, not to mention, it's not healthy.) Bring on the Intermittent Fasting Critics now ;) I just can't do it! HAHA

Then I set my High Carb days to 40/40/20 (P,C,F)
and I set my   Low Carb days to 40/20/40  (P,C,F)

If you want to Calorie cycle as well, you would just have to adjust the macros, to fit the daily calories! I really do feel that this easiest for planning, prep and organization in general.

Lastly, with ANYTHING physique related....just get started with a method, and adjust based on results! (outcome based decision making) If you aren't seeing the progress that you want, first be honest with yourself about whether you are following the plan close enough, if so, you will have to re-evaluate and adjust something :)

NOW GO GET YOUR CARB CYCLING ON!!!

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