Hey Fat Heads,
Happy New Year!
Thought I’d sneak into the Big Chair for a couple of quick items.
The big news is that the Fat Head Kids book is getting close enough that Tom sent a script to The Middle Son and The Youngest Son so they can start prepping to help with voice work for the DVD version. He included a preview copy of the book so they can relate to what they’ll be voice acting.
Naturally, I had to sneak a peek and I can say that it’s more than worth the wait. Just terrific.
In my completely unbiased opinion, of course.
Next, this isn’t in the breaking news category, but I thought my fellow Fat Heads might enjoy it. We’ve got a good-natured banter going with The Youngest Son’s fiancée about what grandson 2 will be eating as he starts the move from formula to people food. (This guy:)
I keep saying he’s going to be eating only eggs, chicken livers and steak (with some lard and bacon fat) before he’s one; future DIL threatens to feed him tofu.
Anyway, after being impressed with Jason Fung’s Obesity Code and his follow up book (with Jimmy Moore) The Complete Guide to Fasting, I got interested in fasting, especially after my annual Thanksgiving through New Year’s gluttony. I’ve done a couple of 24-hour fasts, a 36-hour last week, and am 36 hours into a two-day (maybe 60 hours) fast right now.
So last night, I was putting a coffee mug in the microwave, prompting the following:
DIL: What’s that – are you having some tea?
Older Brother: No, I’m having a cup of beef broth.
Youngest Son (to DIL): See that? – even Dad’s water has meat in it!
Cheers!
The Older Brother
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In some cultures the first baby food was a bone marrow. I would ask Peter the Hyperlipid what his wife gave to his children as a first people food.
In some cultures the first baby food was a bone marrow. I would ask Peter the Hyperlipid what his wife gave to his children as a first people food.
As Paw Paw, I get to contribute my opinion, but (correctly) don’t have voting privileges. The kids are receptive, and we’ve got a couple jars of #2 beef and turkey in the pantry — probably just a week or so away. I’ll definitely hold back some marrow for him next time I get some stew bones out of the freezer.
The Older Brother
If you’re going to do longer fasts (>1 day), you should consider 5+ days. The hardest day tends to be day 2, and it seems to get easier from there. Also, I find I need to mentally prepare, as if I say “I’ll quit on X day”, I’ll quit on that day, regardless of whether I could go on or not. Finally, if you do fast something longer, consider easing back into eating, with broth, then something bigger a while later, then something even bigger a while later, etc. The hardest part for me (and this applies for even 40 hour fasts) is that my body stores water, and all of that water comes out as soon as I stop fasting. Easing into eating helps a little with this (but does not cure it, for me). My wife doesn’t have the same problem, for whatever reason, so you might not either.
If you’re going to do longer fasts (>1 day), you should consider 5+ days. The hardest day tends to be day 2, and it seems to get easier from there. Also, I find I need to mentally prepare, as if I say “I’ll quit on X day”, I’ll quit on that day, regardless of whether I could go on or not. Finally, if you do fast something longer, consider easing back into eating, with broth, then something bigger a while later, then something even bigger a while later, etc. The hardest part for me (and this applies for even 40 hour fasts) is that my body stores water, and all of that water comes out as soon as I stop fasting. Easing into eating helps a little with this (but does not cure it, for me). My wife doesn’t have the same problem, for whatever reason, so you might not either.
Kind of working my way up. I know they pointed out in The Complete Guide to Fasting that they avoid 2-3 day fasts for that reason — why quit just as you’ve completed the hardest part, no? But so far, although I get a little hungry, I really haven’t had to deal with a sense of deprivation.
The real issue has just been fitting not eating into my schedule!
Partly because I decided at the beginning of the month to stop running for a month or so in favor of returning to resistance and endurance training. I’m doing a Body by Science one day a week, but doing 3-4 moderate resistance workouts (the Power to the People plan) the rest of the week. I don’t want to do a workout to muscle failure in the middle of a long fast.
Plus, The Wife and I have always been foodies; I don’t mind skipping breakfasts and lunches, but don’t like to miss out on too many dinners in row! That said, I’m planning on making a 36 hour fast part of my weekly routine, with occasional longer ones thrown in.
Cheers
Off Topic but I saw this today and recall your blog on concierge medical care.
http://reason.com/blog/2017/01/27/what-happens-when-doctors-only-take-cash
Off Topic but I saw this today and recall your blog on concierge medical care.
http://reason.com/blog/2017/01/27/what-happens-when-doctors-only-take-cash
Reason is always a good read.
My post on concierge medicine appeared here: “The Older Brother Gets a Checkup…”.
In the ensuing time Craig has gone pretty paleo and become something of a Crossfit fiend. I believe he’s down about 50 pounds from when this was posted!
Cheers
Good for him! I’m not fond of Crossfit (though my chiropractor loves it — business is booming) but if he is achieving the results he wants I say keep at it!
I think Crossfit looks like it could be a good weekly workout covering the “Lift Heavy Things/Sprint” portions of a Primal approach, but I don’t know any participants who don’t do it at least 4 or 5, or even 6 days a week, and they’re going to exhaustion.
A 25 year old can probably tolerate that type of stress, but I think anyone over 40 is courting some real inflammation, injury, and even cardiac issues.
It does indeed seem to be working for Craig, but we’ve got another friend 60+ who’s already had a shoulder and back surgery, but insists the 5 (or more) workouts a week have nothing to do with it.
The Older Brother
I watched a lecture from a young, enthusiastic chiropractor who shared with his audience what he does through the course of his day. IF, smoothie, dinner, job, etc.
His workouts are primarily HIIT which includes Slow Burn and sprinting barefoot on the beach. Great…for him and he’s probably late 20s. But his audience sounds like they’re 40-50-60 somethings who have never trained before. He doesn’t put in a disclaimer to ease into it and not jump into what he is doing and I think that is what happens to so many older people who have never trained before…they find trainers that don’t know how to bring them into it SLOWLY.
Yes, seems like there would be a market for working with older folks who are just getting into the primal mindset.
Following Phil Maffetone’s MAF (Maiximum Aerobic Function) approach as detailed at phillmaffetone.com, and highlighted in Mark Sisson’s “Primal Endurance” book, seems like a great way — especially for us older folks — to regulate our exertion level while improving fitness. Closely monitoring heart rate to stay in the endurance-building zone helps prevent the “No Pain, No Gain!” mentality from taking over.
The Older Brother
Today I had pork belly, pickled beets, pickled onions and mayonnaise for lunch AT A RESTAURANT. The waitress didn’t miss a beat when I asked for no bread on the sandwich. I know the offerings at stores has changed a lot over the years, and so has expert advice, but somehow, this felt like a shocking, cataclysmic change.
If you or your family are ever in Indianapolis, you must try it (the name is Love Handle) for breakfast or lunch.
Today I had pork belly, pickled beets, pickled onions and mayonnaise for lunch AT A RESTAURANT. The waitress didn’t miss a beat when I asked for no bread on the sandwich. I know the offerings at stores has changed a lot over the years, and so has expert advice, but somehow, this felt like a shocking, cataclysmic change.
If you or your family are ever in Indianapolis, you must try it (the name is Love Handle) for breakfast or lunch.
Thanks for not mentioning it until after I finished my fast! That sounds awesome.
I’ve also noted over the last few years that most food service people no longer think anything of it when you request no bread or buns.
Love the name of the restaurant. Have to check it out if we’re in Indy.
Cheers
When you’re finished, go across the street and pick up some jowl bacon. It’s meat candy.
I’ve tried jowl bacon. I feel kind of bad to say it, but I’m not a big fan, actually. Might be the brand, or my preparation.
The Older Brother
Ah, meatwater. Best cure in the world for low carb flu, or just as a pick-me-up any time. Even helps headaches.
It’s always good, but in the middle of a fast it’s amazing. Almost hate to go back to food.
Cheers
Ah, meatwater. Best cure in the world for low carb flu, or just as a pick-me-up any time. Even helps headaches.
It’s always good, but in the middle of a fast it’s amazing. Almost hate to go back to food.
Cheers
Have to confess that I sometimes add a little HWC to my meatwater to up the fat content.
I just had a big belly laugh in my office reading your son’s response! That is great!
Similar to you, my wife and I got into Dr. Fung’s material last summer and have seen tremendous results. I dropped around 30lbs just doing multiple 18hr fasts [skipping breakfast] throughout the week. I think I only ate 3 meals in a day twice a week during that 6 months stretch. Since then, I have hit a little bit of a plateau and so now I’ve tweaked my plan a little. I am doing longer fasts, but less often per week. 2x 36hr fasts a week – typically Tuesday and Thursday. It’s a little awkward planning my fasts, but working a normal job while brown-bagging lunch makes it hard to be “spontaneous”.
Overall, the fasting has been pretty easy. I have maintained my 3x/week 5×5 heavy lifting routine without any negative consequences so far. Although, I’m not lifting to complete failure every time or pushing myself to complete exhaustion. Doing that while in the middle of a long fast doesn’t seem like the greatest idea.
I’d often skip lunch and/or breakfast before I heard about IF. I’d never thought of skipping breakfast as an “18 hour fast” or even going dinner to breakfast as a “12 hour fast.” Makes sense in the context of the physiology though.
I have been pleasantly surprised at how easy it seems to be to go 36 or even 48 hours without meals. For me, the challenge during the fasting period isn’t so much actual hunger as it is habit.
Cheers
I hear you on the challenge. I “think” I should be eating because it happens to be a meal time, but I know that I’m not actually hungry. Tough to break the mental model, but we’ll get there.
Cheers!
I’ve just finished my 2nd 5-day fast. 5 days works well for me because I can fast Sunday night and during the week and still eat during weekend social occasions. The 2nd day is the hardest, but since I eat keto anyway, and have been doing intermittent fasting for months, it’s really pretty easy in the grand scheme of things, and I seem to have broken my stall. Indeed, I’m not sure the word even applies when I’m fasting. To maintain a stall during a fast would defy physics & chemistry.
I’ve just finished my 2nd 5-day fast. 5 days works well for me because I can fast Sunday night and during the week and still eat during weekend social occasions. The 2nd day is the hardest, but since I eat keto anyway, and have been doing intermittent fasting for months, it’s really pretty easy in the grand scheme of things, and I seem to have broken my stall. Indeed, I’m not sure the word even applies when I’m fasting. To maintain a stall during a fast would defy physics & chemistry.
What a cute kid! My son is nearly 2 and I can’t seem to interest him in eggs, bacon, none of that good stuff. Maybe with time as his tastes change!
What a cute kid! My son is nearly 2 and I can’t seem to interest him in eggs, bacon, none of that good stuff. Maybe with time as his tastes change!
I’m a Type 2 Diabetic who has struggled as of late with my weight due to a lot of life change. I am interested in checking this out.
I just ran across your site looking at reviews of his books… So, quick question…
If you had to pick one to get started with one of Dr. Fung’s books, which would you recommend and why?
I’d read “The Obesity Code” because there’s quite a bit of info on what causes diabetes and what to do about it.
I’m a Type 2 Diabetic who has struggled as of late with my weight due to a lot of life change. I am interested in checking this out.
I just ran across your site looking at reviews of his books… So, quick question…
If you had to pick one to get started with one of Dr. Fung’s books, which would you recommend and why?
I’d read “The Obesity Code” because there’s quite a bit of info on what causes diabetes and what to do about it.