Preparing for a bodybuilding show takes dedication, commitment, and time. One of the biggest challenges is trying to eat all your meals throughout the day.

I have fond memories of rushing between clients to scarf down my meals so I could stick to my plan. I wouldn’t say it’s ideal but when you are competing you do whatever it takes to get your meals in and for many of us we have to eat 5, sometimes more meals every day.

Don’t forget the daily gallon of water and timing of cardio and weight training. I was doing two workouts a day, early morning at 5am and later in the afternoon around between 5 and 7PM. With this schedule IF has been a blessing in disguise.

intermittent fasting is a lifestyle

I want to start by stating intermittent fasting is a lifestyle, not a diet, or the latest weight loss craze (well maybe), it’s been around from the very beginning when our ancestors were hunting and gathering as part of their meal prep.

IF is a way for your body to recycle its cells, rid the body of toxins, and burn fat until we eat our first meal.

All this happens while you are fasting. There are not any negative side effects from fasting, only positive ones as stated in “10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting” by Kris Gunnars, BSc.

fasting and feeding states

IF has two states:  a fasting state and feeding state. It’s exactly as it sounds. You do not consume any calories, including but not limited to supplements and medications, while fasting. You can drink water, black tea, and unsweetened teas. During my feeding state 12PM- 8PM I fit all my meals and most times did not want to eat but of course I did because I know how much my body needed the calories. My last meal was at 7PM then fast would start around 8PM until 12PM the next day, sometimes til 2PM depending on my client schedule.

Waking up to do my fasted cardio and fasting til my first meal gave me great energy for the day and I did not have to stress about when I would eat my next meal. This schedule of eating met my needs and made prepping easy, especially because I knew what I was eating every day and didn’t have to think about it. I also noticed I lost body fat in less time and came in leaner than any of my previous preps. This prep I gave myself 10 weeks and was ready at the end of week 8.

Intermittent fasting (IF) and BIKINI prep

When I started fasting it was before my previous prep (July 6th, 2019) and knew I wanted to continue it as part of my daily behaviors. It helped keep me on track and not eat outside my feeding window. Knowing the drawbacks of breaking my fast too soon kept me honest and I was able to experience the benefits.

Using IF for my competition bikini prep proved to bring positive results and I have continued to keep IF as part of my daily eating schedule. There are other time windows to try with IF and I recommend it to anyone trying to become healthier with more than just exercise and recovery.

Other fasting/feeding time frames

20 (fasting) :4 (feeding), 18:6, 16:8, 14:10, 12:12

If you eat breakfast regularly every day then starting with a 12:12 time frame is a good place to start and each week increase your fast by 1-2 hours.

nutrition coaching for intermittent fasting

If you are still confused about IF and would like guidance on how to start and what to eat please e-mail me juliana@feistyfitness.com to schedule a consultation. Have great day!