Fasting...or Just Forgetting to Eat?

We've heard about how intermittent fasting can be beneficial to us for weight loss but sometimes we tend to blur the lines between fasting and just being too busy to eat.  The problem with this, as opposed to the calculated and deliberate fasting, is that your muscles cannot tell the difference.   If you find yourself being a little more active on days that you forget to eat, you could put you precious muscle in jeopardy and for a Paleolite that's a big no no.

To be sure this doesn't happen make sure you structure your fasting days accordingly with your low level activity days.  Most people out there with a career, kids, and other activities might be saying to themselves "yeah right, what's a low activity day" but the gains you'll see from fasting and resting will outweigh the benefits of the constant go go go that you might currently be entangled in.

Family nap day? If you can pull it off go for it, but if that's not a possibility just make sure you're not doing anything too strenuous like a 5K or a heavy dead lifting session.  A nice walk whether it be along a quite street in the city or along a beautiful beach constitutes a low level activity that can be very relaxing and preserve muscle in the process.  Not sure is walking 18 holes can be considered a low level activity but sometimes duty calls.

Sometimes people fast just because they had an absolute binge session the day before.  If you find yourself in this position be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the next day as a way of flushing your system of whatever toxins may be present.

Lastly, don't fast too often.  Intermittent means sporadic and ever changing so be sure to forget about fasting from time to time and revisit it only when necessary.  Never fast as a form of punishment for eating non-paleo foods, this never accomplishes anything.
                                                                                                        


Photo Credit: Kyle Auclair