One of the classic intermittent fasting questions is:

How do you work out while fasting?

Some people worry about losing muscle. Others wonder if they should fast on workout days… or have as intense of workouts. And sometimes they worry…

Am I going to have enough energy to even get through a workout?

Fortunately, fitness coach, Faisal Abdalla, shared with Insider some great insights into this challenge with his own experience. Except his involves keeping his workout routine during Ramadan (which consists of fasting from sunrise to sunset for a month).

So whether you are fasting for Ramadan or just intermittent fasting, his tips can help you navigate this terrain:

• Eats plenty of protein (usually he makes sure to get a double scoop of his protein shake each day to help with this)
• He doesn’t try to force himself to eat huge portions to get in all his calories
• Extends rest periods during his workout (so instead of 60 seconds between exercises he may rest for 2 minutes)
• Depending on the workout, he may drop the reps.
• He doesn’t try to break new personal records (he focuses purely on maintenance)
• Realization that during fasting “I’m not losing strength physically but in my mind I feel weak”

He describes that after this month he emerges leaner, mentally stronger and with a greater sense of fulfillment.

While you may not need to fast for 30 days straight – if you can keep these tips in mind they can help you realize that you simply do your best. Sometimes during fasting (especially a prolonged fast), you have to give yourself some grace and do the best you can.

This was one motivator for creating Intermittent Fasting Dojo.

Intermittent fasting is seen as either a ‘fad diet’ or such a daunting task that no one could possibly do it without feeling hungry all the time. After practicing it for years and coaching private clients on it – I’ve seen this is far from the reality.

And when it is approached the right way not only do you have higher energy levels – but you feel better and tend to get better results while working out less.

However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  

The health-boosting impacts of this practice are far-reaching and enhance many different parts of the body (such as gut health, heart health, and even brain health)

And this is what I do a deep dive in with Intermittent Fasting Dojo.

If I were to give a one-day seminar of everything I’ve discovered over the last 13+ years on intermittent fasting – this would be it.

And until Friday, May 19th, you can get it for 40% off.

More about it here:
​
https://www.elitelifecoaching.net/if-dojo

The other day I stumbled across an interesting way to kick-start your workouts called:
The Weekend-Only Exercise Plan

The premise is to only work out 2x per week on the weekends, instead of trying to exercise during the week. So for those who find it difficult to squeeze in weekday workouts, this may be a powerful solution.

The idea is not to cram 7 days of exercise into 2 days.

Instead do two well-structured workout programs (centered on strength training and full-body cardio). But once again meet yourself where you’re at. If you’re not ready to pound out 4 sets of squats, don’t start there. Find a workload that makes sense for you.

(which may take a little bit of trial and error or help from a fitness pro)

Here are 5 advantages to this weekend-only approach that come to mind:

#1: Allows you to comfortably get started. This is a great way to dip your feet into a workout program – especially if you’ve been on the sidelines for a while and need to ease into it. No need to dive in, instead ‘test the waters.’ You may not know what your body can handle yet.

#2: Prevents you from overdoing it early on. This is one of the biggest traps that fitness beginners run into (more like crash into). They let their motivation and urgency get the best of them which leads to injury, overuse injuries or not being able sustain their plan. Be willing to start slow.

#3: Lower mental barrier to exercise. The idea of hitting the gym 5x per week can be daunting to some people. Same with 3x. The idea of 2x per week is a much lower barrier and something that’s easier for people to imagine themselves doing.

#4: Simplicity. Many people are tempted to make workout programs complicated, but usually “complexity is the enemy of execution”. This program is no different. 1 workout Saturday. 1 on Sunday. Done-zo.

#5: Frees you up to focus on other things during the week. Instead of having to juggle multiple commitments during the week and then exercise on top of it, you can take care of ‘business’ during the week and take time for you (amongst other things) on the weekends.

One more thought:

Some people will scuff at the idea of two workouts a week and say:
That’s not enough exercise. You might as well not even do it.

Truth is 2x per week will move you forward (assuming it’s a quality program). And if it is done consistently you’ll travel much further than you realize. Plus, what may start off as twice per week may evolve into 3x… 4x… or 5x. But take your time with it.

Let that relationship with exercise evolve naturally.

Don’t rush yourself into thinking you have to go all-out from the start. It doesn’t work for running a marathon and it doesn’t work for long-term fitness either.

Kelan Ern

P.S. For more tips and strategies to help your relationship with exercise and fitness evolve naturally - so you can go further and faster on your fitness journey - check out a free issue of the Mind-Body Breakthroughs newsletter. 

Recently I was a ‘fly on the wall’ to a conversation about hunger where a variety of people weighed in on their experience (in regards to weight-loss).

It was eye-opening to hear insights both from people who have struggled with it but also those who have completely transformed their relationship with it.

If you’re interested in intermittent fasting or simply expanding your understanding of hunger (and weight-loss) these may resonate for you. I know after doing years of intermittent fasting, many of these rang true for me.

Here are a few gems I gathered:

• Those on carb heavy diets (or consuming higher sugar) tended to have worse struggles with hunger and cravings. And usually when they shifted to lower carbs they found their hunger throughout the day was more comfortable and subtle.

 

• Hunger usually passed if ignored - unless it was true hunger (this is an important distinction that helps separate physical hunger from psychological hunger)

 

• Common reasons to eat for psychological hunger include: when it’s convenient… when it’s stressful… when bored… when it’s time to celebrate… when it’s time to eat… or when they haven’t eaten in a while (even if they aren’t hunger).

 

• Usually a sip of water, tea or distraction was enough for hunger to pass (once again this is assuming psychological hunger)

 

• Some described the importance of learning to wait until their appetite has built-up before eating (but not waiting until the ‘monster’ grows into Godzilla and becomes ravenous).

 

• Fear of hunger was a major barrier on their journey (whether fear of low blood sugar… getting ‘snappy’ at others… or something bad happening). Often intermittent fasting helped people mentally breakaway from this fear. In fact, some have said, it taught them that their hunger is not in charge, they are.

There’s much more to say about hunger and cravings.

A lot of people tend to take a just-do-it approach to pushing through unwanted cravings. And while raw willpower can move snow-covered mountains, sometimes we need more than that.

Sometimes we need a new distinction… or paradigm shift… or tool to help us breakthrough to the next level.

That’s where Intermittent Fasting Dojo comes in.

This ‘seminar in-print’ is designed to do all three. If I were to give a one-day seminar of everything I’ve discovered over the last 13+ years on intermittent fasting and coaching private clients through the process– this would be it.

It’s not a miracle cure

But it’s one of best tools out there for taking your health and fitness to the next level.

And until May 26th, it’s going for 40% off

Read more about it here.

P.S. Intermittent Fasting Dojo is an ‘evolving program’ that will have more training material and resources added to it over time. The price of the program will naturally go up with these ‘upgrades’. However those who join now will get access to all future bonus training at no extra cost.