My 8-Week Intermittent Fasting Body Recomposition
Hey guys!
My name is Simon and I run Found My Physique. I recently completed an 8-week transformation and I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I did it, I thought I would write this post to explain the process in depth.
I thought I would explain the process. This transformation was not only for me to get back into shape after a big holiday – but also I wanted to regain my confidence and show my clients how fast it can be done.
Thanks to my training buddies for keeping the journey entertaining – Sohrab, Stephen, Benny, Aaren, and Brooke!
It really makes me happy to see the difference in my facial expressions over the course of the transformation. I look happier and healthier (and maybe a little cocky). This is common if you look at the transformations of some of my clients.
So, How Did I Do It?
Goal
Body Recomposition.
I wanted to lose the body fat from Christmas period and amazing holiday in Japan. I also wanted to get back my strength and lean muscle mass I felt I had lost. YES, you can lose body fat and gain muscle mass AT THE SAME TIME. you can learn more about different body compositions and body fats levels here.
Training Protocol
Strength & Resistance Training Program – 6 days a week for one hour each session. I hit each muscle group 2x per week and was sure to incorporate progressive overload. I generally don’t train to fatigue other than the week before deload week (more about this later). The research shows training to fatigue isn’t overly beneficial, but rather training 2-3 reps from fatigue should deliver ample results.
Nutrition
At least 80% of the results come from your nutrition. I followed the protocols I have developed and recorded in the Fast and Feast Shredding Program – This involves Intermittent Fasting and Flexible Nutrition calculated to my requirements. My nutrition was calculated for my goal, activity factors & lean body mass. I’m fortunate as I have spent 3 years of university studying nutrition sciences and 2 years of reading countless nutrition book. If your nutritionist or trainer isnt in shape, fire them and hire me! Read more on the 4 main benefits of Intermittent Fasting.
Did I track my food?
No every day but a little at the start, but I did calculate my meals in advance and get good at building a range of nutritious meals regularly. I have found this method to be adequately successful for me and my clients. Tracking is useful in some circumstances but it generally isn’t necessary unless you competing, struggling to get results, hitting a plateau, or completely clueless about your actual nutritional intake.
Tracking Body Composition
Other than taking the photos you have already seen, I also used the InBody 570 Body Composition Scanner almost every week to track my results over the 8 week period! See the results tracking print-out below.
InBody Scan Results:
Week 1 – Week 8
Weight (kg)
73.7kg – 74.3 kg
Body Fat (%)
13.9 % – 7.2 %
Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) (kg)
36.6 kg – 40.2 kg
Dates are listed below each scan
23.01.18 – 19.03.18
My thumb shows the START of the 8 week transformation on the InBody body composition history:
“what gets measured, gets managed” – unknown
Sounds Simple, What Else Was Involved?
Smart Progressive Overload and D-Load Weeks
I spent weeks 1-3 building back my strength, technique, and fitness followed by my recovery week (week 4). Then, I increased all my weights up to near my previous-maximum-lifts and forced myself to stay at that level until it felt normal again. I had two weeks with lighter weights and intensity (weeks 4 and 8). Adopting a schedule similar will allow your body to grow and adapt to the recent increases in exercise volume and intensity. The D-load weeks should end with you will feeling full, fresh and strong. Check out my Deloading 101 Article
Re-feed Days
Every 6 or 7 days – These days I would have a bunch more carb foods to reload the body with energy.
A Few Nights Out Drinking
4 nights in the 8 weeks- let’s be real, no transformation is worth doing if you hate the process – it is vital to go out and have fun and not obsess over the result. Learning to control your alcohol/carb intake is essential, as well as making sure you don’t end up at MacDonalds or the Kebab shop. These are both skills you can learn.
Cheat Meals
8-10 meals in 8 weeks – but within reason – it’s okay to have some junk in the diet but controlling the portion size and adjusting the rest of the day. These too, are skills you can learn and apply.
Yoga
6 sessions in 8 weeks – It is crucial to release the tension you have built up from progressive training. Tightness leads to injury and poor form – if you are doing 1-2 yoga sessions a week it will dramatically improve your muscle fatigue, leading to less pain and discomfort.
Bush Walks
5 treks in 8 weeks – I try to use my body in as many ways as possible and seeing some nature is good for the soul. We all sit down too much! Get out and do some different MOVEMENTS other than standing, sitting, texting and training (yoga is also useful for this)!
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
1-2 session per week for 20 min- This is important for cardiovascular health and helping your body burn extra body fat! Too much HIIT can add more stress to the system, and you will not be able to perform at peak with your resistance & strength training. The right amount is critical! I did not perform any cardio other than this.
Supplements
Omega-3, WPC Protein Powder, Pre-workout (Jet-fuse) & Vitamin-D
A note on my overall experience of the 8 weeks
It may sound crazy, but I did not find this transformation to be too difficult.
Like I mentioned previously, I still went out and had a great time and also enjoyed cheat meals and refeed days along the way. It’s really not fun if you are too strict with yourself.
I like eating healthy, and I love training regularly. Intermittent Fasting allows me to eat like a king and I spend less time preparing, cooking and eating. I love it!
Something surprising did happen though: I was not expecting to gain so much muscle back so quickly. Although, I have been stronger and bigger (last year) than I am currently. I expect that this is a lot due to Muscle Memory and the fact I was ticking all the boxes with my nutrition and progressive training.
Tips for those trying to make a transformation
There is a right and wrong way to do things. Here is a quick little list of what you SHOULD do!
- SET a goal! – True change comes from within, you have to WANT it!
- Nutrition – Be sure to set up your nutrition ACCURATELY from the start or you may be wasting your time… Don’t waste your time with fad diets – make sure you have a good high-quality nutrition plan which you can stick to for a long enough time period to see results and maintain them. If you need help look at the personalised nutrition plans
- Lock-In your routine – There is a reason the military teaches all of its soldiers to wake up early, train regularly and get shit done. You need to form a solid routine and stick to it. Eat well consistently (at least 80-90% of the time to get good results)
- Make sure you are training properly – Stop wasting your time with group classes and pointless exercises. Lift weights, lift heavy and mainly focus on the big 6 (squat, deadlift, chin-ups, bench press, bent-over rows and overhead press) and make sure you are progressing (more weight and more volume)
- Resilience and Perseverance – Far too many people quit when they hit a little obstacle or do not sustain it long enough to see dramatic changes.
- Recovery, Mobility, Sauna, Cold Shower, Sleep – There is plenty you can optimize your health and body composition changes. Be sure to utilize all of the appropriate tools to give your body the recovery power it needs to keep your transformation going!
I really like this study done on various weight loss methods. The study reviewed 80 other studies with a total of 26,455 patients. It highlights how diet is a powerful part of making an amazing transformation happen. Diet alone was found to be more powerful than exercise alone, but when diet and exercise are combined, amazing results happen!
This is why I focus on helping people with their nutrition; because it has the biggest impact!
If you want help with your nutrition and would like to make a transformation like mine have a look at the personalised eating plans.
If you enjoyed this post or found it useful, share it with a friend!
Stay Frosty,
Simon
Nutritionist
Owner of Found My Physique
