Hi,
Saw your post on IG about fasting or time restricted eating. I’m a former Division I linebacker and collegiate competitive power lifter.I also used to be a division one strength and conditioning coach at Yale and Georgetown, and also I’ve been a strength coach and Sport Psych consultant for NFL combine preparation. while the strength coach I was also a full-time police officer to include working patrol, Peer Support, Swat, and full-time Academy instructor for fitness an officer survival.
From Division I Athlete to Intermittent Fasting and Carnivore Diet
I got hooked on weight lifting, supplements and protein shakes, as well as clean eating since I was 12 years old. For most of that time I ate six meals a day or had three meals +3 shakes or snacks. Sports nutrition for so many years had you freaking out about getting protein in every few hours or you might shrivel up.
How an Injury and Surgery Changed Everything for a Former SWAT Officer
Fast forward until my 30s and I had an injury during a SWAT workout, and a surgery that got botched and changed my life forever. I had multiple surgeries that could not correct what made me permanently incontinent. I also was put on massive amounts of pain killers and other harsh and dangerous drugs. I was forced to retire from the careers I loved as a SWAT officer and collegiate strength coach.
Attacking Chronic Pain, Illness, and Medications with Integrative Medicine
The workers compensation doctors had me on I think it was nine different drugs including multiple opiates, muscle relaxers, sleep medications, anxiety medications, benzos and depression meds. I had no idea what all this stuff was until a SWAT buddy who used to be a narcotics officer saw what I was on. I had just trusted all of these doctors, since I had not seen a doctor since college football where their whole goal is to get you back on the field.
Anyhow when I was retired I was 5 foot 10, 270 pounds, and about 30% body fat. My normal weight was about 230 pounds at 10% body fat until this disaster.
11 Years of Intermittent Fasting and Ketogenic Diet: A Personal Journey
I moved to California specifically for functional and integrative doctors. It’s probably too much detail to get into but I found multiple doctors that helped me attack getting off all the medications within months, and it took about two years to get back to working out regularly. I had chronic pain, chronic illness, chronic fatigue syndrome, in addition to major digestive, immune, metabolic and endocrine dysfunction.
One of the things my awesome doctor did about 11 years ago was put me on a ketogenic diet, and intermittent fasting before anybody was even calling it that. I could go into details if you wanted more. So basically for 11 years I have been doing intermittent fasting, with at least 3 to 4 months a year ketogenic, and then a few months of Paleo or cyclical keto genic where I might do carb up day’s. Because of my incontinence I can only eat at night after all of my workouts are done or any of my activities.
The Benefits of Carnivore Diet and Intermittent Fasting for Non-Competitive Athletes
So I basically eat 2 to 3 meals probably in a 5 to 6 hour window. I have maintained a body weight of 230-240 pounds at average 10% BF. At times I have been lower body fat, and at times I’ve actually been up to 250 pounds when I was training harder. But the point is I can easily maintain 240 pounds only eating in a small window, and not worrying about doing so many grams of protein or having protein shakes all day long.
Since Covid started I have essentially been doing the carnivore diet with steaks, burgers and scrambled eggs. My workouts are fine and I’m still 235 pounds with no problem. As I fine-tune my cooking skills, I look forward to adding in different types of meat and salmon, and I think overtime as I get stricter without any occasional cheats of some veggies or what not, I have a feeling I’m gonna end up super lean and continue to get stronger at the gym. Doesn’t feel bad at all.
I used to think you had to pound veggies, just like I used to think you had to have protein shakes and so many grams of protein spread out throughout the day or you would shrivel up or lose strength. Not true. Now I can’t say if I was younger in a college or professional athlete if I would eat this way, but certainly someone who is not a competitive athlete can do a ketogenic or strictly carnivore diet with inner minute fasting and still train their balls off with no problem. Obviously during Covid I can’t do yoga or martial arts Since they’re all closed, but I assume I can still do them on a carnivore diet just like I did a keto genic diet with vegetables with no problems. My lifting during Covid has continued to be supermy lifting during Covid has continued to be super solid, as has my interval training and GPP.
If you need more details just ask. This is a lifestyle for 11 years and due to permanent incontinence I’ll be eating this way the rest of my life (I’m 45).
Thanks,
Mat
