Here’s where we get into the “radically un-radical” stuff. As mentioned, I’ve been around the block a few times with workout/nutrition programs and the eating component has always been the “you’ve got to be kidding me” part. It simply wasn’t realistic for me to do. And the secret to simplicity?  Fasting.  Uh, wait… Yes, that word freaked me out, too, when I first heard it. After all, what we’re talking about in this program is a “sustainable, easy, lifestyle change.”  How does Fasting fit that bill?

Hear me out. Let’s add the word “Intermittent” in front of “Fasting.” Intermittent Fasting, or IF for short.  In short, you’re going to be skipping breakfast… except for black coffee. That is the cornerstone of our nutrition approach.  So, let’s break it down.

IF works with an “eating window.” Basically, you jam all your calories for the day into a window of time each day, then close the window until the next day. The protocol I’ve found that works best for me is skipping breakfast (having only black coffee) and opening the window at around 1 PM for lunch and closing it after dinner around 8 or 9 PM. That’s called a 16/8 protocol… 16 hours fasted, 8 hours to eat. There are other protocols, too (20/4, 2days/1day, etc.), but in the real world, I’ve found this is the easiest to follow and has great results.

16/8

Why does such a simple approach work? There’s lots of research out showing that the “extended fasted” time give your body the chance to start finding energy in your stored fat.  Dive into any of the studies and they get into insulin and other hormonal levels contributing to the “fat burning” effect.  The molecular science is way past my pay grade but from a practical perspective,  I’ve done the 6-tiny-meals approach and had limited results… with IF, I got results and didn’t have to think about when I was squeezing yet another meal into the day.

There’s also research that shows IF has other positive impacts on your health—beyond fat-burning. Take a look at these sources that do a good job of shining a light on all the goodness.  Seriously, worth the clicks to get you into it.

• 10 evidence-based health benefits of intermittent fasting
• More real world perspective from our friends at the Art of Manliness
• This video with 6 tips to get into IF…

I loved breakfast.

If you’re like me… if I can do it, you can do it. You’ll likely find the first 3 or 4 days a little challenging. Black coffee was (is!) my best friend. Even that took a little getting used to (I was a cream guy)… but once past the first bumpiness, I am AMAZED at how simple my relationship with food has become. Call me “lazy,” but not having to think about getting breakfast in has been liberating. The foods I had for breakfast before now make a great lunch. And jeeeezus, saying goodbye to the gazillion tiny meals throughout the day gave me my life back.

Oh, and I’m at 9% body fat and feel like I cheated to get here. Lifestyle change starts with not feeling deprived. Jump in.

Body Fat Percentage

Oh boy. Let’s just get this out of the way up front: Everyone is different. Different body types. Different goals. Different expectations.

All that stipulated, and true to my goal of “keeping it simple,” let’s break it down.  For starters, don’t sweat the micro details. Generally speaking, it’s all about setting your site on a goal weight and fat percentage and establishing boundaries and guideposts throughout the day to keep you headed in that general direction.  If/when you ever want to get into bodybuilding competitions, then you can dive into the minutia where you can obsess over the decimal points.

For myself, I set a goal of getting to 10-12% body fat on my 170-175 lbs body. Read the research on the interwebs and there’s plenty of discussion about the reliability (or unreliability) of measuring methods—from calipers to Bod Pods, to DEXA scans, to hydrostatic, to BIA, and more.

Ideally, I’d be doing DEXA if a low-cost and convenient option was close to where I live, but since it isn’t I settled on a Skulpt, a device that works in conjunction with my iPhone.  I wanted to stay away from the BIA scales (seems no expert is a fan of these) and calipers (complicated, need someone else to help measure properly). Skulpt is a bit spendy, but a step up for me in convenience and reliability.  I measure at the same time once a week and the app logs progress.

The take away on all this measurement stuff is: use it as a guide.  If you’re motivated by numbers like me, pick a reliable method and track the results over time.

Then use that information along with the following visual guide to see where you’re coming in.  After all, since we’ve already been honest about the goal, we’re in it for the aesthetic look, so dialing into your target percentage with pics below, then using a measurement method that provides consistency, will help you move through the program.

Daily Calories and Macros

Depending on your goals,  Bulking means that you’re purposely trying to gain weight (preferably muscle) and are therefore eating at a caloric surplus. Cutting means that you’re purposely trying to lose weight (preferably fat) and are therefore eating at a caloric deficit.

Again, keeping it simple. Shoot for 10-12x your target body weight, then split your macros into 30% Protein, 30% Fat, 40% Carbs (download the MyFitnessPal app below to dial that in).  The reason for the “10-12x” range is so that you can shake up your calorie intake from day to day, which is helpful to keep your body from “adjusting” to a routine amount.  The fluctuation actually helps in the fat loss.

Here’s a good schedule:

• Monday 10x
• Tuesday 12x
• Wednesday 10x
• Thursday 10x
• Friday 12x
• Saturday 12x
• Sunday CHEAT DAY*

* Cheat day is important for two reasons: 1) it is another “shock device” for the body to recalibrate insulin and hormone levels in the fat-loss process and 2) it’s a much needed psychological break that helps (a ton) to keep you on track with the simple and practical Ripped 50 Plus lifestyle change.  It’s not like we’re feeling deprived through the week, especially with the intermittent fasting protocol that keeps us feeling comfortably “satiated” day-to-day, but knowing we can unplug from the program for a day… well, you’ll see what I mean.

Note: Remember, we’re looking for “body recomposition” so shedding fat and gaining muscle may actually result in your body weight staying the same or increasing. Your lifting + nutrition will bring the muscle gains and fuel the fat-loss.

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Again, simple and basic.  Here’s what my list of supplements looks like:

• Protein powder… you’re going to need to supplement to reach the goal amount of daily grams while keeping your calorie intake in check. Optimum Nutrition is good stuff but look for deals on MusclePharm and Syntha6, too.
• Creatine… one of the most researched supplements in the gym and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t think this should be a staple. Bulk Supplements brand is a good one and among the lowest price.
• Fish oil… to get your daily Omega-3 intake in a reasonable manner
• Daily multi-vitamin… just covering all the bases.

I’ve also been experimenting with mixing apple cider vinegar with my protein shakes. Since doing that (and not making any other adjustments), I knocked off another 1% of body fat. There are apparently a lot of other health benefits associated with apple cider vinegar, so I’m in the “Why not?” camp at the moment.  I’m keeping an eye on the research.