On this post I give a summary of January 2022 by looking at what think are the main success factors in my lifestyle for this cycle.

Min fastande livsstil

I followed my every other day fasting variation in the follicle phase where I fasted between 17 – 19 hours. Since my follicle phase was very long this month I also managed more fasting than normal and collected 202 hours in total.

I am losing fat mass

Since November last year my fat mass started to decrease. I base this on my measurements decreasing and also the scale at the same time as I feel strong in the gym. I believe the main reason for this was that I increased my protein. But probably the lifestyle that I have adapted for the past year has also assisted in lowering my insulinresistens. To lower insulin resistance can take a long time depending on how much resistance you have to work with and how much effort you put into lowering it. This also meant that this luteal phase I did not gain weight (which I normally have done) despite increasing both calories and carbs.

Become a health detective

If there are things around your health that you are not completely content with then my advice to you is to become your own health detective. For me I am not entirely happy with my digestion. Since I eat a very nutrient dense and rich type of food, it also requires that I can digest it properly. Thus far I find myself bloated most of the time. But this cycle I tried to eat four meals per day instead of three and I actually find that it has made a difference. With four meals it is so much easier for me to eat all the food I need without overwhelming my digestion. Also I have made sure to hydrate myself more to see if that also assists my digestive system. I am yet to know for sure just what part this plays in this. Time will tell.

Strength training that ends my fasting

I started in November last year to finish my fasting sessions with a strength training workout. I do not put any pressure on me to break any records during these sessions. All I aim for is to do a 30-minute workout to engage my muscles and increase my insulin sensitivity.

Strength training in the follicle phase

I continue to emphasize strength training in the follicle phase. In the follicle phase I am the strongest and estrogen is anabolic just as testosterone and by this I also maximize building muscles! This in turn is also making me more insulin sensitive.