Before I get to the video, I first want to go back over a little bit of my own story.

My Own Worst Enemy

I grew up reading lots of exercise books and even as I later moved on to work as a trainer, I prided myself in devouring any and all things exercise related.

100s of books, DVDs, seminars, and much more. However this lead to a problem…too much information.

Pretty soon my head became a walking Rolodex that I couldn’t shut off. I would be in the gym, thinking about what “split” bodypart day it was and could easily come up with 10-20 exercises to do.

I would then spend more time experimenting thinking “varied and complex” was better.

However as time went on I felt it also lacked a certain “enjoyment” factor. Pretty soon it was clear to me that I was over-complicating things. I had become my own worst enemy!

This eventually lead to burnout and quitting the gym, but also a new appreciation for a simpler plan.

80/20

If you were to ask me the best way to build muscles 10 years ago, I would probably would have belted off some blurb about rotational sets of glycolitic and strength pathways, rep range alternations and something about an East German pyramid plan (not pyramid scheme).

That would be me using complicated terminology to try and sound more like an “expert”.

Now I simply give 2 words:

• Progression
• Consistency

It’s time for most people to just get back to mastering the basics. The 80/20 rule comes into play…and it’s probably more like 90/10. Do the simple exercises (the 10%) that give the most results (90%) when done consistently with intensity and progression.

Too many people I see in online forums are discussing advanced programs when they can’t even do say 10 pullups or a single one legged squat.

Simplicity works, because you focus on what gives the most results. Learning is nice too but unless action is taken consistently with that knowledge, it’s of no real use. Too many people experience “paralysis by analysis” and also lack the steady progression that leads to results.

Milo and the Bull

A simple lesson also found in the fable of Milo from Greece around 500 BC. Milo was known as a champion Olympic wrestler and for his feats of tremendous strength. How he got his strength is an interesting tale.

As a boy was given a bull calf to raise. Story goes each day he would pick up and carry his calf. As the calf grew, so did Milo. Pretty soon he was a big strong man carrying an adult bull around.

Now it’s a great story (how true I don’t know) but the lesson is still there, simple progression and consistency works.

The ultimate wisdom of all my years leads me back to knowing that less is better in most cases. Or as Leonardo da Vinci said:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”

60 Years Young

So here’s the video of a man who only does 3 main exercises. That’s it. Pushups, dips and pullups at the local park.

I’ll let the video speak for itself, but he shows that simple can work.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)

If you can’t see the video, here’s the link for it on Youtube.

In the end how you want to workout is of course your decision. I could easily still do some rotational work (switching up resistance factors or time under tension intervals), but I try and keep it as simple as possible.

In the end, find what you enjoy doing and stay at it (avoid burnout). When you pick the right exercises (that 10%) and find ways to keep progressing (challenging the muscles), the results (90%) come.

No more excuses. Just simple action and repeat.

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Oh there is a catch…isn’t there always? Don’t worry, it’s not that bad.

It’s only available on my new Facebook page here. That’s right, it’s my “bribe” to get people to “like” the new 2 Meal Mike Facebook page.

I had another FB page, but have decided with bringing the 2 Meal Solution to the Kindle marketplace to also go forward with the “stage name” of 2 Meal Mike (and FB will not allow me to change the old page name). I know, somewhat cheesy but don’t worry…I don’t take myself that seriously anyways most of the time either.

I figured it was a fun name and would help more people discover the 2 Meal (IF) eating lifestyle. That’s always been my mission since day 1 here at the IF Life (way back in 2008). Going forward I’m ready to get out there more and help people break free from all those complicated diets and enjoy eating on their own terms!

The BodyBurst workout is also a simple plan that I have been using (and playing with) over the last few years. I could have easily written some complex body part split 3 sets of 8-12 reps plan…but there are enough of those.

That and I don’t want to workout like that anymore, so why should I tell you to? Time to get back to making fitness a simple daily habit and no more extreme workouts (that people tend to just burnout on).

Like eating, fitness needs to be kept as simple as possible while also as consistent as possible for the lasting results. If a program is not sustainable, then it won’t work long term. Anyone can go crash diet or hit the gym for 2 hours a day for 3-4 weeks…but then what? What happens when it all gets to be too much? Where does one go to keep the results?

BodyBurst is thinking about fitness as doing more short intense “bursts” for the right hormonal responses, and then using your (enjoyable) active lifestyle and eating less to maintain. It’s not that hard, nor should it be (although complicated tends to market better and cost more).

The “IF” here at the IF Life also stands for “Intensity Fitness” and the benefits that come from doing shorter more intense “bursts” (explained more in detail with the ebook).

No more excuses left, only actions that anyone can take.

So click here to go over to my new 2 Meal Mike FB page, hit the “like” button and then it will be an instant PDF download for you. If you are having trouble finding it, look for the tab named “BodyBurst” in the left column there.

Not sure how long I’ll keep it up, as at some point I may move it over to the Kindle store or even upgrade to a member monthly program.

Enjoy the simple workout plan, as I plan on also blogging more about how to do simple “bursts” (which I think works out best with the 2 Meal lifestyle too). Time to keep your fitness fun and simple (yet challenging). As the great Bruce Lee said:

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.”

I’ll help you understand why to workout, give you a template and then from there you make it yours (for a lifetime hopefully).

Help me make the new 2 Meal Mike Facebook page a fun, entertaining and informative community about all things simple (eating, fitness, lifestyle).

I look forward to seeing everyone over there and making it into a great community!

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Even before starting this site way back in late 2007/early 2008, I’ve always liked talking about intermittent fasting (hence the whole “IF” Life name and all). Helping others to see the benefits, different ways to go about it, and knowing how to make it work for you.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction” ~ Albert Einstein

Knowing that less is more in many cases, I decided a while back to go with even simpler IF lifestyle plan with just the term “2 Meals”.

While it seems many mainstream weight loss plans thrive on complicated (and maybe that is done on purpose), I’m trying to lead by example and show everyone there can be another way.

So here’s an outline of the 2 Meal approach in a Q&A interview format.

What is the 2 Meal Approach?

It is just a simple way to eat less overall for weight loss, while also taking advantage of the benefits of intermittent periods of low/no food intake (intermittent fasting is the science behind what makes it work so well).

Do You Just Eat 2 Meals?

Sometimes, other days it could be really 3. The 2 Meal concept is more based around the standardized big 3 meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. I just never like to eat breakfast, so I skip it (although technically the first meal of the day is always “break”ing the overnight “fast”…even if it is at 1pm).

Then I usually eat only between lunch and dinner times, hence the “2 Meal” name.

How many “actual” times you eat between the “2 Meal” times is entirely up to you (and can vary by person).

What’s the Best Fasting Length or Eating Window?

As for feeding or fasting times, I don’t sweat it. I eat whenever I’m “really” hungry in the late morning or early afternoon. That could be 11am one day and 2 pm the next. Then usually eat 1 or 2 more times until later on.

Overall my daily feeding window can be anywhere from 6-10 hours. I’ve found that works well for me and even throws a bit of the “intermittent” factor into what I do.

“To rise at six, dine at ten, sup at six and go to bed at ten, makes a man live ten times ten.” ~ 16th century proverb

If you want a more consistent schedule daily, then you can keep the same hours. It is probably a better way to start off to see what works meal-wise, as you don’t want too many variables to have to adjust.

Many ways can work.

Is it Low Carb? Low Fat? Paleo? Zone?

I don’t like labels on my eating other than just trying to eat mostly “real foods” (you know, the ones that have been around in nature for 100s/1000s of years and not made in a plant). That helps keep my calories under control and not sweating all the other little details.

People have lost weight on a potato diet, twinkie diet, and most likely every macro-nutrient % you could imagine.

Other big factors also come into play such as not feeling too restricted on what you eat, otherwise diet adherence and enjoyability issues are compromised. If you can’t enjoy how you eat (or be healthy doing it long term), then it’s not sustainable.

The biggest damage done with any diet is what happens when the person gives up on it (weight gain and more diet guilt).

So eat real foods, don’t pig out on purpose and it should work out fine. This includes real carbs (fruits, veggies, starches), as I don’t think 2 Meals and low carb all the time (cycling is an option) is a good combination for many (especially with more exercise too). Both can be a stress on the body, and too much stress only leads to a burnout state (hormesis in action).

Then a couple times a week go out for a meal and enjoy whatever you like (or as I like to say, go have some “pizza and beer”).

Will it Work for Everyone?

Probably not (I know, not a great sales pitch…but an honest one). However I also don’t believe any one plan ever will.

Keep in mind the concept of 2 Meals is just an eating plan. There are still many other factors that come into play if you want to talk about weight loss/health such as:

• state of metabolic health (thyroid/adrenals/liver/etc)
• insulin resistance/sensitivity issues
• choice of actual foods (and calories) eaten
• daily lifestyle stressors (hormesis again)
• type and duration of exercise done
• total daily recovery (downtime/sleep)

I can only say that it is meant for healthy adults (as I’m not a doctor or any other professional medical person).

If a person has medical conditions, issues with anxiety, chronic stress, past eating disorders..then it is possible that using more fasting/lower meal frequency with the 2 Meal approach may exaggerate them. Everyone can react differently.

People who do make it work understand that sometimes adjustments need to be made not only in how they eat, but also in their lifestyle.

Is Lifestyle that Important?

Yes!

Studies are showing that you can get the detrimental metabolic responses (usually seen with poor diet) from chronic stress. This all goes back to hormesis (see the graph below) and the importance of the balance between stress and recovery. You want to be in the “sweet spot” to get stronger from small stressors…not fall into the “crash and burn” stage.

Fasting is a stress. Low calories is a stress. Low carbs is a stress. Exercise is a stress. Ongoing worry/anxiety is a stress. Relaxing and sleep is recovery.

Now make your lifestyle an environment of more stress and low recovery, and be prepared for burnout (weight stall/gain, low energy, thyroid down-regulation, muscle wasting, immune system depression, inflammation, and increased risk of diseases).

The great part of the 2 Meal plan is that you shouldn’t have to worry anymore about eating all day or any other diet obsessions like calorie counting. Just eat, relax and get on with life!

Do I Really Need to Exercise?

There are tremendous benefits to using more resistance based training on the metabolism and just aging itself (stronger muscles, bone density, healthy cellular metabolisms).

No need to over-complicate it as some bodyweight exercises consistently at home a few times a week works. 10-15 minutes is all you really need to get started. Excess or chronic higher heart rate cardio can also lead to burnout (remember that exercise is a stress).

Make eating less your priority for weight loss (not cardio) with 2 Meals, then use simple resistance training around it for that added metabolic boost (muscle repair) and muscle “toning” (definition).

What About All the Experts Who Say the Exact Opposite for Losing Weight?

Honestly, there is always more than just one way to lose weight. Most of it comes down to finding an enjoyable way to eat less overall (control rebound or binge eating tendencies).

I’ve already pointed out many times that the research shows there is no advantage to daily energy expenditure (metabolism) when you eat more often (total daily calories being the same).

So while eating 6x/day works for some to eat less, so can eating 2 or 3 times. The experts will not want to agree with what I am saying (as it goes against what they learned), but I’m just here to show you the facts and let you decide on how to eat.

From there, I’ll just let those who still want to debate over it watch me (and many others) eat the 2 Meal way and then wonder why we are all so lean, fit and happy.

Any Last Thoughts?

One. Don’t make the 2 Meal plan (and IF in general) more complicated than it needs to be.

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential” ~ Bruce Lee

There is no back-end or hidden agenda with it. No complicated macro-nutrient cycling plans needed. No supplements you need to make it work.

Eat mostly real foods 2-3x a day in a condensed eating window. Do some resistance training couple times a week. Go play more (relax and enjoy being active at a slower pace). Stop sweating all the details. Lastly, go have pizza and beer (or whatever you enjoy) a couple times a week.

You’ll find what works.

*Coming Jan 31st*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Today is a pretty common one. I get asked a lot (and see it discussed much on the internet) about:

 “What is OK to drink in the morning before the first meal of the day?” (aka while you are still fasting from overnight)

If you want an absolute #1 cut and dry answer, you will get the boring “water” reply but there are other options of course. Let’s look at some things to consider.

Morning Time is Fasting Time

When we talk about using IF/2 Meals, we are also looking at using those intermittent fasting times in the AM to generate some positive hormonal responses.

One big benefit of IF you will see especially when compared an all day CR (calorie restricted) eating plan. IF helps to lower fasting insulin and blood glucose levels more than just eating less all day.

This lowered insulin also leads to an increase in FFAs (free fatty acids from stored fat cells) to be potentially burned up as fuel. Lipolytic hormones (fat releasing) increase when insulin decreases.

Of course this process of FFA release will start to slow down once digestion (mainly through insulin response) is signaled and other nutrients are now readily available to use for fuel.

If you are looking to drink something in the AM and still really want this lowest insulin/highest FFA response, your intake of macronutrients should be pretty minimal.

Another potential benefit to IF is autophagy (as I talked about here and recycling proteins). This is also signaled through low insulin levels but mainly because of low plasma amino acid levels.

So in order to get the maximum hormonal responses out of your fasting times in the morning, low insulin and low plasma amino acids are required. Hence water is always the #1 answer to that question.

Now that’s NOT to say you can’t still burn fat and lose weight overall if you drink something else other than water. There’s still more to long term weight/fat loss than just fasting responses. Same can be said in reverse as you can still use IF/2 Meals and gain weight if you just re-feed in calorie excess later on.

The Options

So without further ado, here’s my lists of possible drinks you can use in the AM:

Water – #1 answer survey says. Fasting by definition means nothing other than water. You will not generate an insulin or amino acid response from this. Want to add some flavor? Then try adding in some lemon juice or even a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. You may even get some additional internal health “cleansing” benefits from it as well (you can Google those if you really want to see all the “claimed” benefits).

Coffee/Tea – Most of my mornings start off with an Americano plain, which is 2 espresso shots in hot water. No sugar, no milk just straight up. I like it much better than coffee for the taste and it’s also less caffeine. Caffeine is an interesting topic in itself (and will need a full post to go into it), but while adrenaline increases can lead to insulin release, there is also the effect of increased lipolysis and FFAs. Adrenaline/Noradrenaline are powerful lipolytic (fat freeing) hormones, hence you can also get higher FFAs after more intense exercise intervals. In the end, I keep it and it works for me (for now that is). I use it to focus more in the AM for work and exercise, while also knowing that I need to relax more in the afternoons/PM (so no afternoon caffeine). Need that hormesis balance (stress vs recovery) after all. I also do switch it up sometimes having tea or just nothing but water.

Caffeine and IF Warning: If you are noticing an increase of anxiety, nervousness, emotional outbreaks or excessive annoying of the people around you because you won’t stop talking, then you may want to dial it down on the caffeine intake. Using IF will most likely increase your sensitivity to adrenaline, so drink less than what you used to drink before using IF.

Milk – Some may be asking about using this in their coffee or tea, but I would shy away from it. Milk has always been shown to provide an extra boost in insulin secretion. If you need to have something in your coffee maybe try just a “little” full fat heavy whipping cream instead (or as Dr Harris at the Archevore likes to call it, his Deseil #1). I’m also not one to want much more fat intake while adrenaline is increasing due to FFAs already in the bloodstream and a potential temporary increase in insulin resistance. However if a little extra fat helps you to control hunger/energy and get through IF times without binge eating later on, then it can work for you for that reason.

Honey/Sugar – If you want to add this into your drink, it’s fine but understand that you are also potentially raising blood glucose and insulin. This may actually be a better strategy for people trying to lose weight with IF/2 Meals but also may have adrenal/thyroid/cortisol issues (chronic stress overload and/or hypoglycemia issues). If that’s the case then also some fruit juice could help restore liver glycogen and provide a more “healing” environment than stressful while still eating less meals. You can still use the 2 Meal strategy to control eating, but some people may also need more blood sugar/cortisol regulation to help get back into better health.

BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids)  – I have played with adding them in time to time (although not doing it right now). For people doing their heavy training in the morning, using some small amounts (5-10 grams) BCAAs pre/during “may” help to give a boost to recovery (allowing more training and progress over the long run). I always tell people to focus more on your 24 hr nutrients than worry too much about timing. It’s the 80/20 rule, focus on where most results really come from. However many find better fasted workouts and energy/intensity levels using BCAAs, so if it works…I say go for it. Even if you are not getting maximum autophagy response by upping plasma amino acid levels beforehand, by using it with intense/resistance exercise you are also increasing immediate amino acid uptake and usage (muscle repair). Interesting to note that as Chris at Conditioning Research also points out exercise does have an autophagy response as well. So perhaps even with small amounts of BCAAs, if you use it around intense fasted workouts that it may just still all work out for the best.

Find What Works and Enjoy It

In the end, I’m usually going to tell people to find out “what works for them”. Water is always ideal, but everyone is different in their metabolic health, insulin resistance, blood sugar balance, amount of weight to lose (bodyfat %s), daily stress loads, food choices when eating, reactions to caffeine, intensity of exercise programs, life schedules, energy swings and recovery demands.

How one eats the rest of the day after the IF part is done is really the bigger picture (especially hunger responses during fasting and how one rebound eats because of it).

To sum up:

• Max benefits for fasting means you drink only water.
• If you want some coffee/espresso, have some. Ideally take it black. Tea even better (if you can stand it on an empty stomach, some can not). Drink less than normal and keep the extras to a minimum.
• You can still lose weight overall if you drink something other than water with the IF/2 Meal lifestyle. Overall calorie deficit is a bigger variable to consider.
• Controlling hunger with what you drink may be a more important factor to keep calories under control in the long run (no binge eating). Don’t use IF to burn stored fat but only end up shoveling back excess calories right back into those fat cells.
• Having stable blood sugar and energy is important too (also helps keep cortisol in check).
• You can also get an autophagy response through exercise too.
• Using caffeine pre-fasted workout (30 min) is the best strategy for keeping workouts intense and burning FFAs (short intense workouts + slow go activity does the trick for stubborn fat).
• There is no one perfect way. Try some self experimentation, and find what does work for you.
• If you are not getting the results you are after, then change up something. This is ongoing as life and all your variables to it (exercise, stress, aging) are dynamic and don’t stay the same.

Understand but don’t obsess over the little details. Try a mix of things if you want. Ideally shoot for minimal insulin responses. Take 1-2 days off a week to drink just water for a better autophagy response if using BCAAs (non-training days for example).

Most importantly, relax and enjoy what you do. Stressing over whether a bit of sugar will knock you out of ketosis for optimal fat burning will probably do more harm than the packet itself.

Bonus idea: I came across this cool recommendation from Michael at Critical MAS (great thing about IF is the community of people finding new things to try). For those who want to eat something to control hunger (drinks aren’t cutting it), try using some (1 tablespoon) coconut oil and fermented veggies. The coconut oil as an MCT (medium chain tryglyceride) can be easily broken down for fuel, accelerate the production of ketones, and the fermented veggies will apparently break down in the gut to short chain fatty acids for fuel. Keeping hunger under control (and rebound eating binges) may be the biggest key for many using IF/2 Meals.

*Coming Jan 31st*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

In the comments it was the same old lines of “starvation mode”, “crashing metabolism”, “lose all your muscle” and the other usual mainstream fear based reactions that come with the thought of not eating all day (of course we know that not to be true). However one did stand out as new to me.

I saw someone mention “research has shown the skipping breakfast increases the risks for heart disease”. OK, this was something I had to look into myself. Although I like to call myself “2 Meal Mike” and promote breakfast as being “overrated”, I’m also like every other person out there and want to just be healthy and happy. So I’m open for discussion on anything even when it comes to eating breakfast.

So off I went to look up the relationship of skipping breakfast and heart disease, and these mainstream headlines are what I came across.

Skipping breakfast too often can put you at risk of heart disease (at the Daily Mail)

Skipping Breakfast Linked to Heart Disease, Diabetes (another mainstream health site)

Wow, that seems like a pretty serious accusation. It’s like the idea of “skipping breakfast” has already been left holding the smoking gun and found guilty. However I also realize that plenty of news nowadays seems to be more based on shocking accusations, even if the title isn’t really 100% true.

Continuing on with one of the articles it goes into:

If you think skipping breakfast isn’t a big deal—who has the time, right?—you might reconsider that after hearing about some new research. In the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Australian researchers examined whether breakfast skippers are setting themselves up for heart disease and diabetes.

So there was an actual study, but what did it really focus on? Well when you dig into the details, it paints a different picture.

Getting into the Details

The study first of all did not actually focus on rates of actual diagnosed heart disease, just some associated “risk factors”. It looked at the eating patterns of children and followed up with them as adults. Risk factors were things such as waist circumference, weight/bodyfat, fasting insulin and cholesterol numbers. What they really came to conclude was:

Turns out those who tended to skip breakfast as kids and adults had a larger waist circumference and significantly higher insulin, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels—all warning signs for heart disease and diabetes—than those who regularly ate breakfast as kids and adults.

But if you do continue to read down, here’s where the real facts are:

Scientists think one reason is they are more likely to snack on sugary foods and less likely to exercise while having a lower intake of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

and

Previous research has clearly shown other pitfalls of skipping breakfast: A meta-study of 47 individual studies found that people who skip breakfast are more likely to smoke or drink, more likely to follow fad diets, and less likely to exercise.

Poor Choices are Really to Blame

So here’s the cliff notes on what they are really trying to say. If you skip breakfast, it may be possible that you are also more likely to follow an “unhealthy” lifestyle, eat crappy foods, gain weight, smoke, drink and not exercise. Those can increase the variables known as risks of heart disease.

But the original title of  ”skipping breakfast increases risks of heart disease” is actually not a 100% true statement. As the study did not properly prove that as the direct link. It’s just an observation made in a small group of people (and they even missed out on 2/3 of the people as adults) without even taking into consideration monitoring all their food choices and lifestyle factors.

The real message is that if you eat less quality of foods (more processed), gain weight, smoke and drink more all because you skip breakfast, then perhaps you need a new plan. If eating breakfast keeps you more focused on eating higher quality of foods (real foods), overall less calories, helps you to exercise and paying attention to your lifestyle, then by all means keep on eating it.

On the flip side I know that I haven’t eaten breakfast regularly in what seems like decades. However I also stay leaner, feel healthier, eat more real foods now than I did in the past (I ate way more junk when I was in “breakfast” mode), and enjoy being active and exercise . So using the same parameters of this study, my heart disease risks have not increased (decreased if anything) even while hardly ever having breakfast.

(In fact periods of skipping meals with intermittent fasting have shown to lower fasting insulin, inflammation and many other health markers)

While not eating a big or any breakfast may not be for everyone, skipping it is not seen to be a “direct” factor in increasing heart disease either. How you eat (do you binge or control your food intake) and your lifestyle (exercise, smoking, drinking) the rest of the day is where the real results happen.

For many of you this is probably nothing that new, but there are still people out there believing in ideas like this without really understanding all the details. Hopefully I’ve helped to clear this up, so people can understand all the facts and start choosing how they want to eat.

*NEW*: I’m now on Twitter as #2MealMike. Be sure to follow along in all the updates and 2 Meal lifestyle shenanigans…I mean adventures there too!

I woke up this morning to see it was 20 something degrees and actually (briefly…like done in 5 minutes) snowing. Hey it’s a big deal for people in Atlanta, even if I’m originally from Boston and have seen much worse.

Anyways, yesterday I was wandering around at the local large department store and came across something that looked so cool. I’m not a big shopper nor “in the know” on fashion, but finding this made my day.

They were knitted gloves that had the finger tops removed, but also had a little mitten-like cover to flip over. They have probably been out for years, but they were “new to me”.

Oh they were on sale for like $8 too.

I tell you, I only got these yesterday and am already wearing the heck out of them. I can use my laptop with them on, drive, eat, do whatever and keep my hands warm. These have made me smile for absolutely no other reason than I look at them and think one thing…”little victories”.

Maybe that is the real key to a happy life, fill it with all your “little victories”.

‎Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win ~ Jonathan Kozel

So many of us strive for such big things, but how long does it take to accomplish them? Are we just setting ourselves up for burnout and failure by not allowing us to feel “happy” through accomplishment more often?

A good example for me has been in writing the 2 Meal ebook (with my quick “pimp” that it is now coming out on Kindle Jan 31st…so excited!). When I tried to just “write a whole book” day after day, I felt inspired for a bit…then overwhelmed little by little…which lead to times of the dreaded writer’s block and burnout.

I learned the hard way that I was setting myself up for that. So I changed up my strategy to a “chapter a day”. No more, no less. Just write a chapter, proof, and walk away. I felt good. I was happy having “accomplished” my goal. I kept doing it day after day and I enjoyed it. Pretty soon…the book was done.

All those “little victories” added up to the bigger goal.

(Heck just writing and getting this post out today is another “little victory”, and a habit I aim to get into with my blogging with quick, short and more often)

Now you can also take that “little vistories” attitude to how you exercise and eat too.

The diet and fitness industry in my opinion has done a great job to promote such “extreme” stuff, that it only sets people up for burnout. If I have learned anything in all my years as a trainer, is that results come even from the simplest of workouts and eating…when they are done consistently!

You don’t need “extreme” day after day, as it’s not even that sustainable  (or enjoyable).

Instead just shoot for simple solutions. Start with a 10 min walk every morning. Create that “little victory”. You may not burn a ton of calories to start, but that is not the purpose. Build upon something. Make it 15..30 min over time. Create a sustainable active lifestyle foundation.

When you feel good about doing something so simple, it will translate over to other areas of your daily life (such as in “choosing” to eat better foods too…as it is always your daily choice).

You can also just do a simple 10 min bodyweight circuit. Stop thinking it always needs to be 45 min at the gym, it really doesn’t. Be it in for the long run, with all those “little victories” that do add up.

I challenge you to start your day off with 25-50 pushups, every day. Grow from there. Feel good right from the start! Don’t get sidetracked, don’t hit the shower first, just do your pushups and smile when you are done. The rest of your day will now start off on that positive note.

Same goes for eating. Make each meal of “real foods” a little victory you can build on. Learn a new recipe for the day and rejoice in making real food taste so good (well not all experiments may turn out so great…but trying and learning is a little victory in itself).

If you want to have lived a life worth remembering, create all those little victories and appreciate them for what they are. Enjoy simple times with friends, playing with your kids, taking the dog for a walk, reading a good book, and even just taking time out to sit quiet and enjoy your life at that moment.

Life is really quite fun and simple, if we allow it to be. It’s only ourselves that always seem to make everything so urgent, complicated and stressful. Time to take back control with your “little vistories”!

PS. I just got on Twitter (loving how people can connect there) and just found out about “hashtags”. So if you are also on Twitter, try going there and search for #littlevictories to read what others are finding good in life every day. It’s quite fun!

*NEW*: I’m now on Twitter as #2MealMike. Be sure to follow along in all the updates and 2 Meal lifestyle shenanigans…I mean adventures there too!

No this isn’t about eating better or even working out, as I make those “daily resolutions”. I’m going to use this time of year to really step back, see the big picture of where I want to go and make it happen one step at a time.

I’m going to admit that it’s been a while since I’ve really been “excited” to update the blog. I reached a plateau of saying everything I thought I needed to be said, and didn’t really know where to go from there.

I’ve taken the time to really ponder over that vision, and now I am re-energized like the days of old!

Here’s my plans for 2012 with “the IF Life”.

More Posts…More Often

Times are changing and information is everywhere (and causing much overload too). In the past I’ve taken much time and effort into writting the bigger articles, but also found that drained me more.

Now I’ve come to 2 conclusions:

• Less (shorter) is more
• Often is better (motivating)

What I mean by that is doing shorter posts about one topic at a time allows not only for you to better comprehend and put into action, but also saves me from “burn out”.

The more often I can post, the more motivated you can be to keep your lifestyle on track too.

A win-win for both you and me!

So I plan on doing shorter posts (and even break down many into ongoing series) that can be read in 5 minutes or so. I also plan on making these 2-3x a week.

I’ve got many ideas and topics that I want to explore (or re-explore) and that excites me.

The 2 Meal Focus

My biggest focus since starting the “IF” Life (hint right there) back in 2007/2008 was to get the word out about using “IF” (intermittent fasting/feeding).

I’ve now taken the term “2 Meal” as my motto for how I use IF and will move into 2012 getting that idea more into the mainstream.

Heck, I’ve even decided to go with a nickname of “2 Meal Mike” too (I’ve been called worse though).

So you will see more articles and posts focused around “2 Meals” along with other simple answers for your weight loss, eating, fitness and happy lifestyle.

No BS about “top 5 foods for abs” or useless fluff you see everywhere else in mainstream. I’m keeping it laser focused and fun on the whole “IF Life”-style philosophy.

Who knows, there is even talks about a published version of “2 Meal Solution” coming out later 2012…we shall see!

Bring on 2012!

So my resolution is that you will get more from me and in more ‘bite size” digesteble format (the best way to learn and implement IMO). This is exciting to me and I hope for you as well.

Plus 2 very exciting new programs for 2 Meals and workouts…that will replace my current ebooks. Very exciting stuff!

Here’s to an awesome 2012 and getting you free to enjoy eating, fitness and life on your own terms!

*NEW* Follow the IF Life Now on Twitter Too!

I took the plunge and got my Twitter account all setup as well. So for those that also want updates through there, just click here and “follow”. I’ll start to figure out how to use it little by little.

I’ve also turned the comments on the blog back “on” (as I had them off while I was trying to figure out the direction of the blog). So please stop by and let me know what you would also like to see in 2012!

About: The IF Life is written by Mike O’Donnell. Mike is also the author/creator of the 2 Meal Solution and BodyBurst30 workout. You can also comment/discuss on the Facebook page here.

Ho…Ho…Uh Oh

It’s that time of year again. The holiday season is upon us (Christmas, New Years, etc), and so is the time of year many seem to pack on some extra pounds.

But it doesn’t have to be that way!

It is possible to actually enjoy the many holiday parties and still maintain your weight.

Hey I’ll be the first one to tell you NOT to stay home, and go out and have some fun. Of course fun doesn’t have to mean drinking egg nog till you are sick or diving into a dessert tray either.

It just means that you do not have to deprive yourself of holiday foods altogether or become a social hermit.

So here are some tips and tricks on how to survive and enjoy this season.

Don’t Show up Hungry

Your number one enemy at the holiday party is going to be hunger/ cravings and overeating because of it.

If you haven’t eaten in a while, your body will respond by giving you the hunger sensation and cravings for sweets and sugar once you see all that food layed out.

It’s kind of like why shopping for foods on an empty stomach is also a bad idea, as the temptation is high to give into buying sweets and other foods you probably don’t really need.

Same goes for the holiday party spread. Have something simple to eat that is somewhat filling an hour or so before you go. You will cut down your chances of attacking the gingerbread cookies once you walk in the door.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water is essential for many reasons. It is key for cellular functions, removal of toxins and in the case for weight management it will keep you feeling full (and have less chances of going hungry or cravings as seen in Tip #1).

Damage at the holiday party can also come from drinking too many “festive” drinks (which also tend to be higher in calories).

Do you know how many calories are in a glass of Egg Nog? Here’s some shocking numbers:

• 1 cup (8 fl oz) is about 350 calories, with around 20g of fat and 30g of sugar!

Wow! Now who has a small cup only 8 oz (as most “normal” size glasses are 12-16 oz)? And who only has one glass? Just 2 drinks alone of Egg Nog are putting you at 700 calories without even focusing on the food!

So a simple trick is that after every “festive” drink, make your next drink a glass of water. Alternate all night long between festive drinks and water (you will be surprised how much better you may feel the next day too)!

*Disclaimer: This is not advocating the (over)consumption of alcoholic drinks. Enjoy in moderation and be responsible.

Small Plate/Cup and Many Trips

When we are talking about losing weight everyone has heard about calories and portions. Well it makes sense that the bigger the portions are, the more calories there will be.

You can enjoy most anything if you really want to, but you have to make sure you do not eat more than you really should.

Many people at a gathering tend to be on the “See-Food” diet. That is if they see food in front of them on the plate, they will eat and snack at it all night until it is all gone.

Forget those big full size plates and piling on everything you see. Those are the reason people eat more even when they are full (that “see-food” issue).

Instead get the smallest plate possible and take a few items. Sit down, chew your food, talk with others and let your food digest a little. It takes a while for the sensation of hunger to go away even after you have eaten.

If you are still wanting more later on, get back up and get another small portion. Force yourself to make more than just one trip and when you are finally done, throw the plate out. Leave nothing sitting in front of you at the table.

Use the same strategy for those holiday “drinks” with the smallest cup too.

Be Active Daily

What do you find in common with people who are in great shape? Chances are they lead an “active” lifestyle along with eating right. It not only helps burn a few extra calories, but also just puts you in a better frame of mind (happier and more conscious about what you eat).

You don’t have to go to the gym to be active, you just have to keep your body moving and don’t fall for all the shortcuts and other distractions (watching TV, sitting at the computer) of modern society.

Find ways to stay active even around the holidays such as:

• Park towards the back of parking lots and walk in (less stressful too)
• Take the stairs where you go, not the escalators/elevators
• Don’t get all stressed out. Relax and take your time (smile while you shop)
• Carry your bags in your arms, not a cart (use those muscles!)
• Do “bursts” of exercise, such as sets of pushups throughout the day or a couple sprints here and there. It doesn’t always need to be some long planned workout to get the benefit from it. Heck if you feel like doing some burpees in the middle of the mall…well have at it, just look out for security coming to take you away.

Know that consistency is the real key to any weight loss success, and consistency is another word for a lifestyle. Make it fun and enjoyable, and you will also be less stressed over the little things. It’s all a choice.

Get Out There and Socialize

Emotional eating is a big issue during the holidays. Don’t be afraid to get out of the house, go to parties and talk to everyone there.

If you are going to a party where you don’t know anyone, be adventurous and go talk to new people. If you are shy, then write down or memorize an opening question to spark a good conversation.

People love to talk about themselves so ask what inspires them, what their goals are, what they enjoy to do for hobbies, get to know all about the person. Or just get on the dance floor and have some fun.

The more you are socializing, the less chance you are giving into emotional eating compulsions (and the happier you will feel).

My Way to Prepare for A Party

Here’s a “top secret” used by many trainers, fitness models, and actors/ actresses. It’s based on cycling in periods of lower calories to help combat a temporary high calorie time (lowering the average calorie load over days). Also known as “calorie cycling”.

OK not really that top secret, but still something you can easily implement. All you need to do when planning on going to a party (and eating “more”) is use lower calorie days leading up to it. You can also use some after. Simple right?

Here’s how I go about it:

• I condense down my eating window for my 2 meal (intermittent feeding/fasting) on the days leading up to holiday party
• I also use the trick of cycling in lower carbohydrates for those days (just mainly some fruits and vegetables only)
• I will stay active with quick & frequent full body (bodyweight) exercise sets during the days before (or what I like to term as doing them in “bursts”).
• On the day of the party I eat lighter with some protein/low fat and vegetables before it is time to go to the party

This plan allows me the lower calories and increased muscle sensitivity to glucose that I can take with me into a party. Then I can enjoy it responsibly and not feel restricted or sit in the corner depressed eating celery sticks.

So go enjoy the season, and don’t wait till after New Years to make a resolution to lose weight. You can start right now. It’s your choice after all, so make it today!

The IF Life is written by Mike O’Donnell. If you enjoyed this article, please quickly IF Life Facebook page. Mike is also the author/creator of the 2 Meal Solution and Body Burst workout.

I’ve come to remember a simple motto I reflect on more often now, and one I would like to share with you. Something I think we both can easily remember and put into practice.

I likely didn’t invent it, and can’t remember where I may have heard it in the past (could be a combination of sayings)…but it’s simple and for me really hits home.

Take your “Next Best Step“

If I could go back in time and tell my younger self how to eat and train, I would have done it all differently…but that can’t happen. So time to get over that idea and go forward.

Same applies for whatever weight loss diets you may have tried or exercise programs started and quit. Stop dwelling on it, as it is gone and over with.

What you do next is what matters, how you spend your time right now.

Take your “Next Best Step“

Perfection is an illusion, doesn’t happen in real life. Life is in a dynamic state of change. Our schedules gets messed up, we work different hours, family responsibilities take priority and the days go on.

We all have our “off” days..or even maybe weeks.

Things can happen that will derail any diet or exercise program.

There is no “perfect” diet or program, just what you can do simply on a consistent basis. It all adds up. If you get derailed for a day, week or even a year, it’s over and done with.

Everything going forward is a new sheet of paper, waiting for you to write on. Forget New Years for changes, make them happen right “now”.

Take your “Next Best Step“

The great news is I really don’t care what shape you are in right now either! (Let me explain a bit more…before you think me insane)

If you are already lean or carrying some extra lbs…it is still all the same to me. How you got there doesn’t matter, only what you are going to do next does.

You can even say that about your job, finances, relationships, or lifestyle. Where you are and how you got there is no longer worth complaining about. Dwelling on it won’t change a thing, only what you do next will.

Isn’t that liberating? Past excuses are gone and done. No one left to judge. You are in total control.

Take your “Next Best Step“

You just ate a whole pizza? Went out for drinks with friends? Had too much chocolate cake? While I can’t say this is something I recommend to do often, it’s over and done with.

It happens to all of us. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t feel guilty. You’re not supposed to be perfect anyways. Just re-focus again.

Take your “Next Best Step“

I don’t care what workout plan you are going to do after the holidays. Don’t say how great it will be once you go join that gym in a week. Instead tell me what you are going to do today.

Move more, make it simple and consistent. Grow from there. I don’t go to a gym anymore and I can make it happen.

Real fitness is a lifestyle, not some “extreme” 12 week workout (that most burn out on in week #2 anyways).

Open your front door, go for a walk, do some pushups or whatever you enjoy. Stop worrying about it having to be perfect and just be active today.

“I’ll start tomorrow” is a disease too many suffer from day after day.

Take your “Next Best Step“

Don’t fear failure, in fact…don’t acknowledge failure. There are actions and results, then you adjust and take more actions.

No one is perfect remember? Everyone learns from actions taken, even if the results are not what we hoped for.

More forward. Enjoy being imperfect. Those who are called a “success”  are just the ones who keep going forward and don’t give up.

Don’t be inactive in fear of failure. No one gets it right all the time. Even writing this article, I know it’s not going to be perfect. But I’m putting it out there as an action, and then will move on from there.

Take your “Next Best Step“

Take time daily to just slow down. It’s a choice, it is possible, you can make it happen.

Quiet the noise. Turn off the TV. Put the cell phone on silent. Close the laptop. Breathe and relax. Believe it or not the world will somehow manage on without you for 10 or so minutes.

Reflect and focus on what you want to do in life. It won’t happen by chance.

Envision your ideal “sustainable” (not “extreme”) lifestyle for eating and exercise. Picture what you want to do for work or anything else. See it with absolute clarity. Get excited about it.

Now break it down into what one small daily step needs to happen today to get closer to it. Small enough to accomplish, big enough to matter.

Do this each day. Your life is just a summation of all the little steps you took along the way.

Life’s a journey, not some destination. We all get flat tires along the way. You fix it and move on, back to enjoying the ride. It all starts with one simple thing….

Take your “Next Best Step“

Repeat hourly…daily…monthly…and for a lifetime.

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.

Get Fit Vegas Style

What is your fitness lifestyle like? What do you do each day to help improve it? Do you make things more complicated than they need to be? Are you just hopping from one program to the next with nothing to show from them in the long run?

I’m here to change that.

Sustainable, intense and consistent…the 3 keys to any solid fitness program. Now I’m going to share with you one of mine that I do daily.

Simple Does Work

The best part of the “Pick 2″ is how simple it is. Don’t let the simplicity fool you though, it can be a great workout and make significant changes to your physique over time (of course diet plays a big role here as well).

The concept is that you just pick 2 exercises and then perform them in a circuit. No gym or complicated equipment needed.

Told you it was simple, but that’s the way I like my workouts. Simplicity allows me to stay consistent (and not burnout).

Do it at home, in the park, while watching TV…whenever and wherever you want. There are no more excuses accepted from this point on.

Let the Dice “Pick 2″

Exercise selection is left up to the roll of the dice, no thinking involved (which suits me just fine first thing in the morning!).

Just roll a dice twice. The number on the first roll is exercise #1 and the number on the second roll is exercise #2.

Of course you will need a simple master list of what number corresponds to which exercise. I also recommend doing splits for exercise #1 and #2 with different movement choices to keep more variety and also give specific muscles a chance for more recovery between workouts.

So just get a sheet of paper, and write down your six exercises for #1 and #2. Here’s what I have for mine.

Roll #1: Upper Body

The first roll is an upper body based movement. I made my list with all the different “push” and “pull” movements according to horizontal and vertical planes. My #1-6 are as followed:

1. pushups
2. pullups
3. dips
4. inverted body rows (using bars/rings)
5. handstand press
6. upright band row

Of course your list can vary on what you choose, and can even be dependent on the equipment you have available. One example is using a good resistance band to sub out for, such as a standing band row instead of inverted body rows. This is something I also do time to time.

Also make sure to scale according to your own ability. There is always room to improve on your strength over time (if you stay consistent that is).

Roll #2: Lower Body/HR

The second roll is focused more on lower body movements and more “explosive” or higher “heart rate” ones. Here’s my choices:

1. body squats
2. stepback alternating lunges
3. hip bridges (floor)
4. burpees (yeah!!)
5. mountain climbers
6. knees to elbows (done hanging from bar/rings)

For squats and lunges I also tend to start off slow but then work into more explosive versions towards the end (a great finisher). Again, choose what is doable for your level of ability and equipment options.

The Circuit Options

There are 2 main type of circuit options, and which you choose is completely up to you. For this example the total time of your workout is 10 minutes.

• Option #1 is doing a certain number of reps per exercise. This would mean doing X #reps for exercise #1 and then follow up with X #reps for exercise #2. You would repeat this circuit for the 10 minutes, taking rests whenever you feel you need them. In this format the reps are usually lower per exercise, such as 5-10.
• Option #2 is doing reps for a time interval (work/rest ratio). A good time interval to start with is something such as 40 seconds work/20 seconds rest (1 minute total). So you would set an interval timer for those parameters and do exercise #1 for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, exercise #2 for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, and repeat 4 more times (total of 10 minutes). Beginners (or those more interested in strength resistance) can use 30 seconds work/rest.

Personally I like to use the time intervals with short rest as it motivates me to keep going, allows me to up the intensity through more glycolitic pathways (higher lactate responses), and doesn’t interfere with my strength training based workouts later in the day.

Silly as it may sound I also don’t want to focus on counting anything while I am working out…just get in the zone and push it. I have my interval timer to buzz when it is time to stop and go again.

Set Interval Timer, Roll the Dice and Go!

Now just do it for 5-10 minutes….daily! This is about getting in the habit of moving your body. Too many people are always looking for complex and long workouts as the answer, but never do anything on a day to day basis.

The secret to being in good shape and staying that way is just simple consistency (plus intensity)! You can add in more advanced strength programming or longer workouts here and there…but your day to day sustainable active lifestyle is very important.

Other Tips and Tricks

• Don’t repeat the same exercise 2 days in a row (just re-roll if that happens).
• Keep your reps under control (not trying to injure yourself). Good idea is to make the first set of each exercise like a warmup. Work on form first and increase intensity with each set.
• Avoid muscle failure (as it will kill the number of reps you can do later). If you feel yourself coming close with time still on the clock, then take a few seconds rest and go again (rest-pause).
• Doing resistance band exercises for upper body in this format is really good because you can adjust the resistance to keep intensity high (without hitting failure). It is also a good substitution for people who are not able to do pullups or do not have access to equipment (rings/bars) needed for some movements (easy to travel with too).
• Another option for people who may already be doing other high volume workouts, make it “tabata” style with 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest for 5 total minutes. Will still keep intensity high and still not overly fatigue your muscles for other volume workouts.
• Do it every day, make it a habit. You can do other advanced workouts too…but make this simple one a daily lifestyle.
• No dice? No problem. Here’s a cool random dice roller I found online.
• If you have a smart phone there are plenty of free interval apps to use out there (and can listen to your music while you workout too). There is also online options such as this free timer too.
• Do it in the AM to get your day started off right.
• Do it fasted and reap the rewards of optimal hormonal responses.
• Don’t make any more excuses, start TODAY! As Yoda said “Do or do not…there is no try!”

*Coming Feb 2012*: The New and Updated 2 Meal Solution will be available via Amazon for the Kindle. I’m excited about this and look forward to helping more people “break free” from diets and eat on their own terms! More details coming soon.