My One Meal Menu

My One Meal Menu

Some of the FAQs I received from my readers are: What do you eat in that one meal? What calories, what kind of food and what portion size and did you eat all those foods being recorded in your food blog? Well I’m going to answer all these questions together.

I have a food blog and a fasting blog. These two blogs seem conflicting, but they aren’t. Though one is about eating and the other about fasting, they are related. Today I’m going to use some of the old photos from my food blog to answer the above questions. To answer one of the FAQs: 99% of the food photos were taken from my dining table, so I actually ate the foods.

My meal frequency is somewhat famine style - generally one meal a day, sometimes no food for a day or two. Don’t assume that my one meal is a great super size one. Although sometimes I do binge, at company events or family/festival gatherings, I eat normal portion meals most of the time. Calories, food group…I don't care!

Different people may have different standard of a normal meal. Professional athletes’ normal meal size may be much larger than mine. So let see the normal meal size of a female headhunter.

My Normal One Meal Dinner – Home Cooking
I enjoy eating at home. This is the time when I can sit down, relax and enjoy food. I may have mentioned this before – food become more tasteful after I practice fasting. And some readers also reported that they eat more respectfully after practicing fasting.

Here is couple of examples to demonstrate my normal portion dinner. Simply click on the links to view the original articles from my food blog.

Green Risotto - Hong Kong Style * My Home-Made Vegetarian Pasta

My Normal One Meal Lunch – Economy
Although my one meal is usually dinner, I do eat lunch in some occasions, especially over the weekend when I don’t need to rush for time. Here are some examples of economy normal portions of my normal lunch. Super Value Tea Set * My Vegetarian Lunch Box * Classic Dim Sums

My Normal One Meal – Luxury
In some occasions, I do lunch in a slightly luxury way such as going on an outing and enjoy a holiday seafood lunch. It is luxury in terms of money, but very normal in terms of meal size even it is a 4-course one. Lamma Island Seafood Outing

My Over-sized One Meal
There are occasions that I eat a lot. Over a banquet, I never want to single out myself. So I eat a lot. However I do have a rule that I won’t do two big meals in a day. If that happens, I’ll try to make excuse to one of them. If both meals are unavoidable…mmmm….that’s a very difficult day for me. I usually have to go on a 30-hour fasting after that. In my experience, fasting is a very good remedy for binge eating. Though I sometimes binge over long weekends or holidays, a day or two’s fasting will enable speedy recovery. Here is a blog post to demonstrate how big my one meal could be – an 8-course banquet plus rice/noodle, desserts and fruits. Cantonese Festival Dinner

PS: One meal suits me well. But two meals also proofed to work well for many. There is an eBook called 2 Meal Solution written by a top fitness coach.

If you want to learn manage your 2 meal and at the same time lose weight and eat what you love to eat, this is a great guide. If you’ve decided not to buy the book, you should opt in to the free newsletter or free e-course.

Embrace Hunger and Hunger Pains While Fasting

2012 Weight Loss Plan
Is losing weight one of your primary objectives in the New Year? If so, I would like to draw your attention to hunger and hunger pains, before you kick start any dieting plan.

Embrace Hunger and Hunger Pains While Dieting
When I talk about my fasting habit, the immediate feedback from most people is hunger and hunger pains. Right, we are taught to avoid hunger and getting hungry even while dieting. I'm going to suggest something that could be a taboo to most of us. You will get faster weight loss results if you allow yourself to get hungry from time to time. I'll even go as far to say that you should embrace hunger and look forward to it for rapid fat loss. Of course I don’t mean to stay extremely hungry for a long period, but to extend the hours between meals is certainly beneficial.

Getting Hungry While Fasting? Good!
In Hong Kong parents are complaining that kids are facing too much pressure at school. There is an argument that if kids cannot put up with some kind of pressure at school, there is no way they can face any kind of pressure from the world when they grow up. Sounds inhuman but true. This made me think of weight loss. If we cannot put up with hunger for a few hours, how can we face other greater challenges in life?

Hunger does not bother me much in my particular body make up. But I always look forward to it. Unlike many people who want to get lean, I seldom feel hungry, but…I just need to remind myself that it is okay to get hungry from time to time.

Getting Hungry is the "Old School" Dieting Approach
When I was a teen in the 70's, people would actually get hungry while dieting! At some point in the 80's, the "eat 6 meals per day" approach became the norm. The idea was that "eating every few hours" keeps your metabolism high. In theory it looked like a great strategy, but it isn't working for most people.

Is Eating Every Few Hours Working For You?
In my years of weight loss struggle, I’ve tried almost anything including eating 6 meals per day which never worked for me. The problem with eating all the time is that you always have "food energy" circulating in your system. When you do any activities or exercise, your body always has an abundant supply of energy from the food you eat. Why would it need to access your stored energy source (aka BODY FAT)? The answer is that your body will not burn body fat with excessive food energy in your system.

Those who do outdoor activities and eat normal meals are usually lean. Those who eat all the time are the ones with weight problems. Think about it…a lot of us play video games and surf the Internet. They are indoor near food. If they get hungry, food is just a few steps away. People at work are near food all the time as well and share the exact same problem!

"Allowing Yourself to Get Hungry" is Key to Getting Lean
I don't believe our bodies were meant to have a never ending supply of constant food. I am not suggesting that you should stay hungry all the time, but don't be so quick to grab food the moment you feel hungry. This is your chance to get rid of some of that excessive body fat. Want to really lose some weight quickly? Let yourself get hungry on purpose before doing cardio. This is when you will see visible results quickly. Try short term fasting. Skip meals whenever you feel you can. Let yourself feel hungry and laid off some fat quickly.

My Suggested 2012 Fasting Plan

Don’t announce your fasting plan. Let people notice it and come consult you for weight loss tips. That was my experience back in 2006. I started my short term intermittent fasting in March and my colleagues came to ask for weight loss tips soon after July.

Don’t set a schedule. Say there must be a day or two in a week that you don’t have any meal appointments or you don’t really feel hungry and that you're sure you can survive without eating, then skip meal. Try this for a quarter and you’ll see noticeable results.

PS: I realize that many dietitians and personal trainers will give you conflicting advice when it comes to the subject of hunger and meal frequency. They will throw out the "slowing metabolism" argument.

There is an amazing eBook on this subject, called Eat Stop Eat. It was written by a top nutritionist who did his graduate research on this topic. His study was called "The Metabolic Effects of Short Periods of Fasting in Humans and its Potential Application in Weight Loss"

It will change the way you think of eating. Even if you don't decide to buy the book, you should opt-in to subscribe the blog.

Fasting Books

Want to read a fasting book to start a healthy weight loss program in the New Year? When it comes to fasting books it feels like a wide range of fasting methods are being covered. Each book has it’s own special take on how we should be fasting and how long we should be fasting.

To help you go on healthy fasting, here is my list of the top best fasting books.

Eat Stop Eat (Brad Pilon)
eBook available at ClickBank

If you can do one meal a day for twice a week, this will be your perfect guide book to help you kick start your intermittent fasting program. If you are interested in the scientific research behind the use of intermittent fasting for weight loss then you should find this book to be both up to date and accurate.

Brad Pilon is a nutrition professional. His graduate studies were about nutritional sciences specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight loss. Click here to check out Eat Stop Eat

2 Meal Solution (Mike O’Donnell)
eBook available at ClickBank

Mike, as a Certified Personal Trainer/Health and Fitness Coach, has been one of the pioneers talking about intermittent fasting (IF). This book helps you gain back control over food choices and finally build a simple lifestyle for long term weight management. A perfect guide for beginners. Click here to check out 2 Meal Solution

Master Cleanse Secrets (Raylen Sterling)
eBook available at Clickbank

Unlike many fad diets of today, the Master Cleanse has survived the test of time for over 60 years. Celebrities and nutrition gurus alike are raving over the immense health benefits and spectacular body transformations that this diet offers. It’s good but not easy. You need to learn about the tricks and tips in order to make it through the 10-day program. Check out the Master Cleanse Secrets before kicking start.

Juice Fasting and Detoxification: Use the Healing Power of Fresh Juice to Feel Young and Look Great : The Fastest Way to Restore Your Health (Steve Meyerowitz, Beth Robbins, Michael Parman)
Available at Amazon

This book covers comprehensively about how to do juice fasting with raw fruits and vegetables while maintaining a nearly normal work and living schedule. It includes juice recipes, detoxification techniques, exercises, weight loss, water fasting and how to break a fast safely. Truly a must read if you want to go on juice fasting. Click here to view Juice Fasting and Detoxification

A Study of Prolonged Fasting (Francis Gano Benedict)
Available at Amazon

Fasting has been around for thousands of year. It is only during the last hundred years or so, the subject of fasting has undergone close experimental and scientific scrutiny which was probably initiated by the famous physiologist, Dr. Francis Gano Benedict. His book, A Study Of Prolonged Fasting published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1915, is well worth close perusal today. This is a scarce antiquarian, rare and hard-to-find book with something of interest for everyone! Click here to view A study of prolonged fasting

Fasting Books

Creating New Habits Towards Intermittent Fasting

Want to try intermittent fasting but don’t know if it is right for you? Here is a short article to help.

In a nutshell, intermittent fasting (IF) is to acquire a better life through a simple lifestyle. To begin with, take a look at the following 3 rules and see how you feel.

• Rule #1: Eat Meals Every Day...Sometimes 2
• Rule #2: Move/Exercise for 10 Minutes Every Day
• Rule #3: Quiet the Noise for 10 Minutes Every Day

If these 3 rules sound probable to you, then continue reading.

They say that it only takes 21 days to create a new habit, so for the next 21 days you are going to follow the above 3 simple rules.

It's not going to get any more complicated than that, no need to. No other distractions to get you off track. The goal is to master the foundations of each pillar (eating, movement, lifestyle) with the “IF” Life principles and then make it a lasting part of your lifestyle. Master these foundations and you can stop any yo-yo weight fluctuations than many seem to suffer from nowadays. You will also embrace your own active lifestyle which will add into helping you stay lean and healthy.

Want to take a closer look at the life of an IFer? You can go through this blog or read this article as a fast track: Why I Do “Less” (Eat, Exercise and Work) for Better Results

Author of the article is actually practicing the 3 rules above, although I’m not sure if he developed them in 21 days. I recommend this article not only because I appreciate his style of writing. Because I’m someone in a similar lifestyle and truly understand that what he says is going to benefit anyone who does it. I like his quotes as well, such as:

· Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication ~ Leonardo da Vinci
· It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential ~ Bruce Lee
· Never confuse motion with action ~ Benjamin Franklin
The article also includes a Bruce Lee video which is truly inspiring.

So here you go:

Why I Do “Less” (Eat, Exercise and Work) for Better Results
By Mike O’Donnell

My general lifestyle theme for the last decade (and on this blog) has been one of practicing more simplicity in all aspects of my life.

Not because I’m trying to neglect myself of anything (that’s not that point of a simple lifestyle), but rather quite the opposite. It is because of what a more simple life can bring in return as far as happiness, sense of freedom, reduced stress and even more results.

Trust me, I still want to accomplish and do many things…but I’ve found that by simplifying the steps to get there, those results can happen quicker. I’m much more focused and efficient at what I do.

Sounds like something worth trying right? So here’s some of my reasons I continue with simple eating, exercise and working. Hopefully it will inspire you to try something new and simple in your lifestyle approach as well!

Click here to read the full article

Intermittent Fasting Success - Creating New Habits in 21 Days

Paleo Diet

Though intermittent fasting does not restrict food group, I do heard people on paleo diet gain outstanding results. I once recommended a book called The Paleo Diet - The Original Human Diet in this post and received encouraging feedback.

If you seriously want to know “what to eat”, it's worth finding out what 'paleo diet' is all about and to gain some great insight into food and your health.

If you don't have time to read through a book, the link below contains a number of videos which will quickly help you understand more about Paleo Diet.

Click Here
to start with
USDA Food Pyramids Vs Paleo Food Pyramid - Explained

Want to try a few paleo dishes and see how it tastes? I've some free recipes for you. Just click to download, no registration required.
Broccoli and Pinenut Soup
Pumkin Chicken Curry
Lemon Meringue Pie

Intermittent Fasting Success

How to Start Intermittent Fasting

Starting Your Own “IF” Lifestyle

The biggest concern I have gotten since starting this blog in 2010, is emphasizing too much on my personal experience. There aren’t two Anna’s in this world!

In fact to effectively use Intermittent Fasting (IF) to achieve goals and maximum results can vary by each person with fat loss, muscle gain, better health, improved performance in your sport of choice and more. With that comes the individuality of what is a person’s insulin resistance, current body composition (body fat %), daily lifestyle, eating habits, type of exercise program, frequency and volume of training and so forth.

It is unlikely to find large groups of people with the exact same set of parameters and responses to an intermittent fasting protocol. My suggestion is to start with a basic intermittent fasting format, and then learn how to monitor results and adjust as you go.

Even down the road things will change as you will improve health, lower insulin resistance or losing weight. So nothing is really ever just one set way (as it shouldn’t have to be). Life is dynamic (always changing and evolving) and so should be the way we see our own journey for health and fitness.

What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?

If you are new to the term, intermittent fasting is just taking “intermittent” times of fasting (no food) and working them into your lifestyle. This can be either daily or a couple times a week (will get into that more below).

How to Begin Using Intermittent Fasting?

Is there only one set way in which to use intermittent fasting? No, of course not.

There are many different IF protocols based on people’s individualistic needs, lifestyle, exercise, goal, macronutrient ratios, and so forth. I am going to keep it simple and give the 2 most frequent options.

• Longer IF 1-2x a week: This is taking a longer fasting period of say for up to 24 hours and repeating 1-2x a week. Note that 24 hours is not skipping a whole day, as stopping to eat on 6pm Tues and then having your next meal at 6pm Wed is 24 hours. I usually don’t talk about anything beyond 30 hours for using IF, as most research is usually based on that fasting window. There is a book called Eat Stop Eat detailing the ‘1-2x a week’ mode of IF.

• Shorter More “Daily” IF: This means that it is done more than a couple times a week with a condensed eating window such as eating their calories in a 8-6 hour window more daily (and the fasting does happen around it). There is a book called 2 Meal Solution detailing the ‘daily’ mode of IF.

With those approaches there are still many variables to include such as calories, activity/exercise, recovery needs, food choices, etc. In the end it is still about finding a way that does work for you. Picking the approach you think fits around your lifestyle best is going to lead to better results.

Wrapping it Up

Over the years I have adapted more of the “long” IF approach than the ‘short’ without really planning.

I eat anywhere from 12-24 hours without worrying about food all the time. I focus more on healthy foods and the results come, while still being able to enjoy other splurges when I go out and eat/socialize. I’m not a slave to some mentality of “needing” to eat all day and enjoy the freedom that comes with that.

Heck sometimes on occasion I may work in a 24+/- hour fast just because of my schedule, but there is more flexibility to how I eat now. I listen to my body and know what is right for me. Staying lean and healthy year round is easy once you can do that.

The key part of the IF experience is just starting with it and seeing how it works for you. Knowing how to change things up when they aren’t working. Making a lifestyle solution and not needing anyone to tell you how to eat again. That is how you find that freedom and results that last.

Personally I enjoy reading the The IF Blog which covers everything about intermittent fasting. And the author Mike O'Donnell answers questions promptly.

Intermittent Fasting - How to Start Using IF

Best Time to Workout

If you want to find out the best time to workout, this article may help.

Good and informative fitness articles are not easy to find. Mike O’Donnell’s blog is one among the rare blogs that contain original content articles. Mike is a professional personal trainer. His articles are insightful and inspirational which I always enjoy reading. Recently I read his article “What is the best time to workout” which I really want to share with you.

I always emphasis the benefits of exercising in a "fasted state" and encourage doing morning exercises. However after reading Mike’s article, I have changed my views about when and how to do workout.

Below are a few highlights from Mike’s article.

By Mike O’Donnell: In the past I have talked about the advantages of working out in a “fasted state”, which can easily be done first thing in the morning. However early in the morning is not the only time, as a “fasted” state (or the lowered insulin levels) can also happen hours after your most recent meal.

So it is possible to still workout later in the day and reap the benefits, assuming you didn’t eat too soon before your workout.

… it’s how your nervous system (and adaptions it makes) that determines your real strength and performance outputs for a workout during the day.

…So the answer to the best time to workout is based on when you feel optimal to do an intense workout. When is your body and nervous system working at peak capacity?

For me, that means later in the day. I feel stronger, flexible (less chance of injury), focused and my workouts are just more intense/productive.

But for another person, that optimal time may be first thing in the morning.

So whatever time of day you feel “optimal” for maximizing your workout efforts, that is probably the best time for you.

Consistency Matters Too
The other major factor to look at is if you will also stay consistent with the workouts. Doing an intense exercise program for 4 weeks a year isn’t going to get the results you are after.

Now doing some simple workouts consistently year round, now we are talking. Simple daily habits that add up for lasting results.

This can depend on your daily schedule (work, personal) and other things you have going on. Some people like getting it out of the way first thing in the morning before work and the day gets too busy, others rather would do it right after work before going home to wind down for the night.

Wrapping Up
So really it is just a simple equation to try and maximize your performance/ strength output while also making sure you stay consistent with your workouts.

Don’t worry about whether you can or can not get a workout first thing in the morning (esp with IF), as for some it may be more effective later on in the day. You can always get that “fasted” state by just having a long period of time (2-3 hours for example) between your workout and the last time you ate.

So just go with what best compliments your daily lifestyle! You can always change it up as you go along…but the goal is to just get started and keep going!

Click here to view the full article: What is The Best Time to Workout

By Anna Fasting: In terms of consistency, I must grant myself a distinction - simple workouts consistently year round plus simple daily habits. Due to office relocation, my lunch-hour swimming may not be possible but I just switch it to before or after work together with some simply calisthenics daily. No matter what, if you are determined to workout everyday for the benefit of your health, I’m sure you can find time to do it.

Back to Mike’s blog, I really appreciate his knowledge and passion in helping others to keep fit. He also answers email promptly. He is certainly one of my most respected figures in the fitness field. If you wish to take a look, here is Mike’s blog.

My simple daily calisthenics ideas come from this book Workout Without Weights.

For your information, Bodyweight Calisthenics are an incredibly effective and versatile form of exercise... You can do them anywhere and anytime, they do not require expensive equipment or costly gym memberships, you can do them in short bursts and you can effectively train the entire body by using only a few movements. For additional information, download this free report: Cardio Intervals

Intermittent Fasting Success - Best Time To Workout