{"id":52123,"date":"2016-09-02T07:15:48","date_gmt":"2016-09-02T11:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=52123"},"modified":"2021-05-13T07:36:09","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T11:36:09","slug":"fitness-trainer-intermittent-fasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/fitness-trainer-intermittent-fasting\/","title":{"rendered":"Why This Fitness Trainer Swears by Intermittent Fasting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Why<\/div>\n

Judging by the looks of Daily Burn 365<\/a> trainer Gregg Cook, you\u2019d think he\u2019d be eating more than three meals a day, throwing back protein shakes and snacking constantly to maintain his strong, sculpted physique. But Cook is actually a big follower of intermittent fasting<\/a>, a form of fasting (lasting anywhere from 14 to 36 hours) to help regulate blood sugar and control feelings of hunger<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to always eat between workouts and teaching classes. My hunger levels would be a total roller coaster throughout the day, but since I started extending my fast in the morning, I\u2019ve learned how to better manage my appetite and have been able to maintain muscle mass with a leaner body,\u201d Cook, 46, says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting, though, that intermittent fasting<\/a> and exercise only works if you have glycogen (stored carbohydrates) that your body can use. If your body is depleted of glycogen and fat, it starts to break down protein (your muscles\u2019 building blocks<\/a>), and that\u2019s where you get into bad fasting territory<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Intermittent Fasting: Should You Exercise on Empty?<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t starve myself. I make sure I\u2019m properly fueled so that my body can recycle damaged proteins efficiently. In intermittent fasting, this is what we call autophagy<\/a>,\u201d Cook explains.<\/p>\n

When it comes to protein, Cook likes to choose grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish. \u201cMy wife and I are part of the Park Slope Food Coop<\/a>, and we actually bought a grass-fed cow from a farm upstate. We like to make some of our meals with the meat from it,\u201d Cook says.<\/p>\n

He allows himself an unlimited amount of protein in his meals, but he eats to the point of satisfaction and avoids feeling stuffed. \u201cI like to pair my protein with plenty of vegetables. I like sweet potatoes and yams, which are more filling. I occasionally like to have some white rice, but I really try to limit gluten,\u201d Cook says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s rare for Cook to enjoy a sweet indulgence, but when he does, he likes a flaky chocolate croissant. Curious about Cook\u2019s daily meals? Here\u2019s what the master cycling trainer eats in a day.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Red Meat, Processed Meat and the Scary New Science<\/a><\/p>\n

What Trainer Gregg Cook Eats in a Day<\/h2>\n
\"Why
Photo: Pete Nowicki<\/a> \/ stocksnap.io<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Breakfast: A small cup of black coffee with lots of heavy cream
\n<\/strong>As Cook pointed out, he extends his nighttime fast into the morning to help train his body to use glycogen stores from the night before and clean out his system. To keep his body from breaking down protein in his muscles for fuel, Cook enjoys a cup of coffee<\/a> in the morning with heavy cream. \u201cIt gives me a quick hit of fat, so my body doesn\u2019t go for the protein that\u2019s essential to building muscle mass,\u201d Cook says. Cook restricts grains as much as he can, but he sometimes enjoys a bowl of oats<\/a> post-workout.<\/p>\n

\"Why
Photo: Gregg Cook<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lunch: Grilled fish, roasted veggies and a green salad
\n<\/strong>Cook usually has his first meal of the day around 11 am or noon, after teaching his morning classes at the gym or on set at Daily Burn 365<\/a>. Although he is conscientious about properly refueling, he isn\u2019t strict about measuring his food. \u201cI don\u2019t count macros<\/a> or weigh my food. I just really don\u2019t have time for that, but I make sure I get enough protein in my diet with salmon and other wild-caught fish<\/a>,\u201d Cook says. \u201cI also eat a lot of vegetables with each meal; they offer filling fiber<\/a> and help satiate my hunger. They also give me those essential micronutrients.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What 25 Grams of Protein Looks Like [INFOGRAPHIC]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Why
Photo: Gregg Cook<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dinner: Grilled steak strips with roasted sweet potatoes and a green salad
\n<\/strong>Aside from his love for fitness, Cook is actually a passionate cook (Coincidence? We think not!). He enjoys preparing meals with his wife during the week and meal preps<\/a> on weekends. \u201cWe have an eight-year-old daughter, so it\u2019s hard for us to go out to dinner,\u201d Cook says. But since the trainer is focused on eating clean<\/a>, preparing homemade meals gives him complete control over the ingredients. \u201cFactory meat is often less nutritious and has more omega-6 fatty acids<\/a> than grass-fed meat,\u201d Cook says. (The average American diet often has more omega-6 fatty acids and less omega-3 fatty acids, the heart-healthy fats.) Cook will often round out dinner with a serving of roasted sweet potatoes<\/a>, a nutritious source of complex carbs, to give him the energy he needs to extend his nighttime fast through the next morning. After all, with Cook you know another non-stop day awaits.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in intermittent fasting, consult with your doctor first about making any changes to your diet. While some people like Cook have benefitted from intermittent fasting, it isn\u2019t for everyone. Before you try any fasting diet, here are six key questions to ask yourself<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Want to work out with Gregg Cook right at home? Head to<\/strong><\/em> <\/em><\/strong>DailyBurn.com\/365<\/strong><\/em><\/a> <\/em><\/strong>for your<\/strong><\/em> <\/em><\/strong>free 30-day trial.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gregg Cook, Daily Burn 365 fitness trainer, is all about intermittent fasting to manage hunger and muscle mass. Here\u2019s what he eats in a typical day. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[41,155,48,151,71,135,138,341,344],"class_list":["post-52123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-diets","tag-dinner","tag-fasting","tag-lunch","tag-nutrition","tag-post-workout","tag-pre-workout","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2sports-nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52123\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}