day no. 14,844: the Christian Warrior Diet

Since January 1st, I have been employing a dietary strategy of intermittent fasting. I have gravitated towards a 20 hours of fasting and 4 hours of eating window. I typically fast during daylight hours and eat from 5pm-9pm. I recently discovered that this method of intermittent fasting is called, "the warrior diet." The name is an homage to warriors who spent most of their days marching and training and fortifying and sharpening followed by a large feast at the end of the day and then rest. 

It was fun to discover that my intuitive method of intermittent fasting already had a name and that it was tied to the habits of warriors. 

As a Christian, however, I had one major strategic wrinkle to this method of fasting. I utilize a 20:4 eating strategy on a daily basis and a 6:1 strategy for my weekly basis. 20 hours a day fasting, 4 hours a day eating; 6 days a week of intermittent fasting, 1 day a week of feasting. As a Christian, my cadences are meant to be aimed at Christ, which means daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, etc... The Christian cadence is to feast once a week in remembrance of Christ's vicarious life, death and resurrection in our place, for our sin and for our righteousness. Taking one day a week to break from my regularly scheduled programming is important.  Whatever benefits are to be gained scientifically by putting yourself in ketosis on the regs, are spiritually trumped by taking 1 day out of 7 to Sabbath and find rest in Christ alone, not ketosis. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone and we do not attempt to live forever in any way outside of Him. Our hope for eternal life is in Him and we have life right now regardless of what source your physiology is utilizing to energy pull. Whether from fat or carbs, our energy comes from Christ and His indwelling Spirit. So we refuse to be so rigid as to fast on the day of the week we celebrate His triumph. We feast and put our weekly rigor to rest for 24 hours of disciplined mirth and gratitude expressed in good food, good naps and refreshment for facing another 6 out of 7 days of grind.

So, join me in the Christian Warrior diet: fasting 20 hours out of every 24 and feasting 1 day out of every 7.