The February snow is starting to come as senior Jacob (Jake) Stoney opens up his blinds for the school day to start.
At 7 am, he grabs his phone. There is a notification from Potosi Public School: “School is canceled due to weather.” Stoney has a little different routine on a snow day than a normal high school student.
At 8 am, Stoney brews his black coffee. He drinks this for his intermittent fasting. Stoney started this diet in January to try to reduce his body fat. “Intermittent fasting, also known as intermittent energy restriction, is an umbrella term for various meal timing schedules that cycle between voluntary fasting and non-fasting over a given period. Methods of intermittent fasting include alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and daily time-restricted feeding,” said Jane Brody of The New York Times. “I started this diet because I wanted to lose my body fat and get ‘swoll’. I want to become as built as I can, as quick as I can. I eat for 8 hours of my day and fast for 16 hours. I eat the same amount as I would normally do, but just within 8 hours instead of throughout the day.” said Stoney. Stoney then also does an at-home workout, which helps the diet. This lasts about 15 minutes.
At 9 am, he relaxes for his big day. This can include watching TV, playing video games with his friends, or playing with his dog, Oscar. This is Stoney’s time to do what he wants. “I like to do these kinds of things before something I have to do. It gets me calmed down, and my mind relaxes.”
At 11 am, he starts something new. In his household, he has to do different chores around the house. Chores can include anything from doing the dishes, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning the house, and folding laundry.
At 12 pm, He eats for the first time. Stoney then heads up to the gym with some of his teammates. He first does a shootaround at his own basket. This will help him get loose before he stretches. Stoney said, “Basketball is my go-to spot when I am frustrated. It gets my mind off of everything.” Stoney will shoot for roughly two hours.
At 2 pm, Stoney lifts weights. “I started the diet to help with body fat. Working out is a main way to help with this diet,” said Stoney. Stoney does arm day on Monday and Thursday (pectorals, triceps, shoulders, etc…), legs on Tuesday and Friday (quads, glutes, calves, back, biceps, etc…), and does agility on Wednesday. Each one of these workouts takes about one hour.
At 3 pm, Stoney goes home to eat and shower. After he gets out of the shower, he heads to J&J’s Sandbar in Cassville. He is a waiter or a dishwasher on almost every Saturday and Sunday plus days he has off. Stoney started this job his sophomore summer when he got his license. Stoney claimed, “I like working here. I love to talk to different people, so waiting tables is perfect for me.”
At 11 pm, Stoney gets home. At this time, Stoney does an at-home workout. This will take roughly 15 minutes. After that, Stoney takes another shower, brushes his teeth, and heads to bed.
Stoney takes advantage of his snow days by setting a routine he can count on, especially regarding his workout and nutrition routine. He also takes advantage of more opportunities to work, take care of the house, and hang out with friends. This is how one student of Potosi High School uses his snow days.