Yes, it’s true, this past week I have been a horrible wreck. The thought of giving up food for even a few hours brings me to tears. Is it necessary to go 15-16 hours a day without a morsel? Well, that depends on you. What do you feel comfortable with and what are your goals? For me, it’s about discipline. I consider myself a 7:00 p.m. snacker, so I always feel when I’m intermittent fasting it puts an end to this and keeps my system in check.
So what is Intermittent Fasting? It’s a period of time during the day (between 15-18 hours) where you stop eating (aka fasting). Some use this method for weight loss, others see it more as a lifestyle choice. Just a few of the many benefits of intermittent fasting include:
- Weight loss (fasting decreases insulin levels which, in turn, burns fat during this time).
- Protection against chronic disease. Scientists have found it temporarily puts the breaks on monocyte cells (white blood cells) in our bodies that cause inflammation, which can foster diseases.
- Improvement of brain function (although I have not seen any changes with my memory lol)
My current intermittent fasting schedule & routine:
- 4-5 days on and 2-3 days off. During the days that I’m fasting, I eat whatever I want (no junk food though).
- I get up and have a banana smoothie, a slice of toast and coffee around 6:30 a.m. I’ll have a snack around 10:00 a.m. (usually a protein bar) and then lunch at 12:00 p.m. (usually an omelet for the Omega 3). After that, I won’t consume any solid food until the next day. I can have water, tea or sometimes coffee.
- From Friday to Sunday I am off (YAY) I try to moderate but sometimes I’ll get excited and eat a lot on weekends.
Personally, it’s very difficult to intermittent fast, but I look at it as a discipline. I also look forward to the weekends. For me, the main reason I love it is that it prohibits me from snacking at night which is my biggest challenge. I also look and feel leaner. I don’t own a scale, but I can definitely notice a difference. Also, selecting the times that work better for your schedule always helps. I know, for me, I need to eat breakfast as soon as I wake up so I start eating then and call it quits between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m.
I would say for anyone interested, try it for 2 days and see how you feel. You never know, you might love it.