Gulp.
This is a hard piece to write. Yes, that’s me in the accompanying photos. Recently I realized that not being as active outside because of cold weather and not as many daylight hours, combined with food portions that were too large and my craving for gummy bears and SweeTARTS, had left me with more weight than my frame needs.
Running when I’m carrying too much weight is no fun. Doing anything with extra weight is no fun. In my case, today I weighed myself. 174 pounds. That’s too much for me. I operate best at 160 pounds.
So, with spring coming, and a 5K right around the corner, I realized I had to change my eating and exercise routine. It just so happens that while I was cruising the internet I came across something called intermittent fasting.
What is intermittent fasting? It’s not a diet. According to healthline.com, it’s one of the world’s most popular health and fitness trends. It involves cycles of fasting and eating. The site claims intermittent fasting can cause weight loss, improve metabolic health, protect against disease and perhaps help you live longer.
Healthline.com went on to say intermittent fasting doesn’t dictate which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them.
There are several different intermittent fasting methods, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods. Most people already “fast” every day, while they sleep. Intermittent fasting can be as simple as extending that fast a little longer. You can do this by skipping breakfast, eating your first meal at noon and your last meal at 8 p.m. Then you’re technically fasting for 16 hours every day, and restricting eating to an 8-hour window. This is the most popular form of intermittent fasting, known as the 16/8 method. There are a few variations of intermittent fasting that may work better for you.
Intermittent fasting seems fairly easy to do. Many people report feeling better and having more energy during a fast. No food is allowed during the fasting period, but you can drink water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric beverages. Taking supplements is generally allowed while fasting as long as there are no calories in them. It is recommended that you consult a doctor before trying intermittent fasting.
So really, for me, this isn’t too difficult of a proposition. Just wait until later in the day to begin eating, eat proper portions (like we learned in elementary school) and no sweet or sour candy treats after 8 p.m., if at all.
I am also employing the use of an app on my phone to journal my food and calorie intake. This is the method that works best for me – burn more calories than I take in. Journaling calories may not work for you; everyone has their best way to shed extra weight. Journaling proper portion sizes keeps me honest.
And I must commit to regularly training again. I really have no excuse since I purchased the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill, which I reviewed here. With its HD touchscreen and iFit subscription, featuring live workouts and a library of activities to choose from, the 1750 actually makes walking or running fun. Now I have no excuse to not be active when circumstances won’t let me be outside.
I will be checking in every Monday with an update on my intermittent fasting program until I reach my goal of 160 pounds. At my projected goal of shedding two pounds per week, I should hit that mark in seven weeks.
My hope is this way of eating will produce results and become a permanent healthy eating regimen.
