Last Monday I started a new method of eating called intermittent fasting and wrote about it here. With one full week of my journey in the books, it’s time to check in. As of this morning I am down from 174 pounds to 169 pounds. Nine pounds to go until I reach my goal of 160.
Down five pounds? That surprised me since I am on a 1,500-calorie daily intake plan. According to my trusty food logging app, I should expect a loss of two pounds per week.
I actually exceeded my 1,500-calorie count almost daily, but I offset the overage with calories burned on my NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill using workouts from iFit.
I stuck to the 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. fasting plan very well, with two exceptions. One night I grabbed three small pieces of habanero jerky out of habit. I swallowed the first before I remembered I wasn’t supposed to eat anything past 8 p.m. I put the other two pieces back in the cabinet. The second time was communion at church Sunday. I think I get a free pass for that one.
To recap, 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.
Everything I’ve read online says you should expect to feel hungry when beginning an intermittent fasting plan until you get used to the new eating regime. Yes. I get hungry. But instead of gummy bears and SweeTARTS, I’m choosing wiser snacks like apples and nuts between meals.
I haven’t drastically changed the way I had been eating; I have just cut out fast food and large amounts of my candy addiction and I’m controlling my portions. And I already feel better overall by eating cleanly.
