My intermittent fasting journey began March 14. My goal was to try this new-to-me method of fasting to lose the weight I had gained over the winter from too many gummy bears and SweeTARTS and not enough running, walking or cycling.
I wanted to lose some fat quickly. I checked in at the beginning of this journey at 174 pounds. My original plan was to get down to 160 pounds by losing two pounds a week by reducing portions, exercising regularly and not eating (fasting) from 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. the next day. After my first week, the scales showed I had dropped a rapid five pounds. The following weeks showed my expected results of shedding two pounds a week, except for the week I went out of town and just flat didn’t stick to the plan of consuming only 1,500 calories a day very well.
I 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.
Today, 33 days after I started the program, I weighed in at 167 pounds. That’s seven pounds down from where I started. That may not be a drastic change in overall weight, but the photos show the result I was looking for. So I’m wrapping up the intermittent fast program. I think my body has burned about all the fat it’s going to with this method, and it’s up to me to get outside and bike or run, continue to eat proper portions and maintain my current weight; If I lose a few more pounds, that’s fine with me. But after sticking to this program for just shy of five weeks, I’m fine with my results. Besides, I’m hungry.
The Intermittent Fasting Plan 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 the method 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 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.
My Bottom Line
Intermittent fasting did what I hoped it would do. It burned fat quickly and encouraged me to maintain the healthy lifestyle I had ignored over the winter. It may not be for everybody’s body. For me, I don’t think the program will lead to long-term weight loss. It did what I wanted, and it did it fairly quickly.
I feel better, look better in my clothes, and enjoy the “You’re looking good” comments from friends. And I can breathe in my green shirt again.
