I Tried Intermittent Fasting and This Is What Happened

Disclaimer. I’m not a doctor so before you read, please consult a professional and at a minimum do your research. This is my experience with intermittent fasting and I wanted you to know about it if you’ve been thinking about it or need a healthy overhaul… Now that’s out of the way..

WTF is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It’s about only consuming food during a specific 8-10 hour period of time and fasting 12-16 hours. There are variances and extremes, but we did it 7 days a week for a month.

Why I considered Intermittent Fasting

When I first heard about intermittent fasting I was all helllll no. I love my breakfast – it was my favorite meal. This just isn’t for me. Then I chatted with two very close friends – who looked amazing. Tight bods, skin glowing, hair shining. I needed to know what was happening. One of them hadn’t stepped into a gym, period and had lost over 30 lbs. Okay, I’m listening… The other – a Mom and one of my best friends – is the most ripped shape of her life. I decided to research and consider it. Naturally, I bugged the sh*t out of Eddie until he agreed, so that you could have both his and her perspectives.

My goal was NOT to lose weight, but to help battle my chronic stomach inflammation and pain, which I had read helps tremendously.

A Daily Breakdown

5:00am – I wake up and consume caffeine. Some people add a fat to their coffee, but basically if you need something, a low carb bite under 30 calories is suggested. I drink water, caffeine and sometimes liquid IV.

12pm – 8:00pm – I eat! I start eating at 12pm and finish around 8pm

5:00am – Do it all over again

Need help with the math? I gotchu. If you have stopped eating at 10pm the night before, you can drink water, caffeine, something under 30 calories, but won’t eat a big meal till 2pm the next day. Make sense?

How I feel Intermittent Fasting

Mental Clarity – I had read about a feeling of laser focus and mental clarity. I can 100% say I felt and feel that.

Enhanced Energy – I’m pretty energetic as it is and go, go, go but I feel unstoppable.

Let’s talk vanity – Let’s be honest, I’m not going to do something unless it makes me look and feel better. I really believe I have been seeing better results from all of my workouts throughout, especially since I’ve scaled back on cardio.

Other known benefits – It is known to help with inflammation as I mentioned previously, it can help extend your lifespan, is known to help improve your heart health and potentially reduce your cancer risk. More on the benefits here.

Here’s what Intermittent Fasting is NOT

You are NOT starving – I will say the two days, I had to get used to it. I needed a bit more fat in my diet to keep me full, so I added some guac. Done. I will also say that for me, I need to eat some miracle noodles – mostly out of habit and consume inulin for fiber and to keep me full. I listen to my body and on the one or two days I woke up really hungry, I ate a little. Then after a few days, you just get used to it. I found myself waking up NOT hungry the next day. I start getting hungry around 11am.

It’s NOT a diet – It’s a lifestyle. Don’t roll your eyes, I see you! It’s true! You really have to make a decision to stick to it or not. I will say having Eddie hold me accountable made it easier, even though he eats later than I do. I have read that the most successful people IF eat healthfully, which I already do, but I found that I didn’t feel as blah after eating a little sugar from time to time or indulging either. It felt great.

It’s NOT for everyone! All that to say -it’s not for everyone. You should always do your research and listen to your body. I’m just saying it’s going great for us and we will continue. I recommend the Jorge Cruise – Cruise Control podcast.

What He Noticed Intermittent Fasting

So first of all, I cannot stress how badly I had to sell this to him. I sold it HARD, but what put him over the edge was seeing a friend of ours lean out, so voila. Eddie said it’s not as hard as you’d think it would be. He does have more energy and has found fasted cardio to feel better than when he’s worked out eating beforehand. Lastly – and I can confirm – he has leaned out, especially in his ‘belly’ area.

Will we continue?

YES! We both have decided we really like it and have continued. We thought about documenting it on video so you can see a day-in-the-life situation. What do you think?

What other questions do you have about it and have I given you food for thought? {corny pun intended}

Till next time,

P

xo