Happy Friday everyone!
In today’s blog I thought I would share with you my results/opinions on intermittent fasting. Not sure what the heck IF is? Let me fill you in!
First off, it is NOT NEW! People have been fasting for thousands of years for various reasons and some just because food supply was lacking. We as humans often do it when we are sick or ill out of instinct. Many things happen to our bodies when we fast. Hormones, genes, cellular repair, etc. When we fast, reductions in in blood sugar and insulin levels occur (2), and increases in human growth hormone (2) go up. Many people do intermittent for weight loss and/or metabolic health benefits. Some of those health benefits are
- better blood sugar balance
- lower inflammation
- improved cognitive function
- increased longevity
- decreased sugar and food cravings
- boost in athletic performance
- increased energy levels
In my 20+ years of guiding individuals to increased health and wellness via exercise and nutrition, I have tried and followed many nutritional plans and yes, some fads; (paleo, whole 30, Zone, Blood Type, bodybuilding diet, just to name a few) The tried and true golden ticket is eating REAL food, not processed crap, having a balanced macro (fats, carbs, protein) ratio, and EATING ENOUGH! (but that’s another topic for another blog)
I decided to give IF a try for a solid month. Why? Well, because it intrigued me, I had clients asking about it and I like to give them knowledgeable up-front, first hand information. I started with 16/8 IF plan (there are many different variations) but 16/8 is the most common one. Basically, I would fast for 16 hours and then have an 8-hour window to consume my 1800 calories. The fasting started at 8pm and ended at 12pm, so a large chunk of fasting occurred while I slept. To break it down into 4 weeks, this is how I felt overall.
Week 1- not too bad, I got this, keep my water intake up and my mind occupied. Check!
Week 2- Cool, less bloated, lost a few pounds, feeling good, my favorite time of the day is 12pm!
Week 3- Well shit! I have my period….I AM HANGRY!
Week 4- Ok, I miss breakfast!
Keep in mind that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! We all have different experiences with nutritional variations. This is just mine. My period really wreaked havoc on this and I did cave and ate before my window of fasting was up. Week four, I realized I was becoming really bitchy by not having breakfast at my 7am time, which was affecting how I reacted to my family. After the 4 weeks, the overall findings for me were:
- Less bloating
- Decreased sugar craving
- Loss of weight (3-4 pounds for me)
- I found that I am a happier person when I eat my 7am breakfast
- My body likes fuel in the morning, especially during my period.
My overall opinion of IF. I believe it is a great option to try if you are looking for a nutritional plan that has more food flexibility, less food prep, many health benefits if you eat real foods while following this plan.
The problem with this as with many other popular plans is people want a quick fix. They want the un healthy foods, the fried oreos, pizza, wings, subs, cake, candy, alcohol AND YOU WANT RESULTS WITH IT. Also, many do not consume enough calories to begin with (no, 1200 calories or less is not enough!)
If you want to have better health, it starts on the inside then out. Meaning what you put into your body with shine through. Put crap in your body and guess what? Your hair, skin, nails, and even your breathe will reveal what you are consuming. And if it is showing through to the outside of you, can you imagine what it’s doing to the inside of you!
Overall, find a nutritional plan that fits YOU! Make it 80% REAL FOOD (better yet make it 100% REAL FOOD) Include a exercise program that is customized to YOU! Be CONSISTENT, TRUST THE PROCESS! And watch the rewards you get over time. www.mabfit.net/opt
Is your health valuable to you? It really should be your main priority, without your health what’s left?
Small steps, lead to BIG RESULTS!
DO THE WORK!
1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/
2