I first heard about Intermittent Fasting (IF) from my good friend Karen last year and though I was totally convinced about its effects, I didn’t see the need to subject myself to the diet. As a healthy eater who loves to eat (lol!), starving myself to good food was just unthinkable then.
About three weeks ago though, I was doing my rounds in the machines in the gym when somebody out of the blue just approached me and preached about its benefits. Like, I personally don’t know him (we went to a yoga class together once) but there he was droning on for solid 20 minutes about its effect and benefits. That night, I consulted Google and was immediately sold after learning that the diet started in the techpreneurs of Silicon Valley. Two days after, I started the 16/8 method where I basically stuff my face with food for 8 hours. Haha.
It’s been 3 weeks so far, I’m 5 lbs lighter and my percent body fat is dramatically down to 5%. But aside from things that can be measured, here’s what I love about it so far.
- Improved Acid Reflux. Prior to IF, even though I know I eat the right food and even cook for myself, I have bad eating habits. Sometimes I eat late at night to justify the “intense” workout I did in the gym few hours before reasoning that my body is still in a “burn” mode. Or take a shower in the morning after breakfast or sleep at my desk after lunch. I know, I’m so bad. Lol. With a 9AM to 6PM eating window and properly spaced out meals, I make sure my food is properly digested before any activities that might trigger acid reflux.
- Everyday is a Cheat Day. IF works for most people because it doesn’t inhibit them from eating anything at all during the eating window. After being restrictive in my diet for since like forever, it feels nice to be a bit lenient this time allowing myself the occasional sweets or desserts within 9 to 6. But I am still strict about bad food so they’re still a big NO NO. Lol.
- Easier Meal Preps. At first it was hard because doing IF means instead of just lunch, I have to cook/pack my brekky and dinner too. But what I noticed is that I feel full longer after each meal, also I eat slower this time to gently ease the digestion after a long fast. This means that I just limit myself to eating two heavy meals in a day and a healthy/ heavy calorie snacks in between. But I always make sure to feed myself a lot before my dance classes to power through them.
- Continuous Weight Loss. Although I usually don’t care about the number on the scale (girl, it’s the form that matters lol), I still regularly monitor it monthly to check my fitness score. Haha. With IF though, I monitor it weekly and it’s amazing how the weight just keeps on dropping which doesn’t happen like EVER. I’m happy with my physique now but trust me when I say; I have no plans looking like a bulimic or whatever.
I have tried many diets in the past (military, keto, juice cleanse) but this one really works for me in such a way that I can definitely say I see myself doing it more. I’ve never experienced any headache or HANGRY state (lol) and glad that I can always rely on zero cal cup of java whenever I feel hungry. I do promise to take the occasional breaks though (say holiday trips for example) and look forward to the other benefits discussed about this type of fasting (read it here).
Shoutout also to Gearbest for providing the Pods. They’re the perfect accessories for my dance practices anywhere I am now and ups my cool factor with them. Lol. Check out their good priced gear offerings in their website here.