Hi! I found myself on the intermittent fasted path once again, but this time I finally got the hang of it!
Disclaimer: I'll be sharing my very own experience. All results - tips - complaints - pros & cons mentioned will defer from person to person, this is just my personal journey and what I've learned! I won't be going into any scientific details, solely into what I learned & noticed throughout.
First of all, I've been trying to get myself into a fasted lifestyle for months now. I simply couldn't do it! Even though these attempts contained a 16-hour fasting span at most; I was starving, cheating & miserable throughout. The problem here? I did not adapt my fasting plans to my lifestyle!
The big winner in the fasting game for most people, is skipping breakfast. This is where my fasting journey was already failing before it officially began. I'm simply a morning person! I NEED to eat first thing when I wake up. So I switched it around this time.
My successful intermittent fasting plan for the first 2 weeks consisted of a 20-hour fast followed by a 4-hour eating window (08:00 AM - 12:00) - aka: the warrior diet, as some call it. In conclusion, don't give up too soon yet! You just may have to tweak your plan to fit your personal lifestyle :)
I can proudly say, I haven't cheated or failed once within these 2 weeks! This is mainly thanks to the quarantine lifestyle I would say, since going out isn't an option at this point. Either way, I couldn't be prouder!
Let's talk about calories!
My eating habits have been on the healthy side for months now. My diet is usually filled with lots of nutritious delicious home-cooked foods, but I won't cancel my chocolate and sirup on my banana pancakes - you get what I mean :p
I ate at a very light deficit. Sometimes I would fit 3-4 different eating periods into my eating window, other times I would just go with one big giant meal containing all calories at once. I just went with the flow and listened to my body! If done right, my body went through the rest of its day without any hunger or cravings.
How did my body react? In an absolutely shockingly positive way! The results are far better than I ever could have dreamed of! I've been on a plateau since the beginning of December with a slight noticeable gain at the start of this month. I was honestly in a very demotivated state, not seeing any results for such a long time despite the high input & efforts.
I lost over 2.5 kg since I've started (keep in mind, this is not purely fat loss). But I'm more than impressed either way! My body is in the best shape it has ever been. Confidently I can say, I finally smile when I look in the mirror. My muscles are more defined & my bloating hasn't returned ever since! I feel great :)
What's the plan now? I loved my IF 2-week trial, so why stop here? I kinda subconsciously started building this fasting habit into my daily lifestyle. But in comparison to my strict 2-week/ 20:4 fasting plan, I'm now flexible and going with the flow of life.
My current intermittent fasting diet: I fast for 12-24 hours depending on the day, my mood and social possibilities (this comes down to an average of 18 hours fasting a day). I break my fast the moment I wake up and eat roughly at maintenance within 1-2 meals. When I don't feel like fasting/ experience cravings/ or have a dinner planned with friends, I will break my fast in a heartbeat. No big deal! There's room for flexibility, which makes this a fun road to walk on!
Now, my personal concluded pros and cons! Let's start on a positive note:
- Significant reduction in bloating (which was a major issue of mine)
- Overall weight loss
- Stronger muscle definition (shout out to those surfacing abs)
- Choosing to consume 1-2 meals a day spares a crazy amount of time!
- As someone who loves quantity, the size of the meals are a blessing
- Fewer dishes!
- Increased water intake (I subconsciously started drinking more throughout the day?)
- Meal planning became 10 times more efficient
- It's a very flexible diet that brings results in the short-term, but also on a long-term plan.
But not everything is picture-perfect, some cons I've experienced:
- hunger, cravings & low energy when not consuming enough throughout the eating window (this is the reason I still count calories, to make sure I'm not undereating).
- Personally, I find it hard to combine IF with my workout routine (I'm still working on that). I'm simply not energized enough to work out in the morning before I break my fast, but on the contrary; I'm not in the mood to work out directly after my big meals either. Then before I know it; it's evening and I'm just over it.
- It eats at your brain. Sadly, not every day is filled with rainbows and sunshine. Sometimes I find myself obsessing too much with the numbers & progress (which has been a personal struggle of mine for years).
Ultimately, IF is something that helped to boost my weight loss game and motivation. That being said, it's not a lifestyle for anyone so I definitely recommend doing your own research first (+ consult with your doctor before diving headfirst in a crazy fasting diet).
I just hope this might be a help to some! There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck on a plateau for months, I hope me sharing my experience has brought some hope to some of you!
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