Intermittent fasting – this is a hot topic right now. I’ve read about it on several blogs and it seems to be coming up frequently on various podcasts. Even though the ketogenic diet is on my mind right now, it is not the right time to embark on that type of diet just weeks before Christmas. I would most certainly be setting myself up for failure. Intermittent fasting is something that I have also been wanting to try and I feel that it is a positive change that is sustainable through this time of year.
You’re probably thinking I’ve done loads of research and have this intricate plan. That’s not quite how I work. I do some research to verify my decision to move forward but I wait until the time is right. So, at 6am this morning, I decided to go all in. I pulled together the bits of research I had done and made a plan for the next few days.
Surprisingly, the morning went quite well. I honestly expected to be miserable because it’s pretty well known that I like to eat all the time. This morning, I had one cup of coffee (only one!) and went about my day. I handled some work meetings and worked out mid-morning. After my workout, I went back to more meetings. I had a clear head all morning (well, as clear as possible given the fact I’m fighting a cold) and my energy stayed consistent through the morning. Normally, I see a dip in my energy around 9-10am and reach for more coffee. My many cups of morning coffee were now down to only one first thing in the morning. This alone was eye opening.
Around 11am, I knew I had to pay attention. I have gotten very good at listening to my body overtime and I was quite thankful for that today. Shortly after 11am, I started to feely the shaky, desperate for food feeling. The, “when the clock strikes 12, I’m going to eat everything I can find” kind of feeling. So, rather than waiting until 12, I ate around 11:30am. I ate a good, balanced meal and felt fantastic. I didn’t feel weighed down or bloated, I felt satisfied and strong. I didn’t overeat like I expected to either; I ate just what my body needed.
In order to make sure I eat enough, I’m using MyFitnessPal to track all of my food consumption. I sometimes struggle with this on a normal day, so due to the fact I am restricting my intake to a shorter time period, I’m being extra-sensitive. The last thing I need is to lose weight. This is a benefit that drives many people to IF, but I’m doing it for the many other reported health benefits. For me, I just need to find some consistency. Especially considering how much I travel, I need some consistency in my health that can translate to both home and travel.
He’s the weird thing for me. I’m battling a cold but I had energy at 2PM. WHAT?! Normally, when I’m feeling 100%, I’m ready to die at 2pm. Seriously, so f-ing tired! I’m feeling good about this!
So far, I am very excited about this journey. I have read about some of the struggles with hormone imbalances that women can face in this journey so I am also monitoring that aspect. I read an article today that indicated BCAAs can help your muscles during your fasting period, so I’m going to try that tomorrow.
First meal: 11:30am
Time since last meal: roughly 16 hours
Last meal: 7:45pm
Feast window: 11:30am – 7:45pm
Today was an intermittent fasting success!
GlowLoveThrive 