It's been 50 days since I started intermittent fasting. How was it? It was stepping into unchartered territory and eventually conquering a fear.
I basically spent the first two weeks getting used to my "new normal" of skipping breakfast and having lunch exactly 16 hours after fasting from the previous night. So that translated to starting my fast around 8:30pm and taking my next meal the next day around 12:30pm. My main concern at first was breaking away from the typical mindset instilled in me all my life that breakfast is an important meal of the day and will give you the energy to last the day. I do enjoy having breakfast but I'd rather skip breakfast than lunch or dinner.
What eased me into the 16 hour fast was having green tea in the evening and 500ml lemon water replacing breakfast. I must admit that the most difficult hours are the last few hours ending the fast especially around 11:00am when I could hear my tummy growl every few minutes. I really didn't feel any starvation or craving during fasting. Being busy with work also helped me forget I was fasting.
What was effective for me was thinking that the last few hours of my fast were the crucial hours where my reserved energy stored in fats was being burned. And just before fasting, I think of it as starting a timer. Make a mistake by snacking or eating afterwards and you'll have to reset the clock and start over again. The later you fast, the later you'll get to eat after the 16 hour fast. Most of it is just a mindset and putting things in a certain perspective that makes sense to you. That's what worked for me.
In addition to the 16 hour fast, I also became conscious in selecting foods to eat. I dropped any fried foods from my intake and cut down on sugar where I could. I also increased my water intake to 3 - 4 liters of water a day.
After a month into intermittent fasting, I lost 5 pounds. I know it's not a lot but it's a bonus for me as I decided to undergo intermittent fasting mainly for the health benefits. Losing weight is just a bonus. It's the lifestyle change I"ve accepted that would serve as a long term investment on my overall health.
I didn't do much exercise during this period as I wanted to see first what intermittent fasting alone could achieve. Now that I'm comfortable with this regimen, I'm gonna add more exercise and continue intermittent fasting. In 2015, I challenged myself to remove rice from my diet completely for a year and I actually extended it to 400 days. I'm determined to take on this more difficult challenge and hope to transform myself into a healthier me.
50 days done. On to the next 50.
- Sunday, August 09, 2020
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