"You only eat for 8 hours of the day!?" - This is a question we get asked quite often, my husband and I, when we tell people about how we use Intermittent Fasting as a daily part of our healthy lifestyle. We likely bore our friends and family to death with how much we encourage other's to try it for themselves, but that's because we are both so happy with the results it has given us and the self control it has taught us. It's made a world of difference in our ability to maintain or lose weight, allowing us food freedom, enhancing our energy during intense work out sessions, and, above all, has given us something to share together on a daily basis: whether we're whining to each other when the before-noon-hunger kicks in, or keeping each other in check when the 8-o'clock-cut-off rolls around, we're in it together. But, since I can only speak for myself, I'll share some of the reasons Intermittent Fasting has been such a wonderful thing in my health journey.
If you've read previous blogs of mine, I'm no stranger to food "issues". I've experienced it all; barely eating, binge eating, being wildly restrictive, being care-free then guilt ridden, calorie counting to cutting carbs, every diet fad out there from Paleo to the more medically suggested FODMAP - there was one common thing with any and everything I tried: nothing lasted. I felt deprived, my gut was always a mess, my - ahem - monthy friend was all out of whack, and my moods were all over the place. Intermittent Fasting has freed me from all of this. Here's why:
My only restriction now is time: I wait until at least noontime to eat. Those first few weeks of adjustment were tough, but once my body was used to my new eating schedule, things became "normal" and my hunger wouldn't show up until close to noon. This was also a much needed lesson that it's okay to feel a little hungry, rather than reaching for a snack at the first little tummy-rumble. In fact, this short window where hunger lets itself be known is nearly a reward in and of itself; I know I feel this way because I am being successful in my commitment to fasting, and it gives me time to really evaluate what I'd like to eat to break the fast. What am I in the mood for? Is is the day before a long run where I need to amp up the carbs, or am I recovering from a hard work out and would benefit from something higher in protein? By the time I feel hungry, tune into what my body's needing, and make myself a nourishing meal, it's noontime and I am more appreciative for food than ever. And the best part? Once your 8 hour window begins, you can eat however much you want. Now, with that said, if you choose to binge on candy and fast food in your 8 hours, you're not going to experience the good-feels of the added energy, healthier digestion, and better functioning metabolism, but both my husband and I made it through the holidays enjoying our pies and beverages all while maintaining/losing weight. Plus, our bodies appreciate routine when it comes to eating, so eating at the same time every day is how it aids digestion and boosts your metabolism - a big part of why this form of fasting can be successful in weight loss.
Intermittent Fasting has played a major role in my exercise. Previously, I used food and exercise to piggy back off of one another: I'd overeat knowing I could run it off the next day, or I would exercise excessively in order to "prepare" for an indulgent night out. This was an endless cycle that always left me feeling guilty. I'd be out there running on a beautiful day, but my mind was only thinking about those extra spoonfuls of peanut butter. Or, I'd be treating myself to a delicious dessert, only to be mentally calculating the calories I'd need to burn the following morning. None of this was enjoyable. I was taking the pure experience of food and exercise away from myself and replacing it with numbers, calories, and bad energy - energy that would then spread into the lives of my family, who definitely did not get the best of me at times. When you feel bad about the choices you make, you harvest that guilt and have little control over when it presents itself. I felt like I was always chasing after that next long run or that next indulgence, and never allowed myself to be present, let alone enjoy whatever it was I was doing. Fasting has given me that power back. Since I have to wait to eat, I appreciate my food all the more. And, since I know I stopped eating at 8:00 the night before instead of getting sucked into a binge eating snack fest, I don't feel the need to over exercise, which leads me to the next piece of freedom Intermittent Fasting has given me: guilt free rest days.
This may sound ridiculous, but after chatting with several friends and athletic clients alike, I'm not alone: rest days are tough. I feel antsy, I'm ravenously hungry to make up from my non-resting days, I am more careful with my food and drink intake knowing I wouldn't be burning anything extra that day, and those feelings bring around a Lauren that no one wants to be around. Before fasting, I would snack well into bedtime. The cycle went something like this: I'm hungry after dinner so I make a little snack, but that snack wasn't satisfying so I make a little more, and now even though I may be getting full, I'm simply enjoying eating, so then I play a mental game with myself that justifies any extra eating I do as long as I add on miles to my run the next morning, which notoriously lead to a 3rd bowl of cereal or several handfuls of nuts, seeds, chips - you name it. I would let myself get out of control by controlling my exercise. And, as you may have guessed, it never left me feeling good. I'd go to bed so full I could burst, and my run the next morning was groggy and anger-filled. No good, people. And, because this happened often, rest days did not. Fasting broke that cycle, and the negativity that came along with it. As long as I eat within my 8 hour window, I don't feel guilty about dessert after dinner or an after dinner snack. I no longer go to bed feeling full, but satisfied. When I wake up in the morning, my first thought is no longer "ugh, what/how much did I eat last night" and because of that, rest days are tolerable. If I'm sore, extra tired or have a busy day of work ahead of me, I no longer have to think of my exercise in terms of food - I go ahead and take the day off, guilt free. Lucky for me this is a self-rewarding discovery, because after incorporating more regular rest days into my routine, I am suffering from less injuries and performing at my best. Another thanks to fasting since it puts you into your fat burning zone much faster, which is your body's best fuel and energy source.
Of course, there is no such thing as perfect. We have our days where we are out on dates and eat past our "eating time" because it would be pretty lame to not eat the dessert we ordered just because it arrived past 8 o'clock. Or, the day before or after a long run I typically skip fasting to make sure I'm getting in enough calories to fuel/recover. And of course there are family gatherings and holidays where we may eat a little early or a little late, and we let those days go. But I would say that in our time spent fasting, we stick to it strictly about 90% of the time. The best part is that we do so because we really want to, not because we feel we have to.
We have been consistent with Intermittent Fasting for nearly 8 months now. When I first began, I never expected it to be something I did permanently - I just figured I'd give yet another food thing a try, and eventually end up back in my over-eating over-exercising habits. This experience has been truly eye opening. It's totally my "ah-ha" moment, where I think to myself "this is what people mean when they say 'it's a life style, not a diet'". Now I get it. Better yet, now I feel it. That -ahem- monthly visitor that used to be more like a yearly visitor now pops in on a regular basis, my moods feel more stabilized with consistent eating and exercise habits, my work outs have felt incredible, and I feel that for the first time since I can remember, I have a healthy relationship with food. That, above all, is why I will continue to make this my lifestyle. I enjoy the daily challenge of waiting to eat, I love the ability to tune into my body's needs, I appreciate the fact that, other than time, there are no "rules" to follow or food groups to eliminate, and I really enjoy sharing this experience with my husband.
