Is intermittent fasting right for you?

December 11, 2017 Ashley 0 Comments

Thinking of fasting to lose weight fast?

I myself scoffed at the idea, initially.

But, then, as my schedule got hectic and my munching habits changed, I noticed something. I’d started doing an (unintentional) fast of my own – without even knowing it. But that’s what’ll happen when you wake up before the rest of the planet, workout before and after school, and finish eating by 4 P.M. so you can get in your anger management boxing class before bed. And, while I’d love to tell you I lost a ton of weight doing it, I really didn’t. (I didn’t have much to spare, really, TBH.) But I did lose a few pounds. (Which a great sign – especially since my earlier gripe with fasting was that it’d mess my metabolism up.) Plus, it means that for those’ve you who are looking to do this to lose weight, it’d probably work pretty well.

(In fact, if done correctly, it can actually have fabulous effects.)

Another gripe I had?

That fasting would leave me feeling hangry and non-functional.

Granted, if I was doing a longer fast that stretched into more of my study time, it might. But I actually happened upon the perfect combo. What I do is a 12:12. For 12 hours, I’m having healthy, plant based, macro-balanced (okay maybe not this month, because: holidays) meals. And for the other twelve? Well, for that bit, I’m writing, worrying about dodging a flurry of punches, getting ready for the next day, and (best of all) sleeping. The beauty about scheduling your fast around when you’ll be snoozing is simple: you don’t hafta be conscious for it. And if you’re not conscious for it, then you’re not dragging around, craving what you’ve forbidden yourself, and going dizzy ‘cause your blood glucose is low.

And how’s it work?

The idea’s that it works on your insulin levels. After your body’s gotten done processing that box’ve lo mein, something magical happens. You can finally begin to burn fat (because of those lower insulin levels). And that happens about 12 hours after keeping your belly empty. That, they say, is prime time for fat burning. It’s believed that, because’ve this, you can go to town during your eating time – because the fast’ll take care of the fat later. Even so, as with any diet, there are pros ‘n cons to consider.

As for me? Eh, I prefer to eat only what I need and keep seeing my food as fuel. (No eating like the creature from “Spirited Away” for me.) That said, would I up my fast window to 14 or 16 hours? Nah. Not on purpose, at least. As I said, I happened upon it on accident. I’m only giving it the green light because I’m not unhappy with the results. Also, I’m not religious about it. I only put my jaw on lock during the weekdays. Communing with my dude over a nice warm meal’s one of many wonderful ways for us to connect while playing verbal volleyball. And, seeing as the oscillation between the two dining styles isn’t affecting my midsection negatively, I’m not too worried about making any changes. (Adopt a whole, plant based, macro balanced diet, and you won’t need to fret either.)

But, until then, if you’re thinking of doing a fast, take it slow.

Maybe try something smaller like my 12:12, and work up to whatever works for you.*

*As with every new diet, consult your doc first if you’ve gotta medical condition. (Obvi.)