You don’t have to starve your way to weight loss
August 17, 2017 Ashley 0 Comments
It’s such a bummer when you read about reluctantly won weight loss.
Such was the case with the latest “Intermittent Fasting” article I just happened across.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Some people have intermittent fasting (AKA: “I.F.”) down to a science. They schedule it just right and never miss munching during the designated window. But for others? Like the woman I just read about? It’s downright sad. She got interested in it after mornings spent punishing herself at Crossfit. After the better bit of a year, though, she still wasn’t losing that belly fat. So, she tried I.F.
And, while she got physical results, that seems like all she’s getting out’ve it.
She comes home from her Crossfit class ravenous and can’t have breakfast with her family.
Yet, she continues because of the “before and after photos”, as she puts it.
(She’s lovely in each pic. But does anyone else feel like the lighting and flexing’s the only real difference here?)
And, ya know what? I do get it. While most of weight loss should come out’ve a a love for life and motivation to feel awesome, I get why having a fab body is absolutely a big part of a weight loss path for some. We want skin we can feel good in. But, this just in from corporate: you don’t hafta ride the starvation struggle bus all the way to that schmexy destination. You can break that fast with breakfast – without breaking the scale. Homegirl says in her article that she tried “religiously exercising and eating right”. But, I always hafta ask: what’s your definition of “eating right”? There are so many different answers for that. And “right” might vary from person to person. So, if it wasn’t working, then it wasn’t right. Not for you. What if you just haven’t found your unique, magic combo yet? One that allows you to sit after Crossfit with the fam?
See, this is actually coming from someone who herself when through a version of I.F. for years. (Actually, that’s just a euphemism for what I’d call half azzed anorexia.) It wouldn’t be until my late 20’s that I’d learn that the right kinda breakfast is the golden key to weight loss. Problem is – most’ve us heading off to that Crossfit class either don’t hydrate well enough before or after, or choose the wrong foods when the session’s done. (Or before.) From Pop Tarts to waffles to scones, there’re so many morning no-no’s that’re easy to fall prey to. That’s the major mistake. Not breakfast itself – but the quality of it – and whatever follows for the day’s remainder. Because, the domino effect of bad eating’s that your blood sugar jumps, plummets, and has you hungrier than the worst day of your period (except every day, instead’ve an unfortunate handful).
But the right kind’ve breakfast is gonna stop that destruction engine in its tracks like railroad ridden Hindu cow. The trick is simple. What you do is leave that Crossfit class, chugging agua all the way home. Then, before you sit down with the fam for your morning meal, you whip up a high fiber, high protein, plant based meal of deliciousness. (Points if you make the same for them, too.) The fiber and protein serve to keep you full ‘n satiated, while also halting those oscillations of glucose that’ll have you hangry later. Instead, you’ll be looking at the clock around noon (or later), thinking, “Oh? It’s already lunch? My gastric alarm clock must be on snooze…”
(That moment when you’re eating healthy, loving it, and laughing at the Haterade-aholics from your size 4’s.)
And the best part?
You’ll still enjoy that slender frame and concave belly. While you might have a slight food baby for a few hours after breakfast (duh, that’s part’ve being human), what a good breakfast does for you is A.) keep your brain happy, focused and productive all day, B.) keeps you from munching on the bad foods that do make you fat later, and C.) all of these things sustainably. That’s the key here. Does intermittent fasting work on a result level? Yes. But only for as long as you’re doing it. It isn’t necessarily a long term answer. And I dunno about you, but I don’t wanna lose weight for just a little while to gain it all back after either demolishing my metabolism or deciding I wanna bust the glass of the forbidden starvation window. I want it off for good. And, going on for three years now, my filling, fiber-y, plant based breakfast has yet to disappoint me in that regard.
In sum, if I.F. has you ravenous, come back to the breakfast table.
There’s plenty’ve delicious, fiber filled room for you and your hungry belly.