Intermittent Fasting

I heard about this thing called Intermittent Fasting (or “IF”) a few weeks ago and I have since done a LOT of research on it! IF is NOT a diet, rather it is a PATTERN OF EATING.

It has nothing to do with calorie restriction or anything if that sort. Fasting for about 12-16 hours triggers your body into using the abundant stores of glucose in FAT as energy. THIS WILL NOT PUT YOU IN STARVATION MODE!! I repeat, it will absolutely NOT put you in starvation mode. It is a very common misconception that skipping a meal will lower your metabolism and that your body will enter starvation mode and conserve all calories as fat and the end result is weight gain. Let me tell you, friends, that is not the case. It takes about 2 weeks of absolutely no food or drink or vitamins to put yourself in starvation mode. That grumble in your tummy is not a bad thing, it is simply your body telling you that your glucose (sugar) levels have dropped.

However, this is only because your body is completely dependent on the CONSUMPTION of glucose, it forgets you have plentiful amounts WITHIN YOUR BODY! IF trains your body to become FAT ADAPTED, meaning if you practice long enough (about 1.5-2 months on average) your body will immediately turn to your fat to get the energy it needs.

Your body is in the fed state when it is digesting and absorbing food. Typically, the fed state starts when you begin eating and lasts for 3-5 hrs as your body digests and absorbs the food you just ate. When you are in the fed state, it's very hard for your body to burn fat because your insulin levels are high. The “fed state” renders your fat inaccessible, so it’s nearly impossible burn fat. Fasting, on the other hand, LOWERS insulin levels and RAISES a hormone called “growth hormone” which is responsible for weight loss. During a fasted state, those fat stores become accessible.

There are tremendous benefits to IF besides fat loss. It makes your day simpler in general. You don’t have to worry about what your going to eat all the time — it’s kind of stressful worrying about food all the time. Plus, IF is one of the cheapest weight loss tool — if you don’t eat, then you don’t need to worry about buying breakfast or snacks, etc.

IF has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, lower overall calorie intake, lower glucose levels, slow the aging process, increases quality of sleep, increases energy levels, increases times for cellular repair, breaking down toxins, repair DNA damage, and produce a healthier stomach lining, and potentially reduce the chance of breast cancer. I highly encourage you all to look up Intermittent Fasting on google and see this stuff for yourself! It is an extremely powerful tool for overall health!

I have been practicing IF for about 2-3 weeks now, and I have gone from 125 to 117lbs (oh and I’m 5’1”). I am still eating the food I enjoy, I just simply eat them at a different time. I follow the 16/8 method in combination with fasting for a full 24 hours on tuesdays and Thursday’s. This means for 16 hours of the day, I fast — meaning I don’t consume anything that will trigger digestion, I just stick to water (and LOTS OF IT).And for the rest of the 8, I eat whatever the hell I want like I normally do. Now the 16 hours may seem like forever, but I calculate the amount of time I sleep into the 16 hours. So basically, I wake up and don’t eat until 1pm. Then once 1pm hits, I’ll eat eat eat until 8 or 9pm— then I’m done for the day! The first few days and weeks will be the hardest no doubt, but after that, you will really see a change in not only your weight, but your overall well-being and energy. Personally, practicing IF has made me mentally stronger and more confident as it does take a lot of will power to fast! I work in fast food, and I fast on the days I work because not only will it reduce my chance of spending money on food, but it gives me a chance to prove to myself how strong I am and how much willpower I truly possess.

Obviously I’m not a nutritionist or professional, I simply wanted to share this amazingly powerful and healthy tool for weight loss and general health to all of you because I STRONGLY believe in it and I believe it can dramatically change your health and well-being.