Intermittent Fasting - My Experience

(Image form Google Image Search)

When I heard the term my mind completely skipped the first word and went straight to the second one 'Fasting' meaning that I was gonna feel insane hunger pangs and sweet tooth cravings. I have a major sweet tooth and I try to keep it satisfied through the day with sweet hot tea, nibbling on sweet biscuits or chocolate wherever I find them and sweet things between kids bed time and mine.

I lost a little weight a while back, not much but enough so that my jeans are comfy and not tight anymore. But it had crawled back on with my sedentary lifestyle at home and the jeans were telling me again. I managed to catch the beginnings of the ill fitting clothing phase before it got too bad and I remembered something my husband had been doing occasionally and is still researching on YouTube.

I wanted to try it as I have tried many different things (exercise daily, 2-4 times a week, ellipticals, jogging, HIIT, boxing, zumba) and they were fun for a while but my stamina for these activities would last 1-2 months then I'd get bored with very little results. My eating was holding me back so I changed that to trying out vegan diet which lasted a year :)

(Not me, Google Image Search)

I am back to normal eating habits and my body is still a frumpish hobbitly 39 year old woman (my 40th is in September). I have always wanted to be slimmer for my 40's a little pudgy is okay but not obese (according to BMI) as I am now since I stuffed up my 30's a bit.

Claudio has had some success with IF and I wanted to try it as it is -free- and I had to do very little to maintain it. So, after a little research I decided to try it for myself. I eat from 2pm-7pm (as close as possible sometimes I start at 1.30pm depending if I am out with kids or visitors, real life stuff).

These times allow for a light late lunch, dinner and a sweet thing like fruit or whatever is around. It makes it easier so my MIL doesn't get upset that I am 'not eating'. It's a lazy person's system of eating, just gotta control the sweet/salty cravings.

This is my experience since starting 5 days ago:

*Tummy grumbled a little at random times and water helped.
*Trying to break habits of eating breakfast after the kids ate.
*Slight headaches which later turned into random sharp pain in my left temple much like an ice pick stab. This is only on first day.
*A large amount of free time between 7.30am-2pm due to lack of eating breakfast and a normal timed lunch.
*A lot more focus, no post breakfast carb brain fog.
*More energy since my body is using stored fat as an energy source while I sleep and until 2pm eating phase.

I will keep it up for as long as I can, research say to stick with it a month and there will be noticeable changes that others will see, but honestly I see subtle differences already after the first day as the bloat had disappeared. I saw weight loss from my waist (yay! jeans fit again comfy), weight loss around neck and jaw, legs are slimmer because pants are baggier there.

I have to drink loads of water to help the weight loss along faster and I can get to top of our 18 step staircase faster and with out losing breath.

Will update after the month is over with a new post.