Lifestyle Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
This morning I saw a segment on the Today Show about intermittent fasting in relation to help with Alzheimers. I don't have Alzheimers. Nor do I know if I'm at risk for it. But that's besides the point.
I've been Intermittent Fasting for 2 full months now, and I'm a huge proponent of it. Don't get me started on it in real life; I may not shut up about it for a solid half hour.
How does intermittent fasting relate to minimalism and mindfulness? The huge draw is weight loss, but there are tons of other benefits too.
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In this post I'll cover the lifestyle benefits of intermittent fasting (IF). I won't go deep into the true science-y benefits of IF, nor will I talk about how I do it in this post. If you are interested in learning more, email me or leave a comment below the post.
Weight Loss
Beans was born in spring 2016. I've been struggling to lose the baby weight since then. I had a lot of other personal issues going on during that time, which I may go into in another post soon, but either way my attempts at exercising and dieting were failing. In fact, I'd generally lose 2 pounds to gain 3 or more. Over and over again.
Since I started intermittent fasting in late August, I've lost exactly 5 pounds.
Now, 5 pounds in 10 weeks isn't a lot by any means. But I feel awesome and I've gone down a pants size. And now that I'm incorporating exercise into my routine I'm slimming down even faster.
Even more importantly, I've kept the weight off during these past 10 weeks. It's been a steady decline during this time, not the usual yo-yo that I see when I'm trying to lose weight via dieting and exercise alone.
I still have about 10 more pounds that I'd like to lose, but I'll be very happy to lose those pounds slowly over the next few months.
Mindfulness
Before I started intermittent fasting, my eating habits were abysmal. I ate anything I wanted whenever I wanted. 12" hoagies from Wawa. Two breakfasts (I'm actually sort of knownfor having a second breakfast within my friend group…). Fried food all the time.
I ate when I wasn't hungry. I ate when I was bored. I snacked all day at work.
One of my favorite things to do was put Beans to bed, and then have a feast in front of the TV and numb out on Netflix.
Since I started intermittent fasting, I've re-learned what hunger actually feels like. I can now identify true hunger versus boredom. I don't eat because I'm stressed.
I feel more in tune with what my body needs and when. In short, it feels super cool to be in tune with my body.
Increased Focus and Increased Energy
One of the things I worried about before I tried intermittent fasting was feeling jittery and weak during my fasts.
It's quite the opposite. I feel laser-focused and I actually have moreenergy. I feel very alert, which is quite the stark contrast from the carb-comas I usually felt in the mornings after breakfast and the inevitable carb-heavy mid-morning snack.
Working out during fasting works, too. In a book I read, the author mentioned that athletes report having betterworkouts during their intermittent fasts. Think: run faster and jump higher. Etc.
I also get a lot of shit done when I'm fasting. My mind works lightning fast and I can think clearly.
Analogy time. If I were a car, I'd be running on the cleanest fuel during intermittent fasting. Then if you stuck sugar in my tank, I'd slow down and inevitably crash.
Intermittent fasting feels like a clean energy burn.
Money Saved
This is pretty easy. If you're eating less, you're spending less on food. Plain and simple.
More Time
This is also an easy one. Let's say each meal takes up an hour or so. Skip meals, have more time.
I spend less time eating, searching for food, thinking about food, etc.
Weight Loss Even While Eating Whatever The F* I Want
To piggy-back on weight loss with intermittent fasting, I want to mention separately that I eat whatever the heck I want when I am eating.
I don't fast and then have an apple to break the fast.
I generally try to make healthy choices when I am eating, but it generally doesn't happen. I eat whatever I want. Anyone who hangs out with me can vouch for that.
And to remind you, I've lost 5 pounds overall in the past 10 weeks. It's pretty cool.
Wanna Chat More About Intermittent Fasting?
As I mentioned above, my plan was only to go into the lifestyle benefits of intermittent fasting (IF). Not the how-to or the real health benefits.
BUT, I'm a huge fan of IF and I could talk about it for days. But only if you're interested.
Have questions about intermittent fasting, or want to share your experience? Comment below!
Cover photo by Nathan Dumlao
Disclaimer: I am not a health professional, nor am I able to give out real medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting any fasting program. Blah blah blah other legal jargon so you won't sue me if you try intermittent fasting and have an issue from it. More here. Okthanksloveyoubye.
