The first signal I was gaining weight in 2016 was when my 5K times started slowing down. I was 160 pounds and rationalized that I was busy at work and my weight was healthy for a 5'9" male. In 2017 my dress-shirt buttons started bursting at the seams. I wore a grey polyester vest to hide my stomach. I weighed 183 pounds by 2018 and knew I had a problem because I stopped recognizing myself in photos. I did nothing though because I was already complacent by this point.
It actually took an embarrassing moment to reignite my intermittent fasting (IF) lifestyle today.
I was invited as Sandy’s +1 to a wedding in 2018. A lot of her college friends were attending and I was determined to make a good first impression.
I got a haircut and beard trim. I showered and exfoliated my face. Then I pulled my suit out of the closet and wrestled it on. The pant button finally closed after sucking in my belly. Victory!
Everything was copacetic during the lovely wedding. The problem started during the reception when my pants got tighter the more I ate and drank. The pressure kept on building until suddenly the seam in my pants split open!
I was mortified that instant and knew my lifestyle had to change.
Intermittent fasting worked for me back when I was fresh out of college weighing in at 155 lbs and bench pressing 225 lbs. So I decided to apply the principle of IF again. Fast sixteen hours per day and eat/drink whatever you want during the remaining eight hours.
In one year I lost 33 lbs and keeping the weight off. Today I weigh 142 pounds which is the lightest I’ve been in 20+ years. I’m actually losing too much weight and trying to add some pounds back on.
I don’t count calories. I eat as much bread and pasta as I want. I drink bourbon and wine. I exercise infrequently. At best I might go for a run once a week. At worst I might go weeks without exercising.
Below are some insights I’ve discovered, tips for success and potential challenges to be aware of if you decide to try IF.
Personal Insights
- IF is a lifestyle not a diet.
- You stop stressing out about losing weight because the process works.
- The process becomes fun as you start to optimizing your eating habits.
- Calories become valuable as you increase quality and decrease quantity.
- I’m more alert during the day.
- I save hours each week not eating compared to eating constantly and then exercising just to get back to my baseline weight.
- My workouts are turbocharged because I exercise on a fasted state.
- I sleep better because my eating window ends hours before I go to bed.
Tips to Maximize Your Success
- Use a smart scale to track your weight. Visualizing progress is powerful.
- Drink coffee and tea to suppress your appetite until its time to eat.
- Simple and fresh is best.
- Spicy food adds flavor and suppresses your appetite.
- Fiber, fruit, fats are your friend in the kitchen. Beans, vegetables and complex carbohydrates keep me energized during my fasting window.
- Spices and herbs makes food taste better without additional calories.
- Drink a glass of water and just sleep if you get hungry late at night. Your body releases the hormone ghrelin at night which makes you hungry because your body thinks it needs fuel to stay awake. Sleep short-circuits ghrelin and you’ll wake up feeling alert and not as hungry in the morning.
- Eat with family and friends during special occasions. You can go back on IF any time. You can’t go back in time.
Potential Challenges You Might Face
- It requires discipline and faith in the process until you see results.
- It might be difficult switching from eating around the clock to a fixed window. Trust the process because once you make the transition the new eating pattern sticks with you.
- Be prepared to eat meals on a different cadence than loved ones on a daily basis. Most people eat three meals a day and IF means you likely only have time to eat one or two meals together.
IF simply works because it forces a caloric deficit by implementing a fixed window to eat. This mechanism is combined with the insight that you can only eat so much during an eight hours. These two things net you a caloric deficit without specific dietary restrictions.
I highly recommend giving IF a chance if you are fed up with fad diets and want results that last. All you need is discipline and openness to trust in the IF process during the first three months. At best you’ve found a simple and effective way to lose and manage your weight. At worst your IF trial run will allow you to flex your control and willpower.
Best of luck on your IF journey and I would love to hear if you find success with this mindful approach to food or discover any simple recipes you absolutely love that optimizes your IF eating habits!
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