Intermittent Fasting

Fasting has a negative connotation to some. Probably because there are diets which advise you to fast for days. I'm starting a version of Intermittent fasting which divides my day into two phases; 16 hours of fasting, followed by 8 hours of feeding. During this period, three meals are usually eaten. Depending on the day, the composition of those meals varies; on workout days, carbs are prioritized before fat, while on rest days fat intake is higher. Protein remains fairly high on all days. That’s a very basic and general description of the protocol. For me this translates into fasting from 10pm to 2pm the following day.

So what are the benefits I hope to gain from Intermittent fasting?

Aside from removing your cravings for sugar and snack foods and turning you into an efficient fat-burning machine, thereby making it far easier to maintain a healthy body weight, modern science has confirmed there are many other good reasons to fast intermittently. For example, research presented at the 2011 annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans4 showed that fasting triggered a 1,300 percent rise of human growth hormone (HGH) in women, and an astounding 2,000 percent in men.

HGH, human growth hormone, commonly referred to as "the fitness hormone," plays an important role in maintaining health, fitness and longevity, including promotion of muscle growth, and boosting fat loss by revving up your metabolism. The fact that it helps build muscle while simultaneously promoting fat loss explains why HGH helps you lose weight without sacrificing muscle mass, and why even athletes can benefit from the practice (as long as they don't overtrain and are careful about their nutrition). The only other thing that can compete in terms of dramatically boosting HGH levels is high-intensity interval training. Other health benefits of intermittent fasting include:

Normalizing your insulin and leptin sensitivity, which is key for optimal health
Improving biomarkers of disease
Normalizing ghrelin levels, also known as "the hunger hormone"
Reducing inflammation and lessening free radical damage
Lowering triglyceride levels
Preserving memory functioning and learning


So far its been pretty easy to make it through the mornings as I've been accustomed to just a cup of black coffee(no sugar) and that it for breakfast. Around lunch time I start getting hungry but another cup of coffee has been helping with that. I've managed to make it through a week of this already but its not getting any easier. Have I been seeing these benefits yet? The answer is yes! I don't feel for sugary snacks during the day as much although cravings do come on from time to time they're easier to cope with. I'm making healthier meals at home rather thank having fast food and the best part, Ive been saving money from not going to for lunch everyday!

On to the next phase, Time to start adding in some exercise.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Wrong!

You've always been told since you were a little kid you have to eat breakfast, its the most important meal if the day. You heave been told by countless people starting with your parents, your doctor, nutritionists, supposed ‘experts’ on television, and even the trainers at the gym ,If you skip breakfast it will make you gain weight or skipping breakfast will cause you to overeat later on and you won't have the energy to make it through the day without eating breakfast.  It gets worse for people who are overweight and want to start trying to lose weight. The first thing people will say is get your diet in check. And that means, eating a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner with healthy snacks in between. For many people this might actually end up adding more calories to their diet!

Eating breakfast or very early in your day  isn't going to jump-start your metabolism or make you more awake and alert or productive. Breakfast will not make you any significantly better or more competent at your daily tasks. Your body is designed with survival as one of its top priorities. Its not going to let you die from skipping one meal. Not eating one or two or even any meals for an entire day isn't going to affect your ability to function. You can trust me, I fast for almost 20 hours every single day and I have done 24 hour fasts multiple times without any adverse effects even right up to the final hour of the fast. Your body will tap into its reserved fat storage and convert them into energy to keep you going.

Eating food has the effect of causing a temporary spike in blood sugar levels. This spike coupled with having to lug around that big breakfast waiting for it to digest can actually make you feel like you just want to go back to bed after breakfast. I've gotten accustomed to skipping breakfast for a couple years now because I prefer to sleep to the last second before I jump out of bed and get going with my day. If you're like me and you are busy as a bee from the time you open your eyes in the morning then why not try out Intermittent Fasting and don't bother with the breakfast anymore. Try waiting a couple hours before you eat. Slowly try and make it until lunchtime and then eventually you can stretch it to a full 16 hours without eating.

I'm about to embark on a journey, a complete lifestyle change. I plant to start practicing something called Intermittent Fasting.