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.