I Tried Intermittent Fasting And Hara Hachi-Bu, To Find The Diet That Worked Best

Here’s how I found a balanced approach to eating.

Photo by Eiliv-Sonas Aceron on Unsplash

During the extended lockdown months of 2020, I really didn’t care much about what I ate or my physical activity. All I did was binge-watch series, eat, and work. I did things that required minimal movement and gained about 4.8 kgs (10.6 lbs approximately).

This weight gain struck me when all my clothes became uncomfortable. They still fitted me but I wasn’t comfortable.

So, like every other person, I took to the internet to find ways to lose this weight.

And stumbled upon a few weight loss diet routines, and my favorites were:

• Intermittent Fasting
• Hara-Hachi Bu

Intermittent Fasting (IF)

Intermittent fasting involves a cycle of periods of fasting and eating. The goal of it is simply to allow the body to use stored fat for energy leading to weight loss.

There are different styles of IF, but the basis of each is the number of hours spent fasting. My nutritionist recommended a 16:8 type, where you fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8-hour window.

Here’s how I did it:

I fasted from 11:00 pm to 3:00 pm every day. Lunch is the most important meal for me, so I wanted to incorporate it.

My first meal would be around 3:00 pm. There were days when I ate a little early, or a little late too. But I tried to do at least 15 hours of fasting.
After lunch, I would have tea and snacks at 6:00 pm and dinner at around 10:00 pm.

I didn’t skip my morning coffee. Rice was my highest source of carbohydrates and I had it at least once every day.

Though during the initial weeks, I kept track of my daily caloric intake and tried to keep my intake at an average of 1300 calories. After a month of practicing IF, I stopped counting every calorie I consumed, and only kept a tab of my fasting hours.

People who practice IF do advise to keep a tab of average daily consumption. But I found not keeping a tab more liberating and helpful to keep up with the practice.

The pros:

1. Steady energy levels

I felt at ease with intermittent fasting. My body didn’t feel tired, I was physically active and I was also able to concentrate.

2. No ‘Hanger’

I didn’t experience drastic mood swings or sleeplessness. Intermittent fasting didn’t affect my daily routine. On a normal day I would have a light breakfast at around 10:00 am and now I was skipping it. Everything else remained the same. Food was an integral part of my body and I didn’t have any restrictions.

The cons:

1. Minimal weight loss

I lost about 0.5 kgs (1 pound) during the initial month after starting IF. I weighed 57 kgs (125.6 pounds) when I started IF and I weighed 56.5 kgs (124.5 pounds) after one month of following this routine. And after the second month of practicing, I didn’t see a lot of changes in my weight, I weighed 56kgs.

2. Metallic taste

My mouth developed a metallic taste within a few days of starting this diet. Drinking water and eating citric fruits felt horrible. My breath also started to have a funky smell, forcing me to brush frequently.

This was the hardest to get around. I had to constantly chew cardamom pods or whole cloves to get rid of my smelly breath.

I was content with the results I had with intermittent fasting.

Hara Hachi-Bu - Japanese rule to a healthy diet

Hara Hachi-Bu follows a very simple principle that we should not overindulge in food. Eat until you are about 80% full.

Starving or overstuffing ourselves with food is not a sustainable way of living. The key is finding balance and a middle ground to satisfy your needs.

Hara Hachi-Bu is a practice that focuses on nourishment and health rather than weight-loss.

Here’s how I practiced it:

1. Eat when you feel hungry

Listen to your body and eat only when you feel hungry.

This means some days you would be eating only one or two large meals while other days you would be eating four or even six meals and snacks. While this diet doesn’t strictly say to cut out any kind of food, I tried to stick to home-cooked nutrient-dense foods. I ate a lot of fruits, vegetables, and rice but I avoided processed food as much as possible.

There were days when I ate a pizza for lunch or indulged in a big slice of chocolate truffle cake or even had a can of soda but that wasn’t every day.

Our body cannot accurately measure nourishment when we consume processed high-calorie food, hence it takes time for us to feel full. So the focus is on eating until you are 80% full. Preventing overindulgence was a test of willpower initially, but with time it became a natural response.

2. The 80% full Rule:

This is the most important part of the practice and the golden rule for guaranteed weight loss.

Though there are no concrete rules to how you will know when you’re 80% full, the general guideline is to eat slowly and stop eating the moment you feel sufficiently full.

Another method would be to eat 3/4 portion of your meal and wait 30 minutes to determine if you are still hungry and if you are, then eat the rest.

The cons:

1. Following the 80% rule

Initially, it wasn’t easy for me to determine if I was full and I had to be very mindful of my eating.

But be patient and you’ll see how your body starts to tell you how much food you need. Also, avoid using phones or watching TV while eating. Savor the food in front of you and appreciate what you liked about it. Understand that the food in front of you is required for sustenance and nourishment.

2. Maintained Weight

I didn’t see any weight loss but I didn’t gain weight either. I weighed 55kgs ( 122 lbs approximately) when I started this practice a month previously, and I still weighed the same.

The pros:

1. I could eat everything

This was the best part for me. I didn’t have to follow any strict rules or keep track of hours. I ate when I felt hungry. I was only mindful to not overeat. And because I didn’t have any restrictions I wasn’t intimidated seeing someone eat fast food.

Food was the last thing on my mind until I felt hungry.

Final Thoughts

In the past few months, I’ve gone through extreme eating practices, from eating 3 meals a day to not eating anything for days, and neither seemed productive to me in the long run.

Intermittent fasting or Hara Hachi-Bu

Though I didn’t lose much weight with both these practices, I felt most at ease while practicing Hara Hachi-Bu. This practice was easy to incorporate into my lifestyle and I could enjoy a cup of caramel latte in the morning without feeling guilty.

I felt physically better, emotionally happier, and was more engaged and focused in my work. And I didn’t have to keep a tab of ‘eating hours’.

In the end, after trying both these practices I feel Hara Hachi-Bu worked best for me.

Note: If you are considering trying intermittent fasting, I would suggest getting your health checked to know if it is okay for you to fast for extended periods. And start with smaller fasting intervals and increase your periods of fasting to find what works best for you.