My Experience with Intermittent Fasting
Over the last few months, I’ve experimented with intermittent fasting. I tried it merely as a method to burn fat towards my personal journey to getting the defined 6-pack I’ve always wanted.
After just the first couple of weeks, I definitely saw results. I was never really bloated and my abs were beginning to pop out through that last layer of fat. Even though I was also eating well and exercising five days a week, there was no doubt that intermittent fasting played a significant role for me.
I decided to go with the standard 16:8 method, with my eating window being from noon until 8 p.m. Although I’m still an advocate of fasting, here are three reasons why I’ll probably never do it again.
I hate being hungry
No sh*t. No one likes being hungry. Waking up and starting my day with 4–5 hours before I can eat is not fun. I understand the cognitive benefits of fasting, and, yes, I definitely felt somewhat refreshed (mentally), but the reality was that food was always on my mind. I couldn’t devote 100% of my concentration towards a task because of my hunger, which meant waiting for the clock to strike food time — I mean noon.
There isn’t an ideal time frame to eat within
I did try to eat an early dinner one time so I wouldn’t feel starved in the morning, but oh man. What a terrible sleep that was. Trying to go to bed hungry was worse than skipping breakfast. At least in the mornings I could look forward to my meal at noon. At night, you just have to bite the bullet, hope to fall asleep quickly, and maybe dream about food. No thanks.
I love breakfast
After I got off the wagon and started regularly eating again, I gained a new appreciation for breakfast. Not only is it now my favourite meal of the day, it’s my favourite part of the day. Oatmeal, an omelette with cheese and green onions, and a variety of fruit is my go-to breakfast. As an active person, I couldn’t believe I was depriving my body of essential nutrients to kick off the day. For someone who runs 2–3 times a week and spends the other days strength training, I realized that breakfast was essential in order to get the most out of my fitness goals. My muscles need food, especially in the mornings.
The gist
Intermittent fasting has many proven health benefits and aids many peoples’ health and fitness goals, but it isn’t for me. Hunger affects my concentration, and fasting, in general, doesn’t support my overall fitness life. Moreover, as long as I am eating well, regularly exercising, and achieving a calorie/energy deficit, I’ll see those abs sooner or later.
What I’ve found will work best for me is a ten-hour eating window (10 a.m.-8 p.m.), which technically isn’t intermittent fasting, but it’s a method that supports me perfectly. I still believe in a fasting period to give my body a chance to clear out, but restricting my eating to the point of hunger is not something I can do.
Despite this, I would still encourage people who have not tried intermittent fasting to do so if they’re considering it. There are advantages to doing it, and it could serve many people’s fitness goals. Just because it doesn’t work for me does not mean it won’t work for someone else.
In the end, I’m glad I experimented with intermittent fasting. If I hadn’t tried it, I wouldn’t have found a system that works best for me, not to mention my rediscovered love for breakfast.
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