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Intermittent Fasting for health and weight management

Thursday was a day of carbs. The entire week was carby, the worst kind too – white flour and sugar – and I knew that bad feeling would hit me soon.

It did. Thursday night I felt bloated, heavy, ugly, icky, lethargic, itchy, tired and moody. Not to mention my stretchy leggings were feeling snugger than they should.

I was cooking dinner and was almost done. I looked at the food which that day came from frozen boxes and as much as I like that brand of Halibut or the tater tots, I just didn’t feel like eating.

So I didn’t.

I tried to recall what I had eaten that day. Homemade turkey soup for lunch, and Rosemary seasalt crackers with cheese artichoke dip around 4pm. Plus breakfast, which probably wasn’t protein but carb heavy.

I decided at that moment that I would skip dinner.

Then, I contacted a friend who told me he’s been eating clean all January to counter the pigging out over Christmas and then he said this:

“Spring is just around the corner.”

Ok, so first of all, he’s local. Which means he’s as Canadian as I am and exposed to the same weather as me. Second of all, it’s January. Reliable, warm and sunny weather happening consistently that is expected in spring doesn’t typically happen until May(ish) up here in 🇨🇦.

“Have you been outside recently,” I asked, directing him to the snow and ice out there. “Doesn’t feel like spring is coming…”

But he reminded me the official start of spring as per the calendar is March 20th which, given we are already at the end of January, isn’t really that far away.

Meh. I don’t like it when he’s right. 🙄🙃

Anyway. That evening was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I decided to begin a new focus of controlling my food intake by the least drastic method of weight management I was already familiar with and start immediately:

Intermittent Fasting.

Listen. This is a fantastically easy method of controlling what you endlessly put into your mouth all day. I mean, sure you’re allowed to eat what you want during the eating-window when you’re not fasting, as long as you stay away from the usual culprits: junk, carbs, sugar…(alcohol is considered a sugar).

We already eat mostly whole foods with the few exceptions the kids in lockdown seem to insist on. Chips or goldfish crackers, frozen meals like fish or chicken nuggets, candy or chocolate (which has reduced a lot since the holidays have moved on…). Sometimes you gotta choose your battles. Whatever.

For me, it’s the white carbs. Sometimes the sugar. If I quit that stuff, or significantly reduce those ingredients during my eating window, and aim for a minimum 12 hour fasting period, I feel better within two days.

By the way, there are rules and steps and proper methods to follow with Intermittent Fasting blah blah blah but I just adopt my own version to suit my lifestyle. My plan is heavily focused on two things:

  1. Length of fast overnight measured by consecutive hours of no food (12 hours or more)
  2. Eat whole foods but no/limited white carbs (flour/sugar)

My first fasting night from Thursday to Friday lasted 13 hours. 🙂

This morning (Saturday), I checked my notes and realized I went 16 hours and 15 minutes overnight. This is a bit unusual for me, but, there’s a reason. My upper back really hurt and by 5 am I went to drug myself before going back to bed. Then I promptly slept till 9:45 am.

I am not a sleeper-in person…At all. I’m a morning person, getting up and staying up at 5 am is not unusual for me…

What I’m getting at is that Intermittent Fasting is already working its magic on me. I feel great, not foggy or lethargic or bloated. 🙂

One more remark: the hardest part is to forgo coffee when I wake up. I take it with cream, and the dairy is considered food. If I could drink coffee black, I could have it (but it’s gross so I don’t).

So now the plan is herbal tea until a minimum of 12 hours of fasting has passed, then I’ll have my first coffee. I’m aiming to stretch it to 14-16 hours consistently. I’ve done it before, I can do it again.

Frankly, it’s not that hard to do as a currently non-employed SAHM in lockdown.

PS I’m beginning to think that coronavirus will be keeping us hostage for some time still. I saw something on twitter yesterday and I have yet to see a more accurate representation of this ongoing covid pandemic.

Caution: it’s a little mesmerizing:

So, here I am typing into my blog, about to start another writing stint. I took yesterday off and I am full of ideas for my ongoing story on the other blog. I hope to publish the next chapter by tonight.

Happy weekend! See you in the comments.

34 thoughts on “Intermittent Fasting for health and weight management”

  1. I’m the same with carbs, they honestly make me depressed. Ive found even just stopping snacking between meals and going 12 hours through the night without eating and I honestly feel like a new person. It also saves me a lot of money as I used to be a snack bar fiend!

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  6. All the best with the IF. But yes white carbs are not the best for our digestive system. Try whole carbs instead and little by little decrease your in take and you will feel so much better. I was brought up eating brown/whole carbs. And recently I have decided to quit eating anything “gluten” and I feel so much better, much light. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Yes, you’re right. The whole or complex carbs are so much better for us, and I do like their taste as well. I’m happy to munch on veggies and protein all day as well. Except… there was a slice of carrot cake today (Monday) after a long day of running errands. Sometimes, it happens.

      Thank you for commenting!

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  9. I have dabbled with IF on and off for the last 18 months. I found it really helped when my water intake and make me conscious of real hunger as opposed to emotional- or bored- eating. I don’t love the cravings I get though for junk. Missing out of my lovely morning coffee was hard to (I fasted from 8pm to noon next day). So now I just skip breakfast bc no time in am for work and used to it but will drink my coffee at around 9ish and try to finish eating a few hours before bed! Good luck!

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  12. I’m at the other end of the food thing. I have to force myself to eat at least once a day. Since March, and no school, I’ve lost 50 pounds. The first 20 were okay, but the other 30, not so much.
    Ugh! I’m so OVER this pandemic.🙄🤦🏼‍♀️

    Liked by 1 person

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