Since starting college, my poor metabolism has been on a downward spiral. As a freshman, I used college as an excuse to eat and drink all I wanted at whatever hours I wanted. As a sophomore and junior, my schedule grew to be a bit more hectic as I took on more demanding courses. This meant I would often forget to eat for DAYS or have days where I’d snack all throughout. This was not a good combination and a few months into junior year (December 2017 to be exact) I grew increasingly aware of the effects my poor eating habits had on my body. I was lethargic all the time, I craved junk food all the time and despite my efforts at eating clean, I would forget to feed myself and fall back into the habit of skipping meals. I knew it couldn’t be good for my body, especially if I wanted to avoid gaining weight. That’s when I read up on intermittent fasting.
Basically, intermittent fasting is when you establish an eating schedule for your body. Your body goes through periods of fasting and periods of eating and digesting food. How long you want to fast, should you try intermittent fasting, is up to you. The most popular method is the 16:8, where you fast for 16 hours (consume nothing above 50 calories, and drink lots of water) and have an “eating window” of 8 hours. Some people fast for 24 hours, every other day. It’s all up to you!
I have been intermittent fasting for a little over three weeks now and am satisfied with my results so far. Each day I start eating/consuming calories at 12 pm and stop eating at 8 pm. Doing this has done wonders for my metabolism (at least, I hope) because I feel so much better about eating and sustaining my body now!
Every day at noon, no matter where I am, I have a banana with either yogurt or a serving of steel-cut oats. Around 3 pm I have a snack, and then around 7 pm I eat a balanced dinner. The benefits of intermittent fasting are actually surprising and compelling. When your body is in a fasting state, it goes through autophagy, which is where your body basically eats itself as a process of cleansing and getting rid of damaged organelles.
Your lowered levels of insulin foster your body’s ability to burn stored fat and food– and studies show that your body can run off such energy for a few days. This is why some suggest that fasting is not dangerous at all, and could actually be beneficial for your body.
Additionally, intermittent fasting can help lower your risks of getting diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes.
With all of this in mind, I had to give it a try as a way to sustain my metabolism and body in a healthy way. Here are a few things I have experienced:
1. I naturally feel fuller
Courtesy of Nancy Nyamaa
My eating window is now in sync with my daily schedule. I realized I didn’t even feel like eating until around 12 or 1 in the afternoon anyway. By eating clean, filling meals during my eating period, my mind no longer tricks my body into making it think it’s hungry after 8 pm. I no longer feel the need to eat when presented with the opportunity at random times.
2. I have cut back on snacking
When I first started intermittent fasting, I realized just how much I had grown used to snacking at 9 or 10 in the evening. I was consuming so many extra calories and making my body work extra hard for no reason. I feel a lot better now that I have cut off the nighttime snacking.
3. I listen to my body and only eat when I feel like it
Before switching to intermittent fasting, I would have days where I would completely forget to eat anything at all. Then, I would follow up with days where I would constantly snack, feeling guilty for not eating the day before. I would also fill up on food when I wasn’t hungry, figuring I’d get hungry later and not have time to eat. With intermittent fasting, I am able to prepare for my eating window and plan what to eat and when to eat it.
4. Hydration has become a key component in my life
It is so hard to avoid my morning vanilla latte now, but I instead fill up on water until I can break my fast until noon. In the off chance that I get hungry during my 16-hour fasting period, I drink lots and lots of water. Doing so has taught me how much I think I’m hungry, when I’m actually just thirsty. Also, drinking water is super important and has endless benefits of its own, of course.
5. Goodbye, bloating!
Via Oprah.com
Now that I don’t eat anything past 8 pm, I feel like my body has a lot more time to process and digest the foods I eat throughout the day. When I wake up in the morning and when I eat larger meals, the amount of bloating I experience has decreased a significant amount, which is SUCH a plus.
I am happy with my experience so far and plan to continue intermittent fasting until I feel good about my eating habits again. Definitely check to see if this type of fasting, or if fasting at all is right for you. I highly it recommend if you are looking to get in touch with your body and feel the need to take better care of it!Via Giphy