I want to start off this blog by saying I am not a doctor or nutrient expert (clearly),and am not advocating Intermittent Fasting (IF) for everyone. I just wanted to chronicle my journey, and for me, It is a critical piece of getting healthy.
Cutting back on food, and changing the type of food I’ve been eating, is a challenge for me (as I’m sure it is for a lot of people). And by far the hardest time for me is late at night. After the kids are in bed and the TV is on, my mind immediately goes to what is in the pantry. The first thing IF offers me is that structure around time. It forces me to consume calories within a certain time period, 12-8pm. After 8pm there is no question about if I have enough calories left in the day to sneak in a snack. Or if a few chips would really make that big a difference. After 8pm its water only, no matter where my calories fall for that day.
Without this structure and planning, I tend to grab for whatever is easier, not necessarily what is healthier. By knowing that at 8pm my food intake stops, I strive to make healthier, more filling choices during my eating window. I can’t push off the “healthy” food for “later”. I could choose chips now, but the next morning is going to be a tough one if I don’t get enough protein in now. It forces me to make better choices, knowing that my time is limited.
The final piece I really like about IF is the idea of actually feeling truly hungry. We get so used to eating at consistent intervals, and I often wonder if I’m actually hungry, or my body is just used to being fed so often. IF switches that up and makes my body use ALL of my food. It’s help me reset and realize when my body is actually asking for food to fuel it, and not when I’m just bored or it’s been a few hours.
With the structure of IF in place, my next focus is shifting my focus just from overall calories eaten to tracking Macros like fat, carbs and protein. More on that in the next blog!