I have been reading a lot about Intermittent Fasting lately and decided to give it a try. Let me clarify though, I am not extremely overweight or fat nor am I disgust by my weight to do this fasting exercise. I am approx. 55kg with a height of 162cm ( just nice to be in the average weight sector ). Also, I am not an expert nor a dietician. So, if you intend to try this too, you may want to seek for doctor’s advice if you have any conditions that you are worried of.
Why am I doing Intermittent Fasting (IF) and What is IF?
The reason why I am trying to do this is that there are actually tons of benefits with IF. But first, let me explain what is IF. IF is an eating pattern where you eat at a certain timing and fast for the rest of the day. It is a form of diet that is very different from any regular diets where you have to restrain yourself from eating most types of food such as carbs or fats. With IF you are actually able to eat what you normally eat, there are no restrictions on any types of food.
Okay so typically the easiest IF way is to fast for 16 hours and eat only 8 hours a day. It is not difficult at all trust me. Decide the 8 hours of eating period you are most comfortable with and stick to you if possible. For me, I have set it to be 12 noon to 8pm. That is my most comfortable timing but you could also set it like 10am to 6pm if you are able to settle all 3 meals during office hours. Also, the optimal diet for this is to drink only black coffee, plain water or sugarless teas during the fasting time.
How does IF works?
As many may know when we eat food our insulin level increases. Our insulin then helps stores the excess (sugar) energy in our liver but once our liver is full, it will turn the excess sugar into fats.
Now, the highlight of why you should do IF. During the 16hrs of fasting, your stomach would not have any food to digest anymore and hence, your insulin will decrease and previously stored sugar and fats will be burn instead!!
Benefit of IF
Obviously, since its a diet the most apparent benefit is weight loss. If you are a Muslim, you would know that fasting is a form of detoxing and it helps you to cleanse your body.
Hence, in this case, the fasting benefits you as well in IF. Some other benefits include:
- Increase energy
- Increase metabolism
- Reduce blood cholesterol
- Improve concentration
- Improve mental clarity
Results
After a week of IF, I realized I am more energized, I lost 1kg though that is not a lot but I am happy about it 😀 Also, I do not feel hungry during the fasting period, I guess its due to squeezing all 3 meals into the 8 hours.
If dieting has been difficult for you. I would highly recommend you to try this !~
May everyone has good health and stay happy!
CommonBees 