A lifetime of competitive sports and workouts has kept me physically fit and away from diet trends. However, with injuries and quarantine preventing me from playing tennis and hitting the gym, I looked into a healthier eating program while working out at home. Intermittent fasting caught my eye because it seemed simple, straightforward, and close to my standard eating style with many fabulous benefits.
Weight gain and obesity are bigger problems now than ever before. Fifty years ago, televisions shut off at 11 p.m., kids played more often outside, portions were smaller and there were no computers. Now people have 24-hour access to watching movies, playing video games, chatting online and snacking all night long. The combination of less activity and more calories means a higher risk of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Intermittent fasting has shown positive results in reversing these trends. The most popular version is the 16/8 method which means fasting for 16 hours and eating during an eight-hour window.
For me that meant finishing dinner by 8 p.m. and not eating again until noon the next day. I work until 7:30 p.m. two nights per week and am not much of a breakfast fan, so that’s what fit my schedule best. Just make sure you stop eating at least two hours before going to bed. During the fasting hours, you can drink water and black coffee or tea, which helps with feelings of hunger.
Another intermittent fasting method is called eat-stop-eat, in which you fast for 24 hours once or twice per week, but eat normally the other days. The third is the 5:2 diet where you consume only 500-600 calories on two nonconsecutive days of the week and eat normally the other days.
It is important to note that intermittent fasting specifies when to eat and not what to eat. Ordering extra-large orders of French fries is not going to help your sodium levels. It is best to avoid sugars and refined grains, and take pleasure in savoring good, nutritious food. The Mediterranean diet of leafy greens, healthy fats, lean proteins and whole grains is a great blueprint to follow.
Meal examples include eggs, whole wheat toast with avocado and grilled tomatoes, or salmon, roasted potatoes and steamed spinach.
So why is intermittent fasting successful?
It prolongs the period when your body burns through the calories from your last meal and begins burning fat. During fasting your levels of human growth hormone increase which has benefits for fat loss and muscle gain. Combine that with insulin levels dropping which makes stored body fat more accessible.
This process of going hours without food when the body exhausts its sugar stores and burns fat is referred to as metabolic switching. Boosting your metabolism while eating fewer calories is an effective way to lose weight.
As with all fitness and diet programs, a supportive core group is vital for holding you accountable and keeping you on track. There are several Facebook groups that offer camaraderie and advice, or you can turn to a trainer or group of friends to meet at workouts or online.
There are other benefits to intermittent fasting worth noting according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Studies suggest intermittent fasting improves blood pressure and heart health, boosts verbal memory and decreases inflammation. Young men who fasted for 16 hours showed fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. And many people claim significant results in digestive health and upper GI issues.
Dublin resident Tiffany Crosby dealt with reflux, heartburn and a burning feeling in her gut. Since starting intermittent fasting, Tiffany says all of that has gone away. Tiffany was only going to try this lifestyle shift for 40 days but she liked the results and has continued.
“My meals are smaller and healthier when I eat,” says Tiffany, “and my body doesn’t crave sugar or snacks.”
Melissa Sitter lost 25 pounds in one year by fasting from 6 p.m. until noon the next day and exercising three to four times per week. She would move her usual eating window of noon-6 p.m. to 2-8 p.m. on the weekend so that she could enjoy a dinner out or an evening cocktail. Melissa warns that it can be difficult and isolating when trying to arrange an early dinner when it doesn’t fit with others’ schedules.
Susan Jungermann lost 80 pounds by fasting and giving up carbs and sugar, which she says completely changed her relationship with food.
“I committed to understanding what real hunger felt like and allowed my body to tell me when I was hungry, instead of my brain,” says Susan.
She went as long as she could during the day before eating and usually ate one meal and a snack.
“Eating became just a tiny part of my day and I earned how to enjoy experiences instead of associating joy with my food.”
In the fall of 2018, Dubliner Tony Hook was working a desk job, spending most of his day not being physical. He weighed 278 pounds. He made a conscious decision to reinvent himself and get healthy again.
Tony left the corporate world, started his own company and began intermittent fasting. He set his eating window at noon-8 p.m., fasting from 8 p.m.-noon the following day.
“I drank tons of water, ate things like oats, fruit and cinnamon around noon, snacked on vegetables and hummus, and cooked a healthy dinner,” says Tony.
He lost four to five pounds per week which continued for six months, at which point he added in exercise such as boxing and hot yoga. At 10 months he was down to 200 pounds and changed his focus to increasing his protein and building muscle.
“My body fat went from 26 percent to 10 percent and my waist size from a 44 to a 32,” he says. Tony has now maintained his weight around 210 pounds for the past year and feels better than ever. “The difference for me has been night and day. I have a much more motivated outlook on life and I get up in the morning ready to accomplish goals in all aspects of my life,” he says.
As always, you should speak with your doctor before making any immediate decisions to drastically alter your lifestyle choices.
Colleen D’Angelo is a freelance writer who lives in Dublin with her husband, three children and several small animals. She enjoys playing tennis, walking the Dublin bike paths and traveling.
