…and 4 Other Unexpected Results of the Latest Fitness Fad
I.F. (Intermittent Fasting) seems to be all the rage right now. Fitness experts are expounding it and every one (and their moms) are trying it. At the risk of sounding trite, I’d say I.F. has changed people’s lives. It’s helped people shed oodles of weight. It’s reduced the oft present stress around ‘clean eating’, ‘balanced eating’, ‘right eating’ by eliminating eating all together! And in my experience, it’s done a lot that we’re not even talking about.
I’m not one for fitness fads, but I’m also experimental. I’ll always try something, unless it’s too ‘out there’ for me. (And, to be honest, few things really are.)
WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?
Intermittent fasting is a system of eating where there is a specified ‘ eating window’, and ‘fasting window’. There are many different styles of Intermittent Fasting depending on these windows. The most common is the 16/8 fast, where you fast for sixteen hours and eat for eight. You can also do a 12/12 fast, where you fast for twelve hours and then have an eating window of 12 hours. You can fast on alternate days, or once in two days…
And to my surprise I found that this system of eating ‘worked’ for me. Below are 5 things it did for me, and which have me now.
I.F. MADE ME A BETTER YOGI
I kid you not. I’ve practiced yoga almost daily for the past decade. In a world where distractions are many and time a rare commodity, the only way I can do this is by waking up at an ungodly hour to get some uninterrupted practice time before the rest of the world awakes. More often than not, I’m sluggish and slow in the morning, sore from the previous day.
Enter I.F. and my body feels clearer. I am experiencing a kind of energy I’ve never experienced before. The kind where your brain might say ‘no’ but your body will move into the first sun salutation with no complaints. By reducing the quantity of food I consume, energy that would otherwise be spent on metabolizing and digesting food is available for morning yoga practice. My asanas are sharper, my body seems to move with no resistance and I am fully present for my practice.
I.F. GOT RID OF MY BRAIN FOG
Yoga is not only a physical practice. However, even the physical practice of yoga (asana practice) is linked to your mind. If your mind isn’t awake, your body is unlikely to act. After practicing I.F. for almost a month now I’ve noticed that my brain doesn’t take too long to wake up. Prior to this I would dilly-dally and procrastinate before finally stepping on my mat. Now I’m on my mat faster, more inspired, energetic and creatively abundant.
I.F. MADE ME APPRECIATE COFFEE MORE
But not because I’m guzzling down any more of it than I was before. In fact, I’m drinking less of it! Part of my dilly-dallying used to include making a cup of strong coffee. The aroma used to wake up my senses and the caffeine used to wake up my groggy cells. Now I don’t need the coffee. An era of coffee enjoyment has started in my Life. I have coffee when I want to and not because I need to. I enjoy a single shot of espresso more than I’ve ever enjoyed it before.
I.F. CONTROLLED MY FOOD CRAVINGS
Along with a decrease in my coffee cravings, my snacking has also reduced. I don’t find the need to constantly munch something. So I’m not putting junk into my system…and that may be contributing to my high energy levels.
I.F. CLEANED ME UP!
I see my waistline more often than not now. I.F. proponents scream weight loss more than anything else. In fact, many say that they have lost weight in spite of eating all the junk in the world! Just to be clear, I haven’t lost any weight, but I still see my waistline because of a reduction in inflammation in the gut. Because I no longer ingest easy snacks, I’ve cut back on bloat-causing preservatives that I was invariably consuming.
HOW I FASTED
Before I end I’d also like to point out that there are numerous different versions of intermittent fasting.
- There are dietitians who say it’s OK to have coffee, tea, lemon water etc while you’re fasting. I have absolutely nothing except water during my fasting window.
- I stick to the 16/8 style of fasting. Basically this means having my last meal by 4 and eating again at 8 in the morning.
- I break my fast with nuts or a banana.
I’ve jumped on to the I.F. bandwagon, and I think everyone should give it a go. Would you try intermittent fasting? Have you tried it already? Share your thoughts!
