You more than likely have heard of this newly popular “diet” from the media. However, it has actually been part of other cultures and religions for generations. In many places around the world, it is thought that fasting helps to cleanse the body, mind, and soul. Therefore, many people practice fasting through certain days of the year as part of their cultural or religious practices. While I am far from being “overweight”, I do feel that I could benefit from losing a couple pounds, toning up, and getting back in shape. Before I had my son, I was about 115 pounds. I gained about 30 pounds over the course of my pregnancy, most of which I lost after my son was born. Unfortunately, the birth control that I was put on caused significant weight gain in a short amount of time. By the time I got off of the medication, I had gained back my pregnancy weight. Since changing my birth control method, I have lost at least 12 pounds which is notable to me, but I still yearn to lose more. My hope is that intermittent fasting can help me achieve my goal. Let’s find out!
Is intermittent fasting right for you? A quiz for women from www.dofasting.com.
- How familiar are you with fasting?
- Expert
- I’ve heard a thing or two
- Beginner
- What time during the day do you feel the most hungry?
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening
- At what time do you usually eat breakfast?
- Skip it
- 6 am – 8 am
- 8 am – 10 am
- 10 am – 12 pm
- At what time do you usually eat lunch?
- Skip it
- 10 am – 12 pm
- 12 pm- 2 pm
- 2 pm – 4 pm
- At what time do you usually eat dinner?
- Skip it
- 4 pm – 6 pm
- 6 pm- 8 pm
- 8 pm – 10 pm
- How do you prepare your meals?
- I cook them myself
- I eat at restaurants
- I do both
- Fasting on weekends-is it for you?
- Impossible
- I can do it
- Easy!
- How physically active are you?
- Work out hero 3 – 5 times per week
- Light-mode 1 – 2 times per week
- A newbie (just starting) I have workouts and stretches that I do with my son but, it is hardly a regular weekly occurrence.
- What are your working hours?
- 9 – 5 job
- Night job
- Mixed
- I am retired
- Describe your job
- Sedentary work
- Physical work
- A mix of both
- How willing are you to lose weight?
- I just want to try fasting
- I want to try it and lose some weight
- I want to lose the maximum amount of weight
- Does any of the following apply to you?
- I am pregnant
- I have diabetes
- I am breastfeeding
- None of the above
The results of my answers to this quiz from www.dofasting.com are that I do qualify for the intermittent fasting “diet”, it is safe for me to begin and I should reach my goal weight by January 2020. I have to say that it seems a little too optimistic of a timeline but, I am choosing to be positive!
After taking the quiz and decided to give intermittent fasting a try I chose an app to download and help me stay on track. This app is called The BodyFast App and through it, I was able to pick my weekly plan and set my eating/fasting schedule.
I want to lose about 20 pounds in total but, I don’t want to shock my body by jumping into the more extreme fasting options so, I chose the 14-10 intermittent fasting program where I will skip having a late dinner. I am a morning person and cannot start my day without coffee and breakfast so, for me, skipping (late) dinner is more conducive to my lifestyle.
I will be fasting from 6 pm every night until 8 am every morning. During this time I am allowed to consume water or unsweetened teas and coffees. During my “eating hours,” it may seem like a can eat whatever I want. Which is generally what people believe about the fasting diet. However, the best way to see the results you want will be to limit the amount of junk you consume during your “eating hours”. So far today I have consumed:
- 1 hard-boiled egg and spinach salad with a light drizzle of ranch dressing and a sprinkle of flax seeds
- 1 full everything bagel with cream cheese
- A few bites of leftover baked ziti
- 2 cups of coffee with a tablespoon of creamer (each)
- 1 glass of water
1 cup of sage and green tea with ½ teaspoon of white sugar1week3
