I had a fantastic summer. Not only was I having a blast at work with the best colleagues you can ask for, the driving was really fun as well (I finally mustered up the courage to work my way to a driver’s license, yay!), and not to mention the hot, hot, nice weather and all the beach tours it brought. All this positive energy unfortunately led into indulgence of 11 p.m. sweets, messed up circadian rhythms and none, absolutely no physical exercise, aside from the 5-min bike tour to work every morning. As the new uni semester approached, the accumulated effect of my not-so-fantastic summer-lifestyle showed up in the shape of foggy energy dips and horrible physical endurance. When once during a hiking tour, I was stuck on a hill panting like a pub while my mom climbed briskly and effortlessly, it called for a change.
Intermittent fasting crossed my mind. I attempted it once during pre-Covid time, but since my lifestyle drastically changed after the global events, it became as forgotten as my Nintendo 3DS. So, I decided it’s time to give it a second go.
I use an app to assist me in remembering the start and stop time, and for motivation. The plan I chose is 16:8. It is the most commonly used, and the eight-hour eating window fits perfectly into the uni schedule.
It’s been a little more than a month since the first day, and here are some of the changes that I’ve noticed:
Hunger
The first 2-3 days, I woke up and felt like Monkey King after being trapped beneath a huge mountain for 500 years without food. The hunger was overwhelming! This problem could easily be fixed by drinking more water though. And remember, water is very good for you, blah blah – perhaps it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to feel hunger.
Aside from the angrily growling belly, my body felt harmonized. What made me feel even better was that I didn’t have to worry about making breakfast in the morning, and could start the day right away, which boosted my morning productivity.
Since there are only two meals I can enjoy now instead of three, I made sure they counted and ate a lot of protein-rich (and of course delicious) foods. One week in, the hunger was gone, instead I could enjoy stable energy levels throughout the day. The afternoon nap wasn’t necessary anymore and I felt refreshed all the way until bedtime.
Workout motivation
This newly found energy, and the extra time earned by skipping one meal made working out so much easier. Since my motivation totally succumbs with lengthy cardio, and gym isn’t an option during current global events, HIIT seemed like a perfectly fun choice. 20 min HIIT in the evening 3-4 times a week. On the days without HIIT, I do streching or yoga. And to top it off with some fun activities, badminton is scheduled once or twice a week.
One month is a pretty short time period to assess the effects of IF on muscle gain/loss, but I’m feeling stronger. Some of the HIIT exercises (up and down planks / side planks with crunches, I start panting when I think of those) were impossible to do during the first days. Now am I not only able to do them, but I do them at high tempo!
Cravings
Before IF, I used sweets for all kinds of things. Need incentives for studying? Grab a chocolate bar. Feeling down? Drink some honeyed water. Feeling tired? Eat some gummy bears. The list could go on and on. What about the need for sweets now?
Gone. It is magically and completely gone. The intense craving for sugar is no more. I have defeated one of capitalism’s proudest achievements. Now I eat sweets to truly enjoy them, instead of using them as mental comforters. If I try to conjure up a perfectly charming swiss nuts chocolate bar, the attraction just isn’t there. The only time the reminiscent allurement can be felt is in the morning, when I’m most hungry. But savory steamed eggs with soy sauce and protein fluff with berries work as perfect remedies each time.
The last and the most important thing…
Abs
We’ve had an on-and-off relationship for like 5 years and now my babies are back! This time they’re very visible and has required, in my opinion, the least effort. We’ll see if they decide to stay in the next update.
So far so good! The perks are many, and I can’t come up with any negative effects for now except for the extreme hunger in the beginning. This means I will continue with IF. Perhaps I will even try with the longer fasting periods. See you in the next update!
Q: What methods have you tried for boosting your energy and living a healthier life?