Have you ever heard of intermittent fasting? It's supposed to make the kilos just fall off and without having to do without anything. But is it really true? I face my interval fasting experience.
Right on time after New Year's Eve it starts. Here a diet, there a few nutrition tips and right up front with heaps of instructions for intermittent fasting.
Or is the time just before summer the decisive point for your plan? The right time for interval fasting is the moment when you feel most motivated.
Because you will need the motivation to persevere :)
I took on the challenge. And kept it up for 7 weeks. This is my Intermittent Fasting experience.
You'll learn in this post,
- Interval fasting on test - My preparation,
- what my eating habits were like before fasting,
- my 7 days Intermittent Fasting experience,
- why I had to break the fast and
- Whether or not I continue with intermittent fasting.
The instructions are all well and good. But can it really work?
Can only be replaced by another Eating rhythm actually lose weight? For me to really believe it, have to try it myself.
To help you know if intermittent fasting is worth it, I've recorded my interval fasting experience for you here.
Interval fasting in test - my preparations
Before I lean into the plan, I research very carefully. What am I allowed to eat, what do I have to do without and when am I allowed to eat.
And very important: Can I drink my beloved cappuccino after getting up?
I'll give you a little overview here. If you want to know more about it, check out my post on intermittent fasting. Here I go into great detail.
Intermittent fasting - The step by step guide
I have me for the 16 8 method decided. This means nothing more than not eating for 16 hours at a stretch and then eating for 8 hours spread over 2 to 3x.
According to studies, my blood lipid levels should improve, belly fat should be reduced, and inflammation in the body should subside.
Because I don't eat for 16 hours, my insulin levels are supposed to lower and this is supposed to make you feel full faster if you eat something then.
Concentration is also said to improve and muscles grow.
Sounds good to me. That motivates me to actually tackle the interval fasting experience. Especially because I do not want to give up training despite 16 8 fasting.
Tip: You can learn more about interval fasting in the book "Intermittent fasting: for a long life - slim and healthy".. I ordered it from Amazon.
My eating habits before fasting
Since I don't like to eat breakfast during the week, it's an easy decision.
I do a lot of sports, like to eat a lot :) and chocolate can never be missing with me. Through the training I can keep my weight well. But I would like to lose a little fat.
But it really clings to me. It just doesn't want to become less.
Among other things I have already tried the cabbage soup diet. But that didn't really help. The only thing that has worked halfway is drinking water. And I've been doing that in large quantities for some time now.
The advantage: you feel full and do not have so much appetite. Drink water to lose weight is therefore a good tip that I can only warmly recommend to you.
The cabbage soup diet in the big self-test!
Intermittent Fasting Experience - It's Really Like That
I start fasting and want to see how interval fasting affects everyday life. I'm postponing the workout until the evening. Otherwise, the daily routine remains quite the same.
I am starting my Intermittent Fasting experience with a body fat percentage of 24%.
Day 1 intermittent fasting
Before I start my first day of intermittent fasting, I make a plan.
- The last meal between 7 and 8 pm
- The first meal between 11 and 12 o'clock.
- Coffee, water and unsweetened tea are available during the break.
I really enjoy the last meal before it really starts. There is salmon with oven vegetables.
Then it starts.
On the first day, I stand in front of the coffee machine, still slightly dreamy. To wake up immediately a delicious cappuccino. But - stop stop!
No way with cappuccino - that would contain milk and sugar! Oh no, what now? Black coffee. Sure.
What sounds easy is the biggest sticking point for me about the Intermittent Fasting Experience experiment.
My first black coffee tastes pretty disgusting. If you love coffee with milk and sugar, it's a real shock. I choke down the bitter stuff - otherwise I can't get going. I hope I get used to the taste.
Otherwise, fasting in the morning is easy for me. Although my stomach growls persistently at 10:00, but with a black coffee it is easy to suppress. Probably because the taste of coffee spoils my appetite. :)
Week 1 intermittent fasting
In the first week, I get more and more used to the new rhythm. Although the feeling of hunger remains in the morning, a glass of water or a coffee works wonders.
However, I often have trouble eating the last meal before 20:00.
I often don't get home until late. Sports, everyday shopping and visits to family and friends mean that I'm hardly ever home before 19:00. Then it's time to hurry - quickly cook something and eat.
After dinner, I often snacked or treated myself to a snack.
Of course, I had to avoid that now. That's what worried me the most in advance. But amazingly, I managed to break the habit very quickly.
All beginnings are difficult. For me, the first week was anything but easy. Especially in the office, when my colleagues start snacking next to work. I would have liked to grab them often. But I stayed tough and persevered.
At the end of the first week, I'm mega excited to see what the scale says. You are supposed to Interval fasting yes especially lose fat - but is that really true?
I would of course be happy about a weight loss. The last 2-3 kilograms I would like to lose stubbornly hold. So up on the scales.
Is the Intermittent Fasting experience really worth it? I'm pretty excited when I look at the scale.
Amazingly, I lost a whole 0.8kg - in one week. But my fat percentage surprised me - 24.4%. More than before.
Great, that discourages me of course. But I blame that on fluctuations in the scale, my cycle and generally on all sorts of things.
Lose weight at the touch of a button is not as easy as we thought.
Week 2 Intermittent Fasting Experience
So I started the second week motivated. It went even better than the first week.
I got used to the black coffee. Incredible!
And I'm trying to make the meal break of 16 hours even longer. The longer I hold out, the healthier and more balanced my diet will be in the remaining hours - This resolution stands firm.
This is noticeable on the scales at the end of the week. At the beginning I weighed 55.2kg, now it's only 53.9kg!
This is going better than I thought. Also my fat percentage was now lower. Still 23.6% - so I lost not only water, but also fat. Bull's eye!
There I can imagine the book "Losing weight for hopeless cases". so save it for later.
Week 3 and 4 Intermittent fasting
Still, Intermittent Fasting feels like a diet that hopefully will eventually end.
To prevent this, I allowed myself two cheat days.
In these I still eat healthy and in moderation, but do not keep the 16 h break.
That was a good move. From now on, fasting is really easy for me.
From week 7
In total, I hold out for 7 weeks. And weigh at the end only 52.1 kg with 22.1% fat - a mega success for me.
Then a nasty cold strikes me down. I carry it around with me for almost 4 weeks.
During this time, I refrain from fasting because, after all, my body should recover and not have to fight hunger as well.
After that, I have to slowly get used to interval fasting again. How quickly a few weeks can throw you off your game!
What is the next step for my Intermittent Fasting?
Meanwhile I'm fasting again as usual with 2 cheat days and love it. I don't feel so full and gorged anymore and I'm happy every time I step on the scale!
Many report headaches, concentration problems or feelings of weakness at the beginning. Fortunately, I didn't notice any of that. I was also able to do my usual amount of sports.
However, the 16/8 method is the gentlest of interval fasting. If you do not eat anything for a whole day, you will surely notice such side effects at the beginning.
My conclusion
Intermittent fasting was a complete success for me. I got used to the temporary abstinence very quickly. In general, there are no prohibitions - I ate what I felt like and until I was full. Of course, there was also a piece of chocolate or a bratwurst. :)
I hope my interval fasting experience makes it easier for you to start intermittent fasting. Good luck!
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