Intermittent Fasting Saved Me From Myself
I knew nothing about Intermittent fasting and its benefits. I was only doing what was suggested by my physician at the time, so I kept trying. This eating every couple hours was supposed to help keep my blood sugar from having all those highs and lows. It would keep my energy more stable and by eating less at my main meals, would improve my digestion.
I can assure you that this plan was not working for me, but I never once thought that it was the plan. it was of course, my execution of the plan. Isn’t that what we tend to think – it must be me! It’s my fault that I’m gaining weight, low in energy, trending towards Type 2 Diabetes, not sleeping well, etc. What am I doing wrong?
You Can’t Exercise Away Poor Nutrition – I Tried!
I had recently trained for a ½ Ironman and for all my exercise, I could not lose the extra 
weight I was carrying. Of course, some came off, but I was still 20+ pounds heavier than I wanted to be on the day of the event. I mean I was either biking, swimming, or running almost every day for 6 months at least and couldn’t lose the weight. During and after exercise, I ate granola bars, energy bars, and, sugary goo. Go figure! My body was not learning how to burn my body fat for energy. I was keeping it 100% satisfied with consumption of easy energy in the form of simple carbohydrates. At that time, my longest intermittent fast was overnight and only 8 hours at most. I typically ate before going to bed and then again first thing in the morning.
Again, I was doing what I thought was right. Only one time, did someone suggest that I not eat the energy goo or bar for an hour bike ride. Of course, he didn’t share why not and I didn’t take him seriously because I NEEDED that energy!
My Turning Point – Thank Goodness
I was fortunate enough to have someone in my life that introduced me to a book by Gary Taubes, titled Good Calories, Bad Calories. This book captured my curiosity and I could not put it down. This is the book that changed my life – was a real turning point for me! It’s a pretty heavy book that is full of data for those of us that enjoy that level of detail. If you prefer more of the highlights, you might enjoy his other book, Why We Get Fat”.
An easier read, but still fascinating. A couple years ago, I actually wrote to Mr. Taubes to thank him for writing this book since I feel it turned my life around…in a very good way. I might still be stuck in the cycle of eating every 2 hours and feeding myself carbs just to get out on my bike for a short training ride. There are many books out there that talk about eating a nutrient dense diet along with Intermittent Fasting. Some recent research from the National Institute on Aging shows intermittent fasting can lead to improvements in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and neurological disorders.
What Finally Worked – Real Food & Intermittent Fasting
I basically changed my diet the very next day after reading Gary’s book. I got rid of the highly processed foods, pastas, sugary foods, cereals, and breads. Vegetables and meat became the focus of each meal with plenty of healthy fats. No more food after dinner – that was a BIG deal! I didn’t realize at the time that what I had done was implement intermittent fasting along with my more nourishing meals.
I quickly found that I didn’t need to snack as much, but when I did, I kept it to more protein and fat and nutrient dense non starchy carbs in the form of vegetables. The weight that I could not lose while training almost every day for a ½ ironman came off on its own. I lost those 20 stubborn pounds over several months and have kept them off +/- for the last 10 years.
Now, did I do everything perfectly? Of course not, there is no such thing. In my zealousness to change my eating habits, I consumed way too much bacon, cheese, and meat. We are all a work in progress, so I learned a few things along the way. It was after this that I decided to go back to school and become a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Learning about nutrient density and variety in foods along with Bio-Individuality took my understanding to the next level.
What Can You Do Right Now?
I know many folks in the same situation I was in – doing what we think SHOULD work, but not seeing the results. I am here to say that maybe, just maybe, it isn’t you! Check out this article I wrote earlier in the year to see what foods will keep you nourished and satisfied.
With that in mind, follow the guidelines below as much as possible and I promise that you will feel better. Cravings will subside and the need to have energy via sugar or caffeine when exercising or simply throughout the day will diminish.
Avoid overly processed foods, sugars and refined grains.
Crowd them out by eating more non-starchy vegetables, soaked or sprouted legumes, nuts and seeds, fruit, animal proteins, and healthy fats.
Become a “fat burner” instead of a “sugar burner”.
Avoid snacking by eating nourishing foods. Be active throughout your day and work on building strength.
Consider a simple form of intermittent fasting.
Very popular right now and supported by many studies like this one from the New England Journal of Medicine. Intermittent fasting builds on the understanding that our body needs time to digest, detox and rebuild. First step is to avoid any foods after dinner so that you have at least 12 hours between end of dinner and breakfast. You can start increasing your fast as you become comfortable. This can look like an “eating window” each day. Let’s say between 10am and 6pm. Play around with this to find what works for you.
Avoid eating any food after dinner.
Improve your sleep and allow your body to do what it is supposed to do overnight.
My next article will give some great “snack food” ideas because sometimes a snack is exactly what is in order. So, let me help you find something that works with you and not against you. Sign up on the main blog page to be notified when the next article is published.
I love to hear from you – what foods did you start swapping out that are more nutrient dense? Have you stopped eating after dinner? How many hours are you fasting before breakfast? What have you noticed around your energy or need to snack throughout the day?
I never signed up to get more blogs! Can I send this on to my family in MN? I know mom would love what you are writing.
Hi Katie,
Absolutely, just send her the URL to the blog page and let her know that she can sign up for my newsletter from this page. Just go over to the right paneland scroll down a little – there you will see “Newsletter Sign Up”. I will always send out a brief newsletter letting you know there is a new article posted. ~ Wilma
[…] how I told you that I used to HAVE to eat all the time, every couple hours or else I got HANGRY? My go to snacks at that time were things like crackers, cliff bars, granola bars, luna bars, […]