Summer is here, which is a favorite time for most of us to get healthy or healthier. Intermittent fasting can help with weight loss as well as with improving your all-over health. Here’s my story about my first shot at intermittent fasting which is suitable for Intermittent fasting for beginners.
I’m in my 6th week of intermittent fasting, and though I haven’t lost much weight, I feel good, and I’m able to choose much more wisely on the foods I eat. Keep reading to find out what else I can forgo (finally).
Intermittent Fasting for Beginners
While I was on vacation in New Mexico this past May, I met a couple at a dinner party that we attended. They brought their own food to the dinner party. I was very intrigued by why. It turns out neither of them eats foods that contain lectins (that’s another story) and do intermittent fasting. Because they brought their food, I asked Loralee, the wife why. She explained to me why they don’t eat lectins and that they are also doing intermittent fasting. She told me it helps people lose weight and feel better.
Before I begin here, I want to say, “it’s easier than you might think. Intermittent fasting for beginners is where I started and is very doable. If you’re here, hang with me, you can do it.
Fast forward six weeks. This is how long I’ve been doing intermittent fasting. It’s been a slow process for me, but I’m doing it, and I haven’t stopped. I feel great and have more energy during the day. I had to give up one thing I thought I’d never been able to.
When you do intermittent fasting, you can drink coffee, tea, or water in the morning – and nothing else.
I didn’t think I could do it, but I DID. I gave up natural sugar in my morning coffee. OMG – I no longer crave food at 10:30 AM.
Here’s how my previous days went (for many years).
Wake up, have my morning 2-3 cups of coffee with one packet of either Truvia, Pure, or Stevia in each cup. With my 2nd cup, I ate breakfast.
At 10:30 AM – I was hungry. Sometimes I would snack, but often if it were closer to 11:00 AM, I’d go ahead and eat lunch.
Around 2:30-3:00, I’d have a snack.
Dinnertime came around, and I couldn’t wait until I ate (about 5:30-6:00 PM).
Evening rolls around and often I’d have a bowl of cereal.
ALL THAT IN ONE DAY!! I did this forever. Some days were better than others.
I will say I have been fortunate that I don’t weigh more than I do. Some might say I’m crazy because I want to lose weight. It’s not so much about losing weight as it is feeling good and being able to wear the clothes in my closet.
Here’s how my days go doing intermittent fasting
Wake up, have my morning coffee – BLACK. Mostly only one cup, because believe it or not I don’t like black coffee.
I don’t eat breakfast until 10 AM.
Lunch is around 1 PM.
Dinner is around 5:30-6:00 PM.
That’s it. That’s all: three meals a day and no snacking.
Of course, life gets in the way sometimes, and I have to eat differently. If for some reason, I eat later than 6 PM, because not all people eat as early as I do, I’ll only eat two meals the next day. Say lunch at Noon and dinner at 5:30. Intermittent fasting for beginners is definitely a lifestyle change.
By not having sugar in the mornings, which raising blood sugar levels, I’m able to last longer before I eat. See why intermittent fasting is good for your health?
So, my intermittent fasting is 16:8. I eat within 8 hours and nothing in the next 16 hours. It’s so easy for me to do this. Maybe for you too. Give it a try.
Intermittent Fasting for Beginners
From what I read, intermittent fasting varies. Some go 2-3 days without eating.
So before you begin, choose what form of intermittent fasting you want to do. For example, you could eat only during a specific time, and fast the rest, as I do. Again, I do 16:8, which means I go 16 hours before I eat my first meal. I can eat within 8 hours. This option is a great starting point for beginners. Or, you can eat how you want and when you want and then fast for 2-3 days. However, try to eat healthy every day.
The way I do intermittent fasting is very doable as you are sleeping for most of those 16 hours. Because I no longer put sugar (sugar is sugar, no matter what kind you eat) in my morning coffee, my blood sugar doesn’t rise, and I don’t get the hunger pains I once did at 10:30 in the morning.
Intermittent Fasting
After reading this, wouldn’t you say that intermittent fasting is good for your health? Next, I may write a post about lectins. After listening to my friends I met in New Mexico about what lectins are and what it can do to your body, I’m now limiting the foods that contain lectins. Look that word up – it’s frightening.
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I have heard so many positive stories of intermittent fasting! My husband tried it for about a month and felt better!