You hear it and think “starvation mode” and might even think “anorexic teen girls,” or “juicing” but intermittent fasting (IF) isn’t about any of these things. It’s not even about calorie reduction. I’ll say that again. You are not limiting how many calories you eat in a day. That stays the same. It’s all in the timing. Isn’t it always? Say hello to the eating window that is noon – 6pm. Say what now?

Okay, to be fair, IF means different things to different people and different diets. For some like the 5:2 diet it means calorie restriction 2 (non-consecutive) days per week.

WHY INTERMITTENT FASTING?

When you fast, insulin levels drop and human growth hormone increases. Your cells also initiate important cellular repair processes and change which genes they express. This article says it better than I can: 10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

HOW INTERMITTENT FASTING?

Ideally you want to sleep from 11pm to 7am. But I have a hard time living in “ideally.” I aim for it, and never quite get there, but I work towards it. What I do is less about “fasting” and more about “scheduled eating.”  My breakfast happens at noon. Before then I limit myself to tea, coffee, MCT oil and heavy cream. Trust me, you have MCT oil in your tea and the last thing you want to do is eat. If you’re up for incorporating MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides) start slowly (1 tsp. working up to 2 tbl. three times daily) or you’re gonna hate me (and be chained to the loo with ‘rhea). This is the advice I’ve read, but I don’t follow it. Not yet. Some days I add MCT oil, others cream.

I’m just putting this out there because I hate when I see people who are successful at losing weight but they don’t tell the full story. So, here it is.

For emotional support, I also attend Weight Watchers meetings, though I don’t count points or anything. I go to keep me focused and motivated. As a lifetime member, I do not need to pay to go to these meetings.

I’ve also been to a doctor who monitors my cholesterol, vitamin D, liver function, and fat percentages to make sure I’m losing fat, not muscle. For years I’ve tried appetite suppressants without any success. Tenuate, Phentermine, combinations with Wellbutrin. None of it worked. Let me say that again. They did not work. It perhaps stopped me from gaining more than I would’ve, but I never lost weight on them because I used them as permission. Permission to eat like a fatty, then try to make up for it by taking an appetite suppressant. It never did. Don’t get me wrong, they help curb your appetite, but so does MCT oil!

I won’t lie to you. I’ve had a hard time purely fasting with nothing but decaf espresso, black, and nothing else until noon. Though I can do it with a tablespoon of cream. More on intermittent fasting in these books: