Below is a record of something I'm trying to get some control on my waistline. I'm just too heavy. So I learned about intermittent fasting from a basketball official I worked with back in February. Honestly, it sounded to good to be true. And I'm normally the pessimistic person in the fold who follows the old saying "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I've tried a variety of approaches in my day, and several years ago participated in Weight Watchers and really did well with it. I counted points; I went to meetings; I weighed in once a week; and I lost a lot of weight - like over 50 lbs. Life changed, my schedule no longer fit the meetings schedule, and online progress wasn't enough for me to stay motivated and regimented.
And I've tried other "stuff". I've tried meal replacement shakes; I've tried to eat healthier because seriously we all do indeed know how to eat healthy or not eat healthy. And I've heard about all of the other "plans". But here's the problem...these news and best plans all require the purchase of their products - food, shakes, drinks, powders, etc. And the "too good to be true" person tends to believe those plans are more interested in selling their products than really helping a person lose weight and be healthier.
So an alternative eating strategy that costs NOTHING that may benefit me was attractive.
Intermittent fasting basically is eating NOTHING for an extended period of time. The link to the information I have found most helpful is included above my recent chart records. The spokesman goes by the name of Edward V.
BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER....I'm a little hesitant in even sharing this because I don't know the qualifications of Edward V. I've attempted to contact him just to find out if he's some kind of credentialed expert, but I haven't received a response yet. And he does sell "stuff" and he does have sponsors that sell "stuff", including meal plans. In his videos so far, though, I've never heard him require any money for continued information or support.
And now....if you look below, you will see about a month of records. Admittedly I know that none of us should weigh each other each day. Seeing the ups and downs of weight loss can be frustrating, so most weight loss strategies suggest weighing in once a week. On the other hand, I wanted to allow myself to see how different days seem to affect me.
As you will see, I started out on the 16:8 plan. The first week was a challenge, and I worked hard to drink a lot of fluids to try to help me get through my mental difficulty of feeling hungry. The first week, I also got some help because I was still officiating basketball, which gives me exercise without really thinking of it as exercise. AN IMPORTANT POINT that I wanted to factor in was that I would not limit myself to amount or type of foods I ate during my "feeding window". I figured that it would be easier for me to stick to fasting if I didn't limit myself to what I could eat during feeding.
And as you also will see, I did have days of some exercise, no exercise, and a lot of exercise. Plus there were a few days for whatever reason that I just didn't weigh myself to get the data.
THE RESULTS - I know what you are saying..."But Jay, you have been doing this for a month, and you haven't lost much weight at all." I hear you, but some things I think are positive.
- When I'm fasting, I'm not grabbing unhealthy food to "snack on."
- Feeling hungry now feels better than feeling full. I know that may be all in my head, but feeling hungry seems to make me feel lighter, and I don't like the "heaviness feeling" when it seems like I'm full.
- While I know that I must be slowing down my metabolism, I haven't gained weight from my last basketball game until now. That's a big deal for me. Usually between basketball officiating season and softball umpiring season, I gain weight.
- I'm no longer eating anything past 8 p.m. Previously, I was notorious for working a basketball game, arriving home after 9 p.m. and eating a meal...maybe some chips...and maybe a desert - thinking that I had worked hard and it was okay to reward myself, OR being so tired, I didn't care how much I ate or what I ate. (Now when softball starts, this might be more challenging that I will need to contend with.)
- I'm not eating breakfast. Now I know that breakfast is suppose to be the most important meal of the day, but my breakfast usually consisted of bacon, eggs, and toast with butter on it. I'm going to be very curious what my blood work tells me as a result of this change in eating habits. Admittedly, I can choose to have breakfast for supper, but at least I know I'm not having bacon and eggs at least three days a week like was typical for me previously.
- While I initially started this with my feeding window from noon to 8 p.m., while I've been on Spring Break, I've started experimenting with 4-8 p.m. as a feeding window - switching myself to a 20:4 schedule. I still feel hungry, but I've been trying to stay particularly active from noon-4 p.m. to help myself. (Yesterday I cleaned out the garage and got my umpiring gear loaded in my car, so I stayed busy.)
- I have not experienced feeling "overly tired" while on my fasting window, so I haven't perceived anything different in my overall energy level.
- I feel mentally stronger (and I know this sounds weird) with my "self talk" telling myself I can have that snack or food if I want it, but I just have to wait for my feeding window to do self. In this way, I don't feel like I'm restricting what I can eat. I realize this might be all in my own brain, but that's okay.
THINGS THAT IM CURIOUS ABOUT
- How are "internal body things" doing? I wonder how I'm doing with blood pressure and cholesterol and BMI.
- I wonder when I start back up with softball if I'll see a more noticeable weight loss.
- I wonder if/when I will start to be more interested in being more selective with what I eat during the feeding window. For example, would I eat more nutritious foods and limit unhealthy snacks if I decided to pay more attention - maybe even record - the food I do eat during the feeding window.
- I wonder when I go to try those Dockers on Monday when we go back to school if my waistline will feel noticeably skinnier.
- My "markerboard" routine below involves a very brief workout with some exercises with dumb bells. So I'm doing just a little strength training, and I'm not sure how that is factoring in.
So that's my journey so far. One thing I know for sure. I haven't spent one dime on this approach to trying to drop a few pounds.
https://www.youtube.com/user/EVMysterious/about
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