Happy happy Monday, friends!
Okay, back on March 4th, I declared this INTERMITTENT FASTING: PART 2 DAY!
If you read THE ORIGINAL POST then you know that I shared how for the last year, I have been giving myself digestive rest most days as a way to reduce inflammation in my gut and improve my overall metabolic health. I have personally found this way of eating VERY helpful for me especially as I age as a post-menopausal female.
In the first post, the plan was for anyone who wanted to try it/discuss it/learn about the benefits to read…
…Cynthia Thurlow’s best selling book INTERMITTENT FASTING TRANSFORMATION so that we could discuss it in the comment section of this post.
Considering the fact that this book was the most purchased item on my blog in the month of March, I feel like we’re going to have a really vibrant, encouraging and educated conversation today. I love, love, love that so many of you are thinking about your health and reading/learning more about topics that could possibly improve it. Even if intermittent fasting doesn’t work for you, the fact that you’re consciously seeking out ideas to “a better you” makes me happy.
Okay, this post is PART TWO. If you want to know the details about why I started IF, why I picked this book to be the one we read, my thoughts and feelings about my journey (and why it shouldn’t/won’t work for everyone), you need to read PART ONE.
Alrighty, so here are a few of my thoughts/tips/things I’m doing. I’ll share some and then, hopefully, you ladies can share as well in the comment section. Want to know what I love? I loved how after the FIRST POST, several people I know reached out and let me know they had been doing IF for years too. I was so encouraged by their texts and DMs. It’s always SO nice to know when we’re not doing things alone.
Okay, here are a few of my personal thoughts:
#1: I have decided (after trial and error) that 16 hours of IF with an 8 hour window is my sweet spot. Now, I’m not rigid and strict about this and some days, I’ll go 17 or maybe even 18 hours while other days, I’ll only hit 14 hours. My *best* timeframe is 16/8, but I’m not hard on myself if I miss it either way.
#2: I listened to a podcast this fall and the guest mentioned the app Zero to keep track of your fasting/eating window hours. The app looks like it does many other things too, but I downloaded it and only use it for keeping track of my window. I personally think it’s really helpful for me just as a reminder of how long I’ve been fasting/eating, but again, I don’t hold myself to it and overly focus on it. If you think this could be a beneficial tool for you, download it. If you think it will stress you out, don’t. It does not stress me out.
#3: My goal every day is to eat about 50 grams of protein at lunch and 50 grams at dinner. I don’t measure each gram, so I don’t know how close/precise I am, but I know enough now to know how many grams are in an egg, an 8 oz piece of salmon/chicken/beef, so I get close enough (for me). I always just look at my plate and think “how can I add the most protein”. I add fats, carbs and veggies too (I really don’t eat much fruit) to my plate, but animal protein is my main source of fuel and always makes me feel better than any other type of food. If I eat a lot of protein at lunch, then I’m not hungry for a snack mid-day and can easily wait until I eat my dinner that night. I’m not saying that I never have a snack, but most days, I just eat lunch and dinner that are really high in protein and that totally fills me up.
#4: When I travel, am invited to breakfast/brunch…if there is a life experience I want to enjoy, I cut my fast short and don’t think twice about it. I feel great when I do it, but I also feel great enjoying special moments with friends and family too.
#5: I do a clean fast each day which means I don’t drink anything other than plain water or black coffee. I wait and take my supplements with my lunch including my AG1 which is often how I break my fast (as I’m making my lunch, I’ll have some). I know that some people do “dirty” fasts (adding things to their coffee, drinking La Croix or similar beverages, etc), and to each his own, but for me, if I’m going to “do it”, I want to “do it” as well as I personally can.
#6: I’ve never been one to eat before I workout (I workout so early), but I did always have breakfast after I worked out. I was surprised by how much I have not missed this at all. I leave the gym feeling good after my workout but not ravenous. If I were ravenous, I would eat.
#7: I started this IF journey as a way to help my digestive system rest and reduce inflammation and based on the beautiful photos of my colon that I received post-colonoscopy last month, it’s working! Ha! You guys, bloating, constipation, and discomfort are no longer issues for me. I feel so much lighter and energetic eating this way.
So, those are a few of my thoughts…I have many, many more, but I would loveto know yours, what you thought about Cynthia’s book, if you have resources, all the things please!!
I feel very grateful that whether or not this works for you, we are at least all here having a conversation about living well. I just really, really want that for each of us.
Don’t forget, you can see all of my WELLNESS POSTS HERE including sleeping, exercise, activity and more!
Thoughts and comments below! Happy Monday! xx
