I wanted to run a short test on Intermittent Fasting (IF) before committing whole-heartedly to that regimen. Here is what happened:

For 11 days I made no changes to my diet but instead attempted to simply compress my eating window to an eight hour period. What I found worked best for me was to skip the breakfast I usually eat right after waking. I simply moved breakfast time to around 10am. That also meant I shifted lunch to around 2 or 3 pm and finally dinner around 6pm.

I didn’t worry about minutes and seconds of the fasting window – just tried to be close. I downloaded the app Zero to make it easier. The hardest thing now is remembering to click the app button to start and stop each day. Haha

The Result

After 11 days, I lost an average of .586 pounds each day… this is without any real change to my diet. By restricting my eating window to an 8 hour time period, the body gets a chance to shift from constantly digesting food. It shifts to fat-burning mode and thus the weight loss.

Yes, this smacks in the face of the previous research which claimed that spreading meals throughout the day increases metabolism. The only thing we know for sure is that we don’t know everything. That is why I run tests to see what is effective in my body.

Double checking

To see if maybe subconsciously I was modifying my diet without noticing, I did a couple things. First, I made sure to track everything I ate. (I know, that alone may encourage me to make better choices) Then, I tried a 3-day stint of changing the timing of my eating back to the 3 meals a day with snacks (again, sale caloric intake as during fasting.) The result there?

During my 3-day reset, I gained .623 pounds a day.

Thoughts

Well, for now let me say, “It works for me.”

I am going to keep at it and see how it works for a couple months. I have never felt hungry during the fasting periods so I could see this as a lifestyle chance that is easy to adopt. The only downside is that it makes my eating schedule off kilter from friends and family. If they want to go for breakfast, I either miss out on sharing their company or make them feel odd because I am not eating. Its not too big of a deal, but it is noticeable.

What are your thoughts? Have you done it? Does it sound crazy? Let me hear from you.

by Chris Doelle

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