WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY AS A TEENAGER

INTERMITTENT FASTING

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It does not say anything about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them. There are several different intermittent fasting methods, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods. (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-intermittent-fasting#section1)

Fasting methods, Ive tried:

1)16:8

2)20:4

3)18:6

4)OMAD

1)16:8 FAST

16 hours of fasting, 8 hours of eating.

Typical routine:

1st meal: 12:00PM

2ndmeal: 3:00PM

3rd / last meal: 7:00PM

2)20:4 FAST

20 hours of fasting, 4 hours of eating.

Typical routine:

1st meal: 12:00PM

2nd / last meal: 4:00PM

3)18:6 FAST

18 hours of fasting, 6 hours of eating.

Typical routine:

1st meal: 12:00PM

2nd meal/snack: 3:00PM

3rd/ last meal: 6:00PM

4)OMAD FAST

23 hours of fasting, 1 hour of eating:

Typical routine:

1st/last meal: 2:00PM

- Usually after 12:00PM and depends on what time youre hungry.

- I use this method for cheat meals.

BENEFITS OF FASTING:

-significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as a drastic increase in human growth hormone. (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-intermittent-fasting#section2)

-Lose fats: Fasting drains your body of its glucose reserves, its main energy source from food. Without glucose, you switch over to burning fat for fuel in a process called ketosis.

-Improves memory: Intermittent fasting improves learning and memory, another protective measure against serious neurodegenerative diseases. A 2009 study of 50 elderly adults found that three months of caloric restriction boosted memory (measured by their ability to recall words).

-Keeps cells resilient: Another way it increases your lifespan and slows aging is by manipulating mitochondrial networks. Mitochondria are the power generators in your cells — they produce most of the energy thats needed for a cell to survive. A 2017 study from Harvard University found that fasting kept mitochondrial networks fused together. Thats what keeps the mitochondria strong and able to do their job of processing energy — crucial for longevity and vibrant aging.

Taken from: https://www.bulletproof.com/diet/intermittent-fasting/intermittent-fasting-benefits/

How did fasting helped me (personal):

-Increase awareness and energy levels

-No longer stress about what time I should eat

-Helped me to lose weight

-Controlled my eating habits

-Allowed me to gain control over myself.

How you should start fasting:

-For me, I started the 16:8 fasting method first. After a week or 2 of getting to know more about fasting and setting the right mentality to change my lifestyle, I moved on to 20:4.

-After a week of 20:4, I took a break for about a week or so, doing the 16:8 method before moving back to 20:4 the week later to lose more fat.

-P.S I work out before having my meals.

-Hitting straight to 20:4 might not be a good idea because the change is quite big, from eating frequently to a smaller eating time frame. Youll be more likely to give up. Therefore I highly encourage you to go with 16:8 for about a week or so before going 20:4.