I tried popular weight loss diet for two weeks – here’s the surprising things I learned

There’s a lot to be said when it comes to food: don’t skip meals, skip snacks, eat intuitively, but don’t overeat…

It can all get very confusing! So it’s easy to see how appealing the simplicity of intermittent fasting – sticking to your usual calorie intake and restricting your eating at certain times of the day – can look.

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Especially if you want to lose weight, like most of us. This summer, the keyword “how to lose stubborn belly fat” increased Google searches for him by 1,100%.

A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that 10 weeks of intermittent fasting typically resulted in weight loss of 7 to 11 pounds.

Ten weeks seemed a little long for my first attempt, but would two weeks make a difference to my health, happiness, and scale numbers?

merit

“Reducing insulin during fasting has been shown to promote fat burning. Growth hormone levels may also increase, which can support fat burning and muscle building,” says The Detox. Kitchen Bible co-author and nutritionist Rob Hobson says.

“Fasting also appears to improve insulin sensitivity, which helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes,” says Robb.

Studies have shown that fasting can help prevent arthritis*, chronic pain** and high blood pressure***. Increased levels of healthy gut bacteria from intermittent fasting promote digestion, and a healthy gut improves mental health. .

getting started

So far, fasting sounds too good to be true, and I’m a bad calorie counter, so it’s all the more appealing.

As someone who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome, it seemed like I could also benefit from reducing meal times, avoiding late-night snacking, and letting my digestive system work its magic.

I choose the 16:8 diet. This involves him eating within an eight hour window and then fasting for 16 hours (other variations include 14:10 and 5:2 where he fasts two days a week). ).

In theory, you’ll sleep most of the 16 hours with a meal window of 9am-5pm or 12pm-8pm. This allows you to fit in with your usual breakfast, lunch and dinner times.

But you can set the time that suits you. During the first week, it was difficult to keep track of the fasting period.

Due to our busy schedules, we had to alternate eating times to avoid becoming antisocial.

As a result, during the eight-hour window I could eat, I was devouring everything I could get my hands on, which was unproductive.

Rob says: “Hunger can easily succumb, which can lead to binge eating and unhealthy snacking.”

To keep my energy levels up, I ate a lot of potato chips and biscuits as well as apples and bananas, which are said to curb hunger.

I was so tired and irritable, and angry at something so silly like eating when my boyfriend couldn’t.

I couldn’t face anything to do, so I canceled the plan.

On the positive side, by the end of the first week, I noticed my bowel movements were more regular as my body had time to actually digest what I ate.

Still, the number on the scale did not move even slightly.

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in the menu

The second week, I wanted to be more mindful of what, when, and what I was eating.

I set a feast time slot from noon to 8pm and stuck to it, narrowing it down to three meals. It was tough.

Rob told me to increase my fiber and protein intake to avoid feeling hungry.

Breakfast (most commonly eaten at lunchtime) was toast with peanut butter, overnight oats, or Greek yogurt and fruit.

I tried making falafel wraps for lunch, but ate carbs like potatoes and pasta for dinner to keep me feeling full longer.

After eating light meals like salmon and broccoli, I woke up hungry in the middle of the night.

drink up

I thought fasting meant avoiding tea, coffee, and other beverages that help soothe a rumbling stomach, but you don’t have to rule them out.

In fact, Rob suggests getting creative with your options. “Stock up on miso soup and low-calorie hot chocolate during the fasting period because you’ll be hungry,” he says.

I increased my fluid intake throughout the day and realized that sometimes when I thought I was hungry, I was actually dehydrated.

verdict

I didn’t lose any weight during the two weeks on the 16:8 plan, but at times I felt less bloated and fit comfortably in tighter skirts.

I also drank more water, watched what I was eating to stay energized, and stopped snacking at night (which is a real culprit when it comes to gaining weight).

But I underestimated how hard fasting can be.

Cavemen are good at it, fasting until they catch and kill their next meal, and some religions have regular periods of fasting, so it’s doable, but concentration, tolerance levels, and sleep take a toll. Significantly reduced and avoiding exercise. weak.

Rob suggests exercising between meals so you can replenish your energy and protein to help your muscles recover, but I’ve found it exhausting.

Fasting is logically difficult. Preparing meals in advance felt easier, but knowing that healthy meals were waiting in the fridge made me want to eat them sooner, which made sticking to the feast window even harder. It became difficult.

For me, fasting for weight loss didn’t feel sustainable for more than a few weeks, even if it affected my late-night snacking habits!