My Experience With Intermittent Fasting

​In July of 2017 I reached my highest weight of 215 lbs.  I not only could see the extra lbs in my tight clothes but could feel its effects taking a toll on my body physically.  I was always tired and unable to walk up a flight of stairs without knee pain or being out of breath.  I knew I had to do something but didn’t want to do another crash diet that would leave me weak, hungry, and eventually gaining all my weight back again.  I began doing research on lifestyle changes and came across intermittent fasting.  Intermittent fasting is essentially an eating schedule where you don’t eat any calories for a minimum of 16 hours per day.  The thing that attracted me to fasting in the beginning was that you don’t necessarily have to cut any of your favorite foods out of your diet. As someone who had little success maintaining a restricted diet in the past, I decided to give it a try.  I started fasting 20 hours per day 5 days per week, usually only eating between 4 pm and 8 pm each day.   Aside from weight loss, some of the benefits of fasting include lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  As a black woman with a family history of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, these benefits sounded consequential.  It took me about 2 months to adjust to my new eating schedule and during that time I struggled with fatigue, dizzy spells, hunger pangs, and moodiness.  It was definitely not an easy transition, and I would tell anyone thinking about fasting to start with a lower fasting window and then gradually increase your hours over time.  With any lifestyle change, there is an adjustment period, and for someone used to eating or snacking ever 2-3 hours, my body struggled with the reduced food intake.  Because I did want to better my overall health, in conjunction with fasting, I also reduced the amount of fried foods, processed foods and sugar I ate.  I made things like cake and ice cream an occasional treat, stopped eating at fast food restaurants, and stopped buying as much canned and boxed foods at the grocery store. I also increased my exercise by running 2 miles 2-3 days per week and after 3 months I had lost about 20 lbs. Some other benefits I have experienced are better metabolism, increased energy, clearer skin, better focus, and reduced joint pain in my knee.  My relationship with food had completely changed and my cravings for unhealthy foods had reduced significantly.  It has been two years since I began fasting and I have lost 55 lbs which took me about 18 months in total to lose.  I am not always consistent with exercise or always eating the right things but have still managed to maintain my weight at 155 lbs. for the past year by consistently fasting.  I now only fast on average 16 hours per day, some days longer, some days shorter.  I have learned what true hunger feels like, and I’m able to trust body to tell me when its time to eat.  Fasting has given me that power back.   I no longer need a snack to get me through till my next meal, nor do I have to sit by the clock counting the seconds till I can eat again.  Intermittent fasting allowed me to reset my body, so it now knows when to send those hunger signals to my brain.  If you are thinking about trying intermittent fasting, my recommendation would be to keep it simple.  Begin with a reasonable fasting window somewhere between 12-14 hours and work your way up.  Since you are fasting when you are sleeping, including that time in your fasting schedule helps because you are only fasting 6-8 hours while you are awake.  I personally find it easier to fast at work because I am busy doing other things, so most of my fasting takes place during my workday.  Staying hydrated, and drinking mineral water helps with hunger pangs.  As a 36-year-old black woman who has struggled with my weight most of my adult life, I believe intermittent fasting is the best alternative to most diets out there.  Not only does it help with weight loss, but it addresses many of the health issues we as black women are more susceptible to.  Would you try intermittent fasting?  Why or why not?