By Everyone had a different experience along their IF journey. I gave IF a try many years ago, and it was right after I finished my bodybuilding journey. I was sick of the constant focus on your body, the food deprivation, and I guess after a while when you do the same thing – it gets boring.
At the time, my trainer, who was helping me get ready for my comps, told me about IF and how great it was. I was sold on the idea of not having to prepare hundreds of meals a week and having a break from it. I didn’t think I’d know myself by not having to stay in the kitchen over the weekend preparing for my long week ahead. It was very tedious and expensive as well!
He recommended I eat dinner as my last meal and then skip my food until about lunchtime. So I tried that for a while, I gave it a good try. But In the end, I was just too hungry at breakfast. This is because I am and will always be a breakfast person. What I don’t feel like is eating dinner, and I wish I had known this sooner. This is what helped me fail in the end.
4 Intermittent fasting hacks you should know
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For stubborn fat loss, use the 20-hour method. I know this is a challenging time to fast because you will get hungry. When I was experiencing my set point weight, I decided the only way to move the needle was to fast for that little bit longer, about three days a week. This worked well for me, and I encourage you to do that regularly.
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Use fasting daily. I believe fasting works best when you practice it every single day. The best thing about this is you should and can change your hours according to your schedule. Fast for 12 hours, then another day for 18 etc. It’s completely flexible. Make the decision based on your lifestyle – not the other way around.
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Have a high-calorie day. It’s a perfect way of filling up on some calories that will also help you to make the most out of your workout in the gym. This is what we bodybuilders call the “refeeding” method. But, please don’t assume you should go all out and eat your whole cupboard. I would call a day when you indulge in a “cheat meal”, which consists of something you love. Eat it without guilt, and enjoy every mouthful.
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Always watch what you eat. A tip with IF is that you will not be as hungry as you once were once you start. This is a great sign, so please pay attention to it and stop eating or don’t eat. One thing most of us have lost touch with is our ability to listen to what our bodies tell us. If you are keen on weight loss, always make sure your meals are filled with low-calorie protein, and you could even carb cycle for ultimate fat loss and food enjoyment. I love to have 2–3 days a week, where I have salad and eggs for lunch. I love the simplicity of carrying one plastic container and eating my food from that. It’s also very filling, and best of all, low calorie! You can’t get better than that one!