By Battling for years to lose weight doesn’t have to be a part of your life anymore. It’s worth the weight in every way!
What would happen if the following five things became a reality?
- Still eat the foods you love and continue to lose weight
- Sustain weight loss so long as you stick to a routine
- Constantly repair your cells — removing unwanted waste from cells
- Facilitate fat burning, muscle gain and other neurological changes.
- Increases your fat-burning potential by lowering insulin every day
Does this all sound too good to be true? Welcome now to your new reality! Depending on how much weight we have to lose or our diet history, fasting is either a quick fix or more of a slow, prolonged journey. Either way, it’s well worth putting up with the first few weeks of your fasting journey feeling a little uncomfortable, hungry and tired. That lethargy will pass faster than you think right now— so ride the tide. When I began fasting about a year ago, it took me almost three months to notice any difference in my shape. I was frustrated every month, but my inherent goal was not entirely to lose weight — more so to help me heal my digestive issues and control all the allergic responses to foods toxins I seemed to have developed. Each time I was training in the gym, I realised that my body shape was not altering (which left me disheartened at regular times). I felt better as the weeks and months progressed, although I was somewhat bloated and didn’t feel right. Slowly, I began trying out some other alternatives between fasting to see if it made a difference. I added carb cycling into the mix, as well as a bit of HIIT. A few dietary changes were also implemented, adding days of meagre calories, pivoting between a re-feed, and extending my fasting times a little more. I believe adding these strategies helped me to achieve my goal.
Eliminating bloating and water retention
The best result of fasting was decreasing my water retention and bloating. Giving my digestion an extended break from food allowed more breathing space to heal my gut and ease any stomach upsets I usually develop. It most certainly helps if you can space your meals a lot more. Overeating in one sitting doesn’t agree with me at all. If there is one piece of advice I can give you, extend your eating as much as you can.
Energy abundance
I didn’t expect from fasting my increase in energy levels and the laser-focused concentration I seem to get from it (which only happens when I’m fasting). The longer I fast, the more I experience this. My memory is sharp, all these ideas seem to flow to me, and I can stay fixated on a task until it’s complete. I save all of my complex and conceptual work during this time. I love spending this time writing articles, as I tend to tap into my emotions & somehow quickly gather up pockets of information hidden in the depths of my brain a lot easier. Once I eat, though, the levels diminish somewhat. This is because it takes my body a bit of time to re-focus and get back into the flow. I control this by limiting my carb intake when I need to exercise my focus.
Building muscle & strength easier and faster
I’m from a competitive bodybuilding background, and I know the hard work involved in building muscle and maintaining fat loss. I did this for a long time until it became a huge struggle. When my hormonal shift occurred every month, I felt like I always took three steps backwards. First, the gains in muscle I’d make in a month would be lost instantly, adding on the bloating and water retention. It was a never-ending battle for me. When I started to fast, I noticed I was able to build muscle and maintain it constantly! Not to mention keeping myself lean without dreadful cravings and energy slumps. I couldn’t believe that after all these years of eating six meals a day and training so hard, there was another solution called fasting that threw my old theories out the window. If only I had known the potential of fasting sooner! Now, I train with less frequency yet experience even more gains in muscle mass, and of course, strength! But this time, it’s consistent and not altered by hormonal shifts. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to train well and yet sustain the results. It’s the effect of the Human Growth Hormone. Because I do train in a fasted state, I get better muscle gain results. A word of caution — this isn’t ideal for everyone. If you want to gain some serious muscle mass, then training after your feed is probably a lot more beneficial for you. I like to keep lean muscle mass and training in a fasted state. I find it easier on my digestion.
Final thoughts
I love fasting because I can now eat the things I want without feeling guilty or depriving myself. I spent so many years cutting carbs and not having the dessert I wanted — all because I was afraid of undoing all of my hard work. My insulin would rise in a matter of minutes after eating something high in sugar. I wondered why all of a sudden, my body couldn’t take carbs or treats anymore. But, with fasting, I can have my favourite foods (in moderation, of course) and know that my cheat meal won’t break the hard work. This is something a lot of my fellow faster have mentioned too. Even though we all still have to be mindful of our choice, adding comfort food isn’t going to break the fat loss bank in any way. I recommend fasting to anyone experiencing fat gain and willing to make a small sacrifice, not only for fat loss but also for their health. I would never go back to any other way of eating again. For years I’ve tried every diet known to man, and this is the only solution that ticks all the boxes.