By I missed out on one important factor for fasting success — and I want to share it with you.
I have a secret — my first attempt at fasting failed miserably.
It was probably one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had, and this is coming from a person who took on the world of bodybuilding for a long time and knows what dieting is all about. But, for some reason, this didn’t click for me.
I hated that I was so hungry all the time, no matter how much I ate — then when the fasting time frame came around — it was a battle to the last second!
I could think of nothing but food until the very minute I was about to eat.
Anyone would have thought I was mad — and I think I was getting close to that!
That failed attempt left me to ask why it didn’t work? I mean, this diet is pretty easy to follow and almost guaranteed success. I know this now that I have tried it out again the second time.
Back then, I honestly thought I had no self-control or that diets didn’t work for me anymore. I was a competitor, after all, and that strict diet must have done something hideous to my metabolism.
When I gave up fasting, I gained weight, and it didn’t come off for the next seven years.
That was my battle — to find out why this happened & to seek out some way to successfully lose weight & maintain that weight loss.
When my friend told me I should try fasting, I was adamant at first. I had already tried it out, and it didn’t work. Now seven years later, I still couldn’t find anything to help me lose weight and get my health back. So it seemed stupid to try the same thing again — or did it?
One thing I did that was completely different from my first fasting experience — something that worked well for me. Lord only knows why I didn’t even think of it initially. Let me explain.
Let’s talk about Circadian rhythm.
Our metabolism is closely linked to our circadian rhythm.
Your metabolism changes through the day based on your internal body clock. Have you noticed there are times during the day you feel more hungry than others?
That’s the very thing I’m talking about. So if you are new to this, take note when your hunger signals come up — and more importantly, when they do not.
Experts in this field state that aligning your mealtime with your circadian rhythm can help maximize weight loss, improve endurance, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and lower blood pressure.
From my own experience, it can eliminate hunger and allow you to keep a regular and successful fasting lifestyle. You no longer have to fight the desire to eat multiple times a day.
The things that can mess with your circadian rhythm are;
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Travelling and shifting from different timezones
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Working shift hours
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Staying up later at night or getting up earlier in the mornings
If this happens all the time, it can lead to increases in insulin.
Elevations of insulin consistently lead to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. If you think of this as going out of sync with your bodies natural rhythm (sort of like a tug of war), it will make a lot of sense.
It puts our bodies under stress, and stress is cortisol. Too much of it leads to disease and health compromises.
If you stay consistent with your natural circadian rhythm, everything will seem to be more accessible, helping you stay in tune with your body’s requirements — both for fat loss and health.
Now, I know this isn’t always easy, but being flexible is vital.
How did this work for me and my fasting?
I chose to eat earlier on in the day and fast from lunchtime onwards. This works best for me because, after 2 pm, I no longer feel hungry. However, I’m hungry (according to my circadian rhythm) at the start of the day.
It can be the opposite for others. For instance, my daughter never feels hungry in the mornings and eats more at night.
Pay attention to your bodies natural hunger signals, and you will know what timeframe works best for you. This is probably the best advice I can give anyone when it comes to losing weight.
You will be surprised that so many professionals don’t consider this holistic principle.
As for hunger, It won’t be too much of a problem if you follow your body rhythm. However, sometimes extreme hunger when fasting is a sign you didn’t eat enough food. If this happens consistently, try increasing your calories and see if it makes a difference.
Don’t be scared to eat a bit more protein, mainly if you train.
We will always become more hungry if our activity levels increase.
It’s only natural for our bodies to communicate with us via hunger to replace lost nutrients. We must pick and choose if we give in to the urge or wait for our next meal. You have to make that choice based on your nutrition and physique goals.
If you find it hard to understand when you are hungry (because you are hungry all the time), that’s a sign that you’ve stopped listening to your body’s signals.
My suggestion is, eat three meals a day, with no snacks. Then, slowly skip your breakfast for one day, then your dinner on another occasion. After that experiment, note the levels of hunger, and continue to run with your regular activities.
If you do this for 40 days, your body will tell you the answer. Perhaps it won’t even take you that long at all.
Happy circadian rhythm fasting, everyone