Hello, everyone!!!
Is IF a drug??? Cause I'm on day 3, and I'm SO stinkin excited and energetic!
Let me tell you a little about me:
6 months ago, I gave birth to my second child, miracle baby I almost lost at 25 weeks. I was on strict bedrest for the second half of my pregancy and gained a total of 50 lbs (maybe a couple more, but the last couple of weeks refused to look at the scale.) Lol.
I just weaned my daughter, so breastfeeding needs are no longer an issue.
I have been exercising at the level I can find time and energy for (read: sometimes, not a lot), and I have been calorie counting religiously with an Iphone app. My calorie budget is always 1200, but I find it VERY difficult to stay within it. That puts me at 300 cals a meal 4x a day. Yuck.
Slowly but surely I have lost all but 11 lbs of my pregnancy weight. Before my pregnancy, I was in excellent shape and ate within a calorie budget of 1500-2000 calories without gaining.
So, now that you know that, here it is.
I started IF this weekend after doing extensive research on it. I have been struggling with a small plateau and a raging appetite that is none too appeased with 1200 measly calories a day! I also read about some of the health and longevity benefits of IF. But I think the reason I really wanted to try it is to get in control of my appetite. TO feel like I'm the boss. I can eat. I can stop. And when I eat again, I can control myself. I mean, isn't that what it all comes down to???
So. Friday night, I stopped at 9pm. I work full time, am married and have two kiddos, so dinner doesn't get on the table until at least 6, sometimes 7 or later... especially when I commit to cooking myself. I ate pretty freely that last meal- not gonna lie. ;-)
I was up and down with the baby throughout the night, but managed to sleep in a bit Saturday. Then we went to the farmer's market, etc. I was offered "just a taste" of several things, but just said "I can't". And wow, noone even questioned it. Before I knew it, it was time to go home and work out. I hit the elliptical as hard as I could, and directly afterward scrambled up my eggs.
I'm on day three of 16 hr fast, 8 hr eating window. 1200 calories with an emphasis on protein and vegetables. I am not limiting my carbs strictly but also finding that I don't crave them as much.
IF is amazing so far. I thought I would feel horribly at first. But I really feel great. I am excited, because by working out at the end of my fast, I know that I am burning fat. I am serious about burning through this plateau. Thanks for this thread, guys. I'll let you know when the scale reflects my discipline, as I know it soon will.