What I gained from Intermittent Fasting

One week into Intermittent Fasting (of between 16 and 18 hours each day), these are the key observations I made:

• 16: 8 is easier than I expected to incorporate sustainably (i.e. fasting from 8pm — 12pm)…it basically just involves not eating all morning.
• 18:6 is a little bit harder but not as hard as I expected to achieve (I did this on two days). And the productivity/energy gains seem to be better than 16:8.
• 18:6 is ideal for convenience (minimal disruption) and to eat daily calories (if bulking e.g. for gym). 18:6 would clearly be very good for losing weight since it is easier to reach a daily calorie deficit.
• Each day, I wasn’t overly desperate to break the fast and as long as not thinking about or around food, I could quite easily fast for longer.
• I have increased energy and focus in the fasted state — really great for productivity. I was surprised by how marked this effect was. If I overeat when breaking the fast, productivity as expected goes down.
• For me, intermittent fasting is much easier than a calorie restricted diet (e.g. 400 calories per meal) since I am inclined towards “volumetric eating”, which is eating healthy, whole, high fibre and protein foods till feeling full.
• Body fat % has been decreasing (notably including visceral fat) but would need to continue to see what the sustainable benefits are exactly.
• Mild hunger pangs for me in the morning but then dissipate, especially after cardio exercise and coffee.
• Reduced appetite (or at least not as ravenous as I thought I’d be) when breaking the fast.
• In the fasted state, water, black coffee and green tea are all acceptable to drink…and definitely do help to decrease hunger.
• A pint of water before a meal increases fullness and prevents overeating…not just for intermittent fasting, this is just good general advice.
• It is compatible with cardio exercise (I tried 20 mins or so, combined with resistance training). I didn’t try pushing it further…I suspect it will trigger symptoms of low blood sugar.
• Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to consume protein right after a gym workout. Therefore you can fast after a workout. So long as protein goals are met within 24 hours of the session. I will be trying this out for longer to see what effect it has on workout performance.

In summary, Intermittent Fasting definitely seems to be worthy of all the recent hype.

From my own observations so far, it is a winning and — most importantly — a sustainable strategy for overall health, weight loss, focus, energy and productivity.

I even managed to write this article from start to finish without getting distracted, which I have never done before!

Intermittent Fasting is meant to have more profound benefits for the brain, inflammation, blood sugar regulation and even lifespan, but it is harder for me to comment on those for now…