Experiment: Only Eating 8-10 out of 24 Hours a Day
Intermittent Fasting… it sounds kind of like sporadic self-torture… and it is! I kid, but it does take a little adjusting to.
Ok, so why… bother restricting your eating to 8-10 hours a day? There are many health benefits to Intermittent Fasting (IF), such as:
- Reduced insulin levels, which aids in fat burning
- Increased level of human growth hormone, supporting muscle development
- Cellular repair and immune system support
- Reduced inflammation in the body
- Potential benefits for heart health and cancer prevention
- Good for your brain and may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease
- May help you live longer
Uh oh… I luuurv breakfast. I eat eggs scrambled with assorted veggies, herbs, and savory nutritional yeast every day (check out some of my favorite eggy dishes here). Since the most straightforward way to implement IF is to skip breakfast, I’m going to have to reconcile how to give up this joyous part of my day.
About that… I’ve also adopted a grazer diet for years, eating small frequent meals and snacks throughout my waking hours. I had previously heard this was the best way to keep the caloric oven constantly burning and maintain steady energy levels. Without my regular feedings, will I shut down like a neglected wind-up toy? Will my energy levels be low until I eat and then low again because my stomach is digesting a significantly larger meal than it is used to?
I betcha… This experiment is simple in theory but will be challenging in practice. I expect my body will adjust after the first week or two and hopefully my energy levels will improve. I do think I’ll like the indulgent feeling of getting to eat all my day’s food in a shorter window though… like a post-fast Fat Tuesday every day but without the weight gain.
Week 1-2 Notes:
- The first day was surprisingly easy; it may have helped that I’d had a big dinner the night before. Aside from my stomach’s occasional hunger yelps in the mornings, my body continued to feel good the 1st couple of days. I noticed I was slightly irritable but more aware. While I missed my breakfast routine, I enjoyed having some extra time in the AM for personal work and reflection (an ideal time to meditate) and not having that post-breakfast slump I’d attempt to combat with coffee.
- The first real challenges came with a couple morning workouts. I’ve always been told—and practiced—that you need some energy in your system before working out and to recover with healthy carbs and protein after. Several IF practitioners advocate just consuming some BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) to help with protein synthesis until your first meal of the day. I’ve just ordered some capsules, so we’ll see!
- Who says I can’t have “breakfast” foods for lunch, the time when I’m literally breaking my fast? Not a damn person. Besides, breakfast time is just an intangible idea we’ve all agreed to believe in… so I’m breaking up with this belief and eating whatever I please, starting at noon. I’m not alone, after all; LA restauranteurs decided years ago that brunch goes till 4pm. Game on, afternoon eggs!
Week 3-4 Notes:
- My body has adjusted. The slight irritability from the 1st few days is gone. Some days I still aggressively check the clock, especially around 11am, but others I get into a rhythm with whatever I’m working on and realize it’s 1 or 2pm before I eat.
- In addition to having more time in the morning, without cooking or eating breakfast, I’ve been feeling a supercharged level of alertness that has led to greater productivity while I’m fasting. The impact was less noticeable in the afternoon, though I found my normal afternoon circadian slump hasn’t been hitting me as hard or often.
- While weight loss has not been a goal for me and I haven’t been restricting the number of calories I eat during the “feeding window”—that phrase makes me feel like a farm animal—I’ve noticed a clear leaning out of my body, which appears to be a conversion from fat to muscle. I say this because I haven’t lost weight and have increased muscle definition. The BCAA capsules I’ve been taking pre/post-morning workouts may be helping here, as they aid in synthesizing protein, promoting muscle growth and speeding recovery.
Whoomp, there it is…
- Energy level impact: While my afternoon energy levels improved only slightly during this period, my morning energy levels and feeling of alertness and productivity increased greatly while I was fasting. I’ve had a taste of supercharged mornings, so… sorry breakfast, but I’m not coming back anytime soon.
- I like the simplicity of having one less meal to prepare and the way my body looks and feels too.
- This experiment is being renewed indefinitely!
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156
Drop me a line with any feedback. Also, please leave me a comment with what you think my next experiment should be:
- CrossFit 3x/week
- Sensory Deprivation Therapy (Float Tank) 1x/week
- Give Up Caffeine for a month
- Guided Breathwork
- Daily Journaling
- Cryotherapy
- Your suggestion?