How time restricted feeding changed my life

I learned over 18 years ago from a brilliant mentor the power and science behind intermittent fasting. The first thing I did after listening to his first lecture, was I stopped eating 3 1/2 hour prior to bedtime and not eating for 30 minutes after waking up. I learned that not eating for 3 1/2 hours prior to sleep, and 30 miinutes after waking up, your body would produce massive amounts of human growth hormone naturally 30 minutes after falling asleep and an hour after waking. There are people who spend hundreds of dollars injected HGH for energy and vitality, and you can create it naturally with no cost. It took me approximately a month to not be hungry and stop the habit of snacking at night. I realized it was all just habits at night, feeding my emotions from the stress of my day. I would suck on cough drops, for a few weeks. I would read or watch tv in bed, just to be away from the kitchen. Once I got into a new habit, I felt amazing. Better sleep, most of all. You not busy digesting food while your body needs to rest. That led me to 16 hour fast. I lost weight, had more energy, and more stamina in my gym workouts.

Then we all watch the fads online and I wasn’t any exceptions. I would be so impressed with people who would fast all day, or do 3 day fast. I would think. These people are crazy!!!!! There is no way. I came up with so many excuses in my head. The main reason for me, was I have trouble keeping nutrition. Unlike the rest of the world who is chronically constipated. I am not. I could easily have a bowel movement many times a day.. I know Way TMI!!!!!

Then one day I read about a doctor who just graduated from medical school and was doing is internship in a emergency room and he fasted for 46 days with no problem. Ok really!!! Wow!!! The analogies is that how do think your car would run if you kept it running all day. It would breakdown and not last very long. A simple way to put it and it made sense to me. Less food. less work on the body. less break down. I was in! I was going to start with a 22 hours no food, 2 hours feeding window from 3p.m. to 5p.m. This would allow me to still get my 3 1/2 hours of no food prior to bed.

First day in was filled with all kinds of emotions as you can imagine. I actually took baking soda tablets to get the curbing for hunger. When we eat we consume a lot of salt, so of course your body will need to replenish salt. I’m not gonna lie, I had hunger pains, I had moments of wanting to give in. I wanted to experience the win of fasting more than the hunger. After getting through the few days, I wanted to share with you my amazing experience.

Everything was just simplier by doing and having less in my life. Less food, less food prep, less time spent on eating which meant more time for relaxing or working. less thinking about all the energy that comes with planning or thinking about what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. The first think I noticed was actually how exhausted I was once I had food. I noticed how much I actually enjoyed my food and how it felt to feed my body. I didn’t want junk. I wanted nutritious food that would fuel me. The second think I noticed and was very apparent to me was my mental clarity and focus mid morning to my feeding window was amazing. No more brain fog. Big Win!!!!! The third and intuitive thing I noticed was how impulsive I was around food. I also noticed how others were so obsessed with food, how much people around me were actually eating and snacking through out the day. There was an awareness to reaching for things outside ourselves for comfort or balance in our bodies. The awareness I had that I didn’t need something outside of myself to feel whole or worthy, or just down right ok.

I have been doing 22/2 time restricted feeding for approximately a year now. I workout every morning. I have lost 15 lbs. I have dropped 5 percent body fat and currently I am 61 years old. 119 lbs with 16 % body fat. Although its not my goal to look like a body builder or be bulky. Its my goal to have longetivity To have good muscle to body fat ratio. To be functionally strong. I can lift heavy, I can lift light for a long period of time which means I have good endurance. I can stretch well. I can move easily by getting on the floor and getting up. I can hang for long periods of time. I have debunked every concept in the training world of eating 6 times a day. eat tons of protein in order to be strong or lift heavy. I feel really strong and well balanced. I think thats what most people want even if your main goal is slightly different than mine. Keep in mind influencers and supplements companies tell you what you need to hear to sell more of their products.