Instagram fitness models broadcast the diet trend on Snapchat. Gym rats tell me this was their key to getting shredded for summer. As a lover of outrageous fitness and fad diets, I was intrigued and skeptical of how occasionally starving yourself could make you lose weight, yet keep muscle and stay toned. I didn’t need to lose weight and am a happily healthy eater that lives on turkey breast and kale, but I had to see what all the hype was about ahead of my trip to Cancun.
Nour Zibdeh, an integrative function dietitian and nutritionist based out of Herndon, raves about how intermittent fasting is an effective and innovative way to lose weight. “It’s a fresh perspective compared to typical diets that recommend low-carb, low-fat, high protein or a variety of macro nutrients ranges. Intermittent fasting can be a lifestyle,” Zibdeh explains.
There are many different types of fasting, such as daily 16-hour fasts, 24-hour fasts once a week or 400 calories per day fasting periods; however, Zibdeh suggested that the 16-hour fast and eight hours of eating would be a good stepping stone, keeping in mind that it’s “not what you eat, but when you eat” that is core to understanding food and fasting. “Eat a balanced, clean, real food diet that is comprised of vegetables, lean proteins, fruit, legumes, healthy fats, dairy and whole grains if you tolerate them,” Zibdeh advises.
Day one of the experiment felt as if these three weeks were going to fly by, since starting my morning consists simply of black coffee. When 10 a.m. hit though, the hunger pangs came rolling in. To distract myself from my looming hunger, Zibdeh told me to “drink water and start with baby steps. Also, go to bed early and get enough sleep, at least eight hours, so you spend less time thinking of food.” In terms of exercise, I tried to keep it moderate with weight lifting and HIIT while avoiding my hour-long runs.
As the experiment progressed, I didn’t notice any change in weight, but I felt less bloated and almost lighter. Zibdeh talks about the surprising health benefits, such as cancer prevention, and how intermittent fasting “can reduce inflammatory chemicals and oxidative stress, improve cell destruction and trigger several processes for DNA repair.”
As great as I felt about my flatter stomach, my mental health felt like it was getting left behind in the fasting frenzy. Zibdeh warns of the possible health problems associated with fasting such as hypoglycemia, dizziness, shaking, sweating, agitation and headaches. I became irritable, becoming annoyed with simple habits like people’s breathing, and I found myself counting down the time until I could start eating again. My coffee intake tripled without being able to keep me awake, and menstrual cramps became more intense and longer lasting. I took a two-day break so I could attempt to feel normal again.
Intermittent fasting wasn’t entirely what I expected. I imagined myself getting ripped for Cancun, but the negative mental and physical side effects couldn’t outweigh the less-bloated feeling. Maybe I went in expecting too much, maybe this trend just isn’t what my body needs to stay fit and healthy.
One thing I did learn: I can feel good in my itty-bitty bikini, regardless.
