30 Day Intermittent Fasting Results: I Gave Intermittent Fasting A Go For A Month, And These Are The Results That I Got

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting

Updated on 4/24/2024
Martin AlvarezBy Martin Alvarez
Nutritionist/Dietitian Professional Guide
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I had to give the concept of intermediate fasting a go since I had been hearing about it for a considerable amount of time. In this article, we will take about 30 day intermittent fasting results.

To begin, intermittent fasting, sometimes known as IF, is a popular "diet" or "lifestyle" idea in which a person refrains from eating for periods ranging from 14 to 20 hours at a time. Now, this could seem somewhat restricted, but in reality, it's not the case. My challenge was not so much with the actual act of fasting. For this test, I went with a fasting window of 16 hours and an eating window of 8 hours. I went without food from 6 pm till 10 am (sleeping most of it).

Why Should You Even Bother Giving This A Shot?

The scientific explanation for this is straightforward. During the period designated for eating, glucose is taken in and utilized as a source of energy. While you are fasting, the amount of glucose in your blood drops, and the body turns to the oxidation of fat cells for its energy source.

You can achieve a state of ketosis through intermittent fasting, just like a ketogenic diet (in which fat cells are used as a source of fuel for the body's functions). However, unlike a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting does not cause the adverse side effects of restricting carbs and fiber intake. I strongly recommend that if you are interested in losing weight and have been considering embarking on a ketogenic diet to lose weight, you should watch this video first:

Watch this before considering Keto Lifestyle.

There are also additional advantages of doing an intermittent fast, and you can learn more about them here:

  • There are 21 benefits of intermittent fasting that you may not have considered.

No question abstaining from food in any form is beneficial to your health. When you look at almost every religion in the world, you'll see that they all observe some fasting ritual. In either case, it is a time when Muslims fast during Ramadan, and Christians fast during the season of Lent.

In his book titled "The Pleasure Trap," the renowned physician Dr. Alan Goldhamer, considered a pioneer in the field of healing via fasting, discusses how people are always in a condition of being overfed and at the same time being malnourished.

He discusses the advantages of simply consuming water during a fast as a multifaceted approach to healing the body. In Dr. Goldhamer's residential clinic, patients suffering from terminal diseases often participate in fasts monitored by medical professionals and last for extended periods. There is an excellent podcast, which you can listen to if you would like to learn more about him:

The Insane Benefits of Water-Only Fasting: Dr. Alan Goldhamer | Rich Roll Podcast

How Long Should The Window Of Time Between Meals Be?

I would propose beginning with a 14/12 window, in which you eat for 12 hours and then go without food for 14 hours. The short length is more important than the actual time window during which you may consume food.

While intermittent fasting is an effective method for weight loss, lowering cholesterol, and increasing insulin sensitivity, following an early eating window is even more effective.

Even when considering eating the same amount of calories and the same food, this study and other similar studies showed that individuals who consumed the calories earlier in the day experienced more benefits in terms of fat loss than those who consumed the same amount later in the day. Despite the same amount of calories being consumed, this was the case.

Because you are more active during the day and burn more calories than at night, this is usually the first thing that springs to mind when you try to figure out why this is happening to you. But this cannot be said to be confirmed on its own.

Even in individuals whose jobs require them to work night shifts, glucose tolerance in the body decreases as the hours of darkness increase. The circadian cycle of the organism is primarily responsible for this phenomenon rather than anything else.

What Kind Of Weight Reduction Can I Anticipate From Intermittent Fasting?

In this particular research study, using a limited eating window resulted in an average weight loss of almost 7 pounds in only a few short months. This occurred even though neither the number of calories consumed nor the amount of physical activity increased. In fact, this was one of the rare research on weight reduction in which individuals deliberately elected to continue this eating pattern long after the trial was over and maintained their fat loss. As a result, the study was one of the most successful weight loss.

Is It Possible That Fasting Will Make Me Live Longer?

intermittent fasting heart health

intermittent fasting heart health

The Seventh-day Adventist population has been shown to have a comparable eating pattern to the general population, even though they have the world's highest life expectancy at around ten years longer than the average person. Front-loading calories and intermittent fasting (IF) may also point to increased lifespan when combined with a hearty breakfast or lunch and an extended fasting period.

For some individuals, having a fasting window might also mean preceding a meal and ingesting fewer calories than they would have otherwise. Numerous studies highlight the advantages of reducing caloric intake and the multiple health benefits of doing so (apart from just fat loss). Diets low in calories have been found to extend laboratory animals' lifespan and postpone the development of age-related hereditary conditions that are predisposed.

Consuming fewer calories is linked to a slower metabolism and less oxidative stress on the body's cells, contributing to increased life. This research further reveals that even reducing your calorie intake by 20 percent beginning at age 25 and continuing up to age 52 might add up to five years to your overall longevity.

A decrease in calories leads to a reduction in visceral fat, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and an improvement in insulin sensitivity, and a flatter abdominal profile. All of these factors also contribute to a longer life span.

Now, when I say "limited calories," I am not referring to a diet that only allows 1,200 calories a day. I am referring to a daily deficit of between 200 and 500 calories here, depending on my activity level and BMR.

When I Was On My Intermittent Fasting Diet, How Many Calories Did I Consume During The Time I Was Fasting?

Because of my current level of activity and my basal metabolic rate, I have determined that the optimal number of calories for me to consume daily is 2100. Because I was following an IF pattern, I was ingesting between 1600 and 1800 calories daily without feeling too irritable or hungry.

How Would I Describe My Experience?

How Would I Describe My Experience?

How Would I Describe My Experience?

When I first began intermittent fasting, I had a few primary goals in mind: to shed fat rather than muscle mass, to curb my need for late-night snacking, to enhance my digestive health generally, and to assist in clearing up both my skin and stomach.

But in addition to that, I also received much more. The most significant advantage for me was that I no longer had feelings of anger associated with hunger. I would have my workout at about nine in the morning, and then I wouldn't eat anything until twelve, and I felt perfect.

My body took about a week to become accustomed to this new pattern of sleeping, but as soon as I got used to it, I found it to be a wonderful experience. When I woke up, I did not have feelings of hunger or exhaustion. It is a common misconception that we need as many calories as we do.

Because it did not require me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing and thinking about food, this was the least complex plan for me to adhere to. I was given more time to work and concentrate on various other matters.

Aside from this, my first week of practicing intermittent fasting consisted of a movie night with my family practically every night. In other words, late-night snacks comprised nachos, guacamole, and popcorn (pizza, too). I was so dedicated to intermittent fasting that I did not even take a single mouthful of any of this.

Because I had a set time during which I could consume food, I could avoid thoughtless, mindless, empty-calorie snacking late at night.

In addition, despite drinking a lot of water each day, I always awoke with a flat stomach. I believe this was because I ate at least a few hours before bed, allowing my body sufficient time to digest the food. This article is something you should read since it discusses that the same number of calories eaten in the evening will add to the body fat by fifty percent more than when those same calories are consumed in the morning.

In only one month, I was able to get rid of a bloated stomach and around two kg of excess weight.

My rehabilitation went a little better than expected. This was because I went to bed with an empty stomach, so my digestive system and body could concentrate more intently on rebuilding muscle fibers.

My strength improvements were not much different from one another (lifting almost similar weights). But cardiac endurance grew a bit better. It is possible to continue working for a more extended period without experiencing fatigue.

Therefore, This Is Precisely How I Carried Out IF:

12pm- Brunch:

A cup of fruits served as the first course of my supper, and after it came to a salad dish with a variety of leafy greens. After that, I eat whatever grain that strikes my fancy (wheat, rice, barley, or quinoa), beans or lentils, and more vegetables (sabzi). Occasionally, I would also use vegan curds or buttermilk in the recipe.

7 pm- Dinner:

Comparable to brunch, but with two different kinds of beans and soup rather than a salad.

The Following Is An Example Of A Strategy That I Recommend You Adhere To:

It's possible that this is not the ideal choice for someone who wants to increase muscle growth while maintaining a calorie surplus. However, there is evidence that going without food for an extended period of time raises testosterone levels and may help gain muscle growth.

Therefore, to summarise,

Even though the eating window is so narrow, you will still get the impression that you are consuming a significant amount of food when, in reality, you are not. People who are not proficient at maintaining a diet that involves portion control might benefit tremendously from adopting this lifestyle adjustment. If you reduce the time you have available to eat, you will naturally skip one of your meals and consume fewer calories overall.

Who Might Benefit From Following A Diet Like This?

Who Might Benefit From Following A Diet Like This?

Who Might Benefit From Following A Diet Like This?

If you have a sensitivity to glucose, you should not do this without first seeking professional counsel. Despite this irony, there is some evidence that fasting may enhance glucose sensitivity.

If you tend to eat without paying attention to what you are doing, you should give this method of self-discipline a go. Before making a decision, I recommend giving it a try for at least a month before you commit to it. After that, you must focus on the signs your body sends you.

Which Things Will Cause Me To Break My Fast, And Which Won't?

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